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I don't recall exactly how the custom began, however I always name every one of my Pokemon characters Malfunction.

Be it a core franchise game or a spinoff such as Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the moniker always stays the same. Malfunction switches between male and female characters, featuring black and purple hair. Occasionally their fashion is flawless, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest installment in this long-running series (and among the most fashion-focused entries). Other times they're confined to the various academic attire styles from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. But they remain Malfunction.

The Ever-Evolving Realm of Pokemon Titles

Much like my characters, the Pokemon titles have evolved across installments, some superficial, some significant. But at their core, they stay the same; they're consistently Pokémon to the core. The developers uncovered a nearly perfect gameplay formula some 30 years ago, and has only seriously tried to innovate on it with entries such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your avatar faces peril). Throughout all version, the core gameplay loop of capturing and battling alongside charming creatures has stayed consistent for nearly as long as my lifetime.

Shaking Conventions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus before it, featuring lack of arenas and emphasis on compiling a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple deviations to that framework. It takes place completely in one place, the French capital-inspired Lumiose City of Pokémon X & Y, abandoning the region-spanning adventures of previous games. Pokémon are meant to live together with humans, battlers and non-trainers alike, in ways we have merely glimpsed before.

Even more drastic is Z-A's real-time combat mechanics. This is where the series' almost ideal gameplay loop experiences its most significant transformation yet, swapping deliberate turn-based fights with more frenetic action. And it's immensely fun, even as I feel ready for another traditional release. Though these changes to the classic Pokémon formula seem like they create an entirely fresh adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as every other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Journey: The Z-A Royale

When initially reaching at Lumiose Metropolis, any intentions your created character 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're gifted one of her Pokémon as your starter and are sent into the Z-A Royale.

The Royale is the epicenter of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the classic "arena symbols to final challenge" advancement from earlier titles. However here, you battle several opponents to earn the opportunity to participate in an advancement bout. Win and you'll be promoted to the next rank, with the final objective of reaching the top rank.

Real-Time Battles: An Innovative Frontier

Trainer battles occur during nighttime, and navigating stealthily the assigned battle zones is very enjoyable. I'm always trying to get a jump on an opponent and unleash a free attack, because everything happens in real time. Attacks function with recharge periods, indicating you and your opponent can sometimes strike simultaneously at the same time (and defeat each other simultaneously). It's much to adjust to initially. Even after playing for nearly thirty hours, I still feel like there's plenty to learn regarding using my Pokémon's moves in methods that complement each other. Placement also factors as a significant part during combat as your Pokémon will trail behind you or go to designated spots to perform attacks (some are long-range, whereas others must be up close and personal).

The real-time action causes fights progress so quickly that I often repeating sequences through moves in identical patterns, despite this amounts to a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to pause in Z-A, and numerous chances to get overwhelmed. Pokémon battles rely on response after using an attack, and that information is still present on the display in Z-A, but whips by quickly. Sometimes, you can't even read it because diverting attention from your opponent will spell certain doom.

Navigating Lumiose Metropolis

Outside of battle, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's relatively small, though densely packed. Far into the adventure, I'm still discovering unseen stores and rooftops to visit. It's also full of charm, and fully realizes the vision of Pokémon and people living together. Pidgey populate its sidewalks, taking flight as you approach like the real-life city birds getting in my way while strolling in New York City. The Pan Trio monkeys gleefully hang on streetlights, and bug-Pokémon like Kakuna cling on branches.

A focus on city living represents a fresh approach for Pokémon, and a positive change. Even so, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive eventually. You may stumble upon a passage you never visited, but it feels identical. The architecture lacks character, and most rooftops and underground routes offer little variety. While I never visited Paris, the inspiration for Lumiose, I've lived in NYC for nearly a decade. It's a city where every district differs, and they're all vibrant with differences that give them soul. Lumiose Metropolis lacks that quality. It has beige structures topped with colored roofs and flatly rendered terraces.

Where The Metropolis Really Excels

In which the city really shines, surprisingly, is inside buildings. I adored how Pokémon battles within Sword & Shield occur in arena-like venues, providing them real weight and importance. On the flipside, fights within Scarlet & Violet take place in a field with few spectators watching. It's very disappointing. Z-A finds a balance between both extremes. You'll battle 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 the Pokemon) hanging above. My favorite location is the elegantly decorated headquarters of the Rust Syndicate with atmospheric illumination and purple partitions. Various individual battle locales brim with character missing in the overall metropolis in general.

The Familiarity of Repetition

During the Championship, along with quelling rogue Mega Evolved Pokémon and completing the creature index, there is an unavoidable sense that, {"I