Pokémon Snap

About

Pokémon Snap is a video game franchise by Nintendo in which one plays as Todd, a photographer who visits locations and takes pictures of Pokémon in assistance of Professor Oak. The game plays as a rail-shooter, as the player moves through each level at a set pace and can use tools to trigger events and make certain Pokémon appear. After each mission, Professor Oak grades the pictures of Pokémon the player has taken. The first game in the series was released in 1999 on the Nintendo 64. A second game in the series called New Pokémon Snap is currently in development.

History

Pokémon Snap released on the Nintendo 64 on March 21st, 1999 in Japan and on July 27th, 1999 in the west (original trailer shown below, left. Gameplay shown below, right).^[1] It was re-released in December of 2007^[2] on the Wii virtual console and on April 4th, 2016 on the Wii U virtual console.^[3]

New Pokémon Snap

On June 17th, 2020, the Pokémon Company announced a sequel to the game called New Pokémon Snap featuring Pokémon from the previous eight generations of games. They did not announce a release date for the game.

Reception

Pokémon Snap sold well^[4] and was mostly well-received by critics. At the time of release, IGN^[1] commented it only wished the game had more depth. The game received a 77/100 on Metacritic.^[5] Its photography mechanic became a reference for gaming critics going forward, with multiple games featuring compared to Pokémon Snap. IGN later called Pokémon Snap a better title than Pokémon Black and White,^[6] praising the way it brought the characters to life. Critics and fans often brought up the possibility of a sequel, particularly with the updated Nintendo hardware.^[8]

Online Presence

The game has retained a significant following online in the 20 years since its release. It has developed a surprising presence in speedrunning, with players manipulating the game's on-rails mechanics to make levels go faster (shown below, left). It has also been widely played by YouTube's Let's Players in the decades since its release. There is a small subreddit^[7] for the series that was created on January 17th, 2011.

Search Interest

External References