It’s finally happened.
Any child that grew up in the 1990s can finally fulfill their dream and become a Pokémon Master.
Maybe not in the most literal sense, but thanks to one of the hottest applications in recent memory Pokémon Go can give fans a little glimpse into what being a Pokémon trainer is like, in arguably the most realistic sense yet.
Right now it involves a lot of touching a screen and praying that one may connect to the servers, but catching Pokémon is still a great time-killer.
Pokémon Go evolved from an April Fools Day prank that Google ran a couple of years ago. Google Maps sent out a video called “Pokémon Challenge” that depicted people catching life-size versions of Pokémon on their phone.
Obviously Pokémon Go isn’t on level of intricacy yet as it’s a bare reconstruction of the handheld video games. Regardless, the game is appealing because of how simplistic the gameplay is. Anyone can login – as long as they have a Google account – and join in on the action.
For longtime fans, the aspect of just throwing Pokéballs and Gym battles that require nothing more than tapping the screen might turn some people off.
The problem isn’t the basic gameplay, though; the real trouble is actually connecting to the Pokémon Go servers. It’s painful to see that Niantic, the creator of Pokémon Go, and Nintendo didn’t expect such a huge plethora of players in the first weeks of launch.
My personal experience of Pokémon Go is filled with being unable to get onto the app, and when I do connect I’m unable to do anything because my GPS doesn’t want to work.
But when everything does come together it’s a pleasurable experience filled with nostalgia to catch Pokémon that I grew up with. Right now only the original 151 Pokémon are available to catch but there are plans to add more in the future.
One of the main goals of Pokémon Go is for people to actually get outside and explore their own neighborhood/city. That’s definitely one of the positives because it rewards players who actually make the effort to go around with new Pokémon and Pokéstops.
However, this feature has also caused a bit of an uproar. There have been multiple stories of players getting injured because they haven’t been paying attention to their surroundings, despite the warning on the loading screen for players to stay alert at all times.
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Another controversy is where people are going to play Pokémon Go. Some players have been catching Pokemon in graveyards and certain museums that have not been receptive to the sole mission of players.
It’s understandable why certain places would rather not have people playing Pokémon Go, but it’s a fool’s errand to try and stop them. The players who want to catch those certain Pokemon in specific areas are going to do so, despite what the establishment might say. If the owners want to use their time stopping people from playing, go ahead and try.
Pokémon Go still has a long ways to go, and there are definitely certain issues that need to be worked out. But overall it’s a fun experience and one that can be shared with just about anyone.
