Pokemon GO took the world by storm in 2016. It united people around the globe and filled up parks and beaches worldwide. Using Pokemon combined with health, fitness and community, Niantic truly made the world feel united.
Free to play and simple to learn, Pokemon GO can be played by adults and kids alike, finding rare Pokemon, battling at gyms and reading with friends, all available on mobile devices. Community gatherings are still held every year, and the game is one of the most successful mobile games of all time. First-time players may need a few pointers to get them started on their Pokemon journey.
10 Find The Fourth Starter
In the Pokemon anime, Ash Ketchum overslept on the day he was to receive his Pokemon partner. This led to Professor Oak giving Ash a Pikachu instead of Bulbasaur, Squirtle or Charmander. The pair bonded over time, and became one of the most iconic pairings in all the anime.
Pokemon GO lets players pick a starter also: Bulbasaur, Squirtle or Charmander. However, there is a secret fourth option available. When offered the choice of the three starters walk away until they disappear. Do this three times and, on the fourth time, Pikachu will pop up to be caught instead.
9 Get Out & Walk
Pokemon GO is one of the best ways to make a walk more enjoyable. Getting steps in whilst catching or battling spruces up the daily walk to work. Each new place players walk into also spawns brand-new creatures to be caught.
Catching 'em all is the foundation of any Pokemon game, and Pokemon GO does not break the trend. Walking can also allow players to find and spin new pokestops for daily items, or even new gyms to take on for those looking for a challenge. Another benefit of walking is gaining candies for Pokemon, which can be used to evolve and level them up.
8 Send Gifts
With regular community days and daily tasks to earn items, being sociable is key to Pokemon GO success stories. Adding a new player by visiting the friends menu and entering their code will unlock new features for players.
One of these new perks is the ability to send gifts. Players that are on the friends menu can receive gifts which provide them with new items such as pokeballs, potions, stickers or even eggs. New gifts to send can easily be found when spinning pokestops.
7 Incubate Them All
In the second generation of the main series, Pokemon Gold and Pokemon Silver, players were introduced to breeding Pokemon eggs. These eggs sometimes hatch to be a whole new species or even a special Pokemon that cannot be caught anywhere on the map.
Pokemon GO also has eggs, and they can indeed also be hatched. Eggs come from gifts that players send to each other, but they don’t hatch by themselves! To hatch an egg, remember to place it in an incubator and get to stepping. Walking is the way to hatch the eggs, and each will require a different distance to be walked before they hatch.
6 Curve Ball
Every Pokemon fan is familiar with advanced technology called Poke balls. The balls are thrown to capture and contain the Pokemon safely.
The capture system in Pokemon GO works very similarly to the Nintendo Switch game Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee. Instead of motion controls, players must swipe the screen to throw a ball. The best throw to master is the curved throw. Start by drawing a circling motion to spin the pokeball. Once the ball is spinning, swiping up and diagonally will launch the pokeball into a curved throw. Curved throws can increase the chance of catching the target Pokemon, so practice this move.
5 Turn Off AR
Augmented reality, when done well, can be a game-enhancing feature. The ability to see characters or environments through mobile device cameras can be fantastic. Pokemon GO uses AR, but it has its downside.
With AR turned on in Pokemon GO, players will be able to see the various creatures through their phone camera. This makes it look like the Pokemon are there in the room, on the street or whichever field they spawn. However, AR also makes it much more difficult to catch Pokemon. Turning this off in settings will make the Pokemon appear stable and easier to catch.
4 Spin Like A Top
There are various tasks to do daily in Pokemon to earn random encounters with new creatures or gain new items or even receive new gifts to send. One of these tasks is to spin pokestops.
Pokestops in Pokemon GO are areas on the real-life map that have been designated as significant places. This could be a statue or landmark or even a school. Walk up to one and tap the stop and spin it. Spinning the stops will give players pokeballs, stickers, gifts and a bunch of great free items every time they visit.
3 Use Incense
Pokemon GO has many items available to aid players' journeys. Pokeballs, healing potions, remote raid passes, and many more helpful things are available both via missions and the in-game shop. One of the most helpful but perhaps overlooked items is the incense.
Using incense will attract extra Pokemon that have not spawned on the map for 60 minutes. That’s a whole hour of extra Pokemon catching, great for trying to complete the Pokedex. Throw an incense out when stuck indoors and Pokemon will be drawn to the player ready to be caught. It's an easy way to boost the team when unable to go walking.
2 Visit A Gym
The world of Pokemon has many challenges for wannabe Pokemon masters. None are perhaps as tough as the gyms across the land. Pokémon GO has its own gyms that come with their own challenges for brave players to face.
A gym can be taken by another team at any point by defeating the Pokemon placed there. To attempt a takeover simply approach a gym and start to battle, this can be made easier by going to the gym with a friend either with a remote pass using codes or by walking up to one in real life and battling in the fresh air.
1 It's Ok To Say Goodbye
Pokemon are cute. Let’s face it, having a companion walking at one's side on adventures would be awesome. That doesn’t mean players need to keep every Pokemon they catch — sometimes it is best to just let some of them go.
While catching is indeed the name of the game, having 15 Zigzagoon in a party may not provide much benefit. There is an option in the game that can pay off when a player finds too many of the same species. Send the Pokemon to the professor to not only receive candies to level up other Pokemon of that type, but to free up space on the roster.