ASO AgencyGames · US iPhone listing
Does their ASO suck?
Listing creative score · first three captured iPhone screenshots
6/10Useful. Still leaving too much unsaid.
Pokémon GO opens for the people already in the club. Then it advertises two battle formats without explaining how a new player reaches them. The franchise is famous. That does not excuse the missing first act.
Gab’s verdict · 6/10Gabriel Machuret
One storefront, one language and a dated capture. This is an independent editorial audit, not a client case study.
Gab’s take · Five criteria. Two points each.
The franchise and seasonal world give existing fans a clear reason to look. That is legitimate marketing. A newcomer still needs a readable first action and its requirements. Lead with a representative first action, then introduce a battle with clear requirements. Keep event artwork current. Existing-player recognition is not the same job as convincing an unfamiliar visitor.
The Pokémon world and event context offer a clear appeal for fans, while the first-time player proposition remains less explicit.
Battles appear without newcomer participation requirements.
Bold headings and contrasting scenes remain readable.
Two battle formats broaden content without teaching first play.
The franchise setting provides a specific thematic reason to choose; the mobile participation requirements still need a clearer demonstration.
0: not earned · 1: useful but incomplete · 2: clearly demonstrated. Judged on the dated opening creative; public metadata provides context. These points assess creative execution, not private conversion or ranking performance. Read the scoring criteria · See all ten verdict levels
Inspect the numbered original, read the problem, then compare the proposed fix. The publisher’s creative stays unchanged.
What the visitor sees → what I’d change
Look at the original: The opening communicates a dated seasonal campaign rather than a live game screen.
Why I’m flagging it: Seasonal artwork provides no playable first action.
Lead with a genuine current exploration or encounter appropriate to the audience.
What the visitor sees → what I’d change
Look at the original: The image presents a specific combat format with an on-screen meter and controls.
Why I’m flagging it: Meters and opponents appear without entry context.
Show the participation requirement and one understandable battle action.
What the visitor sees → what I’d change
Look at the original: The frame depicts a group-battle proposition through an actual-looking game interface.
Why I’m flagging it: A raid adds another proposition before the first is explained.
Demonstrate a group action with accurate access and availability context.
Proposed copy for discussion. These are not current listing fields or tested winners.
Observed listing
Epic AR adventure & online RPG
Proposed alternative
Explore. Catch. Battle.
Name 10/30 · Subtitle 23/30 charactersKeep the franchise name and describe a short activity sequence instead of relying on category abbreviations. The copy is a proposal requiring current beginner-flow verification before adoption.
The tradeoff: It removes the explicit AR and online RPG terms and omits the seasonal message. Simpler activity language may not improve relevant discovery or appeal to established players.
Read the sequence from top to bottom on mobile, left to right on desktop. These are message-layout sketches, not screens from Pokémon GO or tested results.
Proposed headline
Put this in the frame: A verified current map-to-encounter example with seasonal branding and an authentic possible game state.
Why it earns the space: Explain the entry action while keeping the campaign recognisable.
Proposed headline
Put this in the frame: A current capture interaction and its real result, without promising a rare encounter or success.
Why it earns the space: Complete a small playable loop before introducing advanced activities.
Proposed headline
Put this in the frame: A verified battle-entry screen with accurate eligibility and event context.
Why it earns the space: Connect the beginner action to deeper play without pretending every activity is immediately available.
The test: Does a first-encounter opening improve newcomer understanding and download conversion during the current seasonal campaign? The sketch gives the designer a direction; the actual product and access conditions decide what can ship.
Bring the listing. I’ll help you decide what to keep, what to fix and what to test.
Observed competitor metadata
Step counter & collector
Pikmin Bloom names walking, step counting and collecting.
The lesson: Its activity language makes the everyday action explicit. Pokémon GO can explain its own exploration loop without implying the two games have identical mechanics.
Observed competitor metadata
Explore and Hack the Planet
Ingress invites exploration and hacking the planet.
The lesson: Real-world exploration is adjacent competitive territory. Demonstrate the actual player action rather than relying only on an AR category label.
