When you die in HoPiKo, you don't just have to replay the level you died on, you also have to take on the entire batch of levels that came before it again, too. At first, it's a decision that seems like a mistake: mobile games have long got used to the idea that players are short on time and want to dip in and out at their leisure. The idea of taking on levels they've previously played again and again just because they've come a cropper later on seems positively archaic.
It soon becomes clear, however, that this is an intentional handicap by Laser Dog. It's an effort to separate the wheat from the chaff amongst its fans, if you will. Like an arcade classic of old, HoPiKo is a game that takes no prisoners. Luckily for us, so immediate is the gameplay, so damn addictive, that going back over old ground again and again feels like a fitting punishment for failure, and one that makes success when it comes seem all the sweeter.
It also helps that the basic premise behind HoPiKo has been intentionally designed to appeal to the kind of 'hardcore' arcade gamers that will lap up the game's short and sharp action. Your job is to set about eradicating a computer virus that's taken hold of your favourite games console – a machine that looks suspiciously like an old NES unit during the game's opening cut-scene. Doing so, at least initially, is a question of jumping between platforms set at all manner of angles before rescuing the good guys, trapped in a sort of red, blocky and typically digital forcefield.
The big catch, however, is that you have just a few seconds to make each jump. Leave it too long and your little guy will explode into a million pieces, sending you right back to square one. Likewise, get your angles wrong and fire off in an odd direction and you'll suffer the exact same fate, making each and every level one packed full of instant judgements and on-a-knife-edge reflexes.
It's lucky, then, that the controls are especially simple to grasp. Holding your finger down anywhere on the screen will charge your HoPiKo up. In the few short seconds you have, it's your job to slide your finger in the direction you wish him to fire, with the game drawing out a small arrow to let you know which way he'll head at any given time. Then all you have to do is let go of the screen and hope for the best. With several platforms making up each stage, success in HoPiKo is a multiple case of rinse and repeat, with every move carried out at lightning speed.
There are other distractions along the way, however. Along with different kinds of moves that are later filtered into play, new songs in the game's (frankly brilliant chip-tune) soundtrack are actually unlocked not as you progress to new batches of levels, but within the levels themselves. Little MP3 players pop up every now and again that are designed to take you slightly off course, but when captured bring with them a brand new tune, each one just as catchy as the last.
It's an inventive way of doing something very simple that most developers would overlook, yet it serves as the perfect symbol of what HoPiKo looks to do from the start: a game that, on the surface, could have come out 20 or 30 years ago, but one that adds the odd fresh touch here and there to bring play into the 21st century. It's this link back to games of old, however, particularly when it comes to HoPiKo's difficulty level, that really stands out. The decision to make the game utterly unforgiving of failure will, no doubt, alienate large amounts of mobile gamers, many of which will close down and uninstall HoPiKo after a few failed attempts.
Indeed, it could easily be argued that the game's one weakness is that it doesn't explain itself especially well in its opening few levels. Success in HoPiKo requires perseverance, even when, unlike leagues of other mobile games, every indicator is telling you you're a bit rubbish. It's that old school approach to gaming – get better or die trying – that makes HoPiKo really stand out.
When every other game on earth rewards you for no reason whatsoever, handing out trinkets aplenty for winning a tutorial contest, or simply sticking with it, having a title that only honours talent and ability is refreshing. Just be warned, if you want to come out on top in HoPiKo, you'll need to have that talent and ability in spades.
Verdict
Utterly old school in all the right ways, HoPiKo's punishing set up may alienate more casual gamers, but it's a glorious celebration of reaction-based arcade play of old, with a superb soundtrack adding to a game with an unashamedly retro ethic.
Here are the best 2048 cheats/tips/tricks/hints to get better at the game.
2048 is definitely an incredible game that has a lot of fans in the entire world. All you have to do is to combine the matching tiles in order to create other tiles that have a bigger number.
It may seem easy but actually it is a very complicated game. If you want to reach the 2048 tile then you must have a special strategy and to think every move in advance.
Read the following four tips and you will be able to find out some interesting things that could help you improve your game.
