It’s no secret that the new Pokemon app,Pokemon Go, has exploded into popularity within hours of its release. It’s brought communities together and has given families of all ages a fun activity to participate in together daily. It’s hard to go out now without seeing at least a handful of people trying to catch ’em all. Even people who weren’t fans of the popular TV show or original games are joining in on the fun. So, what is it that makes Pokemon Go so popular? For some, it’s simply a way to relive fond childhood memories with other 90s kids who grew up loving the same classic anime and GameBoy games. For others, it’s a great way to connect with their kids–to go out and basically have an Easter egg hunt for Pokemon–while giving them incentive to do a bit of exercise.
Nostalgia is Powerful
Pokemon Go is starting friendships and giving people a fun way to come together in restaurants, at activities, and (the grocery store, for example). It has brought so much happiness to people across the world (where the app is available, of course–hopefully it will become available in more countries soon), especially with the kids who grew up longing to become Pokemon masters. What would our ten-year-old selves think if we went back and told them that there really would be a time in the future where we could catch Pokemon with all of their friends? Talk about childhood dreams coming true, right? That’s been the general feedback we’ve been hearing about the app’s popularity: it’s a fun game that incorporates elements of the old games but with a live-action twist that brings childhood dreams into real life. There are countless reasons as to why the Pokemon Go app has soared into popularity, but nostalgia definitely seems to play the biggest factor. Why do you think the app is so popular? Answer in the comments below!
Get Pikachu Pokémon Go doesn’t tell you this, but there is actually a fourth option outside of Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur. To get Pikachu, you just have to physically walk away from the initial starters
Take Pokémon Go with you everywhere Not only does Pokémon Go spawn monsters based on your geographical location, it also takes into account your distance traveled while playing. Booting up Pokémon Go whenever you are someplace new or different is a great idea.
Keep Pokémon Go open In order for your steps to count, Pokémon Go needs to be active and at the foreground of your phone. Sorry, multitaskers.
Charge your phone I walk around with a portable charger in my back pocket to help keep things running in Pokémon Go, but it may be enough to simply carry around a charger for emergencies. At the very least, you should consider playing on low power mode (offered by the game in the settings) or battery saving mode (on your actual phone.)
Turn the camera off
Seeing Pokémon “in the real world” is novel at first, but it doesn’t really help you outside of potentially providing funny screenshots. It’s much easier to catch Pokémon within the game’s interface, so make sure to turn off AR with the button pictured below.
Pick whatever team you want
It honestly doesn’t matter too much. I went with my favorite color (Red), though each team has its own quirks and stigma. If it helps, you can stop by Red Yellow, and Blue’s Reddit pages to get a sense of what you’re signing up for. Alternatively, you can check out the gyms near you and see which team is the most popular, and go from there.
Rename your Pokemon
Keep only the strongest Pokémon Every creature your capture will have a “CP” number, which stands for combat power. The higher the number, the better. If you find yourself with multiples of the same Pokémon, keep the one with the biggest CP. Everyone else should get transferred. You transfer Pokemon by tapping on them, scrolling down, and selecting this option:
Every transfer nets you a candy, which you can use to evolve other Pokémon. Do note that, in addition to thinking about CP, you should also consider a monster’s overall potential. In the case below, for example....
Scyther has a graph that is a little over halfway full, and is currently at 395 CP. This gives me a sense of what his total CP will be down the line, if I were to power him up. Sometimes, you might get a monster that has a high CP but low overall potential, which is no good! Keep capturing weak Pokémon
At some point, you will get sick of the most common Pokémon that spawn near you. Still, if you’ve got the Pokeballs, you should keep capturing those boring critters: they’re XP fodder