is a 1999
first-person photography game
A photography game is a form of video game in which taking photographs using the in-game camera system is a key game mechanic. Photography games often employ mechanics similar to a first-person shooter, but rather than using a gun to kill enemies, ...
with
rail shooter
Shoot 'em ups (also known as shmups or STGs
) are a sub-genre of action games. There is no consensus as to which design elements compose a shoot 'em up; some restrict the definition to games featuring spacecraft and certain types of chara ...
style gameplay mechanics developed by
HAL Laboratory
formerly shortened as HALKEN (derived from its native name), is a Japanese video game developer founded on 21 February 1980. While independent, it has been closely tied with Nintendo throughout its history, and is often referred to as a secon ...
and published by
Nintendo
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles.
Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ...
for the
Nintendo 64
The (N64) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo. The successor to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, it was released on June 23, 1996, in Japan, on September 29, 1996, in North America, and on March 1, 1997, in Europe and Au ...
. It was first released in Japan in March 1999 and was later released in July 1999 in North America and in September 2000 for
PAL regions
The PAL region is a television publication territory that covers most of Europe and Africa, alongside parts of Asia, South America and Oceania. It is named PAL because of the PAL (Phase Alternating Line) television standard traditionally used in ...
. It is a
spin-off
Spin-off may refer to:
*Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work
*Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity
* Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gove ...
game in the ''
Pokémon
(an abbreviation for in Japan) is a Japanese media franchise managed by The Pokémon Company, founded by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures (company), Creatures, the owners of the trademark and copyright of the franchise.
In terms of ...
'' 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
The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other Regional lockout, regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major ho ...
's
Virtual Console
A virtual console (VC) – also known as a virtual terminal (VT) – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some Unix-like operating systems such as Linux, BSD, illumos, Unix ...
in December 2007, for the
Wii U
The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4.
The W ...
's Virtual Console in 2016, and for the
Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack in June 2022.
Originally announced as a
Nintendo 64DD
The is a magnetic floppy disk drive peripheral for the Nintendo 64 game console developed by Nintendo. It was announced in 1995, prior to the Nintendo 64's 1996 launch, and after numerous delays was released in Japan on December 13, 1999. The "6 ...
title, the 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 with an in-game camera, 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 Nintendo 64 cartridge could be taken to either
Blockbuster
Blockbuster or Block Buster may refer to:
*Blockbuster (entertainment) a term coined for an extremely successful movie, from which most other uses are derived.
Corporations
* Blockbuster (retailer), a defunct video and game rental chain
** Bl ...
or
Lawson stores in North America and Japan to have pictures from the game printed on stickers, whereas the Virtual Console version features the ability to send pictures taken in the game to the
Wii Message Board
The Wii Menu is the graphical shell of the Wii and Wii U game console, as part of the Wii system software. It has four pages, each with a 4:3 grid, and each displaying the current time and date. Available applications, known as "channels", are ...
and send them to friends.
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
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. 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
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
and ''
Boys' Life
''Scout Life'' (formerly ''Boys' Life'') is the monthly magazine of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Its target readers are boys and girls between the ages of 6 and 18. The magazine‘s headquarters are in Irving, Texas.
''Scout Life'' is pu ...
'', and "innovative" by ''
Electric Playground
''EP Daily'' (formerly ''The Electric Playground'') is a daily news television show that covers video games, movies, TV shows, comic books, collectibles and gadgets. Created and executive produced by host Victor Lucas, and his Vancouver, British ...
''. It has also been compared to other video games with photography, such as ''
Afrika'', ''
Dead Rising
is a series of action-adventure games created by Keiji Inafune. It was originally developed by Capcom until Capcom Vancouver took over developing the franchise. As of March 31, 2022, the game series has sold 15 million units worldwide and is ...
'', and ''
Beyond Good & Evil
''Beyond Good & Evil'' is a 2003 action-adventure video game developed and published by Ubisoft for the PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows, Xbox and GameCube platforms. The story follows the adventures of Jade, an investigative reporter and m ...
''. It has also been used as a notable example of video games with photography.
A sequel called ''
New Pokémon Snap
''New Pokémon Snap'' is an on-rails first-person photography game developed by Bandai Namco Studios and published by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company for the Nintendo Switch. It is a sequel to the 1999 Nintendo 64 game ''Pokémon Snap.'' Ann ...