1. Large tiles shouldn’t be your main goal
You may feel the temptation to chase larger numbered tiles and to combine them. This is actually something that you should avoid doing if you want to be sure that you are going to reach the 2048 tile.
Focus on smaller ones and do not worry at all for a specific set of tiles. In the end they are going to meet or you will create a new tile that ends up right next to it.
2. The corners are your best friends
If you stay in the corner then you will have more of the main game board for new tiles that can be brought. Keep your tiles grouped in the corners and bring the new tiles into the middle area when you can. Then you can combine them with other tiles in the corners.
You can start in the upper left hand corner and you can even make larger combos only by moving the entire board to diagonal or to the bottom left.
3. Take some time to think
Finding the best move each time is almost impossible. If you don’t choose the right move in a certain moment then you should not despair. You have a lot of chances to recover from a bad move if you manage to keep enough empty spaces on the board.
If you want to be sure that you will choose a suitable move then you shouldn’t hurry and you should analyze all the tiles properly.
4. Make moves where multiple tiles merge first
If you get the chance to merge multiple stacks of cards in the same move then do it. Your main goal should be to keep multiple empty spaces on the board. This offers you certain flexibility.
If you make a single move then you are basically replacing a card with another one.
On the other hand if you combine multiple cards then you are actually creating some new empty spaces and this is always a good thing.
Over the weekend, after heavily hinting at their disapproval of such apps, Niantic sent cease and desist letters and effectively brought down all fan-made radar programs for the company's runaway success Pokemon Go. PokeVision, PokeRadar: just gone. At the same time, they pushed an update to the app that removed the footprints from beneath Pokemon in the Nearby tab, and instead replaced it with nothing. And other than the few interviews Niantic CEO John Hanke has done over the past two weeks, we've heard nothing from the company--no kind of community management, no message, no explanation of how we're supposed to track Pokemon now. It's frustrating, and for some has made Pokemon Go unplayable.
I initially wasn't a fan of Pokemon Go. The game launched while I was staying in a sparsely populated rural area, so with limited access to Pokestops and Pokemon I wasn't motivated to play. Returning home to San Francisco, however, I found myself with a wealth of options: gyms every few blocks, multiple Pokestops on every street, and clusters of creatures, both annoyingly common and tantalizingly rare, available to catch. I started collecting eggs and walking the long way to work, hoping that the deviation from my normal route would bring an extra Clefairy or maybe even a more uncommon creature into my path.
When my coworkers introduced me to PokeVision, however, is when I really took to Pokemon Go. I read stories about a Vaporean spawning in New York's Central Park that brought masses of people to the landmark as they found him on their maps. Friends told me about seeing an Aerodactyl spawn in our Mission district and a Blastoise in Burlingame, and how they called each other and jumped in their cars, racing to grab the monster before it despawned. I frequently checked the PokeVision map throughout the day, which is how I found out about the Porygon that repeatedly spawns on Alcatraz Island along with a horde of Voltorbs and Magnemites; my coworkers and I subsequently made plans to do an Alcatraz tour in hopes of catching these electrical monsters.
THERE'S A SCYTHER HERE HOW DO I EVEN
PokeVision is also the reason our office found out about a Dragonite spawning, which, of course, caused mass hysteria and flocks of SoMa workers to gather outside our building. PokeVision alerted my coworker to a Venusaur five minutes down the road--and we took an afternoon hiatus to run at breakneck speed through the streets to get him. These moments wouldn't exist without PokeVision, and because my coworkers, friends, and likely most of you reading this don't have the luxury to spend hours on ending wandering the streets, it was the best way for us to locate and capture the Pokemon we needed.
Part of the reason we loved PokeVision and apps like PokeRadar so much is because they filled a void left by the app itself. Pokemon Go's Nearby feature was impossible to decipher and a little broken on launch. Each Pokemon that showed up in the "Nearby" tab would have one, two or three little footprints beneath it, indicating how far away you were from its location. But players worldwide never quite figured out what those footprints meant; I heard from a friend each footprint represented one yard, while another told me it was three footprints per city block, and so on. Without a reliable tracking feature, there was no effective way to play Pokemon hot and cold other than walk in circles and hope you were going in the right direction.
