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I don't recall exactly how the tradition began, but I consistently call every one of my Pokemon characters Glitch.

Whether it's a core franchise title or a spinoff such as Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the moniker never changes. Malfunction alternates between male and female avatars, with dark and violet locks. Sometimes their style is flawless, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest addition in this long-running series (and among the most style-conscious entries). At other moments they're limited to the assorted school uniform styles from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they're always Malfunction.

The Constantly Changing Realm of Pokemon Titles

Much like my characters, the Pokémon games have transformed between releases, some cosmetic, others significant. But at their heart, they stay identical; they're consistently Pokemon through and through. Game Freak uncovered a nearly perfect mechanics system some 30 years ago, and has only truly attempted to evolve on it with games like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your character faces peril). Throughout all iteration, the fundamental gameplay loop of capturing and fighting with charming creatures has stayed consistent for nearly as long as I've been alive.

Shaking Conventions with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus previously, featuring lack of arenas and focus on creating a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces multiple deviations into that framework. It takes place entirely in one place, the Paris-inspired Lumiose City of Pokémon X & Y, ditching the region-spanning journeys of previous titles. Pokemon are meant to live together alongside people, battlers and non-trainers alike, in manners we've only seen glimpses of previously.

Even more drastic than that Z-A's live-action battle system. It's here the series' near-perfect core cycle experiences its biggest evolution yet, replacing deliberate sequential fights for something more chaotic. And it's immensely fun, despite I find myself eager for a new traditional release. Though these alterations to the classic Pokémon formula sound like they form an entirely fresh experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as any other Pokemon game.

The Core of the Journey: The Z-A Championship

When first arriving in Lumiose City, any intentions your created character planned as a visitor get abandoned; you're promptly enlisted by Taunie (if playing as a male character; the male guide for female characters) to join her team of battlers. You receive a creature from them as your starter and you're dispatched to participate in the Z-A Championship.

The Royale serves as the centerpiece of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the traditional "gym badges to Elite Four" advancement from earlier titles. However here, you fight several trainers to earn the chance to participate in an advancement bout. Succeed and you will be elevated to a higher tier, with the final objective of reaching rank A.

Real-Time Battles: An Innovative Approach

Character fights take place during nighttime, and navigating stealthily the assigned combat areas is very enjoyable. I'm always attempting to get a jump on an opponent and unleash an unopposed move, because everything happens in real time. Attacks function with cooldown timers, meaning you and your opponent may occasionally strike simultaneously at the same time (and knock each other out simultaneously). It's a lot to get used to at first. Despite gaming for almost 30 hours, I still feel that there is much to master in terms of using my Pokémon's moves in ways that complement each other. Positioning also plays a significant part during combat since your creatures will trail behind you or go to specific locations to execute moves (certain ones are distant, while others need to be in close proximity).

The live combat causes fights progress so quickly that I find myself sometimes cycling through moves in the same order, even when this results in a less effective approach. There's no time to pause during Z-A, and numerous opportunities to become swamped. Creature fights rely on response post-move execution, and that data is still present on screen within Z-A, but flashes past rapidly. Sometimes, you can't even read it because diverting attention from your adversary will spell immediate defeat.

Exploring Lumiose City

Outside of battle, you'll explore Lumiose Metropolis. It's fairly compact, although densely packed. Far into the adventure, I continue to find new shops and elevated areas to explore. It's also full of charm, and perfectly captures the vision of creatures and humans coexisting. Pidgey populate its sidewalks, taking flight when you get near similar to actual city birds obstructing my path while strolling through NYC. The Pan Trio monkeys gleefully hang from lampposts, and bug-Pokémon such as Kakuna cling on branches.

An emphasis on urban life represents a fresh approach for the franchise, and a positive change. Nonetheless, navigating the city grows repetitive over time. You may stumble upon a passage you haven't been to, but you wouldn't know it. The architecture is devoid of personality, and many elevated areas and underground routes provide minimal diversity. While I haven't been to the French capital, the model behind Lumiose, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years. It's a metropolis where no two blocks differs, and all are vibrant with differences that provide character. Lumiose Metropolis doesn't have that. It features tan buildings with blue or red roofs and simply designed balconies.

The Areas Where Lumiose City Truly Shines

Where the city truly stands out, oddly enough, is indoors. I loved how Pokémon battles within Sword & Shield occur in football-like stadiums, providing them real weight and importance. Conversely, fights within Scarlet and Violet happen in a field with few spectators watching. It's very disappointing. Z-A strikes a middle ground between the two. You'll battle in restaurants with diners observing as they dine. A fancy battle society will invite you to a competition, and you'll battle in its rooftop arena under a lighting fixture (not Chandelure) hanging above. My favorite location is the elegantly decorated base of a certain faction with atmospheric illumination and magenta walls. Various individual battle locales brim with character that's absent from the larger city as a whole.

The Familiarity of Routine

Throughout the Championship, as well as subduing wild Mega Evolved Pokémon and completing the Pokédex, there's an inescapable sense that, {"I