Catch em, Catch em, Gotta Catch Em All. Google Maps!
Pokémon fans have been keen for Nintendo to make their way to the world of mobile for some time now. The buzz has been on how they would implement it, would they make Nintendo games available on the app store? A Nintendo mobile app? Well, now we have our answer…they’ve partnered with Google to bring the world of Pokémon to Google Maps.
[youtube url=”http://youtu.be/4YMD6xELI_k” fs=”1″ hd=”1″]
In what is obviously an early April Fools’ Day Joke (to rival their 8-bit map in 2012), The Google Maps Pokemon Challenge tasks you with scouring the globe to fill your Pokedex.
Google Maps has announced a competition: to work at Google as a Pokémon Master. All you have to do to secure this legendary position is use your smart phone to explore Google Maps and capture as many Pokémon as you can.
The best part about this joke though is that it’s actually real. Kind of. It’s not quite the Augmented Reality as advertised. This isn’t the next generation of Pokemon Snap but it is a little bit fun.
You can start capturing Pokémon right now, just be sure to update your Google Maps app on your phone and then click into the search bar to start.
Currently a mix of 150 Pokémon from all the generations are roaming free around the world. Capturing one will update your in-app Pokédex. The announcement video states the competition ends on April 2, so you better get to capturing.
Even if this extraordinary gag doesn’t last beyond April 2, it’s great to see Nintendo thinking about how to use their properties in the mobile space. Who knows, maybe the Google Maps Pokemon Challenge is a taste of things to come.
I’m still holding out for Pokemon Snap 2.
