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is a 1999
photography Photography is the visual arts, art, application, and practice of creating images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is empl ...
video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
developed by
HAL Laboratory formerly shortened as HALKEN, is a Japanese video game developer based in Chiyoda, Tokyo. It was founded on February 21, 1980 by Mitsuhiro Ikeda. The company started out developing games for home computers of the era, but has since establishe ...
and published by
Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles. The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...
for the
Nintendo 64 The (N64) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, in North America on September 29, 1996, and in Europe and Australia on March 1, 1997. As the successor to the Super Nintendo E ...
. 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 Phase Alternating Line (PAL) is a color encoding system for analog television. It was one of three major analogue colour television standards, the others being NTSC and SECAM. In most countries it was broadcast at 625 lines, 50 fields (25& ...
. It is a spin-off game in the ''
Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...
'' 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 The Virtual Console was a line of downloadable retro video games for Nintendo's Wii and Wii U home video game consoles and the Nintendo 3DS family of handheld systems. The Virtual Console lineup consisted of titles originally released on pa ...
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 Classics Nintendo Classics is a line of Video game console emulator, emulated retro games distributed by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch family of systems and Nintendo Switch 2. Subscribers of the Nintendo Switch Online service have access to games for ...
service in June 2022. Originally announced as a Nintendo 64DD 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 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 system software is a set of updatable firmware versions and a software frontend on the Wii, a home video game console. Updates, which could be downloaded over the Internet or read from a game disc, allowed Nintendo to add additional ...
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 country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
. 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'' is an American video gaming 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 district and is headed by its former e ...
'' and '' Boys' Life'', and "innovative" by '' Electric Playground''. It has also been compared to other video games with photography elements such as '' Afrika'', '' Dead Rising'', and '' Beyond Good & Evil''. It has also been described as a notable example of photography video games. A sequel named '' New Pokémon Snap'', developed by
Bandai Namco Studios is a Japanese video game development, video game developer headquartered in Kōtō, Tokyo and founded in 2012, with studios in Singapore and Malaysia. Bandai Namco Studios is a subsidiary of Bandai Namco Entertainment (formerly Bandai Namco Games ...
, was released for the
Nintendo Switch The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...
on April 30, 2021.


Gameplay

''Pokémon Snap'' is a photography video game with
rail shooter Rail shooter, also known as on-rails shooter, is a subgenre of shoot 'em up video game. Beginning with arcade games such as the 1985 '' Space Harrier'', the gameplay locks the player character into a set path, only allowing for limited or no di ...
elements. The Zero-One follows a linear path throughout the level, viewing from a first-person perspective. 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. 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.


Synopsis

, a Pokémon
photographer A photographer (the Greek φῶς (''phos''), meaning "light", and γραφή (''graphê''), meaning "drawing, writing", together meaning "drawing with light") is a person who uses a camera to make photographs. Duties and types of photograp ...
, is 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.


Development


''Jack and the Beanstalk''

''Pokémon Snap'' was developed by
HAL Laboratory formerly shortened as HALKEN, is a Japanese video game developer based in Chiyoda, Tokyo. It was founded on February 21, 1980 by Mitsuhiro Ikeda. The company started out developing games for home computers of the era, but has since establishe ...
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, 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, 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'', 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 Snap''

On February 27, 1996, Nintendo affiliate
Game Freak is a Japanese video game developer, best known as the primary developer and co-owners of the ''Pokémon (video game series), Pokémon'' series of role-playing video games. History Predating the video game company, ''Game Freak'' was a self- ...
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 refers to a film, television series, music release, video game or other entertainment product that was initially unsuccessful on release, but eventually became a surprise success. A sleeper hit may have ...
and were followed the same year by
manga 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 history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...
and a trading card game. On April 1, 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. The game, now known as ''Pokémon Snap'', was shown at Nintendo Space World '97.
Satoru Iwata Satoru Iwata (; December6, 1959July11, 2015) was a Japanese businessman, video game programmer and producer. Beginning in 2002, he was the fourth president of Nintendo, as well as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Nintendo of America from ...
, 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." During development, the team considered the ability to transfer photos to the Game Boy Camera using the
Transfer Pak The Transfer Pak is an accessory for the Nintendo 64 (N64) controller. It features a cartridge slot compatible with Game Boy or Game Boy Color (GBC) games. When plugged into the controller's expansion port, it allows for the transfer of data bet ...
so that they could be printed using the Game Boy Printer; however, the low quality and black and white nature of the Game Boy Printer's output led them to remove the feature. In 1999, ''
Mother A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case of ges ...
''/''
EarthBound ''EarthBound'', originally released in Japan as is a 1994 role-playing video game, role-playing video game developed by Ape, Inc., Ape Inc. and HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as the second e ...
'' creator Shigesato Itoi 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, video game producer, producer and Creative director#Video games, game director at Nintendo, where he has served as one of its representative directors as an executive since 2002. Widely regarded as one o ...
.


Support for 64DD dropped

After turning the project into a Pokémon game, the title initially continued to be developed with support for the 64DD, 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 December 1, 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'', 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 Phase Alternating Line (PAL) is a color encoding system for analog television. It was one of three major analogue colour television standards, the others being NTSC and SECAM. In most countries it was broadcast at 625 lines, 50 fields (25& ...
. 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, 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 country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
. Nintendo, partnering with LodgeNet, 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 as a
Virtual Console The Virtual Console was a line of downloadable retro video games for Nintendo's Wii and Wii U home video game consoles and the Nintendo 3DS family of handheld systems. The Virtual Console lineup consisted of titles originally released on pa ...
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 continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
and
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
on August 18, 2016, and North America on January 5, 2017. On June 24, 2022, ''Pokémon Snap'' was rereleased for the
Nintendo Classics Nintendo Classics is a line of Video game console emulator, emulated retro games distributed by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch family of systems and Nintendo Switch 2. Subscribers of the Nintendo Switch Online service have access to games for ...
service.


