If you didn’t know Pokémon Go was released this week then well… who are you and how did you achieve such an epic feat!?
Many cheeky folk on the internet managed to grab a copy before it was officially available here in the UK, but as of today, you can now grab it for free in the app store of your particular mobile device.
The benefit for you minimal few that don’t have it already is that there is a wealth of Pokémon Go knowledge out there already. Here are 18 tips to help you get started!
- Don’t settle for the first Pokémon you see!
Apparently you can grab a Picachu as your first Pokémon if you just walk away from the first 3 you are offered by the professor. I say apparently because I got swept up in the excitement and didn’t even think to just walk away from 3 Pokémon, needing a master. - You can pick up a thrown Poké-Ball!
If you throw a Poké Ball and miss, there is sometimes a small chance to pick it up again. You just have to react quickly and tap the ball before it disappears. I wish I had known this before wasting 20 Poké Balls on an illusive Golbat… still haven’t caught one of the buggers! - Getting more Poké Balls is surprisingly easy!
Poké Stops are blue locations on your map, as you walk close to one, tap it and then spin the image, this will drop a number of items for you and Poké Balls are usually in the majority of said items. Each Poké Stop becomes available to spin again after around 5 minuets. - A bit of flair is a good thing!
When throwing Poké Balls at a potential new companion, you can add spin to the ball, use your finger to draw a circle around the ball and then throw it. If you did it correctly, you will get an extra EXP Bonus when the Pokémon is caught. - Every little helps!
Just because you have caught a Weedle, don’t turn your nose up at the next 50 you see. Each time you catch one and transfer it back to the professor, you gain Pokémon candy for that breed, which helps you power them up and evolve them. You also gain more EXP for yourself which helps you level up, in turn allowing you to catch better Pokémon. - Ring Ring!
The ring that appears around the Pokémon is used for 2 things. Firstly, the colour tells you how hard the Pokémon will be to catch. Green is easy and red is naturally the complete opposite. The second function is that the ring gets bigger and smaller as you are about to throw the Poké Ball. The smaller the ring, the more chance tougher Pokémon won’t break free from the ball you just hit it on the head with… This could explain why Golbat has eluded me a few times… I thought it was the other way around to start! - Who is nearby?
On the bottom right of your screen there is a little icon that shows you what Pokémon are near to you. 3 paws means they are far away (but close enough to find) and 1 paw means you will see it if you just take a few steps in the right direction. Other than that basic help, not many people seem to know exactly how the Nearby feature works (here’s one theory). All I know is, if I can see rustling leaves on the map, then they are probably being rustled by one of the Pokémon who are “Nearby”. - Think Pink!
Pink Poké Stops are definitely worth a detour too. If you see one with pink petals surrounding it, it means a lure has been activated, making this place a prime location for a Pokémon Party. Head over there and if you can, hang out until the lure expires. If you activate a lure, it is visible to everyone else in the game too so don’t forget to pay it forward if you get the chance. - Which team should you choose?
Any, the only real difference (for now) is the colour, so choose the one who best brings out your eyes. - Blowing Razz Berries.
I’ve not seen them yet, but apparently there is such a thing as a Razz Berry. these are meant to make it easier to catch Pokémon. I guess we make sure to grab these if we can! - Poké Ball evolves too…!?
Another feature I am yet to see for myself, but Ultra Balls and Mega Balls have always been able to deal with catching the tougher and rarer Pokémon with ease. I would suggest using these sparingly as I doubt they are easy to get! - Don’t forget to Eggs-ersise!
You will collect eggs on your travels and you can incubate these to hatch new Pokémon. Hatching the eggs requires to you walk. Sadly Pokémon Go is clever enough to know when you are in a car! Each egg has a certain distance that must be walked to hatch it. The further you must go, the better the Pokémon. - Poké Gyms are nothing to be scared of.
What’s really good is that if you and your friends are on the same team, you can all put Pokémon into a Gym to help keep it from changing hands to a rival. As the gym levels up, more Pokémon can help defend it, so work together where you can! - Give me a D – “D” Give me an E – “E” Screw the rest, DEFENCE
While in a gym battle, you can swipe your Pokémon left and right to avoid incoming attacks. Mastering defence will open up more doors for you to attack and stand you in good stead to beat your enemy. - Hey, Remember when I had battery?
Pokémon Go inhales your battery life. If you need to make a vital phone call and you have 50% left, don’t put the phone call off until after a cheeky go… on Pokémon Go. There are some settings you can try to tweak such as turning off the over world music which may help calm the thirst. - Now there’s some Incense-tive… (yea not my best)
If you have an Incense item and you don’t need to move for half an hour, you can activate the incense and lure Pokémon to you. From experience, between 3 and 5 Pokémon should make there way to you. Don’t get too excited though, most of mine have been Pidgeys o_O - Keep Moving!
The clue is in the name folks, to get the most out of Pokémon Go, you need to be on the Go. To play it properly, take a walk and see what you see. Always remember though, there are other, non-Pokémon Go weirdo’s out there who will think it rude should you bump into them. Keep an eye on where you are going! Also, don’t play it whilst you’re driving, you won’t be near any Gyms/Poké Stops long enough to utilise them and battling a Pokémon with one hand whilst watching the road and wafting your phone around is a recipe for disaster, just ask this guy. - What time is it?
Who cares!? Any time of day is the right time to play Pokémon Go. different times of day yield different types of Pokémon. As I type a Metapod has just shown up Nearby. I don’t have one of these yet. I must have it!
Have you got any tips for Pokémon Go players? Let us know in the comments below!
City Centres are the best place it seems to really boost yourself in the game. Just spend a day out and you will go up a few levels aswell as make real progress. Standing between 2-3 pokestops without having to move with a lucky egg and lures popped on all… Read more »
Razz Berries also become a staple item from Pokestops once you get to the level (I think it’s 8 or 9) same with Super Potions so I am guessing it is the same for the higher tier Poke Balls.