Pokemon Go made major waves last week with its release. The game has quickly become a global phenomenon, with players of all ages attempting to catch Pokemon in order to be the very best.

Some of us quickly found out that this game is hands-down awesome. But there are also some people completely baffled as to why this game so quickly captured others' hearts and screens.

So why on earth is this game so popular?

1. The nostalgia

Odds are you grew up watching Pokemon, playing Pokemon, reading (?) Pokemon, etc. And even if you didn't, you probably knew about Pokemon. For a lot of us, Pokemon Go is a revisiting of our childhood, an old-school game made new for the smartphone generation.

And I think for most of us, we miss our childhood days. We're at that age now where childhood toys are nostalgic instead of pathetic, where "You still sleep with stuffed animals?" has become "Aww, you still sleep with stuffed animals?" and where it's surprisingly okay to act like a kid, instead of wanting to be a grown-up.

Pokemon Go kinda makes us feel like kids again.

2. The people

Above: A crowd of people playing Pokemon Go in Central Park, NYC on July 13.

Pokemon Go -- despite its lack of social features (please fix that, Niantic) -- is a surprisingly social game. You can walk up to almost anyone playing the game (I say 'almost' because, well, stranger danger) and hit it off.

This is probably best illustrated by something an incredulous friend told me the other day. Apparently she saw a group of about 200 people in the park, all playing Pokemon Go on their own, when suddenly someone shouted, "CHARMANDER!" And a second later, about 200 people went running off in one direction, seeking the virtual (but cute) fire-breathing lizard. Talk about taking one for the team.

3. The reveal

There's just something about catching a new type of Pokemon and watching, wide-eyed, as your screen excitedly tells you that it's been registered to your Pokedex. Chasing down new Pokemon while also discovering quirky sights and locations is pretty awesome.

There's also something about waiting for Pokemon to pop up on your screen -- it's an eternally exciting game of "What's next?"

4. The competition

There are gyms and teams for a reason, guys. How does that song go again? "I wanna be the very best, like no one ever was..."

So there you have it! If you haven't started playing already, DO IT NOW!