This afternoon, Niantic released 50 new Pokemon in Pokemon Go. These are from the third generation of Pokemon game, Ruby and Sapphire. We first saw a few ghost types from that generation last October as part of the Halloween event. That was just a preview, although it’s worth noting that the full generation has yet to release. Still, those included in the latest wave are some pretty interesting ones. The three starters, Salamence and Aggron, and even the legendary Groudon came out with this update.
Yet this news is not even the most exciting to come from the game today. Niantic also released a new weather feature. This update boosts the number of certain types of Pokemon, their strength, their moves, and the stardust gained from capturing them based on the local weather. For example, rain will cause more water Pokemon to appear. Snow will make it easier to find ice Pokemon. And less obvious, wind will have players spotting more dragon Pokemon, which is explainable but I’m not complaining. The full list of weather conditions also includes sun, wind, fog, and partial clouds. A small icon appears in the lower right corner of your phone’s screen which will allow you to view the weather and which types it favors.
A few tiny tweaks also exist. Maximum storage has been increased from 1,000 to 1,500. Each player automatically gets an extra 50. Battles look slightly different, as the charge attack meter is now at the bottom of the screen. When the attack becomes available, players now press a button that appears above the meter instead of holding down on the screen. This may help trim some of the precious seconds lost while previously doing so. It would’ve been nice for me to know this before I thought my game had glitched during a raid today. But hey, now you know and that’s what I’m here for.
Last but not least, there’s a new feature allowing players to set predetermined “Battle Teams” for use. While smaller in scope, this update has significance. Players have complained for a while about the wonky system that recommends Pokemon for raids. While you could always change your lineup, it could often be time consuming and tedious. This update allows each player to have up to five set named teams of six Pokemon each. Want one team specifically for when you get to fight Mewtwo? Sure. You can assemble that team and name it something like “Mewtwo’s Reckoning” or whatever will remind you that it’s for him.
So all in all, a relatively large update for Pokemon Go, especially as winter approaches and players need more incentive to venture outside. Surprisingly, Niantic promises more in store for the coming couple of months, and data-miners have already found code for more updates. Just when I thought I’d be giving the game a break for the winter, it looks like I’ll just have to get those new 50 Pokemon. Thankfully, even bad weather has an incentive for me to play now.
