By Joseph Walter
Free from the RPG trappings of the core series, Snap allowed us to fully step into the world of Pokémon like never before, and its novel, photography-centric concept allowed us to explore and interact with it on an almost personal level. Now, after ages of waiting, a sequel to this cherished classic has finally arrived, and generations both new and old will get to experience that same magic together.
With excitement running high, it's safe to say that, in one form or another, Pokémania is back, and this time, it's not about "catching them all," but capturing them all on film.
Yet one question still remains: if New Pokémon Snap was a photograph, would it be one that was worthy of receiving "Oak's Mark?" Or would the Professor simply toss it aside, lamenting about how "your last photo was better?"
That's what we're here to find out.
"Wonderful!" (The Good/Better)
The amount of content packed into New Snap overwhelmingly surpasses the original in every conceivable way. There aren't just more levels, but multiple versions of levels, and then multiple variations of the multiple versions! The original has 63 Pokémon (couldn't they have made it 64? This actually kills me), but I've photographed well over 150 in New Snap so far, and still haven't reached the limit.
What's that? One of your favorite Pokémon has multiple cool poses, but Oak only lets you keep one picture per monster in your album? New Snap's got you covered, as each Pokémon gets to have four unique photos in the album, all of which are graded on a scale of 1 - 4 stars, and then the stars themselves are graded from bronze to diamond!
In the original game, once you've nailed every shot, uncovered every secret and mastered the high score challenge, there's not much else for you to do but make up your own challenges and micro-games, or just reset the Game Pak's memory and start again. New Snap has that covered, too, with an extensive post game featuring over a hundred photo "requests" for you to fulfill, many of which require keen observational abilities and finely honed skills to succeed.
I absolutely love Snap 64, but it only takes a scant few hours to fully conquer. Meanwhile, I'm nearly 50 hours into New Snap, and still have so much more to do and see.
It's Overflowing with Pokémon:
Each level (and variation thereof) is filled to the absolute brim with Pokémon, all of which have tons of unique actions and interactions, along with rare or secret ones that are usually only triggered through absurdly convoluted chains of hyper-precise actions that result in wild spectacles with colossal point values.
There is actually so much stuff happening around you at any given time from any given angle at nearly all points in this game, that I literally believe I'll never see everything. It's that crazy... and maybe a tad overwhelming, but still fun, regardless.
Figuring Out the Best Shots:
Speaking of absurdly convoluted chains of hyper-precise actions that result in wild spectacles with colossal point values attached, I feel the need to state yet again that this game is stuffed with absurdly convoluted chains of hyper-precise actions that result in wild spectacles with colossal point values attached.
Some of these are so intricate, specific and nonsensical that I don't know how anyone could possibly piece things together on their own. Hell, I barely know how I cause them (or repeat them), but it's so fun trying to figure it out, and I find myself revisiting stages way more times than intended because of it.
It's Beautiful and You Get to Share:
This is by far, and without question, the best looking Pokémon game by miles. The original Snap wasn't ugly by any means, but New Snap takes things to a new level, especially when compared to its most recent Poké peers.
There are moments where I'm genuinely stunned by how good some of my photos look, and not just because I'm a master photographer: the lighting, textures and colors really make even the worst shots worth looking at, especially if you tweak them with the "Re-Snap" feature or wacky edits with stickers and frames.
And best of all? You get to share the finished products with the world!
"You Were Close..." (The Bad/Worse)
One of the most challenging things I've written on this blog was about the gripping splendor of Pokémon Snap's electrifying introduction, and attempting to describe what exactly it was that made it so special. From that rousing opening sequence, to the moment the credits roll, Snap 64 completely captivates players with its rich world, immersive gameplay, and enthralling atmosphere.
The world and its inhabitants felt so real and alive, and its enchanting qualities were only bolstered further by an enduring and intangible aura of mystery, along with a legendarily dreamlike soundtrack that perfectly accompanied you on your lonesome photo safaris through the wilderness.
Aside from brief conversations with Professor Oak, there were no other NPCs. It was just you, your camera, and Pokémon.
