Pokemon has a huge list full of both console and mobile games, but perhaps the most known and played game is the mobile game Pokemon Go. This game was released in 2016, showcasing a multitude of ways that players can interact with the Pokemon world. This game rose to the top very quickly, as it helped players—nicknamed “trainers
—reminisce about their childhood. But every trend has its rise—and its imminent fall. 

The creation of Pokemon Go was based on an April Fool’s collaboration named Google Maps: Pokemon Challenge. It was conceived in 2014 by Satoru Iwata of Nintendo and Tsunekazu Ishihara from The Pokemon Company. It consisted of catching Pokemon, battling other trainers, participating in events, and walking around the player’s neighborhood. 

The game of Pokemon Go requires the trainer to walk around, as hidden and different Pokemon often are farther away from the trainer. This is a very helpful benefit, as devoted trainers who want better Pokemon are encouraged to go outside and walk to get the Pokemon they want. Trainers are able to get some exercise while playing the game they like (though if the trainer goes above a certain speed, Pokemon won’t spawn around those players). 

“I was a kid, and playing the game brought me nostalgia. Not only that, I also thought it’d be fun,” sophomore Jay Guo said.

However, this sudden increase in popularity wouldn’t last forever. This devotion to catching better Pokemon quickly became detrimental, as some trainers injured themselves by playing Pokemon Go. It’s a very absurd statement, as being injured by a game is seemingly unprecedented. However, trainers were so immersed in the augmented reality game that they forgot to be aware of their surroundings. This could be crossing the street, walking through crowds, or tripping on tiny cracks. This happened a lot, as trainers were often injured playing the game. 

Another one of the biggest mistakes that contributed to the game’s downfall was the lack of updates, which made it difficult for trainers to be able to catch any new Pokemon, as each event count lasted a maximum of 2-3 weeks, and the wait time for another event could be anywhere from 1-2 months. Some of the events dropped could also have a lack of originality or nothing new. Players would soon get bored of this, as the repetition of each event would soon get underwhelming.

Some of the in-person events also cost money to participate. There’s also the cost to fly to each event, which usually costs a large amount of money. Similar to the lack of updates, these in-person events were quite boring, as each year it seemed as if the same thing kept on happening. 

“I believe it got boring for the people who constantly played the game everyday,” freshman Aaryan Panpaliya noted.

Many previous Pokemon games had the same features as Pokemon Go, but also contained the same problems that had led Pokemon Go to lose popularity (Pokemon: X, Pokemon: Sword and Shield, Pokemon: Ruby and Shield, etc.). After a while, these games all become repetitive, as the act of trying to catch better and better Pokemon is shown throughout every game. Most of the major updates happened to the graphics and visual effects, which have increased significantly. 

Pokemon is still a game loved by many, and its popularity is still very high. With its ups and downs, the game’s best part for me is most definitely its nostalgia, as Pokemon was in many childhoods. For Pokemon Go to fail completely is impossible, as the game is still fun to play.

Graphic courtesy of TRUSTED REVIEWS