‘Pokemon GO’: Five Features Gamers Should Know About
Pokemon GO was released last night worldwide. It is currently the top downloaded free app on iOS and Andriod platforms.
However, there were some major issues with its worldwide release. Users in the United States and Japan were asked to be patient and wait calmly for the app to launch. Fans were getting a little too anxious because the game was released in a few other countries first.
When a user downloads the app, it gives an option and link to sign up for a Pokemon Trainer Club account. However, if you don’t want to go through all of that, just simply log in with your Gmail account and you can start using the game. A user needs one of the two accounts to play Pokemon GO.
Now that the game is more widely available, it’s time to start discussing the gameplay and features of the new hit app.
You Are Given A Choice Of Three Starter Pokemon
As Pokemon GO starts and you begin to talk to Professor Willow, he shows you how to catch a Pokemon. Ironically, the three Pokemon he shows you how to catch are huddled around each other. Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle will all be standing around you when you finish customizing your character. You get to choose one of the three.
Pokemon Are Only Available In Certain Environments
Water-type Pokemon are available near the water in real life. If you walk by a pool, a pond, or the ocean, odds are that you are going to find a water-type Pokemon. The trend will continue in other environments as well. Certain Pokemon will only be found in certain areas. A Pokemon who likes the dark will only come out at night, and a Pokemon who would appear in a forest may be a Bug-type. The real-world interaction is pretty spot on, and the Pokemon do appear in the real-life area that you point your camera in. Pokemon GO masters one of the great original aspects of the game.
I kid you not, I just walked into someone's backyard so I could claim this Gym on Pokemon GO! ? pic.twitter.com/h03Q2QqUMz
— Ali-A (@OMGitsAliA) July 7, 2016
You Have To Move In Order To Play The Game
Pokemon GO was clearly not meant to be played while sitting down. The “in-game” trainer the user creates won’t be able to move if the user is not physically moving. Clearly, the creators of the game are trying to encourage its users to explore the world. This could, of course, be a good or bad thing for users who are younger and require supervision in order to play the game.
You Don’t Battle Pokemon To Catch Them
Sadly, a feature that every Pokemon fan knows and loves will not be a part of Pokemon GO. When you initiate a battle with a Pokemon, you do not use it to fight another Pokemon of your own. The trainer only appears with a small Pokeball on the bottom of the screen. In order to catch the Pokemon, the user needs to learn how to properly throw a Pokeball. A Pokeball could be thrown by basically flicking a finger towards the Pokemon on the screen. Believe it or not, it’s a little harder than it seems.
The @Panthers are playing @Pokemon Go inside of Bank of America stadium. pic.twitter.com/BP6ZBLdWxi
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) July 7, 2016
There Are Trainer Gyms In The Game, But They Aren’t What They Seem
There is a form of battling in the game, and you do get to use Pokemon to fight at some point. This feature is only able to be used in a gym. Trainers are able to fight other trainers only in the Pokemon GO gyms. Also similar to the original game, you have to travel in order to find the gyms. When trainers use their Pokemon to battle, they don’t level up. Pokemon in this version of the game have to be leveled up through specific items and through catching other Pokemon.
Despite its shortcomings, Pokemon GO is still clearly a hit. People of all ages are downloading and using the app. It is quickly becoming a social media frenzy as well. Multiple celebrities are using the app and promoting it.
[Image via TK Kurikawa / Shutterstock.com]
