Pokémon Legends: Arceus is the newest Pokémon game in the franchise, coming to Nintendo Switch on January 28th, 2022. Not only has this game received a lot of hype because of the interesting story and new Hisuian regional Pokémon, but the completely new gameplay mechanics it introduces. For example you’ll be able to roam around a very large map and explore in a semi-open world environment. But the biggest noticeable difference between LA gameplay mechanics and all previous Pokémon games is the way you catch Pokémon. In the last games such as Sword and Shield, you would have to go into battle with a wild Pokémon and try to catch it by pressing a button in the menu’s UI. In this upcoming game you can actually throw a Pokeball at Pokémon to catch them.
How To Catch in Pokémon Legends: Arceus
In Pokémon Legends you’re mission is to observe Pokémon in the Hisui region while they’re in their natural habitats and you’ll need to catch some as well. To catch a Pokémon you’ll be able to sneak up and throw a Pokeball at it. If you miss, the Pokémon will notice. This risks the wild Pokemon choosing to flee or aggro you and you’ll need to run away or battle it if it attacks you. If the Pokeball hits your target, it will then go through the classic wobble animation and if you successfully caught it, fireworks will come out. There is still an element of RNG but this also introduces some skill to be able to aim and accurately hit Pokémon with the Pokeball. Your accuracy doesn’t affect your catch rate except for when you preform a back strike. This system is a fun new way we get to catch Pokémon and there will be a lot less mashing the ‘A’ button to get through dialog boxes.
What is a Back Strike?
A back strike is when you throw a Pokeball at a wild Pokémon’s back when catching it. By catching the Pokemon off guard, your chances of successfully catching it increase! Sneak up on a Pokemon and perform a back strike when possible for the best catch rate.
Catching During Battle
The second way you can catch Pokémon is during battle. If a battle has already begun, you’ll be able to catch Pokémon the classic way by pressing a button in the menu’s UI. This way, you wont be able to aim and throw it, as an animation of your character automatically plays, showing them throwing the ball. This is similar to Pokémon Sword and Shield and most previous games.