THE phrase, ‘Gotta Catch Em All’ has taken on new meaning with the recent release of Pokémon Go. The augmented reality game has swept the world by storm and allows players to hunt for Pokémon, capture them and compete for territory in a digital version. On Sunday, more than 200 players, gamers and fans, packed the walkways of Gateway for a Poké Hunt. The event was created by La Lucia resident, Ross Comins.

The purpose of the hunt was to bring people together and help catch various creatures by placing multiple lures around the shopping centre.

“I created the Facebook page not thinking it would take off the way it did. We had more than 800 people who responded. I’ve always been a Pokémon fan and I’ve been hooked on the game since it’s come out. I’ve walked more than 10 kilometres and caught about 83 Pokémon. Today was really about bringing people together and it was just amazing to see the outpouring of support.

“I’d love to do something like this again, based on the success of today It’s great to see how many people have come out to support it,” the Oakridge College pupil said.

Another fan, Ethan Pretorius, said the game has brought back fond memories of his childhood.

“My dad and I used to collect the Pokémon memorabilia wherever we could. The game is even cooler. What I love about it is that it takes you to different places, I’ve walked 17 kilometres already. It’s a very clever game and I think it’s shows a large percentage of gamers are interested in an experience that lets them game in the world around them and that integrates with their daily lives as well as driving social interactions with fellow gamers,” Pretorius said.

What is Pokémon Go?

Pokémon Go is an augmented reality game available on smartphones. It uses your GPS. You play the game by walking around the real world catching little virtual monsters like Pikachu and Squirtle in places near your phone location. You can also train your virtual monster and make them fight other gamers. The characters in it were made popular by the TV show and has since evolved on various platforms with more than a million followers and fans.