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I'm not sure precisely when the tradition started, but I consistently call every one of my Pokemon characters Glitch.

Be it a main series title or a spinoff like Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the name always stays the same. Malfunction alternates from male to female avatars, with black and purple locks. Occasionally their fashion is impeccable, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest installment in this enduring series (and among the most style-conscious releases). At other moments they're limited to the various school uniform designs from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. But they remain Malfunction.

The Ever-Evolving World of Pokemon Titles

Similar to my trainers, the Pokemon titles have evolved between releases, with certain superficial, some significant. But at their heart, they stay the same; they're always Pokemon to the core. Game Freak uncovered a nearly perfect mechanics system some three decades back, and has only seriously tried to evolve on it with entries such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar is now in danger). Across every iteration, the fundamental mechanics cycle of catching and fighting with adorable monsters has remained steady for almost the same duration as my lifetime.

Breaking the Mold in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, with its absence of gyms and focus on creating a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple changes to that formula. It takes place entirely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose City from Pokémon X and Y, abandoning the expansive journeys of earlier titles. Pokémon are intended to live together alongside people, battlers and civilians, in manners we've only seen glimpses of previously.

Far more drastic than that Z-A's live-action combat mechanics. This is where the series' almost ideal core cycle experiences its biggest evolution yet, replacing methodical turn-based bouts with something more chaotic. And it's immensely fun, even as I find myself eager for another traditional entry. Although these changes to the classic Pokemon recipe seem like they create an entirely fresh experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Journey: The Z-A Championship

When first arriving in Lumiose City, whatever plans your created character had as a tourist are discarded; you're promptly enlisted by the female guide (if playing as a male character; the male guide if female) to join their squad of trainers. You're gifted a creature from them as your starter and are sent into the Z-A Championship.

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

Live-Action Battles: A New Approach

Trainer battles occur at night, and sneaking around the assigned battle zones is very enjoyable. I'm always trying to surprise an opponent and launch a free attack, because all actions occur in real time. Attacks function with cooldown timers, indicating you and your opponent can sometimes attack each other at the same time (and defeat each other at once). It's a lot to get used to initially. Despite playing for nearly 30 hours, I continue to feel like there's much to master regarding employing my creatures' attacks in methods that complement each other. Positioning also plays a significant part during combat since your creatures will trail behind you or move to specific locations to perform attacks (some are long-range, whereas others need to be up close and personal).

The real-time action causes fights progress so quickly that I often repeating sequences of attacks in the same order, despite this amounts to a less effective approach. There's no time to pause in Z-A, and numerous chances to become swamped. Pokémon battles rely on feedback after using an attack, and that information remains visible on screen within Z-A, but whips by quickly. Sometimes, you cannot process it because diverting attention from your opponent will result in immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose City

Outside of battle, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's fairly compact, although densely packed. Deep into the game, I'm still discovering unseen stores and elevated areas to visit. It's also full of charm, and perfectly captures the vision of Pokémon and people coexisting. Common bird Pokemon populate its sidewalks, taking flight when you get near similar to actual pigeons getting in my way when walking in New York City. The Pan Trio monkeys joyfully cling from lampposts, and bug-Pokémon like Kakuna cling to trees.

A focus on urban life represents a fresh approach for Pokémon, and a welcome one. Nonetheless, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive eventually. You may stumble upon an alley you never visited, but you wouldn't know it. The building design is devoid of personality, and most rooftops and underground routes offer little variety. Although I haven't been to the French capital, the inspiration for Lumiose, I've lived in NYC for nearly a decade. It's a city where every district differs, and they're all alive with uniqueness that provide character. Lumiose Metropolis lacks that quality. It has tan buildings with blue or red roofs and flatly rendered balconies.

The Areas Where Lumiose City Really Excels

Where Lumiose City truly stands out, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I loved the way creature fights within Sword and Shield take place in football-like stadiums, providing them genuine significance and importance. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet & Violet happen in a field with two random people observing. It's very disappointing. Z-A finds a balance between both extremes. You will fight in eateries with patrons watching as they dine. 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. The most memorable spot is the elegantly decorated headquarters of a certain faction with atmospheric illumination and purple partitions. Several distinct combat settings overflow with personality missing in the larger city in general.

The Familiarity of Repetition

Throughout the Royale, as well as quelling rogue Mega Evolved Pokémon and filling the Pokédex, there is an unavoidable feeling of, {"I