'' was announced in 2020 and was released for the
Nintendo Switch
The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a Tablet computer#Gaming tablet, tablet that can either be docking station, docked for use as a home video ...
on April 30, 2021.
Synopsis and gameplay
, a Pokémon
photographer
A photographer (the Greek language, Greek φῶς (''phos''), meaning "light", and γραφή (''graphê''), meaning "drawing, writing", together meaning "drawing with light") is a person who makes photographs.
Duties and types of photographe ...
, is summoned by
Professor Oak
Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an academic rank at universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who professes". Professors ...
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
Shoot 'em ups (also known as shmups or STGs
) are a sub-genre of action games. There is no consensus as to which design elements compose a shoot 'em up; some restrict the definition to games featuring spacecraft and certain types of chara ...
. 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
is a fictional species in the ''Pokémon'' media franchise. Designed by Atsuko Nishida and Ken Sugimori, Pikachu first appeared in the 1996 Japanese video games ''Pokémon Red'' and ''Green'' created by Game Freak and Nintendo, which were ...
, 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.
Players start out with only a camera, but as they progress, Professor Oak will provide them with a number of special accessories used to obtain better photographs. The game features seven levels: Beach, Tunnel, Volcano, River, Cave, Valley, and the special course "Rainbow Cloud". However, the staggered acquisition of accessories ensures that the player must re-explore the courses to discover new material. Levels must be replayed after acquiring new accessories in order to locate hidden Pokémon, alternate routes, or photographic opportunities that yield the best scores. The first accessory, apple-shaped Pokémon food, can be thrown to either stun or attract Pokémon. Another, "Pester Balls", are able to knock out Pokémon or flush them out of hiding. The Poké-Flute object is used in a variety of ways, such as awakening, irritating, or hatching Pokémon. It can also cause Pokémon to dance, and it can play three different songs, resulting in different dances from certain Pokémon. Additionally, players can obtain a Dash Engine for the Zero One, allowing the vehicle to accelerate and move faster than normal.
The game features 63 of the
original generation of 151 Pokémon.
Development
''Jack and the Beanstalk''
''Pokémon Snap'' was developed by
HAL Laboratory
formerly shortened as HALKEN (derived from its native name), is a Japanese video game developer founded on 21 February 1980. While independent, it has been closely tied with Nintendo throughout its history, and is often referred to as a secon ...
with assistance from Pax Softnica. It originally started out as a non-Pokémon game called ''Jack and the Beanstalk''. Named after
the English fairy tale of the same name, the game was intended for the
64DD
The is a magnetic floppy disk drive peripheral for the Nintendo 64 game console developed by Nintendo. It was announced in 1995, prior to the Nintendo 64's 1996 launch, and after numerous delays was released in Japan on December 13, 1999. The "6 ...
, a peripheral for the Nintendo 64. The game was developed at HAL's office on the second floor of the Nintendo Kanda building in
Sudachō, Tokyo
, officially , is a district of Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan, consisting of 1-chōme and 2-chōme. As of April 1, 2007, its population is 1,019.
This district is located on the northeastern part of Chiyoda Ward. It borders (across Kanda River) Soto-Kand ...
, by a development team called "Jack and Beans".
This name can be seen in the intro video of ''Pokémon Snap'', as well as in the credits. ''Jack and the Beanstalk'' was first revealed in February 1995, a year before the Japanese release of the N64, but the game was not heard from again. No screenshots or videos have been publicly released of it, and little is known about what the game looked or played like. However, it is speculated
that some gameplay elements ended up in ''
EarthBound 64
The development of ''Mother 3'', a role-playing video game from Nintendo, spanned a total of twelve years between 1994 and 2006 with a three year gap in between, and spanned four consoles and multiple delays. Following the commercial success of it ...
'', which started development in 1994 but was cancelled in 2000. Benimaru Itoh, one of the art designers of ''EarthBound 64'', said in an interview that the game was to feature seeds. When planted, these seeds would grow in real-time, utilising the 64DD's internal clock.
Conversion to Pokémon
On 27 February 1996, Nintendo affiliate
Game Freak
is a Japanese video game developer, best known as the primary developer of the mainline ''Pokémon'' series of role-playing video games published by Nintendo and The Pokémon Company.
