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

Whether it's a core franchise game or a side project such as Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the moniker never changes. Malfunction alternates between male and female characters, with dark and violet locks. Occasionally their fashion is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest installment in this long-running franchise (and one of the more style-conscious releases). At other moments they're confined to the various school uniform designs from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Yet they remain Glitch.

The Ever-Evolving Realm of Pokémon Titles

Much like my trainers, the Pokemon titles have transformed across releases, some cosmetic, others substantial. However at their core, they remain identical; they're consistently Pokémon through and through. The developers discovered a nearly perfect gameplay formula approximately 30 years ago, and just recently truly attempted to innovate upon it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your character is now in danger). Across all iteration, the core gameplay loop of catching and fighting with adorable monsters has stayed steady for nearly the same duration as I've been alive.

Shaking Conventions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus before it, featuring lack of arenas and focus on creating a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces several deviations into that formula. It's set entirely in a single location, the French capital-inspired Lumiose City of Pokémon X & Y, ditching the expansive adventures of previous titles. Pokemon are intended to live together with people, battlers and civilians, in ways we've only glimpsed previously.

Even more radical than that Z-A's real-time battle system. It's here the franchise's near-perfect gameplay loop undergoes its biggest transformation yet, swapping methodical turn-based bouts for more frenetic action. And it's thoroughly enjoyable, even as I find myself eager for a new turn-based release. Although these alterations to the classic Pokemon recipe seem like they create a completely new adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as every other Pokémon title.

The Heart of the Journey: The Z-A Royale

Upon first arriving in Lumiose City, any intentions your custom avatar had as a tourist are discarded; you're immediately recruited by the female guide (if playing as a male character; the male guide for female characters) to join her team of trainers. You receive one of her Pokémon as your first partner and are sent into the Z-A Championship.

The Championship is the epicenter in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the traditional "arena symbols to final challenge" advancement from earlier titles. But here, you fight several trainers to earn the opportunity to compete in a promotion match. Succeed and you'll be elevated to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of achieving rank A.

Live-Action Battles: A New Approach

Trainer battles occur during nighttime, while navigating stealthily the assigned battle zones is very entertaining. I'm always trying to surprise an opponent and launch a free attack, because everything happens in real time. Attacks function with cooldown timers, indicating 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 initially. Despite playing for nearly thirty hours, I continue to feel that there is much to master in terms of using my Pokémon's moves in ways that work together synergistically. Positioning also plays a significant part in battles since your creatures will follow you around or go to designated spots to execute moves (certain ones are distant, while others need to be up close and personal).

The real-time action makes battles go so fast that I often repeating sequences of attacks in identical patterns, despite this amounts to a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to pause during Z-A, and numerous opportunities to become swamped. Creature fights depend on response after using an attack, and that information remains visible on screen within Z-A, but flashes past rapidly. Sometimes, you cannot process it because diverting attention from your adversary will spell immediate defeat.

Exploring Lumiose City

Outside of battle, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's relatively small, although densely packed. Far into the adventure, I continue to find new shops and rooftops to visit. It is also rich with character, and fully realizes the vision of Pokémon and people living together. Pidgey inhabit its pathways, taking flight as you approach like the real-life city birds getting in my way while strolling through NYC. The monkey trio gleefully hang from lampposts, and insect creatures like Kakuna attach themselves to trees.

A focus on city living is a new direction for Pokémon, and a positive change. Nonetheless, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive over time. You might discover an alley you never visited, but it feels identical. The building design lacks character, and many elevated areas and sewer paths 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 differs, and all are alive with uniqueness that provide character. Lumiose Metropolis doesn't have that. It has tan buildings topped with colored roofs and flatly rendered balconies.

The Areas Where The Metropolis Really Excels

Where the city truly stands out, oddly enough, is indoors. I adored the way creature fights within Sword and Shield take place in arena-like venues, giving them real weight and meaning. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet & Violet happen on a court with few spectators watching. It's a total letdown. 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 tournament, and you'll battle in its rooftop arena under a lighting fixture (not the Pokemon) suspended overhead. My favorite location is the beautifully designed headquarters of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and purple partitions. Several distinct battle locales brim with character missing in the larger city in general.

The Comfort of Repetition

During the Royale, along with subduing wild powered-up creatures and filling the Pokédex, there's an inescapable feeling of, {"I