A WILD APP APPEARED!
PLAYER USED DOWNLOAD... IT'S SUPER EFFECTIVE!
We were unsure of what to make of the announcement that Nintendo was moving into app development. On the one hand, it could bring the likes of Mario et al to our pockets, reducing our productivity and helping us miss even more bus stops. On the other, it could see our favourite gaming stars reduced to embarrassing acts of "tap to play" vapidity.
Mercifully, in the case of Pokémon GO, it looks to be the former.
Pokémon GO takes aspect of the original Game Boy title and translates it into the connected world of smartphone gaming. Real location information will allow players to hunt down 'wild' Pokémon, with notifications telling you where and when the little critters will be appearing. Augmented reality will then show the Pokémon on your smartphone screen, allowing you to catch, trade, and battle Pokémon with friends.
There'll also be a wearable aspect to the game, with Nintendo developing the Pokémon GO Plus wrist band. The device connects to the smartphone via Bluetooth and notifies the player about events in the game—such as the appearance of a Pokémon nearby—using an LED and vibration.
Set to launch in 2016, there's only one aspect of Pokémon GO we're worried about (well, other than causing us to regress into jibbering children that get no work done): it's going to be free, with in-app purchases available.
Nothing is going to kill our enjoyment of this game more than learning we're going to have to pay £3 for more Pokéballs to catch that wild Sandslash.
We hope we're wrong.
