Oh man, I played the hell out of Pokémon Snap on the Nintendo 64, so I might be a bit biased when I was writing this review. True, I tried to write a piece without too many nostalgia glasses; since there are many new players to the Pokémon Snap world, they want to know if this game is worth their time. Well, let’s give that conclusion before we dive in – Yes. New Pokémon Snap is worth your time – why? Let’s find out, shall we?
New Pokemon Snap – History
Pokémon Snap isn’t your average Pokémon game, and it gained popularity due to the link with Todd in both the anime and the game. The entire game is basically a play on words since Todd’s full name is Todd Snap, snapping Pokémon – get it? Todd was the protagonist of Pokémon Snap, in which Professor Oak hired him to go to Pokémon Island with the ZERO-ONE vehicle to take pictures of wild Pokémon behaving naturally for the Pokémon Report. He travels all over the island, getting pictures of all the 63 species present, including the Mythical Pokémon Mew. In the New Pokémon Snap game, Todd makes a return, not as a playable character but as a supporting character, providing the player with tips, tricks, and information about the tools you can use. He also offers special challenges for you to complete – but let’s not jump ahead too much – and focus on the game at hand first.
Lental Region
This time you travel to the islands that make up the Lental region. In this region, some of the Pokémon and vegetation will appear to have a special glow. Research these Pokémon alongside Professor Mirror as you explore dense jungles, vast deserts, and more. Your observations of Pokémon thriving in the wild may help unravel the truth behind the Illumina phenomenon. The Pokémon pictures you take will be used to build your very own Pokémon Photodex, instead of a Pokedex, even though I like my Photodex better than my Pokedex.
Like I mentioned before, New Pokémon Snap is not your average Pokémon game. You don’t train or battle with Pokémon, nor do you tackle gyms or solve puzzles written in a foreign language. It’s best described as a rail shooter game, in which you follow a specific track every time you load up the map. Certain aspects might change due to leveling up or a change in the weather – but in the basic sense, it’s the same repeatedly. To give you an idea about what I’m talking about – you should look up some games like The House of the Dead, Panzer Dragoon, and Time Crisis.
Pricepoint & Gameplay
So yes, I hear you ask – Why should I pay 60 bucks for a game in which you take photographs of Pokémon on a railroad track..? Since it’s fun. I’m not going to lie – I was on the fence about buying it for full price – and I’m still debating if it’s worth 60 bucks. The Lental region looks lovely and offers a wide diversity of islands you can visit. They range from jungles to reefs to deserts, snowy and volcanic areas – tallying to a total of 15 courses*, which change with each level you gain on the said course (with a maximum of three). *Counting both day/night/optional courses.
New Pokémon Snap features many of the old features from Pokémon Snap 64, which will make this a feast of remembrance for those who played it before. You still have the option to throw apples (fluff fruit) at Pokémon, play a tune to wake certain Pokémon, or let them do other stuff I won’t spoil. New additions are the Illumina Orbs, which are used on Pokemon to create an Illumina Phenomenon. This process will allow you to potentially witness something special and extraordinary that can help you capture those more unique and rare moments. Most tracks feature a special Illumina track, with a special Illumina Pokémon, giving some great photos.
Additions & Leveling
Most of the other additions are nudge winks to the old version. In Pokémon Snap 64, Todd wrote in the Zero-One, and in New Pokémon Snap, you ride the Neo-One (One, One) – the same goes for the flute in Snap 64, which is replaced with a recording in your camera, which can be played at any time. I like that they added a few quality of life upgrades to the game, since at its core – it’s still the same game. The graphical upgrade helps a lot, and the worlds are a lot less static than the N64 version. Most of the time, the world feels alive – although some regions feel like the plains in Breath of the Wild – too massive and too bland.
Before you can move on to another track, you have to upgrade your level or complete certain tasks, mostly related to the Illumina Orbs. These can be pretty time-consuming since taking photos that raise your level takes practice and skill. For this review, I played the game in some longer sittings, and I lost my focus in a few of the night tracks I had to upgrade, resulting in a stalemate of progress. When I booted the game again after a good night’s sleep, I took better pictures and discovered Pokémon I missed the night before. New Pokémon Snap will be my go-to game when I want to take a break from working from home or on a lazy Sunday, but not something I will be binge playing through – since that won’t do. I prefer to take my time with tracks, look at the interaction between Pokémon and nature – not rush through like it’s route 101 filled with Zigazoons & Poochyena.
Pokémon x Instagram
Another great example of bringing the game into the modern era is the addition of your own page on the internet. It’s possible to upload, retouch and decorate your pictures for everyone else to see. You can even hand out medals to pictures you like – just like Instagram, basically. Combine this with the Instax printer they are releasing, and the hype is real. I loved browsing through other people’s photos to gain inspiration for my own pictures or learning about the 4* photo I still needed to make. Sure, it takes away some of the challenges but offers the new players a low-key way to show their pride and joy. Combine this with the ingame challenges and titles you can earn (including stickers etc.), and you just upgraded the whole Pokémon Snap level into the modern-day era.
With the New Pokémon Snap release, I’m beginning more and more to wonder why Nintendo isn’t using this engine to develop a new mainline Pokémon game. And no, don’t bring me that excuse about ‘the Nintendo Switch can’t run it’ – it can. If they combine the Zelda Breath of the Wild graphics with this Pokémon world, you basically have Pokémon X/Y on Switch with Pokémon Sword & Shield mechanics – so Nintendo, why not? The game looks gorgeous, but we would love a challenge as well.
Conclusion
So, to conclude! New Pokémon Snap is a new way to enjoy Pokémon. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea due to its mechanics, but it offers a nice introduction to the world of Pokémon in a comforting and relaxing way. The progress might be a little slow now and then – so it won’t be a game I will be speedrunning soon. I get why people are on the fence about this one since it offers Pokémon x Instagram to put it in modern-day terms. But it’s so much more than that – try to look beyond the ‘only taking photographs’ part and indulge yourself into the world of the Lental Region. It’s relaxing; shows of Pokémon we haven’t seen that much in the anime or games and gives you the chance to learn about them in a different way than battling. Maybe wait until it’s priced a little .. lower than its current price point since that’s somewhat steep (even for hours you end up playing with it).
