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I don't recall precisely when the custom started, but I consistently call all my Pokemon characters Malfunction.

Whether it's a core franchise game or a spinoff like Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the moniker always stays the same. Glitch switches from male to female characters, featuring black and purple hair. Occasionally their style is impeccable, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest installment in this long-running franchise (and among the most style-conscious entries). Other times they're limited to the various academic attire designs from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. Yet they remain Malfunction.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokemon Titles

Much like my trainers, the Pokémon games have transformed between installments, some superficial, some substantial. However at their heart, they remain the same; they're always Pokemon through and through. Game Freak uncovered a nearly perfect gameplay formula approximately 30 years ago, and just recently truly attempted to evolve on it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your character is now in danger). Across all version, the fundamental gameplay loop of catching and battling with charming creatures has stayed consistent for almost the same duration as I've been alive.

Shaking Conventions with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus before it, featuring absence of gyms and emphasis on compiling a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple changes into that framework. It takes place completely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose City from Pokémon X & Y, ditching the expansive adventures of earlier games. Pokemon are meant to coexist alongside people, battlers and civilians, in ways we have merely glimpsed previously.

Far more radical is Z-A's real-time battle system. This is where the series' near-perfect core cycle experiences its most significant evolution to date, replacing methodical sequential bouts for more frenetic action. And it's thoroughly enjoyable, even as I find myself eager for a new turn-based entry. Although these changes to the traditional Pokémon formula seem like they create an entirely fresh experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as any other Pokemon game.

The Heart of the Adventure: The Z-A Championship

Upon initially reaching at Lumiose Metropolis, any intentions your created character had as a tourist get abandoned; you're immediately recruited by the female guide (if playing as a male character; the male guide if female) to become part of their squad of trainers. You're gifted one of her Pokémon as your starter 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" progression from earlier titles. But here, you battle several opponents to gain the opportunity to compete in a promotion match. Win and you will be promoted to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of achieving the top rank.

Live-Action Battles: An Innovative Approach

Character fights take place during nighttime, while navigating stealthily the designated combat areas is very entertaining. I'm always attempting to get a jump on a rival and unleash an unopposed move, since all actions occur instantaneously. Moves function with recharge periods, indicating you and your opponent can sometimes strike simultaneously at the same time (and defeat each other at once). It's much to adjust to at first. Despite playing for nearly thirty hours, I still feel that there is much to master in terms of employing my creatures' attacks in ways that complement each other. Placement also factors as a significant part in battles as your Pokémon will follow you around or move to designated spots to perform attacks (some are long-range, whereas others must be in close proximity).

The live combat makes battles progress so quickly that I often sometimes cycling of attacks in identical patterns, despite this results in a suboptimal strategy. There isn't moment to breathe during Z-A, and plenty of chances to get overwhelmed. Pokémon battles depend on feedback after using an attack, and that data is still present on screen within Z-A, but whips by rapidly. Occasionally, you cannot process it since taking your eyes off your opponent will spell certain doom.

Navigating Lumiose City

Away from combat, you'll explore Lumiose City. It's fairly compact, though tightly filled. Far into the adventure, I'm still discovering new shops and elevated areas to explore. It is also full of charm, and fully realizes the concept of creatures and humans living together. Common bird Pokemon populate its sidewalks, taking flight when you get near similar to actual pigeons obstructing my path when walking through NYC. The monkey trio joyfully cling from lampposts, and bug-Pokémon such as Kakuna cling to trees.

An emphasis on city living is a new direction for the franchise, and a welcome one. Even so, exploring Lumiose becomes rote eventually. You may stumble upon an alley you haven't been to, but it feels identical. The architecture is devoid of personality, and many elevated areas and underground routes offer little variety. Although I haven't been to Paris, the inspiration for Lumiose, I reside in New York for nearly a decade. It's a city where every district differs, and they're all vibrant with differences that provide character. Lumiose Metropolis doesn't have that. It features tan buildings topped with colored roofs and simply designed terraces.

Where Lumiose City Really Excels

In which Lumiose City truly stands out, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I loved how Pokémon battles within Sword & 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 a total letdown. Z-A strikes a middle ground between both extremes. You'll battle in restaurants with patrons watching as they dine. A fancy battle society will invite you to a tournament, and you'll battle in its rooftop arena with a chandelier (not the Pokemon) suspended overhead. My favorite location is the elegantly decorated base of a certain faction with its moody lighting and purple partitions. Various individual battle locales brim with character missing in the overall metropolis as a whole.

The Comfort of Routine

During the Championship, as well as subduing wild Mega Evolved Pokémon and filling the Pokédex, there's an inescapable feeling of, {"I