The original Nintendo 64 title is back with an entirely new installment for the Nintendo Switch. We know all the details for now.
Although it is always at the top of the saga lovers’ wish list, New Pokémon Snap did not play in the Pokemon Presents pools of this past June 17. The Pokémon Company, without even hinting at the return of one of the most beloved spin-offs on the license, recovered that scene in which we photographed Pikachu on the beach … only twenty-one years later and on Nintendo Switch. In this article, we are going to review everything we know for now about this expected title and what we want included to meet our expectations.
New Pokémon Snap
A trailer that tells us more than it seems
Although we can only host a trailer and the official file of the game in the eShop, there is a lot of information that we can extract from these recently revealed little brushstrokes. For starters, this time it is not HAL Laboratory —authors of the original title of 1999 (2000 in Europe) for Nintendo 64— but Bandai Namco Entertainment, whose relationship with the big N is close and, specifically, also with Pokémon.
Things always happen in Pokémon Snap. Can we intervene or alter the confrontation between Torterra and Dodrio?
Because they have been in charge since 1999 of bringing some of the most famous Pokémon arcade machines to the arcade. From Dance! Pikachu going through Pikachu’s Great Surfing Adventure in 2000, Pokémon: Crayon Kids Pokémon Crayon Kids in 2001 and many more. It was not until 2015, with the Pokkén Tournament, when the production began to take on a very mature and ambitious look. So much so that Katsuhiro Harada, Tekken’s father, assumed a position of responsibility in this work, which eventually came to light in American arcade rooms and, subsequently, both Wii U and Nintendo Switch with a success capable of exceeding one million units sold .
In addition, as we mentioned, a Bandai Namco department has assisted in works such as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Mario Kart Tour, ARMS or Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, to cite only works from the last triennium. The graphics engine of New Pokémon Snap aims to be, at least from what is seen in the trailer, if not the same one very similar to that of the Pokkén Tournament.
The play of light, its lighting, with a certain emphasis on white, as well as the pronounced contrasts to denote the shadows on the bodies of each species, hint that the title is not going to be precisely limited on a technical level. Another difference from the main saga is cel shading. Bandai Namco is leaving outlines to differentiate modeling; This time they will be completely pure three-dimensional constructions, which will rub against the environment directly for a realistic touch. Clouds, water effect, and animations stand out far above Game Freak’s recent work with Pokemon Sword and Shield. The advantage here is that they are closed, guided levels, so you can pay attention to each element on the screen.
New Pokémon Snap
Gameplay: why on rails
New Pokémon Snap, just like the original title, is a rail shooter. The difference from the usual shooting games is that here the bullets are the photographs of a reel; and the gun turns into a camera (now digital, thankfully). There has been an interesting debate as to whether or not this reboot should be on rails. Both options are equally valid in a video game, who wouldn’t want to be able to wander through forests and caves photographing freely? The difference is that the playable philosophy of Pokémon Snap is on rails on purpose because each phase is part of an already established script that tests our ability.
The fact that in the trailer we see a Pidgeot taking a Magikarp out of the water, who becomes its prey, at a specific time and place, will always be so. It will always happen and it will require all the possible speed of the player to turn at the right moment, focus and take the best possible picture for the final evaluation. It’s part of the game; it is part of the replayability. Be at the right time and not fail. That, if we had freedom of movement, would offer other possibilities; Neither better nor worse, necessarily, but it would be different. What Pokémon Snap has always wanted is for all players to have the same experience and achieve the best possible score. This time, as is made clear on the official website, this installment will make use of Nintendo Switch Online, so presumably we will see online rankings where we can compare scores and share our captures. Who will best immortalize that moment of Pidgeot looking for his own food?
Day, nightfall, night … The technical detail is above any other Pokémon game to date.
Pokémon in its nature: what secrets the trailer hides
Pokémon Snap is the greatest expression of the Pokémon universe saga in its own nature. We not only photographed a Poliwag, but we saw how they lived together; We saw in action what the Pokédex always told us about the Kakuna, a process prior to being a glowing butterfly. And we also saw the process of evolution live and direct. What if Slowpoke shifts to that rock and does this another one? Surprise, a Slowbro. What if Charmeleon falls into that little crater? What if we throw that egg into the lake? Surprises, trial and error, experimentation, interaction with the environment.
