🔗 Share this article

I don't recall precisely when the tradition started, however I consistently call every one of my Pokemon characters Malfunction.

Whether it's a core franchise title or a side project like Pokkén Tournament DX along with Pokémon Go — the moniker never changes. Glitch switches between male and female avatars, with dark and violet locks. Occasionally their style is impeccable, as seen in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the newest addition in the enduring series (and one of the most style-conscious releases). At other moments they're limited to the assorted school uniform styles of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Yet they remain Malfunction.

The Constantly Changing World of Pokémon Games

Similar to my trainers, the Pokémon games have evolved between installments, with certain cosmetic, others substantial. However at their core, they remain the same; they're always Pokemon through and through. Game Freak uncovered an almost flawless gameplay formula some 30 years ago, and has only seriously tried to innovate upon it with games like Pokémon Legends: Arceus (new era, your avatar faces peril). Across all iteration, the core mechanics cycle of catching and fighting with charming creatures has stayed consistent for almost as long as I've been alive.

Shaking Conventions with Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Like Arceus before it, with its lack of arenas and emphasis on creating a Pokédex, Pokémon Legends: Z-A brings several deviations to that formula. It's set entirely in a single location, the Paris-inspired Lumiose Metropolis of Pokémon X and Y, abandoning the expansive adventures of previous titles. Pokemon are meant to coexist with humans, trainers and non-trainers alike, in ways we've only glimpsed before.

Far more radical is Z-A's live-action battle system. This is where the franchise's near-perfect core cycle undergoes its most significant transformation yet, swapping methodical sequential bouts with more frenetic action. And it's immensely fun, even as I find myself ready for another turn-based release. Though these changes to the traditional Pokémon formula sound like they create an entirely fresh adventure, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is as familiar as any other Pokémon title.

The Heart of the Adventure: The Z-A Royale

Upon first arriving in Lumiose City, whatever plans your created character had as a tourist are discarded; you're promptly recruited by Taunie (if playing as a male character; the male guide for female characters) to become part of their squad of battlers. You receive a creature from them as your starter and you're dispatched into the Z-A Championship.

The Championship serves as the centerpiece in Pokémon Legends: Z-A. It's similar to the traditional "arena symbols to final challenge" advancement from earlier titles. However here, you fight a handful of opponents to gain the opportunity to compete in an advancement bout. Succeed and you'll be promoted to a higher tier, with the ultimate goal of reaching rank A.

Live-Action 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 get a jump on a rival and unleash an unopposed move, because everything happens instantaneously. Attacks function with cooldown timers, meaning both combatants can sometimes strike simultaneously concurrently (and defeat each other at once). It's much to adjust to at first. Even after gaming for almost thirty hours, I still feel that there is much to master regarding using my Pokémon's moves in ways that work together synergistically. Positioning also plays a significant part during combat since your creatures will follow you around or go to designated spots to perform attacks (certain ones are distant, whereas others need to 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 chances to become swamped. Pokémon battles rely on response post-move execution, and that data is still present on screen in Z-A, but whips by rapidly. Sometimes, you cannot process it because taking your eyes off your adversary will result in certain doom.

Exploring Lumiose Metropolis

Outside of battle, you will traverse Lumiose City. It's fairly compact, although densely packed. Deep into the game, I continue to find new shops and rooftops to visit. It's also full of charm, and fully realizes the vision of Pokémon and people living together. Pidgey inhabit its pathways, flying away when you get near like the real-life city birds obstructing my path while strolling through NYC. The Pan Trio monkeys joyfully cling from lampposts, and bug-Pokémon such as Kakuna attach themselves on branches.

A focus on city living represents a fresh approach for the franchise, and a welcome one. Nonetheless, exploring Lumiose grows repetitive eventually. You might discover an alley you never visited, but it feels identical. The building design lacks character, and most rooftops and underground routes provide minimal diversity. Although I never visited Paris, the model behind Lumiose, I've lived in NYC for nearly a decade. It's a metropolis where every district differs, and they're all vibrant with differences that provide character. Lumiose Metropolis doesn't have that. It features tan buildings with blue or red roofs and simply designed terraces.

The Areas Where The Metropolis Truly Shines

Where Lumiose City truly stands out, surprisingly, is indoors. I adored the way creature fights in Sword and Shield take place in football-like stadiums, providing them genuine significance and importance. Conversely, fights within Scarlet & Violet happen in a field with few spectators observing. It's a total letdown. Z-A finds a balance between both extremes. You will fight in restaurants with diners observing while they eat. An elite combat club will invite you to a competition, and you will combat in its rooftop arena with a chandelier (not the Pokemon) suspended overhead. My favorite location is the elegantly decorated headquarters of a certain faction with atmospheric illumination and magenta walls. Various individual battle locales brim with character that's absent from the overall metropolis in general.

The Comfort of Routine

Throughout the Championship, along with subduing wild powered-up creatures and completing the Pokédex, there's an inescapable feeling of, {"I