But now Niantic has forced them to be taken down. These radar apps weren't "cheating," nor did they take away from the experience of Pokemon Go. They added to it. People who don't have the time to roam knew when and where to find the Pokemon they wanted--just like in the actual Pokemon games. The radar apps also bolstered the game's social component, just look at what happened above with my coworkers and friends. We planned outings based on where we knew we could find rare Pokemon. In one instance, a friend took my phone with him down the street to catch a Magmar while I waited in line to pick up our lunch. There was a teamwork aspect that grew from having these tracking resources. We were trainers helping each other, looking out for rarer monsters and planning trips to where we knew we could get a good sweep of critters.
But now that that social component is all but gone--largely because my friends aren't playing anymore. A few have dismissed the app entirely; usually the GameSpot office is punctuated by shouts about Pokemon appearing here or there, and then a mass exodus as we all grab our phones and go for a quick jog. It was an excuse to get out of the office in the middle of the day and get some exercise.
By far the worst thing about all this is Niantic's silence.
By far the worst thing about all this is Niantic's silence. The company should say something, anything, detailing how we're supposed to track Pokemon now that the app no longer displays distance. An explanation on why they shut down radar apps--made by fans who love and want to share their love of Pokemon Go--would be beneficial as well. Is Niantic making their own radar? Adding a better tracker to the game? There's no point in chasing a Scyther that pops up on your radar when you have no idea if it's a one, five, ten, or more minute walk away from your office, especially when you have the rest of your life to attend to.
With their silence and stinginess, Niantic has effectively killed the Pokemon Go hype, at least for my friends and I. How do we know we won't be met with endless Rattatas the next time we head to the park? If we could get an explanation, perhaps that would ease the pain of having our most meaningful tools unexpectedly taken away. Until then, we're all a little less "go" for Pokemon Go.
The recent news at the Apple Event of Nintendo’s next mobile game starring Mario in Super Mario Run has fans of the franchise either excited or angry, or maybe a bit of both. Nonetheless, the runner game will launch initially on iOS devices in December 2016 and has been confirmed for an Android release in the future.
“We do intend to release the game on Android devices at some point in the future.”
This only makes sense with Android’s market share and I’m sure they’ve see many of the users of Pokémon GO using Android devices. But as the announcement comes fresh alongside the new iPhone 7, I’m sure Android players will have to wait a bit longer before diving into the Mario mobile game.
An exact release date for Super Mario Run on Android has yet to be confirmed, but we’ll keep you posted!
Pokemon Go has been out for over a month now, and still the Niantic Labs-developed app continues to impact not just the mobile gaming market but the culture at large. The game's first few weeks of release have led to boosted sales performances for some businesses, the accidental discovery of multiple dead bodies, and a continued search for how and when legendary Pokemon will actually appear in the game.
And though Niantic's updates to the app, removing some features while promising the return of others, as well as the alleged appearance of previously unseen Pokemon like Articuno have dominated the conversation around the game this week, the app has had continued effects outside of the game itself. (And for more on all things Pokemon, check out the latest episode of IGN's new Pokemon show, Secret Base.)
Here are some of the craziest Pokemon Go stories from the last week.
1. Olympic Gymnast Generates $5,000 Phone Bill Playing Pokemon Go
Gymnast Kohei Uchimura from Japan is in Brazil for the 2016 Olympic Games, and he's been playing Pokemon Go while abroad to pass the time. Unfortunately, in the process he amassed a $4,954, or about 500,000 yen, phone bill thanks to roaming charges. After explaining the situation to his phone company, Uchimura convinced them to waive the extra costs and charge him a flat $30 per day fee.
Just ahead of the Olympic Games, Niantic announced that Pokemon Go is now available in Brazil.
2. Battery Pack Sales Double Thanks to Pokemon Go
Niantic recently removed the battery saver option for iOS players from the game, promising it would return within "several days." But whether you're playing on an Android or iOS device, the game can still be a hefty drain on your battery. So it's no surprise players have started investing in extra battery packs. The demand has been so high, though, according to The NPD Group, that sales of battery packs for mobile devices grew by 101 percent between July 10 and July 23. If only the game came with its own personal Magnemite.
