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I don't recall exactly how the tradition started, however I consistently call every one of my Pokémon trainers Malfunction.

Whether it's a core franchise title or a side project like Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the moniker never changes. Malfunction alternates between male and female avatars, featuring black and purple hair. Occasionally their style is flawless, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest installment in the enduring franchise (and one of the most fashion-focused entries). At other moments they're confined to the various school uniform designs of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Yet they're always Glitch.

The Constantly Changing Realm of Pokémon Games

Similar to my trainers, the Pokemon titles have transformed across releases, some cosmetic, some substantial. However at their heart, they remain identical; they're consistently Pokémon through and through. Game Freak uncovered a nearly perfect gameplay formula approximately three decades back, and just recently truly attempted to innovate upon it with games like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar faces peril). Across all iteration, the fundamental gameplay loop of capturing and fighting alongside adorable monsters has remained consistent for almost the same duration as my lifetime.

Breaking Conventions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, with its lack of arenas and emphasis on creating a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple changes to that formula. It takes place entirely in one place, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X and Y, abandoning the expansive journeys of earlier games. Pokemon are meant to coexist with humans, trainers and civilians, in manners we've only glimpsed before.

Far more radical than that Z-A's live-action combat mechanics. This is where the franchise's near-perfect core cycle undergoes its biggest evolution yet, swapping methodical sequential bouts with more frenetic action. And it is immensely fun, despite I find myself eager for another traditional entry. Though these alterations to the traditional Pokémon formula sound 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

Upon first arriving at Lumiose Metropolis, any intentions your custom avatar had as a tourist are discarded; you're promptly enlisted by the female guide (for male avatars; the male guide if female) to join her team of trainers. You receive one of her Pokémon as your starter and are sent into the Z-A Championship.

The Championship serves as the centerpiece of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the traditional "gym badges to Elite Four" progression of past games. But here, you battle several trainers to earn the opportunity to participate in a promotion match. Win and you'll be promoted to a higher tier, with the final objective of reaching the top rank.

Live-Action Combat: An Innovative Approach

Character fights occur during nighttime, while navigating stealthily the assigned combat areas is quite entertaining. I'm constantly trying to surprise an opponent and unleash an unopposed move, since everything happens in real time. Attacks function with recharge periods, meaning both combatants may occasionally strike simultaneously concurrently (and knock each other out simultaneously). It's much to get used to initially. Even after gaming for almost 30 hours, I still feel like there's much to master regarding employing my creatures' attacks in methods that work together synergistically. Positioning also plays a major role during combat as your Pokémon will trail behind you or move to specific locations to execute moves (some are long-range, whereas others need to be in close proximity).

The live combat makes battles progress so quickly that I often repeating sequences through moves in the same order, despite this results in a less effective approach. There's no time to pause during Z-A, and numerous chances to become swamped. Pokémon battles depend on response after using an attack, and that information remains visible on screen in Z-A, but whips by rapidly. Sometimes, you can't even read it since taking your eyes off your opponent will result in immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose Metropolis

Outside of battle, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's relatively small, although densely packed. Far into the adventure, I'm still discovering unseen stores and elevated areas to visit. It's also full of charm, and perfectly captures the vision of Pokémon and people coexisting. Common bird Pokemon populate its sidewalks, flying away as you approach like the real-life city birds getting in my way while strolling through NYC. The Pan Trio monkeys joyfully cling from lampposts, and bug-Pokémon like Kakuna cling on branches.

An emphasis on city living represents a fresh approach for the franchise, and a welcome one. Nonetheless, navigating the city becomes rote over time. You may stumble upon an alley you haven't been to, but it feels identical. The building design lacks character, and most rooftops and sewer paths offer little variety. While I haven't been to the French capital, the inspiration for Lumiose, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years. It's a city where no two blocks are the same, and all are alive with uniqueness that give them soul. Lumiose Metropolis lacks that quality. It has tan buildings with blue or red roofs and flatly rendered balconies.

Where Lumiose City Really Excels

Where Lumiose City really shines, surprisingly, is inside buildings. I loved the way creature fights in Sword & Shield occur in football-like stadiums, giving them real weight and meaning. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet & Violet take place on a court with two random people 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. A fancy battle society will extend an invitation to a tournament, and you will combat on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not the Pokemon) suspended overhead. My favorite location is the elegantly decorated base of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and magenta walls. Several distinct combat settings brim with character missing in the overall metropolis in general.

The Familiarity of Repetition

During the Championship, along with subduing wild powered-up creatures and completing the Pokédex, there's an inescapable sense that, {"I