Eshan Maitra
If you are at your 20’s or 30’s, this is definitely your game! Don’t care about what the manual says (from kids of 5years and above). That if you are a huge Pokémon fan, and of course you are! It probably has been years for us the Gameboy Pokémon players, last we played a Pokémon game. Some, even kept training in newer console versions of the game. So, when finally, this Pokémon GO came, it hit like a storm of happiness! It basically, lets you become a real life walking-battling Pokémon trainer. Only that, your android not only will work as the Pokédex, but as your virtual tracker of achievements and map. So, start singing “I wanna be the very best!”
Pokémon GO is a brilliant innovation that combined the Augmented Reality into a mobile role playing game that is very easy to use. Rather than buying expensive Virtual Reality set from Microsoft. The app is a free platform. Well, only thing is you can only see the virtual world through your phone. Niantic was very thorough while developing the game to keep it simple. They were previously a Google startup that worked on the Google Map. They primarily used that technology to build up a map of a magnificent Pokémon world!
To the beginners out there who probably under 10 and is not much familiar with the Pokémon legends, here is a short history lesson. Pokémon started from a genius Japanese anime creator Takeshi Shudo (late). He created the early and best episodes, then Atsuhiro Tomioka followed his paved path. The anime and francizes adapting it were a huge success. Pokémon comes from the words ‘Pocket Monsters’. It is a fantasy world where most of the animals are Pokémon. That can be caught using Pokéball. Training and fighting with them is a huge thing over there (Don’t judge! It is awesome!). Pokémon are used in every aspect of the Pokéworld, harnessing their supernatural like power. Yes, there are lots to study about. Nintendo has been developer of the Pokémon games for decades.
Much like wild Pokémon appearing on your journey of the Pokémon series and the game francizes. You have to keep walking and the game server tracks your movements & area around you to build up the Pokémon virtual reality. The game recognizes bushes to spawn Ground Pokémon like Ratata or Oceans to spawn Water Pokémon like Squirtle. (Gotta catch em’ all!) Not only that the world is full of adorable Pokémon through your phone. There will also be training and battling gyms. You can even build your own challenging gym and grow quite a fame in the Pokémon community.
Pokémon GO is available on both iOS and Android. It has been initial released in US. People went all crazy over it! Everyone is all over the streets collecting their beloved Pokémon and trophy badges. New Zealand and Australia are second in line. Rest of the world is also eagerly waiting for the game. Like said before, the app is a free platform. But there are also virtual shops called PokéStop for lazy players to collect rare items with real money. Nintendo’s stock price already went above $7 billion just within a week!
Pokémon GO will be available in Bangladesh within next month or so. Go nuts on Pokémon journey. But be sure not to take the ride on the Virtual Reality hype too seriously and forget the real world. Stay safe on the road. Since, your Pokéworld in the mobile will not track real life trucks. There are even things called ‘Lures’ in the game, that attracts Pokémon to the place. Not to mention, it will also attract you to go there to catch some cool Pokémon and even challenge the trainer who put it there. Means, it can also be a trap for you. Some cases of these traps for ill means already been on the news in US. Be alert!