There’s no doubt about it…Pokémon is as hip, cool, and popular as it was 20 years ago. Many of us knew this all along, but thanks to Pokémon Go, the whole world has been reminded of why this franchise is so special. Nintendo, The Pokémon Company, and Niantic Labs truly have a powerhouse of a game right here.

I am so happy to be able to say that I personally have seen hundreds and hundreds of people playing this throughout my city and beyond. All age groups, all backgrounds, just everyone. I’ve had so many fun conversations with people that I probably would have never met or talked to in life. I’ve heard so many positive stories from folks about how it’s helping them overcome surgery pain, be social for the first time in their life, and actually loson weight while having fun.

On top of all of that, Nintendo has been blowing up in the stock market and they definitely deserve it. Amongst all of this good, however, there are of course have to be people out there that try to knock something that they don’t understand. Trust me, I don’t like bullying and when I see someone say that you’re not cool if you play the game or that you’re no longer a man if you play it…this is how I’m going to respond.

I just turned 33 on July 7th and and I am a big advocate of video games, martial arts, and fitness in general (that includes both physical and mental) and let me ask you, “Do I seem to be any less of a man for playing this game?”

If you haven’t played the game yet, do yourself a favor and download it, because you won’t regret it. It’s the fastest downloaded game in the history of the mobile phone market and is now out in close to 30 countries around the world. Be safe while playing it, have fun, and congratulations once again, Nintendo, The Pokémon Company, and Niantic Labs.

By the way, if you have not yet submitted your entry to the PGN Global Pokérap, please click this link for more details on how to be a part of it.

Also, if you are a fan of Pokémon or Nintendo in general, check out this really unique video of my interactions with Nintendo, over the last 16 years!