3. Iranian Authorities Ban Pokemon Go Over "Security Concerns"
The High Council of Virtual Spaces in Iran has banned Pokemon Go in the country, according to the BBC, citing unspecified security worries. The BBC notes, however, that social media posts in the country suggest players have ignored the ban and continue to play the game. While Iran is the first country to ban the game, The BBC also detailed that other countries have put some limits on play of the game, such as Indonesia, where police officers are forbidden from playing the game while on duty.
4. Niantic, Nintendo, and The Pokemon Company Sued Over Pokemon Go Players Trespassing
A lawsuit has been filed against the companies behind Pokemon Go, seeking class action status. The plaintiff is contesting that Niantic Labs set Pokestops and Pokemon Gyms on his property in Wesr Orange, New Jersey without his consent, and as a result players are hampering his quality of life. The suit was filed on July 29, giving Niantic Labs, Nintendo, and The Pokemon Company several weeks to respond to the suit.
IGN also took a look this week about whether Pokemon Go and the game's function of placing virtual goods on private property is even legal.
5. Man Falls Off Pier While Playing Pokemon Go
We wouldn't have believed it either, but IGN's own Andrew Goldfarb came into work with the injuries to prove it. Hear the details of his harrowing journey below.
As fun as Pokemon GO can be, it can become a grind as players begin to gain levels slower. Here’s every known method of earning XP to help plan and speed up trainer growth.
Pokemon GO may be a game built entirely around the premise of journeying out into the real world and fulfilling many peoples’ dreams of becoming a Pokemon trainer, but it’s easy to forget that in the world of Pocket Monsters, being a trainer is a full-time job. Pokemon GO starts out holding players’ hands and guiding them gently through the alternate reality game’s simple set-up, but sooner rather than later leveling up in Pokemon GO becomes a much more difficult task. Pokeballs become scarce, more frequent trips to Pokestops have to be made, and Pokemon begin to put up more of a fight when trainers attempt to catch them.
These elements haven’t stopped Pokemon GO from making Nintendo worth more than Sony for the first time in years, and they likely won’t stop many fans from continuing down the path to becoming a Pokemon master. People have already found a work around for Pokemon GO‘s broken tracking system, and luckily for those who are experiencing grind fatigue after the game’s easier earlier leveling, the solution for XP is much easier.
All trainers need to do is plan a little and maximize their chances and returns on the actions that generate XP. Here at Game Rant, we’ve assembled a list of every way gamers can earn XP in Niantic and Nintendo’s smash hit – and with careful, deliberate planning, most fans won’t even have to quit their jobs for Pokemon GO in order to rack up copious amounts of experience points.
0-50 XP Awarded
Train at a Gym – this XP amount varies based upon how strong the trainer’s selected Pokemon is. If the Pokemon is significantly overpowered, the trainer will earn less XP than using a Pokemon that is closer in strength to the others at the Gym.
10 XP Awarded
Curveball Bonus – awarded to players for spinning their Pokeball by rotating their finger very fast on the screen, which will then cause the Pokeball throw to have a distinct curve on it and require a different trajectory than normal.
Nice! Throw Bonus – awarded for players who simply get the Pokeball to land within the outer white circle when succeeding to capture the Pokemon on that throw.
50 XP Awarded
Great! Throw Bonus – awarded for players who get the Pokeball to land inside the inner circle when it is exactly half of its biggest size.
Pokestop Interaction
100 XP Awarded
Successful Pokemon Capture
Excellent! Throw Bonus – awarded for players who get the Pokeball to land inside the direct middle of the outer circle when the inner one is at its absolute smallest.
200 XP Awarded
Hatch an Egg (2km)
500 XP Awarded
Hatch an Egg (5km)
Add New Pokemon to Pokedex
Evolve a Pokemon
1000 XP Awarded
Hatch an Egg (10km)
Of course, all of this information is helpful, but it’s pretty clear that in a game with this many XP options, some methods will be better than others. In that regard, there is a clear winner – the Lucky Egg method that many gamers have been using to significantly decrease the amount of grind time in between levels.
