By Joel van der Veen
DAVIDSON — If you’re gonna catch ‘em all, you’ve got to start somewhere.
The Pokémon Go craze that swept across North America in recent weeks has made its way to the Midway Town.
It has attracted a loyal following here, primarily among players in their teens and 20s — though some of them may be in denial about it.
The game officially became available on Apple (iOS) and Android mobile devices in Canada on July 17.
It is the latest entry in the longrunning Pokémon franchise — the name being an abbreviation of the words “Pocket Monsters.”
Gamers are tasked with catching the creatures in the wild, training them and battling them against others, with the ultimate goal of becoming the greatest Pokémon trainer.
Rather than navigating through a virtual world as in past games, the new game uses “augmented reality,” incorporating the real world through the use of the camera on the player’s phone.
Players are required to walk around looking for Pokémon characters, which are shown superimposed onto the environment on the screen.
When they encounter the critters, they can “catch” them using Poke Balls, working their way towards collecting all 151 of the original Pokémon.
Players can also look for PokéStops, where they can obtain the supplies needed to progress in the game, and Pokémon gyms, where they can battle other players.
Both PokéStops and gyms are associated with real-world landmarks, and can be found in cities and towns across North America, including Davidson.
The game made its debut in early July and has already been downloaded by 30 million users.