Many University of North Texas students grew up playing Pokémon games as children. They may have collected cards to trade with friends or played video games on consoles at home. The July 6 launch of the Pokémon GO app has brought back a lot of memories and launched new friendships on campus.

"As many of us grew up and gained new responsibilities, we maybe didn't have the time to keep playing," said Darian Conner, a UNT senior studying international studies and a member of the UNT League of Pokémon Trainers student organization. "The new app has brought us back to that fun we had as children, and the game has brought Pokémon into the real world."

Following the game's directive to "catch 'em all," players launch the app on their smartphones and begin looking around campus, downtown Denton, area businesses or anywhere else in the "wild" the creatures may be – after all, Pokémon live everywhere. As players walk around the game alerts them to nearby Pokémon, which they hunt and capture. The more Pokémon users capture, the more points they get, the more quickly they'll advance to higher levels and the more difficult it'll become to capture more Pokémon. Most recently Conner nearly caught a Blastoise – the final evolutionary stage of a Squirtle – near UNT's P.E. Building.

"There have been handheld games and console games, but this is the first real feeling of being a Pokémon trainer out in the real world," Conner said.

Conner's advice for other student players is simple: Gather a group of friends, or join the UNT League of Pokémon Trainers, and start walking. Playing with friends is more fun and will help keep you safe, especially at night.

"Pokémon are constantly moving around, so you can keep going back to the same places or you can go to new places," he said. "Playing in groups is a lot of fun because it just adds to the excitement. It's great to see everyone running around getting into this awesome virtual reality."

Staying safe while playing Pokémon GO is very important. UNT Police Corporal Kevin Crawford encourages students to make sure they stay aware of their surroundings and to never play the game while driving.

"You need to be able to see cars coming, you need to make sure you're paying attention to where you're walking so you don't accidentally walk into anything and get hurt," Crawford said.

Simply staying alert and watching your surroundings while playing could deter someone who wants to attack distracted pedestrians.

"Studies have shown that simple eye contact can deter would-be attackers," Crawford said. "Often, attackers are looking for people who aren't paying attention to their surroundings, who are looking down at a device or who have headphones in and can't hear what's going on around them."

Staying aware also will help players avoid accidentally walking into unfamiliar areas or getting lost.