The Lucky Egg method works as a result of some long-term planning. First, players need to save up a high amount of Pokemon who are cheap to evolve, since the evolve bonus is the same regardless of how much candy has been spent evolving the evolved Pokemon – Rattata, Pidgey, Caterpie, and Weedle are excellent choices for this method. Next, trainers should use the Lucky Egg item, which doubles the amount of XP a player earns for the next half hour. Next, it’s just a simple matter of evolving as many Pokemon as possible within that half hour to earn 1000 XP per evolution!
It might not be the glamorous life many people thought being a Pokemon Trainer might entail, but the power leveling Lucky Egg method works, and it works well. Just remember – as with any gameplay involving Pokemon GO, be safe, and if nothing else, make sure not to crash a car into a police officer’s vehicle while playing Pokemon GO.
Capturing Pokemon with AR on is part of the fun, especially when the pocket monsters pop up in inappropriate places, but it's way easier to capture Pokemon without worrying about aiming your phone camera. And strangers, for the most part, don't like having phones pointed at them. Why not turn off AR and relieve them of social anxiety? You can do that by tapping the AR toggle when you're capturing wild Pokemon. Pokemon will then sit perfectly still on a grassy field, though they will occasionally hop or gyrate to make capturing difficult. But at least this way you can focus on just the Pokemon, and not worry about reorienting the camera or suffering the death stares of real-life NPCs.
Summon Nearby Pokemon
After weeks of bug-squashing and feature-tweaking, the Pokemon locator tab is completely different. Now, instead of footsteps that indicate how close or far a certain Pokemon is, you'll just see a a Sightings section, with a graphic of the wild critter next to a tuft of grass and…that's it. No more footprints, no way of knowing if they're within spitting distance. Just if they're in the general area. At least it's better than playing blind.
However, the recent update also rolled out a more useful change, but only for a few users. If you're one of the lucky few, you can view the Pokemon that are wandering around nearby Pokestops. You'll see a series of real-world overlays of the Pokestops (for example, a picture of Madison Square Garden or the Liberty Bell), which you can then tap to view an overhead view, showing you where you should head towards. The Pokemon should be within a block or two of that particular landmark. But developer Niantic has been trigger-happy about pulling features, so tread carefully. This feature could change yet again in the near future…
CP Explained
CP simply means Combat Power, and it's the number above each wild Pokemon. It indicates their battle prowess, and as you gain more experience points (or XP) and level up as a Trainer, the CP of the Pokemon you find will become higher.
We're still learning about Combat Power, but here's what we know so far. In an individual Pokemon's stat screen, you'll see a semi-circle at the top. The part that's bold with a dot at the end indicates that Pokemon's current maximum Combat Point potential. Some Pokemon have higher maximum CP than others. For example, an intimidating, spiky Pinsir will likely be stronger than a tiny, wormy Caterpie. But, if you find a 50 CP Pikachu, that doesn't mean it's stronger than a 20 CP one. For efficiency's sake, though, you'll probably want to Power Up the 50 CP Pikachu with Candies.
Whether you Power Up or Evolve a Pokemon first is up to you. Some believe powering up a 'Mon before evolving it results in even higher CP, but there's no confirmation of that yet. But, your Pokemon's max CP rises along with your Trainer level, so don't neglect those curve balls (more on that shortly) and be sure to visit Pokestops whenever you can! Get dat XP!
Extra Note: It looks like your Pokemon's weight/size (XL or XS) could affect their stats, like CP, HP, and dodge speed. Again, there's a lot of rumor mongering and unconfirmed info out there at the moment, so that could be a bunch of Bouffalant hockey.
Check the Moves
You might catch a few different Staryus that are all around the same CP, but take a look at the two moves each Pokemon has when you catch it, and the power level of each move. If you catch a 98CP Staryu and a 105 CP Staryu, and the slightly weaker one has Water Gun and Psybeam, while the stronger one only knows how to Tackle and Body Slam, go for the better move set.
