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I don't recall exactly how the tradition started, however I consistently call all my Pokemon characters Glitch.

Be it a main series game or a spinoff like Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Go — the moniker always stays the same. Malfunction alternates from male to female characters, featuring dark and violet hair. Sometimes their style is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest installment in this long-running series (and one of the more style-conscious releases). Other times they're limited to the various academic attire designs of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. But they remain Glitch.

The Constantly Changing Realm of Pokemon Games

Similar to my characters, the Pokémon games have evolved across releases, some cosmetic, others substantial. However at their heart, they stay identical; they're consistently Pokemon through and through. The developers uncovered an almost flawless gameplay formula approximately 30 years ago, and just recently seriously tried to evolve upon it with games like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar is now in danger). Throughout all version, the fundamental gameplay loop of catching and battling with adorable monsters has remained consistent for nearly the same duration as I've been alive.

Breaking the Mold with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Similar to Arceus before it, featuring lack of arenas and emphasis on creating a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings several changes into that framework. It takes place entirely in a single location, the French capital-inspired Lumiose Metropolis from Pokémon X and Y, ditching the region-spanning journeys of earlier games. Pokémon are intended to live together alongside humans, battlers and non-trainers alike, in ways we've only seen glimpses of previously.

Far more radical is Z-A's real-time battle system. It's here the series' near-perfect core cycle experiences its biggest evolution to date, replacing deliberate sequential bouts for something more chaotic. And it's thoroughly enjoyable, even as I feel eager for another turn-based release. Although these alterations to the traditional Pokémon formula seem like they form an entirely fresh experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Journey: The Z-A Royale

Upon first arriving at Lumiose Metropolis, whatever plans your created character had as a tourist get abandoned; you're immediately recruited by Taunie (if playing as a male character; Urbain for female characters) to join their squad of battlers. You're gifted one of her Pokémon as your first partner and you're dispatched into the Z-A Championship.

The Royale serves as the centerpiece of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the classic "gym badges to Elite Four" advancement from earlier titles. But here, you fight a handful of trainers to earn the opportunity to participate in a promotion match. Win and you'll be elevated to the next rank, with the ultimate goal of reaching rank A.

Real-Time Battles: An Innovative Frontier

Trainer battles take place 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 an unopposed move, because everything happens in real time. Attacks operate on cooldown timers, meaning you and your opponent can sometimes attack each other concurrently (and defeat each other simultaneously). It's much to adjust to at first. Even after gaming for almost 30 hours, I still feel like there's much to master in terms of using my Pokémon's moves in methods that work together synergistically. Positioning also factors as a significant part during combat since your creatures will follow you around or go to specific locations to perform attacks (some are long-range, while others must be up close and personal).

The live combat makes battles go so fast that I find myself sometimes cycling through moves in identical patterns, even when this results in a less effective approach. There isn't moment to pause during Z-A, and plenty of chances to get overwhelmed. Creature fights depend on response after using an attack, and that information remains visible on screen in Z-A, but flashes past rapidly. Sometimes, you can't even read it because taking your eyes off your opponent will result in immediate defeat.

Exploring Lumiose City

Outside of battle, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's fairly compact, though tightly filled. Far into the adventure, I'm still discovering unseen stores and rooftops to visit. It's also full of charm, and perfectly captures the vision of Pokémon and people living together. Common bird Pokemon populate its sidewalks, taking flight when you get near similar to actual pigeons obstructing my path when walking through NYC. The monkey trio joyfully cling on streetlights, and bug-Pokémon such as Kakuna attach themselves on branches.

An emphasis on city living represents a fresh approach for Pokémon, and a welcome one. Even so, exploring Lumiose becomes rote 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 the city, I reside in New York for nearly a decade. It's a city where every district are the same, and all are alive with uniqueness that give them soul. Lumiose City doesn't have that. It features tan buildings topped with colored roofs and simply designed balconies.

The Areas Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

In which the city really shines, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I loved how Pokémon battles in Sword & Shield take place in football-like stadiums, giving them genuine significance and meaning. Conversely, fights within Scarlet & Violet happen in a field with two random people watching. It's a total letdown. Z-A strikes a middle ground 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 Chandelure) hanging above. My favorite location is the elegantly decorated base of the Rust Syndicate with its moody lighting and purple partitions. Several distinct battle locales brim with character missing in the overall metropolis as a whole.

The Familiarity of Routine

During the Royale, as well as subduing wild powered-up creatures and completing the Pokédex, there's an inescapable sense that, {"I