Extra points are awarded for capturing a "special" pose or Pokémon, such as a surfing Pikachu, and if there are multiples of the same Pokémon within the frame. Scoring takes into account various aspects of the pictures, such as the Pokémon's size, its pose, and keeping the Pokémon in frame. After completing a course, the player selects their best photos of each Pokémon to be rated by Professor Oak and added to the Pokémon Report. Up to 60 pictures can be taken per visit. The Zero-One follows a linear path throughout the level, similar to a rail shooter. Using a motorized, amphibious buggy named the Zero-One, Todd explores the island and takes photographs of the wide variety of Pokémon that inhabit its environments.įrom Professor Oak's research hub, the player can select between the game's levels and features using a menu system. Oak needs quality pictures to accompany his scientific findings, and knows from past experience that Todd is the right person for the job. Todd Snap ( トオル, Tooru), a Pokémon photographer, is summoned by Professor Oak to Pokémon Island, a place with a variety of climatic and geographic regions where Pokémon live relatively undisturbed by humans. Taking a picture of a Pikachu and Diglett in the "Tunnel" level
It has also been used as a notable example of video games with photography.Ī sequel called New Pokémon Snap was announced in 2020 and was released for the Nintendo Switch on April 30, 2021. It has also been compared to other video games with photography, such as Afrika, Dead Rising, and Beyond Good & Evil. It was met with a mostly positive reception by critics, described as "addictive" by IGN and Boys' Life, and "innovative" by Electric Playground. By the end of 1999, Pokémon Snap sold 1.5 million copies, and was a strong rental title in 1999 after its release. Its release was promoted heavily by Nintendo, including being featured in more than 86,000 hotels, and a contest to send the winner to Australia. The Virtual Console version features the ability to send pictures taken in the game to the Wii Message Board and send them to friends, whereas the Nintendo 64 cartridge could be taken to either Blockbuster or Lawson stores in North America and Japan to have pictures from the game printed on stickers.
After each round, players are judged based on the quality of their photos. The objective of the game is to take pictures of Pokémon with your camera, using items such as apples and "pester balls" to achieve better shots. The gameplay is similar to other first-person games, viewing from the perspective of protagonist Todd Snap as he moves automatically on a rail. Originally announced as a Nintendo 64DD title, development of Pokémon Snap was moved to the Nintendo 64 due to the 64DD's delays. The game was re-released for the Wii's Virtual Console in December 2007 and Wii U's Virtual Console in 2016.
It is a spin-off game in the Pokémon series, being one of the first console-based games for it, and featuring many Pokémon rendered for the first time in real-time 3D. It was first released in Japan in March 1999, and was later released in July 1999 in North America and in September 2000 for PAL regions. Pokémon Snap is a 1999 first-person photography game with rail shooter style gameplay mechanics developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64.