MAGIKARP JUMP
Magikarp Jump is a mobile game for Android and iOS published by The Pokémon Company. In this game, you tackle various leagues as your push your Magikarp to the vertical limit through training, feeding, and sheer dumb luck. If you've played anything remniscent of Cookie Clicker, you have an idea how this game works.
Basic Tips
- Through feeding, training, and events, Magikarp gain Jump Power (JP). Jump Power scales almost exponentially as you progress through the game. Your first opponent has a measly 10 JP, whereas your final opponent in the Luxury League has 17,800,000.
- As you progress through the game, you earn coins and diamonds. Coins are used to purchase and upgrade foods and training methods. Diamonds are used to purchase decorations, items, and Support Pokémon that each come with their own unique boons. Diamonds can be purchased via microtransaction.
- Each Magikarp has its own unique "strength": some gain JP from food more quickly, some from training, and some from events. Some Magikarp even increase the number of coins you earn throughout the game.
- You start with three training points. Each time you train your Magikarp, the number of points decrease. Training points refill at a rate of one every thirty minutes, or you may use a Training Soda to refill a training point immediately.
- For every five levels your Magikarp grows, you get a coin bonus. Expect an influx of coins every time you start leveling a new Magikarp.
- For every level your trainer rank increases, the maximum level of your Magikarp increases as well and your training points are restored. Because JP increases exponentially with level, it is always a good idea to push your rank over the edge if possible.
- Coins can be spent on new foods, new training methods, or increasing the level of anything you have already purchased. Typically you want to purchase new foods and training methods ASAP as they will provide more JP than previous purchases.
- Upon spending a certain amount of money (~$40), you may exchange tickets for access to a drill that provides you with 100 diamonds daily.
- Magikarp with feeding, coin, and training bonuses tend to be the most useful. Event bonuses are situationally useful (due to risky events that can potentially net you a large chunk of JP). You can spend 10 diamonds to cast your line again in hopes of a better Magikarp, but a second cast will cost you a whopping 50 diamonds.
- Leveling a food or training method to level 25 will dramatically increase the amount of JP earned. You also earn a support candy for reaching level 25, which can be used to boost the power of one of your Support Pokémon.
- Litten is a useful support Pokémon for most of the game due to the large amount of JP it gives you upon activation. Charizard, while expensive, provides you with a random useful item. Items can range from a big bag of coins to a Skill Restore, which restores the power of every single Support Pokémon.
- Magikarp pattern has no real bearing on the quality of your Magikarp. A plain old Magikarp can just as easily outperform a fancy striped one.
- If you plan to spend diamonds on Training Sodas, it is worthwhile to level your training methods first. If you want to save your diamonds for purchasing Support Pokémon, you should focus on leveling food initially.
- Upon challenging an opponent for the second time, you can see the exact JP of their Magikarp. This allows you to safely challenge opponents for easy trainer EXP and coins without the fear of losing and depleting your League Points.
Discussion Prompts
- What is your current progress in Magikarp Jump?
- How has your playing experience been this far? Likes? Dislikes?
- What is your opinion of Nintendo's / TPC's increasing focus on mobile games with microtransactions?
- What is your opinion of Cookie Clicker-esque games (i.e., ones with little "gameplay")?