History
Predating the video game company, ''Game Freak'' ...
released ''Pocket Monsters Red'' and ''Green'' (released in the west as
''Pokémon Red'' and ''Blue''). The pair of games became a
sleeper hit
In the entertainment industry, a sleeper hit is a film, television series, music release, video game, or some other entertainment product that was initially unsuccessful on release but became a success later on. A sleeper hit may have little promo ...
and were followed the same year by
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
and
a trading card game. On 1 April 1997,
an anime TV series debuted, turning the franchise into a national phenomenon that was later successfully exported to the rest of the world. After progress in the development of ''Jack and the Beanstalk'' was deemed unsatisfactory, the idea arose to turn it into a Pokémon spin-off.
Satoru Iwata
was a Japanese businessman, video game programmer, video game designer, and producer. He was the fourth President (corporate title), president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Nintendo from 2002 until his death in 2015. He was a major contr ...
, one of the producers of the game, explained in a 2010 interview: "Originally, ''Pokémon Snap'' for the Nintendo 64 system wasn't a Pokémon game, but rather a normal game in which you took photos, but the motivation for playing the game wasn't clear. We wondered what players would enjoy taking pictures of, and later on we made a somewhat forced switch to taking pictures of Pokémon." Masanobu Yamamoto, one of the character designers, initially had a negative reaction to the switch, since it meant that a lot of work he had put into the project had to be scrapped. He eventually realised the change was for the better though: "That time, adopting the Pokémon world clarified what we should do and the direction we should head, and I came to like Pokémon, so I felt like that had saved us."
In 1999, ''
Mother
]
A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given childbirth, birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the cas ...
''/''
EarthBound
''EarthBound'', released in Japan as is a role-playing video game developed by Creatures (company), Ape Inc. and HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The second entry in the Mother (video game s ...
'' creator
Shigesato Itoi
is a Japanese copywriter, essayist, lyricist, game designer, and actor. Itoi is the editor-in-chief of his website and company '' Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shinbun'' ("Almost Daily Itoi Newspaper"). He is best known outside Japan for his work on Nintendo' ...
posted a five-part article series about ''Jack and the Beanstalk'' on his site, 1101.com. The series includes interviews with various people involved with the game, including Satoru Iwata and
Shigeru Miyamoto
is a Japanese video game designer, producer and game director at Nintendo, where he serves as one of its representative directors. Widely regarded as one of the most accomplished and influential designers in the history of video games, he is ...
.
Support for 64DD dropped
After turning the project into a Pokémon game, the title initially continued to be developed with support for the
64DD
The is a magnetic floppy disk drive peripheral for the Nintendo 64 game console developed by Nintendo. It was announced in 1995, prior to the Nintendo 64's 1996 launch, and after numerous delays was released in Japan on December 13, 1999. The "6 ...
, an accessory for the Nintendo 64 that used magnetic disk cartridges with a bigger storage capacity, and which featured an internet modem and internal clock. The device made its first public appearance at
Shoshinkai 1996, but after numerous delays, it eventually received a limited, Japan-only release on 1 December 1999, with only
a handful of games. Almost all of the games that would have a 64DD version, including ''
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'' and ''
Donkey Kong 64
''Donkey Kong 64'' is a 1999 platform game developed by Rare (company), Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It is the first 3D game in the ''Donkey Kong'' series. As the gorilla Donkey Kong (character), Donkey Kong, the player e ...
'', were given an N64-only release. In January 1999, the magazine ''
Dengeki Nintendo 64'' announced that ''Pokémon Snap'' was also no longer appearing on the 64DD, being published only as an N64 cartridge. Two months later, the game saw its release in Japan.
Release and promotion
''Pokémon Snap'' was released on March 21, 1999, in Japan, July 26, 1999, in North America, and September 15, 2000, in
PAL regions
The PAL region is a television publication territory that covers most of Europe and Africa, alongside parts of Asia, South America and Oceania. It is named PAL because of the PAL (Phase Alternating Line) television standard traditionally used in ...
.
Nintendo and Japanese convenience store
Lawson formed a deal where people could bring their copies of ''Pokémon Snap'' to Lawson stores in Japan and have pictures from the game printed as stickers. A similar deal was formed with
Blockbuster
Blockbuster or Block Buster may refer to:
*Blockbuster (entertainment) a term coined for an extremely successful movie, from which most other uses are derived.
