Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Every Pokémon game needs a year or two before the community inevitably looks back fondly on it. While there’s plenty of folks still in the rage phase with this one, I’m gonna go ahead and say that Pokémon Legends: Z-A is already one of the best, boldest games in the long-running monster-taming series. The single-city setting allows Game Freak to sit with one of its best casts of characters ever for way longer than any of its previous games did, and its real-time battle system is full of new nuances and strategies you won’t find in your average turn-based Pokémon game. After two games, we know the Legends subseries has become Game Freak’s place to experiment, so it’s entirely possible the next one won’t look or play anything like Z-A, but it would be nice if these action systems made their way to more games. They’re too good to toss aside after just one entry.

A Good Match For: People who want a Pokémon experience that doesn’t feel like more of the same

Not A Good Match For: People who don’t want windows to look like they weren’t painted on by a Bugs Bunny character

Purchase From: Nintendo eShop | Amazon | Best Buy | GameStop | Target