these pocket monsters:
just simple camera fodder
to further research
Additional Comments:
For me, Pokémon games fall into a strange little category of naive embarrassment and stupidity that mysteriously exudes hours upon hours of fun, sort of like the Animal Crossing series, or dare I even say it, the Harvest Moon series. Basically, games reeking of the term "guilty pleasure" in which I have absolutely no desire to feign interest to others, yet because of their highly addictive gameplay, I just cannot put them down. Of course, Pokémon Snap is a bit of an anomaly among the Pokémon franchise, and really, among video games in general, but it still shares that same addictive quality that the far more popular RPG games possess. I only wish I could explain what it is that causes that, because seriously, the game is just plain idiotic. Essentially, you travel along a rail in differing environments taking snapshots of various Pokémon; all the while focusing on unique poses to boost your point tally. The pictures are then used to build your Pokédex, unlike the typical "capture" method used in the RPG series.
Ok, so let's see if I can sort out this madness and possibly explain what the "nicotine" of Pokémon Snap includes. For starters, I've got to point fingers at the Pokédex itself - the notion that you have to continually collect and build a database. That's enough to obsess over; besides look how popular the collection mechanic is in other games, especially other N64 games such as the Banjo-Kazooie series or Donkey Kong 64. But then again, although a fairly comparative principle is at work, it's not quite the same. There's got to be something else. And I think that something else is the Japanese allure - the attraction to anything that carries the adjectives of "cute" and "tiny." Now, I don't know if there's a general affinity among the younger generations towards "cute" and "tiny" things or if the Japanese are just reaping the fortunes of what appears to be a flood of "weeaboo" tendencies among the younger generations within the past couple of decades. Hell, if it makes money, why not? But seriously, who can't resist those adorable little creatures, be it a Charmander or Poliwag, or even a Vulpix, Porygon or Dratini. However, I'm shocked they didn't try to cram the entire list of First Generation Pokémon into the game. Although I can understand excluding certain varieties because of required evolutionary catalysts, it just seemed strange that some of the basics were left out, including Nidoran (both genders), Spearow, Caterpie or at the very least, Rattata.
Now, as I said, on the surface the game is pretty damn stupid, but once you start thinking about it, it is a pretty creative game. The idea of taking photographs, having them judged and awarded points based on your overall photography skills is interesting to say the least. Honestly, I can't say that I've ever seen a game like it before, but then again, maybe there's a reason why that's the case. It's boring. Other than Dark Cloud 2's innovative approach to creating new machinery through the usage of photography, it's not a game mechanic that's going to instill an overjoyed euphoria among gamers, especially if the entire game revolves around said mechanic.
Nevertheless, there is one thing about this game that just had me floored. This has got to be the only Nintendo 64 game that I can readily think of offhand that doesn't make the N64 controller feel like an awkward first-date kiss gone horribly awry. Sure, it can be argued that this is only because there's a minimal number of buttons used, but seriously, every other Nintendo 64 game I've ever played makes me want to hurl that piece of garbage against a brick wall, and in my eyes, that's something that weighs in heavily in the game's favor. Seriously, any game on this system that doesn't tie your fingers in a knot trying to to use the controller is a definitive win.
There's one other aspect, common among all Pokémon games, that grabs my attention as well - the music. Much like the games themselves, I always shrug off the music upon my initial encounter; typically regarding them as nothing more than sophomoric attempts at video game music. But eventually, just like the games, I realize how catchy and well done they really are. And just like the RPG's, Pokémon Snap is no exception, housing quite a few of these short but sweet tunes, such as the Cave Theme or Valley Theme.
Another thing that intrigues me relates to some of the technical aspects. Granted, I'm not tech-savvy by any means, so anything I say might as well be coming out of my ass. Anyways, from what I've experienced, it seems this game is more than prepared to vomit its fair share of errors all over the currently available N64 emulators due to some of the creative programming it utilized, albeit the most recent version of 1964 claims that it is playable - huh, wasn't the case for me, but then again, I faced a myriad of other hurdles with the emulator itself, so who knows? Anyways, from what I've read on a few different emulation forums, it seems that the game uses some innovative graphical tricks which are to blame for all of this unplayable tomfoolery. But whatever, that's just some technical mumbo-jumbo which affects neither gameplay nor my thoughts thereof. So...I guess I'm lucky I actually own the cartridge - though I'm not so sure I'd call that lucky. Hmm....
Nano-Rant:
I always find it funny when game-makers create a device that only has functionality during a game's working era. For those who don't know, Pokémon Snap had a feature where you could save your four best pictures to an album. Then, if you brought your cartridge to a Snap Station, which were printers installed in Blockbusters, you could print a set of stickers. Although I suppose it was cool little gimmick for kids at the time, seriously, what a fucking waste of money. Hot dog! I can print some stickers of shitty N64 graphics! Ugh....
Rating: 2.5 Pinsir Shadows out of 5
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