In the early 90s, Satoshi Tajiri from Japan created a video game for the original Game Boy. The concept was inspired by Tajiri’s childhood passion of insect collection and was named Pokémon, a romanized contraction of Pocket Monsters.
What started out as a video game is now a global phenomenon that spans numerous games, TV shows, movies, merchandise, playing cards and apps.
If you have not been paying attention offer the past 3 decades, here is a summary:
There are roughly 722 (know) Pokémon creatures that live in the Pokémon universe. When playing Pokémon games, you can catch wild Pokémon with what is known as Poké Ball. You then train your Pokémon to battle other Pokémon.
Earlier this year, Niantic developed a free-to-play location-based, augmented reality version of the game for iOS and Android devices. It has since gone viral across the globe and will definitely be one of the most memorable releases of 2016.
This new game allows players to capture, battle, and train Pokémon in real world locations. The app uses your phone’s GPS functionality and camera to provide the player entry into the colourful world of catching Pokémon.
While authorities in various countries are urging people to stay aware of their surroundings while playing this game, businesses are cashing in by inviting customers to come and catch Pokémon hiding inside stores and malls.
Most South Africans are currently using third party applications to play the game, but it has been confirmed that the Pokémon game will be released in South Africa soon. It is expected to hit South African play stores in September.
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