Tons Of New Pokemon Coming To Pokemon Go
Pokémon Go's next update is a big one. In addition to 80 new Pokémon plucked from the series' second generation entries, Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver, developer Niantic Labs will introduce a number of new mechanical elements to the game, making Pokémon Go much deeper—and, for really dedicated fans, much more expensive.
Obviously, the brand new Pokémon are the big draw here, and Niantic Labs is giving a lot of attention to fan-favorite newcomers like Murkrow, Cyndaquil, and Totodile. The update is bigger than just new Pokémon, however. In addition to all the new critters, select Pokémon will now come in gender-based variants, while both old and new Pokémon will express a wider variety of reactions in Pokémon Go's encounter mode, meaning that there will be all kinds of new ways for Pokémon to dodge incoming Pokéballs.
But that's not all. In order to help you catch all these new Pokémon, Niantic is adding a few fresh types of berries that'll change Pokémon's behavior. Nanab Berries slow Pokémon down, making them easier to snag, while Pinap Berries double the amount of candy earned on your next capture attempt—if you're successful. An item carousel on the encounter screen will make it easier to use these power-ups, too.
Other changes coming to Pokémon Go might be more controversial. Many Pokémon—including ones already in the game—will need special items in order evolve into second-generation creatures. That's fine, but as Ars Technica notes, Pokémon Go already has limited inventory space, and players who need more room to store the new goodies will be forced to shell out actual cash.
Finally, Niantic is also adding a number of new cosmetic items to the game, which can be used to trick out your Pokémon Go avatar. The update should be out sometime this week.
Pokémon Go is Niantic Labs' augmented-reality spin on Nintendo's series of role-playing games, which brings Pokémon into the real world using your smart device's GPS. While Pokémon Go isn't as deep as its console brethren, plenty of people are still playing the game—despite its flaws, there are plenty of things that make Pokémon Go incredibly addictive.