Hey Geek Gals, I love being a Geek Gal, but there can be a downside to my geekiness. Most of my geek activities are sedentary…reading, binge-watching Netflix, gaming, all that. I am not athletic by any means, and I was the kid always concocting various excuses to get out of PE.
https://tenor.com/embed.jsBut Geek Gals, I am here to tell you that it will catch up with you and you need to move! So I decided to revisit an old friend, the Pokemon Go game, and check out a new one, the Harry Potter: Wizards Unite game, to get me moving!
Gotta Catch ‘Em All!!!
https://tenor.com/embed.jsThe Detective Pikachu movie came out this spring and I fell in love with the cute little yellow fellow all over again. Ryan Reynolds voiced Pikachu, who was adorable, and it brought me back to the world of Pokemon!
Now, I played Pokemon Go when it originally came out in 2016, but then interest waned as I seemed doomed to run into Rattatas and Remoraids all the time. BUT! It did make me move. Whether I was hatching eggs, walking Feebas to evolve into Milotic, or trying to hit all my field and special research tasks for special candy, I had to move. So, I downloaded it to my phone and started MOVING. I hadn’t played in a couple years and I wanted to see if it was different. There may have been some updates and minor changes, but it is pretty much the same game.
Alohomora!!!
https://tenor.com/embed.jsConveniently as I was reacquainting myself with Bulbasaur and Chancey, Niantic (the company that developed Pokemon Go) released Wizards Unite, based in the Harry Potter universe. I felt it within my duties as a Hufflepuff to check it out!
So I downloaded Wizards Unite and chose my wizard name (HuffleyPuff)…which by the way, I’m a Hufflepuff and my favorite Pokemon is Jigglypuff…coincidence? I think not! Soon, instead of catching Pocket Monsters, I was retrieving Foundables. Similar to Pokemon Go, it is GPS -based, has an augmented reality feature and is more like an RPG game as the more you level up, the more you are able to add to your profile, such as choosing a profession. The premise, though, is much the same as you fight in fortresses and these are also subject to raids.
My thoughts on the two games
Stop and Read, Stop and Read…
https://tenor.com/embed.jsOkay, I love to read. Love, love, love books… But not when I am trying to walk and am in a rhythm. Pokemon Go has very little script, save for occasional interludes with Team Rocket, or notifications of raids and events. But oh my lord, on Wizards Unite, I was clicking through dialogue bubbles like crazy! It was like getting through novels to get to the actual part of the game!
This required concentration was seriously interrupting my gameplay. And it was starting to get confusing as what exactly I was looking for…am I solving mysteries? Am I looking for potions and portkeys? I run into fortresses, inns and greenhouses…wait, what’s the difference? It got hard to keep up. Here’s the thing, I want to play a game, not feel like I’m learning rocket science, or trying to trace the spell on the screen EXACTLY how they want me to in order to execute a proper spell!
NOTHING FOR MILES!
https://tenor.com/embed.jsOne of the main complaints with Pokemon Go has been and still is areas with no pokestops or Pokemon to catch. If you are not in a city, or populated area, there is absolutely nothing to do and you have to walk forever and ever to get anything. But wait, you’re saying, the point of this IS to walk? Yes, it is, but with the enticement of getting pokeball and potions, and running into Cherrim or Pikachu in a garden hat and sunglasses. When I’m walking without the entertainment, it reverts back into just walking…and walking.
But which do I prefer?
https://tenor.com/embed.jsUltimately my friends, I prefer my old friends in Pokemon Go for some daily exercise and movement. Not gonna lie, I love evolving all the Evees into Vaporeons and Espeons, and it’s much easier for me to walk and hit the occasional Pokestop in a leisurely manner.
That said, Wizards Unite is visually stunning. And I love how the lore is post-Hogwarts and encompasses Fantastic Beasts as well. So I can visit this wizarding world when I’m commuting to work, or not feeling the hustle and bustle of exercise and I have the time to appreciate all the details and storylines.
Featured image credit: Niantic Labs
Geek Gals 