Summary
APokemon GOfan made an unusual find when booting up the game on an older phone, discovering a version of the game shortly following its launch. The massively popular monster-catching mobile game has seen many changes in the nearly nine years since Niantic and The Pokemon Company first debuted their ambitious collaboration to the world. The game saw a frenzy of popularity following its launch and has continued to add fan-requested features from Remote Raids totrading Pokemon with friendsand plenty more. Now, one fan’s older phone still holds a piece of the game’s early days.
Pokemon GOtook the gaming world by storm following its official release in July 2016, with the game quickly amassing a staggering player base.Pokemon GOracked up more than 500 million downloads from players around the world by the end of 2016 and flourished in the years following, with more than 1 billion downloads to date. The game also helped to establish developer Niantic as a mainstay in mobile gaming, later releasing popular games likePikmin BloomandMonster Hunter Now. A longtimePokemonfan is now reminiscing about the mobile game’s early days.
Reddit user DeltaP42 shared their nostalgic discovery on the officialPokemon GOsubreddit, sharing a photo of an older phone. The phone displays the “No internet connectivity” message atop one of the oldest loading screens forPokemon GO, used after the game’s 2016 launch. The photo also includesPokemon GO’s staple safety message, encouraging players to be aware of their surroundings while walking around playing the game. Theiconic Gyarados loading screenwas only present for a short duration after launch, cycling out for a Halloween-themed graphic in October 2016.
Pokemon GO Fan Finds Old Version of the Game
The classicPokemon GOloading screen saw plenty of nostalgic vibes from fans looking back on the game’s early days. Many proposed that the game’s older loading screen and artistic style should make a comeback, potentially aligning withPokemon GO’s tenth anniversary next year. Others shared their own memories of playing the game, including one fan reminiscing on the “footstep radar” originally used to track the player’s distance fromdifferent nearby Pokemon.
Pokemon GO’s popularity helped to usher in a new era for the franchise, with many mobile games from the series looking to follow in its footsteps.Pokemonhas debuted a wide variety of mobile games in the years sinceGO’s debut, from puzzle games likePokemon Cafe Remixto lifestyle-based games likePokemon Sleep. ThePokemon TCGhas even seen a major presence on mobile devices, withTCG Liveas a direct adaptation of the physical card game andTCG Pocketas a faster streamlined version.Pokemon GOset the franchise up for success in the mobile gaming market, even from the game’s earliest days.
