Pokémon Go Players Flock To Capitol Grounds

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) -- People around the nation and in Sacramento are raving about Pokemon Go.

It's a new mobile application game featuring Pokemon characters that had people searching the Capitol grounds on Monday in Sacramento.

State capitol grounds were transformed into a fantasy world with Pokemon characters all around.

"I caught five Pokemon so far," said Brittany Strouth, who just started playing the game.

Pokemon Go was inspired by the ultra-popular Pokemon video game from the early 2,000s. The spin-off game was released Thursday and it has already taken many players on a serious mission.

"I've lived here my whole life and I've been to places I've never been before," said another gaming addict.

Rex Himes says his lunch breaks will never be the same again.

"I usually come here and get lunch and eat it at the park, but not without an adventure along the way."

The game is certainly an adventure where age is no object. Kelly Davis is an adult worker who was also using his lunch break to hunt down exotic Pokemon.

"It gets you out of the house so you can walk around," Davis said.

The perks of collecting the powerful creatures are also giving their human owners a little more cardio. Ryan Jahnes said he got quite the workout after downloading the app.

"The first night it came out I walked like seven miles it was pretty fun to get out," said Jahnes.

One East Coast family dropped their guide book and used Pokemon Go to explore Sacramento.

"There's a lot of 'poke stops' around here that are like tourist attractions so you can see a lot of the landmarks around here," said one family member.

The fantasy game with a twist of reality is now allowing tourists and locals to explore the streets of Sacramento in a different light.

"Now I venture out towards downtown, the river, Old Sacramento, just to find Pokemon characters," said one player.