Pokémon Snap is a 1999 photography video game created by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was first released in Japan in March 1999, then in North America in July 1999, and in PAL regions in September 2000. It is a spin-off game in the Pokémon series, one of the first console-based games in the series, and features many Pokémon shown for the first time in real-time 3D. The game was later released again on the Wii’s Virtual Console in December 2007, the Wii U’s Virtual Console in 2016, and the Nintendo Classics service in June 2022.
Originally planned for the Nintendo 64DD, the game was moved to the Nintendo 64 because of delays with the 64DD. Players control Todd Snap, the main character, who moves automatically along a path. The goal is to take pictures of Pokémon using an in-game camera and items like apples and "pester balls" to improve photo quality. After each round, players are scored based on the quality of their photos. The Nintendo 64 cartridge could be taken to Blockbuster or Lawson stores in North America and Japan to print game pictures on stickers. The Virtual Console version allows players to send game photos to the Wii Message Board and share them with friends.
Nintendo heavily promoted the game, including featuring it in over 86,000 hotels and a contest to send a winner to Australia. By the end of 1999, the game sold 1.5 million copies and was a popular rental title that year. Critics gave the game mostly positive reviews, calling it "addictive" by IGN and Boys’ Life and "innovative" by Electric Playground. It has been compared to other photography-based games like Afrika, Dead Rising, and Beyond Good & Evil. It is also considered an important example of photography video games.
A sequel called New Pokémon Snap, developed by Bandai Namco Studios, was released for the Nintendo Switch on April 30, 2021.
Gameplay
Pokémon Snap is a photography video game that includes elements of a rail shooter. The player controls the Zero-One, which follows a set path through each level, viewed from a first-person perspective. Players can take up to 60 pictures during each visit to a level. After completing a course, players choose their best photos of each Pokémon to submit for scoring by Professor Oak and inclusion in the Pokémon Report. Scoring evaluates factors such as the size of the Pokémon, its pose, and whether it remains visible in the picture. Extra points are given for capturing a "special" pose or Pokémon, such as a Pikachu riding a wave, or if multiple Pokémon of the same type appear in the frame. To advance in the game, players must achieve high scores in the Pokémon Report and photograph a wide variety of Pokémon. Players can also use an "Album Mark" to save favorite photos in a personal in-game album for later viewing or sharing with others.
At the start of the game, players have only a basic camera. As they progress, Professor Oak provides special tools to improve photography. The game includes seven levels: Beach, Tunnel, Volcano, River, Cave, Valley, and the special course "Rainbow Cloud." Players must revisit levels after obtaining new tools to find hidden Pokémon, alternate paths, or better photography opportunities. The first tool is apple-shaped Pokémon food, which can be used to attract or temporarily stop Pokémon. Another tool, called "Pester Balls," can be used to knock Pokémon out of hiding. The Poké-Flute can be used to wake, irritate, or hatch Pokémon, and it can also make them dance to three different songs. Players can also obtain a "Dash Engine" for the Zero-One, which increases the vehicle's speed.
The game features 63 Pokémon from the original generation of 151 Pokémon.
Synopsis
Todd Snap, a Pokémon photographer, is asked by Professor Oak to visit Pokémon Island. This island has many different climates and landscapes where Pokémon live with little human interference. Professor Oak needs good photos to support his research and knows Todd is the best person for the job. Todd uses a special vehicle called the Zero-One, which can move on both water and land, to explore the island and take pictures of the many Pokémon living there.
Development
Pokémon Snap was created by HAL Laboratory with help from Pax Softnica. It began as a game called Jack and the Beanstalk, named after a famous English fairy tale. The game was originally made for the 64DD, an accessory for the Nintendo 64. It was developed by a team called "Jack and Beans" at HAL’s office on the second floor of the Nintendo Kanda building in Sudachō, Tokyo. The name "Jack and Beans" appears in the introduction video and credits of Pokémon Snap. Jack and the Beanstalk was first announced in February 1995, a year before the Nintendo 64 was released in Japan. However, the game was not heard from again, and no images or videos of it have been shared. Little is known about its design or gameplay. Some believe parts of its gameplay may have been used in EarthBound 64, a game that started in 1994 but was canceled in 2000. Benimaru Itoh, an artist on EarthBound 64, mentioned in an interview that the game was to include seeds that would grow over time using the 64DD’s internal clock.
On February 27, 1996, Nintendo affiliate Game Freak released Pocket Monsters Red and Green (later known as Pokémon Red and Blue in the West). These games became popular and were followed by manga and trading cards the same year. An anime TV series began on April 1, 1997, making the franchise a national hit that spread globally. After progress on Jack and the Beanstalk was not successful, the idea to turn it into a Pokémon game was considered. The game, now called Pokémon Snap, was shown at Nintendo Space World '97. Satoru Iwata, a producer of the game, explained in a 2010 interview that the game was originally not about Pokémon but involved taking photos. The team later decided to focus on Pokémon because they wanted players to have a clear reason to take pictures. Masanobu Yamamoto, a character designer, initially disliked the change because it meant discarding much of his work. However, he later agreed it was a good decision: "Adopting the Pokémon world helped us understand our goals and direction, and I came to enjoy Pokémon."
