As someone who has loved Pokemon since I was 7 and played through all generations apart from 4, I don't really get the hype for this and neither do I have any interest in it. I guess I could see the appeal of a Pokemon game in your cellphone, but I much prefer the classic, traditional pokemon game.
Well of course it doesn't come close to the mainline series, they have years upon years more work put into them with team(s) that are much larger and with an insanely larger budget.
The main series is a totally different game and superior in every way, I agree; but they're also apples and oranges. This will never even compare to a full fledged Game Freak Pokemon to me either. But for what it is, it's a really well done augmented reality game and is a fantastic way to have an excuse to get some exercise for those not inclined to normally do so as well as a fun way for people who do normally do so to spice up their routine and even more fun for people who know Pokemon. It was also very clearly designed to open up the market to new Pokemon players and...to say it's done so is a vast understatement.
If you go into it comparing it to anything along the mainline games, you'll be disappointed. But if you go into it with an open mind, I think you might be pleasantly surprised. If the concept just isn't your thing, that's a different story. But take it from someone who had less than zero interest and has also been an avid fan since the series' inception (with thousands upon thousands of hours throughout the games): It's a fun little distraction at worst and at best, it's a temporary addiction that actually benefits you (unless you do what other dipshits have done and don't pay attention to your surroundings, playing while driving, etc.) and gives you a constantly fun reason to pull your phone out at a random time during the day to see what critters inhabit the ether around you. Calling it "Pokemon on your cellphone" is a really shallow label of it, even if it's not technically wrong. Not that it's "
so much more than that", but it
is more.
Other than that, yeah, it's nothing too groundbreaking even as far as augmented reality goes. But for Pokemon, it's a great start and they could make it a lot more fun down the line. I thought it'd be shit, totally gimmicky and more or less a money grab. I haven't spent a dollar and yet I'm level 15 now, have a bunch of cool spots that I know to go to during my daily run/walk, places to go when work is slow and I can fool around a bit. It's just a really interesting and fun way to inject some excitement into your daily life with a little more spontaneity, is how I see it. Looking at it that way, it's fantastic. Best part, you really have absolutely nothing to lose by trying it out. The hype will die down soon enough and I'm sure it'll be much more lax for me, but it's fun to know I've got this always-there little game that is dependent on my daily routine and
encourages exploration. That's the part I love most. While it's a far cry from the main game, they really took the heart of the game and did something fun with it; the tagline may as well be "search far and wide". Just a spiel from a former naysayer!
(On that note, every time some Sun/Moon info comes out I totally forget about this game temporarily
)