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I'm not sure precisely when the tradition began, however I consistently call all my Pokemon characters Glitch.

Whether it's a main series game or a spinoff like Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the name never changes. Glitch switches between male and female avatars, featuring black and purple hair. Sometimes their style is flawless, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest installment in the long-running franchise (and among the most fashion-focused entries). At other moments they're confined to the assorted academic attire styles of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. But they're always Malfunction.

The Constantly Changing Realm of Pokemon Games

Much like my trainers, the Pokémon games have transformed between releases, with certain superficial, others significant. However at their heart, they stay the same; they're always Pokémon to the core. Game Freak discovered an almost flawless gameplay formula some 30 years ago, and has only seriously tried to evolve upon it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your avatar faces peril). Across every iteration, the fundamental mechanics cycle of catching and fighting alongside adorable monsters has stayed consistent for nearly the same duration as I've been alive.

Breaking the Mold in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, featuring lack of arenas and emphasis on compiling a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces multiple deviations into that formula. It's set completely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X & Y, ditching the expansive adventures of earlier titles. Pokemon are intended to coexist with people, trainers and civilians, in manners we have merely glimpsed before.

Even more radical is Z-A's live-action battle system. This is where the series' almost ideal gameplay loop experiences its most significant transformation to date, swapping methodical turn-based fights for more frenetic action. And it is thoroughly enjoyable, despite I feel eager for a new traditional release. Although these changes to the classic Pokémon formula sound like they form an entirely fresh adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as every other Pokémon title.

The Heart of the Journey: The Z-A Championship

When initially reaching in Lumiose City, any intentions your custom avatar had as a tourist get abandoned; you're promptly recruited by Taunie (if playing as a male character; the male guide if female) to join their squad of trainers. You receive a creature from them as your first partner and you're dispatched into the Z-A Royale.

The Royale serves as the centerpiece in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the classic "gym badges to Elite Four" progression from earlier titles. However here, you battle several trainers to earn the chance to participate in an advancement bout. Succeed and you will be promoted to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of reaching rank A.

Live-Action Battles: A New Frontier

Trainer battles take place during nighttime, while sneaking around the assigned combat areas is very enjoyable. I'm constantly attempting to surprise a rival and unleash a free attack, since all actions occur in real time. Attacks operate on cooldown timers, indicating both combatants can sometimes strike simultaneously at the same time (and defeat each other at once). It's much to adjust to at first. Even after gaming for almost thirty hours, I continue to feel like there's plenty to learn in terms of employing my creatures' attacks in ways that complement each other. Positioning also factors as a major role during combat as your Pokémon will trail behind you or go to designated spots to perform attacks (some are long-range, whereas others must be up close and personal).

The real-time action causes fights go so fast that I find myself repeating sequences through moves in the same order, despite this amounts to a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to pause during Z-A, and plenty of opportunities to become swamped. Creature fights rely on response post-move execution, and that data remains visible on the display within Z-A, but flashes past quickly. Occasionally, you can't even read it because taking your eyes off your opponent will spell immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose Metropolis

Outside of battle, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's fairly compact, though densely packed. Deep into the game, I continue to find unseen stores and rooftops to visit. It is also full of charm, and perfectly captures the concept of Pokémon and people living together. Common bird Pokemon populate its sidewalks, taking flight as you approach like the real-life city birds obstructing my path while strolling in New York City. The Pan Trio monkeys joyfully cling on streetlights, and bug-Pokémon like Kakuna attach themselves to trees.

A focus on city living is a new direction for the franchise, and a welcome one. Even so, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive eventually. You may stumble upon an alley you never visited, but you wouldn't know it. The architecture is devoid of personality, and many elevated areas and sewer paths provide minimal diversity. Although I never visited the French capital, the model behind Lumiose, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years. It's a metropolis where every district differs, and all are vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose City doesn't have that. It features tan buildings topped with colored roofs and flatly rendered terraces.

The Areas Where The Metropolis Really Excels

Where the city really shines, oddly enough, is indoors. I adored the way creature fights in Sword & Shield occur in football-like stadiums, providing them real weight and meaning. On the flipside, fights within Scarlet & Violet take place in a field with few spectators watching. It's a total letdown. Z-A strikes a middle ground between both extremes. You will fight in restaurants with patrons watching as they dine. A fancy battle society will invite you to a tournament, and you'll battle in its rooftop arena with a chandelier (not the Pokemon) hanging above. The most memorable spot is the elegantly decorated base of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and purple partitions. Various individual combat settings brim with character missing in the larger city as a whole.

The Comfort of Repetition

Throughout the Royale, along with quelling rogue Mega Evolved Pokémon and filling the Pokédex, there is an unavoidable sense that, {"I