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I'm not sure precisely when the tradition began, however I consistently call all my Pokémon trainers Malfunction.

Whether it's a core franchise title or a spinoff like Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the name never changes. Glitch switches from male to female characters, with black and purple locks. Sometimes their style is flawless, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest addition in the long-running franchise (and one of the most fashion-focused entries). At other moments they're limited to the various school uniform designs from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they're always Glitch.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokémon Titles

Similar to my characters, the Pokémon games have transformed between releases, some superficial, some substantial. However at their heart, they remain the same; they're always Pokémon through and through. The developers discovered a nearly perfect gameplay formula some 30 years ago, and has only seriously tried to evolve on it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar faces peril). Throughout all iteration, the fundamental gameplay loop of capturing and fighting with adorable monsters has stayed consistent for almost as long as I've been alive.

Shaking the Mold with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus before it, with its lack of arenas and focus on compiling a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings several deviations to that formula. It's set completely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X and Y, ditching the region-spanning journeys of earlier titles. Pokemon are meant to coexist alongside humans, battlers and civilians, in ways we have merely seen glimpses of before.

Even more radical is Z-A's live-action combat mechanics. This is where the franchise's near-perfect gameplay loop undergoes its biggest transformation yet, swapping deliberate turn-based bouts with more frenetic action. And it is immensely fun, even as I feel eager for another traditional release. Though these alterations to the traditional Pokemon recipe seem like they form a completely new experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as every other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Journey: The Z-A Championship

Upon first arriving at Lumiose Metropolis, any intentions your created character planned as a visitor are discarded; you're promptly recruited by Taunie (for male avatars; Urbain for female characters) to join their squad of battlers. You receive a creature from them as your first partner and you're dispatched to participate in the Z-A Royale.

The Championship serves as the centerpiece of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the traditional "arena symbols to final challenge" progression of past games. But here, you fight several trainers to gain the chance to compete in an advancement bout. Win and you will be promoted to the next rank, with the final objective of reaching rank A.

Real-Time Battles: A New Frontier

Trainer battles take place at night, and sneaking around the assigned battle zones is quite entertaining. I'm always attempting to surprise a rival and unleash an unopposed move, since all actions occur instantaneously. Attacks operate on recharge periods, indicating both combatants may occasionally attack each other at the same time (and defeat each other simultaneously). It's much to adjust to initially. Despite playing for nearly 30 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 factors as a major role during combat since your creatures will trail behind you or move to designated spots to execute moves (some are long-range, whereas others need to be up close and personal).

The live combat causes fights progress so quickly that I find myself repeating sequences through moves in identical patterns, even when this results in a suboptimal strategy. There isn't moment to breathe during Z-A, and plenty of chances to get overwhelmed. Pokémon battles rely on feedback post-move execution, and that information remains visible on the display in Z-A, but whips by quickly. Occasionally, you cannot process it because diverting attention from your opponent will spell certain doom.

Exploring Lumiose City

Away from combat, you will traverse Lumiose Metropolis. It's fairly compact, though tightly filled. Deep into the game, I continue to find new shops and rooftops to visit. It is also rich with character, and perfectly captures the vision of creatures and humans coexisting. Common bird Pokemon populate its sidewalks, taking flight when you get near like the real-life pigeons obstructing my path while strolling through NYC. The Pan Trio monkeys joyfully cling from lampposts, and insect creatures such as Kakuna cling to trees.

A focus on urban life represents a fresh approach for Pokémon, and a welcome one. Nonetheless, navigating the city becomes rote 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 most rooftops and sewer paths offer little variety. Although I never visited the French capital, the model behind Lumiose, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years. It's a city where every district are the same, and all are alive with uniqueness that provide character. Lumiose City doesn't have that. It features tan buildings topped with colored roofs and flatly rendered balconies.

Where Lumiose City Really Excels

Where Lumiose City really shines, surprisingly, is inside buildings. I adored how Pokémon battles within Sword & Shield occur in football-like stadiums, providing them real weight and importance. Conversely, battles in Scarlet and Violet take place in a field with few spectators observing. It's a total letdown. Z-A strikes a middle ground between both extremes. You'll battle in restaurants with diners observing as they dine. An elite combat club will invite you to a tournament, and you'll battle on its penthouse court with a chandelier (not Chandelure) suspended overhead. My favorite location is the beautifully designed base of a certain faction with its moody lighting and magenta walls. Various individual combat settings brim with character missing in the overall metropolis in general.

The Comfort of Routine

Throughout the Royale, as well as quelling rogue Mega Evolved Pokémon and completing the creature index, there's an inescapable sense that, {"I