Pokémon Go: Everything you need to know

Pokémon Go is everywhere. Launched in the UK last week, it's already the most downloaded and used game for both adults and children.

If you’re wondering what it’s all about, here's everything you need to know about the new game that everyone’s playing...

WHAT IS POKEMON GO?

Pokémon Go is the Nintendo owned smartphone game where you catch animated creatures called Pokemon and train them for battle. It’s basically a real-life treasure hunt!

It’s an augmented reality game that uses GPS and Google Maps on a smartphone to explore and collect Pokémon in real surroundings.

It’s not just sitting around the house waiting for the Pokémon to appear, you have to go outside and physically visit various locations to catch them all.

You can do this anywhere too, whether it’s on the bus, in a taxi or on the train you’ll find Pokémon everywhere you go.

WHAT'S THE AIM OF THE GAME?

In the game, you take the role of a ‘trainer’ and catch Pokémon that appear around you. Once you’ve travelled to the area a Pokémon is hiding out, you then tap on the creature on your map and throw Pokéballs at it by swiping the screen to try and catch the creature.

Each Pokémon caught will come with a few of that Pokémon’s candy, as well as stardust. Both of these items are needed to train the Pokémon and the stardust is used to evolve the Pokémon.

They are saved it into the Pokédex - a digital encyclopedia which contains information about each Pokémon.

Within the game there’s three type of interaction.

Pokémon: Assorted creatures dotted around your area that can be caught.

PokeStops: You can win awards at real-life points of interest. These can be bus stops, shops, train stations, tourist destinations and populated areas. These will provide the trainer with items within the game

Gyms: These are important locations such as churches, museums, parks, landmarks, statues and historic buildings which players can become masters of. To become a Gym master you must either find an uncontested gym or beat the current master of the Gym using the Pokémon you have collected.

To win the game the trainer must collect all 151 Pokemon and try to fill the Pokédex. Another way to win is to pick a Gym and consistently become the master of it. There’s also opportunities to take over other gyms by battling Pokémon against others.

WHAT'S ALL THE FUSS ABOUT?

Pokémon has been around since the late 1990s and began as a role playing game for Game Boy 20 years ago.

Inspired by its creator Satoshi Tajiri’s and his childhood love for insect collecting, the game involved catching mysterious creatures known as Pokemon before training them to go into battle. The Pokémon franchise has evolved into anime, TV shows, mango, card games and various console games throughout the years.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO PLAY POKEMON GO?

It’s free to download and play on the the Apple App Store and Google Play store for android.

You can buy items from your app store like Pokécoins that will unlock special items within the game. Pokecoins are the game’s currency and are available to pick up whilst playing, but of course you can buy extra. Here’s what they cost:

100 Pokécoins = 79p

550 Pokécoins = £3.99

1,200 Pokécoins = £7.99

2,500 Pokécoins = £14.99

5,200 Pokécoins = £29.99

14,500 Pokécoins = £79.99

SAFETY TIPS

The official age rating of the app is nine and above. Kids should always watch where they’re going when playing the game. They should be aware of their surroundings and keep off their phones when crossing the road.

The game is designed to bring people together so make sure the kids’ don’t talk to strangers when they are out catching Pokemon.

There are in-app purchases which can cost up to £79.99 so make sure the app is set up without payment options. You can find out how to do this here.

As Pokémon Go is based on location it needs to use the location of the user’s whereabouts to enable the user to play the game. Parents should set boundaries for their kids - establish a safe area for them to use the game and make them stick to it.

When you first use the game it will ask for a user ID, email address and date of birth. To keep your child safe, create a dummy account for them to play with - something that doesn’t tie back to a school or personal account.

Don’t let them use their real names for their Pokémon account names. Encourage them to come up with a code name or a their own Pokémon-trainer name.