During development, the team planned to let players transfer photos to the Game Boy Camera using the Transfer Pak so they could be printed with the Game Boy Printer. However, the low quality and black-and-white printing of the Game Boy Printer led to this feature being removed.
In 1999, Shigesato Itoi, the creator of Mother / EarthBound, posted a five-part article series about Jack and the Beanstalk on his website, 1101.com. The series included interviews with people involved in the game, such as Satoru Iwata and Shigeru Miyamoto.
After becoming a Pokémon game, Pokémon Snap was still planned for the 64DD, an accessory for the Nintendo 64 that used magnetic disk cartridges with more storage space and an internet modem. The 64DD was first shown at Shoshinkai 1996 but was released only in Japan in December 1999 with very few games. Most games that were planned for the 64DD, including The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Donkey Kong 64, were instead released only for the Nintendo 64. In January 1999, the magazine Dengeki Nintendo 64 announced that Pokémon Snap would no longer be released for the 64DD and would instead be published as an N64 cartridge. Two months later, the game was released 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. Nintendo and Japanese convenience store Lawson created a partnership that allowed players to bring their copies of Pokémon Snap to Lawson stores in Japan to have game photos printed as stickers. A similar agreement was made with Blockbuster in the United States, which only printed stickers from players’ copies of Pokémon Snap. Blockbuster hosted a contest called "Take Your Best Shot," where the player who submitted the best photo from Pokémon Snap to Nintendo would win a trip to Australia. Nintendo, working with LodgeNet, included Nintendo 64 systems with Pokémon Snap in over 86,000 hotels to promote the Pokémon franchise during the holiday travel season. Nintendo showcased Pokémon Snap at a Pokémon event named "Pokémon League Summer Training Tour." The game’s main character, Todd Snap, briefly appeared in the Pokémon anime series before the game was released.
In December 2007, Pokémon Snap was re-released for the Wii as a Virtual Console title. While the original version allowed players to take cartridges to Blockbuster or Lawson stores in the United States to print stickers, the re-release replaced this feature 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 the Wii U as a Virtual Console title. This version was released in Europe and Australia on August 18, 2016, and in North America on January 5, 2017.
On June 24, 2022, Pokémon Snap was re-released for the Nintendo Classics service.
Reception
Pokémon Snap was fourth on the list of top-selling games in Japan during the week of its release, March 18 to March 24. By the week ending May 21, 1999, it had dropped to fifth place. In the United States, Pokémon Snap sold more than 151,000 copies in the first three days of its release. From its launch until October 22, 1999, it was the most rented game in the United States. In November 1999, it appeared on 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 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 more than 1.5 million copies. IGN credited its success to "well targeted promotions" and its connection with Blockbuster. According to the NPD Group, Pokémon Snap was the top-selling Nintendo 64 game of 1999 in the United States, as well as the fifth best-selling video game overall. In the United Kingdom, it sold 6,500 units at launch, reaching No. 9 in that week’s charts and replacing Perfect Dark as the top-selling game in the N64 Top Ten chart.
Pokémon Snap received positive reviews from the media, scoring 77/100 on Metacritic. It was included in a test of video games that are fun, safe, easy to play, and of value for children. Ars Technica editor Frank Caron said 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. Kotaku described it as a "cash-in branded title." Before its U.S. release, IGN praised it as "strange" but "fun." Matt Casamassina of IGN called it an "addictive, surprisingly fun" game, noting 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 praised it as a "refreshingly unique game." IGN editors Mark Bozon and Casamassina commented on Pokémon Snap’s likelihood of becoming a Virtual Console title; the former called it a "cult classic" and 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 it again criticized its lack of length. Official Nintendo Magazine gave the game an 85%. Electronic Gaming Monthly’s four reviewers gave the game two 8/10 scores and two 8.5/10 scores. GamePro commented that while "for Pokémon fans, this is a wonderful game," others may not find it as fun.
GameRevolution called it "an absolute must-have for Pokémon 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 praised it for its "sense of peace" and its reproduction of "the feel of a safari or a theme park." The Detroit Free Press editor Mike Floyd commented that while it has "a lot of initial flash," it "lacks depth to make it a great title." Wired editor Susan Arendt noted that while some called Pokémon Snap the "Bastard child of the Pokémon franchise," people in her office loved it. The Denver Post editor David Thomas said 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 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 noted that while the number of Pokémon was limited and there were few courses, the game has "a substantial amount of replay value." Game Informer 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 and 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 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 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 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. The PlayStation 3 video game Afrika was said by both UGO Networks and Shacknews to be Pokémon Snap-like. Dead Rising’s photography mechanic was also likened to Pokémon Snap’s by Kotaku.
The Virtual