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I don't recall precisely when the tradition started, however I always name all my Pokemon characters Malfunction.

Be it a main series game or a side project such as Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the moniker never changes. Glitch alternates between male and female characters, with dark and violet hair. Sometimes their style is flawless, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest installment in this long-running franchise (and among the more fashion-focused releases). 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 Pokemon Titles

Similar to my characters, the Pokemon titles have transformed across installments, some superficial, others significant. However at their core, they stay the same; they're consistently Pokemon through and through. The developers uncovered a nearly perfect mechanics system approximately 30 years ago, and has only truly attempted to evolve upon it with games like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your character faces peril). Across all version, the fundamental gameplay loop of capturing and fighting with charming creatures has stayed steady for nearly the same duration as I've been alive.

Breaking Conventions with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus before it, featuring absence of gyms and focus on compiling a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple changes into that framework. It takes place entirely in one place, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X & Y, ditching the region-spanning journeys of earlier games. Pokemon are meant to coexist alongside people, battlers and civilians, in ways we have merely glimpsed before.

Far more radical than that Z-A's real-time combat mechanics. It's here the series' near-perfect gameplay loop experiences its most significant evolution to date, replacing methodical turn-based fights with something more chaotic. And it's immensely fun, even as I find myself eager for a new traditional release. Though these alterations to the traditional Pokémon formula seem like they create a completely new adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as any other Pokemon game.

The Core of the Adventure: The Z-A Royale

When first arriving in Lumiose City, whatever plans your created character planned as a visitor are discarded; you're promptly enlisted by Taunie (for male avatars; the male guide for female characters) to join their squad of trainers. You receive one of her Pokémon as your first partner and you're dispatched into the Z-A Royale.

The Championship serves as the centerpiece in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the traditional "arena symbols to final challenge" advancement from earlier titles. But here, you battle several trainers to gain the chance to participate in a promotion match. Win and you'll be elevated to the next rank, with the final objective of reaching rank A.

Real-Time Battles: A New Approach

Trainer battles occur during nighttime, while navigating stealthily the assigned 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 in real time. Attacks operate on recharge periods, meaning both combatants can sometimes strike simultaneously at the same time (and defeat each other at once). It's much to adjust to at first. Even after gaming for almost 30 hours, I still feel that there is plenty to learn regarding using my Pokémon's moves in ways that work together synergistically. Positioning also factors as a significant part in battles 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 go so fast that I often repeating sequences through moves in identical patterns, even when this amounts to a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to pause during Z-A, and plenty of opportunities to get overwhelmed. Creature fights rely on feedback post-move execution, and that data is still present on the display within Z-A, but whips by quickly. Occasionally, you can't even read it because diverting attention from your opponent will result in certain doom.

Navigating Lumiose Metropolis

Outside of battle, you'll explore Lumiose Metropolis. It's relatively small, although tightly filled. Deep into the game, I'm still discovering unseen stores and rooftops to visit. It is also rich with character, and perfectly captures the vision of Pokémon and people living together. Common bird Pokemon inhabit its pathways, flying away when you get near like the real-life city birds getting in my way while strolling through NYC. The monkey trio gleefully hang on streetlights, and insect creatures such as Kakuna attach themselves to trees.

An emphasis on city living is a new direction for Pokémon, and a positive change. Even so, navigating the city 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 many elevated areas and underground routes provide minimal diversity. Although I never visited Paris, the inspiration for the city, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years. It's a city where no two blocks differs, and they're all vibrant with differences that provide character. Lumiose City lacks that quality. It features beige structures topped with colored roofs and flatly rendered terraces.

Where The Metropolis Really Excels

In which the city truly stands out, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I adored the way creature fights within Sword and Shield occur in football-like stadiums, giving them genuine significance and meaning. Conversely, battles in Scarlet & Violet happen on a court with few spectators watching. It's very disappointing. Z-A strikes a middle ground between the two. You'll battle in restaurants with patrons watching as they dine. An elite combat club will extend an invitation to a competition, and you'll battle on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not the Pokemon) hanging above. The most memorable spot is the elegantly decorated 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 Familiarity of Routine

Throughout the Royale, as well as subduing wild powered-up creatures and filling the Pokédex, there's an inescapable feeling of, {"I