Through Nintendo’s long history as video game producers, they have revolutionized the way people experience and play games. In 2006, Nintendo took a step towards fusing physical activity and video games with the Wii. The Wii was a large success due to its interactive sensors and size of console. This technology was new in the video game business. Fast forward around ten years later and Nintendo has once again brought something new to the table except this time with the Pokemon franchise. Pokémon GO, a virtual reality Pokemon game, was developed by Niantic Inc. and released just a couple of days ago in the US. In this article, we will examine Pokémon GO and it's unique features and upsetting flaws.

When analyzing a video game, I like to take two certain things into account.

1.) What was advertised before the release of the game

2.) How the game plays out or functions when played

Let's start with the first point. Pokémon GO was originally announced back in September of 2015. They released a trailer for Pokémon GO that can be found here:

When this was broadcast, people went nuts. The idea of playing Pokémon in real-life with friends was incredible. In fact, I was one of the people very excited about this. It could allow you to actually meet new people while out exploring as shown in the trailer. Let's take a closer look at the video.

In the beginning of the trailer, it shows many people traveling to find wild Pokémon. This represent traveling through the routes of a Pokemon game and finding different unique Pokémon (which is something amazing in of itself). However, you can't travel to everywhere. There have been reports that people have went into churches looking for Pokémon. In my opinion, one of the hilarious things about this game is that Police stations in Australia and the US have warned users to not enter the police stations looking for Pokémon. I don't blame them though, there are indeed some places that shouldn't be entered for a game.

Back to the trailer, a new device was briefly shown. This new device is called Pokémon GO Plus and looks like this up close:

Pokémon GO Plus is an addition that you can buy that is Bluetooth-powered and alerts you when you are approaching a wild Pokémon and you will be able to catch it without the user having to even look at their phone or other mobile device. This seems amazing but there is a catch. While the game may be free to download, if you want this bad boy then you're gonna need to pay a little extra. How much is a little extra? Well, if you said $34.99 then you are correct! Yes, that is, in my opinion, one major flaw about this. Note, Pokémon GO Plus is not actually out yet. It is to be sold around late July so if you still want to buy this, then by all means go buy you it. The only problem with buying it is that they are starting to get harder to find.

Pokémon GO lets you experience the fun of being a Pokémon trainer. You are able to trade with other people and battle them as well. Around the end of the trailer, it shows hundreds of people chasing after a Mewtwo attempting to defeat it and shows it being captured. This is an awesome concept to me as I enjoy fighting legendary Pokémon. The game however had its servers crash earlier today because of either too many downloads or too many people on at the same time. I'm not completely sure which is true, but Niantic has fixed the problem and servers are back up. This proves that lots and lots of people can be on at the same time. I do not blame Niantic for the server crash nor am I trying to say Niantic is a bad company for having their servers crash. It happens.

Last moth at E3 (Electronics Entertainment Expo), Nintendo held a demonstration of Pokémon GO and they also explain and showcase more details about Pokémon GO Plus. You can see the full demonstration linked below. (Actual gameplay starts around the 9 minute mark.):

Obviously, the developers know more about this than I do so I will keep this part of the analysis short. The pictures and videos shown at the demonstration resemble what you can find in the game today (so if you're questionable about downloading Pokémon GO, just watch this). The gameplay looks smooth here but many people have told me that the game is sometimes glitchy. This is understandable though since the game is literally just days old.

Before I conclude on my Analysis, I'll give two Pros and two Cons about Pokémon GO:

PROS:

-Real-Life Pokémon game that allows you to become a Pokémon Trainer. Brings back nostalgia. Very enjoyable.

-The game makes you want to travel and get outside to go catch different types of Pokémon.

CONS:

-Still fairly new so there will be glitches. The servers did crash however they were brought back up later.

-Pokémon GO Plus isn't available yet. Not a big con though, considering it should be in stores later this month

In conclusion, I actually can't complain about Pokémon GO. It's a game where you get to become a Pokémon trainer in real life. You become the little pixelated character from the GameBoy and DS Pokémon games. This game allows you to capture Pokémon but you are rewarded if you travel as you will find different kind of Pokémon dependent on the region. You get to challenge Gyms and interact with other trainers which is a great feature. My final statement about the game is that even though it took around 9 months to release, it was worth the wait and I definitely recommend giving it a try. Happy Training!