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. 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 2000 first-person shooter developed and published by Rare for the Nintendo 64. The first game of the '' Perfect Dark'' series, it follows Joanna Dark, an agent of the Carrington Institute research centre, as she attempts ...
'' 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 an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
. ''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 1999 role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation console. It is the eighth main installment in the ''Final Fantasy'' series. Set on an unnamed fantasy world with science fiction elements, the game follo ...
''. ''
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'' is an American video gaming 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 district and is headed by its former e ...
'' praised it as "strange", yet "fun". Matt Casamassina of ''
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming 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 district and is headed by its former e ...
'' 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 The Virtual Console was a line of downloadable retro video games for Nintendo's Wii and Wii U home video game consoles and the Nintendo 3DS family of handheld systems. The Virtual Console lineup consisted of titles originally released on pa ...
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 journalism, 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 p ...
'' gave the game an 85%. ''
Electronic Gaming Monthly ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' (''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 magazine was fou ...
'' four reviewers gave the game two 8/10 scores and two 8.5/10 scores. ''
GamePro ''GamePro'' was an American multiplatform video game magazine media company that published online and print content covering the video game industry, video game hardware and video game software. The magazine featured content on various video ...
'' commented that while "for Pokemon fans, this is a wonderful game", others will not find it as fun. ''
GameRevolution Mandatory (formerly CraveOnline Media) is a lifestyle website based in Los Angeles with sales offices in New York City, Chicago and San Francisco. The site is owned by media company Evolve Media, LLC. Mandatory focuses its contents into the male ...
'' 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'' editor Victor Lucas called it "innovative" and "worth taking a look at". Japanese gaming magazine, ''
Famitsu , formerly , is a line of Japanese Video game journalism, video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation, Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly f ...
'', 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'' (commonly referred to as the ''Freep'') is a major daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest local newspaper owned by Gannett (the publisher of ''USA Today''), and is operated by the Detro ...
'' editor Mike Floyd commented that while it has a "lot of initial flash", it "lacks depth to make it a great title". ''
Wired Wired may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''Wired'' (Jeff Beck album), 1976 * ''Wired'' (Hugh Cornwell album), 1993 * ''Wired'' (Mallory Knox album), 2017 * "Wired", a song by Prism from their album '' Beat Street'' * "Wired ...
'' 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 the Denver metropolitan area. it has an average print circulation of 57,265. In 2016, its website received roughly six million monthly unique visitors generating more than 13 mil ...
'' 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'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' 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'' called it addictive, praising the reactions of the Pokémon as "unique and always entertaining". '' Allgame'' 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'' is an American monthly Video game journalism, video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and video game console, game consoles. It debuted in August 1991, when the video game reta ...
'' commented that ''Pokémon Snap'' was "just as much fun as the main entries" in the series. At the 3rd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, ''Pokémon Snap'' was awarded Console Children's/Family Title of the Year by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Blockbuster 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; ''Game Infowire'' called '' Beyond Good & Evil'' an "odd mixture" of '' Ratchet & Clank'', '' Jak II'', '' Metroid Prime'', and ''Pokémon Snap''. ''
Wired Wired may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''Wired'' (Jeff Beck album), 1976 * ''Wired'' (Hugh Cornwell album), 1993 * ''Wired'' (Mallory Knox album), 2017 * "Wired", a song by Prism from their album '' Beat Street'' * "Wired ...
'' compared '' Sea Life Safari''s premise to ''Pokémon Snap''s. They also compared ''Pokémon Snap'' to '' African Safari''. 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 reproduction, sexual (in fungi) or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for biological dispersal, dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores fo ...
''. The
PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). It is the successor to the PlayStation 2, and both are part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. The PS3 was first released on ...
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 ''
Shacknews ''Shacknews'' is an American video game journalism website founded in 1996. It that publishes news articles, reviews, and cheat codes. History ''Shacknews'' was founded in 1996 by Steve Gibson. The website, originally named 'Quakeholio', was ...
'' to be ''Pokémon Snap''-like. '' Dead Rising''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 The Virtual Console was a line of downloadable retro video games for Nintendo's Wii and Wii U home video game consoles and the Nintendo 3DS family of handheld systems. The Virtual Console lineup consisted of titles originally released on pa ...
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 foldable dual-screen handheld game console produced by Nintendo. Announced in March 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS, the console was released originally on February 26, 2011 and went through various revisions in its lifetime, ...
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'' 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 foldable dual-screen handheld game console produced by Nintendo. Announced in March 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS, the console was released originally on February 26, 2011 and went through various revisions in its lifetime, ...
' gyroscope and
augmented reality Augmented reality (AR), also known as mixed reality (MR), is a technology that overlays real-time 3D computer graphics, 3D-rendered computer graphics onto a portion of the real world through a display, such as a handheld device or head-mounted ...
cards could be used, citing '' Steel Diver'' 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 Creatures (company) games HAL Laboratory games Nintendo 64 games Nintendo Classics games Pax Softnica games Photography games Snap Rail shooters Single-player video games Video games developed in Japan Video games produced by Shigeru Miyamoto Video games set on fictional islands Virtual Console games Virtual Console games for Wii Virtual Console games for Wii U