I’ve always loved Pokémon. Ever since I was a kid I collected cards and played Pokémon Diamond on my pink Nintendo DS Lite. Granted I wasn’t the most avid fan, I not only kept the cards that I found the coolest, I would also refuse to let go of the cutest ones, but I enjoyed the game nonetheless. I loved the adventurous sense it gave me and the challenge of thinking logically in battling and evolving the Pokémon. I even had an app that allowed me to find old Nintendo games online and play them on my phone (don’t ask how, it was weird and sketchy) until the new iOS update came out. So when my roommate first showed me the trailer for Pokémon Go a few months ago the fan girl in me decided to make an appearance. I freaked out and couldn’t wait to get my hands on it.

For those who don’t know, Pokémon Go takes the old classic on the go, in app form. The app was launched about a week ago much to the surprise and delight of many fans who weren’t sure when to expect the app. What makes this so cool is not that it takes from the old games where you just sit, capture and battle Pokémon in your living room but it makes you get outside. Just sitting in your house will get you virtually no Pokémon and you will be greatly disappointed. The app bases itself off of your location and uses Google Maps to help you catch Pokémon and battle other players. They even have incentives for walking. The more you walk the more experience points (XP) you get as well as the ability to “hatch” Pokémon eggs. Yes, you can play it in the car or bus but it knows when you’re walking or jogging based on how fast you are going seeing as humans typically do not run faster than 25 mph (the actual cut off is 15). Another thing that makes the app so interesting is that it uses augmented reality (AR) to let you have the feel that the Pokémon is battling there with you. It uses your camera to let you see the Pokémon just in front of you and allows you to see others in battle with you. Pretty cool huh? Then when you get to level 5 you get the chance to battle and you get to pick a team, Instinct (Yellow), Valor (Red) or Mystic (Blue) and those teams will determine gym possession. You can train at your own gyms and battle (and ultimately try and take) other teams gyms. If your having trouble picking a team just go Mystic, we're the best, obviously.

Now there have been mixed feelings about this game, you either love it or refuse to play it. There have been arguments against the game saying its too dangerous or distracting. Where this argument fails is that it's just like texting. Don't do it while driving, be sure to pay attention to your surroundings and don't do it if you are having a serious conversation with someone. Yes, this game does lead you to sometimes obscure and dangerous places. At the end of the day is catching a Pikachu worth the danger? Well that's for you to decide. The beauty of this game is that it changes the way traditional games are played. You are no longer sitting on your couch twiddling your thumbs to level up, you are out walking in order to win and that amazing. Especially in America, obesity is at an all time high so anything that gets people off the couch exploring and, often without realizing it, exercising is something to be happy about. Not only that, playing the game there is a very high chance you will also run into someone else, whom you've never met playing. This game builds community of like individuals and since when has that been wrong? So no matter what the haters say, go be the very best and catch 'em all!