There's been a new app released, and everyone is talking about it... Why is there so much hype over a child's game? Well, as someone who has shamelessly downloaded it, I can say there are quite a few perks to playing this adventurous video game. Let's unpack it, shall we?
First of all, I love the fact that the game makes you move around and travel. There are little Pokemon that appear on your screen as you move, and the stores and gyms are found around various monuments and parks in your location. This isn't a game where you push a button to access the main menu-- you have to physically work to progress! It's set up kind of like geocaching is, but you're catching cute little beasts instead of finding clues in trees and rivers. I think it's more rewarding to see a dancing animal on the screen than to find a small piece of paper hidden in a container covered in camouflage tape, but that's me.
Next, it's a free app. As a poor college student, I'll take whatever free stuff I can. Free entertainment that also requires me to get off my lazy butt? Yes please! It offers the opportunity to increase my step count while exploring my town with childlike fascination, pretending these creatures are real and bounding in front of me. In the space of writing this, I've caught three-- one on my pillow, the next on my computer screen, and the last on my blanket. I'm not even ashamed of how accomplished I feel.
The graphics in this game are beautiful--I love the fact that you can capture the little guys by using your camera to locate them. It's a clever tactic that can be very immersive. I would adore being able to search around my town all day long in hopes of finding more Pokemon. While I was playing, one flashed up on my screen in my backyard. At the same time, my dog came barreling past and the Pokemon jumped up while my dog passed underneath. I don't know how that timing was so perfect, but it got a laugh out of my mother and me.
While the game may be aimed at younger audiences, there's a significant feeling of nostalgia for anyone who played with the earlier games or watched the show as children. I was never one to collect Pokemon cards, but I distinctly remember kids on the bus trading them back and forth. I remember some of my guy friends kept their cards so long they were dog-eared and faded, yet loved all the more. As our millennial generation grows up, I feel like these elements of our childhood are being brought back to life, and it's refreshing to experience these familiar memories again.
With that, I'm going to go get the one hiding behind my dresser, little bugger's been there all day. Happy hunting!!
