Learn how to catch and do battle with Pokemon in 'Pokemon Go'
Gotta catch 'em all, but how?
When Pokemon Go comes to Android and iOS devices later in 2016, you'll be able to conscript your very own army of the little critters and make them fight. And now, for the first time, we have a sense of how it'll all work.
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It all starts -- as most Pokemon things do -- with the catching. Poke-beings are scattered all around the world, and your phone vibrates when you get close to one.
Some Pokemon favor specific environments over others; a Water-type, for example, is going to pop up near bodies of water.
Once you've tracked down a Pokemon's location and spotted the augmented reality critter using your phone, you've got to capture it with a Poke Ball. These (and other items) can be obtained from PokeStops.
Found at "interesting places, such as public art installations, historical markers and monuments," PokeStops give players a chance to collect helpful items, like Poke Balls and Pokemon Eggs. The latter collectible hatches after a certain number of steps are taken.
Pokemon battles unfold around Gyms, which are real world locations that the game's three team factions fight over. Visiting a Gym lets you assign a Pokemon to defend it or attack it.
The more you capture new Pokemon and engage in battles, the higher your Trainer rank climbs. Leveling up gives you the ability to access a wider range of helpful items and more powerful Pokemon.
If you're familiar with the "real world" gaming in Niantic's Ingress, the basic format of Pokemon Go should be familiar. This is a video game that encourages you to get outside and explore by tying outdoor activities to game progression.
There's no release date in sight for Pokemon Go, and the game is still in development. It's supposed to be coming out sometime this year.
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Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