Corporations
* Blockbuster (retailer), a defunct video and game rental chain
** Bl ...
, which exclusively printed stickers from players' copies of ''Pokémon Snap'' in the United States. They hosted a contest called "Take Your Best Shot", where the player who produces the best picture from ''Pokémon Snap'' to Nintendo would win a trip to
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. Nintendo, partnering with
LodgeNet
SONIFI Incorporated, previously SONIFI Solutions, is an interactive content and connectivity provider. The company serves approximately 1.4 million hotel rooms worldwide in addition to healthcare facilities throughout the United States with core ...
, included Nintendo 64s with ''Pokémon Snap'' for more than 86,000 hotels with the intent of capitalizing on the ''Pokémon'' franchise for the holiday travel season. Nintendo displayed ''Pokémon Snap'' at a ''Pokémon'' event called "Pokémon League Summer Training Tour". The game's protagonist, Todd Snap, also briefly appeared in the
''Pokémon'' anime series shortly before the game's release.
Re-releases
In December 2007, ''Pokémon Snap'' was re-released for the
Wii
The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other Regional lockout, regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major ho ...
as a
Virtual Console
A virtual console (VC) – also known as a virtual terminal (VT) – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some Unix-like operating systems such as Linux, BSD, illumos, Unix ...
title. While the original release supported the ability to take the cartridge into Blockbuster or Lawson stores in the United States to have taken pictures printed as stickers, the re-release replaced this with the ability to save photos to the Wii message board and share them with friends.
On April 4, 2016, ''Pokémon Snap'' was re-released in Japan for
Wii U
The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4.
The W ...
as a Virtual Console title. This version was released in
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
and
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
on August 18, 2016, and North America on January 5, 2017.
On June 24, 2022, ''Pokémon Snap'' was rereleased for
Nintendo Switch Online’s Expansion Pack.
Reception
Sales
''Pokémon Snap'' was fourth on the chart for top-selling games in Japan for the week of its release, March 18 to March 24. For the week ending May 21, 1999, in Japan, it ranked fifth. In the United States, ''Pokémon Snap'' sold in excess of 151,000 copies in the first three days of its release. Since its release, it was the most rented game, up to October 22, 1999. For the month of November, it was featured in the United States' top 10 list of best-selling video games. For the week ending November 27, it ranked as the 10th best-selling video game, while it remained the most-rented video game for the same week. By the end of 1999, ''Pokémon Snap'' was the sixth best-selling video game in the United States, having sold in excess of 1.5 million copies.
IGN attributed this success with "well targeted promotions" and the tie in with
Blockbuster
Blockbuster or Block Buster may refer to:
*Blockbuster (entertainment) a term coined for an extremely successful movie, from which most other uses are derived.
Corporations
* Blockbuster (retailer), a defunct video and game rental chain
** Bl ...
.
In the United Kingdom, it sold 6,500 units at launch, reaching No.9 in that week's charts, and replacing ''
Perfect Dark
''Perfect Dark'' is a first-person shooter developed and published by Rare for the Nintendo 64 video game console in 2000. The first game of the ''Perfect Dark'' series, it follows Joanna Dark, an agent of the Carrington Institute research c ...
'' as the top-selling game in the N64 Top Ten chart.
Critical reception
''Pokémon Snap'' received positive reviews from the media, scoring 77/100 on
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
.
''Pokémon Snap'' was included among a test of video games that are fun, safe, easy to play, and of value for children.
Ars Technica
''Ars Technica'' is a website covering news and opinions in technology, science, politics, and society, created by Ken Fisher and Jon Stokes in 1998. It publishes news, reviews, and guides on issues such as computer hardware and software, sci ...
editor Frank Caron commented that ''Pokémon Snap'' had become a "fan favorite", while author Marina D'Amato called it "famous".
Author Amit Dhir called it one of the most popular video games of 1999, alongside ''
Gran Turismo'' and ''
Final Fantasy VIII
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation console. Released in 1999, it is the eighth main installment in the ''Final Fantasy'' series. Set on an unnamed fantasy world with science fiction elements, t ...
''. ''
Kotaku
''Kotaku'' is a video game website and blog that was originally launched in 2004 as part of the Gawker Media network. Notable former contributors to the site include Luke Smith, Cecilia D'Anastasio, Tim Rogers, and Jason Schreier.
History
...
'' described it as a "cash-in branded title". Before its US release,
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
praised it as "strange", yet "fun".
