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I'm not sure precisely when the tradition began, however I consistently call every one of my Pokemon characters Malfunction.

Be it a core franchise title or a spinoff like Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the moniker never changes. Glitch alternates between male and female characters, with black and purple hair. Occasionally their style is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest addition in this enduring series (and one of the more fashion-focused entries). Other times they're confined to the various school uniform designs from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. Yet they remain Glitch.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokémon Games

Similar to my characters, the Pokémon games have transformed across releases, some superficial, some substantial. But at their core, they stay identical; they're always Pokémon through and through. Game Freak discovered an almost flawless mechanics system some three decades back, and has only seriously tried to evolve on it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar is now in danger). Throughout every version, the core mechanics cycle of catching and fighting with adorable monsters has remained consistent for nearly as long as I've been alive.

Breaking the Mold in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, with its lack of arenas and focus on creating a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces several deviations to that framework. It takes place completely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X and Y, abandoning the expansive adventures of previous games. Pokémon are meant to coexist alongside people, trainers and non-trainers alike, in manners we've only seen glimpses of before.

Even more drastic than that Z-A's real-time combat mechanics. This is where the franchise's almost ideal gameplay loop experiences its biggest evolution yet, replacing deliberate sequential fights with more frenetic action. And it is thoroughly enjoyable, even as I find myself eager for another traditional entry. Though these alterations to the classic Pokemon recipe seem like they create a completely new adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Adventure: The Z-A Championship

Upon initially reaching at Lumiose Metropolis, whatever plans your created character had as a tourist get abandoned; you're promptly enlisted by the female guide (if playing as a male character; Urbain if female) to become part of their squad of trainers. You receive a creature from them as your starter and you're dispatched to participate in the Z-A Championship.

The Royale is the epicenter in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the traditional "arena symbols to final challenge" progression of past games. However here, you battle a handful of trainers to gain the chance to compete in an advancement bout. Win and you will be elevated to the next rank, with the ultimate goal of achieving the top rank.

Live-Action Battles: An Innovative Approach

Character fights take place at night, and navigating stealthily the assigned battle zones is very entertaining. I'm always attempting to surprise a rival and unleash a free attack, since everything happens in real time. Moves operate on cooldown timers, meaning both combatants may occasionally strike simultaneously at the same time (and knock each other out simultaneously). It's much to get used to at first. Even after playing for nearly thirty hours, I continue to feel like there's much to master in terms of using my Pokémon's moves in ways that work together synergistically. Positioning also factors as a major role during combat since your creatures will trail behind you or move to specific locations to perform attacks (some are long-range, whereas others need to be in close proximity).

The live combat causes fights go so fast that I often sometimes cycling through moves in the same order, despite this amounts to a less effective approach. There isn't moment to pause in Z-A, and plenty of opportunities to become swamped. Creature fights rely on feedback after using an attack, and that information is still present on screen in Z-A, but whips by rapidly. Sometimes, you can't even read it because diverting attention from your adversary will spell certain doom.

Navigating Lumiose City

Away from combat, you'll explore Lumiose City. It's relatively small, though tightly filled. Far into the adventure, I'm still discovering unseen stores and elevated areas to explore. It's also rich with character, and perfectly captures the concept of Pokémon and people coexisting. Pidgey inhabit its pathways, taking flight as you approach similar to actual city birds getting in my way while strolling in New York City. The Pan Trio monkeys gleefully hang from lampposts, and bug-Pokémon like Kakuna attach themselves on branches.

An emphasis on urban life represents a fresh approach for the franchise, and a positive change. Even so, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive over time. You might discover a passage you never visited, but you wouldn't know it. The building design lacks character, and many elevated areas and sewer paths offer little variety. While I never visited the French capital, the inspiration for the city, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years. It's a metropolis where no two blocks differs, and they're all vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose Metropolis lacks that quality. It has tan buildings with blue or red roofs and flatly rendered balconies.

The Areas Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

In which Lumiose City truly stands out, surprisingly, is inside buildings. I loved how Pokémon battles in Sword & Shield take place in arena-like venues, providing them real weight and meaning. Conversely, battles in Scarlet and Violet happen in a field with two random people watching. It's a total letdown. Z-A strikes a middle ground between both extremes. You'll battle in restaurants with diners observing while they eat. An elite combat club will extend an invitation to a competition, and you'll battle in its rooftop arena under a lighting fixture (not the Pokemon) suspended overhead. My favorite location is the elegantly decorated base of a certain faction with its moody lighting and magenta walls. Various individual combat settings brim with character that's absent from the overall metropolis as a whole.

The Comfort of Routine

During the Championship, along with subduing wild Mega Evolved Pokémon and completing the Pokédex, there is an unavoidable sense that, {"I