“Pokemon Go” is the most intriguing game that I have encountered in quite a while.
Of course, the video game world has come up with a lot of intriguing games.
For example, right now, I have one of the “Ace Attorney” games on my iPad. In “Ace Attorney,” you play a defense attorney who must gather evidence, cross-examine witnesses and find contradictions in court testimony in order to clear your client of murder charges. I don’t remember ever seeing a legal thriller/ murder mystery video game at the arcade before.
“Pokemon Go” is the most intriguing game that I have encountered in quite a while.
Of course, the video game world has come up with a lot of intriguing games.
For example, right now, I have one of the “Ace Attorney” games on my iPad. In “Ace Attorney,” you play a defense attorney who must gather evidence, cross-examine witnesses and find contradictions in court testimony in order to clear your client of murder charges. I don’t remember ever seeing a legal thriller/ murder mystery video game at the arcade before.
Just last year, Nintendo came up with “Super Mario Maker,” which lets players create and share their own levels of its classic “Super Mario Bros.” game and several of its sequels. Wannabe game designers from around the world have come up with an endless supply of devilishly clever, frustrating, seemingly impossible and just plain weird Mario levels.
But “Pokemon Go” may be even better.
Like “Super Mario Maker,” “Pokemon Go” is based on a classic video game.
The original “Pokemon” game was based on the idea of kids heading outside to catch beetles, crickets, cicadas and other insects.
Instead of bugs, Pokemon trainers collect “pocket monsters,” which are largely based on real-life animals. They can collect them, train them and do battle with them. Since the 1990s, the franchise has been a cash cow of anime shows, trading card games, video games, movies, plush dolls and cosplay outfits.
“Pokemon Go” brings the whole experience full circle. The game actually wants you to head outside and find Pokemon in your neighborhood, in parks or around town. The game doesn’t work properly if you don’t move around.
(The game may have even encouraged public transit use, as people have taken pictures of Pokemon found at bus stops and subway stations.)
Sure, you can find Pokemon in your own home. But, you can’t train Pokemon or do battle without walking to the nearest Pokemon gym. And exploring different areas means more chances to find new and different Pokemon (for example, water-type Pokemon are only found near bodies of water).
The game uses GPS to determine where you are, and how much walking you’ve been doing. Various local landmarks are translated into Pokemon gyms on the game’s map. For example, in my area, the nearest gyms are outside a church and in a park.
Other locations become less important, but still useful “Pokestops.” Pokestops give away free items which are needed to complete the game (and which would otherwise cost money if you buy them in the online Pokemon store).
Yes, there are pitfalls. Inattentive players have hurt themselves by not paying attention to real-life obstacles. But inattentive people on phones have been a problem long before “Pokemon Go” existed.
Until now, the most active video game would have been the dance simulator game Dance Dance Revolution. The only time video games ever encouraged walking around was at electronic game conventions.
Overall, the thought of millions of video game players heading outside to take walks, even if it is motivated by catching Pokemon, is a positive one. That idea alone makes “Pokemon Go” a huge winner.
James Fujita is a former GVN news editor. He works for the Visalia Times-Delta in California’s Central Valley. Fujita can be contacted at jim61773@yahoo.com
