With "Pokémon GO" still being quite new to many smartphone users, here is a list of helpful things that you should now about the app.
1. You Can Catch Pikachu As Your Starter!
That’s right! You can be a real life Ash Ketchum by choosing Pikachu as your starter Pokémon. In order to do this, you need to essentially walk away from the first three starters that are presented to you at the start of the game. According to Game Informer, it takes four resets in order for Pikachu to appear. However, some players have been reporting that it takes more than four resets.
2. Battery Saving Mode
This setting allows you to still get the benefits from having the app open, while also using less battery. When you turn this mode on and then hold your phone upside down (similar to the position your phone would be in if you put it in your pocket), the phone screen will be dimmed, and still vibrate when a Pokémon appears nearby. This is great in case you need don’t want to have your phone in your hand all of the time, but also need to hatch a Pokémon egg.
Here are the instructions: Open the app. Log in, if needed. Click the Poké Ball home button. Click the settings icon in the top right corner of the screen. Check off the battery saver option. Now, hold your phone upside down. Walk without a worry!
3. Walk...Or Drive Slow?
The whole game is based on the premise that players have to physically walk and explore the world around them in order to find Pokémon. To assist with this, the GPS function in the game shows how fast a player is moving, and can determine if the player is in a vehicle or not. If the player is moving too fast, steps are not counted. (Just to clarify, steps are needed to hatch Pokémon eggs in the game.)
And while for the most part this is true, sometimes driving slow can count as walking. When I had the app open in my pocket while I was driving through dense traffic the other day, I noticed that my movement still counted towards my needed egg-hatching distance. I do want to caution, however, that playing this game while driving is absolutely not safe and not recommended. Plus, I think playing the game while you are walking is more fun anyways.
4. Son of a Glitch!
Since the game is still new, you should expect to experience server issues and random glitches. It is just a part of the imperfect world that we all live in.
5. Pokémon Aren’t Where They Probably Should Be.
While it may help, being near what might be assumed to be a Pokémon’s natural habitat isn’t absolutely necessary. I’ve found a Goldeen on the side of a road and a Magmar near a water fountain.
6. Americans and Kilometers?
Unlike a majority of the world, The United States does not use the metric system. Thus, many U.S. players are probably confused with the game’s usage of the metric system (I mean, we probably haven't used it since our third grade science class).
In order to help with any confusion, here are some basic conversions that will help when playing the game.
When looking at the nearby Pokémon list:
Zero footprints indicate that the Pokémon is really close and will soon appear.
One footprint indicates that the Pokémon is within approximately 20 meters, or about .01 of a mile.
Two footprints indicate that the Pokémon is within approximately 100 meters, or about .06 of a mile.
Three footprints indicate that the Pokémon is within approximately one kilometer, or about .62 of a mile.
When hatching eggs:
Two kilometers equals about 1.24 miles.
Five kilometers equals about 3.1 miles.
10 kilometers equals about 6.2 miles.
7. Expect the Unexpected...
With Pokémon, anything can happen. (Remember "Pokémon Black Version 2" and "Pokémon White Version 2" from 2012?)
Based off of the initial trailer, though, I am going to guess that there will be some special events in the future that involve legendary Pokémon.
