Capturing Pokémon can be a snap all over again.
[dropcap size=small]B[/dropcap]ack in the year of 1999, Pokémon Snap hit Nintendo 64 consoles, and joined a tidal wave of Pokémon releases during the height of its popularity worldwide. 17 years later, its making a comeback on the Wii U virtual console, and as with most things Pokémon-related, Japan gets it first.
The charming little game will be available to folks in Japan April 4th, for the very reasonable price of ¥1,028 (Roughly $9 or £6). Unfortunately we’ve had no word about when the game will be released internationally, but we have every hope it will be eventually.
If you’ve never played Pokémon Snap before, it’s essentially a first-person rail shooter, – ‘shooter’ in the photography sense, of course – where you play a red-haired dude by the name of Todd Snap.
Armed with a camera, Professor Oak summons Todd to help him make a report of the Pokémon inhabiting a mysterious Island. Taking up the challenge, you set off in Todd’s shoes on a journey to be the very best Pokémon paparazzi in the world, like no one ever was.
The delightful game has you capturing pictures of dancing Charmanders, singing Jigglypuffs – and yes – even surfing Pikachus. You can’t beat that.
Environmental factors, a Pokémon’s temperament, and the weather can all create new challenges along the way; putting your photography skills to the test. Oak then judges and rates your best photos based on a Pokémon’s pose, rarity, and the general quality of the photo.
Could this re-release be a prelude to a possible sequel? Rumours did circulate a few years back that Game Freak director Junichi Masuda wanted to ‘play a cool new version of Pokémon Snap,’ so you never know.
Pokémon Snap will be available via the Nintendo eShop in Japan April 4, 2016. Let’s hope we get news of an international release soon!
