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I'm not sure exactly how the tradition started, but I always name every one of my Pokémon trainers Malfunction.

Be it a main series title or a spinoff like Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the name always stays the same. Glitch alternates between male and female characters, with black and purple hair. Occasionally their fashion is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest installment in the long-running series (and among the more style-conscious releases). Other times they're confined to the various school uniform designs of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they're always Malfunction.

The Ever-Evolving Realm of Pokémon Games

Much like my characters, the Pokemon titles have transformed between installments, some cosmetic, others significant. But at their heart, they stay identical; they're consistently Pokémon through and through. The developers uncovered an almost flawless gameplay formula some 30 years ago, and has only truly attempted to innovate upon it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar is now in danger). Across all iteration, the core mechanics cycle of capturing and fighting with adorable monsters has remained steady for nearly as long as I've been alive.

Breaking Conventions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, featuring lack of arenas and focus on creating a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces multiple deviations into that formula. It's set entirely in one place, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X and Y, ditching the region-spanning adventures of previous titles. Pokemon are intended to live together with people, trainers and civilians, in manners we've only seen glimpses of previously.

Far more radical is Z-A's live-action combat mechanics. This is where the franchise's near-perfect gameplay loop undergoes its biggest evolution to date, replacing methodical turn-based fights with something more chaotic. And it's thoroughly enjoyable, despite I find myself ready 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 Pokemon game.

The Heart of the Adventure: The Z-A Royale

Upon first arriving at Lumiose Metropolis, any intentions your created character had as a tourist get abandoned; you're immediately enlisted by Taunie (if playing as a male character; Urbain if female) 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 Championship.

The Championship serves as the centerpiece of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the classic "gym badges to Elite Four" advancement of past games. However here, you fight a handful of opponents to earn the chance to participate in a promotion match. Win and you'll be elevated to the next rank, with the ultimate goal of achieving rank A.

Live-Action Battles: An Innovative Approach

Trainer battles take place at night, and navigating stealthily the designated combat areas is quite enjoyable. I'm constantly attempting to surprise an opponent and unleash an unopposed move, since all actions occur in real time. Attacks function with recharge periods, indicating both combatants can sometimes attack each other at the same time (and defeat each other simultaneously). It's a lot to get used to initially. Even after gaming for almost thirty hours, I still feel that there is much to master regarding employing my creatures' attacks in ways that complement each other. Positioning also plays a major role during combat as your Pokémon will trail behind you or go to specific locations to execute moves (certain ones are distant, whereas others need to be up close and personal).

The real-time action causes fights go so fast that I often repeating sequences of attacks in the same order, even when this results in a less effective approach. There isn't moment to pause in Z-A, and numerous chances to get overwhelmed. Pokémon battles depend on response post-move execution, and that data remains visible on the display within Z-A, but whips by rapidly. Occasionally, you can't even read it since taking your eyes off your opponent will spell immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose City

Outside of battle, you'll explore Lumiose Metropolis. It's fairly compact, although tightly filled. Deep into the game, I continue to find new shops and elevated areas to visit. It is also rich with character, and fully realizes the vision of Pokémon and people coexisting. Common bird Pokemon inhabit its pathways, flying away when you get near similar to actual city birds getting in my way when walking in New York City. The Pan Trio monkeys gleefully hang from lampposts, and bug-Pokémon such as Kakuna attach themselves 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 is devoid of personality, and most rooftops and underground routes provide minimal diversity. While I never visited Paris, the inspiration for the city, I reside in New York for almost ten years. It's a city where every district are the same, and they're all vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose Metropolis lacks that quality. It has tan buildings with blue or red roofs and flatly rendered terraces.

Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

Where the city truly stands out, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I adored the way creature fights within Sword and Shield take place in football-like stadiums, providing them genuine significance and meaning. On the flipside, fights within Scarlet & Violet happen in a field with few spectators watching. It's a total letdown. Z-A strikes a middle ground between both extremes. You'll battle in restaurants with diners observing while they eat. A fancy battle society will invite you to a competition, and you will combat in its rooftop arena with a chandelier (not Chandelure) suspended overhead. The most memorable spot is the beautifully designed base of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and magenta walls. Various individual battle locales brim with character that's absent from the overall metropolis as a whole.

The Comfort of Repetition

During the Championship, along with subduing wild Mega Evolved Pokémon and completing the creature index, there is an unavoidable feeling of, {"I