Back To Reviews
By Contributing Writer Rob Pecknold Rating: Good Pokemon Snap is the newest game in a long line of brainwashing... err, Pokemon products from Nintendo, and it is the worst yet in a lot of ways. A game based solely on taking pictures (which I'm sure ALWAYS comes up in corporate brainstorms about how to make an exciting game), Pokemon Snap isn't fun enough and doesn't last long enough to be considered great. The story line is that you've been recruited by Professor Oak to visit the creatively named Pokemon Island in hopes of creating the best Pokeguide known to man, with stats and pictures of every cute, cuddly Pokemon on the island. A novel concept, indeed. But, as in games like "I Escaped Getting My Head Cut Off," it's the execution that fails (get it?). Anyway, you set out in your little Pokepicture-mobile and try to take the best pictures you can. There are usually about 10-15 species of Pokemon per level. Most of them are adequately animated, but ultimately un-impressive. The actual renderings of the Pokemon are a step below mediocre. Although some are quite good (like Meowth, Pikachu, and Mew) the others seem too blocky and just plain bland. The so-called music really just consists of the obligatory happy Pokemon music we're used to from past games, only nowhere near as catchy. There are still occasional bursts of musical goodness, but all in all the music seems woefully unfinished. In the immortal words of Bart Simpson, it's like a champion knot-tier stopping his knot-tying in the middle of tying a knot. The developers of the game could have easily done better. When I first started playing Pokemon Snap, I was pretty bored and I had to force myself to keep playing. Luckily, when I finally got far enough to earn such things as the "pester ball" and the "Pokemon food" (names almost as original as "Pokemon Island"), the game's replay value picked up considerably. It's quite fun to go back to the early levels and use your pester balls, Pokemon food, and Pokeflute to get really interesting pictures. I really felt a rush after hitting Kangashkahn with a pester ball and watching him go crazy and chase after me, all the while putting himself in perfect position for a some great pictures. The moments when I knew I was getting a good picture are what made the game fun to me. And when I got a less than satisfactory rating on a picture I thought was good, I didn't get mad, it just made me want to take more pictures. One of the more interesting aspects of Pokemon Snap is the fact that you can take your four favorite Pokepictures on your Memory Pak to Blockbuster Video and print out 16 pictures. I recently went to Blockbuster to try it out, expecting it to cost between 50 cents and $1, only to be mortified and stupefied to find that it costs $3. Needless to say, paying $3 for a Pokemon card to print out 16 bad pictures of some blocky Pokemon isn't the best way to spend your cash. Pokemon Snap's biggest weakness is the fact that it is stuck on rails. Rather than being a free-roaming 3D game, you're set on a pre-determined path and you have no freedom of movement. This game could've been a lot better had it been something like this: I took a little detour on foot from the main path and made it into the back-country of the jungle, where the elusive Raichu is said to dwell. Slowly wiping the sweat from my brow, I thought of how happy Oak would be when I brought him the best darn Raichu picture this side of softcore Pokemon beastiality sites. I was completely still, not wanting to even breath for fear of missing the tell-tale sign of the Raichu: Its mating call. After hearing the distinct, but somewhat muffled call (and knowing the Raichu would not stay in one place for long), I headed toward the sound of the Raichu's mating call. Keeping low to the ground and trying to make as little noise as possible, I closed in on the Raichu. I was amazed to find an infant Raichu, mouth agape, staring straight at me. As I held the camera to my face and focused on the baby Raichu, its mother jumped straight in front of the camera, obscuring my view of the little one but getting an angry, riled up female Raichu right in my sights. By this time, my trigger finger was twitching and I was sweating like no one's business. After what seemed like an eternity but was probably around three seconds, I regained my senses and start rattling off pictures like there was no tomorrow. Needless to say, me and my 8,351-point picture of a mother Raichu defending her baby got me quite the praise from Professor Oak. Until next time, remember this: Don't drink coffee made from Pokemon crap. It just ain't right... Now, here's what happened in the actual game: My truck and I made our way through the beach on the railroad tracks. Seeing as how I couldn't leave the tracks, I had to settle for a picture of Meowth with his back turned. If only I could get off of these God-forsaken tracks... When compared other rail-based games like Time Crisis, this game just isn't exciting enough to warrant the time it takes to beat it, and that is actually a very short amount of time. When stacked up against what it could have been (an innovative, highly entertaining, free-roaming photography game with stealth elements), it's a joke. Still, if you're an absolute Pokemon maniac and you want to buy every Pokemon-related item in existence, then buy Pokemon Snap. You'll enjoy the fact that all your favorite pixelated 2D sprites are now poorly animated, fairly blocky polygons. Send your thoughts on this review to rob@mastergamer.com
© 2001 ivan@mastergamer.com