Pokémon Go brings real-world Pokemon hunting to life thanks to Niantic partnership [VIDEO]
This isn’t the Pokemon RPG we were asking to come to Android, but we’d be damned to say it isn’t just as cool. Nintendo, The Pokemon Company and Niantic Labs (creators of Ingress) have announced Pokemon Go, a new real-world Pokemon game that lets you catch the fantasy critters in a location-driven Pokemon universe.
Pokemon Go serves up an ever-changing randomized database of occurrences in your area. If you come near a Pokemon (or a Pokemon comes near you) you’ll be alerted to its presence, and you can attempt to fight and catch the Pokemon for use in your ongoing journeys.
The company takes things a step further with the optional Pokemon Go Plus wearable, which looks like a Pokeball (the things Pokemon sleep in) and vibrates whenever a Pokemon is detected nearby.
The promo video (above) implies you’ll be able to trade and battle Pokemon with friends, and there’ll even be spur-of-the-moment limited time events in specific locations, such as defeating the legendary Pokemon Mewtwo.
This is the sort of stuff we were yearning for when we first head of Ingress and their innovative location-based gaming platform, and we’re glad to see it used to bring one of the most beloved anime franchises to life in a way we haven’t seen. Forget the 3DS — let me grab one of these bad boys! Unfortunately the details are still scarce on its arrival, the cost of the accessory and where Pokemon Go will be supported, but you can bet we’ll be looking for more information as time moves on. Stay tuned!