Over the last few days, the new game Pokemon Go has been sweeping the nation. It seems like everyone and their mother is out and about, trying to catch them all. After a few days of seeing constant posts about the game all over social media, I decided to download the app and give it a shot, and I fell in love. For those of you that have not gotten the game yet, and are still on the fence about it, I would highly recommend it. I enjoy it so much, I've decided to write a piece on what makes this game so great:
1. It's free.
That's right, I said it. The entire game is free to play. All you need is a smart phone with enough space to download the game, and you're all set. While there are in app purchases available, they are not at all necessary to play the game. If you wanted to spend a few bucks for some bonuses, that's always available to you, but you're not pestered to do it. You can have a the full Pokemon Go experience without spending a dime.
2. The exercise.
Let's be honest here, I know a lot of us could benefit from a little bit of extra exercise, even if it is just taking a walk every day. The beauty of Pokemon Go is that the whole game is designed around you, the player, having to go outside and actually find and catch your own Pokemon. And the old adage is true, time flies when you're having fun. I myself have gone out multiple times in a single day for what felt like only a few minutes at a time, but I had in fact been out for close to an hour or two. It's a great feeling you get when you come back inside after a long day of catching Pokemon, sit down on your couch, check your phone, and head right back out because there's a Growlithe nearby.
3. The interactions.
I don't consider myself a shy person, and I wouldn't say that I get uncomfortable in social situations. But I was not prepared for the amount of people on the street that just come up to you and strike up a conversation. Part of this is due to the fact that you can't throw a stone without hitting someone playing Pokemon Go and the other is that if there's one thing people love more than playing a game, it's talking about it with other players. Whether it's discussing what their strongest Pokemon is, or where to find something other than a friggin' Pidgey, if you're playing Pokemon Go, you can expect other players to find you and talk to you.
4. The originals.
Maybe I'm getting old and crotchety, but I don't care for all these newfangled Pokemon. One of my favorite aspects of Pokemon Go is that there are only the original 150 Pokemon available to be caught. I mean, I understand that as the games got more popular, they needed to introduce newer and newer Pokemon to keep the players interested, as well as keep the show going indefinitely. But I feel like they've gone too far. There is an actual Pokemon that is literally a key ring. I'm not kidding, just a living, sentient, key ring. You don't believe me? Then what do you call this?
It's name is Klefki and the first time I saw it I thought it was a joke. In a way, it is. But it's also a Pokemon. One that I am glad is not in Pokemon Go.
5. The teams.
One of the biggest facets of Pokemon Go is Gym battles. In the game there are Pokemon gyms scattered across the land, and each one is controlled by one of three teams. You get to pick which team you are when you reach a certain level, and you stay with that team forever. The three teams are Valor (red), Mystic (blue), and Instinct (yellow). There's no real difference between them, other than their color, but that doesn't stop these teams from fighting to the bitter end to take each and every Gym they see. It's an important aspect of the game, to foster rivalry between players to make them go and compete. It's also nice to add the feeling of camaraderie to the game, and you'll always have something to discuss with other players.
