Pokémon Legends: Z-A — Mega Dimension DLC review for Nintendo Switch, Switch 2

Back in October of 2025, we saw the release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A (our review here) for both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 systems. Returning to the “Legends” formula from the Legends Arceus game, we saw a full-scale realization of Lumiose City, a story of us battling against the plague of rogue Mega Evolution, and the return of some characters from the Pokémon X&Y games. Unlike Legends Arceus, however, Legends: Z-A got a surprising DLC announcement: Pokémon Legends: Z-A — Mega Dimension. Featuring new Mega Evolution forms, an expansion on the Legends: Z-A story, and more, I’ve finally experienced enough to give a brutally honest review.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A on its own may be unique, but it’s a real hit or miss title, so I was eager to see how the DLC would expand upon it and maybe fix some of the issues with the base game. The issues plaguing Legends: Z-A are still prevalent here, don’t worry. It did bring Pokémon into the game that weren’t previously in it before as well as introduce a plethora of new Mega Evolution forms. Obviously everyone has favorites and ones they dislike, so we’ve all hopefully gotten some designs we’re in love with. I think Mega Dimension does introduce Mega Evolutions for some Pokémon that benefit greatly from and some Pokémon that it would have just been rad to get new forms. Game Freak absolutely delivers in this aspect, and I don’t really think it’s doubtable. Between unexpected mons like Crabominable and Chimecho and classic fan favorites like Staraptor and Golurk, I do believe this DLC brings a little something for everyone. Mega Dimension’s roster is pretty solid, so A+ to the team for that decision.

Outside of the roster, I think that’s mostly where my praise for Mega Dimension has to stop. For the price we’re paying for it, it’s extremely shallow and just as tedious as the base game’s progression was. The story of it is kinda whatever, it’s a Pokémon game so it’s to be expected, but holy crap the rest of it. From re-hashed areas, broken AI, and artificial timers for “pressure”, it’s a mess.

The largest offender is the complete lazy re-use of Lumiose but as much smaller, segmented chunks. The whole gimmick of Mega Dimension is the, well, “dimension” aspect. This is the Hyperspace from the Pokémon Hoopa, originally introduced in the Generation VI games, Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire while also appearing in the Gen VII games. To enter it, you’ll need to feed Hoopa special donuts with varying effects not too unlike the sandwiches from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. This by itself is fine and isn’t really a big deal. The timer for this Hyperspace is influenced by the calorie count of these donuts and only really serves to limit you at the very start when you only have access to base level berries, making it largely seem useless after about an hour. Why the system exists I could not tell you. To make you spend more time grinding for better berries to spend more time in the Hyperspace Distortions I guess?

Not only is the timer seemingly pointless, these Distortions pull from a select few “segments” of Lumiose City. effectively making each of these a pseudo-random arena. You’ve already navigated these sections, it’s quite literally nothing new with the exception of the changed locations of a ladder or two each entry. Not only this, there is a park area that you go to that just isn’t functional. The AI of your Pokémon completely disintegrates trying to interact with the wild Pokémon themselves, the new breakable Pokeball items, or the Mega Shards around the map. It really feels like it wasn’t tested and just shipped as is. For a franchise that generates the nearly infinite cashflow that Pokémon does, it’s embarrassing that this is the quality of product that gets sold to consumers. It’s lazy and half-baked, and no matter your personal enjoyment of it, the objective quality of it cannot be defended. I won’t sit here and pretend I didn’t still enjoy it for a brief period before it became tedious, because I do very much still enjoy Pokémon as I coast along over 20 years of involvement with this franchise. We’re at a point with Pokémon where you can tell it’s just a matter of shipping the product quickly to make the millions it will every time regardless.

There’s still decent content within Mega Dimension, despite the continuing to lock Mega Stones behind an online battle system requiring the online subscription being absurdly stupid. The combat’s still solid when you’re in most of the zones, the new Mega Evolutions are fun, and being able to hunt previous mythical Pokémon and some Legendaries is always nice to have back. It’s not fully irredeemable, but for $30 for an expansion for the game in the most profitable franchise on the planet, I don’t think it’s wrong to say it’s severely lacking. If you enjoyed Legends: Z-A and just want more of the same fun you already had, go for it. If you’re on the fence because of the base game, I wouldn’t even glance at it. Pokémon Legends: Z-A Mega Dimension is a hard sell, and it’s a bummer because this is very much something I love and have since I was a kid.

Note: Nintendo provided us with a Pokémon Legends: Z-A — Mega Dimension DLC Switch/Switch 2 code for review purposes.