"Pokemon Go" has quite literally taken the world by storm. Not only two months ago would a kid get made fun of for playing the game, are they now the masters of something everyone is obsessed with. If you're a player, here are some key tips that can help your excel when you're playing the hit smartphone game.
1. Get Pikachu As Your Starter
If you're just starting out, then this is something for you. When you begin the game you will be given the option to catch one of three starter Pokemon: Bulbasaur, Squirtle, or Charmander. However, our favorite little yellow mouse is also available! In order to see Pikachu in your game, you must walk a little bit and he'll appear!
2. Check Your Nearby Pokemon
When you're hunting for Pokemon, it's easy to see what Pokemon are closest to you. There is a small, white panel located at the bottom right of your game. Click it, and you'll see Pokemon -- either colored and greyed out. The greyed out Pokemon are ones you haven't caught yet. Each set of Pokemon is listed with one, two, or three pawprints underneath them; this equals the distance to catching!
3. Turn AR Off
AR is a special function that allows you to see the Pokemon through your camera in the real world. While this is fun, once you start getting really into the game it can become a hassle when trying to catch Pokemon (and it runs down your battery). When you go to catch a Pokemon or battle, simply click the "AR" button on the top right of your game!
4. Get Bonuses When Catching Pokemon
You may have not known, but you can get bonus XP just for the way you catch your Pokemon. When catching your Pokemon, you've probably noticed a small circle around it that will continually grow wider or smaller. When you catch the Pokemon at the widest, you get 10XP, at the halfway point 50XP and the smallest at 100XP. If you want to get another 10XP bonus, hold down on the Pokeball, spin it in a circle, and throw it to land a curveball!
5. Save Those Pidgeys, Weedles, and Rattatas!
If you've been playing for awhile, you might already be getting annoyed with how many of these little Pokemon seem to appear everywhere. But wait! Everytime you evolve one of these guys, you get a bonus 500XP, even if you already have the evolved forms (Pidgeotto, Kakuna, and Raticate).
6. Increase Your Chances Of Catching Pokemon!
The higher your overall level becomes, the higher CP (combat power) Pokemon you'll encounter. Catching them will become more difficult as well. As your level goes higher, you'll be able to utilize Great Balls, Ultra Balls, and Razzberries! Use Razzberries to make encounter Pokemon friendlier, and those other balls to increase your catch rate!
7. Don't Worry If Your Game Crashed.
Because of how many players are constantly on the game, you may have encountered a time that you're going to catch a Pokemon and your game crashes. This can obviously be very frustrating! Simply, exit your app, force close it, and then reenter. You'll have either caught the Pokemon or it will have respawned beside you!
8. When Fighting Gyms, Check Your Pokemon's Type
Most of the time we immediately want to pick the Pokemon that has the highest CP in our roster, but this isn't always the case. When you're looking for Pokemon to use, be aware that some types are more susceptible to damage! Each Pokemon type has a weakness (and equally an advantage) over other types. This is how it goes: Normal is weak to fighting, fire is weak to water, ground, and rock, water is weak to electric and grass, grass is weak to fire, ice, poison, flying, and bug, ice is weak to fire, fighting rock, and steel, fighting is weak to flying, psychic, and fairy, poison is weak to ground and psychic, ground is weak to water, grass, and ice, flying is weak to electric, ice, and rock, psychic is weak to bug and ghost, bug is weak to fire, flying, and rock, rock is weak to water, grass, fighting, ground and steel, ghost is weak to ghost, dragon is weak to ice, dragon, and fairy, steel is weak to fire, fighting, ground, and fairy IS weak to poison and steel.
9. Parks Are Great For Pokemon Hunting
Your local park might actually be one of the best places to go Pokemon hunting. More than likely, there are a ton of Pokestops and gyms going on. Many people are probably there doing the same thing as you are, too! If there are many Pokestops, people probably have "lure modules" going on, which work to bring Pokemon to the pokestop! It's also a wonderful way to get to know new people.
10. Need To Hatch That Egg?
When visiting Pokestops you might have been gifted with an egg! To hatch an egg, go to your Pokemon, select the egg you want, and then incubate it. The higher the KM needed to travel, the more rare the Pokemon will be that hatches from it. The game must be on to count your distance travelled to hatch the egg (so if you just jogged 5 miles without the game on and expected your egg to hatch, it won't). Turn your game on while you're in the car -- but don't play and drive -- to track the distance you went!
11. Have fun!
Some of the best things you find out about playing the game happen when you're playing it. Going to parks you'll meet new people, and just walking you'll discover how many people are playing just like you! Playing the game is nothing to be embarrassed over, almost everyone is doing it! Playing in groups can be even more fun as well.
Happy Pokemon hunting!
