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I don't recall precisely when the tradition started, but I consistently call every one of my Pokemon characters Malfunction.

Whether it's a main series title or a side project such as Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the name always stays the same. Glitch switches between male and female characters, featuring dark and violet locks. Sometimes their style is impeccable, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest installment in this long-running franchise (and among the most style-conscious entries). At other moments they're confined to the assorted academic attire designs of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Yet they remain Glitch.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokémon Games

Much like my trainers, the Pokémon games have transformed across installments, some superficial, some significant. However at their core, they remain identical; they're consistently Pokémon through and through. Game Freak discovered a nearly perfect mechanics system some 30 years ago, and just recently seriously tried to innovate on it with entries such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your character is now in danger). Throughout every version, the fundamental gameplay loop of capturing and fighting with adorable monsters has remained steady for almost the same duration as I've been alive.

Breaking the Mold in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus previously, featuring absence of gyms and emphasis on creating a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces multiple deviations into that formula. It's set entirely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X and Y, ditching the region-spanning adventures of previous titles. Pokemon are intended to coexist with people, battlers and civilians, in ways we have merely seen glimpses of previously.

Even more drastic than that Z-A's real-time combat mechanics. This is where the series' almost ideal gameplay loop undergoes its biggest transformation yet, swapping methodical turn-based bouts for something more chaotic. And it's thoroughly enjoyable, despite I find myself ready for another turn-based release. Although these alterations to the classic Pokémon formula sound like they form a completely new experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokemon game.

The Heart of the Adventure: The Z-A Championship

Upon first arriving in Lumiose City, any intentions your created character had as a tourist are discarded; you're immediately recruited by the female guide (if playing as a male character; the male guide if female) to become part of their squad of trainers. You're gifted a creature from them as your starter and are sent to participate in the Z-A Royale.

The Royale is the epicenter of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the classic "gym badges to Elite Four" progression of past games. But here, you battle a handful of trainers to gain the chance to participate in an advancement bout. Win and you'll be promoted to the next rank, with the ultimate goal of achieving rank A.

Real-Time Battles: A New Frontier

Trainer battles occur during nighttime, while navigating stealthily the assigned combat areas is very entertaining. I'm constantly attempting to surprise an opponent and launch an unopposed move, since everything happens instantaneously. Moves function with cooldown timers, meaning both combatants can sometimes strike simultaneously concurrently (and knock each other out at once). It's a lot to adjust to at first. Despite playing for nearly thirty hours, I still feel like there's much to master in terms of employing my creatures' attacks in methods that work together synergistically. Positioning also plays a major role in battles since your creatures will follow you around or move to specific locations to execute moves (some are long-range, whereas others need to be up close and personal).

The live combat makes battles progress so quickly that I find myself sometimes cycling of attacks in identical patterns, even when this amounts to a suboptimal strategy. There isn't moment to breathe in Z-A, and numerous opportunities to become swamped. Pokémon battles depend on feedback post-move execution, and that information is still present on screen in Z-A, but flashes past quickly. Occasionally, you can't even read it since diverting attention from your adversary will spell certain doom.

Exploring Lumiose City

Away from combat, you'll explore Lumiose City. It's fairly compact, though densely packed. Far into the adventure, I'm still discovering new shops and rooftops to visit. It is also full of charm, and fully realizes the vision of Pokémon and people living together. Pidgey inhabit its pathways, flying away as you approach similar to actual pigeons getting in my way while strolling in New York City. The monkey trio gleefully hang on streetlights, and insect creatures like Kakuna cling to trees.

A focus on city living represents a fresh approach for Pokémon, and a welcome one. Nonetheless, navigating the city grows repetitive over time. You might discover a passage you haven't been to, but it feels identical. The building design is devoid of personality, and many elevated areas and underground routes offer little variety. Although I never visited Paris, the inspiration for Lumiose, I reside in New York for almost ten years. It's a metropolis where no two blocks differs, and they're all vibrant with differences that provide character. Lumiose City lacks that quality. It has tan buildings with blue or red roofs and simply designed terraces.

Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

Where the city truly stands out, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I adored how Pokémon battles within Sword & Shield take place in arena-like venues, providing them real weight and meaning. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet & Violet take place on a court with few spectators watching. It's very disappointing. Z-A finds a balance between both extremes. You will fight in eateries with diners observing as they dine. An elite combat club will invite you to a tournament, and you will combat in its rooftop arena under a lighting fixture (not Chandelure) suspended overhead. My favorite location is the elegantly decorated base of the Rust Syndicate with its moody lighting and magenta walls. Several distinct combat settings overflow with personality that's absent from the larger city in general.

The Comfort of Routine

During the Royale, as well as quelling rogue powered-up creatures and completing the creature index, there is an unavoidable sense that, {"I