Walkthroughs

Pokemon: Magikarp Jump beginner's tips

How to hit the heights

Pokemon: Magikarp Jump beginner's tips

It's fair to say that Pokemon: Magikarp Jump wasn't the mobile Pokemon game anyone was expecting. After Pokemon Go's big-hitting, ambitious AR collect-a-thon, here was a glorified Tamagotchi toy.

But can we stop playing it? Can we Furret.

It's a pretty easy game to get to grips with, in truth. There aren't really many ways you can screw things up. But there are some ways to optimise your time with the game.

Binge eat

We wouldn't recommend this in any other walk of life, of course, but in Magikarp it pays to binge eat. Fruit accumulates even when you're not playing the game, so coming back to the game after a spell away will give you the opportunity to level up satisfyingly swiftly.

This is a far more efficient way of doing things than simply tapping odd pieces as they appear.

Keep an eye on those winning margins

Your opponents get steadily better as a tournament rolls on, so it pays to keep an eye on your shrinking winning margin. As soon as things get tight, go away and train your Magikarp up some more.

Losing isn't the end of the world, but it does slow your immediate progress.

Don't be afraid to throw a magikarp back

Often the first Magikarp you pull out of the water will be a dud. If the praise isn't effusive about your new Pokemon, don't be afraid to spend to throw it back and get another.

Level up training

Training is way in which you really improve your Magikarp, so it makes sense to maximise the effectiveness of it. Spend a good chunk of your in-game money on upgrading each training method.

Skip button

Hit that skip button whenever it presents itself. You won't miss anything - trust us - and you'll save a lot of time.

Don't forget to tap your support Pokemon

Starting with Pikachu, you'll gradually pick up support Pokemon who will cheer you in battle at random intervals. Don't forget to tap them when back in pond view, too, to utilise their recharging special ability.

Pinch to zoom

Isn't it annoying that you have to scroll left and right to see all the fruit that might be lurking in your pond? Yes. Did you know that you can zoom out to a full-screen view? You can - just pinch the screen.

Learn when to say no

Remember there's a risk to saying yes to those special events. The first one, for example, will often see your Magikarp lost to a swooping Pidgeotto.

With great risk comes great reward, of course, so you need to weigh things up. Is your Magikarp a mature, finely honed machine approaching its prime? Yeah, maybe don't take that risk.

Is your Magikarp a total noob who can barely scrape past the first round of the current tournament? Go take that risk - you won't lose much if you have to start again.

Jon Mundy
Jon Mundy
Jon is a consummate expert in adventure, action, and sports games. Which is just as well, as in real life he's timid, lazy, and unfit. It's amazing how these things even themselves out.