The latest mobile gaming craze has Rotorua's biggest Pokemon fans taking the franchise's catchphrase "gotta catch'em all" quite literally, with one man walking a quarter marathon in three hours in his quest to be the best.
The app Pokemon Go, available on Apple and Android devices, made its premiere in New Zealand on Thursday and has since seen masses of children and adults hitting the streets in an effort to catch and grow their Pokemon collection.
The app allows players to find the Pokemon, make-believe creatures created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1995, using a GPS signal. When the player closes in on one, the device's camera turns on, showing the Pokemon in "real life".
Andrew Sill, 33, from Rotorua is "totally hooked" on the game, spending hours walking several kilometres a day.
"I think for many adults, like me, the craze has come about because it's nostalgic. I was a complete Pokemon addict when I was younger so when this app was launched I had to download it to give it a go.