Next to each move you'll also see how much damage it does, along with a blue power meter for the second (more powerful) move, which indicates when your Pokemon's power move is ready to rock in a battle. Better moves, more power, better Pokemon. You can always make up some CP points later.
Can I Optimize Egg Hatching? And What's a Kilometer?!
While visiting Pokestops, you'll probably pick up some eggs, from which Pokemon hatch. But first, you need to incubate them, and then walk around. To do that, go to your Pokemon collection, and in the upper-right you'll see an Eggs tab. Tap that, choose an egg, then an incubator. Then you walk around and wait for the hatch.
Here's some advice: Don't waste your time incubating the 2K (kilometer) eggs unless you really want more low-level Pokemon (though that isn't a bad way to get a starter you missed or snag yourself a Pikachu). The 5K eggs can net you some decent ones like Cubone, Porygon, Machops, or Sandshrew. The 10K eggs get you more powerful, uncommon ones like Snorlax. Take a look at this handy infographic for a more in-depth egg breakdown, courtesy of Reddit.
Could You, Would You On a Train?
You can even hatch eggs if you're on a bicycle, bus, or train. The app just registers that you're moving; it won't actually care that you're not walking. So, you can hop on your bike and keep the app open to not only get some exercise, but hatch some sweet Snorlax bros as well. Another great way to incubate and hatch eggs is to go for a run!
To pick up more incubators, you can either buy them outright in the real-money Shop or by getting lucky at Pokestops, though they are rare. You also gain more incubators and other more rare items as you level up. And remember: Pokestops replenish every 10 to 15 minutes, which is remarkably fast for a free-to-play mobile game!
By the way, 5 kilometers is about equal to 3.1 miles. Pokemon Go, not only does it bring us together, it educates.
Pokeball 101
When capturing wild Pokemon, you can throw a curveball to gain more XP. All you have to do is jiggle the ball! Jiggle it good! Basically, you tap the ball, hold it, and spin it around clock- or counterclockwise until it sparkles. Once it's shining up, toss it and boom! If you capture the critter you'll get a curveball XP bonus.
But wait, there's more: Where you throw the curveball depends on how you throw after the spin. Apparently, it helps to throw the ball in the opposite direction of the initial spin. So, if you're spinning it clockwise, you'll want to toss the ball to the left. How the ball moves after a spin seems pretty random to me, though.
Supposedly, if you botch a toss you can tap the Pokeball when it bounces or rolls away in order to retrieve it. But I've been tapping away and trying this out for a while, with no real indication that it works. But some people online have say it works for them. Huge, if true.
The Razz Berries Taste Like Razz Berries!
We explained in our primer that razz berries are items you can feed a Pokemon to slow it down before you capture it. More importantly, you can use razz berries in tandem with a stronger Pokeball (especially once you start leveling up and unlocking Great Balls and Ultra Balls) to catch particularly feisty or extremely rare Pokemon that cross your path.
One of the aspiring trainers right here in the PCMag Labs caught themselves a Dragonair doing just that. Feed the Pokemon a razz berry, take out a Great Ball, give it some good arc on your throw, and catching just got a whole lot easier.
Gain More XP! Faster!!
The best way to grind XP is to capture multiple low-level Pokemon, pay attention to the number of candy they require to evolve, and wait until you have enough Candy for multiple evolutions at the same time. By capturing the same type of Pokémon over and over you gain more Stardust and Candy. So, don't think ill of all those Doduos, Caterpies, and Weedles! They're potentially useful because you can transfer duplicates, which will earn you 1 candy of that Pokemon type. Then, use a Lucky Egg and evolve all of the Pokemon at the same time to gain double the amount of XP. Pidgeys are especially pretty good for this.
Some words of wisdom on Stardust and Candy, though: think carefully about what Pokemon you want to power up now, and which ones you want to save for after you evolve. The more you power up a Pokemon you eventually plan on evolving, the longer it'll take you to collect the 25, 50, or 100 candies you need to evolve that little guy and see the Pokemon's CP skyrocket anyway. Pro tip: evolve the Pokemon first, then power it up. Better to use your stardust on Pokemon that are finished evolving or only have one form to optimize your battle lineup, with a bunch of even stronger Pokemon waiting in the wings, piling up candies to take your squad to the next level once they evolve.
