Gotta catch ’em all! Since Pokémon Go was released on Tuesday, July 5, everyone has been obsessed with this new iPhone and Android video game that actually gets you off the couch.
Pokémon Go is a new version of the classic ’90s Nintendo game in which players catch and train creatures called Pokémon. The franchise later expanded to trading cards in 1996 and a popular animated TV show in 1998.
The game uses augmented reality so that it appears — via your phone’s camera — as if the Pokémon has been spotted in your house, neighborhood or wherever you’re playing. Once you find it, you flick a Poké Ball at it to capture it, with the goal being to catch all 150 of them.
The best part: There’s a map that shows real-world locations nearby, and players can travel to the locations to collect the creatures (similar to geocaching). Plus, players are actually getting exercise. The game requires users to get outdoors and explore by visiting museums, parks, stores, restaurants, landmarks and more to find new characters.
Once players have caught and trained their Pokémon and reached level 5 of the game, they can take them to gyms to battle other Pokémon.
“I walked like 10k today for PokemonGo. This is the best exercise plan ever,” one Twitter user wrote.
“Honestly #PokemonGO is making thousands of kids finally step outside and play outdoors, which somewhat became a thing of the past,” another tweeter wrote.
The game — which is free at the Apple App Store and Google Play but requires in-app purchases down the line — was downloaded by more than 5 percent of all Android devices within 48 hours of its release, according to analytics firm SimilarWeb. It has already surpassed Tinder in popularity, and it is on track to outperform Twitter on Android devices.
However, users should be careful when roaming for Pokémon. There have been several troubling incidents stemming from the game. In O’Fallon, Missouri, police say teens robbed unsuspecting players by using the Lure Module, which players use to attract virtual Pokémon characters and players to their location, the O’Fallon Missouri Police Department wrote on Facebook.
In another disturbing incident, a Wyoming teen discovered a dead body in a river while playing Pokémon Go. “I was trying to get a water Pokémon,” Shayla Wiggins, 19, told CNN. “I probably would have never went down there if it weren’t for this game.”
Private homes have also turned into Poké stops. Boon Sheridan of Massachusetts discovered his home — a deconsecrated church — was a gym in the game after dozens of people were lurking outside with their phones. “Living in an old church means many things. Today it means my house is a Pokémon Go gym. This should be fascinating,” he tweeted.
