How to play Pokemon Go

Going places: Pokemon Go mania is sweeping the US as players armed with smartphones hunt streets, parks, rivers and elsewhere to capture monsters and gather supplies in the hit game.

The free app, based on a Nintendo title that debuted 20 years ago, has been adapted to the mobile Internet age by Niantic Labs, a company spun out of Google last year.

Pokemon Go uses smartphone satellite location, graphics and camera capabilities to overlay cartoon monsters on real world settings, challenging players to capture and train the creatures for battles.