Category Navigation:
Pokémon Snap
Text Review
It was the first Pokémon game that didn’t involve the standard leveling up, catching and training of Pokémon. Pokémon Snap took one of the lesser known characters from the anime cartoon series, a photographer named Todd Snap, and placed him in the midst of one of the more unique settings in the Pokémon universe.
Tasked with charting a newly discovered island’s Pokémon, the legendary Professor Oak realizes that photographs would help him study the Pokémon on the island and so he immediately calls on Todd Snap to join him on his expedition. After laying out an elaborate series of tracks across the island, the Professor gives Todd an amphibious vehicle named the “Zero-One,” which Todd will use to explore the island, as he must use all of his photographer gumption to document the island’s Pokémon for the Professor.
A brand new twist on the rail-shooter, Pokémon Snap has Todd follow a predetermined path and gives him 60 shots per level to try to document as many Pokémon as clearly as possible. At the end of each adventure, Todd’s pictures are scored by Professor Oak based on the amount of Pokémon per shot, their clarity, and if they are doing anything special. To help the Pokemon perform special moves, Todd has a few tricks from the original Pokémon games like the PokéFlute to make Pokémon dance and the brand new Pester Ball. The Pester Ball is an excellent tool used to lure Pokémon out of their hiding spots or to make them act outside of their normal routines.
If you can continue to impress the Professor, you’ll move onto all seven unique areas of the island and hopefully capture all 63 available Pokémon on your camera.
A game designed purely for Pokémon fanatics, Pokémon Snap was a cute way to test the waters of how well this traditionally handheld RPG would translate both to other genres as well as the 3D realm. A bright and colorful looking game, Pokémon Snap pushed the N64 as far as it could go graphically and featured remixed themes from the Gameboy games that would be familiar to any and every fan of the series.
The plot and gameplay are relatively flimsy when trying to bring in outsiders from the series though. Straying far away from the Pokémon norm, Pokémon Snap really only appeals to diehards of the series and of the anime cartoon and even then it is weak as fans who obsessed for so long over trying to “catch’em all” will be disappointed at only seeing, at most, 63 in the game.
The one thing that might keep fanatics coming back for more is the constant challenge in trying to one up themselves on their own pictures and even with only 63 Pokémon in the game, it is still a challenge to catch them all. Once you do capture them all though, there really is little to keep you coming back to this game for any extended period of time.
Really nothing more than an appetizer for what would be the 3D powerhouse that was Pokémon Stadium, Pokémon Snap showed people that Pokémon could work on a console even when not sticking with the traditional RPG elements, but only appealed to true diehards of the series.
- Ray Carsillo
Developer: HAL Laboratory and Pax Softnica
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform(s): N64
Tasked with charting a newly discovered island’s Pokémon, the legendary Professor Oak realizes that photographs would help him study the Pokémon on the island and so he immediately calls on Todd Snap to join him on his expedition. After laying out an elaborate series of tracks across the island, the Professor gives Todd an amphibious vehicle named the “Zero-One,” which Todd will use to explore the island, as he must use all of his photographer gumption to document the island’s Pokémon for the Professor.
A brand new twist on the rail-shooter, Pokémon Snap has Todd follow a predetermined path and gives him 60 shots per level to try to document as many Pokémon as clearly as possible. At the end of each adventure, Todd’s pictures are scored by Professor Oak based on the amount of Pokémon per shot, their clarity, and if they are doing anything special. To help the Pokemon perform special moves, Todd has a few tricks from the original Pokémon games like the PokéFlute to make Pokémon dance and the brand new Pester Ball. The Pester Ball is an excellent tool used to lure Pokémon out of their hiding spots or to make them act outside of their normal routines.
If you can continue to impress the Professor, you’ll move onto all seven unique areas of the island and hopefully capture all 63 available Pokémon on your camera.
A game designed purely for Pokémon fanatics, Pokémon Snap was a cute way to test the waters of how well this traditionally handheld RPG would translate both to other genres as well as the 3D realm. A bright and colorful looking game, Pokémon Snap pushed the N64 as far as it could go graphically and featured remixed themes from the Gameboy games that would be familiar to any and every fan of the series.
The plot and gameplay are relatively flimsy when trying to bring in outsiders from the series though. Straying far away from the Pokémon norm, Pokémon Snap really only appeals to diehards of the series and of the anime cartoon and even then it is weak as fans who obsessed for so long over trying to “catch’em all” will be disappointed at only seeing, at most, 63 in the game.
The one thing that might keep fanatics coming back for more is the constant challenge in trying to one up themselves on their own pictures and even with only 63 Pokémon in the game, it is still a challenge to catch them all. Once you do capture them all though, there really is little to keep you coming back to this game for any extended period of time.
Really nothing more than an appetizer for what would be the 3D powerhouse that was Pokémon Stadium, Pokémon Snap showed people that Pokémon could work on a console even when not sticking with the traditional RPG elements, but only appealed to true diehards of the series.
- Ray Carsillo
Developer: HAL Laboratory and Pax Softnica
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform(s): N64
So RAD it hurts!
Sign up now! - CGR Forums
Follow CGR on Twitter - TWITTER
Writers! - Click here
eBay links! Help support Classic Game Room by buying your classic games and hardware through eBay links on our site! Every game and accessory is linked to eBay, shop ahoy!