More than 20 years after Pokémon Snap captured the hearts of fans playing N64, Nintendo has unveiled its newest game for the Switch: an all-new remake of the beloved photography game.
The announcement hit newsfeeds across the globe on June 17 after ample teasing from the video gaming giant. Much to the delight of fans, the trailer for the aptly named New Pokémon Snap was revealed along with two other Pokémon-inspired games. However, news surrounding the advent of Pokémon Smile and Pokémon Cafe was drowned out by the fanfare surrounding the cult favorite Pokémon Snap.
The new game features some of the best parts of the old game: players will travel around the world of Pokémon and “snap” photos of those adorable pocket monsters in their natural habitats. Instead of battling and capturing, however, the protagonist simply takes photos. The end goal? Simply filling up your Pokémdex (also known as the Pokémon Encyclopedia). Just be sure to look away from the screen every once in a while to avoid dry eyes from the blue light. You can always get that perfect shot another time.
In New Pokémon Snap, you can take photos of a swimming Lapras or try to find rarer Pokémon, like a surfing Pikachu, for more points. Along with these basic components, Vice explains that you get more points depending on the Pokémon’s pose, its size, and if you happen to capture any variations. Apparently, you can also lure some of the rarer Pokémon, like the larger options, out with apples and other treats. While you might end up healing a sprained ankle for 10 days if you go on a real wildlife trek, you can enjoy exploring a magical world of friendly creatures from the comfort of your home. For those still aching for an escape amidst the quarantine blues, this aspect of adventuring is a welcome distraction akin to the calm atmosphere of Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
While adventurers won’t be able to explore the classic towns in Kanto or the newest towns in the Galar region, there will be a series of islands for players to fall in love with. You can also take pictures of classic Pokémon, like Lapras and Pikachu, but the trailer shows images for a realistically-sized Wailord and the possibility of snapping Scorbunny, too.
Here’s the basic synopsis of New Pokémon Snap, courtesy of Nintendo and Hypebeast:
“This brand-new game brings the gameplay of the 1999 Pokémon Snap game for the Nintendo 64 system to life on the Nintendo Switch system with unknown islands to discover and different Pokémon to see! Photograph lively wild Pokémon in their natural habitats as you research and explore unknown islands. Journey through a variety of environments such as beaches and jungles to capture previously-unseen Pokémon behaviors.”
Since you can play the Switch on the television or through its portable handheld mode, taking pictures of Pokémon will presumably feel like taking a picture right from your smartphone. This factor alone makes it a far cry from the original Pokémon Snap game. Just be careful giving young children access to the heavier handheld Switch: even though the console is made with strong plastic and steel — 40% of which is recycled — the large screen is still prone to breaking if you aren’t careful. For small hands, it might be better to encourage play on the television in the meantime.
For now, there’s no news on when New Pokémon Snap will be released. But just from the trailer, fans have already noted that the graphics in the game are better than those seen in Pokémon: Sword and Shield.
While many fans would love to see better graphics in all games released by Nintendo, it makes sense that a game based solely on photography would emphasize the importance of graphics. Additionally, the gameplay is limited since the player traverses the islands through a rail system. As such, it also plays up the feeling of the player being on a safari. You don’t get to run around the map or fly by air like 30% of the world’s shipping. At the end of the day, you’re meant to take pictures and the gameplay is specifically designed to make that game function great.
Another important note: though the game is being released by Nintendo, the game is being created by Bandai Namco. You can still expect to see all your favorite Pokémon nuances, but this might help to explain why the graphics look a little different as well.
With the world celebrating the re-launch of this cult-classic, why not brush off your old N64 while you wait? In the crazy times that 2020 has brought us, a little nostalgia will always be welcome.
