Gotta Catch ‘Em All!

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This past summer, Pokémon Go has become a popular activity for young students.

On July 6th, 2016, the world rejoiced as a new version in the Pokemon series was launched. Titled Pokemon Go, the game utilizes GPS on players’ phones to track and hunt little creatures known as Pokemon. Players who download the app can hunt the characters from restaurants to playgrounds, and may even stumble upon a Pokestop along the way. These special stops are located on marked locations on players’ maps. It is here that they can earn capsules to catch the pokemon or special items that can assist in the capture, such as berries to distract them, incense to coax pokemon to a player, or lures to draw pokemon to a Pokestop. The Pokemon caught all depend on the location of the player, and sometimes one can even stumble upon a rare creation, such as the well hunted for Pichachu. “I think that Pokemon Go is a revolutionary game, just like Postmodern Mystery, because it accomplished two incredible feats. It made exercising a fun and enjoyable past time for younger generations, but it also encouraged socialization”, says Senior Brooklynn Stoupa.

The popular game has encouraged exercise among young students, an aspect a video game does not usually have. “Not only has the game encouraged exercise but it has shown that unification among ages, races, and genders is entirely possible and easily achieved. Pokemon Go created an environment of healthy competition and a sense of sportsmanship and team loyalty”, says Brooklynn. When asked about the future of the game, Brooklynn responded “Even if this game loses its popularity and fades away, I think that the impact it has made on its players’ lives will remain.”