Poke Radar app shows where you can find rare Pokemon
While the most popular augmented reality mobile game app, Pokemon Go continues to rule as the most sought after app to be downloaded in Apple’s App Store, there is another free app that is closing on Pokemon Go.
Known as Poke Radar for Pokemon Go, which premiered on July 14 is now the second-most-downloaded free app (currently iOS only) in Apple’s App Store. The reason is that the app helpfully maps where Pokemon are hiding all over the world and lets you search for specific Pokemon near you.
The tool (which is really just Google Maps with Pokemon scattered all over it) is available both on the web and as a mobile app. Unfortunately, the website is currently experiencing slow-down due to a lot of traffic due to the wide popularity of the game, so you’re better off with the mobile app.
“Using Poke Radar for Pokémon Go is extremely simple,” the app’s developer Braydon Batungbacal says in explaining the app. “You can view all of the nearby Pokémon in your area that have been discovered by yourself and other players on the map, along with the times of day they were found.”
In other words, the app allows players to search for Pokemon and submit their findings when they run across Pokemon anywhere in the world. This makes playing Pokemon Go much easier. Infact, timings for the sightings are also added, as that can be important in figuring out when the Pokemon appear.
The idea is that it works both ways, so you will finally be able to fill your Pokedex without spending hours wandering around without a purpose. Players can even set up a filter on the app to find specific Pokemon they need.
Certainly, the submission-dependent radar is very much vulnerable to trolls (or worse) dropping fake sightings. Poke Radar for Pokemon Go is only useful if its users share where they have found characters. Therefore, it is possible that the app may be useless in some locations.
“Since Poke Radar for Pokemon Go is driven by its community, it’s possible that there may not yet be Pokemon locations in your area when you first download the app,” the developer acknowledged in the app’s description. “If this is the case, you can go out and mark the locations of Pokemon you’ve found to help other players in your area.”
However, to combat this, the developers have created an “intelligent” rating system that allows you to up-vote or down-vote Pokemon sightings based on how helpful they are. In other words, you can help remove bogus sightings by voting them down.
The game has become the most popular mobile video game of all time and an international phenomenon. It’s also become a fixation for those looking for Pokemon, which in one case prompted a man to quit his day job to become a full-time Pokemon hunter.