Gotta snap ‘em all, Pokémon! Leave it up to Nintendo to come up with inventive and creative ways to take a hot license and throw it into a bunch of new genres. This latest is a game entitled Pokémon Snap, where the point is to travel throughout Pokémon Island and take the best pictures of various Pokémon that inhabit the peaceful place. You have been hired by Professor Oak to take images for his Pokémon Report he is writing, and using his trusty Zero One mobile, players will have to make their way into beaches, jungles, volcanoes, and others.
This is the first time that the Pokémon have appeared in a Nintendo 64 game that has hit American shores, so this is their US 3D debut. A total of 63 (no, there are unfortunately not 151 like the Game Boy game) Pokémon are included within Pokémon Snap and in order to fully complete the Pokémon Report for Professor Oak and achieve the highest score possible, pictures off all 63 will have to be taken. However, to receive high scores one must take good pictures of the Pokémon. Snapping one from 100 feet away while its back is turned is not going to rack up many points. Waiting for the right moment to take a picture is crucial in obtaining the perfect photo.
Scores for pictures are decided by a few categories. First off is how close the Pokémon is to the camera lens. The closer they are, the better the score. Second is what kind of action the Pokémon is doing at the time. Most of the time you’ll just get them staring at the camera, which will usually earn you between 600 and 900 points. If the Pokémon is performing a special action a bonus amount of points can be added on. For example, Pikachu performing a thundershock move or Jigglypuff singing on stage can earn an additional score amount. The last way a picture is scored is if the Pokémon is in the center of the screen. If it is Professor Oak will double the score you already have, which results in scores totaling up to as high as 5000.
Pokémon Snap’s biggest problem lies in how easy it is to complete it. I was able to nab all 63 of the Pokémon in the game (including the secret Mew) within the time span of four hours. Yes, I did have good pictures for the majority of the Pokémon, so it wasn’t like I just snapped from afar and moved on. Once all the Pokémon have been discovered (there are more than a few that are tricky to find) there are high scores that can be beaten. Nothing happens once the player beats the high scores; it seems that the only reward is self accomplishment. After you find the Pokémon and beat the challenge scores there is no real reason to keep playing other than for the simple fact of obtaining an even higher score. The limited replayability is worsened by the fact that Nintendo decided only to include 63 Pokémon when they could have used a few more months of development to add in all 151.
Visually the game is nothing all that special. The big thing for Pokémon fans will be seeing their favorite Pokémon in full, moving 3D. Once that novelty wears off it is just another 3D engine. Environments themes are so that all the Pokémon are visible in an atmosphere that would make sense for that particular Pokémon.
To help players obtain better Pokémon pictures, there are a few items that Professor Oak will hand off to the player as they continue through their adventure. Pokémon food and Pester Balls will help attract Pokémon that are picture shy and bring them closer to the camera. There is also an adapter for the Zero One mobile that enables it to go faster.
Pokémon Snap is a poor effort on Nintendo’s part. It is completely obvious that the game was rushed in order to cash in on the Pokémon frenzy. They could have spent six more months creating some new areas and adding all the available Pokémon into it and then it would have been a much better overall game. A sequel is almost a given for this (it’s going to sell like mad), so hopefully Pokémon Snap 2 will have some major improvements.
-- Patrick Klepek
