If you’ve been living under a rock or have been on holiday for the last few weeks. It may have come as a shock to you, to find lots of people (more than you normally see) walking the streets at random times of the day and night. If you haven’t yet worked out why? It’s because Pokemon, which was popular 15 or more years ago is back, but this time as an iOS and Android app called Pokemon Go. And it’s taken the World by storm!
The Pokemon Go Phenomenon
If you’re wondering what, and why? Well, it’s all because of mobile technology. Back in the early 2000’s when the cartoon was popular the smartphone had yet to be invented and there was no such thing as a mobile gaming app. Now that all those years have gone by, fans of the Pokemon franchise can now enjoy it again whilst on the move with the Pokemon Go app. And it is because of this new mobility that the game has become staggeringly popular.
Satisfying the Need to Catch em all
Whilst Pokemon Go is an easy game to get started with if does require that you catch Pokemon. However, given the actual size of the game, some users are finding the prospect of endlessly trawling the streets searching for Pokemon to be a little daunting. If you’ve ever played the game or know someone that does, you probably already know how pleasing and exhausting a task it can be to track down and then catch one.
So what if there was a way to find the next Pokemon on your list quickly, some would say that this goes directly against the premise of the game after all its supposed to be something of a hunt! However, as the game currently stands, there is no way to know where the rarest of Pokemon will turn up…
Poke Radar for Pokemon Go
Now before you think, hey that’s cheating, let me say that I in no way endorse this app. If you use it, it is completely at your own discretion, and long may it help you in what may be your eternal search for Pokemon.
Moving on… Poke Radar is kind of like a Google Maps for Pokemon Go, it utilises the power of crowdsourcing to make it easier for a user to find rare Pokemon. How it works is quite simple a user who comes across a Pokemon that they don’t need inputs its location into Poke Radar, and this allows other users to find it using the app.
Yes, this probably will make the game much easier to play, but apart from that, it is an example of just how powerful crowdsourcing can be. And is a further example of how entertaining and exciting mobile apps have become, even if it is just being used to catch a digital creature in a digitally augmented world.
If you want to get your hands on Poke Radar, you can get it for iOS from the app Store for free. There is also a web-based version at pokemonradargo.com, and apparently, there is an Android version of the app coming soon!
