Pokemania set to take over yet again, Pokemon Snap is coming

With just a few more days until Pokemon Snap officially launches for the Nintendo Switch, and I for one am very excited. The original Pokemon Snap was one of my most played games on the N64, it was just at the right time, a relaxing game with tons of replay value. Keep in mind due to system limitations the game really hasn’t aged well as most games of that era didn’t. But my wife (girlfriend) at the time and I spent countless hours perfecting our craft. Yes, we did even take our save data to blockbuster and printed the stickers they used to do.

For those not familiar with the series:

Pokémon Snap is a 1999 first-person simulation video game with rail shooter style gameplay mechanics developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was first released in Japan in March 1999, and was later released in June 1999 in North America and in September 2000 for PAL regions. It is a spin-off game in the Pokémon series, being one of the first console-based games for it, and featuring many Pokémon rendered for the first time in real-time 3D. The game was re-released for the Wii’s Virtual Console in December 2007 as well as Wii U’s Virtual Console in 2016.

Originally announced as a Nintendo 64DD title, development of Pokémon Snap was moved to the Nintendo 64 due to the 64DD’s delays. The gameplay is similar to other first-person games, viewing from the perspective of protagonist Todd Snap as he moves automatically on a rail. The objective of the game is to take pictures of Pokémon, using items such as apples and “pester balls” to achieve better shots. After each round, players are judged based on the quality of their photos. The Virtual Console version features the ability to send pictures taken in the game to the Wii Message Board and send them to friends, whereas the Nintendo 64 cartridge could be taken to either Blockbuster or Lawson stores in North America and Japan to have pictures from the game printed on stickers.

Its release was promoted heavily by Nintendo, including being featured in more than 86,000 hotels, and a contest to send the winner to Australia. By the end of 1999, Pokémon Snap sold 1.5 million copies, and was a strong rental title in 1999 after its release. It was met with a mostly positive reception by critics, described as “addictive” by IGN and Boys’ Life, and “innovative” by Electric Playground.

In this game you are Todd Snap, a Pokémon photographer, and are summoned by Professor Oak to Pokémon Island, a place with a variety of climatic and geographic regions where Pokémon live relatively undisturbed by humans. Oak needs quality pictures to accompany his scientific findings, and knows from past experience that Todd is the right person for the job. Using a motorized, amphibious buggy named the Zero-One, Todd explores the island and takes photographs of the wide variety of Pokémon that inhabit its environments.

From Professor Oak’s research hub, the player can select between the game’s levels and features using a menu system. The Zero-One follows a linear path throughout the level, similar to a rail shooter. Up to 60 pictures can be taken per visit. After completing a course, the player selects their best photos of each Pokémon to be rated by Professor Oak and added to the Pokémon Report. Scoring takes into account various aspects of the pictures, such as the Pokémon’s size, its pose, and keeping the Pokémon in frame. Extra points are awarded for capturing a “special” pose or Pokémon, such as a surfing Pikachu, and if there are multiples of the same Pokémon within the frame. Scoring well in the Pokémon Report and photographing a wide variety of Pokémon is required to make progress in the game. Players can also use an “Album Mark” to bookmark their favorite pictures; this adds the pictures to a personal in-game album to view at a later date or show to friends.

It certainly is a bizarre and different take on a video game for the time, that’s for sure. But keep in mind it’s a product of the 90’s at the height of Pokemania, so anything with Pikachu on it would sell. Remember the game Hey You, Pikachu? LOL

Anyway after all this time we are finally getting a new one, which seems at the surface to be very similar with a boat load of new features, pokemon, and of course updated graphics.

In New Pokémon Snap, the player is a Pokémon photographer who visits various islands in the Lental region to help the research studies of Professor Mirror and his assistants Rita and Phil. Taking photographs helps the player build a compendium called a Photodex; the game features over 200 different Pokémon for the player to photograph. In addition to adding photos to the Photodex, the player also helps investigate the Illumina phenomenon, where Pokémon and plants appear to have a special glow.

For each research expedition, the player travels in an on-rails hovercraft, the NEO-ONE, to safely photograph Pokémon in their natural environments. These habitats include jungles, deserts and beaches, which can be visited during daytime or at night in order to photograph different types of Pokémon. Each photo the player takes is graded by Professor Mirror on a scale of one to four stars,taking into account things like shot composition, how close the Pokémon is, and whether they are facing the camera or not. Players can decide to save those photos to the Photodex, which can hold up to four photos of each Pokémon (one at each rating). As players take higher-quality photos, they earn Expedition Points that go toward improving the Research Level of each area in the Lental region. Higher Research Levels will open up more levels to explore in that area.

To get better pictures, the player is encouraged to use various tools to coax out rarely-seen Pokémon reactions on camera. To lure Pokémon out, players can use a fruit called a fluffruit, or play a melody that can get some Pokémon to dance. They can also throw an item called an Illumina orb to cause Pokémon to glow. The orbs serve to not only help the player take pictures at night, but also potentially change a Pokémon’s behavior. Depending on the Pokémon, the Illumina orb can help wake up sleeping creatures, or even sometimes cheer them up. Players can find hidden Pokémon in the area by using their camera to scan for them.

After Professor Mirror grades the player’s photographs, players can retouch their photos using the Re-Snap feature. This allows the player to change parameters like zoom, blur, and brightness, as well as add photographic filters, photo frames, and stickers. These edited photos can be saved to a personal photo album separate from the Photodex. Players can upload their photos online to share with other players, who in turn can help get their favorite photos be featured in-game by liking them.

All in all seems like a lot to look forward to, so can this new entry grasp the new generation of Pokefans, or is this going to fizzle as simple fan service for those who enjoyed the first entry? Only time will tell, but make sure to stay tuned to GamesReviews.com for our coverage at launch.