ZA's legendary hunt doesn't hold a candle to sword and shield, even after over 5 years

The Pokémon 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 sought ways to track down the elusive, rare shiny variants of their favorite Pokémon, and with each new installment, Game Freak has introduced new methods to make the hunt more engaging. IN Pokemon Legends: ZAthe shiny hunt for legendary Pokemon like Latios, Latias, Terrakion, Virizion and Cobalion is a departure from what players may be used to.

Finding legendaries in the game is a more immersive experience, which fits with the open format and approach to storytelling. But while Legends: ZA gives an exciting twist to the classic shiny hunting formula, it doesn't quite hold up Pokemon Sword and Shield was introduced in the Crown Tundra DLC with Dynamax Adventures. Pokemon Legends: ZAs shiny chase loop is unique, it can be pretty fun, and it's definitely a solid step forward, but ultimately, Sword and shield's Dynamax Adventures still reigns supreme even after 5 years.

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Pokemon Legends: ZA's Shiny Hunting Legendary method is great, but limited and repetitive

Shiny Hunt Legendaries i Pokemon Legends: ZA is a relatively new and immersive experience. The game has adopted a more narrative approach to legendary encounters, especially with the story-related ones in the base game and DLC, such as:

Xerneas (The Giver)
Yveltal (the taker)
Zygarde (keeping the world in balance)
Darkrai (Hyperspace Mission 11)
Rayquaza (The Greatest Gift)

In addition to that, there are five specific legendaries that you can hunt shiny in the game and they are: Latios, Latias, Terrakion, Virizion and Cobalion. This allows players to actively pursue these legendaries through special in-game “quests”, which are repeatable Hyperspace explorations that eventually yield special scans. These will always guarantee one of seven results after five special scans, and the possible results are:

Latias
Latios
Cobalion
Terrakion
Virizion
Chaldeo
Meloetta

Of these, Keldeo and Meloetta are shiny locked Pokemon Legends: ZAmaking them impossible to shiny chase. However, the other five can be found in specific locations in their respective Hyperspace Wild Zones, and the odds of getting them shiny can be as low as 1 in 512 with both Shiny Charm and a Sparkling Power Level 3 Donut, making them more interesting and special than simple tall grass encounters in the series.

sparkling power donut pokemon legends za mega dimension

The problem is that this method requires players to spawn and despawn Legendaries multiple times in quick succession, which gets frustrating and boring very quickly. Sparkling Power Lv 3 Donuts are easy to get though, only requiring a minimum of 420 Sweet and Sweet as the highest flavor, with the best recipe being 3x Hyperspace Haban Berries and 5x Hyperspace Tanga Berries.

Why Dynamax Adventures in Sword and Shield is still the best shiny hunting method ever

While Pokemon Legends: ZAs shiny pursuit of Legendaries is certainly a step in the right direction, it doesn't quite shine a light on the innovation that Pokemon Sword and Shield was introduced with Dynamax Adventures in the Crown Tundra DLC. This is due to several reasons:

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

One of the most loved features of Dynamax Adventures is the cooperative game. Players band together in groups of four to tackle raids against Dynamaxed Legendary Pokemon. The co-op element of Dynamax Adventures added a whole new level of excitement to the hunt, allowing players to experience legendary hunting not as a solo task but as a shared challenge. This multiplayer aspect makes hunting more engaging and adds social interaction to the shiny hunting process. Whether teaming up with friends or matching with random players online, the experience feels alive, dynamic and communal – something that Pokemon Legends: ZAs solo quest system doesn't quite replicate.

2. Guaranteed legendary encounters

Dynamax Adventures provided a guaranteed legendary encounter at the end of each dungeon, which is a huge plus for shiny hunters. Players didn't have to worry about whether or not they'd encounter a Legendary Pokémon—if you went through the adventure, you'd encounter one of the many Legendary Pokémon in the Crown Tundra. This security was a game changer for shiny hunters, as it allowed them to repeatedly hunt for shiny legendaries in Dynamax Adventures without worrying about missing the opportunity. In comparison, Pokemon Legends: ZA requires players to work their way through quests and conditions, which introduces a lot of uncertainty and makes it more difficult to target specific Legendary Pokémon for shiny hunting.

3. Shiny Rate Boosts and retries

In Dynamax Adventures, the chances of encountering a Shiny Pokémon increased significantly, especially after completing multiple runs of the adventure. The more you participate in Dynamax Adventures, the greater your chances of finding a shiny Legendary. This made shiny hunting a much more streamlined process, with repeated attempts increasing your odds, and the excitement of seeing the various legendaries (including their shiny variants) made the hunt feel rewarding and exciting. Pokemon Legends: ZA offers increased shiny odds when players reach certain milestones, such as Shiny Charm, or via Donuts, but it's only applicable to a few animals, unlike Dynamax Adventures, where every encounter was a chance to catch a shiny version of a Legendary.

4. A host of legendaries in one place

Another significant benefit of Dynamax Adventures was the variety of legendary Pokemon that players could hunt at once. Each run featured a rotating selection of legendary Pokémon in Dynamax Adventures, making the experience feel fresh and full of surprises. For shiny hunters, this was especially exciting as it allowed players to go after multiple shiny legendaries without having to farm for each one separately. IN Pokemon Legends: ZAhowever, the focus is more on specific legendary groups such as Latios, Latias, Terrakion, Virizion and Cobalion. While this is still great for fans of these legendaries, it lacks the same level of variety and flexibility that Dynamax Adventures provided.

It's unclear if the series will ever return to the heights of Dynamax Adventures, especially after most legendaries in Gen 9 have been made shiny locked, and only a handful of them are shiny huntable in ZA. In fact, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players flocked back to Gen 8 precisely because of Dynamax Adventures, so it's clear that this system was loved and a huge success. Hopefully Gen 10 will use something similar, finally.