Pokémon Go has not only got countless gamers hooked, it has also inspired people to create their own Pokémon Go offshoot products to up the game’s fun factor.
It sure didn’t take long for people to think of brilliant ideas and capitalize on the whole Pokémon Go craze with their own accompanying products. Here are five of the most brilliant ones we’ve seen so far.
1) 3D-printed Pokédex phone case
Nick Poole, a user on electronics blog SparkFun, has created a smartphone case that makes your phone resemble a Pokédex. What was once a fictional device from the Pokémon world now materializes in real life, giving those who want to look the part of a Pokémon trainer the chance to do so. The case, which has functioning LED lights and a battery pack with a USB cable, is currently only compatible with Samsung Galaxy S4. But, players can recreate this Pokédex themselves from the printing files that Poole shared on GitHub, and perhaps modify the design to suit their phone.
2) Pokéball Aimer iPhone case
The game of Pokémon Go requires you to accurately fling some Pokéballs at the Pokémon with a swiping gesture on your phone screen. Newbies to the game may not have good aim and will end up wasting some in-game credits.
Fret not, Etsy user “Jcach3DPrinting” has come up with a 3D-printed Pokéball Aimer case for the iPhone 6. This case guides your fingers to hurl Pokéballs in a way that it’ll never miss. As a matter of fact, the phone case got so popular that it stopped selling for a while last week due to overwhelming demand.
3) Poké Radar App
An app developer had the brilliant idea of allowing users who ran into certain Pokémons to mark out their locations on a GPS map, which would be shared with other gamers. Simply put, this could be the most useful guide for you to find all the Pokémons out there! Although Niantic, the developer of Pokémon Go, is cracking down on such map apps, Poké Radar has well, escaped their radar so far. You can download it from the App Store now.
4) Pokémon Go Sneakers
New York-based start-up Vixole is working on smart sneakers that come with built-in LED displays and navigational sensors. When synced to Pokémon Go, the sneakers will vibrate when a Pokémon is in close proximity. Other key features include water resistance and charging via a wireless charging station; the sneakers can apparently deliver eight hours of usage on a single charge. Keep an eye out for these sneakers when they hit Kickstarter in September.
5) Pokédrone
Having trouble getting to the middle of a lake or some rough terrain to catch your favorite Pokémon? This mini drone concept from TRNDlabs looks set to be an easy way out in such sticky situations. In the short video that highlights how it works, the embedded GPS within the drone will be used in place of the phone’s, giving the user a great deal of mobility and convenience when playing the game. The drone has auto-takeoff and landing features, and comes with a controller for easy usage. Sign up at their website for updates on when this drone will be available to the public.
What sort of Pokémon Go offshoot products would you like to see? Let us know in the comments below!
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