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Pokémon Legends: Z-A has a reasonable reason to teach players: its battles and exploration introduce systems that differ from the series’ familiar turn-based formula. The problem, according to one reviewer, is that the guided opening also makes experienced players sit through explanations of concepts they already know before they can explore Lumiose City freely. The design question is not whether newcomers need help; it is whether that help has to be mandatory for everyone.
Why does Pokémon Legends: Z-A need a tutorial?
The game changes the rhythm of Pokémon combat. Nintendo describes battles in which Trainers and Pokémon move in real time, and where a move’s timing, reach, area of effect and time to take effect can all matter. That is a meaningful shift from selecting a move in a largely turn-based exchange, so players need an opportunity to learn how positioning and timing work.
There is more to introduce than combat. Players catch Pokémon in wild zones and city spaces, where some Pokémon may flee when they spot them; hiding or approaching from behind can help. The game also builds toward the Z-A Royale, with battle zones appearing at night, and includes Mega Evolution, a temporary transformation that can strengthen a Pokémon and may change its type. Nintendo’s gameplay overview and official game page describe these mechanics.
That makes some onboarding useful. It does not, by itself, justify explaining every familiar series convention to every player in a fixed sequence.
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![Pokémon Legends: Z-A Standard - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41IOdpg0EfL._SL160_.jpg)
- Your journey will take you to all manner of sights in the streets arrayed around Prism Tower, including shops, restaurants, and places called wild zones—where Pokémon roam free.
- As you catch, train, and battle Pokémon, there will be plenty of people to meet too—like AZ, the enigmatic owner of Hotel Z.
What is the tutorial complaint?
GamesRadar+ Managing Editor Ali Jones says it takes “almost 90 minutes” before players can explore Lumiose City without interruption from NPC hints. That is one reviewer’s estimate, not an independently timed duration or a guarantee for every playthrough. Jones’s criticism is that the series often treats each new game as if it were every player’s first, making returning fans repeat lessons on familiar catching and battling concepts alongside explanations of genuinely new systems.
Jones accepts the case for teaching new mechanics such as real-time combat and parkour, but argues that familiar material should not be compulsory for veterans. The piece also questions the opening’s coverage: it says deeper systems such as EVs, natures and abilities are not explained. Those are the reviewer’s observations, not findings from a formal usability study. Jones’s verdict is blunt: “Legends Z-A does offer a slight improvement, but it’s confirmed my biggest gripe with the series: it’s long-past time for Pokemon to let you skip its tutorials.” (GamesRadar+)
Rank #2
![Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Mega Dimension DLC - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51r8yUj+syL._SL160_.jpg)
- Venture into Hyperspace Lumiose in this additional story content that can be accessed after completing the main game
- Work with the mysterious baker, Ansha, to make donuts that awaken the Mythical Pokémon Hoopa’s power and grant you and your Pokémon a variety of useful effects
- Join Team MZ and the Mega Evolution Successor, Korrina, to investigate Hyperspace Lumiose, the otherworldly home to rare and hyper-strong Pokémon
- Discover new Mega Evolutions such as Mega Raichu X, Mega Raichu Y, Mega Chimecho and Mega Baxcalibur
- Claim Holo-X and Holo-Y in-game apparel items, which you can wear as soon as you are able to customize your character’s look and outfit in the main game
When does the tutorial end?
There is no universally established minute mark in the available evidence. Jones’s “almost 90 minutes” estimate describes that reviewer’s experience before uninterrupted exploration, not a measured rule for all players. Your pace and how much optional dialogue or instruction you engage with may affect when the opening feels over, but the cited sources do not quantify those differences.
The practical distinction is between reaching a point where the city can be explored freely and simply finishing an explanation or mission. The reviewer’s complaint concerns the former: the accumulation of hints and guidance before the game lets players roam without interruption.
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Rank #3
- [4K ULTRA HD PERFORMANCE] Protect the peace in Lumiose City in this enhanced edition for the Nintendo Switch 2 system, featuring native 4K resolution and a stable 60FPS frame rate. Experience the urban re-development plan with high-fidelity textures and advanced lighting effects centered around the iconic Prism Tower.
- [REAL-TIME BATTLE ENGINE] For the first time in the Pokémon RPG series, command your Pokémon in seamless real-time battles. Engage over 100+ unique species with zero loading transitions, utilizing an upgraded combat AI that leverages the increased processing power of the Switch 2 hardware.