Matt Casamassina
Matt Casamassina is a video game journalist, businessman, and novelist, and a founding editor of ''IGN''. He quit working for IGN on April 23, 2010. In his time at the site, he was the author of many reviews and previews of games by video game d ...
of ''
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' called it an "addictive, surprisingly fun" game, noting however that "Pokemaniacs are bound to be disappointed with the selection of Pocket Monsters in the game – roughly 62 out of a possible 151 in all."
''
GameSpot
''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
'' praised it as a "refreshingly unique game".
IGN editors Mark Bozon and Casamassina commented on ''Pokémon Snap''s likelihood of becoming a
Virtual Console
A virtual console (VC) – also known as a virtual terminal (VT) – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some Unix-like operating systems such as Linux, BSD, illumos, Unix ...
title; the former called it a "cult classic" as well as a "fresh and entertaining little package". While Casamassina again criticized the lack of Pokémon and length, he noted that a Virtual Console re-release would be appropriate, due to it being "simple and quick". IGN also called it a "wonderful game for kids of all ages", though again bemoaning its lack of length. ''
Official Nintendo Magazine
''Official Nintendo Magazine'', or ''ONM'', was a British video game magazine that ran from 2006 to 2014 that covered the Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Wii, and Wii U video game consoles released by Nintendo.
Originally published by EMAP as ''N ...
'' gave the game an 85%.
''
Electronic Gaming Monthly
''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' (often abbreviated to ''EGM'') is a monthly American video game magazine. It offers video game news, coverage of industry events, interviews with gaming figures, editorial content and product reviews.
History
The m ...
'' gave the game an 83/100.
''
GamePro
Gamepro.com is an international multiplatform video game magazine media company that covers the video game industry, video game hardware and video game software in countries such as Germany and France. The publication, GamePro, was originally la ...
'' commented that while "for Pokemon fans, this is a wonderful game", others will not find it as fun.
''
GameRevolution
''GameRevolution'' (formerly ''Game-Revolution'') is a gaming website created in 1996. Based in Berkeley, California, the site includes reviews, previews, a gaming download area, cheats, and a merchandise store, as well as webcomics, screenshots ...
'' called it "an absolute must-have for Pokemon fans and kids in general" but "for the rest of us, it's actually a decent diversion".
''
The Electric Playground
''EP Daily'' (formerly ''The Electric Playground'') is a daily news television show that covers video games, movies, TV shows, comic books, collectibles and gadgets. Created and executive produced by host Victor Lucas, and his Vancouver, British ...
'' editor Victor Lucas called it "innovative" and "worth taking a look at".
Japanese gaming magazine,
Famitsu
formerly ''Famicom Tsūshin'', is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly formats as well as in the fo ...
, praised it for its "sense of peace", as well as its reproduction of "the feel of a safari or a theme park."
The ''
Detroit Free Press
The ''Detroit Free Press'' is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, US. The Sunday edition is titled the ''Sunday Free Press''. It is sometimes referred to as the Freep (reflected in the paper's web address, www.freep.com). It primari ...
'' editor Mike Floyd commented that while it has a "lot of initial flash", it "lacks depth to make it a great title". ''
Wired
''Wired'' (stylized as ''WIRED'') is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered in San Fra ...
'' editor Susan Arendt commented that while ''Pokémon Snap'' was considered the "Bastard child of the ''Pokémon'' franchise" by some, the people in her office loved it. The ''
Denver Post
''The Denver Post'' is a daily newspaper and website published in Denver, Colorado. As of June 2022, it has an average print circulation of 57,265. In 2016, its website received roughly six million monthly unique visitors generating more than 13 ...
'' editor David Thomas commented that the concept of ''Pokémon Snap'' should have "never worked", but it turned out to be "one of the most creative and entertaining games on the market".
The ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' editor Aaron Curtiss commented that while he strongly disliked the ''Pokémon'' franchise, ''Pokémon Snap'' was a great game. In the book ''Pikachu's global adventure: the rise and fall of Pokémon'', author Joseph Jay Tobin called it "innovative" in how it incorporated elements from the ''Pokémon'' franchise. The magazine ''
Boys' Life
''Scout Life'' (formerly ''Boys' Life'') is the monthly magazine of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Its target readers are boys and girls between the ages of 6 and 18. The magazine‘s headquarters are in Irving, Texas.
''Scout Life'' is pu ...
'' called it addictive, praising the reactions of the Pokémon as "unique and always entertaining".
Allgame
RhythmOne , previously known as Blinkx, and also known as RhythmOne Group, is an American digital advertising technology company that owns and operates the web properties AllMusic, AllMovie, and SideReel.
