We may have got a whole new look at Pokemon Legends: Z-A during last week’s Pokemon Presents, but it seems like one new 28-second clip that’s emerged from the RPG’s Japanese website has caused more hype online than the entire previous stream. Sorry, Mega Dragonite.
As highlighted by Twitter user @palkiaorigin, tucked away on a page covering Legends: Z-A’s features is a short video showing off the game’s battle system. Of course, we’ve already seen how it works before, with battles initiated from the overworld like in Legends: Arceus, although with new real-time combat elements that make fights look a lot more reminiscent of the Pokemon anime. However, as this fan points out, the clip shows how “seamless” these battles are.
In the clip, we see the player approach a wild Binacle, with a battle starting as they send out their own Fletchling. After an attack, they then switch to their Chikorita (having clearly made the correct choice of starter Pokemon), dodge an incoming water move by running to the side, and launch a counterattack from a different angle, knocking the enemy out. As was previously revealed, bringing a wild Pokemon down to 0HP no longer instantly defeats them – there’s a window where they become dizzy and you can still catch them – but as shown here, if you wait long enough, they’ll simply disappear.
The battles in Legends ZA are pretty seamless. pic.twitter.com/xvHkt3fajNJuly 27, 2025
As short as the video is, it’s still been enough to bring out the hype from fans. “Not even trying to glaze it, but this is legitimately the type of Pokemon game I dreamed of having as a child. Real-time combat, I can make my mon dodge!? IT LOOKS SO GOOOOOD,” one declares, while another speculates: “Genuinely, honestly, and unironically this will be the best Pokemon game, but probably the most divisive.”
Others feel like this has given us a better look at what Legends: Z-A has to offer compared to its previous trailers. “Why does this footage look more impressive than everything else they’ve shown,” one says. “This little section actually looks like what I would imagine a Gen 10 would look like with the [Switch 2] power.”
Meanwhile, another argues: “Everyone saying ‘this might be the best Pokemon game of all-time’ after someone posted a 20-second clip on a random Sunday is funny yet fair since PLZA has had the most boring trailers of any Pokemon game ever.”
Regardless of how you feel about Legends: Z-A’s previous trailers, I think it’s safe to say that any looks at its new Xenoblade-esque combat system are appreciated – it’s certainly the thing that stands out the most compared to every other entry in the series. Who knows, perhaps this might end up being the way forward instead of the regular turn-based battles we’ve been used to?
For now, be sure to check out our roundup of the best Pokemon games you can play today.