While Pokémon fans are still buzzing about the announcement of Scarlet and Violet, longtime players of Pokémon Go may be buzzing over Go Fest 2022 and the upcoming August events including 'Bug Out!'. In the six years since its release Pokémon Go swept the globe inspiring players to venture into the real world and collect 'em all.
The game continues to deliver exciting updates like adding Pokémon from new regions, releasing holiday edition designs, and introducing new items. It may have some flaws, but there are plenty of reasons to love Pokémon Go and there are memes aplenty highlighting the best and worst the mobile game has to offer.
You're Going Too Fast
One of the hazards that comes with a game that needs to be played by someone exploring the real world is the possibility they may want to explore via car. It's obviously dangerous to have people driving and simultaneously trying to toss Poké balls to catch more creatures for their team.
In an effort to discourage this, Go added the above warning anytime the app is open and the user is moving quickly. However, it's more of a frustration than an aid to players who want to explore while in the passenger seat. Thankfully there's a button for that.
Location, Location, Location
As this meme implies, location can be everything in Pokémon Go. There is a huge number of available Pokéstops for players to visit, as well as gyms and Team Rocket goons to fight, but these locations tend to cluster in cities. Especially in the early days of the game, anyone living somewhere more rural or remote was unlikely to be close to anything in the game.
Some lucky players, especially those in apartments in big cities were very likely to live near or on top of a Pokéstop. Though this meme obviously takes it to an absurd extreme, many players know the convenience of having nearby Pokéstops and would surely love to live in a prime Poké location.
Battles
A key component of Pokémon has always been the element of battle, whether it's battling wild pokemon, other trainers, gym leaders, or otherwise. All these battle styles exist in Pokémon Go too.
Tapping or swiping at falling symbols on the screen can produce regular attacks. Charge attacks can save a nearly lost cause at the last moment by delivering a powerful blow to whatever foe the player faces. All these battle features and more await in Pokémon Go, making it one of the best free-to-play games of all time.
Your Bag Is Full
In its initial release form, players were limited not only with how many pokemon they could hold but also how many items. In later updates, Niantic has allowed players to increase storage through purchases made with Pokécoins.
If you choose not to upgrade or haven't done so for any reason you may be familiar with the "your bag is full" pop-up. Usually, this notification is a mild frustration, but occasionally it pops up even when the player isn't acquiring new items as is the case when a player tries to complete a field research task as referenced in the meme.
The Pokémon Has Fled
Possibly the most frustrating possible occurrence in the game is when a player has tossed nearly all of their Pokéballs, used the special fruits, and still is unable to keep their potential new pocket monster inside a Pokéball. There are plenty of high-level and incredibly strong pokemon that pose a great challenge to hunters.
Sometimes no matter how hard a player tries, the pokemon will still flee, and occasionally it's not even a strong one that can get away. These troubles are nothing compared to challenges in other Pokémon games, making Pokémon Go one of the best games for newbies.
Team Pride
One of the first things a player does in Pokémon Go is choose which team they want to play for. Red, Blue, and Yellow or Valor, Mystic, and Instinct. Valor and Mystic were the more popular teams from the start, and as the game has grown they continue to battle it out with gym ownership and through other avenues as depicted perfectly in the illustration above.
There are plenty of ways for players of all sorts to team up and work together, like connecting with other players online or joining in Pokémon Go's community days, like the best ones from 2021. Even if the teams do have some fun competition, the game has brought many people together.
Going To The "Gym"
Going to the gym has taken on a new connotation since the addition of gyms and gym battles in Go. It may not require lifting weights or running on treadmills, but Pokémon gyms can now be literally visited in ways they never could before Pokémon Go.
In other franchise installments, water gyms have the highest numbers across Pokémon's many games and lands. The gyms function a little differently in Go, being guarded by users' own Pokémon. They aren't strictly aligned with certain elements anymore, but with teams instead.
Good Vibrations
There's a special excitement that accompanies getting a vibration from your phone alerting you that a new Pokémon is in the area. This is especially true when all a player has been seeing is Pidgey's and they finally happen upon a new type.
It can be equally disappointing though when a vibration comes because some other alert goes off in your phone and the rush of excitement dissipates. Or worse, when it's just another Pidgey.
Sore Legs
Pokémon Go was the very first installment in the franchise that required players to leave their house and walk around in order to make real progress in the game. Anyone used to Pokémon games, be they Nintendo or the original card game, would be used to a fairly stationary experience.
As Neo and Morpheus are implying above, it was a new experience and many users of Pokémon Go went on extended walks to try and catch as many Pokémon as they could before their cellphone batteries died.
Elusive Legendaries
They've always been a challenge to capture, regardless of which form of Pokémon is being played, but capturing legendaries in Pokémon Go can be a lesson in frustration. Players have to come prepared with as many of the best resources as they can in the form of Pokéballs, berries, and their throwing ability.
It can take a lot of perseverance and luck to catch. Using just one golden raspberry is often not enough but even a string of excellent throws (which are hard enough to do) can fail to capture one of the ultimate gets in the game.
The Long-Haulers
As anyone who still plays regularly will know, it can come as a surprise to casual users that there are still active Go users. The popularity of the game when it was released led to a wonderful rush of attention that caught the attention of people who had never played a Pokémon game before.
As time always does, it eroded the interest of some of the users. The app went quiet on many phones, even with new updates and attractions to find in the game. Legions of regular users still team up or go on solo hunts, and some check back in every once and a while, but who knows what it would take to bring back the levels of interest the game's launch reached.