Pokemon Go Releases Tutorial Videos for New Players

Pokemon Go has released a series of tutorial videos showing new players how to play the game.

Late Saturday evening, Pokemon Go posted five new videos on YouTube that explain some of the game’s core mechanics. The videos cover everything from catching Pokemon to “advanced” gym tactics like dodging and using Pokemon with attacks that are super effective against defenders.

While most Pokemon Go players will find the tutorials a little bit basic (and about a year too late), the videos are useful for lapsed players who haven’t tried out a Raid or for players that never got to a high level during their first go around in the game.

If you’re looking for a refresher on how to play Pokemon Go, keep scrolling down to see all five tutorial videos:

Catching Pokemon

The “Catching Pokemon” video details the nuances of how to catch a Pokemon in Pokemon Go. The video covers everything from the different types of PokeBalls to what bonuses you get for feeding different berries to Pokemon. The video also talks about using curveballs to increase your chances of catching a Pokemon and earning bonus XP too. 

The video only touches on catch rate modifiers, which players can stack to increase their chances of catching a Pokemon. Different types of PokeBalls, throws, and berries all have “catch rate modifiers” that can greatly increase a player’s chances of catching a Pokemon. While each Pokemon has their own “base capture rate,” your odds will improve considerably if you manage to stack multiple catch bonuses at once. 

Powering Up and Evolving Pokemon

If you want to make an impact in gym and raid battles, you’ll need to level up and evolve your Pokemon to competitive strength. Different Pokemon can evolve into more powerful forms, which can be triggered by collecting candies. A handful of Pokemon also require an item to evolve. 

Players can also use candy and Stardust to power up their Pokemon to level them up. Powering up their Pokemon will increase their health and stats, making their attacks more powerful and allowing them to withstand attacks in gyms. Stardust is a commodity in Pokemon Go, so don’t waste it by powering up Pokemon you don’t plan on using in battle. 

Visiting Gyms

Gyms serve as one of the major hubs of activity in Pokemon Go. The game’s three teams battle for control of gyms by claiming, defending, and attacking them. Players earn XP whenever they attack or defend a gym, so it’s helpful to visit as often as they can. Players also earn PokeCoins when they place a Pokemon inside a gym to defend it, which can be used to buy items.

Raids also take place in gyms and serve as a way for players to get Legendary Pokemon. An egg will appear above the gym to signal that a raid will take place. When the raid starts, players from all three teams work together to take down a powerful Raid Boss, which can then be caught once beaten. 

Advanced Gym Strategy

The “Advanced Gym Strategy” video only covers the basics of battling in gyms. Each Pokemon has either one or two types that gives it certain advantages and disadvantages against other types of Pokemon. Players will want to select a team of Pokemon with attacks that are “super effective” against the defending team.

The video also covers the basics of dodging and charge attacks, both of which are critical when battling a gym by yourself. Dodges can be difficult to time, especially when Pokemon Go is laggy, but they’re great when you find yourself against a Pokemon that could knock out your Pokemon in just an attack or two. 

Raid Battles

 This video might be the must handy for lapsed players that haven’t played much this summer. Pokemon Go introduced Raids as a new way for high level players to stay interested in the game and challenge their Pokemon in big battles. 

There are five levels of raids, each of which have different Raid Bosses and difficulties. The lowest level of difficulty contain weak Pokemon like Magikarp while Level 5 raids have only Legendary Pokemon. While most players should be able to beat a Level 1 raid on their own, they’ll need to find several other players to team up with to beat a Level 5 raid.