Forget a Fast Ball, early access would be the key to playing Pokémon Legends: Z-A days in advance. Many games offer this, although you’d usually have to cough up a few Gold Nuggets or Stardust to pay for it. Still, we’re checking if Pokémon Legends: Z-A has early access, and if you can play the game early through the classic New Zealand trick.
It’s been a long wait since Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Yes, Scarlet and Violet filled that void, but its technical issues soured the experience for many—ourselves included—and it’s only recently that the Switch 2 has fixed the issues. In this sense, we’ve been waiting for a brand-new Pokémon game for several years.
You can understand the desire to play Pokémon Legends: Z-A ASAP through early access or the New Zealand trick.
Can You Play Pokémon Legends: Z-A With Early Access?
There is no kind of early access for Pokémon Legends: Z-A, which means you need to wait until the game’s official launch to play the new RPG.
You’ll find that many AAA games go down the early access route now. It’s a chance to accrue more profit, but Nintendo seldom (if ever) ventures down this gold-laden avenue. From Donkey Kong Bananza to Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, you have to be patient and wait for release day.
Don’t get out your pitchforks and throw your Starmies at us; there is a tiny workaround to play Pokémon Legends: Z-A sooner than you’re supposed to.
How to Play Pokémon Legends: Z-A Early With New Zealand Trick
You can 100% play Pokémon Legends: Z-A early using the New Zealand trick, but it’s a convoluted method.
The New Zealand Trick is where you confuse your system into thinking it’s on New Zealand time, which is ahead of every other time zone. It means you can play games early, and the method works for pretty much every Nintendo title.
If you want to use the New Zealand trick to play Pokémon Legends: Z-A early, here’s what you need to do:
- Create a New Zealand account on Switch 1 or Switch 2.
- Log in to it and make sure it works.
- Purchase AUD Estore cards to stock up your account—you can’t use non-region cards or PayPal, so be warned.
- Redeem the codes—make sure you have enough to pay for Pokémon Legends: Z-A.
- Search for Pokémon Legends: Z-A on the New Zealand Nintendo store.
- Now, purchase the game with your AUD Estore cards/balance.
- Wait for Pokémon Legends: Z-A to release.
- Once it’s live, you can download it and start playing!
Obviously, once you commit to this, the game is tied to your New Zealand Nintendo account. Consider this and how desperate you are to play before doing this.
Does the New Zealand trick sound like something you’ll be doing for Pokémon Legends: Z-A? On a scale of 1-10, how much are you looking forward to Pokémon Legends: Z-A? Let us know through the Insider Gaming forum.
Also, read our detailed guide on all Pokémon Legends: Z-A starters, as well as the game’s co-op and multiplayer status.
