Games

Pokemon GO Should Make One Change to Ultra Balls

Published

28 seconds ago

January 20, 2025

Like the games that inspired them, Pokemon GO features a variety of Poke Balls for players to find, earn, and purchase. Rarer Poke Balls have a higher chance of catching Pokemon, with Ultra Balls being the second rarest and most powerful after the Master Ball, which automatically catches any Pokemon it is thrown at. However, a Pokemon can still frustratingly slip free even from an Ultra Ball, something which consistently frustrates Pokemon GO players. One small change to how Ultra Balls work could alleviate this: making an Excellent Throw with an Ultra Ball guarantee an automatic catch, or at least dramatically increase the automatic catch chance.

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An Excellent Throw With An Ultra Ball Is A Tricky Move To Pull Off

Unlike the main series Pokemon games, where balls are thrown automatically, Pokemon GO players must manually throw each Poke Ball at the creature they hope to catch. Depending on aim and the erratic nature of the Pokemon’s movements, it is possible for a throw to miss entirely – but it is also possible to hit close to the center of the presented target, thus resulting in a Nice, Great, or Excellent Throw.

Attaining an Excellent Throw involves hitting the center of the circle when it is at its smallest size – often so tiny it can barely be seen on a phone screen. This is a difficult task, and an even more difficult task to pull off consistently. Making large numbers of Excellent Throws is often seen as the mark of a skilled and dedicated Pokemon GO player. Many particularly challenging Special Research tasks require making Excellent Throws, including research needed to obtain a Master Ball. However, despite its difficulty, an Excellent Throw only increases the catch chance slightly – a disappointing reward, especially when an Ultra Ball is used.

Automatic Catches for Excellent Ultra Ball Throws Would Reward Practice And Dedication

Ultra Balls are fairly rare, and there is nothing more frustrating than throwing an Ultra Ball – or several – at a Pokemon and having the Pokemon in question pop right out and run away. Adding to this frustration is the fact that whether the Pokemon is caught or not is completely random, so even someone who has been playing Pokemon GO for years and reached max level can fail a catch and lose a Pokemon – perhaps even a Shiny or otherwise rare one.

Allowing an Excellent Throw using an Ultra Ball to be an automatic catch – or even introducing the possibility that it could become one – would be a great way to reward faithful Pokemon GO players who are dedicated to the game and are practicing and improving their skills. It would further encourage players to practice their Poke Ball throwing so that they could make Excellent Throws more regularly. Potentially, players would also save their Ultra Balls for moments where they feel they have a strong chance of making an Excellent Throw – or perhaps risk it if it is a Pokemon that they really want to catch, such as a Shiny.

Another area where Excellent Throws could be used to reward players is during raids. After defeating a Pokemon in a raid, they must use a limited number of a special type of ball – typically Premier Balls – to catch the Raid Pokemon. Losing a Pokemon after defeating it in a raid, which can be quite the time-consuming endeavor, is perhaps the most frustrating of all. Making an Excellent Throw against a raid Pokemon should have at least a small chance of an automatic catch. It would make participating in raids much more rewarding and, again, encourage players to keep practicing and improving their skills in Pokemon GO.