Pokemon and... Google Maps?!

[JP]

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2014/03/31/become-a-pokemon-master-using-google-maps.aspx

"In what is obviously an early April Fools Joke (and possibly the best one ever), Google has announced a competition: to work at Google as a Pokémon Master. All you have to do to secure this legendary position is use your smartphone to explore Google Maps and capture as many Pokémon as you can. The best part about this joke though is that it's actually real. Kind of. You can start capturing Pokemon right now, just be sure to update your Google Maps app on your phone and then click into the search bar to start."

This is the greatest thing ever. I've given it a go, and it's not the funnest thing ever, but it sure is worth trying out for the sake of it. Such an interesting idea, hope we see this kind of thing develop some more in the future!

 

[Cherrim]

Google Maps: Pokémon Challenge

​

I searched around and didn't see a thread about this yet. Google Maps's April Fools joke this year is Pokémon-related! You can open the app in any iOS/Android phone and wander around the map catching Pokémon (which, coincidentally, seem to all be around Google HQs which show up as Pokémon Labs).

The Pokédex looks like it has a cap of 150 but I haven't played around with it enough to know yet.

edit: ahh looks like someone beat me to it while I was typing this, whoops.

 

[moon]

THIS IS LEGIT THE COOLEST THING SINCE PHISH FOOD BEN & JERRYS. Except I somehow don't think it'll look as cool as it does in that clip :p

 

[Meganium]

I am literally SCREAMING THIS IS THE BEST THING EVER SINCE GOOGLE, KANSAS.

Because screw this I'm dropping out of college to become a Pokemon Master!

 

[Cherrim]

I'm at 80. All the cool Pokémon seem to be in Japan, so searching "Google Japan" and wandering around that area is a pretty good idea.

Where did everyone start? I go their lab in San Francisco, I think. The writer of the first news article I read seemed to start somewhere else. There seem to be a lot of Pokémon around the main Google HQs that actually get lab icons.

 

[Smeargle]

Did anyone else have a pokemon near their house?
I had a metang right across the street.
I looked outside but it wasn't there, someone must have got it before me xD

 

[Colress Machine]

This is literally the best thing ever. Whichever Google employee came up with this deserves all the awards. I can't wait to play later this afternoon!!!!

 

[JP]

Did anyone else have a pokemon near their house?
I had a metang right across the street.
I looked outside but it wasn't there, someone must have got it before me xD

Nice! I looked but saw nothing for my house. :( Should check all my past residences for something.

 

[Synerjee]

I purposely downloaded Google Maps for this gem. My Pokemon Lab is in Japan! <3 Right now I have caught 21 Pokemon and counting. IMMA BE THE BEST POKEMON MASTER.

 

[classiccartoonsftw]

I can't seem to find any Pokemon outside of France. Does anyone know a few places where a lot of Pokemon can be caught?

 

[JP]

http://kotaku.com/how-to-find-pokemon-on-google-maps-1555465846

Here's a short list of some of the ones you can find at major landmarks. I found a Garchomp near the Great Wall of China too!

 

[Cherrim]

- Search "Google Tokyo". There are a TON in Tokyo if you follow along the rail lines and large roads from there.

- Charles Darwin Research Station in the Galapagos islands has a lot of Pokemon. (They are all over that island and near the airport to it, too. An excellent touch, I thought!)

- CERN research lab had a few around it that I hadn't seen elsewhere.

- If you look up the Pokemon Centre stores in Japan, a fair few of them had Pokemon nearby iirc.

- I found a few scrolling around London, England

- Google's HQ in San Francisco have a few. (That was the lab where I started.)

(edit: omg JP keeps beating me to these posts hahaha.)

 

[Sorbet]

114 Pokémon and counting. Kinda interesting that you get a Pichu when you've caught x5 Pokémon, a Pikachu when you've caught x25 and a Raichu when you've caught x75. The x150 spot is still empty for me, so MAYBE ITS A ZOMG MEGALUTION or a Mewtwo or something.

 

[Colress Machine]

I just started and I'm at 30. This is the best thing I've ever seen in my life.

 

[Zorogami]

I thought the same thing!! Im really excited to see what the 150x symbol is.
I think ive never spent so much time on maps xD got 50 now!!

 

[JP]

114 Pokémon and counting. Kinda interesting that you get a Pichu when you've caught x5 Pokémon, a Pikachu when you've caught x25 and a Raichu when you've caught x75. The x150 spot is still empty for me, so MAYBE ITS A ZOMG MEGALUTION or a Mewtwo or something.

I'd be willing to bet money it's either Mew or Mewtwo for nostalgia sake.

 

[Sorbet]

I'd be willing to bet money it's either Mew or Mewtwo for nostalgia sake.

Yeah probably, but it would be an awesome way to announce new games or at least some DLC or something. Even though the announcement would still be on April 1st...

 

[JP]

Yeah probably, but it would be an awesome way to announce new games or at least some DLC or something. Even though the announcement would still be on April 1st...

Ha, yeah. I doubt we'd see a major announcement on April 1st haha. What would crack me up is if the x150 ended up being a Digimon haha. That'd be great.

 

[Talon Flare]

Did you know there is a road named Pokemon Drive in Jackson, Kentucky, no joke

 

[Cherrim]

Did you know there is a road named Pokemon Drive in Jackson, Kentucky, no joke

...I am immensely disappointed that there isn't anything there. :(