Why everyone is so obsessed with the new 'Pokemon Go' ?
I’m not what most people would consider a “gamer.” I have a Playstation but only really use it to play sports games (mostly FIFA), and the last time I thought about Pokemon was back in middle school. It never occurred to me that I’d be welcoming them back into my life, but after so much talk about the new app, “Pokemon Go,” I decided to wade back into the waters over the weekend.
Three days on and I’m finally ready to admit it: This game is really fun.
First things first: Pokemon, for those unfamiliar, are little monster creatures that live in the world like wild animals. There are lots of different types of Pokemon, and people go around catching them so they can have their Pokemon battle other people’s. The aim of the game is, basically, to catch all 250 types of Pokemon.
First things first: Pokemon, for those unfamiliar, are little monster creatures that live in the world like wild animals. There are lots of different types of Pokemon, and people go around catching them so they can have their Pokemon battle other people’s. The aim of the game is, basically, to catch all 250 types of Pokemon.
Which brings us to Pokemon Go.
The base elements of the game are pretty simple. Using a map on your phone, you walk around trying to look for (and catch) Pokemon. Pokemon can pop out of nowhere, so you have to be prepared
The problem with being “prepared” is that it requires you to be constantly looking down at your phone. The app gives you a fair warning before it launches, but it doesn’t really do much. At least not in my case: I bumped into an old man chasing a Squirtle and walked past the grocery store (my intended destination) three different times looking for others.
It’s super exciting when they do pop up, though, because they overlay themselves onto your surroundings using the camera on your phone. Like this cute little Eevee, which I found standing in the middle of the street as I went to pick up my laundry.
When Pokemon do appear, you catch them by flicking Pokeballs at them. There are different types in different places, but in my area of New York City, there are lots of Ostrich-type Pokemon called Doduos, pigeon kinds called Pidgeys, and a rat kinds called Rattatas. Fitting, really.
But the upside of my neighborhood’s Doduo infestation is that you can catch lots of them and then trade them away for points, which you can then use to evolve your Pokemon into more powerful Pokemon. That’s what I did with one of my two-headed Doduos, which is now a three-headed thing called “Dodrio.” It’s the most powerful Pokemon I have, so try not to be too jealous.
One particularly interesting thing about the app is the way it incorporates your surroundings into the game. My local pizza joint is one. I go there to pick up supplies like Pokeballs and can sometimes lure-in Pokemon using Lure Modules. The pizza there isn’t bad, either.
The problem with being “prepared” is that it requires you to be constantly looking down at your phone. The app gives you a fair warning before it launches, but it doesn’t really do much. At least not in my case: I bumped into an old man chasing a Squirtle and walked past the grocery store (my intended destination) three different times looking for others.
It’s super exciting when they do pop up, though, because they overlay themselves onto your surroundings using the camera on your phone. Like this cute little Eevee, which I found standing in the middle of the street as I went to pick up my laundry.
When Pokemon do appear, you catch them by flicking Pokeballs at them. There are different types in different places, but in my area of New York City, there are lots of Ostrich-type Pokemon called Doduos, pigeon kinds called Pidgeys, and a rat kinds called Rattatas. Fitting, really.
But the upside of my neighborhood’s Doduo infestation is that you can catch lots of them and then trade them away for points, which you can then use to evolve your Pokemon into more powerful Pokemon. That’s what I did with one of my two-headed Doduos, which is now a three-headed thing called “Dodrio.” It’s the most powerful Pokemon I have, so try not to be too jealous.
One particularly interesting thing about the app is the way it incorporates your surroundings into the game. My local pizza joint is one. I go there to pick up supplies like Pokeballs and can sometimes lure-in Pokemon using Lure Modules. The pizza there isn’t bad, either.
Sometimes you can go a while without catching a Pokemon, so during those dry spells it’s often a good idea to visit a grassy area or a park. Pokemon like to hang around there, apparently, so I visited one on Sunday and found a bunch of Pokemon hunters already there, standing around on their phones discussing strategy.
So far I have 34 Pokemon, which are ordered below from most-to-least powerful (“CP” stands for “Combat Power”). I caught most of them while on a train going out of the city, which is actually a sneaky good strategy for finding Pokemon: You can travel larger distances on a train than if you were walking, so it presents more opportunities for you to cross paths with a Pokemon.
That said, the game isn’t perfect. Training your Pokemon is a pain because it means you have to go find a random landmark that serves as a Pokemon gym and then stand around there, which is annoying and slightly embarrassing.
Another frustrating thing about the game is that it only really works when you’re walking around seeking out Pokemon. That’s obviously fun when you’re on the move (my walk to work is a lot more entertaining now), but if you’re not doing that, the game is effectively useless. When you’re not moving, all you can really do is stare lovingly at the Pokemon you’ve already caught. It’d be far better if there was some kind of way you could improve or play with your Pokemon while you were sitting at home, so you don’t have to go roam the streets when you’re bored before bed.
So far I have 34 Pokemon, which are ordered below from most-to-least powerful (“CP” stands for “Combat Power”). I caught most of them while on a train going out of the city, which is actually a sneaky good strategy for finding Pokemon: You can travel larger distances on a train than if you were walking, so it presents more opportunities for you to cross paths with a Pokemon.
That said, the game isn’t perfect. Training your Pokemon is a pain because it means you have to go find a random landmark that serves as a Pokemon gym and then stand around there, which is annoying and slightly embarrassing.
Another frustrating thing about the game is that it only really works when you’re walking around seeking out Pokemon. That’s obviously fun when you’re on the move (my walk to work is a lot more entertaining now), but if you’re not doing that, the game is effectively useless. When you’re not moving, all you can really do is stare lovingly at the Pokemon you’ve already caught. It’d be far better if there was some kind of way you could improve or play with your Pokemon while you were sitting at home, so you don’t have to go roam the streets when you’re bored before bed.
