‘Pokemon Go’ Buddy System: How It Works
The Pokemon Go Buddy System is the newest update from Niantic Labs. Going live on Tuesday to both iOS and Android users, the new Pokemon Go app version now allows players to choose a Pokemon that would “walk” with their avatars in exchange for candies.
Before the official rollout, Niantic first introduced the Buddy System update for Pokemon Go via the Pokemon Go Live blog, which described it as something that would provide users with “unique in-game rewards and experiences.”
According to Forbes, the new Buddy System provides users with another means of collecting precious Pokemon candies that can be used not only to power up their characters but also to help them evolve into stronger pocket monsters.
On #PokemonGO you can now have a buddy and earn their candies when you walk I’m so happy pic.twitter.com/W6HGbQ4ciU
— Rah (@RahRahQ) September 14, 2016
After installing the update, players can choose one of the Pokemons they captured and pair it up with their avatars. After successfully doing so, the players can go for a “walk” with selected Buddy Pokemon and earn candies to help power up or evolve that specific specie of Pokemon.
Forbes noted that the Pokemon Go Buddy System is somewhat a tribute to the source anime where Pikachu tags along with Ash and his friends outside of its Pokeball.
Somehow, the Buddy System addresses previous complaints of players who found it difficult to evolve their Pokemon because of the lack of spawning of certain wild Pokemon in their area.
The concept of the update was to let the Pokemon stroll with its trainer during his quest to catch more Pokemon and provide players with another means of collecting candies in exchange for walking a certain distance.
When you need that Gyarados #PokemonGO pic.twitter.com/tvhcpT2vee
— The English Simmer (@EnglishSimmer) September 13, 2016
In this case, Magikarp is one of the Pokemon under the “easy” category which require only one kilometer per candy. Medium difficulty Pokemon such as Venonat, Meowth, Psyduck, Poliwag, and others need three kilometers of walk to earn a candy.
The hardest ones like Snorlax require five kilometers, though Forbes notes that these Pokemon appear to be the ones that only have one evolution, which means the candies could only be used for powering up instead of evolving the Pokemon.
How To Add A Pokemon Buddy
For those who are just beginning to comprehend the update, here is a quick rundown of the steps on how to add a Pokemon Buddy:
- Tap on the user profile picture or avatar located in the lower left corner of the device’s screen.
- From there, you should see three bars to your lower right hand side. Tap that and select the option labeled with the word word “buddy.”
- Then, you would be brought to your Pokemon collection and asked to choose one to become your buddy. After choosing your Pokemon Buddy, you should be able to see a small photo of that character juxtaposed with your avatar image on the lower right hand side of the screen.
Changing Your Pokemon Buddy
The above-mentioned steps should be able to start you out on your quest to finding more Pokemon with your buddy, but should you change your mind about your chosen Pokemon, you can easily change it by following the same procedure with the addition of the following steps:
- After going through steps one to three mentioned above, you should be looking at a page where your current Buddy is featured. Here, you should see a button with two arrows pointing up and down.
- Tap that button and confirm if you really wish to change your Pokemon Go Buddy by tapping “yes.”
- After that, select a new Pokemon you want to pair up with and you should be good to go. (See image.)
Other Updates
Aside from the Pokemon Go Buddy System, Niantic worked on several fixes and enhancements for its 0.37.0 for Android and 1.7.0 for iOS devices versions. Check out following post from the official Facebook page for Pokemon Go.
https://www.facebook.com/PokemonGO/posts/968304466649445
[Image via Niantic]
