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I don't recall exactly how the custom began, but I always name every one of my Pokemon characters Glitch.

Be it a core franchise game or a side project such as Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the moniker always stays the same. Malfunction alternates between male and female characters, with dark and violet locks. Occasionally their style is flawless, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest installment in the enduring franchise (and among the most fashion-focused releases). Other times they're limited to the various school uniform designs of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Yet they're always Malfunction.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokémon Titles

Similar to my trainers, the Pokémon games have evolved across releases, some superficial, some substantial. However at their core, they remain the same; they're consistently Pokemon to the core. Game Freak uncovered a nearly perfect gameplay formula some 30 years ago, and has only truly attempted to innovate on it with entries such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar is now in danger). Across all iteration, the fundamental mechanics cycle of catching and battling alongside charming creatures has stayed steady for almost the same duration as I've been alive.

Breaking Conventions with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, featuring lack of arenas and emphasis on compiling a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces multiple deviations into that framework. It takes place completely in a single location, the French capital-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X and Y, abandoning the region-spanning adventures of previous titles. Pokemon are meant to live together alongside humans, battlers and non-trainers alike, in ways we've only seen glimpses of before.

Far more drastic than that Z-A's live-action combat mechanics. It's here the series' near-perfect gameplay loop experiences its most significant evolution to date, swapping deliberate turn-based bouts for something more chaotic. And it is immensely fun, even as I find myself ready for a new turn-based release. Although these changes to the traditional Pokémon formula sound like they form an entirely fresh adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokemon game.

The Heart of the Adventure: The Z-A Royale

When first arriving in Lumiose City, whatever plans your custom avatar planned as a visitor get abandoned; you're immediately enlisted by Taunie (if playing as a male character; Urbain if female) to join her team of battlers. You receive a creature from them as your first partner and are sent into the Z-A Championship.

The Royale serves as the centerpiece of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the classic "gym badges to Elite Four" 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 will be promoted to the next rank, with the final objective of achieving rank A.

Real-Time Battles: A New Frontier

Character fights take place at night, and sneaking around the assigned combat areas is very entertaining. I'm constantly trying to surprise a rival and launch an unopposed move, since everything happens instantaneously. Attacks function with cooldown timers, meaning you and your opponent may occasionally strike simultaneously concurrently (and knock each other out at once). It's a lot to adjust to initially. Despite gaming for almost thirty hours, I continue to feel that there is plenty to learn in terms of employing my creatures' attacks in methods that work together synergistically. Positioning also plays a significant part in battles since your creatures will trail behind you or move to designated spots 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 often sometimes cycling of attacks in the same order, despite this results in a less effective approach. There's no time to pause in Z-A, and plenty of opportunities to become swamped. Creature fights rely on feedback after using an attack, and that information remains visible on the display within Z-A, but flashes past rapidly. Occasionally, you cannot process it because taking your eyes off your opponent will result in immediate defeat.

Exploring Lumiose City

Outside of battle, you'll explore Lumiose Metropolis. It's relatively small, though tightly filled. Deep into the game, I continue to find new shops and rooftops to explore. It's also rich with character, and fully realizes the concept of Pokémon and people living together. Common bird Pokemon populate its sidewalks, taking flight as you approach like the real-life pigeons getting in my way when walking through NYC. The Pan Trio monkeys joyfully cling on streetlights, and insect creatures such as Kakuna attach themselves to trees.

An emphasis on urban life represents a fresh approach for Pokémon, and a welcome one. Nonetheless, exploring Lumiose becomes rote eventually. 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 model behind the city, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years. It's a metropolis where every district are the same, and they're all vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose City doesn't have that. It has beige structures topped with colored roofs and flatly rendered balconies.

The Areas Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

In which the city really shines, surprisingly, is inside buildings. I loved how Pokémon battles within Sword and Shield take place in arena-like venues, giving them real weight and importance. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet & Violet happen on a court with few spectators observing. It's a total letdown. Z-A strikes a middle ground between the two. You'll battle in eateries with patrons watching while they eat. An elite combat club will extend an invitation to a competition, and you will combat on its penthouse court with a chandelier (not Chandelure) suspended overhead. The most memorable spot is the beautifully designed base of the Rust Syndicate with its moody lighting and purple partitions. Various individual combat settings overflow with personality that's absent from the larger city in general.

The Familiarity of Routine

Throughout the Championship, as well as quelling rogue powered-up creatures and completing the Pokédex, there's an inescapable sense that, {"I