Pokémon is an anime series that revolves around Pokémons, fictional creatures that can be caught, trained, cared for, or battle with other Pokémons. The series also shows us the bond, friendship, and love Between Ash Ketchum and Pikachu. There is a massive base of audiences that are still bound with nostalgia and happy memories. Several Pokémon based games exist in the market; Pokémon GO is the most successful Pokémon game among them.
Pokémon GO nourishes nostalgia and provides an outstanding augmented-reality gaming experience. This mobile game uses mobile phones with GPS features to locate, capture, train, and battle with Pokémons, who appear virtually in the player’s real-world location.
Why is Pokémon GO Popular?
- Nostalgia is an influential factor behind running any campaign. The game targeted a suitable audience base with the Nostalgia of the Pokémon series.
- The game’s concept is unique. In this game, the virtual Pokémon meets with the natural world with augmented reality.
- The game is free-to-play, and it runs on a freemium model.
- The game also has a social aspect. When a player reaches level 5, the person can join teams and interact with teammates in real life.
- The game has a large community of players.
- Even after six years, Niantic continuously focuses on new add-ons to keep the game alive.
Pokémon World Championships is a renowned competitive tournament series by The Pokémon Company International. In the 2022 edition of Pokémon World Championships, Pokémon GO was added as the Pokémon GO Championship. The well-known Pokémon GO players on YouTube are:
- Mystic7
- ZoëTwoDots
- JTGily
- Trainer Tips
Pokémon GO is developed and published by Niantic. They have collaborated with Nintendo and The Pokémon Company to release this game on Android and iOS platforms.
The estimated player count worldwide is more than 700 million, and the active user count exceeds 76 million. You can download this game on your Android and iOS platforms.
Table of contents: All you need to know about Pokémon GO
Mobile requirements for Pokémon GO
AS Pokémon GO is a mobile game, you need specific mobile requirements to run smoothly on your mobile.
For Android:
- Android 7 or above
- Preferred resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels (not optimized for tablet)
- Strong internet connection (Wi-Fi, 3G, or 4G)
- GPS and Location Services
- Rooted devices are not supported
For iOS:
- iPhone 6s or above
- iOS 14 or above
- Strong internet connection (Wi-Fi, 3G, or 4G)
- GPS and Location Services
- Jailbroken devices are not supported
Smartphones with more than 2 GB RAM are recommended. This game may not function on devices with Android and iOS beta versions.
Storyline
History of Pokémon GO
Nintendo and The Pokémon Company conceived the concept of the game in 2014. Niantic’s Transreality game and Ingress’s concept have paved the way for Pokémon GO. In March 2016, Niantic announced the beta test of this game, and the trial ended on June 30, 2016.
On July 6, the game was initially released on mobiles, and by the end of 2016, the game was released in several regions worldwide.
This augmented reality game has flooded the mobile gaming community with its unique content and was downloaded more than 500 million times worldwide by the end of 2016. The critics praised the location-based AR technology, promoting physical activity and helping local businesses by increasing foot traffic.
Game details – Pokémon GO
i. Augmented Reality:
In this game, players must create and customize their avatars after creating the account. After completing the first step, an avatar is displayed on a map according to the player’s geographic location. The map contains ‘PokéStops’ and ‘Pokémon Gyms.’
The PokéStops can be equipped with ‘Lure modules’ that attract rare, wild Pokémons. Gyms are the battle locations for team-based ‘King of the hill’ type matches.
As the players move around the real surroundings, their avatar also moves within the map.
- Different species of Pokémon reside in other areas.
- Water-type Pokémon are found near water.
- Fire-type Pokémon are generally found in residential areas.
- Grass-type and Bug-type Pokémon can be found near farms and forests.
- Electric-type Pokémon can be found near industrial areas.
- Fighting-type Pokémon can be found near sports centers and stadiums. Etc.
You will be getting similarities of the Pokémon type with the locations.
ii. Catching Pokémon:
When a player encounters a Pokémon, the Pokémon may be viewed in the AR mode or generic background. AR mode uses the gyroscope and camera of mobile devices to portray the Pokémon in the real world.
The Pokemon GO players do not have to battle with the Pokémon. During the encounter, the player has to throw the Poke ball at the Pokémon by flicking it from the bottom of the mobile screen. The success rate of catching a Pokémon includes
- Catch rate
- Correct Timing
- Poke Ball type
- Luring items
If the Pokémon gets caught, it comes under the player’s ownership.
After catching a Pokémon player is awarded Candies and Stardust. A player can use these items to raise the Pokémon’s level and combat power. Candies can be used in evolving the Pokémons. Each of the Pokémon evolution trees requires its type of candy.
