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So, Pokémon GO sort of blew up, didn't it?

In case you've somehow missed the commotion, Pokémon GO is a new mobile game which allows you to catch 'em all in real life, thanks to its augmented reality. Walking around with your phone means you'll have a chance to bump into wild Pokémon, which you can then catch and use to challenge nearby Pokémon Gyms.

It's not perfect gameplay-wise, but the combination of nostalgia, its social aspects and a new, interesting idea appears to have grabbed people's attention - and that's even before it's officially available in the UK.

Whether its popularity will stick around is yet to be seen - though the addition of more Pokémon, special events and trading may help - but it's becoming clear that Nintendo can take a dominating position on the mobile market through brand power alone.

Back in March, Nintendo released Miitomo, a social networking app where users communicate with friends by answering various questions. It was initially a huge success, quickly garnering more than 10 million downloads.

Although its popularity waned fairly quickly due to a lack of replayability, it proved that Nintendo at least had the brand recognition to get them to the top of the app charts. All they need is an app with staying power.

Pokémon GO may not end up being that app, but future mobile instalments of their brands might be.

Nintendo's next brands to hit mobile devices will be Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem this Autumn. Whilst the latter will likely see wider success among niche audiences and Asian markets, it's Animal Crossing that could have the staying power required to be a long-term success for Nintendo.

Animal Crossing is a popular series of simulation video games, in which the player inhabits a village comprised of anthropomorphic animals and carries out daily activities such as fishing, bug catching, fruit-picking, etc.

It has very open-ended gameplay and is a lot more addictive than it sounds; in previous console iterations, players would often end up checking in on the game every day for months - or even years.

If done correctly, it's Animal Crossing that could really help start Nintendo to dominate the mobile gaming market. It's got very real potential to have long-term appeal, and if Nintendo manage to nail the balance of in-app purchases, they could see some very significant profits from it.

Of course, as soon as their other powerful brands such as Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Kirby, Metroid, Mario Kart, Smash Bros. and more enter the furore, we really could see Nintendo rule the roost. After all, despite it having taken them this long to enter the mobile market, handheld gaming is something Nintendo have decades of experience with.