If you are anywhere online today, then you are probably hearing about Pokémon GO. It was one of the most anticipated mobile games when it was first announced, and it has become a phenomenon with over 65 million players in the space of less than a week. The following is a Pokémon GO Guide with Tips, as well as where to find the Pokémon like the legendary Pikachu, and the International Release Dates for the Mobile game of how to download the app now.
Pokémon GO Guide: 10 Steps to Start and Keep GO-ing
1) After you start, you can find the trifecta of Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle very easily in your area. If you want more, then go outside. In fact, you will find a lot of Pokémon in places like parks, tourist attractions, shopping centers, and more. You will notice certain water-type Pokémon around water, and grass-ones around parks.
2) Catching Pokémon can be difficult to flick the Pokeball, and you need to hit the Pokémon when the circle is larger, so it will be easier to catch, and less likely to break free.
3) There are some landmarks that you can find that are more than just markers. You can spin them and find things like Pokeballs, which you will might run out of if you keep missing Pokémon.
4) As far as the location is concerned, you can see in the lower-right and hand corner of the screen a silhouettes of Pokémon near you. It will be designated by paw prints with one being close and three being far away.
5) From these, it is easy to get to Level 5, and then you can go to a Gym. You should be able to find several on the map, and you can battle other player's Pokémon for control, pride, and free PokeCoins.
6) At Level 5, you will also have to choose a team which includes the yellow Team Instinct, blue Team Mystic, or red Team Valor. Then you need to fight for control of the Pokémon Gyms around the world, and it becomes a turf war, where you can battle the current defenders of the gyms for control. The teams are just arbitrary, but you might want to join the team that your friends are on.
7) Battling is accomplished by walking up to a gym, tapping it, and then using six Pokémon to pop up, and there are some more details at a MacWorld site here.
8) Training a Pokémon at a gym is as easy as walking up to a gym, tapping it, and tapping the train icon in the lower right corner.
9) You can get an Egg at a PokeStop, and then hatch it by tapping it to incubate.
10) You can also level your Pokémon with some Candies and some Stardust, and you can evolve them as well.
How to Catch 'Em All, including How to Find Pikachu
In case you are wondering how to find Pikachu or some of the other more rare Pokémon on Pokémon GO, PC Advisor talks about crowd-sourced Pokémon GO maps to teach players how to find specific Pokémon in Pokémon GO.
These sites range from Pokecrew.com, zeroing in on your location for Pokémon nearby. Then a great Boston map known as Gotta Catch 'Em All, and some Google Maps showing locations in Tennessee and Seattle. There is a Pokemapper for even more locations.
Pokémon GO International Release Date
A recent article from the Telegraph shows that Pokémon GO is available to download in the UK, and it certainly sounds like something highly desired in Europe and Asia. A report from a few days ago from Polygon reveals that it would launch in Europe and Asia following a hold on the global release. There was a recent article from The Verge wondering why Pokémon GO isn't in Japan, which is quite and excellent question. So I suppose that Pokémon GO should be showing up over the weekend, and it really shouldn't be later than that, honestly.
The Future of Pokémon GO and Influence on Our Culture
Considering how huge the mobile game is, surely it will get bigger when it hits the International circuit. Surely Pokémon will try and give as much Downloadable Content (DLC) as much as possible. There is going to be a multiplayer option in the near future, and it will most certain spawn a number of imitators.
In fact, the success of Pokémon GO will no doubt inspire a number of imitators. Personally, it is highly likely that every popular franchise, from Star Wars to Marvel Comics (and others not owned by Disney) will have some location-based exploration game. Just imagine if the new Ghostbusters film allowed you to bust ghosts throughout your city, then the film wouldn't get so much hate.
Anyway, Pokémon GO is now a part of our culture just like social media and smartphones. Who knows how it will change society in a year, besides getting people outside.
