Summary
- Pokemon Legends: Z-A may feature traversal mechanics seen in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet and Sword and Shield.
- Rotom phone could replace Ride Pokemon in Legends: Z-A for in-game navigation.
- Legends: Z-A setting a precedent for future games by utilizing the Rotom phone for traversal.
While a potentially major mechanic may have been revealed during Pokemon Legends: Z-A‘s latest trailer, it might not be entirely new as it may have already featured first in Gen 9’s Pokemon Scarlet and Violet before the upcoming game. Though it was far from the focus of Game Freak’s long-overdue update for Legends: Z-A, the game’s recent trailer may have teased a new approach to traversal mechanics with the return of the Rotom phone. Besides the possibility of foregoing Ride Pokemon as seen in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Legends: Z-A could be adopting mechanics previously seen in Scarlet and Violet and even Sword and Shield.
Following Game Freak’s decision to transition Pokemon games to an open-world design, each subsequent game in the mainline series has experimented with different approaches to in-game traversal. Yet, despite the recent use of Ride Pokemon in both Legends: Arceus, and Scarlet and Violet, it seems that Pokemon Legends: Z-A is falling back on the Rotom phone for its traversal mechanics, just as it had in Sword and Shield. The potential evidence for this lies in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment from Legends: Z-A‘s trailer that features an uncannily similar animation to something more recently seen in Scarlet and Violet.
Related
Pokemon Legends: Z-A is Marking a First for the Series
The upcoming Pokemon Legends: Z-A is marking a first for the franchise in one particularly interesting way.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A Could Be Expanding on Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Rotom Phone
Since Pokemon Sun and Moon first reworked Rotom to serve more practical purposes like a Pokedex, Game Freak has pushed the envelope for what this formerly unique Gen 4 Pokemon can do in recent games. With the Rotom phone becoming a new Pokemon series staple between Sword and Shield and Scarlet and Violet, it seems Legends: Z-A will take a similar approach after it appeared in its latest trailer. However, approximately halfway through that same trailer, the player character can be seen jumping between buildings using an animation that seems eerily familiar to how Scarlet and Violet prevented its players from taking fall damage.
While Legends: Arceus wasn’t as forgiving as Scarlet and Violet, the previous Gen 9 games had included this small, seemingly minor feature where players would hold onto their Rotom phones right before falling to the ground from a high enough height. This animation appears nearly identical to the sequence seen in Legends: Z-A‘s trailer as the player character holds something close to their torso and is carried in a “floating” arc between the buildings. Though there has been no official confirmation that this is the case, it seems likely that Legends: Z-A could be expanding on this small Scarlet and Violet feature in a big way.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A Might Be Avoiding Pokemon Legends: Arceus’ Ride Pokemon
However, while it makes sense chronologically for Legends: Z-A to use the Rotom phone, given its modern-day setting, this would put the game at odds with its predecessor, Legends: Arceus. Though considered part of the mainline series, these games still appear to be outliers, with the expectation being that they share similarities, such as both Pokemon Legends games sharing an intergenerational starter trio or each one featuring a single Legendary mascot Pokemon. With no Ride Pokemon shown during Legends: Z-A‘s recent trailer, the game could replace these with the Rotom phone as it distances itself from Legends: Arceus‘ Ride Pokemon.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A Might Even Be Falling Back To Pokemon Sword and Shield’s Rotom Phone
Yet this wouldn’t be the first time Game Freak has used the Rotom phone for in-game navigation, as Sword and Shield debuted the Rotom bike to traverse its open world, something which Legends: Z-A could be falling back on. With Koraidon and Miraidon playing key roles in Scarlet and Violet‘s story, it’s possible that Game Freak needed a modern-day alternative for Legends: Z-A and wanted to avoid Legends: Arceus‘ multiple Ride Pokemon. As a result, Legends: Z-A could set a precedent for future Pokemon games, with the Rotom phone, bike, and potentially more taking over as the series’ in-game traversal mechanics.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A is an ambitious new entry to the Pokémon video game series, releasing simultaneously worldwide in 2025. A new adventure awaits within Lumiose City, where an urban redevelopment plan is underway to shape the city into a place that belongs to both people and Pokémon.
