Jaye tries: Pokémon Go

The day was July 6, 2016, and the event was the release of Pokémon Go. The gaming world as we know it has been changed forever.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Pokémon, the cute, cartoon critters that debuted in Japan in 1996. There was no better way to celebrate than to give the original 1990s game a modern day facelift.

The Pokémon franchise began as a pair of video games intended for the original Nintendo Game Boy. It now spans video games, trading card games, animated television shows, movies, comic books and toys. These small little characters sure do get around.

In the original game, the objective was to find and capture mythical creatures called Pokémon. The new version of the game is not much different.

Players download the app on their Android or iOS phones, choose a team and start playing. They use GPS and augmented reality to capture Pokémon, to fight and to earn items. On their screens, players see these Pokémon creatures pop into existence alongside real-world physical objects. The game lays a sort of semi-transparent Poké-world over actual, geographical locations. For example, driving near Papa Vito’s in Belleville, a horsea character popped up.

Professor Willow, the game’s main character, will tell you when there are Pokémon nearby. Players visit real-world locations to fight other Pokémon and earn items. Certain Pokémon creatures are elusive and are worth more points.

Hatching a Pokémon egg requires a player to walk anywhere from 2 to 10 kilometers.

For more information on the origins of Pokémon, visit Fantasy Books in Belleville or call 618-235-0844.

This story was originally published July 19, 2016 at 12:20 PM with the headline "Jaye tries: Pokémon Go."