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I don't recall exactly how the custom began, but I always name all my Pokemon characters Glitch.

Be it a main series title or a side project like Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the name always stays the same. Malfunction switches from male to female characters, featuring black and purple locks. Occasionally their style is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest addition in this enduring series (and among the most fashion-focused entries). Other times they're limited to the various school uniform designs from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Yet they remain Malfunction.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokémon Games

Similar to my trainers, the Pokémon games have evolved between releases, with certain cosmetic, others significant. However at their core, they remain identical; they're always Pokemon through and through. The developers uncovered an almost flawless mechanics system some three decades back, and just recently truly attempted to evolve upon it with games like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar faces peril). Throughout all version, the core mechanics cycle of catching and fighting with charming creatures has stayed steady for almost the same duration as I've been alive.

Shaking the Mold with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus previously, featuring lack of arenas and focus on creating a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings several deviations into that formula. It's set entirely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose City from Pokémon X and Y, ditching the expansive journeys of earlier games. Pokémon are intended to live together with people, battlers and non-trainers alike, in manners we have merely glimpsed previously.

Even more radical than that Z-A's live-action combat mechanics. It's here the franchise's almost ideal gameplay loop experiences its most significant evolution yet, replacing methodical sequential fights for more frenetic action. And it's thoroughly enjoyable, despite I feel ready for a new traditional entry. Although these alterations to the traditional Pokémon formula sound like they form an entirely fresh adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokemon game.

The Core of the Adventure: The Z-A Championship

When first arriving at Lumiose Metropolis, any intentions your custom avatar planned as a visitor get abandoned; you're immediately recruited by Taunie (for male avatars; the male guide for female characters) to become part of her team of trainers. You're gifted a creature from them as your first partner and are sent into the Z-A Royale.

The Championship is the epicenter of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the classic "arena symbols to final challenge" progression of past games. But here, you battle a handful of opponents to gain the chance to participate in a promotion match. Succeed and you'll be promoted to the next rank, with the ultimate goal of achieving rank A.

Real-Time Battles: An Innovative Approach

Character fights occur during nighttime, and navigating stealthily the designated battle zones is quite entertaining. I'm constantly trying to surprise an opponent and unleash a free attack, because everything happens instantaneously. Attacks operate on cooldown timers, indicating you and your opponent can sometimes strike simultaneously at the same time (and knock each other out simultaneously). It's much to adjust to at first. Despite playing for nearly thirty hours, I still feel like there's much to master regarding employing my creatures' attacks in ways that complement each other. Positioning also factors as a significant part in battles since your creatures will trail behind you or move to specific locations to execute moves (some are long-range, whereas others must be up close and personal).

The real-time action causes fights go so fast that I often sometimes cycling through moves in the same order, even when this results in a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to pause in Z-A, and numerous opportunities to get overwhelmed. Creature fights rely on response after using an attack, and that information is still present on screen within Z-A, but flashes past quickly. Sometimes, you can't even read it since diverting attention from your adversary will result in immediate defeat.

Exploring Lumiose Metropolis

Outside of battle, you will traverse Lumiose Metropolis. It's relatively small, although tightly filled. Far into the adventure, I'm still discovering unseen stores and elevated areas to explore. It is also rich with character, and fully realizes the vision of creatures and humans coexisting. Common bird Pokemon populate its sidewalks, taking flight as you approach like the real-life city birds getting in my way while strolling in New York City. The monkey trio joyfully cling on streetlights, and bug-Pokémon like Kakuna attach themselves to trees.

A focus on city living is a new direction for Pokémon, and a positive change. Even so, navigating the city becomes rote eventually. You might discover a passage you never visited, but you wouldn't know it. The building design lacks character, and many elevated areas and underground routes provide minimal diversity. While I haven't been to the French capital, the inspiration for Lumiose, I reside in New York for almost ten years. It's a metropolis where no two blocks are the same, and they're all vibrant with differences that provide character. Lumiose City lacks that quality. It has beige structures with blue or red roofs and simply designed balconies.

The Areas Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

Where the city really shines, oddly enough, is indoors. I adored the way creature fights in Sword and Shield occur in arena-like venues, providing them real weight and importance. On the flipside, fights within Scarlet & Violet happen on a court with few spectators watching. It's a total letdown. Z-A finds a balance between the two. You'll battle in restaurants with patrons watching while they eat. An elite combat club will extend an invitation to a tournament, and you'll battle on its penthouse court with a chandelier (not the Pokemon) hanging above. My favorite location is the beautifully designed headquarters of a certain faction with atmospheric illumination and purple partitions. Various individual combat settings overflow with personality missing in the larger city in general.

The Comfort of Repetition

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