There are several ways to collect candies, like covering distances, transferring Pokémon back to Professor Willow, etc. The ‘Buddy Pokémon’ feature allows the players to pick a Pokémon in the profile screen and get rewards and bonuses based on the selected Pokémon.
There are more than 780 Pokémon in Pokémon Go with different types, generations, and rarities.
iii. Battle system:
Gyms and Raids: Players receive XPs with several in-game activities. After reaching level, 5, players can battle at a Pokémon Gym and join one of the three color-coded teams. Teams are:
- Team Valor( Red)
- Team Mystic( Blue)
- Team Instinct (Yellow)
These teams participate in the battle for control of the Gyms.
Gyms provide potions and Poké Balls to the Gym owners. Gyms are capped at containing six unique Pokémons. The duration of defending the Gym can earn coins. Legendary, Buddy, and Mythical Pokémons cannot be placed in gyms.
Raid battles consist of players competing against over-leveled Pokémon at the Gyms. With several difficulty levels, players get the regular version if they can defeat the Pokémon. Level 5 raids are exclusive to legendary Pokémons like Articuno, Lugia, Moltres, Zapdos, etc.
Raid battles included Mega Legendary Pokémons like Mega Latios and Mega Latis. In October 2022, Elite raids were introduced where many players needed to defeat the Pokémon.
Trainer battles: Niantic also introduced player vs. player trainer battles. Players also can engage in Go Battle League to fight against other players worldwide through automatic pairing in-game servers via the Elo rating system.
Team Go Rocket battles: In Team Go Rocket battles, non-playable characters can be battled at PokéStops. After winning against them, players can capture a Shadow Pokémon with higher attack stats but lower defense than normal Pokémon.
Players can purify the Pokémon after capturing it. After purification, the Pokémon can learn an exclusive skill and require very few candies to evolve to the next stage.
Available customizations – Pokémon GO
As it is a mobile game, there are limitations in the settings and in-game customizations. There are several minor customizations, but to play this game more systematically, you can look into these options:
- Battery saver: Save your battery while the phone is idle.
- Push notifications: To receive notifications regarding the game.
- Adventure sync: To track the distance between locations while the game is closed.
- Enable PokéStop scan: To Find PokéStops.
- Niantic AR (AR+): Through this, Pokémon appear in the trainer’s real-world environment.
The game also offers customizations related to the trainer’s avatar apparel and accessories. These include hats, glasses, tops, bags, gloves, bottoms, socks, necklaces, footwear, and masks. Even the avatar poses can be customized. A few are free, and the rest can be unlocked through purchases.
What makes Pokémon GO a must-have?
Several factors make this game a must-have. Those are:
- Nostalgia factor
- Augmented reality concept
- Free-to-play
- Social aspect
- Physical activities
- Community
Who did not watch at least a single glimpse of Pokemon or know the name of Pikachu and Ash? The game flourished at the right time when there was a lack of quality mobile games available in the market.
The game concept is unique, which differentiates it from other games. The augmented reality catching the Pokémon in real-life locations and doing battles on PokéStops and Poké Gyms make it one of the best Pokémon games.
The game is free-to-play and has a freemium model. Hence, most game enthusiasts can try this on their handset without spending anything.
The game offers the player to join a team after level 5. It has a social aspect that allows the players to make friends in real life.
Esports and health are directly connected to each other. Most Pokémon games promote physical activities. This game also motivates you to do walks, run, etc., while catching Pokémons or visiting PokéStops and Gyms.
The game has a large community with Pokémon-heads. You will not be able to miss any details or updates and get learning from others.
FAQs related to Pokémon GO
Q. How do I turn on Niantic AR?
A. In the catch screen confronting a Pokémon, you can switch AR mode through the option on the top right that can be turned on or off according to your preference. You can change it from the settings tab too.
Q. How much RAM do I need to run Pokémon GO?
A. You need at least 2 GB RAM on your phone to run Pokémon GO.
Q. Can you play Pokémon GO offline?
A. No, you can not.
Conclusion
Pokémon GO is one of the top augmented reality games available for mobiles. With the freemium model, unique game concept, and a dedicated community, this game is a must-have for your phone. You can download this game on your Android from Google Play Store and iOS platforms from App Store.
Playing Pokémon GO requires a good-quality mobile handset with solid connectivity and sensors. Average mobile phones sometimes encounter lags and heating issues. To prevent yourself from facing these issues, you can purchase Apple iPhone 14 Pro to get a premium, optimized, and jaw-dropping gaming experience.
You can purchase from the link given below:
