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I don't recall exactly how the tradition started, but I always name every one of my Pokemon characters Malfunction.

Whether it's a core franchise title or a spinoff such as Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the name never changes. Glitch switches between male and female characters, featuring black and purple hair. Sometimes their style is flawless, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest addition in this long-running franchise (and one of the most style-conscious releases). At other moments they're confined to the various school uniform designs from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. But they're always Malfunction.

The Constantly Changing Realm of Pokemon Titles

Much like my trainers, the Pokemon titles have evolved across installments, with certain superficial, some significant. However at their heart, they remain the same; they're always Pokémon to the core. Game Freak uncovered an almost flawless mechanics system approximately 30 years ago, and has only truly attempted to evolve on it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your avatar is now in danger). Throughout all version, the fundamental mechanics cycle of capturing and battling with charming creatures has stayed steady for almost as long as my lifetime.

Breaking Conventions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, with its lack of arenas and focus on compiling a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces multiple changes into that formula. It takes place entirely in one place, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X and Y, ditching the expansive journeys of earlier games. Pokémon are meant to coexist alongside humans, battlers and non-trainers alike, in manners we've only seen glimpses of before.

Far more drastic than that Z-A's real-time battle system. It's here the series' near-perfect gameplay loop experiences its most significant evolution to date, replacing deliberate sequential fights with more frenetic action. And it is thoroughly enjoyable, despite I find myself eager for another traditional release. Though these alterations to the classic Pokemon recipe seem like they form an entirely fresh adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Journey: The Z-A Championship

When first arriving in Lumiose City, whatever plans your created character planned as a visitor are discarded; you're immediately enlisted by the female guide (if playing as a male character; the male guide for female characters) to become part of their squad of battlers. You're gifted a creature from them as your starter and you're dispatched to participate in the Z-A Royale.

The Championship is the epicenter in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the classic "gym badges to Elite Four" advancement from earlier titles. However here, you battle several trainers to gain the opportunity to compete in an advancement bout. Succeed and you'll be promoted to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of achieving rank A.

Real-Time Combat: An Innovative Frontier

Trainer battles take place during nighttime, and sneaking around the designated combat areas is very enjoyable. I'm constantly trying to get a jump on a rival and launch an unopposed move, because all actions occur instantaneously. Moves operate on cooldown timers, indicating you and your opponent can sometimes strike simultaneously at the same time (and knock each other out simultaneously). It's a lot to adjust to initially. Even after playing for nearly 30 hours, I still feel like there's much to master in terms of employing my creatures' attacks in ways that work together synergistically. Placement also plays a major role during combat since your creatures will follow you around or go to specific locations to execute moves (some are long-range, whereas others must be up close and personal).

The live combat makes battles go so fast 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 chances to get overwhelmed. Creature fights rely on response after using an attack, and that data is still present on screen in Z-A, but whips by quickly. Sometimes, you cannot process it since taking your eyes off your opponent will spell certain doom.

Navigating Lumiose City

Outside of battle, you'll explore Lumiose Metropolis. It's relatively small, though tightly filled. Far into the adventure, I'm still discovering unseen stores and rooftops to explore. It's also full of charm, and fully realizes the concept of Pokémon and people coexisting. Pidgey inhabit its pathways, flying away when you get near like the real-life city birds obstructing my path while strolling in New York City. The Pan Trio monkeys joyfully cling from lampposts, and insect creatures such as Kakuna attach themselves on branches.

A focus on urban life represents a fresh approach for Pokémon, and a positive change. Even so, navigating the city grows repetitive eventually. You may stumble upon an alley you haven't been to, but it feels identical. The building design is devoid of personality, and most rooftops and underground routes provide minimal diversity. Although I never visited Paris, the inspiration for the city, I reside in New York for nearly a decade. It's a metropolis where every district are the same, and they're all vibrant with differences that provide character. Lumiose City lacks that quality. It features beige structures topped with colored roofs and simply designed balconies.

The Areas Where Lumiose City Really Excels

In which the city really shines, surprisingly, is indoors. I adored the way creature fights in Sword & Shield occur in football-like stadiums, providing them genuine significance and meaning. Conversely, battles in Scarlet & Violet take place in a field with two random people watching. It's very disappointing. Z-A strikes a middle ground between the two. You will fight in restaurants with diners observing as they dine. A fancy battle society will extend an invitation to a competition, and you will combat on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not Chandelure) hanging above. My favorite location is the beautifully designed headquarters of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and magenta walls. Several distinct battle locales brim with character that's absent from the overall metropolis as a whole.

The Comfort of Repetition

During the Championship, along with quelling rogue Mega Evolved Pokémon and filling the creature index, there is an unavoidable feeling of, {"I