Pokémon Go, an app developed by the Japanese based company Niantic, has been out in America for a little more than a month. Pokémon has been around for the last 20 years, first starting as manga and moving to both a card game and animated TV show. The universe has expanded from the original red and blue to several new editions of the game and its most recent version, Pokémon Go.
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This latest installment is a virtual reality app for smartphones. The premise of the game allows users to create their own custom characters (avatars) to travel the world. The app uses your GPS location to build the virtual world with buildings and landmarks in and around your surroundings. As the user walks around they can collect items such as Pokéballs, potions, and razz berries. As trainers walk around to local landmarks collecting these items, they can catch wild Pokémon as they appear. As trainers catch Pokémon, they can power them up using stardust (experience points). Once the trainer has gained enough experience points they will level up. When a trainer reaches level 5 they will be able to join a team and start battling in gyms.
In Pokémon go there are 3 teams that trainers can chose from; Valor, Mystic, and Instinct. Each representing one of the legendary birds from the first generation of Pokémon. Team Valor, represented by Moltres is advertised by the head trainer as being, “Pokemon are stronger than humans, and they're warmhearted, too! I'm researching ways to enhance Pokemon's natural power in the pursuit of true strength. There's no doubt that the Pokémon our team have trained are the strongest in battle!” Team Mystic’s trainer advertises her team as being, “The wisdom of Pokemon is immeasurably deep. I'm researching why it is that they evolve. My team? With our calm analysis of every situation, we can't lose!” Lastly, team Instinct’s leader, Spark says, “Pokemon are creatures with excellent intuition. I bet the secret to their intuition is related to how they're hatched. Come and join my team. You never lose when you trust your instinct!” At level 5, trainers are faced with the choice to join one of the teams as described by the previous quotes.
When the game was first released there were very few instructions on how to play came with it. Players of the game needed to do a great deal of figuring out how things work as compared to most other games which offer tutorials and instructions. Overall the game, being rather simple has some great features included, from accurate GPS surroundings, to Pokémon that will only spawn if you are in a specific location. This game has reached people as young as 10 and old as 30. Since the game came out in America a month ago, people have gotten Pokéfever and there doesn’t seem to be a cure in the near future.
