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I don't recall precisely when the tradition started, however I consistently call every one of my Pokémon trainers Glitch.

Whether it's a core franchise title or a side project such as Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the moniker always stays the same. Malfunction alternates from male to female characters, featuring black and purple hair. Occasionally their fashion is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest addition in the enduring series (and one of the more style-conscious releases). Other times they're limited to the assorted academic attire styles of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they're always Malfunction.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokémon Games

Similar to my trainers, the Pokemon titles have transformed across installments, with certain cosmetic, some significant. But at their heart, they stay identical; they're always Pokémon through and through. Game Freak uncovered an almost flawless mechanics system some three decades back, and just recently seriously tried to innovate upon it with entries such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your character faces peril). Throughout all version, the core mechanics cycle of capturing and battling with adorable monsters has stayed consistent for almost as long as my lifetime.

Shaking Conventions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, featuring lack of arenas and focus on creating a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings several deviations into that formula. It takes place completely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X and Y, abandoning the expansive journeys of earlier games. Pokemon are meant to live together with humans, battlers and civilians, in ways we have merely glimpsed previously.

Even more drastic than that Z-A's real-time combat mechanics. This is where the franchise's near-perfect gameplay loop experiences its most significant transformation to date, replacing methodical turn-based fights with more frenetic action. And it is immensely fun, even as I find myself eager for another traditional release. Though these changes to the traditional Pokemon recipe seem like they form an entirely fresh adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokemon game.

The Heart of the Journey: The Z-A Championship

Upon initially reaching at Lumiose Metropolis, any intentions your custom avatar had as a tourist get abandoned; you're promptly recruited by the female guide (for male avatars; the male guide for female characters) to become part of her team of trainers. You receive one of her Pokémon as your first partner and you're dispatched into the Z-A Royale.

The Championship is the epicenter of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the classic "arena symbols to final challenge" progression of past games. However here, you battle a handful of trainers to earn the opportunity to compete in an advancement bout. Win and you will be promoted to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of achieving the top rank.

Real-Time Battles: A New Frontier

Character fights take place at night, while sneaking around the assigned battle zones is very entertaining. I'm always attempting to get a jump on an opponent and unleash a free attack, because all actions occur instantaneously. Attacks operate on cooldown timers, indicating both combatants can sometimes attack each other at the same time (and knock each other out at once). It's a lot to get used to at first. Even after playing for nearly thirty hours, I continue to feel that there is much to master in terms of using my Pokémon's moves in ways that work together synergistically. Positioning also factors as a significant part during combat since your creatures will follow you around or go to designated spots to execute moves (some are long-range, while others need to be up close and personal).

The live combat causes fights go so fast that I find myself repeating sequences of attacks in identical patterns, despite this results in a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to pause during Z-A, and numerous chances to become swamped. Pokémon battles rely on feedback post-move execution, and that information remains visible on screen within Z-A, but flashes past rapidly. Sometimes, you cannot process it since diverting attention from your opponent will result in immediate defeat.

Exploring Lumiose City

Away from combat, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's fairly compact, although tightly filled. Deep into the game, I'm still discovering new shops and rooftops to visit. It's also full of charm, and perfectly captures the concept of Pokémon and people coexisting. Common bird Pokemon inhabit its pathways, taking flight when you get near similar to actual pigeons obstructing my path when walking through NYC. The monkey trio joyfully cling on streetlights, and bug-Pokémon such as Kakuna cling to trees.

A focus on urban life represents a fresh approach for Pokémon, and a positive change. Nonetheless, 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 is devoid of personality, and most rooftops and underground routes 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 city where no two blocks differs, and they're all vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose City lacks that quality. It features beige structures topped with colored roofs and simply designed balconies.

Where Lumiose City Really Excels

In which the city really shines, surprisingly, is inside buildings. I adored the way creature fights within Sword and Shield take place in arena-like venues, providing them genuine significance and meaning. Conversely, fights within Scarlet and Violet happen on a court with two random people watching. 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. An elite combat club will invite you to a tournament, and you will combat in its rooftop arena under a lighting fixture (not Chandelure) hanging above. The most memorable spot is the beautifully designed base of the Rust Syndicate with its moody lighting and purple partitions. Several distinct combat settings overflow with personality missing in the overall metropolis as a whole.

The Familiarity of Repetition

Throughout the Royale, along with subduing wild powered-up creatures and filling the Pokédex, there's an inescapable feeling of, {"I