Screenshot 2016-07-10 at 11.03.20 PM.png

If you've already read and digested our handy starter's guide to Pokémon GO then you'll no doubt be ready for some more advanced tips and tricks. We're now going to take an in-depth look into how to actually catch monsters, how to bag the rarer ones and what you have you have to do to get your hands on more powerful Pokéballs.

As you walk around you'll encounter Pokémon of various types. As soon as they appear on your screen you should give them a tap to initiate the capture mode. Something you'll want to do almost instantly is turn off the Augmented Reality function, as this makes it easier to catch the monsters as they won't move around as much. You can do this by tapping the "AR" toggle in the top-right corner of the screen.

Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube764k
Watch on YouTube

Capturing a Pokémon is a matter of hitting it with the Pokéball, but there's more to it than that. If you manage to hit the monster just as the shrinking coloured circle is at its smallest, you'll get a small experience point bonus. Holding down your finger on the screen and swirling it around before you release for the throw adds spin, and while this curves the ball and makes it harder to hit your target, it also gives you a bonus should you be successful.

In the bottom-right corner of the screen there's a little box which shows you the three nearest Pokémon. You can tap this box to expand it and show a list of all nearby monsters. The paw-marks denote their distance from you. If you're hunting a particular type (greyed-out monsters are ones you've yet to catch and are therefore more desirable as you get a big experience point boost for new Pokédex entries) you can tap it and you will then be told the distance from your present location. When exploring, use the paw-marks as a guide; if they go up, you're moving away from that Pokémon, and if they go down, you're getting warmer.

Pokémon don't just appear randomly - certain locations will have certain Pokémon. There are basic types which are common in pretty much every location, but others will only appear next to certain geographical features; bodies of water and rivers, for example, are home to water-type monsters. The time of day also makes a difference - some Pokémon only come out in the evening (you can tell when the time has changed in-game as it will go dark). You'll also find that evolved and unevolved versions of each Pokémon are found in the same general location - but you might be limited to the basic types until you gain more experience and boost your trainer level.

Screenshot 2016-07-12 at 2.17.47 PM.png

As you become more experienced, you'll find that the Pokémon you meet are also more powerful and therefore harder to catch. Each monster's Combat Power (CP) gives you an indication of its stubbornness, but the shrinking ring which appears when you're preparing to throw a Pokéball also shows how strong they are - green is weak, orange is medium and red is strong. You can feed the Pokémon a Razz Berry (these are unlocked when you reach trainer level 8 and are dished out at Pokéstops) which will make them easier to catch, but you may also need the help of some stronger Pokéballs.

When you start the game you have the basic Pokéball. Great Balls unlock at trainer level 12, Ultra Balls unlock at level 20 and Master Balls at level 30. You should save these for those times when you're facing off against a really powerful or rare Pokémon, as they're less common than the standard Pokéballs.