In June of 1999, in the midst of an already Pokémon-crazed world, Pokémon Snap made its grand entry into homes with a brand-new style of gameplay that captured the attention and imagination of gamers everywhere.
As a player, you took the role of Todd, a Pokémon photographer. You didn’t train Pokémon; instead, you captured them in their natural environments–on film. The game was a departure from what everyone knew, but it was a smash hit in no time at all.
Which is one of the reasons it seems so strange Nintendo waited almost 22 years to release a sequel. Two days ago, on April 30, 2021, New Pokémon Snap released on Nintendo Switch. In that short time, it has proven itself to be a masterpiece of a game–a true successor to the original.
New Pokémon Snap Captures the Feel of the Original
The original Pokémon Snap engrossed players because it presented Pokémon in a brand-new light. I knew Pokémon in the context of capturing and battling them. While aiming to be the very best is still one of the highlights of the genre, sitting in the Zero-One pod and taking part in a wild Pokémon safari holds a charm all its own.
In the New Pokémon Snap, you serve much the same role. You arrive at Professor Mirror’s lab to meet the professor and his team. A couple of hours into the game, you meet Todd, the protagonist of the first game. New Pokémon Snap is chock-full of references like this. “Sure, it’s a sequel!” But it’s not just that. With 22 years in between entries, these references help connect the original fanbase (many of whom are in their 30s) to the new game.
And what a game it is. I was skeptical coming into it. Would Nintendo really be able to capture everything that I knew and loved about the first game? The answer is an enthusiastic yes. New Pokémon Snap contains around 200 Pokémon, versus the 63 that showed up in the original. Many of the same mechanics are in place–you can throw food at Pokémon to get their attention, throw Illumina Orbs (the new Pester Balls), and play music to elicit different reactions depending on the monster.
The variety of levels feels very much like the original game, ranging from standard forest to beaches to volcanoes. Each stage has Pokémon interacting with one another in different ways. Some of the best include a Wailmer shouting at an Octillery, or a Alolan Raichu surfing over the waves on its tail.
The main goal is to fill your Photodex, but also to solve the mystery of the Illumina Pokémon: creatures that emit a strange, mesmerizing glow unlike any other Pokémon around them.
All the Replayability of 200+ Pokemon
Pokémon has come a long way as a franchise. Though the original Pokémon Snap released when there were only 150 Pokémon, there are now more than 800 (over 200 in New Snap). This means there are a lot more Pokémon to be photographed than before, with a much more in-depth rating scale.
You’re also given quests to unlock special rewards like stickers you can put on photos you take. You can share your favorites with other players, too. Even after you’ve mastered the game, New Pokémon Snap gives you a lot to do. It’s a great game to kick back with and just enjoy living in the world of Pokémon.
Most importantly, New Pokémon Snap gave me what I’ve wanted for the last 22 years: the chance to dive back into the shoes of a Pokémon photographer and make myself the Steve Irwin of Pokémon. I spent dozens of hours replaying the same levels over and over again, learning every secret, mastering the timing, and enjoying myself in a way that only a kid could.
New Pokémon Snap brought back that same feeling, and the motion controls kind of seal the deal: moving my Switch around to focus the shot and keep a specific Pokémon in frame made me feel like a legitimate photographer and stirred the same childhood desire to find a Ratata hiding in the tall grass.