Will New Pokemon Snap Sell in 2021?

With New Pokémon Snap on the verge of being released later this month, I went back to the Nintendo 64 version to see if it was as good as I remember. While I enjoyed it for about an hour, while nostalgia dripped all over me, I quickly realized it was a somewhat shallow experience that really doesn’t hold up well so many years later. This begged the question: why was the original Pokémon Snap so successful? I think I might have the answer, or at least a rational.

Pokémon Snap released on June 30, 1999. In terms of Pokémon games on the Nintendo 64, it was followed by Pokémon Stadium in February 2000, Hey You, Pikachu! in November 2000, and Pokémon Stadium 2 in March 2001. After playing a variety of handheld Pokémon games on Nintendo handheld systems, fans were clamoring for a console Pokémon title. Get those pocket monsters out of the handheld screens and onto our TVs! That was the thought from Pokémon fans. So when Pokémon Snap hit the market, it makes sense that the game was wildly popular, and has had such a long-lasting impression on fans. People wanted this title, and when they got it, they cherished it, instead of complained about it. It was a hit because of when it launched (early in the Nintendo 64 lifespan) and where it stood amongst Pokémon games on console (alone).

Fast forward to 2021. While many are really excited for New Pokémon Snap – which will perform well on the consoles I still believe – it’s not the first Pokémon titles to land on the Nintendo Switch. It’s not even the second, or for that matter, the third. We’ve already had:

• Let’s Go Pikachu
• Let’s Go Eevee
• Pokémon Mystery Dungeon
• Pokémon Sword
• Pokémon Shield
• Pokémon Rumble Rush
• Pokémon Café

And there’s a good chance I forgot something. See, on the Nintendo Switch, we aren’t really hard up for quality Pokémon content, and with two more Pokémon titles launching within the next 12-18 months, it might make people ask, “Do I really need New Pokémon Snap?”

I’m going to get the game, no doubt about that. But will the masses? My heart says, Yes, but I wouldn’t be shocked if it misses ideal sales targets.