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

Whether it's a main series title or a spinoff such as Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the moniker always stays the same. Malfunction alternates from male to female avatars, featuring dark and violet hair. Occasionally their style is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest installment in this long-running franchise (and among the more fashion-focused releases). Other times they're limited to the various school uniform styles of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Yet they remain Malfunction.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokemon Games

Much like my characters, the Pokémon games have evolved across installments, with certain superficial, others substantial. However at their heart, they remain identical; they're consistently Pokemon to the core. The developers discovered a nearly perfect mechanics system some 30 years ago, and just recently truly attempted to evolve on it with games such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus (different timeline, your avatar faces peril). Throughout all iteration, the fundamental mechanics cycle of capturing and battling with charming creatures has remained steady for nearly as long as I've been alive.

Shaking Conventions in Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus previously, with its absence of gyms and emphasis on creating a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings several changes to that framework. It's set completely in one place, the French capital-inspired Lumiose City of Pokémon X and Y, ditching the expansive journeys of previous titles. Pokemon are meant to live together alongside people, battlers and non-trainers alike, in ways we have merely seen glimpses of before.

Even more radical is Z-A's real-time battle system. This is where the series' near-perfect gameplay loop experiences its biggest evolution yet, swapping methodical sequential bouts for more frenetic action. And it's immensely fun, despite I feel ready for a new turn-based release. Though these alterations to the classic Pokemon recipe seem like they create an entirely fresh adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A feels as recognizable as any other Pokemon game.

The Core of the Journey: The Z-A Championship

When first arriving at Lumiose Metropolis, any intentions your created character planned as a visitor get abandoned; you're promptly enlisted by the female guide (if playing as a male character; Urbain if female) to become part of their squad of trainers. You receive one of her Pokémon as your first partner and are sent to participate in the Z-A Royale.

The Championship serves as the centerpiece in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's comparable to the classic "gym badges to Elite Four" progression from earlier titles. However here, you battle several trainers to gain the chance to participate in an advancement bout. Win and you will be promoted to the next rank, with the ultimate goal of achieving the top rank.

Real-Time Combat: A New Frontier

Character fights take place at night, while sneaking around the designated combat areas is very entertaining. I'm always attempting to surprise a rival and unleash an unopposed move, because all actions occur in real time. Attacks function with cooldown timers, meaning both combatants can sometimes attack each other at the same time (and defeat each other simultaneously). It's a lot to adjust to at first. Despite playing for nearly 30 hours, I continue to feel like there's plenty to learn in terms of using my Pokémon's moves in ways that complement each other. Positioning also plays a significant part in battles as your Pokémon will trail behind you or move to specific locations to perform attacks (certain ones are distant, whereas others must be up close and personal).

The live combat causes fights progress so quickly that I often repeating sequences through moves in the same order, despite this amounts to a suboptimal strategy. There's no time to pause in Z-A, and plenty of opportunities to get overwhelmed. Creature fights rely on feedback post-move execution, and that information remains visible on the display in Z-A, but flashes past rapidly. Occasionally, you can't even read it because taking your eyes off your opponent will result in certain doom.

Exploring Lumiose City

Outside of battle, you will traverse Lumiose Metropolis. It's fairly compact, although densely packed. Deep into the game, I continue to find new shops and elevated areas to visit. It is also rich with character, and fully realizes the concept of Pokémon and people coexisting. Common bird Pokemon inhabit its pathways, taking flight when you get near like the real-life city birds obstructing my path while strolling through NYC. The monkey trio gleefully hang on streetlights, and insect creatures such as Kakuna cling to trees.

A focus on urban life is a new direction for the franchise, and a welcome one. Nonetheless, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive over time. You may stumble upon an alley you haven't been to, but it feels identical. The architecture lacks character, and many elevated areas and underground routes provide minimal diversity. Although I never visited Paris, the inspiration for the city, I've lived in NYC for almost ten years. It's a metropolis where every district differs, and all are vibrant with differences that provide character. Lumiose City doesn't have that. It features tan buildings topped with colored roofs and flatly rendered balconies.

Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

Where Lumiose City really shines, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I adored how Pokémon battles in Sword & Shield occur in arena-like venues, giving them real weight and meaning. On the flipside, battles in Scarlet and Violet happen on a court with few spectators watching. It's a total letdown. Z-A finds a balance between both extremes. You'll battle in eateries with patrons watching while they eat. An elite combat club will invite you to a competition, and you will combat in its rooftop arena under a lighting fixture (not the Pokemon) suspended overhead. My favorite location is the elegantly decorated headquarters of a certain faction with its moody lighting and magenta walls. Several distinct battle locales brim with character that's absent from the overall metropolis in general.

The Comfort of Repetition

Throughout the Royale, as well as subduing wild Mega Evolved Pokémon and filling the Pokédex, there's an inescapable feeling of, {"I