Nintendo’s new Pokémon game, Pokémon Legends Z-A, has finally launched, and with it, the game features some brand-new features, like real-time battles. The game, however, features things that might confuse even seasoned gamers. So, if you are jumping into Pokémon Legends Z-A, here are some early game tips you should keep in mind.
Early Game Tips You Should Know in Pokémon Legends Z-A
Pokémon Legends Z-A doesn’t have a set way of playing the game. You can jump right in and play it how you want to play it. There are, however, things you should keep in mind to make your gaming experience. So, here are some tips to keep in mind.
Pick Up Whatever You Find Around the Map
You should be picking up every shiny trinket you see around the map, no matter what it is. You can later sell or trade this item for money, which you’ll require if you want to customize your trainer or buy items early game. Items aren’t cheap in this game, so always pick up whatever you see. You never know, you might also find something important in these drops.
Understanding How The Movement System Works
Since Pokémon Legends Z-A features real-time battle over turn-based combat, you’ll be moving around a lot. Since the game features a health bar for the player character, and you can take damage at any time, it is best to know how to move around and position yourself in the battle.
If you press B while walking, your character will start running. You don’t have to hold B to keep making him run. If you stop running, you’ll have to press the B button to make your character run again. Similarly, if you press the Y button while running, you’ll dodge, covering a big distance. So, you’ll have to learn a combination of sprint and dodge to maneuver around. Also, if you lock onto an enemy, your character won’t sprint. So, keep that in mind when fighting a Pokémon.
Throw Your Poke Balls at the Pokémon from Behind
Pokémon Legends Z-A has a new capture system where every time you aim your Poké Ball at a wild Pokémon, it shows you your chances of capturing the Pokémon with arrows on the side of that Pokémon. The higher the arrow, the higher your chances of capturing the Pokémon. If you want to improve your chances of catching the wild ones, try to sneak up on them from behind and throw the ball at them. Capturing them from behind increases your capture chances. This will be helpful early on when capturing all Wild Pokémon in Zone 2 and Zone 3.
Unlock the Protect TM Disc as Early As Possible
Try to fight and capture as many Pokémon as possible. This gives you the research points, which you can use later to unlock a TM Disc called Protect. You can unlock it by going to Mable’s Research tab in the menu. Once you teach your Pokémon Protect, and you time its usage during the fight, you can block practically any of your rival Pokémon’s attacks, protecting your Pokémon from damage, especially when their moves are on cooldown.
Level Up Your Pokédex to Reap Tons of Rewards
Under Mable’s Research tab, you can find a lot of requests that range from capturing Pokémon to battling specific ones. Consider doing these requests, since that levels up your Pokédex, rewarding you with various rewards, including a Shiny Charm in the end, which can help you with shiny hunting.
You Can Save the Game Before Engaging a Shiny Pokémon
Shiny hunting is a big community favorite when it comes to the Pokémon games, and Legends Z-A also lets you do that. While the game won’t autosave at any moment, fast-traveling, capturing a monster, and progressing through major events do make the game autosave. So, when you notice a shiny Pokémon, it is best to manually save right before engaging the Pokémon. Press the R button in the main menu to manually save. Right after you’ve saved, engage the shiny and start the battle.
Be careful about not accidentally engaging the Pokémon before manual saving, because if you do, you won’t be able to save until the fight’s over. If you miss capturing the Pokémon, you’ll forever lose the chance of capturing it again, so manually save.
You Can Get Your Lost Poké Balls Back
There might be times when you miss hitting a Pokémon and, in turn, you lose one of the Poké Balls. Fortunately, Pokémon Legends Z-A features an NPC right outside the Poké Center, who will return you the lost Poké Balls. Interact with the NPC, and you’ll get your Poké Balls for free. This only works for the balls you’ve missed hitting a monster.
The Poké Ball Boutique
If you want to get special Poké Balls that come with different properties, it is wise to travel to the Poké Ball Boutique. The shop contains various types of Poké Balls, which are handy for early-game experience. One good Poké Ball you can buy is the Quick Ball, which lets you capture a Pokémon quickly. Similarly, Dusk Ball is good for nighttime Pokémon hunting, keeping in line with the day-night cycle in the game.