Observed competitor metadata
Enjoy Pokémon cards on mobile!
Pokémon TCG Pocket explicitly describes Pokémon cards on mobile.
The lesson: This is a same-franchise alternative with a different collecting format, not a location-game equivalent. Make Pokémon GO’s particular experience legible.
Intent candidates grounded in the listing—not fabricated search-volume or difficulty scores.
Visitor’s job: Find a specific franchise experience or return to this game.
Evidence: The name and anniversary creative strongly support brand intent.
Decision: Separate new-install and returning-player research instead of assuming both groups need the same opening.
Visitor’s job: Understand how play connects with the surrounding world.
Evidence: The observed subtitle names AR adventure, while the first three stills emphasise campaign art and battles.
Decision: Verify and demonstrate the current beginner exploration and encounter flow; do not invent search demand.
Visitor’s job: Participate in a known battle activity.
Evidence: These features are explicitly named in frames two and three.
Decision: Research them as experienced-player intentions and verify access, timing and any relevant requirements.
The unseen keyword field may already cover some of these terms. Build an evidence-backed keyword shortlist before making a metadata change.
Three accounts from 2021–2023 were selected for franchise motivation, battle expectations and social participation. Several passages request features rather than describe available ones. Historical prices, broad player-sentiment claims and personal health benefits are not adopted as current facts.
Sample: 3 selected accounts from 8 displayed reviews. Dates: 6 December 2021–29 May 2023. No sentiment percentage is calculated.
29 May 2023 · 4/5 stars
“raid invites”
A May 2023 reviewer loved the franchise experience but objected to remote-raid and storage pricing changes.
What I’d investigate: Treat price and participation concerns as historical research leads; the quoted amounts and company claims are not current verified facts.
Listing review source · Review ID 997719059127 February 2022 · 5/5 stars
“battle system”
A February 2022 account praised the game while proposing alternative battle mechanics and exploration features.
What I’d investigate: Feature requests are not descriptions of implemented gameplay. Verify the current loop before using any suggested mechanic in creative.
Listing review source · Review ID 84022545816 December 2021 · 5/5 stars
“send gifts”
A December 2021 reviewer valued the trainer fantasy and requested more social and battle options.
What I’d investigate: Use the motivation as qualitative context, not proof of current social restrictions, exercise benefits or a promised experience.
Listing review source · Review ID 8102148432A displayed review can be old, unusually positive or internally inconsistent with its star rating. These accounts suggest questions; they do not establish current defects or typical customer experience. Use the Review Research Desk to keep evidence and interpretation separate.
Seasonal artwork provides no playable first action.
Deliverable: Lead with a genuine current exploration or encounter appropriate to the audience.
Creative brief and current-product checkMeters and opponents appear without entry context.
Deliverable: Show the supported participation requirement and one understandable battle action.
Creative brief and current-product checkA raid adds another proposition before the first is explained.
Deliverable: Demonstrate a supported group action with accurate access and availability context.
Creative brief and current-product checkDoes a first-encounter opening improve newcomer understanding and download conversion during the current seasonal campaign?
Check Apple’s current product page optimization guidance and custom product page guidance before configuring a test. Write your experiment brief.
1–3: thumbs down · 4–6: thumbs up and down · 7–10: thumbs up
The basics need a serious rethink.
Too many obvious things have been left unfinished.
There is a useful product here. The listing needs to show it.
Some basics work, but the opening wastes attention and under-explains the benefit.
There is usable creative here, but too much of the sales argument is left to the visitor.
Real strengths, undermined by meaningful gaps in the opening story or execution.
A clear, useful demonstration with specific refinements still needed.
The main promise is clear and supported. Refinement matters more than reinvention.
Clear positioning, thoughtful choices and very few loose ends.
An unusually clear, convincing storefront worth learning from.
An editorial verdict on the captured storefront, not a measured ASO score or an assessment of an agency’s private work.
No private analytics, search-rank dataset or internal keyword field was supplied. Review quotations are short excerpts; explanations are our summaries. App names and screenshots belong to their respective owners. We are not affiliated with Pokémon GO. Read our editorial methodology.
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