New Pokémon Snap will incorporate —at least— apples. It remains to be seen if we will also have the classic Pester Ball and the Poké Flute to wake up sleeping creatures. What we have no doubt is that there will be objects; It is the opportunity to include new ways of interacting with the stage on each island, which will not be one. If there is something that we can already confirm it is that there will be more than one large territory. When we get on the ZERO-ONE off-road vehicle (or whatever it’s called this time), inspired by Akira Toriyama’s vehicles in Dragon Ball, this time Todd Snap won’t be Professor Oak’s assistant manager to make the photographic report on the island, rather, we will have before us more than one environment.
The main character is not Todd Snap. We do not know if there will be a feminine alternative or if there will be customization options.
The total figure has not transpired, but there will be different climates and times of the day to cover the phases. In the trailer we have seen the beach both day and night and at sunset, a legitimate symptom to think that we will revisit environments at different times and, if the logic of the saga is maintained, some species will only appear at night, others during the day … One of the photographs even includes a capture taken underwater. If it is confirmed that there will be underwater levels, it would be a breakthrough compared to the original video game, since the ZERO-ONE originally had three slopes: by land, water surface and vertical thrusters to levitate. A fourth capacity would be added to the equation, which, seen in the video, will cover the pilot station with digital coverage so that the protagonist can navigate the depths of the sea.
We cannot forget the mention of the Fotodex. Unlike the original work, which featured 63 Generation I species (Kanto region), this time the main task will not be to complete Professor Oak’s research on an island contained in six major phases with the goal of being evaluated and continue the investigation of that unknown territory. Now, the Fotodex will come to assume a role more similar to that of the main saga, compiling graphic information of each species and, it remains to be seen, if also with information written as an interactive encyclopedia, as already happens in the main series. Whenever the term “dex” has been used, these parameters have been respected.
Doubts, ideas and possibilities: capturing wishes
What doubts do we have now? Quite a few. On the one hand, and linked to the initial comment we made on replayability and the limitation of being on rails, we hope that there will again be a limitation on the number of photographs we can take in each phase. The reason is easy to justify: you are encouraged to do your best. In the Nintendo 64 play we saw on screen at all times the number of snapshots remaining on the reel. If it was finished, the phase ended and we went to the exam. It is consistent with the gameplay, however, that this aspect is not altered.
When taking each photograph, for a few moments we will see a thumbnail of the snapshot in the lower left corner.
The technological capabilities of the Nintendo Switch can allow sights to be set much higher than they were so many generations ago. From the possibility of sharing our gallery with other users on social networks; apply post-processing filters to that share; and even a store in which to invest a possible fictitious currency that we obtain the better our performance is at each level. We can think of: avatar customization options – which seems quite standard, judging by the presentation trailer -, apply improvements to the vehicle (speed, weight, special abilities, temporary items …) or unlock other options at the content level.
All Pokémon confirmed for now: eight generations represented
And the million dollar question: how many Pokémon will there be in New Pokémon Snap? At the moment, we have counted 36 species; all generations are represented, as you will see below. The indigenous species of Kanto are currently the ones with the highest representation, which does not necessarily imply that Generation I will be the most numerous. There are aspects that we would like to review. For example, the presence of species such as Vivillon, which has 20 patterns (18 and 2 more on the occasion of the temporary opening of the Pokémon Center in Paris during the month of July 2014) of different colors. Will we see different Vivillon patterns depending on the weather or time of day? There are other species, such as Flabébé, Floette and Florges; or legendary ones like Xerneas, which change their shape and aesthetics depending on certain conditions. This nature can be taken into consideration so that each game can be exceptional, in the literal sense of the word, being rare situations. What can you tell us about the possibility of seeing Pokémon shiny / variocolor, remotely?
It all depends on how ambitious New Pokémon Snap is, right now with no confirmed release date for the Nintendo Switch.
Generation I
- Squirtle
- Blastoise
- Pidgeot
- Fearow
- Pikachu
- Dodrio
- Exeggutor
- Magikarp
- Lapras
Generation II
- Hoothoot
- Pichu
- Bellossom
- Mantine
Generation III
- Wurmple
- Taillow
- Wingull
- Pelipper
- Shroomish
- Sharpedo
- Wailord
- Zangoose
Generation IV
- Torterra
- Bidoof
- Drifblim
- Finneon
Generation V
- Tympole
- Ducklett
- Swanna
Generation VI
- Emolga
- Bouffalant
- Vivillon
Generation VII
- Primarina
- Pyukumuku
- Crabrawler
Generation VIII
- Grookey
- Scorbunny
References | eShop; New Pokémon Snap
