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I don't recall precisely when the custom started, however I always name all my Pokemon characters Glitch.

Be it a core franchise title or a spinoff such as Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the moniker never changes. Malfunction switches from male to female characters, with black and purple hair. Occasionally their fashion is flawless, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest installment in this long-running series (and among the most fashion-focused entries). At other moments they're confined to the various school uniform styles from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Yet they're always Glitch.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokemon Games

Similar to my trainers, the Pokémon games have evolved between releases, some cosmetic, some substantial. But at their heart, they stay the same; they're always Pokemon through and through. Game Freak discovered a nearly perfect mechanics system approximately 30 years ago, and has only seriously tried to innovate on it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your avatar faces peril). Across all version, the fundamental gameplay loop of catching and fighting alongside adorable monsters has stayed consistent for almost as long as I've been alive.

Shaking the Mold in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus previously, featuring lack of arenas and emphasis on creating a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple deviations to that framework. It takes place entirely in one place, the French capital-inspired Lumiose City from Pokémon X and Y, ditching the expansive journeys of earlier titles. Pokemon are intended to coexist with humans, battlers and non-trainers alike, in ways we have merely glimpsed before.

Far more radical is Z-A's live-action battle system. This is where the franchise's near-perfect gameplay loop experiences its biggest transformation to date, replacing deliberate sequential bouts for something more chaotic. And it's immensely fun, despite I find myself ready for a new turn-based release. Although these changes to the classic Pokémon formula seem like they form a completely new adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Adventure: The Z-A Championship

When initially reaching at Lumiose Metropolis, any intentions your custom avatar planned as a visitor get abandoned; you're promptly enlisted by Taunie (if playing as a male character; Urbain for female characters) to join her team of battlers. You receive one of her Pokémon as your starter and are sent into the Z-A Championship.

The Championship serves as the centerpiece of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the traditional "arena symbols to final challenge" advancement from earlier titles. However here, you fight a handful of opponents to earn the opportunity to compete in a promotion match. Succeed and you'll be promoted to the next rank, with the final objective of achieving the top rank.

Live-Action Battles: An Innovative Frontier

Trainer battles take place during nighttime, and navigating stealthily the designated battle zones is very entertaining. I'm constantly attempting to surprise a rival and launch an unopposed move, since all actions occur in real time. Moves function with recharge periods, meaning you and your opponent may occasionally attack each other concurrently (and defeat each other at once). It's much to get used to at first. Despite playing for nearly thirty hours, I continue to feel like there's much to master in terms of employing my creatures' attacks in ways that work together synergistically. Placement also factors as a major role in battles since your creatures will trail behind you or go to designated spots to execute moves (certain ones are distant, whereas others must be up close and personal).

The real-time action makes battles go so fast that I find myself sometimes cycling through moves in identical patterns, despite this results in a less effective approach. There's no time to breathe during Z-A, and plenty of opportunities to become swamped. Creature fights rely on feedback post-move execution, and that information is still present on screen within Z-A, but flashes past quickly. Occasionally, you can't even read it because taking your eyes off your adversary will spell immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose Metropolis

Away from combat, you'll explore Lumiose Metropolis. It's fairly compact, although tightly filled. Deep into the game, I continue to find new shops and rooftops to explore. It's also rich with character, and perfectly captures the vision of Pokémon and people coexisting. Pidgey inhabit its pathways, flying away as you approach like the real-life city birds obstructing my path when walking through NYC. The Pan Trio monkeys joyfully cling on streetlights, and bug-Pokémon such as Kakuna cling on branches.

An emphasis on urban life is a new direction for Pokémon, and a welcome one. Even so, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive over time. You might discover a passage you haven't been to, but it feels identical. The building design is devoid of personality, and most rooftops and sewer paths offer little variety. Although I haven't been to the French capital, the model behind the city, I reside in New York for nearly a decade. It's a city where no two blocks differs, and all are vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose Metropolis lacks that quality. It features tan buildings topped with colored roofs and flatly rendered balconies.

Where The Metropolis Really Excels

In which the city really shines, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I loved how Pokémon battles within Sword and Shield take place in football-like stadiums, providing them real weight and importance. Conversely, fights within Scarlet & Violet take place in a field with few spectators watching. It's a total letdown. Z-A finds a balance between both extremes. You'll battle in restaurants with diners observing as they dine. An elite combat club will extend an invitation to a tournament, and you will combat in its rooftop arena with a chandelier (not Chandelure) suspended overhead. My favorite location is the beautifully designed headquarters of a certain faction with its moody lighting and magenta walls. Various individual combat settings brim with character missing in the overall metropolis in general.

The Familiarity of Repetition

Throughout the Championship, along with subduing wild Mega Evolved Pokémon and completing the Pokédex, there's an inescapable sense that, {"I