- [MEGA EVOLUTION MECHANICS] Master the power of Mega Evolution to suppress rampaging Rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon appearing across the Kalos region. This edition introduces 15+ newly discovered Mega-Evolved forms, each rendered with dynamic particle effects and exclusive Z-A signature moves for tactical depth.
- [MULTIPLAYER Z-A ROYALE] Compete in the Z-A Royale each night to test your skills against global Trainers. Supported by Nintendo Switch 2's improved low-latency wireless architecture, these competitive events allow you to climb leaderboards and unlock rare evolution stones in 20-player lobbies.
- [EXPANSIVE WILD ZONES] Explore vibrant Wild Zones where Pokémon roam free in their natural habitats, from bustling city shops to hidden restaurants. This Hong Kong physical edition is region-free and supports English, Traditional Chinese, and Japanese, featuring the enigmatic AZ and the peacekeeping Team MZ.
Is the guidance fair to newcomers?
Yes, to a point. The Pokémon Company positions the game for both long-time fans and people about to throw their first Poké Ball. That broad audience includes players who may need the basics, while the real-time battle format gives returning players new rules to absorb too. But official marketing language is not evidence that the opening works equally well for both groups.
The sharper design solution would be to separate learning the new game from relearning the whole series. A brief knowledge check, optional tutorials or a choice between a guided and condensed opening could preserve support for first-timers without assuming every returning player needs the same lessons. The reviewed sources do not establish whether the shipped game offers a tutorial-skip option, so it would be inaccurate to claim that one is available—or definitively absent.
Rank #4
- Live the life of a Pokémon Trainer in the streets of Lumiose City!
- For the first time in the Pokémon RPG series, command your Pokémon in real-time battles
- Use the power of Mega Evolution in battle and take on rampaging Rogue Mega-Evolved Pokémon
- Compete in the Z-A Royale each night to test your skills and try to become the strongest Pokémon Trainer
- Visit shops, restaurants, and places called wild zones—where Pokémon roam free—all centered around Prism Tower
How to judge whether the tutorial works
The debate is clearer when separated into four questions rather than reduced to “tutorials are bad” or “new players need help”:
- Novelty: Does the lesson teach a genuinely new system, such as real-time battle timing, or repeat a familiar series convention?
- Player control: Can a returning player opt out, choose a shorter explanation or show prior familiarity?
- Timing: How long before players can explore Lumiose City without frequent instructional interruptions?
- Coverage: Does the opening explain consequential systems consistently, or spend time on basics while leaving some deeper mechanics untouched?
These are useful standards for assessing onboarding, not claims that controlled testing has settled how well Z-A performs on each one. The evidence for the duration complaint is an individual review; the official pages establish the mechanics the game asks players to learn.
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- An ambitious new adventure set in Lumiose City awaits in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, coming to Nintendo Switch in late 2025. Explore the city, unravel its secrets and battle Pokémon like never before!
- An urban redevelopment plan is underway in Lumiose City! The goal: to turn it into a place Pokémon and people can truly share. Shortly after arriving, you’ll choose from one of these partner Pokémon to accompany you on your journey – Chikorita, Tepig or Totodile.
- Together, you can explore the streets of this vast city or visit Wild Zones – habitats where you’ll encounter wild Pokémon. To catch them, aim carefully and throw a Poké Ball or take them on with the help of the Pokémon on your team.
- For the first time ever, Trainers and their Pokémon will move around and take action in real time during battles. Pokémon will unleash their moves when their Trainers command them to. In addition to type matchups, there will be new mechanics to consider, such as the precise timing for swapping out your Pokémon or using moves, the different lengths of time moves will take to launch, and how big an area the moves will impact.
- In Lumiose City, Pokémon can go beyond Evolution by undergoing Mega Evolution! When a Trainer’s Key Stone resonates with the Mega Stone held by their Pokémon, the Pokémon will do more than just change shape and size – it will unlock a new level of power, which could turn the tide of battle!
Have updates changed the tutorial?
Nintendo Support lists version 2.0.1 as released on January 21, 2026, with adjustments and fixes, but the cited update history does not say that the tutorial was changed. That means the update notes cannot be used to claim the opening was shortened or made skippable. The separately sold Mega Dimension story add-on requires completion of the base game’s main story before players can progress through its story, according to Nintendo Support.
What the criticism ultimately gets right
Pokémon Legends: Z-A has legitimate new material to teach, so a tutorial is not the problem in itself. The stronger criticism is about imposing the same learning path on players with different levels of experience—and, in one reviewer’s account, delaying free city exploration while doing so. Letting players choose how much instruction they want would address that tension more directly than removing guidance altogether.
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