Those almost-meditative feelings of isolation and solitude on your quiet journey through nature are
Unfortunately, New Snap lacks basically all of these traits. There are some moments of exceptional atmosphere, but you never really get a chance to fully be immersed. With so many Pokémon around you, and an obnoxious and/or obscene amount of dialogue, there's nary a quiet moment to be found, and your fleeting moments of solitude are constantly being interrupted.
There is also a (fluctuating) sense of mystery (and some spectacular encounters with equally spectacular pocket monsters), but it just doesn't have that same oomph as the original, but nothing does, so it's not surprising.
And then there's the music.
It's not bad, but it's not great. It just kind of... is. It exists. That's it. There are one or two tracks that almost feel compatible with the feeling of the original score... but it's not enough to right the ship. Also, be aware that, once again, a Nintendo product has pitiful, poorly mixed audio, so you'll be lucky if you even get to hear a good portion of the music in the first place.
Also, and maybe this is just me, but it's far less satisfying taking photos without the old fashioned film sound.
Where is the Wildness and the Danger?
I've always been under the impression that the Pokémon world was a dangerous place, where wild Pokémon were prone to violence against themselves and others. Oak even warns players about this at the start of Red and Blue.
The original Pokémon Snap seemed to confirm this, as there are multiple instances of Pokémon, left to their own devices, just letting loose with powerful attacks and committing acts of destruction without a care in the world. Like, they're not just prone to violence, but casual violence.
Take Magmar, for example: "Charmander took my apple? Well I'm going to burn him into oblivion. Hey, that other Magmar looked at me the wrong way, so I'm going to teach him a lesson, too."
It was thrilling to see them ferociously battle or intimidate each other and, since you were caught in the crossfire of these wild animals and their instinctive need to demonstrate their strength, you got to feel like you were in a little bit of danger, too. Plus, with battling being such a huge component of the franchise, it was cool to see it on display in the wild.
To be completely fair, I'll fully admit that I'm kind of blowing things out of proportion with this particular rant. Battles, destruction and danger are definitely still present in the new Snap, but they feel far less potent. A big part of this lost impact is because Pokémon behave less like unpredictable wild animals, and more like... well, people.
Rather than haphazardly self-destructing at the slightest provocation or blowing Flamethrower directly at your lens for no other reason than that's their nature, they instead display eerily human mannerisms as they hang out and goof off with each other, smiling the day away.
Again, I don't have a problem with the Pokémon world being a far friendlier place than its initial conception, but the feeling of wild Pokémon truly living up to their "monster" name, and the danger that brought to the table, is sorely missed, at least by me.
Oh, and one more thing: no mid-level evolutions or egg hatchings?!?! It's possible they they're in the game, and I just haven't come across them, yet, but considering how iconic they were in the first game, it's a staggering oversight to leave them out.
Something Seems Unnatural... or Manufactured:
As recent as this past year, I found myself admiring just how wonderfully the original Snap managed to portray Pokémon living their lives in their natural environments without the interference of Trainers and civilization as a whole.
The ways they behaved, fought, communicated, and interacted with each other felt so real, and it's not quite like that with New Snap.
That's not say it does an outwardly poor job in capturing that feeling, because it doesn't; something is just... missing.
Despite all of the intricately detailed and superbly portrayed actions and scenes, every now and then I would just feel that something was "off," and it would take me out of the experience.
I wish I could describe this better, but the best way I can is to say that things would occasionally feel "manufactured," like they were clearly arranged just to give you opportunities for great photos. Obviously, a game about taking photos of Pokémon should have exactly that, but the ones in New Snap seemed more like artificial set ups rather than natural occurrences, if that makes any sense.
It's Hard to Tell What's Going on / No Pokémon Voices?
I mentioned earlier how the amount of things going on all around you, and all at once, can be a little overwhelming. It's definitely fun to debate whether you should keep your camera trained on your subject, waiting for the perfect shot, or give into temptation and investigate the rustling sound you hear behind you, but sometimes it's a little nerve-wracking, or even disorienting. Other times, it's a complete waste of time, as you sacrifice your difficult and perfect shot for a scene that was far less exciting than it initially sounded.
Something that would've made this a lot more digestible and mechanically manageable would have been the inclusion of spoken Pokémon voices, rather than the more generic, animalistic growls and roars.
