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I don't recall precisely when the custom began, but I always name all my Pokemon characters Malfunction.

Be it a core franchise title or a side project like Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the moniker always stays the same. Glitch alternates from male to female characters, with black and purple hair. Sometimes their style is flawless, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest installment in this enduring franchise (and one of the more fashion-focused entries). At other moments they're confined to the assorted academic attire styles of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. But they remain Malfunction.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokémon Titles

Much like my characters, the Pokémon games have transformed between releases, with certain superficial, others significant. However at their core, they stay identical; they're consistently Pokemon through and through. Game Freak uncovered an almost flawless gameplay formula approximately three decades back, and has only truly attempted to evolve upon it with games like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your character faces peril). Across every version, the core mechanics cycle of capturing and fighting with adorable monsters has stayed consistent for nearly the same duration as I've been alive.

Breaking the Mold in 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 completely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X and Y, abandoning the region-spanning adventures of previous titles. Pokémon are meant to live together with people, battlers and civilians, in manners we've only glimpsed before.

Even more radical than that Z-A's real-time combat mechanics. This is where the franchise's near-perfect core cycle experiences its biggest evolution to date, swapping deliberate turn-based fights with more frenetic action. And it's thoroughly enjoyable, even as I find myself ready for a new traditional release. Though these changes to the classic Pokemon recipe sound like they create a completely new adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as every other Pokémon title.

The Heart of the Journey: The Z-A Championship

When first arriving at Lumiose Metropolis, any intentions your custom avatar had as a tourist are discarded; you're promptly enlisted by Taunie (if playing as a male character; the male guide if female) to become part of her team of trainers. You're gifted a creature from them as your first partner and are sent to participate in the Z-A Royale.

The Championship serves as the centerpiece in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the classic "arena symbols to final challenge" advancement of past games. However here, you battle several opponents to earn the chance to compete in a promotion match. Win and you will be elevated to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of achieving rank A.

Real-Time Combat: A New Approach

Trainer battles take place during nighttime, and sneaking around the assigned combat areas is very enjoyable. I'm constantly trying to surprise an opponent and unleash an unopposed move, because all actions occur instantaneously. Attacks function with cooldown timers, meaning you and your opponent may occasionally strike simultaneously at the same time (and defeat each other simultaneously). It's much to adjust to at first. Despite gaming for almost 30 hours, I still feel like there's much to master regarding employing my creatures' attacks in methods that complement each other. Positioning also plays a major role in battles since your creatures will trail behind you or move to designated spots to execute moves (some are long-range, while others need to be up close and personal).

The live combat makes battles go so fast that I often sometimes cycling through moves in identical patterns, despite this results in a less effective approach. There's no time to pause during Z-A, and numerous opportunities to become swamped. Creature fights depend on feedback post-move execution, and that data is still present on the display in Z-A, but whips by rapidly. Sometimes, you cannot process it because taking your eyes off your opponent will spell certain doom.

Navigating Lumiose City

Outside of battle, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's relatively small, though densely packed. Far into the adventure, I continue to find new shops and rooftops to explore. It is also rich with character, and perfectly captures the concept of creatures and humans coexisting. Common bird Pokemon populate its sidewalks, flying away as you approach like the real-life city birds obstructing my path while strolling in New York City. The Pan Trio monkeys gleefully hang from lampposts, and bug-Pokémon like Kakuna attach themselves on branches.

A focus on urban life represents a fresh approach for Pokémon, and a welcome one. Even so, exploring Lumiose becomes rote over time. You might discover a passage you haven't been to, but you wouldn't know it. The architecture lacks character, and many elevated areas and underground routes offer little variety. Although I never visited the French capital, the inspiration for the city, I've lived in NYC for nearly a decade. It's a city where every district differs, and all are vibrant with differences that provide character. Lumiose City doesn't have that. It has beige structures with blue or red roofs and simply designed terraces.

Where The Metropolis Really Excels

In which Lumiose City truly stands out, oddly enough, is indoors. I loved how Pokémon battles within Sword and Shield take place in arena-like venues, giving them real weight and meaning. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet & Violet happen in a field with two random people observing. It's a total letdown. Z-A finds a balance between the two. You will fight in restaurants with patrons watching while they eat. An elite combat club will invite you to a competition, and you'll battle on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not Chandelure) suspended overhead. My favorite location is the elegantly decorated base of the Rust Syndicate with its moody lighting and purple partitions. Several distinct battle locales brim with character that's absent from the overall metropolis in general.

The Familiarity of Repetition

During the Championship, as well as subduing wild Mega Evolved Pokémon and completing the Pokédex, there is an unavoidable sense that, {"I