This afternoon I nearly stepped on an old lady, and I ran into a baby.
Yes, I’ve been playing Pokemon Go.
The game, which is played on smartphones and involves hunting down cartoon characters, has taken over the world the week since its release.
According to those who have been playing the game in the UAE, the game is addictive and brings back childhood memories. To see what the fuss was all about, I downloaded Pokemon Go and ventured to Dubai Mall to “catch ‘em all” myself.
I’ve never been addicted to technology and phone games such as Angry Birds or Temple Run never interested me. After playing Pokemon Go, however, I take that back.
It is as addictive as people say it is.
So what’s it like to play? At first it was very confusing, since the mini-me in the game kept going in circles and it was difficult to manoeuvre myself. Also, I thought that the game automatically shows you where you are, but that only happens when the Pokemon comes close enough for you to grab it. However, 15 minutes into the game, I saw the light and I had finally got the hang of things. There is a sense of accomplishment that comes with catching one and you really feel like Ash Ketchum and his friends.
Did I crash into things? Yes, I did.
I nearly ran into the Michael Kors show window and a baby but it was all worth it.
I almost stepped on an old lady sitting on a bench, but you can’t blame me for that — Growlithe was right on top of her.
I found lots of people playing the game at the mall, running around as frenzied as I was. Beside the excitement that comes with the game, it is real exercise. I was so exhausted going up escalators and running in and out of shops that I could almost feel myself losing weight. It’s the best workout you can ask for because not only is it fun, it also leaves you feeling satisfied and accomplished.
Am I addicted to this game? Maybe. It’s too soon to say as of now but I definitely want to play it again. The more Pokemons you catch, the more levels you pass and you can lose yourself in this completely different universe.
And though hospitals probably have Pokemons too, just try your best not to run into things.
— Shreya Bhatia is an intern at tabloid!
