Pokemon, the Nintendo-owned franchise that exploded in popularity in the late 90s, is making another big splash with an augmented reality smartphone game. Pokemon Go has players hunt down pocket monsters that appear in their real-world locations.
Like the handheld Pokemon games, players battle wild Pokemon by throwing Poke Balls at them. The ring around the monster shrinks with each successful throw, increasing the chances of catching it.
Location-based scavenging
The popular mobile game Pokemon GO is a type of location-based augmented reality (AR) game that uses GPS to display Pokemon characters in the real world on a smartphone screen. It also designates real-world locations such as museums, restaurants, and shopping malls such as PokeStops and gyms where players can collect and battle pocket-sized monsters.
The popularity of Pokemon GO has created opportunities for local businesses to capitalize on the game’s massive appeal. For example, libraries are encouraging gamers to come in and play while catching Pokemon. However, it’s important to remember that the game isn’t designed to solve anyone’s problems. It’s just a way to have fun and get some exercise.
Catching Pokemon
The Nintendo-owned Pokemon franchise is back, but this time in augmented reality. Pokemon Go, a mobile take on the classic series, uses your phone’s GPS to allow you to catch virtual creatures in your real world.
The game is designed to encourage players to explore their local environments, and it will reward you for your efforts. Pokemon spawn differently in each location, and certain types of Pokemon are more likely to appear near specific habitats (for example, water types are more common around lakes and rivers). The game also offers high-performance Poke Balls and Berries that make it easier to catch wild Pokémon.
PokeStops
PokeStops are a feature in Pokemon Go that allows Trainers to collect items and catch Pokemon. They are located at select locations, such as museums and monuments. These stops provide small pockets of items, including Pokeballs, Potions, and Eggs.
Pokestops are blue floating cubes in the map view by default and will turn purple if the player has visited them recently. They can be searched to obtain items, XP, and Field Research tasks.
Players can also purchase Lure Modules in the in-game shop for 100 PokeCoins each, and then attach them to a PokeStop to attract more Pokemon. This benefits the player and any other players nearby.
In-game events
Many events in Pokemon GO happen regularly and often provide a big incentive for players to log on. Some are permanent, like the Community Days or Pokemon GO Fest, while others only run for a week or less, such as the Legendary Raid Hour and PokeStop Showcases. These events also offer special bonuses such as increased Candy, Stardust, and XP.
These local, real-world events are a great way to explore neighborhoods and meet fellow Trainers. They often feature event-exclusive Field and Special Research tasks, as well as special rewards such as event-only avatar items.
Candy
Candy is an essential in-game resource that can be used to power up Pokemon species. It is available in a variety of ways, including catching Pokemon, hatching eggs, and completing Research Tasks. Rare candies are more valuable than regular candies, but they can be hard to come by.
Unlike most other Pokemon games, Pokemon Go uses candies rather than XP to level up and evolve its characters. Each Pokemon has a specific number of candies that it needs to reach its next stage, and some require many more candies than others. There are several ways to obtain candy, but the most effective is by capturing and transferring Pokemon.
Battles
Trainer battles pit a player’s Pokemon against another Pokémon in a one-on-one fight. The battles take place in real-time, and players select their three most powerful Pokemon to send out into the field.
Each Pokemon can execute either a Fast Attack or a Charged Attack. Players can deploy Protect Shields to save their Pokemon from critical damage, but when they run out of shields the Pokemon will be exposed.
Winning a battle increases a Trainer’s rank while losing lowers it. In addition, the winning Trainer earns more Stardust from GO Battle League rewards. There are also special GO Battle Days that offer exclusive bonuses such as event Timed Research and Pokemon that learn a unique Charged Attack when evolved.
