Everything You Need To Know About Pokemon Go In London

By Zoe Craig Last edited 88 months ago

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Everything You Need To Know About Pokemon Go In London

Spotted anyone acting strangely on the streets of London this week? Chances are they're playing the big new interactive game Pokemon Go.

What is Pokemon Go?

In Pokemon Go, Pikachu, Charizard, Bulbasaur, Charmeleon, and all the other Pokemon creatures have come to planet earth: and you can catch them using your phone.

Walk around town; your phone will vibrate when a Pokemon is close; and you can try and flick Pokeballs at it (stay with us) to try and 'catch' it.

Some give in easily; others resist capture, and will keep you jabbing at your phone like a loon for a good few minutes, before you maybe give up and actually go on with your commute.

So, I've caught a Pokemon. What now?

Now you can use your Pokemon to fight other Pokemon at Pokemon Gyms: designated places for this kind of competitive combat.

Where are London's Pokemon Gyms?

Yes, the rumours are true: Big Ben is a Pokemon Gym. (Insert your own joke here about the scrappy nature of politics at the moment...)

Other Pokemon Gyms we know about in London are in Piccadilly Circus, Covent Garden, at the Fourth Plinth, in Waterloo Station and the London Eye.

Tell me about Pokestops

We think the Pokestops part of the game is great.

As we said, to catch Pokemon, you need Pokeballs. And to get more Pokeballs, you need to head to Pokestops: local places of interest, like statues, churches, memorials. Which offer little Londony factoids in return for your time.

What a great way to get out and about and see more of London, right?

Where are London's Pokestops?

Pokestops are all over the place.

But cool ones we've spotted include the Savoy Hotel, the Charlie Chaplin statue in Leicester Square; the Winston Churchill statue in Parliament Square; on Waterloo Bridge; and at the Cenotaph.

What does Pokemon Go look like?

Pokemon Go is all about 'augmented reality': your phone will show you the real world (albeit a slightly garish cartoony version) overlaid with slightly bonkers pictures of the monsters from the Pokemon world.

The game uses your phone's camera, so you get a slightly surreal impression of looking at the world in front of you with a wriggling creature in it only you can see.

How To Download Pokemon Go in London

If you're desperate to start playing Pokemon Go, here's how.

On Android, you can get Pokemon Go via Google Play here.

If you're using an iPhone, you can download Pokemon Go from iTunes here.

Is Pokemon Go a bit addictive?

In a word: yes. Stats suggest it's more popular than Tinder. And is hot on the heels of Twitter. Don't say we didn't warn you.

Last Updated 25 November 2016