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I'm not sure exactly how the custom started, but I consistently call all my Pokemon characters Glitch.

Whether it's a core franchise game or a side project like Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the moniker always stays the same. Malfunction alternates between male and female avatars, with black and purple locks. Occasionally their fashion is flawless, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest addition in the enduring franchise (and one of the more fashion-focused entries). Other times they're limited to the various school uniform styles from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Yet they're always Malfunction.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokemon Titles

Much like my characters, the Pokemon titles have transformed between releases, with certain superficial, some significant. But at their heart, they stay the same; they're always Pokémon through and through. Game Freak uncovered an almost flawless mechanics system some three decades back, and has only seriously tried to innovate upon it with games like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your character is now in danger). Throughout all iteration, the fundamental mechanics cycle of catching and battling alongside charming creatures has stayed steady for almost the same duration as I've been alive.

Breaking the Mold in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus before it, featuring lack of arenas and emphasis on compiling a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces several deviations to that formula. It's set entirely in a single location, the French capital-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X and Y, abandoning the expansive adventures of earlier titles. Pokemon are intended to live together alongside humans, battlers and non-trainers alike, in ways we've only glimpsed before.

Far more radical is Z-A's live-action combat mechanics. This is where the franchise's almost ideal gameplay loop experiences its biggest transformation to date, swapping deliberate sequential fights with something more chaotic. And it's immensely fun, even as I find myself ready for another traditional entry. Although these changes to the classic Pokemon recipe sound like they create an entirely fresh experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as any other Pokemon game.

The Heart of the Journey: The Z-A Royale

When initially reaching in Lumiose City, any intentions your custom avatar planned as a visitor get abandoned; you're promptly recruited by the female guide (if playing as a male character; Urbain if female) to become part of their squad of battlers. You're gifted a creature from them as your starter and you're dispatched into the Z-A Championship.

The Championship serves as the centerpiece in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the traditional "arena symbols to final challenge" progression of past games. However here, you battle a handful of opponents to earn the opportunity to participate in an advancement bout. Win and you will be promoted to the next rank, with the final objective of achieving rank A.

Live-Action Battles: A New Approach

Character fights take place at night, while navigating stealthily the assigned combat areas is very entertaining. I'm constantly attempting to get a jump on a rival and unleash an unopposed move, because all actions occur instantaneously. Moves operate on cooldown timers, meaning you and your opponent may occasionally attack each other concurrently (and defeat each other simultaneously). It's a lot to adjust to at first. Even after playing for nearly 30 hours, I still feel like there's much to master regarding using my Pokémon's moves in ways that complement each other. Placement also plays a significant part in battles since your creatures will follow you around or go to specific locations to execute moves (certain ones are distant, while others must be up close and personal).

The live combat makes battles progress so quickly that I find myself sometimes cycling of attacks in the same order, even when this results in a less effective approach. There's no time to pause during Z-A, and numerous opportunities to become swamped. Pokémon battles depend on feedback after using an attack, and that information is still present on screen within Z-A, but flashes past quickly. Sometimes, you cannot process it since diverting attention from your opponent will spell immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose Metropolis

Away from combat, you'll explore Lumiose Metropolis. It's fairly compact, though densely packed. Deep into the game, I continue to find unseen stores and elevated areas to explore. It's also rich with character, and perfectly captures the concept of creatures and humans living together. Pidgey inhabit its pathways, 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 insect creatures like Kakuna cling to trees.

An emphasis on city living represents a fresh approach for the franchise, and a welcome one. Even so, navigating the city becomes rote over time. You might discover an alley you never visited, but you wouldn't know it. The building design is devoid of personality, and many elevated areas and sewer paths provide minimal diversity. Although I never visited Paris, the inspiration for 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 doesn't have that. It has beige structures topped with colored roofs and simply designed terraces.

Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

In which Lumiose City really shines, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I adored the way creature fights in Sword and Shield occur in football-like stadiums, providing them genuine significance and meaning. On the flipside, fights within Scarlet and Violet take place on a court with two random people observing. It's very disappointing. Z-A strikes a middle ground between the two. You'll battle in restaurants with diners observing while they eat. An elite combat club will extend an invitation to a tournament, and you'll battle in its rooftop arena under a lighting fixture (not the Pokemon) suspended overhead. The most memorable spot is the elegantly decorated base of a certain faction with atmospheric illumination and purple partitions. Various individual combat settings brim with character that's absent from the larger city as a whole.

The Familiarity of Routine

During the Championship, along with subduing wild powered-up creatures and filling the creature index, there is an unavoidable sense that, {"I