Blinkx was founded in 2004, went publ ...
editor Scott Alan Marriott commented that while the number of Pokémon was lacking and there were a small number of courses, the game has a "substantial amount of replay value".
Game Informer
''Game Informer'' (''GI'', most often stylized ''gameinformer'' from the 2010s onward) is an American monthly video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and associated consoles. It debuted in August 1991 w ...
commented that ''Pokémon Snap'' was "just as much fun as the main entries" in the series.
Blockbuster
Blockbuster or Block Buster may refer to:
*Blockbuster (entertainment) a term coined for an extremely successful movie, from which most other uses are derived.
Corporations
* Blockbuster (retailer), a defunct video and game rental chain
** Bl ...
nominated it for best Nintendo 64 game in its "Blockbuster Awards".
''Pokémon Snap'' has been used to describe several other video games, as well as used as an example of photography and aiming in video games; the ''
Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' editor John Gaudiosi called the adult video game ''
Panty Raider'' a "
Victoria's Secret
Victoria's Secret is an American lingerie, clothing, and beauty retailer known for high visibility marketing and branding, starting with a popular catalog and followed by an annual fashion show with supermodels dubbed Angels. As the largest ret ...
meets ''Pokemon Snap''". Game Infowire called ''
Beyond Good & Evil
''Beyond Good & Evil'' is a 2003 action-adventure video game developed and published by Ubisoft for the PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows, Xbox and GameCube platforms. The story follows the adventures of Jade, an investigative reporter and m ...
'' an "odd mixture" of ''
Ratchet & Clank
''Ratchet & Clank'' is a series of action platformer and third-person shooter video games. The franchise was created and developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for PlayStation consoles, such as PlayStation 2 ...
'', ''
Jak II
''Jak II'' is an action-adventure video game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2 in 2003. It is the second game of the ''Jak and Daxter'' series and it is both a sequel and a prequel to '' ...
'', ''
Metroid Prime
''Metroid Prime'' is an action-adventure video game developed by Retro Studios and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. ''Metroid Prime'' is the fifth main installment in the '' Metroid'' franchise and the first game in the series to use 3D c ...
'', and ''Pokémon Snap''. ''
Wired
''Wired'' (stylized as ''WIRED'') is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered in San Fra ...
'' compared ''
Sea Life Safari
''Sea Life Safari'' is an underwater exploration video game originally developed by WildTangent for Microsoft Windows in 2007. Sierra Online released the game on Xbox Live Arcade on June 18, 2008.
Reception
The Xbox 360 version received " ...
''s premise to ''Pokémon Snap''s. They also compared ''Pokémon Snap'' to ''
African Safari
''Rivers of Fire and Ice'', alternatively titled ''African Safari'', is a Crown International Pictures 1969 motion picture filmed in documentary format. Directed, written and produced by wildlife photographer Ron Shanin, the film is an account o ...
''. An application called ''Virtual Stakeout'' was compared by
Kotaku
''Kotaku'' is a video game website and blog that was originally launched in 2004 as part of the Gawker Media network. Notable former contributors to the site include Luke Smith, Cecilia D'Anastasio, Tim Rogers, and Jason Schreier.
History
...
to ''Pokémon Snap''. The book ''Patterns in game design'' used ''Pokémon Snap'' as an example of "aim & shoot" gameplay. Author Raph Koster similarly used ''Pokémon Snap'' in order to describe video games with photography. Author Shanna Compton used ''Pokémon Snap'' as an example of a video game that required players to produce photographs for judges to determine their quality. Developer Wade Tinney attributed the inspiration for the game design of ''Snapshot Adventures: Secret of Bird Island'' to both ''Pokémon Snap'' and the video game ''
Spore
In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plants, algae, f ...
''. The
PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
video game ''
Afrika'' was said by both
UGO Networks
UGO Entertainment, Inc. was a website that provided coverage of online media in entertainment, targeting males aged 18–34. The company was based in New York, New York, United States.
History
The company started in 1997 as Unified Gamers Online ...
and
Shack News
''Shacknews'' (originally Quakeholio, then ShugaShack) is a website that hosts news, features, editorial content and forums relating to computer games and console games. It is currently owned by a company called Gamerhub Content Network. Gamerh ...
to be ''Pokémon Snap''-like. ''
Dead Rising
is a series of action-adventure games created by Keiji Inafune. It was originally developed by Capcom until Capcom Vancouver took over developing the franchise. As of March 31, 2022, the game series has sold 15 million units worldwide and is ...
