Thanks to Hamada for helping with edits.
Pokémon is no stranger to spin-offs. Starting in 1998, Nintendo and Game Freak’s moneymaker began releasing side games annually. Not all of these extracurricular endeavors are winners, of course. But several are; fellow Source Gaming writer Hamada harbors unwavering adoration for the Mystery Dungeon titles, while I gravitate towards Pokémon Puzzle League. However, there’s one particular Pokémon spin-off that’s uniquely, unanimously respected, a game whose reputation remains sterling over two decades after its release. Since its sequel is nearly upon us, let’s revisit Pokémon Snap, a Nintendo 64 rail shooter by HAL Laboratory.
Originally, 1999’s Pokémon Snap was just “a normal game in which you took photos.” Only once the Pokémon property was applied did the game find its focus. (Image: Nintendo/The Pokémon Company)
Like Puzzle League, which hit the 64-bit machine the following year, Snap uses the Pokémon anime as its aesthetic basis. Specifically, Snap follows recurring character Todd Snap, the design of Professor Oak’s lab is lifted from the show, and the voice actors reprise their roles. Oak recruits Todd to travel to Pokémon Island, a secluded islet where beasts roam without human interference, and document its wildlife. To allow easy passage across the landmass, Oak loans Todd the ZERO-ONE, an all-terrain vehicle. Several Pokémon call the island home, though Todd briefly encounters a mysterious, pink one during the opening cinematic. Will Todd stumble upon this enigma again and complete Oak’s Pokémon report?
All of Snap’s stages are short, linear affairs you move across automatically. The controls are simple: you look around with the control stick, holding the Z button whips out Todd’s camera, and then pressing the A button takes a shot. Up to sixty shots can be taken per run. Pressing the left or right C buttons shifts Todd’s view ninety degrees in the respective direction, while hitting the up C button resets it. At the onset of Todd’s photographic pilgrimage, only the beach area is accessible. Clearing it opens the second stage, a tunnel sheltering an abandoned factory. Afterwards, unlocking the remaining locations – the volcano, river, cave, and valley – requires completing specific objectives, like photographing a certain number of Pokémon or getting one to hit a switch. Alternatively, meeting Oak’s milestones may reward you with a new item: food, which Pokémon eat and chase after; a Pester Ball, which incapacities some Pokémon or susses others out of hiding; and the Poké Flute, which awakens sleeping Pokémon or inspires others to dance. Oak’s fourth gift is an upgrade to Todd’s ride, allowing it to move faster. These are mapped to the A button, B button, down C button, and R button, respectively. After finishing a stage, you sort through your photos and select which ones to present to Oak, who then scores them. Closing these tallies is a polite reminder of your current objective.
Pokémon Snap‘s graphics and presentation were impressive for the time. Every Pokémon looks as lively and expressive as the hardware could manage. (Image: Nintendo/The Pokémon Company)
Snap’s environments house Pokémon tailored to them, with sixty-three appearing in total. Some Pokémon are easy subjects, like the beach’s Butterfree swarm. Others require a gentle nudge to capture on film, like the slumbering Snorlax or those three unhatched eggs. Snap’s greatest strength is its portrayal of its Pokémon, depicting them not as stationary action figures, but as animals interacting with their habitats and each other. A side of Pokémon’s world seldom explored, seeing the hotheaded Magmar scuffle or floating Koffing pester Jigglypuff is cool and fun. In another quirk unique to Snap, both Magnemite and Slowpoke are shown evolving in a manner accurate to their Pokédex descriptions. Careful observation even yields bonuses; if you save those Jigglypuff, for example, they perform a song near the cave’s exit, a perfect photo op.
Six “Pokémon Signs” are hidden throughout the six levels – the cave contains a crystalline apparition of Mewtwo, for instance – and identifying them all yields Snap’s final area, the Rainbow Cloud. It’s the simplest stage in the game; set in space, you soar across the titular cloud, admiring the neon auroras and constellations. Home only to the enigmatic Mew, the recluse first manifests itself in its photo-proof bubble, imploring you to knock it away. Rainbow Cloud is my favorite of Snap’s seven stages, both because of its celestial motif (I also adore Mario Kart 64’s thematically similar Rainbow Road) and utilization of Mew. The DNA Pokémon easily rests among the franchise’s most iconic specimens. Whenever Mew appears, it’s treated as a big deal, even co-starring in The First Movie. But as a “Mythical Pokémon,” Mew is unobtainable in the mainline games under ordinary circumstances. Snap, however, grants everyone the chance to interact with Mew and appreciate its playful personality.
Magikarp appear in the first six stages via ponds, rivers, or the ocean. This cosmic cruise is, therefore, the only stage it’s absent from. (Image: Nintendo/The Pokémon Company)
Altogether a short romp, Pokémon Snap can effortlessly be cleared within two hours. Honestly, that’s a perfect length for it. Going through courses multiple times, seeing Pokémon repeat their scripted actions ad nauseam cheapens the illusion of these being animals living their lives. A post-game challenge asks players to attain high scores in each course, adding some replayability. Snap’s longevity was also extended through Blockbuster’s “Pokémon Snap Sticker Station” kiosks, which printed our favorite pictures out as stickers (it was also compatible with Pokémon Stadium, although taking snapshots there is a significantly less compelling activity).
An imaginative, novel take on the rail shooting genre that suits Pokémon perfectly, Snap remains an enduring experience fans cherish. And, though limited, it did leave some impact on the greater franchise. It was re-released twice, under the Wii and Wii U Virtual Console banners. Super Smash Bros. Melee honors Snap through a ZERO-ONE trophy, a rare instance of Smash acknowledging a Pokémon spin-off. Ongoing manga series Pokémon Adventures surprisingly features Todd in its “Emerald” arc, positing his presence there as a prelude to Snap. A Pokémon Sun and Moon trailer paid homage to the franchise’s photographic formulation with the tagline, “Taking Photos Is a Snap with the Poké Finder!” After years of hoping and waiting, a Snap sequel is finally on the horizon. Now with stronger hardware and a significantly larger pool of Pokémon from which to draw, I’m excited for New Pokémon Snap. Once again, we gotta catch ‘em all… on film!
When composer Ikuko Mimori uploaded Snap’s OST to her website, she included two unused tracks intended for a “horror” stage. Perhaps that concept will soon be realized? (Image: Nintendo/The Pokémon Company)
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