By Declan Lloyd
Pokémon Go has at last been updated to encompass the second generation Pokémon games.
The long awaited update to last summer’s most popular app arrived on February 16 and it appears that people in Leicester are as eager as anywhere else to get their hands on it.
Not only does the update include new Pokémon, from the second generation Pokémon games, but it also includes genders for Pokémon, items to help Pokémon evolve and new berries.
Pokémon Go is an augmented-reality mobile phone app that allows users to catch in-game ‘monsters’ known as Pokémon.
It is based on the original Pokémon games, by Nintendo and Game Freak, which first came out in the late 90s.
Since the release of the first games, Pokémon has been one of the most popular entertainment franchises of the last 20 years with a TV show and widely popular card game to add to its roster.
The generation two update has been long awaited by fans, since it was announced that the app would be updated to include each Pokémon generation.
Chris Rowe, a business student at DMU, said: “I was really looking forward to the Pokémon Go update, Nintendo took their time, but finally I can go out and catch gen 2 Pokémon.
Chris Rowe playing the Pokémon Go Update“As well as new Pokémon there are also new items to help evolve Pokémon you already have.”
Cathy Newton, a full time mother who lives in Leicester, said: “The kids love the update, I’m not sure what exactly has been updated as I only played it for about a day in the summer.
“It’s great though, it kept the kids outside in the summer and hopefully it will do so again.”
However despite an increase in the users of Pokémon Go after the update went live, it is unlikely that the number of users will get close to how many there were in the summer.
A suspected reason for the lack of early success for the Pokémon Go update is that lack of features that were promised early on for Pokémon Go such as trading, directly battling opponents, breeding and the release of legendary Pokémon.
Mr Rowe added: “I still can’t believe that six months on from the original release that the original features that we were promised aren’t there.”
