Pokemon GO released July 6, 2016, available to download for free on iPhone and Android devices. Pokemon GO is built on Niantic’s Real World Gaming Platform using real locations to travel to in your world, search and catch more than a hundred species of Pokemon.
Discover the virtual world of Pokemon by exploring the real world with Pokemon GO!
Step Out and GO!
When you first play Pokemon GO, you will customize your trainer’s appearance that will appear on your profile page and as you move around the map. As you move around, your smartphone will vibrate to let you know a Pokemon is
near. Once you have encountered a Pokemon, use your smartphones touch screen to aim, swipe and throw the Poke Ball to catch it! Be weary, the Pokemon may try to run away. You can use the camera feature on your smart phone that puts the Pokemon into a live scene. Line up your shot and hit the shutter button to snap a photo. This moment will be captured and you can find it in your bag or saved in your smartphone’s photo gallery. There are PokeStops located all over the world such as historical markers, art installations, and monuments. Click on the blue marker indicated you’re by a PokeStop to view, swipe and collect items such as more Poke Balls! Gotta catch em’ all!
In Pokemon GO, you will level up your trainer and once you reach level 5, you can begin to battle at gyms. The higher your level the more powerful Pokemon you encounter to complete your Pokedex. If you catch the same species enough times, you will get the opportunity to evolve one of them. Level up by exploring, encountering PokeStops and catching Pokemon to eventually be high enough to access more powerful items such as Great Balls, which increase your chances of catching Pokemon. PokeStops also give you items such as Pokemon Eggs which will hatch after you have walked a specific distance. Wild Pokemon may only appear in specific places such as a water-type Pokemon may only appear near lakes and oceans. There are a wide variety of challenges that unlock achievement medals, which will appear in your player profile.
Later in the game you will be asked to join one of three teams. Once you join a team, you’ll gain the ability to assign Pokemon you’ve caught to open Gym locations or to a Gym where a team member has assigned a Pokemon. Like PokeStops, Gyms can be found at real locations in the world such as a nearby church. Each player can place only one Pokemon at a particular Gym, so work as a team to build up a strong defense. If a rival team has claimed a Gym, you can challenge it by sending your Pokemon into battle against their defending Pokemon. Each Pokemon has two attacks and you can also dodge incoming attacks by swiping left or right on your smartphone touchscreen. If you win the battle, the Gym’s Prestige is reduced and when it drops to zero, the defending team loses control of the Gym. Gym Prestige can be increased by battling defending Pokemon. The higher your Gym Prestige, the more Pokemon you can assign to defend it. You can team up with your friends and battle a rival Gym together.
Pokemon GO Plus
A portable device called the Pokemon GO Plus will give Pokemon GO players the ability to enjoy the game without always looking at their smartphones. The device connects to a smartphone with Bluetooth and notifies the player about events in the game using a vibration and LED light. Players can use this device to catch Pokemon or perform other actions by pressing the button on the device. Look forward to the launch of the Pokemon GO Plus accessory in late July 2016.
