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I don't recall precisely when the tradition began, however I always name every one of my Pokémon trainers Malfunction.

Whether it's a core franchise game or a side project like Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the name always stays the same. Malfunction alternates between male and female avatars, with dark and violet hair. Occasionally their style is flawless, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest addition in the enduring franchise (and among the more style-conscious releases). At other moments they're confined to the assorted academic attire designs of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Yet they're always Malfunction.

The Constantly Changing Realm of Pokemon Games

Similar to my characters, the Pokémon games have evolved across releases, with certain superficial, others substantial. However at their core, they remain identical; they're consistently Pokemon through and through. Game Freak discovered a nearly perfect gameplay formula some 30 years ago, and just recently truly attempted to evolve on it with entries like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your character faces peril). Throughout every version, the fundamental mechanics cycle of catching and fighting alongside adorable monsters has remained consistent for nearly the same duration as I've been alive.

Shaking the Mold with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, with its lack of arenas and emphasis on compiling a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A introduces several changes to that framework. It's set entirely in one place, the Paris-inspired Lumiose City of Pokémon X & Y, abandoning the expansive journeys of previous games. Pokemon are meant to live together with people, battlers and civilians, in ways we've only seen glimpses of before.

Even more drastic than that Z-A's live-action battle system. It's here the series' almost ideal gameplay loop undergoes its biggest transformation yet, replacing deliberate turn-based bouts with something more chaotic. And it's immensely fun, even as I find myself ready for another turn-based release. Although these alterations to the classic Pokemon recipe seem like they create a completely new adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as every other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Adventure: The Z-A Royale

Upon first arriving in Lumiose City, any intentions your created character had as a tourist get abandoned; you're promptly recruited by Taunie (for male avatars; Urbain if female) to become part of their squad of trainers. You're gifted a creature from them as your first partner and you're dispatched into the Z-A Royale.

The Championship serves as the centerpiece in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the traditional "arena symbols to final challenge" advancement of past games. However here, you fight a handful of opponents to gain the chance to compete in a promotion match. Win and you'll be elevated to a higher tier, with the final objective of achieving the top rank.

Live-Action Battles: An Innovative Approach

Character fights occur at night, and navigating stealthily the designated battle zones is quite entertaining. I'm constantly trying to surprise a rival and launch a free attack, since all actions occur instantaneously. Attacks function with cooldown timers, indicating you and your opponent can sometimes strike simultaneously concurrently (and defeat each other at once). It's much to adjust to initially. Even after playing for nearly 30 hours, I continue to feel like there's plenty to learn in terms of employing my creatures' attacks in ways that complement each other. Placement also plays a significant part during combat as your Pokémon will trail behind you or move to specific locations to execute moves (some are long-range, whereas others need to be in close proximity).

The live combat makes battles go so fast that I find myself repeating sequences through moves in the same order, even when this results in a suboptimal strategy. There isn't moment to breathe during Z-A, and plenty of opportunities to get overwhelmed. Pokémon battles depend on response post-move execution, and that information remains visible on the display within Z-A, but whips by quickly. Occasionally, you cannot process it because taking your eyes off your opponent will spell immediate defeat.

Exploring Lumiose Metropolis

Outside of battle, you'll explore Lumiose City. It's fairly compact, although tightly filled. Deep into the game, I'm still discovering new shops and elevated areas to explore. It is also full of charm, and perfectly captures the concept of creatures and humans coexisting. Common bird Pokemon inhabit its pathways, taking flight when you get near similar to actual city birds obstructing my path when walking through NYC. The monkey trio 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. Even so, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive over time. You may stumble upon an alley you never visited, but it feels identical. The building design lacks character, and many elevated areas and sewer paths provide minimal diversity. While I haven't been to the French capital, the inspiration for Lumiose, I reside in New York for almost ten years. It's a city where every district are the same, and they're all vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose City doesn't have that. It has tan buildings topped with colored roofs and flatly rendered terraces.

Where Lumiose City Truly Shines

Where the city really shines, surprisingly, is indoors. I adored how Pokémon battles in Sword and Shield take place in football-like stadiums, giving them real weight and meaning. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet & Violet take place in a field with few spectators watching. It's very disappointing. Z-A finds a balance between both extremes. You will fight in eateries with patrons watching while they eat. A fancy battle society will invite you to a competition, and you'll battle in its rooftop arena with a chandelier (not Chandelure) hanging above. The most memorable spot is the beautifully designed base of the Rust Syndicate with its moody lighting and magenta walls. Various individual battle locales overflow with personality that's absent from the larger city in general.

The Comfort of Routine

Throughout the Championship, along with subduing wild Mega Evolved Pokémon and completing the creature index, there is an unavoidable sense that, {"I