Pokemon GO continues to rewrite the record books when it comes to mobile applications. CNBC reported today that the augmented reality game from Niantic Labs and The Pokemon company has grossed $250 million in revenue. A staggering one-in-every-five players spend money purchasing pokeballs, lure modules, incense, or anything else that can help them “catch ’em all!” GO is on pace to gross over $1 billion.
While many players elect to battle to take over gyms, many casual fans and families find fun in searching for new Pokemon to help them fill out their Pokedex. The initial offering in Pokemon GO calls for 151 (don’t forget Mew). With another six generations of Pokemon still left untapped, GO could continue drawing people back for years to come. To date, there are currently over 800 Pokemon to catch across the generations.
With this said, there are over 200 Pokemon that can be guaranteed to never make it to Pokemon GO. Now, before fans get in an uproar, these Pokemon come from the game Pokemon Uranium. If you’ve never heard of it, don’t be alarmed. It just released this week.
Pokemon Uranium is a labor of love created by a couple of fans. It is built for the PC from the ground up using RPG Maker and a whole lot man hours. It has taken over nine years to bring Pokemon Uranium to the masses, and if you didn’t know any better, you would have a difficult time guessing this was not the next game in the series from The Pokemon Company.
Uranium was put together by designers ~JV~ and Involuntary Twitch. Kotaku has been following the game for a few years. As they first reported, there is a twist to this version of Pokemon. There is a new energy available, Nuclear, and if left unchecked, the world as we know it could be in jeopardy.
“Radiation seeping from nuclear power plants has unlocked a destructive new power in Nuclear Pokemon, a new element that is spreading across the Tandor region like a virus. Nuclear-type Pokemon are feral, corrupt versions of ordinary Pokemon, who won’t listen to a trainer but will attack anything in sight with destructive force. The only way to beat them is to attack them fast and quick, because Nuclear-type is unstable: in exchange for being super-effective on every other type, it is also weak to every other type.”
The designers have spared nothing when it comes to Uranium. Interestingly enough, the games region, Tandor, is modeled after the area in and around Rio de Janeiro, where the Olympics are currently being held. It comes complete with eight gyms, the championship, and seven side quests that are available after the initial game is completed.
Even more impressive is the online functionality. In some ways it matches and surpasses the games made by The Pokemon Company. Players can battle and trade online. Single, double, and VCG Championship style matches are available. Various styles of trading are available from direct trading to wonder trading, where you send one of your Pokemon out there not knowing what you will get in return.
The rollout for Pokemon Uranium has been on-par with most other Pokemon roll outs. Where it is difficult to find the cartridge in a store, servers have had a difficult time keeping up with the amount of people downloading the game. Feel free to try if you can get through. It is free to all who want it. The designers are not accepting any money for it.
So, the next time the weather keeps you from your Pokemon GO, there is now some other place you can go to catch all the rare Pokemon you want.
[Photo by Tomohiro Oshumi/AP Images]