Pokémon Snap is a photography video game created in 1999 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 game in the Pokémon series and one of the first console-based games in the series. The game features many Pokémon shown in real-time 3D for the first time. It was later re-released 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 on a rail. 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 judged based on the quality of their photos. Players could take the Nintendo 64 cartridge 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 promoted the game heavily, including displaying it in over 86,000 hotels and holding 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 generally praised the game, calling it "addictive" by IGN and Boys’ Life and "innovative" by Electric Playground. It has been compared to other photography-themed 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 Zero-One follows a set path through each level, and players view the action from a first-person perspective. During each visit, players can take up to 60 pictures. After completing a course, players choose their best photos of each Pokémon to be evaluated by Professor Oak and added to the Pokémon Report. The score depends on factors like the size of the Pokémon, its position, and whether it stays in the picture. Extra points are given for capturing special poses or Pokémon, such as a Pikachu riding a surfboard, or if multiple copies of the same Pokémon appear in the frame. To advance in the game, players must score well in the Pokémon Report and photograph a wide range of Pokémon. Players can also use an "Album Mark" to save favorite pictures in a personal in-game album for later viewing or sharing with friends.
At the beginning of the game, players have only a basic camera. As they progress, Professor Oak gives them special tools to improve their photography. The game includes seven levels: Beach, Tunnel, Volcano, River, Cave, Valley, and a special course called "Rainbow Cloud." However, tools are introduced gradually, requiring players to revisit courses to find new content. Players must replay levels after obtaining new tools to discover hidden Pokémon, alternate paths, or better photo opportunities. The first tool is apple-shaped food that can be thrown to either attract or stun Pokémon. Another tool, called "Pester Balls," can knock out Pokémon or force them out of hiding. A device called the Poké-Flute can be used to wake, irritate, or hatch Pokémon. It can also make Pokémon dance and play three different songs, causing different dances from certain Pokémon. Players can also earn a Dash Engine for the Zero-One, which allows the vehicle to move faster than normal.
The game includes 63 of the original 151 Pokémon from the first generation.
Synopsis
Todd Snap (トオル, Tooru), a Pokémon photographer, is asked by Professor Oak to visit Pokémon Island. This island has many different climates and land areas where Pokémon live with little human interference. Professor Oak needs clear photographs to support his scientific research and believes Todd is the best person for this task. Todd uses a special vehicle called the Zero-One, which can travel on both land and water, to explore the island. He takes pictures of the many types of Pokémon that live in its various environments.
Development
Pokémon Snap was created by HAL Laboratory with help from Pax Softnica. It was first planned as a game called Jack and the Beanstalk, inspired by a famous English fairy tale. The game was designed for the 64DD, an accessory for the Nintendo 64 that used magnetic disks and had a clock. The development team working on the game was named "Jack and Beans," and this name appears in the introduction video and credits of Pokémon Snap. Jack and the Beanstalk was first announced in February 1995, one year before the Nintendo 64 launched in Japan. However, the game was never completed, and no images or videos of it have been shared. Some people believe parts of its design may have influenced 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 included seeds that grew over time using the 64DD’s clock.
In 1996, Nintendo’s partner company, Game Freak, released Pocket Monsters Red and Green (later called Pokémon Red and Blue in other countries). These games became unexpectedly popular and were followed by a manga and trading card game. In 1997, an anime series began, making the franchise a major hit in Japan and later worldwide. After Jack and the Beanstalk’s development did not meet expectations, the team decided to change it into a Pokémon-themed game. The new version, called Pokémon Snap, was shown at Nintendo Space World ’97. Satoru Iwata, one of the game’s producers, said in an interview that the original idea was a photo-taking game, but the team struggled to find a reason for players to take pictures. They later decided to focus on Pokémon. Masanobu Yamamoto, a character designer, was initially unhappy about the change because it meant discarding much of his work. However, he later agreed it was a good decision: "Changing to the Pokémon world helped us understand what to do next, and I came to enjoy Pokémon." During development, the team considered allowing players to transfer photos to the Game Boy Camera using a device called the Transfer Pak, but they removed the feature because the Game Boy Printer’s output was low quality and black and white.
In 1999, Shigesato Itoi, the creator of Mother/EarthBound, wrote a five-part article about Jack and the Beanstalk on his website, 1101.com. The articles included interviews with people who worked on the game, such as Satoru Iwata and Shigeru Miyamoto. After Pokémon Snap became a Pokémon game, it was still planned for the 64DD, which had a larger storage capacity and an internet modem. The 64DD was first shown in 1996 but was only released 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, a magazine called Dengeki Nintendo 64 announced that Pokémon Snap would no longer be released for the 64DD and would instead be made as a Nintendo 64 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 made an agreement where players could bring their copies of Pokémon Snap to Lawson stores in Japan to have game pictures printed as stickers. A similar agreement was made with Blockbuster, which printed stickers from players' copies of Pokémon Snap in the United States. Blockbuster hosted a contest called "Take Your Best Shot," where the player who submitted the best picture from Pokémon Snap to Nintendo would win a trip to Australia. Nintendo, working with LodgeNet, included Nintendo 64s with Pokémon Snap in over 86,000 hotels to promote the Pokémon franchise during the holiday travel season. Nintendo displayed 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 shortly before the game's release.
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 let players 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 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 it was released, March 18 to March 24. By the week ending May 21, 1999, it ranked fifth in Japan. In the United States, Pokémon Snap sold more than 151,000 copies in the first three days of its release. After its launch, it was the most rented game in the United States up to October 22, 1999. 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 in the United States, while still being the most-rented game that week. By the end of 1999, Pokémon Snap was the sixth best-selling video game in the United States, with more than 1.5 million copies sold. IGN said the success was due to "well-targeted promotions" and a partnership 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 the game's length, he noted that a Virtual Console re-release would be appropriate because it is "simple and quick." IGN also called it a "wonderful game for kids of all ages," though it again mentioned 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 said "for Pokémon fans, this is a wonderful game," but others might 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 said it has "a lot of initial flash" but "lacks depth to make it a great title." Wired editor Susan Arendt said some called Pokémon Snap the "Bastard child of the Pokémon franchise," but 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 said he strongly disliked the Pokémon franchise, but 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 said the number of Pokémon was limited and the number of courses was small, but the game has a "substantial amount of replay value." Game Informer said 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 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 said the game design of Snapshot Adventures: Secret of Bird Island was inspired by both Pokémon Snap and the video game Spore. The PlayStation 3 video game Afrika was said by both UGO Networks and Shacknews to be similar to Pokémon Snap. Dead Rising's photography mechanic was also compared to Pokémon Snap's by Kotaku.
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