Nathaniel Clark – A&E Editor

nuc5002@psu.edu 

Photo Credit: Niantic/The Pokémon Company

Whenever most people think or hear of “Pokémon GO,” there is a heavy chance that the summer of 2016 comes to mind. A surprisingly enjoyable time in retrospect, that was the summer in which “Pokémon GO” reigned supreme. You could not go to a public place without at least tons of people playing the game on their phone. It was like a mania. I remember seeing clips of hoards of people moving from spot to spot in Central Park to catch a Snorlax and the media warning people not to step in the street while playing the game. 

While the time of “Pokémon Go”’s supremacy has indeed passed, the game is still consistently updated, adding a variety of new pocket monsters for players to catch and battle. This is to be expected, as the game still has a relatively massive fanbase, but what if I told you that Penn State Behrend might be one of the more interesting places to play this still entertaining mobile game? Ladies, Gentlemen, and ENBYs, let me act as your guide to Behrend’s surprisingly massive “Pokémon GO” scene. 

When you first log into “Pokémon GO” on Behrend, one of the biggest positives of the campus is evident. Every single residence hall, building, and monument is either a PokéStop or Gym. While newer players might not understand how much of a worthwhile opportunity this is in comparison to off-campus areas, attempting to play there shows its true colors. If we were to compare the number of places on Behrend to, for example, the area around the Millcreek Mall, the two places are night and day. Many Millcreek mall stores likely used to have PokéStops and Gyms but disappeared due to lack of use. The same cannot be said about Behrend Campus of course where it is thriving with activity. The amount of these landmarks on the “GO” map leaves the campus covered with Pokémon no matter what location you are in. Additionally, if you are ever in need of any supplies, there is likely a PokéStop there for you to get some. 

With the number of areas marked on the campus, you might wonder how many people are using these locations. While I do not have any definite calculations, what I can say from firsthand experience is that Behrend’s “GO” community is teeming with activity. The Gyms are constantly shifting either Team Instinct (yellow), Mystic (blue), or Valor (red), keeping the whole area unique and different daily. Additionally, the types of Pokémon you see at these Gyms are always an interesting sight. Due to the size of the community and the number of International students on campus, there is a high chance you may spot rare shinies or even regional-exclusives protecting a Gym.

With all of the positives I have named, you might be wondering how you can contact other Behrend “GO” players. Luckily for you, there is a GroupMe with over 250 members. In the chat, people share their cool catches, give in-game gifts, and can even come by your side and assist you in raids. If you are looking to join, here’s the link: https://groupme.com/join_group/32506122/eqwPxPnl

If you are looking for something to do to pass the time on the beautiful Penn State Behrend Campus, why not try and play some “Pokémon GO” to relive the nostalgic 2016 feeling.

Author’s Note: If you would like to add me, my Username is VingusLingus and my Trainer Code is 5827 9569 3826.