UPDATE2: Pokemon Go is already out in Malaysia! Read and download it here!
[Update1: Many players have complained about missing Pokéstops and the current consensus is that the game developers have blocked our region from accessing the game and thus the Pokéstops and others have stopped spawning on the map. Unfortunately there is nothing much we can do about that now, except to be patient and wait for the official launch.]
Some players have tried to bypass this by changing their location to Australia or New Zealand, and other gaming sites have warned people against this because this may result in you being banned from the game altogether.]
If you’re a Pokémon fan like I am, you too would have gotten very excited with news websites announcing the release of Pokémon Go on Android and iOS. And then you’d go to the Google Playstore or App Store searching for it, only to be greeted by this disappointing sight:
So the reason for this is that Pokémon Go isn’t officially released in Malaysia yet, currently it’s only available in Australia and New Zealand and will be released in other countries in stages.
However, there is a way for Malaysians to play it! Here’s a really simple guide on how to get it in your phone and a quick peek on how to play it.
First, you’ll have to download the APK here. This file when downloaded will let you install the app and play it, however that this is unfortunately only for Android devices. Sorry, iOS users!
Run the game and be greeted by Professor Willow.
Next, choose your character. There aren’t a lot of options for personalisation—but enough to show that my favourite colour is obviously pink.
You’ll be given a quick tutorial and then your first Pokémon will appear near you. For me it was a Charmander right at the corner of my room.
I’m not sure if I wasted a Pokéball because I didn’t manage to catch it on my first try.
(Update: Don’t think it matters because I still started the game with 50 Pokéballs. But for future Pokémons, aim well because you would have to buy more Pokéballs when you run out.)
After catching your first Pokémon, you’d be asked to type in a preferred nickname. Not sure why but the game keeps rejecting all of my names! A friend said perhaps it’s because those names have already been taken, but I used my full name and even that got rejected.
If this happens to you as well, don’t give up and keep trying various combos, I paired my name with a number and kept changing the length until it finally got accepted.
There are Gyms located where you can battle other Pokémon, but you have to reach a minimum level 5 first. Items can be collected and new Pokémons can be caught at Pokéstops. I find it helpful that a preview is given above each Pokéstop so that you know where exactly you should head to, instead of blindly navigating yourself with the map.
So far the app isn’t laggy, but I’ve noticed that the loading time to get to the map is pretty slow at times (for me it can take up to about 12-14 seconds), which can be a tad annoying if you plan to open the app at every location you go to.
Other than that though, you’re ready to be the very best and catch ’em all!
Feature Image Credit: Rommel Yupanqui on Peru.com