Pokemon GO still does what the main series can't 10 years later

It's hard to believe that Pokémon GO is already 10 years old, and it is still one of the most immersive Pokémon experiences the franchise has ever seen. I was a sophomore in college when Pokémon GO first launched, and it immediately took over my life and that of my friends. Exploring the local parks, different corners of campus, and places in town we'd never even thought of visiting quickly made it one of the most exciting games we'd experienced at the time, and it still keeps players hooked a decade later.

July 6 marked a whole decade of Pokémon GOand there have been no signs of the mobile spin-off slowing down anytime soon. It hasn't always been a perfect game by any means. Pokémon GOs microtransactions can often be frustrating, and it can really put a strain on your phone's battery. Despite the drawbacks, this game has managed to do what Pokémon franchise has always tried to achieve; Immerse players fully into the life of a Pokemon Trainer.

Pokemon has tried to give players the full experience of Pokemon trainers, but Pokemon GO continues to beat the main games.

It's not like the head Pokémon games are not fun. There is a reason why Pokémon name has remained one of the most popular gaming brands in the industry. However, none of them have managed to hit the special mark that Pokémon GO has succeeded. The first one Pokémon game I ever got my hands on was Ruby and Sapphire for my trusty Game Boy Advance, and I was instantly hooked. As my gaming tastes expanded and I became more interested in single-player games such as Uncharted and Red Dead Redemption, Pokémon took a bit of a back seat in my life. However, that changed when Pokémon GO got that love moving again.

For the first time in the franchise's history, players could actually experience being a Pokémon trainer first hand. The augmented reality made it feel like the world away Pokémon finally bled over to reality. Not only that, but it also opened up players to a whole new community. The friends on the road were a reminder that gaming didn't always have to be a solitary hobby.

Pokemon GO turned gaming into a much more social experience

Unless it's a multiplayer game, video games can sometimes be isolating. When it comes to the main line Pokémon games it's easy to just lose yourself playing and exploring for hours on end. There's nothing wrong with that at all, though Pokemon GO proved that there is a way to play for hours while going out into the world and meeting new people and finding an interesting community. Pokémon GO Raider and community events add an extra fun social layer that makes it that much more unique.

Exploring through your town or city and stumbling upon another fellow player is a special feature of Pokémon GOs gameplay that has made it an entire pop culture phenomenon. Such a large community is what has helped the game reach the 10-year mark, and Pokémon GOThe future may be just as promising. The game may not be as viral as it was in 2016, but the player base is still incredibly strong and deeply dedicated to feeling like the Pokemon Trainer they've always wished they could be in the other games.

Pokemon GO isn't the only exciting thing about the future of the franchise

Pokémon fans across the board will have a lot to look forward to in the future. It is already confirmed that Pokémon GO The August event will add Gen 8's Arrokuda, Barraskewda, and Cramorant to the game, and there will be even more events in the coming months. Only time will tell Pokémon GO have another 10 years left, but each new Pokémon generation gives the mobile game plenty of fresh material to work with.

The next Mainline Pokemon game will hopefully come close to matching Pokemon GO's mark

Then the next Pokémon game will be another RPG title, it's clear that it won't necessarily offer the immersive first-person gameplay that Pokémon GO can. But it still manages to give fans a fresh and satisfying take on the series that makes playing it just as fun as the mobile spin-off. Frankly, it will be difficult for anyone else Pokémon game to replicate what Pokémon GO can do, but that doesn't mean future mainline games will lack fun.

One of the most important aspects that continue to do Pokémon GO shining brighter than some of the main titles are the performance issues that have plagued the current era. Switch Pokémon Game performance issues have kept the series in a strange and frustrating state, though Winds and waves can hopefully be the game that corrects these errors. The Switch 2 is a much stronger console than its predecessor, and that could potentially do the trick Winds and waves a Pokémon game that is as fun as Pokémon GO.

As the year continues, it will be especially exciting to see what Pokemon winds and waves' the game has to offer that can potentially not be experienced in any other game. Between Pokémon GO and Winds and waves and Pokémon GOboth can be great games to jump back and forth between with friends. No matter how Winds and waves turns out Pokémon GO obviously scraping the Pokemon Trainer fandom that so many longtime fans have had since the early days of the franchise. It can do what no one else can Pokémon games can, and it will be fascinating to see what the next decade has to offer.

System

Released

July 6, 2016

Engine

Unit

Multiplayer

Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op