I fully admit I'm out of the loop about basically all things Pokémon after the release of Gold and Silver, so maybe voices are no longer a thing (even in the anime), but hearing the name-based cries of the creatures around you would at least let you know what you're missing, or, in some cases, not missing.
Too Many Characters That Talk Too Much For No Reason At All:
In the first Pokémon Snap, it was just Todd (you) and Prof. Oak. There was minimal story, minimal dialogue and minimal cutscenes. It was beautiful.
In New Snap, there is an inexplicably large, generally useless cast, and I could not even begin to tell you why. Aside from Prof. Mirror (whose lines aren't nearly as memorable or judgmental as Oak) I can't think of a single reason why any other cast member exists. They bring nothing to the table and feel like the very definition of "superfluous."
With such a needlessly large cast, comes a needless amount of talking. Information that could have been conveyed in two sentences of text are instead drawn out into overly long cutscenes and tutorials for reasons beyond comprehension. Previously silent expeditions are now accompanied by immersion-breaking, atmosphere-shattering chatter.
I miss the solitude of the original. It made the limited cutscenes and dialogue seem like rewards, rather than the pace-slowing burdens of New Snap.
That said, Todd is back, he's awesome, and none of these complaints apply to him or his presence in this game.
Items Are Much Less Reliable:
The way you use your arsenal of items to set up superior shots is a critical component of both Snaps. Therefore, it annoys me to no end that the apple and Poké Flute are far less reliable than they were in the original.
I understand that not every Pokémon is interested in the flute or apples, but even the interested ones don't always react. Additionally, there are inconsistencies in their effects. Poké Flutes wake up sleeping Pokémon, but sometimes they don't... and sometimes they put them to sleep...?
Meanwhile, you've got Lumina Orbs, which do basically anything a given scenario demands, defying any in-game logic in the process. Oh, that Pokémon is asleep and you need it to move? No, the Poké Flute won't work. Why would you think that!? OBVIOUSLY the answer is to toss five Lumina Orbs at it to make it wake up and get out of your way... but four seconds later, those very same Orbs won't wake up a different sleeping Pokémon, so you better go back to trying your apples and flute.
Also, the fact that some Pokémon have zero reaction to being bonked by an apple is absolutely egregious. It looks and feels awkward, and I don't like it.
Speaking of bonking, and this is just a me problem, the years of tossing Pester Balls (RIP) and apples have conditioned me to expect that my two tossed projectiles have identical physics, but nope, New Snap's Lumina Orbs go much farther than the heavier apples, and I'm still not used to it!
Considering that some throws require what feels feel like pixel-perfect accuracy to nail a specific set-up, you can imagine my turmoil at not having mastered the new feel just yet, hah.
Oak's Review (The Moment of Truth)
Despite my long list of personal (and mostly subjective) complaints, the answer is a resounding "WELL DONE. THIS PICTURE IS MUCH BETTER THAN THE LAST ONE."
New Pokémon Snap feels like the evolved form of its predecessor, superior in nearly every way.
Obviously, some points were knocked off due to the bloated cast (Todd excluded), excessive cutscenes, weird technical foibles/inconsistencies, and intrusive dialogue, along with the generally weaker music and atmosphere, but those are only small ripples in an ocean of undeniable quality.
The amount of meaningful content and satisfying secrets of New Snap far surpasses that of the original, and the gameplay perfectly captures everything that made Snap 64 so fun in the first place.
While I miss the intangible magic of the original Pokémon Snap, I realize that it's something that can never truly be replicated. New Snap does, too, and although it tries its best emulate that feeling as much as possible, it also adds its own flavor to the mix, finding success in the process.
To put it simply, both games are wonderful in their own ways, and both are able to stand side-by-side with one another, each offering their own distinct brand of enjoyment.
Snap the first is an older, simpler title, but one that evokes a living world, one that feels real, full of thrill and danger, but also solitude and relaxation. It's a magical experience.
New Snap offers far more depth and excitement, but loses some of the world's believability and suspension of disbelief in the process. It's still fantastic.
If you loved the original, you'll love the new one. If you love the new one, you'll love the old one. It's as simple as that. Have fun!
(And feel free to send some of your favorite pics!)