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I don't recall exactly how the tradition began, but I consistently call every one of my Pokémon trainers Malfunction.

Be it a core franchise title or a side project such as Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the name always stays the same. Malfunction switches from male to female characters, with dark and violet locks. Sometimes their fashion is flawless, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest addition in the enduring series (and among the more style-conscious releases). At other moments they're limited to the assorted academic attire styles of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. But they remain Malfunction.

The Constantly Changing Realm of Pokemon Games

Similar to my trainers, the Pokémon games have evolved between installments, some superficial, others significant. However at their core, they remain the same; they're always Pokemon to the core. The developers uncovered a nearly perfect gameplay formula some 30 years ago, and has only seriously tried to evolve upon it with games like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your avatar faces peril). Across every iteration, the fundamental mechanics cycle of catching and battling alongside adorable monsters has stayed consistent for nearly as long as my lifetime.

Shaking Conventions with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus previously, featuring absence of gyms and focus on compiling a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings several changes to that formula. It takes place entirely in one place, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X & Y, abandoning the region-spanning adventures of previous titles. Pokémon are intended to live together alongside humans, trainers and civilians, in manners we've only glimpsed before.

Far more radical than that Z-A's real-time combat mechanics. This is where the franchise's near-perfect gameplay loop experiences its biggest evolution yet, replacing deliberate turn-based bouts for something more chaotic. And it is immensely fun, even as I find myself eager for a new turn-based entry. Although these alterations to the traditional Pokémon formula seem like they create a completely new experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokemon game.

The Core of the Adventure: The Z-A Royale

Upon first arriving in Lumiose City, any intentions your custom avatar had as a tourist get abandoned; you're immediately recruited by the female guide (for male avatars; Urbain for female characters) to become part of their squad of trainers. You receive one of her Pokémon as your starter and are sent to participate in the Z-A Royale.

The Championship serves as the centerpiece in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the traditional "gym badges to Elite Four" progression of past games. But here, you fight a handful of opponents to gain the chance to participate in an advancement bout. Succeed and you will be promoted to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of reaching the top rank.

Live-Action Combat: A New Approach

Trainer battles take place during nighttime, and navigating stealthily the assigned battle zones is quite enjoyable. I'm constantly attempting to surprise a rival and unleash a free attack, since all actions occur in real time. Attacks operate on recharge periods, indicating both combatants may occasionally attack each other at the same time (and knock each other out at once). It's a lot to get used to at first. Even after playing for nearly 30 hours, I continue to feel like there's plenty to learn in terms of using my Pokémon's moves in methods that complement each other. Positioning also plays a significant part during combat as your Pokémon will follow you around or move to designated spots 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 often sometimes cycling through moves in identical patterns, despite this amounts to a less effective approach. There isn't moment to pause during Z-A, and numerous opportunities to become swamped. Creature fights depend on feedback post-move execution, and that information remains visible on the display within Z-A, but whips by quickly. Occasionally, you can't even read it since taking your eyes off your adversary will spell certain doom.

Exploring Lumiose City

Outside of battle, you'll explore Lumiose City. It's fairly compact, though densely packed. Deep into the game, I'm still discovering unseen stores and rooftops to explore. It is also rich with character, and fully realizes the vision of creatures and humans coexisting. Common bird Pokemon populate its sidewalks, taking flight as you approach like the real-life pigeons obstructing my path when walking through NYC. The monkey trio gleefully hang on streetlights, and bug-Pokémon such as Kakuna attach themselves to trees.

A focus on city living represents a fresh approach for the franchise, and a welcome one. Even so, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive eventually. You might discover a passage you never visited, but it feels identical. The building design lacks character, and most rooftops and underground routes provide minimal diversity. While I haven't been to the French capital, the model behind the city, I've lived in NYC for nearly a decade. It's a city where every district are the same, and all are alive with uniqueness that provide character. Lumiose Metropolis lacks that quality. It features tan buildings topped with colored roofs and flatly rendered balconies.

The Areas Where The Metropolis Really Excels

Where Lumiose City really shines, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I adored how Pokémon battles in Sword and Shield take place in football-like stadiums, giving them genuine significance and meaning. Conversely, fights within Scarlet and Violet take place on a court with two random people watching. It's very disappointing. Z-A finds a balance between both extremes. You will fight in eateries with patrons watching as they dine. A fancy battle society will extend an invitation to a tournament, and you will combat on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not Chandelure) suspended overhead. My favorite location is the beautifully designed base of a certain faction with its moody lighting and purple partitions. Various individual battle locales overflow with personality that's absent from the overall metropolis in general.

The Comfort of Repetition

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