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

Whether it's a core franchise game or a side project such as Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the moniker always stays the same. Malfunction switches from male to female characters, with black and purple hair. Occasionally their fashion is flawless, like in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest addition in this enduring series (and one of the most style-conscious releases). Other times they're limited to the various school uniform styles from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. But they remain Glitch.

The Ever-Evolving Realm of Pokémon Games

Similar to my characters, the Pokemon titles have transformed across installments, with certain superficial, some substantial. But at their heart, they stay identical; they're always Pokémon to the core. Game Freak uncovered a nearly perfect mechanics system approximately 30 years ago, and has only seriously tried to evolve on it with games like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your character faces peril). Across all version, the core gameplay loop of capturing and fighting alongside adorable monsters has stayed consistent for nearly as long as I've been alive.

Shaking the Mold with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, featuring lack of arenas and emphasis on compiling a creature catalog, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings multiple changes to that framework. It's set entirely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose City from Pokémon X & Y, abandoning the region-spanning journeys of earlier titles. Pokémon are intended to live together with people, trainers and non-trainers alike, in manners we've only seen glimpses of previously.

Even more radical than that Z-A's live-action combat mechanics. This is where the franchise's near-perfect core cycle undergoes its most significant evolution yet, replacing deliberate turn-based fights for something more chaotic. And it is thoroughly enjoyable, despite I find myself eager for a new turn-based entry. Although these alterations to the traditional Pokémon formula sound like they create a completely new experience, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokémon title.

The Core of the Journey: The Z-A Royale

When initially reaching at Lumiose Metropolis, whatever plans your custom avatar planned as a visitor get abandoned; you're immediately recruited by Taunie (for male avatars; the male guide if female) to become part of their squad of battlers. You're gifted a creature from them 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 classic "gym badges to Elite Four" progression of past games. But here, you battle several opponents to earn the chance to participate in an advancement bout. Win and you'll be promoted to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of reaching the top rank.

Real-Time Battles: A New Frontier

Trainer battles occur during nighttime, while navigating stealthily the designated battle zones is very entertaining. I'm always attempting to surprise an opponent and unleash an unopposed move, because all actions occur in real time. Attacks operate on recharge periods, meaning you and your opponent may occasionally strike simultaneously at the same time (and knock each other out at once). It's a lot to adjust to at first. Even after playing for nearly thirty hours, I still feel like there's plenty to learn in terms of using my Pokémon's moves in ways that work together synergistically. Positioning also plays a major role during combat as your Pokémon will trail behind you or go to designated spots to execute moves (some are long-range, while others must be in close proximity).

The live combat causes fights progress so quickly that I often repeating sequences through moves in identical patterns, even when this results in a less effective approach. There isn't moment to breathe during Z-A, and plenty of opportunities to become swamped. Pokémon battles depend on response after using an attack, and that information remains visible on the display within Z-A, but whips by rapidly. Sometimes, you can't even read it because taking your eyes off your opponent will spell certain doom.

Navigating Lumiose City

Away from combat, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's fairly compact, although tightly filled. Deep into the game, I continue to find new shops and elevated areas to explore. It is also full of charm, and perfectly captures the vision of creatures and humans living together. Pidgey inhabit its pathways, flying away when you get near like the real-life pigeons obstructing my path while strolling through NYC. The Pan Trio monkeys joyfully cling on streetlights, and bug-Pokémon such as Kakuna attach themselves to trees.

A focus on city living is a new direction for the franchise, and a positive change. Nonetheless, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive over time. You might discover a passage you haven't been to, but you wouldn't know it. The building design lacks character, and many elevated areas and underground routes provide minimal diversity. Although I haven't been to Paris, the model behind the city, I've lived in NYC for nearly a decade. It's a metropolis where no two blocks are the same, and they're all vibrant with differences that provide character. Lumiose Metropolis doesn't have that. It features tan buildings topped with colored roofs and simply designed balconies.

Where Lumiose City Really Excels

Where the city really shines, oddly enough, is inside buildings. I loved the way creature fights in Sword & Shield occur in arena-like venues, providing them real weight and meaning. Conversely, battles in Scarlet & Violet happen in a field with two random people observing. It's very disappointing. Z-A strikes a middle ground between both extremes. You will fight in eateries with patrons watching while they eat. A fancy battle society will invite you to a tournament, and you'll battle on its penthouse court under a lighting fixture (not Chandelure) suspended overhead. The most memorable spot is the beautifully designed headquarters of the Rust Syndicate with its moody lighting and magenta walls. Several distinct combat settings overflow with personality that's absent from the overall metropolis in general.

The Familiarity of Repetition

During the Royale, as well as quelling rogue powered-up creatures and filling the creature index, there's an inescapable feeling of, {"I