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I'm not sure precisely when the tradition began, but I consistently call all my Pokémon trainers Glitch.

Whether it's a core franchise title or a side project such as Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the name never changes. Malfunction switches from male to female characters, with dark and violet hair. Sometimes their fashion is flawless, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest installment in the long-running series (and one of the more style-conscious releases). At other moments they're limited to the assorted academic attire designs of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they remain Malfunction.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokémon Titles

Similar to my characters, the Pokémon games have transformed across installments, with certain cosmetic, others substantial. However at their core, they stay identical; they're consistently Pokémon through and through. The developers uncovered an almost flawless gameplay formula approximately three decades back, and has only truly attempted to innovate upon it with games like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar faces peril). Throughout all version, the core gameplay loop of catching and battling alongside charming creatures has stayed consistent for almost as long as my lifetime.

Breaking Conventions with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus previously, featuring absence of gyms and emphasis on creating a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple changes to that framework. It takes place completely in one place, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X and Y, abandoning the expansive journeys of previous titles. Pokémon are meant to live together with humans, trainers and civilians, in ways we have merely seen glimpses of before.

Even more drastic is Z-A's live-action battle system. It's here the series' near-perfect gameplay loop undergoes its biggest evolution yet, replacing deliberate turn-based fights for more frenetic action. And it's immensely fun, despite I feel ready for a new traditional entry. Although these changes to the classic Pokemon recipe seem like they form a completely new adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as every other Pokemon game.

The Core of the Adventure: The Z-A Royale

When initially reaching at Lumiose Metropolis, whatever plans your custom avatar planned as a visitor get abandoned; you're promptly recruited by Taunie (for male avatars; the male guide for female characters) to become part of her team of trainers. You're gifted a creature from them as your first partner and are sent into the Z-A Championship.

The Championship serves as the centerpiece of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the classic "arena symbols to final challenge" advancement from earlier titles. However here, you battle a handful of trainers to gain the chance to compete in a promotion match. Succeed and you'll be elevated to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of achieving the top rank.

Real-Time Battles: A New Approach

Character fights take place at night, and navigating stealthily the designated battle zones is very entertaining. I'm always trying to surprise an opponent and launch an unopposed move, since all actions occur in real time. Moves operate on cooldown timers, indicating you and your opponent can sometimes attack each other at the same time (and defeat each other simultaneously). It's a lot to adjust to at first. Even after gaming for almost thirty hours, I continue to feel like there's much to master regarding employing my creatures' attacks in ways that complement each other. Placement also plays a significant part during combat as your Pokémon will trail behind you or move to designated spots to execute moves (certain ones are distant, whereas others need to be up close and personal).

The live combat causes fights go so fast that I often repeating sequences through moves in the same order, even when this amounts to a less effective approach. There isn't moment to pause in Z-A, and plenty of opportunities to get overwhelmed. Pokémon battles depend on response post-move execution, and that information remains visible on the display in Z-A, but whips by quickly. Occasionally, you can't even read it since taking your eyes off your adversary will spell immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose City

Away from combat, you'll explore Lumiose Metropolis. It's relatively small, though tightly filled. Far into the adventure, I continue to find unseen stores and elevated areas to visit. It is also rich with character, and fully realizes the vision of creatures and humans coexisting. Common bird Pokemon populate its sidewalks, flying away when you get near similar to actual city birds getting in my way while strolling through NYC. The Pan Trio monkeys gleefully hang from lampposts, and bug-Pokémon like Kakuna attach themselves to trees.

A focus on city living is a new direction for the franchise, and a welcome one. Nonetheless, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive over time. You may stumble upon a passage you never visited, but you wouldn't know it. The building design lacks character, and most rooftops and underground routes provide minimal diversity. While I haven't been to Paris, the model behind Lumiose, I reside in New York for almost ten years. It's a metropolis where every district are the same, and all are alive with uniqueness that give them soul. Lumiose City doesn't have that. It features tan buildings with blue or red roofs and flatly rendered terraces.

Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

Where the city really shines, oddly enough, is indoors. I adored the way creature fights within Sword & Shield occur in arena-like venues, giving them genuine significance and meaning. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet & Violet happen in a field with few spectators watching. It's a total letdown. Z-A strikes a middle ground between the two. You will fight in restaurants with diners observing while they eat. An elite combat club will invite you to a competition, and you'll battle in its rooftop arena with a chandelier (not Chandelure) hanging above. The most memorable spot is the beautifully designed base of the Rust Syndicate with its moody lighting and magenta walls. Several distinct combat settings brim with character that's absent from the overall metropolis in general.

The Familiarity of Routine

During the Championship, as well as subduing wild powered-up creatures and completing the Pokédex, there is an unavoidable sense that, {"I