New challenges will test Pokémon trainers’ reactions in their virtual beast battles, as the near-30-year-old saga’s latest instalment hits Nintendo consoles on Thursday.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A will, for the first time, play out its matchups in real time, rather than the turn-by-turn play of previous titles going back to 1996.

Set in a vast city inspired by Paris, with landmarks recalling the Eiffel Tower or Arc de Triomphe, players will have to time their attacks or dodge incoming blows as their stable of fantasy creatures does battle in the arena.

The breath of fresh air is likely to be welcomed by fans and critics, who have complained of a lack of new ideas in Pokémon releases of recent years. Legends: Z-A has been developed by Japanese studio Game Freak, the outfit that first brought the world of Pokémon to life.

Published by console giant Nintendo and The Pokémon Company, the new title is part of the Legends spin-off series that kicked off with Arceus in 2022.

Players can dive into Legends: Z-A on both the original Switch console and its Switch 2 successor. Gameplay unfolds around the city setting in a familiar competition format, with players scaling the ladder towards creature-training glory.

Almost 490 million copies of Pokémon games for console and mobile devices have been sold in the series’ nearly three-decade history, according to figures from The Pokémon Company.

Originally inspired by Japan’s summer tradition of insect gathering, the games centre on capturing and training “pocket monsters” resembling creatures from mice to dragons. The beasts’ often-cute appearance belies their fearsome powers, which players can deploy in battles against other trainers.

Characters from Pokémon games have been spun off into films, animated series and a plethora of merchandise.

The franchise racked up $12 billion in licensing revenue in 2024, according to specialist publication License Global, or more than toy giant Mattel.