POKÉMON GO!

Over the summer the Netherlands (and the rest of the globe) got overrun with Pocket Monsters: Pokémon! If you weren’t one of those who had downloaded the app, you surely saw people who had, roaming the streets and gathering in public areas around monuments, with their eyes glued to their mobile device.

Back in July, a survey by Multiscope, showed that 10% of people in the Netherlands above the age of 18 were playing Pokémon Go! Which isn’t surprising given it is the most downloaded app with over 100 million downloads worldwide via the Google play market back in August.

The game works by using your phone’s GPS for your real-world location and augmented reality to overlay Pokémon on your screen on top of what you see in front of you. As you walk around, you will come across Pokémon in the wild which you can catch and collect, train and battle with. You can advance in the game by earning experience points which you get for catching Pokémon, hatching Pokémon eggs etc, and the higher level you are, the stronger the Pokémon you can catch and train.

For me though, the best aspect of Pokémon GO is that it has a completely different and unique level of social interaction than any other mobile app. It encourages you to get outside moving and exploring, and interacting with others who are playing the game. One key feature is Pokéstops and Gyms. A Pokéstop is a point in the real world, often a work of art, monument or important building. When you visit a Pokéstop you can claim items such as Pokéballs (so you can catch more Pokémon) and potions to use after battling with your Pokémon. People can also set lures on Pokéstops which attract Pokémon to that spot, and also attract other Pokémon GO players who want to catch those Pokémon too.

This summer I spent so much more time outside because of the game. I would spend the whole Sunday afternoon in the park near me; it has several Pokéstops and gyms. Other people would be there too, and you couldn’t help yourself but ask what level they were and what their best Pokémon was, and also sharing tips with each other on the best places to go to catch Pokémon.

I also visited Groningen city centre to explore what Pokémon I could catch there and visit different Pokéstops. I found many hidden pieces of art by searching for Pokéstops and discovered things about the city that I didn’t know, even though I lived there for 5 years before moving close to Zwolle. I spent over an hour at the Museumbrug which has 3 Pokéstops within reach, all of which were lured at the time. There were also so many other people there, over a hundred, and whenever a new Pokémon popped up, it rippled through the crowd as everyone noticed it and let others know it was there while catching it themselves.

The game is also constantly being updated. Recently Niantic brought out an update that allowed you to select buddy Pokémon. In the future there are planned updates that will introduce Pokémon trading and the ability to battle directly with other players instead of doing it only through gyms. There are currently 150 Pokémon to catch, the first generation of Pokémon. But in 2017 they plan to add the second generation to the game, giving a total of 251 Pokémon. This will also add Pokémon breeding so that you can hatch baby Pokémon. And I am sure they have plenty more updates planned for the future too.

If you are already playing Pokémon GO, or thinking about trying it, here are a few really helpful sites to help you on your way.

• See where there are Pokéstops and gyms around Groningen city center via this website goo.gl/24uMiE (It also shows the location of some Pokémon).
• See a Pokémon in the sightings tab but can’t find it? Use fastpokemap.se to scan nearby and help locate it.
• This Dutch Pokémon GO site has lots of tips and information relevant to playing in the Netherlands www.pokemongofans.nl

If you want to start playing, you can download the app via the Google Play store or Apple store. Be sure to install the app released by Niantic, as there are many additional apps out that complement playing Pokémon GO, but aren’t the actual game.