03-22-2019, 09:11 AM
Anniversary: Pokémon Snap Turns 20 Years Old Today
<div><div class="media_block"><a href="http://images.nintendolife.com/730c58052e75a/large.jpg"><img src="http://images.nintendolife.com/730c58052e75a/small.jpg" class="media_thumbnail"></a></div>
<figure class="picture strip"><a title="Snap" href="http://images.nintendolife.com/730c58052e75a/snap.original.jpg"><img src="http://images.nintendolife.com/730c58052e75a/snap.900x.jpg" alt="Snap"></a></figure>
<p>Twenty years ago today, on 21st March 1999, <strong><a href="http://www.nintendolife.com/games/n64/pokemon_snap">Pokémon Snap</a></strong> was first released in Japan.</p>
<p>A Nintendo 64 exclusive, Pokémon Snap follows the adventures of Todd Snap, a Pokémon photographer who is tasked with taking perfect shots of the adorable critters and showing them to Professor Oak for inspection. It features 63 of the original 151 Pokémon from <strong><a href="http://www.nintendolife.com/games/gameboy/pokemon_red_and_blue">Pokémon Red and Blue</a></strong>, with some only appearing after certain criteria are met by the player.</p>
<p>If, like us, you’re now feeling older than Professor Oak himself, know that the western releases for the game actually arrived several months after the Japanese launch. North America first got the game on 30th June that same year, but it didn’t make its way over to Europe until 15th September 2000.</p>
<p>Despite gaining a loving fanbase and being the eleventh best-selling game on the N64, Pokémon Snap has never received a sequel. It has seen re-releases on the Wii and Wii U Virtual Consoles, but the idea has never been expanded upon; Game Freak’s Junichi Masuda once <a href="http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/02/video_a_look_at_pokemon_snaps_cut_stages_pokemon_sequel_ideas_and_more2">talked about</a> a sequel needing to have “cool ideas” to work for the current generation of players.</p>
<figure class="picture strip"><a title="Snap" href="http://images.nintendolife.com/1008b987d0858/snap.original.jpg"><img src="http://images.nintendolife.com/1008b987d0858/snap.900x.jpg" alt="Snap"></a></figure>
<p>The latest Nintendo systems have all felt perfect for a new game in our eyes – the 3DS’ camera, the Wii U’s GamePad, and the handheld gyro capabilities of the Switch – but there’s still no sign of something new. Hopefully it’ll happen one day.</p>
<p><em>Do you have any fond memories of playing Pokémon Snap? Would you like to see a sequel or even a remastered release of the original? Share your thoughts on the game with us in the comments.</em></p>
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<div><div class="media_block"><a href="http://images.nintendolife.com/730c58052e75a/large.jpg"><img src="http://images.nintendolife.com/730c58052e75a/small.jpg" class="media_thumbnail"></a></div>
<figure class="picture strip"><a title="Snap" href="http://images.nintendolife.com/730c58052e75a/snap.original.jpg"><img src="http://images.nintendolife.com/730c58052e75a/snap.900x.jpg" alt="Snap"></a></figure>
<p>Twenty years ago today, on 21st March 1999, <strong><a href="http://www.nintendolife.com/games/n64/pokemon_snap">Pokémon Snap</a></strong> was first released in Japan.</p>
<p>A Nintendo 64 exclusive, Pokémon Snap follows the adventures of Todd Snap, a Pokémon photographer who is tasked with taking perfect shots of the adorable critters and showing them to Professor Oak for inspection. It features 63 of the original 151 Pokémon from <strong><a href="http://www.nintendolife.com/games/gameboy/pokemon_red_and_blue">Pokémon Red and Blue</a></strong>, with some only appearing after certain criteria are met by the player.</p>
<p>If, like us, you’re now feeling older than Professor Oak himself, know that the western releases for the game actually arrived several months after the Japanese launch. North America first got the game on 30th June that same year, but it didn’t make its way over to Europe until 15th September 2000.</p>
<p>Despite gaining a loving fanbase and being the eleventh best-selling game on the N64, Pokémon Snap has never received a sequel. It has seen re-releases on the Wii and Wii U Virtual Consoles, but the idea has never been expanded upon; Game Freak’s Junichi Masuda once <a href="http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/02/video_a_look_at_pokemon_snaps_cut_stages_pokemon_sequel_ideas_and_more2">talked about</a> a sequel needing to have “cool ideas” to work for the current generation of players.</p>
<figure class="picture strip"><a title="Snap" href="http://images.nintendolife.com/1008b987d0858/snap.original.jpg"><img src="http://images.nintendolife.com/1008b987d0858/snap.900x.jpg" alt="Snap"></a></figure>
<p>The latest Nintendo systems have all felt perfect for a new game in our eyes – the 3DS’ camera, the Wii U’s GamePad, and the handheld gyro capabilities of the Switch – but there’s still no sign of something new. Hopefully it’ll happen one day.</p>
<p><em>Do you have any fond memories of playing Pokémon Snap? Would you like to see a sequel or even a remastered release of the original? Share your thoughts on the game with us in the comments.</em></p>
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