We all want to be the very best, like no one ever was, don't we? Well, as we speak, thousands of players are simultaneously trying to catch 'em all in a single online game of "Pokémon." And you can watch (or participate!) via streaming site Twitch.
In a massive stream called "Twitch Plays Pokemon," someone has adjusted a setting to allow any viewer to help control the character in a game of "Pokémon" Red or Blue (it's unclear which early version of the game is being played).
Instead of just watching the stream and commenting on the game, every person viewing the livestream can actually play the game by typing a controller command (up, left, A button, etc.) into the stream's chat box. Sort of like virtually passing the controller back and forth between thousands of players.
Pretty cool, huh?
Gif via Wario64
The image above shows the game unfolding on the left. On the right is the chat box, where you can see the different viewers (Gulgasaur, Dum dum dugan, etc.) and the commands they're typing to progress the game.
Thousands of viewers (and counting) are participating. Talk about teamwork! Someone was paying attention to all those heartwarming messages at the end of Pokémon episodes.
Now, there are some limitations. Players can use only one command at a time (so no A+B+select+start restarts), and the chat box recognizes only the D-pad keys, A, B, Start and Select, according to Kotaku.
As you can probably imagine, playing a single game of "Pokémon" controlled by more than 10,000 players is no easy feat, and even the simplest task (like walking in the right direction) requires a dizzying amount of luck and patience. But these resilient players seem to be doing okay, even as their numbers swell.
Be strong, guys. Your courage will pull you through. We know it's your destiny, and all that other stuff in the "Pokémon" theme song.