ZA's lack of new 'mons isn't sitting well with fans

It's been a whole month since Pokemon: Legends ZA was released on both the original Nintendo Switch and its successor, the Switch 2. As expected, there has been a lot of discourse since the launch of the title, some of it solid food for thought and some, well, toxic.

The debate over whether or not Pokemon should have voice acting reignited once again, as did the game's comically small maps and lack of exploration. Of course, we'd be remiss if we didn't bring up the problems with its “flat” graphics. Still, all of that hasn't stopped Legends: ZA from being the single best-selling physical game this year.

The player looks depressed while drinking at a coffee shop in Pokemon Legends: ZA.

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Now, fans want to know why there are zero new 'Mons' in Legends: ZA. After all, its predecessor, Legends: Arceus, introduced some new creatures, as well as regional variants. New Mega Evolution doesn't count. Sorry, Mega Starmy.

Even just a new Eeveelution will be enough for these Pokemon fans

Taking to Reddit, one user shared that they were “disappointed” that there were no new Pokemon in Legends: ZA, a sentiment shared by many in the community.

“As much as I love Megas, I feel their inclusion Always Ends with a small Pokedex; It happened in X/Y and in this game (I haven't played ORAS, so I'm wrong),” replied one user. “Even though Megas are great, you can only get them for less, especially in this game.”

“I 1 love teasing the next generation if anything,” wrote another.

Now, as depressing as any new 'Mons' is, there is technically a scholarly reason for this, even if most don't agree with it. As many users have pointed out, only five years have passed since the original X and Y, which isn't that much time for new Pokemon to be born, evolve or evolve.

But as other users have pointed out, this is also a video game, which means the lore can be changed on the fly to help make things make sense. “It's an easy plot excuse to say that the overflow of Mega Power into the city introduced Kalosian variants of some Pokémon species,” one user added. Another said that some convenient explosions could “unlock” previously hidden parts of the world and new Pokemon as a result.

I still have a lot of time to sink into Legends: ZA, but as it stands, I don't mind the lack of new creatures. It would have been better, of course, but megas are enough.

“Yes, I'm disappointed, especially since I didn't enjoy the game,” someone wrote.

Of course, there's DLC coming in less than 17 days, so there's a chance there's a hidden surprise we haven't seen yet. Personally, I don't get my hopes up, but you never know.