The Pokemon Go Phenomenon
BY KARA CARLSON
remember the coolest kids were always the ones with the giant stacks of Pokemon cards and if you were
lucky, they might just let you borrow a few good ones to play with them. We also used to play all kinds of
games related to Pokemon, usually little six-year-old me was running around pretending to be Squirtle as
my friend Cole chased after me as Ash. When I downloaded the app and picked Squirtle, I instantly was
taken back.
Beyond nostalgia, the app is incredibly interactive. You literally have to move around and explore in order
to find Pokemon around you. I’ve been more active these past few weeks than I have all summer,
purposely choosing to walk, run and bike in order to hatch eggs and catch Pokemon.
The PokeStops, places you gain more items and Pokeballs, are also a great feature. They’re at popular
places, monuments, art, sculptures and places like that it really forces you to see, go to and notice things
you might never have seen. Each one even has a description, for example, if it’s a memorial bench it will
tell you about that person. I’ve also connected with people through the game, from old friends to complete
strangers.
You’ve probably heard of Pokemon Go by now.
We went too fast.”
It’s topping charts and records because of how
popular the game has grown in just a few
I’ll admit, it wasn’t until the next day that I fately set
weeks. It seems like everyone, young and old
up my account when a couple of my bosses had
are Pokemon Go-ing.
mentioned there was a PokeStop right outside the
building. My hesitation towards the app quickly
I remember first being introduced to the app
disappeared. The rest of the day I found myself
after picking a friend up to go to a coffee shop
glancing at my phone, moving around and
we frequently go to. I had glanced over and
catching Pokemon (and I suppose to be working.)
been confused by what I mistook for GPS or
I discovered a map I never knew about in one of
something. Knowing he knew very well that we
my favorite restaurants and went to a sculpture I
both knew how to get the coffee shop with our
had never looked close at before. Needless to say
eyes closed I asked him what he was doing. His
I quickly fell in love with the game and I do think
answer, playing Pokemon Go surprised me. I’d
everyone should give it a try.
never heard of it, but my confusion and ability to
question him further was quickly swept aside
The nostalgia is probably the biggest factor of the
when he exclaimed “there’s a Charmander
game’s popularity, especially for the generation
outside your car. Look. Oh man, I didn’t catch it.
that grew up watching Pokemon. As a kid, I
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The app is also surprisingly strategic. You have to judge distances, wait for the small circle to appear,
throw just the perfect throw, and when to train, level up or sell your Pokemon. Once you get to level five,
you have to choose and team with different values on training. (Go Team Mystic.) Of course, the rivalry is
fun.
The augmented reality is an incredibly cool feature. Being able to see Pokemon in the real world is
something every small child who watched Pokemon could hope for. It’s exactly like when I used to play the
video game on my Gameboy, but now it is real life! The fact that I have to move around and adventure is
even better. Sure, other apps have done this. Geocaching has a loyal underground following. Pokemon Go
seems to be doing it best currently. Maybe it’s the part of us that always wanted to look for buried treasure
or go on an adventure or be a Pokemon trainer.
The game is rumored to have improvements to gyms, the augmented reality, and even possible trading
between players. In the meantime, if you need me I’ll be out trying to catch Pikachu.
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