It may feel like we've been waiting a loooong time for Pokémon Go App to officially launch here but we've received word that it's now available for Canadians. Since it's launch July 6 in the US, Australia and New Zealand, Niantic has been rolling out the game worldwide. But yes, the curious and eager Pokémon fans here were quick to find ways to get in on all the action earlier like setting up alternative Apple ID in the US. But fret no more my patient fellow Canadians... It's go time!
The free download is now available from both the App store and Google Play Stores. Did you know it's also the 20th anniversary of Pokémon? Watch for the launch of Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon - games to be released for Nintendo 3DS on November 18, 2016.
How well do you know Pokémon the franchise?
10 Things You Should Know About Pokémon
1. Pokémon was created by Satoshi Tajir, and launched in Japan in 1996. It features fictional creatures called "Pokémon" that humans catch, befriend, trade and train to battle each other.
2. Pokémon is the second-most successful and lucrative video game-based media franchise in the world, surpassed only by Nintendo's Mario franchise. Since its inception, it has spanned video games, animated television shows and movies, trading card games, comic books, toys and more. As of May 2016, the Pokémon media franchise has grossed the equivalent of 46.2 billion USD.
3. To this date, the animated television shows has spanned 19 seasons outside of Japan, counting over 737 episodes. 19 theatrical films have been released, in addition to other shorts and television specials.
4. There are currently 67 different Pokémon Trading Card Game sets released in English and 64 released in Japanese.
5. While there were originally a total of 151 Pokémon to discover, there are now more than 720 species that exist, and that number will keep growing as more are revealed with the release of Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon for the Nintendo 3DS and subsequent titles.
6. Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon mark the 7th generation of Pokémon games to date. Officially announced on February 26, 2016, they will be introducing the Hawaii-inspired Alola region. Both games will be available worldwide on November 18, 2016 in nine different languages; Japanese, English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Korean and Chinese (Traditional and Simplified).
7. Play! Pokémon is a division of The Pokémon Company known for hosting the Pokémon World Championships, a competitive eSports tournament which features the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) and the Pokémon video game series (VG). The Pokémon World Championships is an invite-only event where the best players of the season compete for scholarship money, prizes and the title of World Champion. The 2014 Pokémon World Championships was held in Washington, D.C. with the presence of more than 155 trainers from around the world. This year, the 2016 Pokémon World Championships will be held in San Francisco, California.
8. Pokémon have types that help players get a hint on what their strengths and weaknesses are, as they behave in a Rock-Paper-Scissors fashion. A total of 18 Pokémon types currently exist: Normal, Fire, Water, Grass, Electric, Ground, Rock, Ice, Poison, Bug, Flying, Fighting, Psychic, Ghost, Dragon, Steel, Dark and Fairy.Pikachu, for instance, is an Electric type.
9. Discovering new Pokémon and capturing them in the wild are two of the most fundamental aspects of the franchise. Pokémon trainers use devices known as Poké Balls to catch Pokémon and store them in computers for later use. In the games, up to six Pokémon can be carried by Pokémon trainers in Poké Balls.
10. Another key aspect of Pokémon is their ability to evolve and grow stronger with the care of their Pokémon Trainer. While most Pokémon evolve simply by gaining experience from battling each other, some may also evolve with more complex methods, such as by coming into contact with special stones, by being traded with other players, or by being cared for and having their happiness level increased.