It’s Been Almost Ten Years, But This Mobile Phenomenon Still Keeps Drawing Me Back For One Important Reason

In July 2016, Pokemon GO marked an enormous moment for mobile gaming. The whole notion of ‘catch Pokemon in the real world’ was always going to be a hit, but it was hard to anticipate the scale of exactly what Niantic had on their hands. A very different experience to the mainline Pokemon series, but a worthy one.

This was, I’d venture, a rare period of harmony in the industry. From the dedicated Pokemon lovers who’d been there since the cards were banned at their schools, to those who couldn’t pick any more than Pikachu and Jigglypuff out of a lineup, millions of us were out there.

It was wonderful to see the game become such a social hit. I’m strictly in the dedicated Pokemon lovers category, and that was why it particularly warmed my heart to suddenly engage in furious battles with strangers out in the real world. I’d see a small group gathered outside a building and just know they were the Aerodactyl, Charizard, and Gyarados with formidable CP that were preventing me from taking the gym.

Local stores, libraries, museums, and other landmarks had become PokeStops and Gyms, either handy places to stock up on essential items or team strongholds to reinforce/mercilessly attack depending on who had taken root there. At least, for that particular period.

These places would be a huge part of my enjoyment of Pokemon GO, and I would follow specific routes on daily walks and regular trips to hit them. By doing so, I could stock up on Poke Balls, Potions, and other essentials, while also checking in on critters I’d previously put into specific gyms.

If I happened upon any rare spawns, I’d naturally nab them as I went. Or, in the case of one particularly exciting and elusive Dragonite, I’d use up my entire stock of Great Balls and Ultra Balls as I ineffectually flailed around throwing them everywhere trying to catch it.

Yes, it then fled and that memory still haunts me, but thinking about it all again almost a decade later reminds me of the sheer joy that Pokemon GO brought me.

I was lucky enough to live in quite a busy town with a lot of PokeStops and Gyms during the first few years of Pokemon GO. Walking through the town center and seeing about 50 people gathered around an active Incense was just one of the most wholesome things I’ve ever seen.

When Raid Battles were added to the game in 2017, similarly, the coming together to tackle these behemoths was great to be a part of.

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It Requires Patience, But Not Too Much; Just Spin Those PokeStops

I’ve gradually fallen out of the habit of playing regularly (which explains all the past tense). So, sadly, have a lot of the people I’d see out playing while the game was still a novelty. It just makes me nostalgic for that special time.

Over its history, of course, the game has certainly had its issues. The early period, while so exciting, was also marked by Niantic’s experimentation with the Pokemon-detecting mechanics. Connectivity issues have also troubled Pokemon GO Fests. Not to mention more recent controversial increases in the level cap.

Nonetheless, for me as a casual player, GO had two major pluses in its favor. The first is that it let me live out my childhood dreams of finding a wild Pikachu in my back garden, and banding with a group of powerful Trainers to take down a formidable Mewtwo.

Granted, one of those dreams is far more dramatic than the other, but the heart wants what it wants. Secondly, and even more importantly, I’ve always found that GO isn’t nearly as obnoxious with microtransactions as I was afraid it would be.

In fact, I’ve been playing entirely for free since I made my account. My experience would probably have been different if I was in a rush with it, but with the benefit of quite a wide PokeStop network in the local area, I’ve never been short on items.

Gifts from friends have also helped me to keep on keeping on. This is far from my typical experience with mobile games. I was hopeful for Dungeon Keeper Mobile, for instance, having dearly loved the original two games (it’s still a crying shame that Dungeon Keeper 3 was canceled), but without paying to ‘rush’ actions, progress was glacial.

Free-to-play, and the spending of gems and such currencies to advance faster, has never really sat well with me. As much as I enjoyed Paladins for years (though many passed it over for Overwatch), this system meant that it took a super long time to unlock each character without paying for the privilege.

I’ve dipped in and out of Pokemon GO since it arrived in 2016. That peak popularity is long behind it now, which is natural, and it’s had its share of controversies along the way.One thing that’s made it so easy to return to, though, in my own experience, is its approach to microtransactions.

Daily Poke Coin limitations do slow you down, but that pace suits some players very well. I’ve been able to build up a solid collection of Incubators, on top of everything else, without an extreme grind or repeatedly paying out. I’ve recently moved to a new town, and I’m looking forward to starting up my adventures again in a new setting. Now, what’s the PokeStop situation like here?