Screenshot of a person playing Pokémon Go! Students across campus caught Pokémon to level up in the game.
The dream of many 90s and early 2000s kids has finally come true. We can now travel the world in hopes of catching all Pokémon in existence and being the best trainer ever.
The app Pokémon GO became almost an overnight success after its release during the summer, with people of all ages playing all over the world. The GPS-based game makes people go outdoors and be active in order to catch the invisible creatures and level up.
“When I’m on a game, I’m sitting on my ass,†25-year-old communications senior Hannah Dickinson said. “But this game makes you get out and walk. It makes you appreciate local stuff, and I’ve met a lot of people because of it.â€
The social capability of the game is probably the reason it is so popular. Level 12 Pokémon trainer Shelbi Skinner said she thinks the app is “an advancement in individual gaming†because of its ability to combine social interactions with video games.
“I walk on campus sometimes, and you meet 15 new people who are playing the same exact game you are,†the 20-year-old biology junior said.
As far as catching any on campus goes, rare Pokémon are even rarer there, but there have been a few sightings. Skinner had luck around Wilder Tower catching a Clefairy, a Jigglypuff and a Koffing but said she had better luck elsewhere around the city, mainly Shelby Farms and Overton Park.
Level 18 trainer Cory Cochran, 21, said he caught a Kadabra by campus on Patterson.
Computer engineering junior Andrew Follin said he caught a Venomoth on Mynders by campus.
JJ Jordan, 20-year-old mechanical engineering junior, said he caught a few Eevees on campus, which are coveted because of their ability to evolve into many different types of powerful Pokémon.
However, most sightings seem to just be the all-too-common, low-level Pokémon: Pidgies, Rattattas, Caterpies, Weedles, etc.
That does not mean campus is not Poké-friendly. The university is covered with Pokéstops, select locations where players can refill on Pokéballs, berries, eggs and other items. Eggs can often hatch into better Pokémon than players will run into in the wild.
Jesse Labrum, 20-year-old criminal justice major, hatched a Lapras, a huge, rare water Pokémon, out of one of his eggs.
The University of Memphis campus also has a few gyms, or places where trainers can battle their Pokémon, scattered around the grounds. But there could be more to do with the game soon on campus.
Improvements to the game have already been rumored, and people have their own ideas of what Niantic, the creator of the app, could do to better the game. Jordan said more player-to-player interactions would be a good addition to gameplay.
“It would definitely be cool to be able to trade with other players,†he said. “And instead of somebody just holding up a gym to battle, you could just walk up to someone and battle, like in the games.â€
With Pokémon GO as popular as it has become, there is no doubt Niantic will do some things soon to try to better users’ experiences and make the app the very best, like no app ever was.
