What it's like to play Pokemon Go, according to someone who has never liked Pokemon but got the app because they felt left out
At 9:19 AM this morning, after a full day of hearing about Pokemon Go non-stop from coworkers and Twitter, I caved and downloaded the game.
Go time.
Immediately, the game warns you to stay alert and be aware of your surroundings. Because to play the game, you have to have the app constantly open in case a Pokemon suddenly pops up that you need to capture — even if you're in the middle of the street.
Oh hey, it's some guy named Professor Willow.
Professor Willow tells us all about Pokemon, and what the mission is.
Professor Willow has been studying Pokemon, which are located all over the world. And he needs your help.
What it's like to play Pokemon Go, according to someone who has never liked Pokemon but got the app because they felt left out
Absolutely, we will help!
Your first task is to choose an outfit.
Ooo. Look at this. I can design her to look just like me!
I can even change her shoes.
And give her a nifty back pack. I'm ready to roll.
To play the game, you need to let Pokemon Go use your camera. Because really, that's the entire game, taking photos of Pokemon/throwing poké balls at them as they pop up.
Oh snap! I'm ready for my first Pokemon encounter.
Where you at, little guy?
He's right in front of me!
To see Pokemon in the real world around you, not an animated map screen, select the "camera on" option.
There's a charmander hanging out on my keyboard. Ima get you.
To catch him, flick the ball with your finger toward the pokemon.
Caught him! Sucker.
Professor Willow is proud.
And lets me choose a name.
Alyson" was already taken, so I upgraded to "MasterAlyson.
Now I'm told about PokéStops.
The PokéStops are located out in the real world near you. They'll give you things like poké balls to capture the pokemon and eggs, which grow into pokemon.
Professor Willow is ready to ditch us. We're on our own and left to begin hunting pokemon in the wild.
Unlike most games, you can't just sit at your desk and play it. You have to physically get up and walk around. I wasn't able to reach the first pokéstop without going outside. So out I went.
This building in Flat Iron is right near Tech Insider's headquarters, so I went outside and made it my first stop.
The blue things in the app are pokéstops. So there are a lot of places you can walk to.
Here's a pokestop where I was able to collect some more poké balls. To get them, you spin the icon and then tap the poké balls to add them to your collection.
It turns out there are some pokemons lurking nearby. Here's everyone I could encounter.
Ah! My first wild pokemon! He's hanging out by the pokéstop I was heading to.
There he is, jumping up and down, taunting me in the middle of the street. But my screen freezes, and I'm unable to capture him. Nooooooo. I have to reset my app, and the bird-thing has disappeared by the time it reopens. Dammit.
At least I can still collect some goodies at this pokéstop.
But as a turn a corner, I get another opportunity. Up pops this seahorse thing, and I'm determined not to fail again.
Huzzah! There is no escape for him.
Boom! I get a level up.
Unfortunately, I still can't do the coolest thing in the app — head to a gym where Pokemon battles go down. You need to be at level 5 for that. I guess I'll just keep capturing these guys until I get there.
The moment of truth: Am I really going to keep playing this game?
I think I'm done with it.
It is cute and all, but there's not much exciting that happens when you catch a Pokemon, and it's not particularly challenging to catch them either. But a lot of people seem to disagree, so if you're into it, here are a bunch of tips to help you catch them all.
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