Age no limit in clutches of rampant Pokemon craze

The Pokemon craze has landed in Kwinana with a bang as people young and old walk the streets playing the mobile-device game that has captured the nation.

Pokemon Go is an app that uses a phone’s GPS and camera to create an augmented reality where Pokemon appear in the “real world” around the player.

The user catches Pokemon by walking around the streets, interacting with landmarks — or Pokestops, gyms and other players.

City of Kwinana’s Zone Youth Space superviser Nigel Morrison said it had proved popular with the children and staff, helping to bridge age gaps and improve engagement.

“Everyone’s really excited about it and it’s definitely helped us being able to engage with the kids because they know the majority of the staff here play it, too,” he said.

“It’s a real generational thing. There’s a lot of little kids playing it and then all the way up to grandparents.

“It bridges that gap for the kids that are deemed as nerdy for playing Pokemon. They are now cool because they know what they are talking about.”

Hot spots for the popular game include Point Peron, the Darius Wells Library and the Rockingham Foreshore.