But, Wait! What the Heck Is a Lucky Egg?!
It's an egg that's lucky! Really, it's filled with happiness and most importantly, grants you double the amount of experience points you can gain for 30 minutes at a time. You can only buy these in the Shop, with Coins. If you've got a couple Pokemon you're almost ready to evolve, save up those candies until you've got a Lucky Egg, then evolve them all one after another while the Lucky Egg's dank XP aura is in the air to double down on that extra CP and XP.
How Do I Transfer?!
Tap a Pokemon in the menu, scroll down below its bio, and tap Transfer. You get 1 candy per transfer. But you better be sure you want that Pokemon transferred to Professor Willow, because once you do, that Pokemon goes bye-bye.
How Much XP You Get for Each Action
Capture a Pokemon: 100 XP
Capture Bonuses:
Nice: 10 XP
Great: 100 XP
Excellent: 100 XP
Curveball: 10 XP
Hatch a Pokemon:
2K: 200 XP
5K: 500 XP
10K: 1000 XP
Evolve a Pokemon: 500 XP
Register a new Pokemon in your Pokedex: 500 XP
Check a Pokestop: 50 XP or 100 XP (if six or more items)
Training at a Gym: Depends on success
Battle Pokemon at a Gym: Depends on success
So far it looks like the maximum level you can reach in Pokemon Go is 100. You gain numerous rewards for each level gain, including Potions, Incense, Revives, Egg Incubators, and, eventually, Super Potions, Razz Berries, Hyper Potions, Great Balls, and Ultra Balls. The elusive Master Ball has yet to be glimpsed, but if you fulfill your destiny of finding and beating the Elite 4, maybe you can be the chosen one who's granted the ultimate Pokemon power and enters Cerulean Cave to find your Mewtwo.
Used Incense?! Then You Gotta Move!
Wily Reddit users found a way into the game's code to figure out how Incense works. In case you need a reminder, Incense covers your Trainer in a pink, fluffy fragrance that attracts wild Pokemon to your location for 30 minutes. But you can't just be complacent and sit there waiting for Pokemon. If you stay still, you'll only see one Pokemon every five minutes, which isn't a great way to spend your time. Instead, take a walk and you'll lure one Pokemon every 200 meters.
Location Matters
Just like in the core, handheld Pokemon games (or real-life animals) certain Pokemon types only dwell in certain locations. Do you want to collect a lot of Magikarps to evolve one of them into a fearsome Gyrados? Or fetch yourself a Squirtle? Then head down to the river, lake, or reservoir, because that's where Water-type Pokemon will appear! Want to catch Beedrill, Bulbasaur, or other Bug- and Plant-type critters? Take a stroll through the woods. And big-city dwellers may wonder why there are so many Electric-type Pokemon like Magnemite and Voltorb around. That's because they like to hang around electric billboards (maybe).
Evolve That Eevee! Rename It!
If you remember the original Pokemon cartoon, you may recall the three Eevee Brothers, who each owned one of Eevee's evolutions: a Flareon, Jolteon, and Vaporeon. If you nickname your Eevee one of the brothers' punny names, then it will evolve into your desired evolution! Want a Flareon? Then name it Pyro. Want a Jolteon? Name it Sparky! Jonesing for a Vaporeon? Then call it Rainer. This may not work all the time, however; it's an almost-guaranteed way to evolve one of your Eevees, but this weird method may not work 100 percent of the time.
Who's That Pokemon? It's Pikachu!
If you're already a Level 30 trainer, then you may not care about this tip. But if you're just starting out and you're about to select your starter Pokemon (Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle), don't! Like Lord Humongous says: "Just walk away!" Instead, walk away from the starters, and keep ignoring them, and eventually, the plump electric mouse himself will appear for you to recruit. Finally, you, too, can be just like Ash Ketchum.
More Pokemon Scanning! Track Them With Your Compass!
Remember that tab in the lower-right corner with the footsteps? Well, after you select a Pokemon you want to track, you can turn on your compass (the icon in the upper right), then slowly turn yourself around in a circle. The lower-right tab will begin to pulse green when you're facing the direction of the Pokemon you're tracking. Not only that, the pulse will quicken as you near your target.
