Pokemon Snap Review

Non-Violent Gameplay
Pokemon in Full 3D
Original Gameplay
Teaches Strategy to Youngsters
Pictures Can be Printed Out Via Pokemon Snap Station
Encourages Healthy Competition
Just Plain Fun

Too Slow Paced For Some
Not All Pokemon Present (?)

Me playing Pokemon? What is going on? Hey I'll be the first to admit that I don't get the whole Pokemon craze. Heck, I don't even get Game Boy. I owned one for about 2 hours in 1989 and I'm still suffering from headaches and eyestrain. I picked up Pokemon Snap because it's my job to pick up Pokemon Snap. Plain and simple. Well, truth be told, I played it at E3 and thought it was a blast. So natch, I'm gonna review it. What's not to like about this game? Oh sure older teens will scoff and avoid it for fear of looking nerdy and immature, but I've come to terms with my immaturity. Its called manhood. You'll understand when you boys get older. You'll get older, but you won't act it. Anyway, unlike older teenage boys (ages 15-17) I will wear a jacket when it's cold, a hat when it's raining and mitts when it's snowing, and I'll also tell you that I really like this game.

The idea is simple. You are on an island and must take pictures of the various species of Pokemon that inhabit its Eco system. You are given 60 pictures per level and it's your job to take as many as you can that feature the Pokemon up close, posed well and centered in the middle of the frame. You'll make your way through the level on a moving cart that you can't stop but have 360 degrees of movement in. At first the Pokemon are fairly easy to spot, but as later levels go by, you'll have to be quick with your shutter finger. You'll even have to flush the critters out into the open with objects given to you by the Professor. Once the cart reaches the end of the level, you'll have to go through the pictures and decide which ones to show the Professor for inclusion in his Pokemon report.

Your pictures are judged by three main objectives and you are given points depending on the following criteria:

Size: The bigger the Pokemon are in the picture the more points you will receive.

Pose: Catch the Pokemon in an active pose.
Technique: Try to ensure your subject is in the center of the picture.
Other Pokemon: If you can get two or more of the same species in the same picture you will be rewarded.

If this game sounds incredibly boring to you, then I suggest you try it before opening your mouth. Heck I could make Bingo out to sound boring if I tried...oh wait, Bingo is boring. If you can get over the fact that you aren't killing anything then you just might enjoy it. Returning to an area armed with knowledge, strategy and luck will yield great rewards. If you take pictures of Pokemon that you have already submitted to the Professor, that's cool. He'll check over the new ones and compare which is better, so that you will always have the upper hand. For example, if you play through the first couple of levels and then receive the apples from the Prof., revisit a level and see how the apples affect the various Pokemon. They may come closer to you, you may alter their pose or they may change altogether and it'll be up to you to capture it on film. Pester Balls and A Poke Flute are also available and with each new item earned, it is best to revisit old areas and see what unfolds...

Graphically this game looks great. I'm sure the legions of PKMN fans will be tinkled pink when they see their favorites in glorious 3D polygonal color. The kids I spoke to were totally head over heels nuts about this game and why not? It does a lot of things right.

Complaint Dept. Now I may not know much about Pokemon but I do know that there are approximately 151 of them (if you count just the red and blue GBC carts). I'm pretty far in the game and I haven't come close to finding that many. So I'm wondering if they could have skimped on the amount of Pokemon? The rumors I've heard put the head count just over 60 and as far as I'm concerned that is just wrong. There should be 151 Pokemon in this game! Am I right or am I right? My only other complaint, which is more of an observation is that the average Goldeneye player may find this game a little slow paced. My advice is to take Pokemon at face value and play it for what it is.

My last and final thought is really a comment on our society. On the Pokemon Snap box you'll see the disclaimer, "This is a game, not a camera." If there was ever any evidence that people in the 20th century are getting dumber, this is it folks. We are moving into the year 2000 in a few short months, where we are just that much closer to moving sidewalks, flying cars, time travel and alien contact and this 7-word sentence threatens to ruin it all. If you really thought that there was a camera inside the box that would allow you to take real pictures of fictional creatures you are not only stupid, but I would argue extremely dangerous too. Seek professional help immediately. If you are smart enough to understand what you will be getting when you open up the Pokemon Snap box, then by all means plunk down some hard earned cash and go home with a winner!