I love that you have a backpack in Pokemon Go. There is a name for a backpack filled with essential items, it’s called a Go Bag. A “Go Bag” is a backpack filled with either your daily essentials, or a bag filled with your most important survival tools. I wrote about EDU Go bags a few years ago, and then wrote about my Analog Maker Go Bag a few months ago. But this is NOT a post about teaching or learning. This is a post about playing Pokemon Go. Right now, if I had to pack a bag of essential tips, tricks, and Pokemon Go resources, for playing the game- here is what I would put in it.

The Pokemon Go subreddit

Here are just a few of the things I love about this subreddit

• The information is super current, like just this minute current
• The information is crowd-sourced and voted on
• There is a moderator
• There are pinned threads for the most important info

 

 SilphRoad Resources

Oh wow. These Pokemon Go users doing everything we want students, innovators to do. They are conducting real time research and sharing their findings with everyone. Just check out the SilphRoad listing of most powerful fighting Pokemon.

This is just a small sneak peak of the Pokemon Go information you can find on the SilphRoad site, go check it out for yourself and their video on Pokemon Go gym fighting is just amazing.

Kotaku

I am not a gamer, but my son is. I visit Kotaku regularly to get a peek into his world and the world of my students. I like the writing on this site. Just a heads up, while there is information that is teen friendly on this site, not everything on this site is kid safe or even work safe. It’s a site about video games ALL TYPES of video games. But here is a great primer on getting started on Pokemon GO.

 

 

I’ll add more as I find them, but here are a few more random thoughts, tips, tricks etc…

• There is a PokeRadar app on iOS. I don’t have an iPhone, but you might want to check it out if you do.
• There are TONS of Pokemon Maps showing up. The maps that show where to find certain Pokemons are a little wonky right now, but I’m sure they’ll fix them soon.
• If you are going to evolve a bunch of Pokemon Go at once and you have a lucky egg which gives you an XP bonus, use it before you start evolving your Pokemon.
• If you are having trouble with curve balls either turn on your AR or face a different way. Both seem to help.
• Here is the official Niantic Pokemon Go support page. Lots of good info for a new player.
• If you are near level 15 or 20, wait until you hit those levels to evolve your Pokemon. I have noticed a HUGE jump in the Pokemon I find and the power of their evolutions after hitting level 15.
• Don’t ignore Rattatas or Pidgeys or is it Pidgies? It’s easy to find a bunch and evolving them is a great way to earn XP when you are done playing for the day. Just transfer all but one of them then evolve and collect your XP and try and level up.
• NEW: I just read “The Pokemon Go Trainer’s Advanced Tactics Handbook” written at Lifehacker by Patrick Allan, it’s great.
• Be courteous while playing, think of others, including those not playing.

 

Oh and Yelp now has a Pokemon Go filter so you can see which coffee shops and restaurants have a Pokestop before you go.

If you are driving, walking, or working out at the gym- you can listen to a podcast that Jon Samuelson and I did on what Pokemon Go means to him and his autistic son and what it means to us as game players and what it could mean to education. It’s just a fun casual conversation, neither of us are level 20 yet, but we are getting there and we both really enjoy playing the game with our sons.

• Link to Techlandia Pokemon Go podcast on iTunes
• Link to Techlandia Pokemon Go podcast on Stitcher
• Or you can watch the Techlandia Pokemon Go podcast on Blab

Lastly, if you know where I can find a snorlax in Orange County or Los Angeles, PLEASE let me know. I’m dying to find one.

If I am missing a crucial or fun resource, video, website, twitter account etc… please, let me know about it in the comments below. Have fun. Go team Mystic!