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I don't recall exactly how the tradition began, but I consistently call all my Pokemon characters Glitch.

Be it a core franchise game or a spinoff like Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the moniker always stays the same. 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 latest installment in the enduring franchise (and among the more style-conscious entries). At other moments they're confined to the various school uniform designs from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. Yet they're always Malfunction.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokemon Games

Much like my characters, the Pokémon games have transformed across releases, some cosmetic, some substantial. But at their core, they remain identical; they're consistently Pokémon through and through. Game Freak discovered an almost flawless gameplay formula some 30 years ago, and just recently seriously tried to innovate on it with entries such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your character faces peril). Across all iteration, the core mechanics cycle of capturing and battling alongside adorable monsters has remained steady for nearly as long as my lifetime.

Breaking the Mold in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus previously, with its absence of gyms and emphasis on creating a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces multiple deviations into that framework. It's set entirely in one place, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X and Y, ditching the expansive journeys of previous games. Pokemon are meant to coexist alongside humans, battlers and non-trainers alike, in ways we have merely seen glimpses of before.

Far more radical than that Z-A's real-time battle system. It's here the franchise's near-perfect core cycle undergoes its biggest evolution to date, replacing methodical turn-based bouts with something more chaotic. And it's immensely fun, even as I feel ready for a new turn-based entry. Although these changes to the classic Pokémon formula seem like they form an entirely fresh adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Journey: The Z-A Royale

When initially reaching at Lumiose Metropolis, any intentions your custom avatar planned as a visitor get abandoned; you're promptly recruited by Taunie (if playing as a male character; the male guide for female characters) to join their squad of trainers. You receive a creature from them as your first partner and you're dispatched into the Z-A Royale.

The Royale serves as the centerpiece in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the traditional "gym badges to Elite Four" progression of past games. But here, you battle several opponents to earn the chance to compete in an advancement bout. Win and you'll be promoted to a higher tier, with the final objective of reaching the top rank.

Real-Time Combat: A New Approach

Trainer battles take place at night, and sneaking around the designated battle zones is very entertaining. I'm always trying to surprise an opponent and launch an unopposed move, since everything happens in real time. Moves function with cooldown timers, indicating both combatants can sometimes attack each other concurrently (and defeat each other at once). It's a lot to get used to at first. Despite playing for nearly 30 hours, I still feel that there is much to master regarding employing my creatures' attacks in ways that work together synergistically. Positioning also factors as a significant part during combat as your Pokémon will trail behind you or move to designated spots to execute moves (certain ones are distant, while others must be in close proximity).

The live combat causes fights progress so quickly that I find myself sometimes cycling through moves in the same order, despite this results in a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to breathe during Z-A, and plenty of opportunities to get overwhelmed. Creature fights rely on feedback post-move execution, and that data remains visible on the display within Z-A, but whips by quickly. Occasionally, you can't even read it because diverting attention from your opponent will result in certain doom.

Exploring Lumiose Metropolis

Away from combat, you will traverse Lumiose Metropolis. It's fairly compact, though densely packed. Far into the adventure, I continue to find new shops and rooftops to visit. It is also full of charm, and fully realizes the vision of creatures and humans living together. Common bird Pokemon inhabit its pathways, flying away when you get near like the real-life pigeons getting in my way when walking in New York City. The monkey trio gleefully hang from lampposts, and insect creatures like Kakuna attach themselves on branches.

An emphasis on urban life represents a fresh approach for the franchise, and a positive change. Even so, navigating the city grows repetitive eventually. You may stumble upon a passage you haven't been to, but you wouldn't know it. The building design lacks character, and many elevated areas and sewer paths offer little variety. While I haven't been to Paris, the model behind Lumiose, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years. It's a metropolis where every district are the same, and all are vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose City doesn't have that. It has tan buildings with blue or red roofs and simply designed balconies.

Where The Metropolis Really Excels

Where Lumiose City truly stands out, surprisingly, is indoors. I loved how Pokémon battles within Sword & Shield occur in arena-like venues, providing them real weight and meaning. Conversely, battles in Scarlet & Violet happen in a field with few spectators watching. It's very disappointing. Z-A strikes a middle ground between the two. You'll battle in restaurants with diners observing as they dine. An elite combat club will extend an invitation to a tournament, and you'll battle in its rooftop arena with a chandelier (not the Pokemon) suspended overhead. My favorite location is the beautifully designed base of a certain faction with its moody lighting and magenta walls. Several distinct combat settings overflow with personality that's absent from the larger city in general.

The Comfort of Routine

During the Royale, as well as quelling rogue powered-up creatures and filling the creature index, there's an inescapable sense that, {"I