ZA's Legendary Hunt doesn't hold a candle to Sword and Shield, even after more than 5 years

The Pokemon The franchise has always been known for its mix of strategy, exploration, and a healthy dose of randomness, especially when it comes to shiny hunting. Players have long looked for ways to track down those elusive, rare shiny variants of their favorite Pokémon, and with each new installment, Game Freak has introduced new ways to make the hunt more appealing. in Pokemon Legends: ZAA flashy quest for legendary Pokemon like Latios, Latias, Terrakion, Virizion, and Cobalion is to keep players away from anything that can be used.

Finding Legends in the game is a more immersive experience, well suited to the open-world format and storytelling approach. However, while Legends: ZA Brings an exciting twist to the classic glossy hunting formula, it doesn't quite capture what it is Pokemon Sword and Shield Introduced in Crown Tundra DLC with Dynamax Adventures. Pokemon Legends: ZAThe shiny hunting loop is unique, it can be a lot of fun, and it's definitely a solid step forward, but ultimately, Sword and shieldDynamax Adventures is still ruling supreme even after 5 years.

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Pokemon Legends: ZA's shiny hunting legendary method is great, but limited and repetitive

In shiny hunting legendaries Pokemon Legends: ZA A relatively new and immersive experience. The game takes a more story-driven approach to legendary encounters, especially with story-related ones in the base game and DLC, such as:

• Xerneas (the one who gives)

• Yveltal (one takes)

• Zygarde (to keep balance in the world)

• Darkrai (Hyperspace Mission 11)

• Rayquaza (The Greatest Gift)

On top of that, there are five specific legendaries that you can hunt down in the game, and they are: Latios, Latias, Terrakion, Virizion, and Cobalion. It allows players to actively pursue these legends through special in-game “quests”, which are repeatable hyperspace surveys that eventually yield special scans. These will always guarantee one of seven results after five specific scans, and the possible results are:

• Latias

• Latios

• Cobalion

• Terrakion

• Virizion

• Keldeo

• Meloetta

Among these, Keldeo and Meloeta are glossy-locked Pokemon Legends: ZAThus making them impossible to prey on. However, the other five can be found in specific locations in their respective Hyperspace Wild Zones, and the odds of them shining with both a Sparkling Charm and a Sparkling Power Level 3 Donut can be as low as 1 in 512, making them more interesting and special than the usual tall grass encounters in the series.

Why Dynamax Adventure in Sword and Shield is still the best flashy hunting method

While Pokemon Legends: ZAWhile the flashy hunt for legends is certainly a step in the right direction, it doesn't hold a candle to innovation. Pokemon Sword and Shield Introduced with Dynamax Adventures in the Crown Tundra DLC. This is due to several reasons:

1. Co-op gameplay with friends, online players, and bots

One of the most beloved features of Dynamax Adventures is the cooperative gameplay. Players form into groups of four to face raids against Dynamaxed Legendary Pokemon. Dynamax Adventures' co-op element brought a whole new level of excitement to hunting, allowing players to experience legendary hunting not as a solo act, but as a shared challenge. This multiplayer aspect makes hunting more engaging, adding social interaction to the dazzling hunting process. Whether you're teaming up with friends or matching up with random players online, the experience feels lively, dynamic, and communal—something that Pokemon Legends: ZAThe single quest system does not duplicate much.

2. Guaranteed legendary encounters

Dynamax Adventures offered a guaranteed legendary encounter at the end of each dungeon, a major plus for shiny hunters. Players don't have to worry about whether or not they'll encounter a Legendary Pokemon – if you go through the adventure, you'll encounter one of the many Legendary Pokemon featured in Crown Tundra. This certainty was a game-changer for glitter hunters, as it allowed them to repeatedly hunt down glitter legends in Dynamax Adventures without worrying about missing an opportunity. in comparison, Pokemon Legends: ZA Players are required to work through quests and conditions, which introduce a lot of uncertainty and make it difficult to target specific legendary Pokemon for shiny hunting.

3. Increases flash rate and repeat attempts

In Dynamax Adventures, the chances of encountering Shiny Pokémon were significantly increased, especially after completing multiple runs of the adventure. The more you participate in Dynamax Adventures, the higher your chances of finding a shining legend. This made shiny hunting a very streamlined process, where repeated attempts increased your odds, and the excitement of seeing different legendaries (with their shiny variants) made the hunt rewarding and exciting. Pokemon Legends: ZA Once players reach certain milestones via shiny charms or donuts, they offer increasingly shiny odds, but this only applies to certain critters, unlike Dynamax Adventures, where each encounter was a chance to catch a shiny version of a Legendary.

4. A variety of legends in one place

Another important advantage of Dynamax Adventures was the variety of legendary Pokemon that players could hunt at once. Each run features a rotating selection of Legendary Pokemon in Dynamax Adventures, making the experience feel fresh and full of surprises. For shiny hunters, this was especially exciting as it allowed players to pursue multiple shiny legendaries without having to farm separately for each one. in Pokemon Legends: ZAHowever, the focus is on specific mythological groups such as Latios, Latias, Terrakion, Virizion, and Cobalion. While it's still great for fans of these legends, it lacks the same level of variety and flexibility that Dynamax Adventures offers.

It's unclear if the series will ever return to the heights of Dynamax Adventure, especially since Gen 9 has so many Legendaries shiny-locked, and only a few of them are shiny-hunting. ZA. in fact, Pokemon Scarlet and Purple Players returned to Gen 8 because of Dynamax Adventures, so it's clear that the system was beloved and a huge success. Hopefully, Gen 10 will use something like this, in the long run.

systems

issued

October 16, 2025

ESRB

Everyone 10+ / Fantasy violence, in-game purchases

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