Pokemon Snap Review

I was a stubborn young lad back in the day. When I hated something, I hated it even if I never actually watched or played it. When I saw Pokemon Snap, I didn’t want to play it because it looked boring. In fact, if you told anyone there was a game about taking pictures about Pokemon, they would probably think it’s boring and find it a bit odd you are intensely into a game like that. Once I started playing the game, however, I fell in love with the game. To this day, this game is the best N64 and Pokemon game of all time. 10/10

….Who am I kidding? Let’s start at the very beginning of the creation of this game.

Funnily enough, this game did not begin as a Pokemon game. It was first called “Jack and the

Image Courtesy of Nintendo

Beanstalk.” The development team, Jack and Beans, were planning for the game to have you take normal photos. The problem however was they couldn’t find how to keep players motivated to play the game. Because of this, the game was switched to focus on taking pictures of Pokemon. The game was also meant to be for the 64DD, a Japanese exclusive accessory for the N64 that uses disks. Due to the many delays of this accessory, however, Pokemon Snap was published as an N64 cartridge on June 30, 1999. So, is the game picture-perfect? Or was it underdeveloped?

You play as Todd Snap, a Pokemon photographer, who has been called by Professor Oak to take pictures of Pokemon in Pokemon Island. To navigate through the island, you ride on a buggy that Oak

invented called the Zero-One. Explore forests, caves, and volcanos and take pictures of Pokemon. As you take more photos, the professor will give you some items that will help you progress through the game and get better pictures.

After you finish a level, Professor Oak will rank your photos depending on the size, pose, and other things. Points are doubled if the Pokemon is in the center of the image.

The story is absent in this game. However, the attention to detail with the Pokemon for their personalities and how they react to items you throw at them or other Pokemon are very well done.

Image Courtesy of Nintendo

For example, you can find a Magmar and a Charmander together. If you throw an apple at them, the Magmar will be a jerk and shoot flames at the Charmander. Thanks to this, Charmander evolves to a Charmeleon and causes Magmar to faint. It’s these little touches that are very nice. I give the story a C+.

The gameplay is what makes this game stand out from the rest. It’s so fun taking pictures of the Pokemon you meet and interacting with them. My one problem is that moving the camera can be a bit so which makes it a bit difficult to get the photo just right. I give the gameplay an A.

The soundtrack is fine. I don’t really have much to say about it. It serves its purpose. I give it a B.



To conclude, this is a fine game. It is quite lacking overall. I think this game has a soft spot for me mainly because of how unique the gameplay is. I give the game a 7/10.

At a Glance: Pokemon Snap

Summary: Take pictures of Pokemon for Professor Oak on Pokemon Island.

Rated: E for Everyone

Price: N64: $19.99 (Gamestop) Wii U: $9.99

Distributor: Nintendo

System: N64 and Wii U

Release Date: N64: June 30, 1999, Wii U: January 5, 2017. 

Rating: 7/10.