QuickBlog: Pokemon Snap

6.5 [Good]

Gameplay: 7

Graphics: 7

Music: 6

Sound: 7

Value: 5

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: Hal

Multiplayer: N/A

Console(s): Nintendo 64, Wii

Reviewed on: Nintendo 64

ESRB rating: E

BMR rating: E (Mild Cartoon Violence)

Good Points:

Relaxing and unique gameplay - Feels like the Pokemon universe - Grades give you incintive to snap great pictures - You can bonk Meowth on the head with an apple

Not So Good Points:

Short with little replay value - Not much to do but the main attraction - Only 63 Pokemon and a handful of maps

Pokemon Snap is a simple game with an interesting game mechanic. The entire point is to snap pictures of Pokemon (hence the title, "Pokemon Snap"). You play as this photographer guy, employed by Professor Oak, who goes around in this cool yellow buggy-type thing called the Zero-One that travels along a number of locales via a fixed track. You never have direct control over the vehicle; instead, you control your camera in a first-person view. So, in a way, you could call Pokemon Snap a first-person shooter, only you're shooting pictures of the Pokemon instead of actually shooting the Pokemon... which probably wouldn't be very Nintendo-like. But anyway, attempting to locate a Pokemon to snap is just the beginning. Professor Oak judges your picture on how centered the Pokemon was in the frame, what kind of pose the Pokemon was doing (finding hidded ones gives you bonus points), and other various categories. There are also a handful of courses to ride out on, each differing vastly from one another, ranging from a cave filled with electrical devices, a sunny beach, and a firey lava land. Each stage has its own unique route, secrets, and cast of Pokemon. Unfortunately, the number of locations, secrets, and Pokemon is not as high as one would like, especially considering that there's not much left to do once you beat the game. Pokemon Snap is a pretty small game, and doesn't even feature all 151 original Pokemon (a measly 63, in fact), which is a little disappointing. However, despite its shortcomings, Pokemon Snap can be a great deal of fun, especially for Pokemon fans who will appreciate the faithful style of the game, complete with classic Pokemon sounds and catchy music. Considering the fact that it's so cheap these days, it's well worth picking up.