Rare Pokémon Caused Late-Night Mayhem in Central Park

click to play video

It's clear, whatever you may think of it, that Pokémon Go is having a cultural moment. The evidence is everywhere. Just how massive it is can be lost in the numbers when it's reported that the game has more downloads than Tinder on Android or that it's gaining more search traffic than porn

The physical evidence is crazy. Just look to Central Park where, this weekend, a rare Pokémon called Vaporeon appeared, driving hundreds of Pokémad players to the park in search of elusive Pokémon (even though we know Ditto is the rarest Pokémon in New York). The video above shows hoards running across the park. One guy even abandons his car to run after the Pokémon. 

This isn't an isolated incident either. Similar swarms have overrun Boston, a library in Utah, Des Moines, Belleville, Altamonte Springs and elsewhere. Whether you're in the roaming hoard or watching from the sidelines, it's easy to see that the magnitude of people enveloped in this mobile game is unprecedented.

click to play video

It might have seemed like the above Pokémon Go promo, released about 10 months before the game, was engaging in a bit of hyperbole when they showed a massive crowd showing up in Times Square because a MewTwo was around, but it doesn't seem that crazy now. In fact, it seems a little more like they predicted just what a massive hit this would become.

Sign up here for our daily Thrillist email, and get your fix of the best in food/drink/fun.

Dustin Nelson is a News Writer with Thrillist. He holds a Guinness World Record, but has never met the fingernail lady. He’s written for Sports Illustrated, Men’s Journal, The Rumpus, and other digital wonderlands. Follow him @dlukenelson.