Throwback Thursday - Pokemon Snap

Welcome to another Throwback Thursday, our weekly look into my Top 100 games and general nostalgia.  Striking a pose this week: The game of on rails photo trails that is Pokemon Snap.

Released in the US on June 30th, 1999, Pokemon Snap offered the first foray of Pokemon into the world of 3D on the Nintendo 64, and may be in my personal opinion the best representation of the Pokemon universe.  Players take control of Todd Snap, a Pokemon photographer, who is set with the task to build a portfolio of quality photos for Professor Oak's records.  To accomplish this, players hop on an automated buggy vehicle and visit different parts of the island, taking up to 60 pictures per trip.  Players will need to keep a watchful eye for the various Pokemon that inhabit each area.  As your journey continues, you'll become equipped with apples, Pester Balls, and a flute to interact in various ways while riding, luring out new Pokemon or uncovering new paths.  At the end of each photo shoot, players will then submit one photo for each type of Pokemon taken, receiving a score determined by elements such as composition, size, pose, and more.  It's a fun and clever mechanic that encourages repeated play as players strive for the best pictures and the highest course scores.

As mentioned earlier though, this game really stands out through its engaging world building.  Though the game only includes 61 of the original 151 Pokemon, it feels like a world that could contain them all due to its surroundings just teeming with life.  Every Pokemon feels so alive as you observe and interact with their environment.  From a distant Lapras wading in the waters to uncovering a Ditto posing as another Pokemon, there are so many unique means of discovery and wonder to be found.  It makes you pine for a full-fledged Pokemon experience in which you can freely wander and observe the world of Pokemon such as is presented here.  If the rumors are to be believed and the developers are looking to shake up the series in bold new ways, they could certainly do no harm in taking a page or two from this immersive gem of a game.  Until then, we'll continue to scratch our collective heads why the Wii-U never capitalized on what would have been a perfect opportunity for a sequel here.