Pokemon Go craze catches on in NZ

(File)
(File)

Pokemon Go is the latest gaming sensation, a new mobile take on the classic franchise.

Using an app, players walk the streets finding the Pokemon, but one player in the US stumbled across a dead body whilst playing it and others are so wrapped up in the game they're injuring themselves.

When you see someone wandering the streets now, it could be one of the thousands of kiwis now using Pokemon Go.

It's a phone app based on the 20-year-old Japanese game and TV show.

Using the device's camera, GPS and Google maps, the game places Pokemon characters in the real world for players to chase and catch virtually.

It only launched in New Zealand three days ago but 23-year-old Aucklander Rachel Barratt is already completely hooked.

"It consumed my entire weekend," she says.

And she says it's not just her.

"I was out until 12:30pm last night walking around trying to catch Pokemon and it wasn't just me, every second person I saw had their phone in their face and they were all trying to hunt them down as well."

She's started an online group of local users and within two days already has 350 members.

Users say the game is great because it's getting gamers out of their bedrooms into the fresh air and it's creating a sense of community.

But a number of people around the world are reporting an unexpected side effect: Pokemon injuries.

When you're immersed in your phone hunting a Charizard, some users have walked into traffic, fallen down ditches breaking bones and a few have ended up in the emergency room.

It's prompted Australian police to issue a warning for those chasing monsters.

"I nearly got run over last night, I never thought it would happen to me, it's so embarrassing," Ms Barratt says, "I've heard all these stories about people walking into traffic and all this stuff and I thought, 'no, they're idiots'."

Consumer groups have also warned to be wary of charges.

"The in-app purchases are very real ... and they can sting you up to $159," Consumer Group Tom Godfrey says.

But most users say don't fear.

"If you see someone pointing a camera in your direction, they're just trying to catch a Zubat," Pokeman fan Sean Riley says.

Newshub.