I'm certainly no expert on these little guys. My son tried to teach me the card game when he was younger, and we watched the cartoon together sometimes. Of course, I know Pikachu (who doesn't?), and I recognize a few others. I was interested in Pokemon because he was interested in it.
He and his friends were eagerly anticipating this game which would allow you to "catch" Pokemon out in the "real" world. You download and install the app to your phone, then simply walk around until one appears. Use the app to "throw" a Pokeball and catch 'em all! There are Pokestops where you can get free supplies. Avid players will walk to a nearby virtual gym where they can battle their Pokemon against others.
I'm not familiar enough with individual Pokemon and their particular strengths and weaknesses to probably ever take mine into battle. But I have to admit I DID download the app, and it's kind of fun. One benefit of the game is that many players are getting out and about in the great outdoors while playing. You have to actually walk around to get the most out of the game. Sure, there are some people who are going where they don't belong at times they don't belong there. But I imagine that will improve once the game isn't so "new." From my view, there's also some brain work going on as the players determine which Pokemon to evolve, trade, or fight.
The developers of the game probably didn't have my demographic in mind. I'm older than the typical Pokemon fan, and I'm not a big gamer. I've been on a few walks with my adult son to see what we could discover. (Family time is another unexpected benefit.) But the most fun I've had so far has been with my older sister. We were both visiting our mother in our hometown. As long as we were running errands with her, we figured we might as well park by a few Pokestops and see if there was anything to catch there. Then, our very patient mother agreed to wait in the car as we took a quick walk through downtown. We were almost giggling as we were collecting rewards and catching Pokemon just like all the other "kids" outside that day. My sister spent time with me when I was little, and she even created different scenarios for me to enjoy from our playroom to our back yard. I guess now that has come full circle. We can still play together.
Say what you will about video games in general or "Pokemon Go" in particular. But don't knock it 'til you've tried it. I'm going to continue to keep my eyes open...
...in elevators... ...at breakfast... ...in my wine...
...and walking around town with my big sister.