Lighten Your Load, Throw Away Potions!
If you're anything like me, you shoot from the hip and let Pokeballs fly where they may. And, if you're anything like me, eventually, you're going to run out of Pokeballs that way. And if you stroll by a Pokestop, chances are your bag will be full and you will be unable to collect more Pokeballs! Well, don't let that stop you. Just open your inventory and chuck some potions. Chances are you don't need 99 of every Potion type, so get rid of some and you'll get your Pokeballs back in no time…so long as you stroll by more Pokestops, or wait around for them to refresh.
Have Patience, Kricketot! You Can Capture All Pokemon!
You don't have to evolve everything you come across. With patience, you could potentially find a Blastoise, or even a Charizard, out in the wild. Maybe even a Gyarados. Just don't expect Mew or any of the legendary birds, however—although their existence has been found in the game's code. They're locked away for now, but one day, we'll get 'em.
It's Over 1,000!!!
That's right. This is some advanced stuff. Just like in the core games, there are hidden stats called Individual Values, or IVs, that affect a Pokemon's strength. Wild Pokemon IVs are randomly determined, so that Pikachu with high CP and HP that you caught may actually—ultimately!—evolve into a weaker Raichu than a Pikachu with lower CP and HP, but higher IVs. That's why it's important to catch as many Pokemon as you can, so you can whittle them down to the best of the best.
If this all sounds confusing, don't worry about it. Just plug in your Pokemon's CP, HP, and the Stardust needed to evolve it into this IV Calculator. With that, you can figure out exactly which of your Pokemon to evolve. This is especially helpful if you have multiple candidates to evolve but a limited amount of Candy. It's like the Eugenics Wars of the 1990s, but with Snorlax!
Want the Best of the Best? Pay Attention to IVs!
Having a tough time battling gyms? Well, Reddit user Kyurun figured out how to guarantee your evolved Pokemon will have over 1,000 CP. Turns out, your unevolved 'Mon needs to have a minimum amount of CP before it can evolve. Refer to the handy chart above to find what those numbers are! It's not exact, however. You may evolve a Raichu with a CP number outside of the predicted range. For more accurate results, you'll have to pay attention to your Pokemon's IVs…
Team Time: Long Live Valor!
If you're just starting out, you may notice gyms that are blue, red, or yellow. And you've probably figured out that you can't do anything with gyms yet! That's because you need to be at Level 5. Once you are, visit a gym and join one of three teams: Team Mystic (blue), Team Valor (red), or Team Instinct (yellow). Each team has a leader: Blanche for blue, Candela for red, and Spark for yellow. Not only that, each team represents one of the three Legendary Birds: Articuno for blue, Moltres for red, and Zapdos for yellow.
Nothing's been confirmed yet, but this could mean that a future quest would reward each team member with a chance to catch their respective legendary bird. And there's some credence to that theory...
Articuno or Articunot?
...Articuno has already been found in the game! Sort of. (Developer Niantic has already taken it away.) And no, the person who caught it was not cheating, as you can read on our sister siteGeek.com. So, if you come across Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Mew, Mewtwo, or any of the other legendary Pokemon, keep in mind that they are NOT officially part of Pokemon Go (at least not of the time of this writing). Chances are, any lucky run-ins are mistakes on Niantic's part.
What's in a Nickname? Change It!
A new feature that was added with an Aug. 8 patch: Changing names! It's easy-peasy. Just tap the Pokeball on the main screen at the bottom > Settings > tap Change Nickname. You'll get a warning that you can only change your nickname once, so choose wisely, and make it count! And make sure it's at least PG-rated because other Trainers are going to see it.
PCMag Talks Pokemon Go
In a Special Edition of our daily news show, Random Access, PCMag analysts Matthew Buzzi, Ajay Kumar, Rob Marvin, and Timothy Torres chat all about Pokemon Go. The foursome dole out tips, debunk some rumors, discuss business, and talk about how Niantic and Nintendo's phenomenon has the world going crazy trying to catch them all.
