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I'm not sure exactly how the custom began, but I consistently call every one of my Pokemon characters Malfunction.

Be it a core franchise game or a side project like Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the name never changes. Malfunction switches between male and female characters, with black and purple hair. Sometimes their style is impeccable, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest installment in this enduring series (and among the more style-conscious entries). Other times they're confined to the various school uniform designs of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. Yet they remain Malfunction.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokemon Games

Much like my characters, the Pokémon games have evolved across releases, with certain superficial, others significant. However at their heart, they stay the same; they're always Pokemon to the core. Game Freak discovered a nearly perfect gameplay formula approximately 30 years ago, and has only truly attempted to innovate upon it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your avatar faces peril). Throughout every iteration, the core gameplay loop of capturing and fighting alongside adorable monsters has remained steady for nearly as long as my lifetime.

Shaking Conventions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus previously, featuring absence of gyms and emphasis on creating a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces several deviations to that formula. It takes place completely in one place, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X & Y, ditching the region-spanning journeys of previous games. Pokémon are meant to live together with people, battlers and civilians, in manners we have merely glimpsed previously.

Far more radical than that Z-A's live-action battle system. This is where the series' almost ideal gameplay loop experiences its biggest transformation yet, replacing deliberate turn-based bouts for more frenetic action. And it is immensely fun, even as I feel ready for a new turn-based release. Though these changes to the classic Pokémon formula seem like they create a completely new experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as every other Pokémon title.

The Heart of the Adventure: The Z-A Championship

Upon initially reaching 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; Urbain for female characters) to become part of their squad of battlers. You receive one of her Pokémon as your first partner and you're dispatched to participate in the Z-A Royale.

The Championship is the epicenter of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the traditional "gym badges to Elite Four" advancement from earlier titles. But here, you fight a handful of trainers to earn the chance to compete in an advancement bout. Succeed and you will be elevated to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of achieving rank A.

Real-Time Battles: An Innovative Frontier

Character fights take place during nighttime, while navigating stealthily the assigned battle zones is quite entertaining. I'm always attempting to surprise an opponent and unleash a free attack, because everything happens in real time. Moves function with cooldown timers, indicating you and your opponent may occasionally strike simultaneously at the same time (and knock each other out at once). It's a lot to get used to initially. Even after gaming for almost thirty hours, I still feel that there is plenty to learn regarding using my Pokémon's moves in methods that work together synergistically. Placement also factors as a significant part in battles as your Pokémon will follow you around or move to designated spots to perform attacks (some are long-range, whereas others must be in close proximity).

The live combat causes fights go so fast that I often repeating sequences of attacks in the same order, even when this amounts to a less effective approach. There isn't moment to pause during Z-A, and numerous opportunities to become swamped. Pokémon battles depend on response post-move execution, and that information is still present on screen in Z-A, but flashes past quickly. Occasionally, you can't even read it since taking your eyes off your adversary will spell immediate defeat.

Navigating Lumiose City

Away from combat, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's relatively small, though densely packed. Deep into the game, I continue to find new shops and rooftops to visit. It's also rich with character, and perfectly captures the vision of Pokémon and people coexisting. Pidgey inhabit its pathways, flying away when you get near similar to actual city birds getting in my way when walking in New York City. The monkey trio joyfully cling from lampposts, and insect creatures such as Kakuna cling on branches.

An emphasis on urban life represents a fresh approach for Pokémon, and a positive change. Even so, exploring Lumiose becomes rote eventually. You may stumble upon an alley you never visited, but you wouldn't know it. The architecture lacks character, and most rooftops and sewer paths offer little variety. Although I never visited Paris, the inspiration for the city, I reside in New York for almost ten years. It's a city where every district differs, and all are vibrant with differences that provide character. Lumiose City doesn't have that. It features tan buildings with blue or red roofs and simply designed balconies.

Where The Metropolis Really Excels

In which Lumiose City truly stands out, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I loved how Pokémon battles within Sword and Shield occur in arena-like venues, giving them genuine significance and meaning. On the flipside, fights within Scarlet & Violet take place in a field with two random people watching. It's a total letdown. Z-A finds a balance between the two. You'll battle in eateries with patrons watching as they dine. An elite combat club will invite you to a tournament, and you'll battle on its penthouse court with a chandelier (not Chandelure) hanging above. My favorite location is the beautifully designed headquarters of a certain faction with its moody lighting and magenta walls. Several distinct combat settings brim with character that's absent from the overall metropolis as a whole.

The Familiarity of Routine

During the Royale, along with quelling rogue Mega Evolved Pokémon and filling the Pokédex, there is an unavoidable feeling of, {"I