Pokemon Go: Pokemon Go Plus Review

For those of us who stuck around through the initial fervor and are sticking with this mobile game despite many writing it off as a fad, you have finally been rewarded for your patience with the Pokemon Go Plus.

Sort of.

Ending a sentence with a preposition aside (sorry Mrs. 4th grade teacher) this little device has its ups and down in terms of build and overall usefulness. Because I like things to end on a high note, I'll begin with its cons, downfalls and drawbacks.

The wristband in itself feels nothing different than you made in your elementary school days as friendship bracelets. It's solid, if not mind blowing, but for $35, you'd probably expect something better. The way you transform the device from it's out of box belt clip form to it's "watch" form harkens back to the days of the Pokewalker. The battery cover needs to be removed with a precision screwdriver (Phillip's head, to be exact) and replaced with the backing that is on the band. Once this initial step of set up is done, you likely won't be swapping back and forth, but if you planned on it, have that screwdriver handy.

Moving on to it's in game uses, when it flashes and vibrates it is notifying you of a nearby Pokemon or Pokestop, green for the former, blue for the latter. You only get one shot at capturing your new friend and the game will use a single, standard Pokeball only. So if you pass by that 1300 CP Pinsir, your odds of success are slim to none and after this one go, he's gone, never to return. I have yet to see what happens if you have zero Pokeballs and only Great Balls because I'm a true Pokemon Master, but early indications are if will not even make an attempt. The device responds with red if your attempt failed and flashes green/white if it succeeds.

While the game can now run with your screen off, it does require Bluetooth to function, which doesn't do you too many favors. It is better than having the game open at all times but it's not as nice as one could hope for in terms of saving your battery life. But, if you already were using Bluetooth, this is a bonus.

That said, it is a good way to even have a shot at Pokemon you normally wouldn't even get a chance at, like ones on the side of the road while you're driving because you're a responsible player and heed the warnings Niantic laid out for you. Assuming you have Pokeballs to spare, why not at least take a chance at that hitchhiker? And, as an added bonus, it works very well with Pokestops on the go so no more trying to time it while you're driving by. Not that you would do such a thing, I've just heard about it.

It also works very well with egg hatching and the buddy system. While your screen is powered down, both eggs and buddy Pokemon gain distance walked. This is a major boon for us breeders and for getting those precious few candies needed to evolve that dang Grimer.

The battery is an easily replaceable C2302 battery you typically find in an SNES cartridge so when it eventually goes, replacing it will be inexpensive and easy to find.

Just writing this, I have had four encounters alone. Two were successful, two weren't. I'm the proud new owner of my 8,000th and 8,001st Pidgey, but it also helps with farming that oh so valuable Stardust.

Reading through this a second time, I thought, I had mixed feelings in my 2 days with the device, but it's clear there are far more positives than negatives. If you can find one and have $35 to spare, it's worth the time and cash if you're still a daily player. If you were looking for a reason to get back into it, it might not be enough for you to jump back in just yet, but it is a nice addition while we wait for those highly anticipated features.