The Pokemon hunt goes on

If you’ve recently seen kids and adults glued to their phones while walking on the roads, they aren’t texting or sending emails to anyone. They are running around the city to catch Pokemon, the cartoon critters which debuted in Japan in 1996. Ever since its release on television, many have been fascinated with the series and have grown up watching the 2D realm fight battles.

Twenty years later, John Hanke finally created this world so that everyone can access it on their mobile phones and catch Pokemon. With the game titled ‘Pokemon Go’, many gaming enthusiasts and cartoon lovers are taking over the streets to ‘catch ‘em all’.
Guru Charan, a photographer, says, “I used to own the Pokemon toys, especially ‘Pikachu’, while growing up. The powers that each of these Pokemon possess are quite incredible and that’s what intrigued me to watch the cartoon series.” Being a street photographer, he roams around the city to capture some interesting shots. He utilises the time, when not holding the camera, to catch Pokemon on the street. He says, “I walk around the small streets of Bengaluru quite a lot. Since the game released, I’m also utilising the time catching Pokemon in the narrow lanes around the city. I also try to find something on the way if I’m in a cab.”

While the game is designed for both iOS and Android phones, it is not yet available to download on Playstore due to the lack of servers. But many are browsing the internet for APK (Android Application Package) files and playing it on their phones. Shreyas Barhaghar, a finance officer, was so excited that he got the game on his phone as soon as it released. He has been a huge fan of the show and has collected Pokemon cards as well. “I used to play all the emulator games on the computer and spent hours on it. I was so thrilled when the game was launched that I couldn’t wait to go around the city. I’ve walked about 15 km to catch as many as I can,” he shares.

One of the advantages that this game has is the physical movement. Unlike other games introduced in the market these days, ‘Pokemon Go’ makes one walk around, get physical exercise and have fun at the same time. But the safety factor is important. As it requires one to reach a particular location to capture the Pokemon, one must be aware of their surroundings and be alert at all times.

Deepika Singhania, a content writer, says, “People tend to get too engaged in the game which becomes a problem. But it’s not something that is a big issue either. Going in groups, staying alert especially at night, a few other precautionary methods and you’re set to catch them all!”

Ankit Pathak, a network engineer, also complains about the server issues. He says, “While this is a great game and brings back a lot of childhood memories, the server issues are quite annoying. I’m also hoping that there will be a lot more Pokemon characters that will be added. Making it available on the Playstore soon will be a huge advantage as well.” Until then, everyone who loves the cartoon series has just one aim in mind — ‘gotta catch ‘em all’.