What you need to know about Pokémon Go

The world has been dominated. Not by a power-hungry dictator, but by cute critters known as Pokémon. Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Jigglypuff and the much-loved Pikachu… These are all part of over 100 characters that form part of the newly released Pokemon Go.

With the augmented reality game being played on smartphones across the globe, players interact with their surrounding environment to hunt for Pokémon. It is already being used as a marketing tool, encouraging people to visit certain establishments to catch more Pokémon.
Its popularity has caused the Japanese videogame maker, Nintendo’s stocks to soar since it was released.
So what do you need to know?

Getting started

The app has not been officially released in SA yet, but it can be downloaded from the Internet. Simply visit www.apkmirror.com and search for “Pokémon Go” or look up “Pokémon Go download” on the Internet. Once downloaded, you can sign in using an existing Google account or sign up with the Pokémon Trainer Club. Design your avatar and you’re ready to go… literally.

Game on
The game doesn’t need much explaining. You will learn all the basics as you go along. While playing you may encounter Pokéstops, which are spots of interest placed around the city at which you can collect more Pokéballs, among others. After reaching level 5 you will also stumble upon a gym. This is where you will form part of a team, which will battle another to get the bragging rights to the gym.
Remember that you can tap on your backpack to access items during a capture.

Be warned
Every time the game loads it reminds you to be alert at all times and stay aware of your surroundings. In the US armed robbers were reportedly targeting people who were playing and a 19-year-old allegedly stumbled upon a corpse while hunting for water types. Your phone will vibrate when a creature is near, so you don’t need to be pinned to the screen. Don’t put your safety at risk just to level up. Any South African knows that you can’t go wandering in the streets alone or at night.

Tips
• It chows battery: If you go on an excursion or plan on hunting for the whole day, you need to have backup. You can use a car charger or simply take a power bank along.
• Reportedly light on data: You do need data to play and your GPS must be on at all times, however, some users have said it does not use as much data as one would expect. This also depends on how often and for how long you play.
• Nocturnals: Some Pokémon only come out at night, so you can do a quick hunt before going to bed.

And finally, have fun!