''s photography mechanic was also likened to ''Pokémon Snap''s by
Kotaku
''Kotaku'' is a video game website and blog that was originally launched in 2004 as part of the Gawker Media network. Notable former contributors to the site include Luke Smith, Cecilia D'Anastasio, Tim Rogers, and Jason Schreier.
History
...
.
The
Virtual Console
A virtual console (VC) – also known as a virtual terminal (VT) – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some Unix-like operating systems such as Linux, BSD, illumos, Unix ...
re-release was met with generally mixed reception. Nintendo Life editor Marcel Van Duyn praised it as a "fun and a relaxing break from the other ''Pokémon'' titles", but criticized it as "super short". RPGamer editor Anna Marie Neufeld criticized it for having "zero replayability" and "if nothing else, a good way to waste an afternoon or evening with the Wii." IGN editor Lucas M. Thomas called the photo sharing feature a positive of its release, while criticizing its limited selection of Pokémon, similar to the review of the Nintendo 64 version from IGN. He added that a sequel updated to include Wii controls and Pokémon from recent generations would be welcome. IGN included ''Pokémon Snap'' in its wish list of
Nintendo 3DS
The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generatio ...
remakes, commenting that it could take advantage of the 3DS' ability to produce stereoscopic 3D photos would be an enjoyable feature for ''Pokémon Snap''. IGN also included ''Pokémon Snap'' in their retrospective of the ''Pokémon'' video game series, praising it as "fun and innovative". IGN praised it for its visual prowess, citing how it allows players in the United States to see Pokémon in three dimensions. In their ''Pokémon Snap'' retrospective, ''Game, Set, Watch'' editor Danny Cowan commented that it was a "turnoff for fans", calling how overlooked it was "tragic".
Retronauts
''1Up.com'' was an American entertainment website that focused on video games. Launched in 2003, ''1Up.com'' provided its own original features, news stories, game reviews, and video interviews, and also featured comprehensive PC-focused conten ...
speculated that the popularity of ''Pokémon Snap'' was due to being released at the height of ''Pokémon'' fandom. However, one of the commentators on the podcast, Justin Haywald, found this odd, calling it “horrible.” The podcast discussed briefly the prospects of a ''Pokémon Snap'' sequel, feeling that the
Nintendo 3DS
The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generatio ...
' gyroscope and
augmented reality
Augmented reality (AR) is an interactive experience that combines the real world and computer-generated content. The content can span multiple sensory modalities, including visual, auditory, haptic, somatosensory and olfactory. AR can be de ...
cards could be used, citing ''
Steel Diver
''Steel Diver'' is a submarine simulation video game developed and published by Nintendo, with assistance by Vitei, for the Nintendo 3DS. The game was released in March 2011 as a launch title for the 3DS in North America, with releases in Europe, ...
'' for its use of the former feature. Retronauts member Jeremy Parish commented that if they didn't make such a sequel, it's because they are “stupid and don't like money.” IGN commented that a Pokémon game better than
''Black'' and ''White'' was ''Pokémon Snap'', stating that "It hasn't become stale", "It has better Pokémon", and "It made the Pokémon world feel real". They commented that none of the past Pokémon games "have managed to make the little critters seem as alive as Pokemon Snap did", and praised the 3D modeling, calling it "glorious". 1UP.com used ''Pokémon Snap'' as an example of a game that would use the
Wii U
The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4.
The W ...
controller's gyroscope to look around, calling it "The coolest version of Pokémon Snap ''ever''".
Sequel
Notes
References
External links
Official website*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pokemon Snap
1999 video games
Cancelled 64DD games
HAL Laboratory games
Interactive Achievement Award winners
Nintendo 64 games
Pax Softnica games
Photography games
Rail shooters
Single-player video games
Video games developed in Japan
Video games set on fictional islands
Virtual Console games for Wii
Virtual Console games for Wii U
Snap
Snap or SNAP may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Snap'', the original release title for the 2013 film ''Enter the Dangerous Mind''
*''Snap'' (TV series), a CITV programme
* ''The Stanly News and Press'', a newspaper in Albemarle, North Carol ...
Nintendo Switch Online Nintendo 64 games
D.I.C.E. Award for Family Game of the Year winners