Pokemon Snap
Reviewed by Gwenn
Long have I awaited the release of what seemed like was going to
be one of Nintendo 64's most fun games ever. Traveling through different
lands to try and get the best photos possible of wild Pokemon
wandering through the grass, water, etc. sounded like a game with
definite replay value. And the best part is, you'll get to turn those
photographs that you took into real, high-quality stickers at your
nearest Blockbuster (or anywhere else that has the little booths
for it). On the release date, I ran to the mall to buy this game,
and popped it into my Nintendo 64 as soon as I walked in the door. Then
I saw it was everything I thought it would be- for the first
few minutes anyway...!
Graphics 9 out of 10
The graphics were absolutely beautiful, except for some 2D grass
and trees here and there! But the scenery was really something to
keep going back to look at some more! And the Pokemon were done
really really good! They weren't nearly as polygonal looking as I
expected! Characters like Jigglypuff and Electrode were probably
as smooth as an Nintendo 64 circle could get (well from what I've seen
anyway). I was expecting them to look like big octagons. If it
weren't for those occasional 2D trees and grass, I would have
given the graphics a 10.
Music and Sound 4 out of 10
I wasn't too crazy about the music. It wasn't pokemon-y. What
happened to the famous Pokemon background music like they had
in Smash Bros.? Usually when I get done playing a videogame, the
music stays in my head for the longest time. Not with this. I
basically forgot the tunes after I turned the game off. The music
wasn't completely terrible or anything, but it just wasn't for this game!
Game Challenge 5 out of 10
Before I played this game I thought it was going to be a lot more
challenging. I was very disappointed that most of the Pokemon are
out in the open waiting for you to snap your camera. I thought the
game was going to be a lot more adventurous. I did not know before
I bought the game that I'd be in a vehicle that I had no control over.
It just automatically makes it's way to the finish line! I thought you
would be able to spend as long as you want on each board, and control the
vehicle to drive through different areas hoping to come across a
Pokemon running through the woods. You just go in one straight path
snapping pictures of Pokemon that are standing right there! I know
the real challenge is in getting a good closeup or funny pose, but
even that's not hard to do. Wouldn't it be a lot more interesting if this
were more like a real life safari? Traveling by foot or by a vehicle
that's at your control. Traveling through what seems like big empty
forests and rivers hoping to hear something in a nearby bush to
throw an apple near and wait for something to come out. Then
slowly sneak up to get a picture! This is a challenge. There were a
few hard to find Pokemon though. The ones it took the most for me
to find were Dugtrio, Muk, and Gyarados. These guys took a bit of
thinking, or some accidents, to find. They weren't out prancing in
the open like the rest.
Game Play-Fun 6 out of 10
Although the game isn't as in depth as I was hoping, it is still sort of
fun to just go take pictures of the Pokemon. I don't think it will be
too much longer before I sell the game though. It's too repetitious
to be any fun for many more days. There's never anything new going
on. Every Pokemon does the same thing every time you see it again.
I was hoping for something new every time I went back to a board,
but everything happened exactly the same way each time. it's no fun
to see the same thing over and over!!! But it's a good game to pop
in when you are really bored and just want to fool around taking
snapshots or throwing apples at Pokemon's heads!
Frustration
The last thing that this game causes is frustration! It's very easy
and there's no huge challenges. It's probably in fact, a good game to
play when you are frustrated to help calm you down! I don't remember
a single point in the game where I was ready to punch the screen.
Even when finding the more hidden Pokemon (Gyarados, Muk, Dugtrio.)
I wasn't tense. I guess because it was the only real challenge there
was, and I was happy that I was able to use my brain for a bit in the game!
Replayability 4 out of 10
I have had this game a few days and beat it the morning after I got
it. I went back a few times and saw it was no longer very interesting
at all. The only thing that would give this game any replay value is if
you have a set goal to keep beating your last scores until you get the
highest points possible for every Pokemon picture. But the repetition
gets in the way of even making that fun. Even setting a goal like this,
is just boring because everything is and always will be the same
on the boards.
Game Value 3 out of 10
I am very disappointed that I spent $50.00 on a game that I only
enjoyed for a couple of days. I really should have rented it. I would of
beat it the 2nd day and only wasted $5.00 instead. I highly recommend
to everyone (unless you're a little kid and take a lot longer with games)
to rent it!! you'll beat it very early into the rental! Actually the biggest
rip-off is probably not the game, but the price they charge to print
stickers. It's $3.00 per sheet. On one sheet, there are 16 stickers, but
you can only chose 4 pictures to be made into groups of 4. You cannot
chose 16 different pictures. And the stickers are like an inch big! The
quality is extremely good, but for the size of them it's not worth
$3.00 every time you want to print stickers.
Amount of Pokemon in the game 63 out of 151
I am most disappointed in the fact that not even half of the Pokemon
are even in this game!!! When I was nearing the end of the game and
saw I had only around 50 Pokemon, I was pretty happy because I thought
that this meant all the rest were hidden and I had to do something to
make them come out. But it turns out that only 63 Pokemon are in
the entire game. And what bothers me the most about this is that
they left out some really cool Pokemon and put in dumb ones.
Why couldn't they put the better looking Pokemon like Ninetails,
Blastoise, Vaporeon, etc. in the game instead of Electrode,
Metapod, Magnemite, etc. Raichu isn't even in it! I was hoping that
ALL the Pokemon would be in the game!!!
Mew 3 out of 10
Mew is supposed to be the rarest, most hard to find Pokemon
of all, right? Then why on Earth did they make a whole empty
board just for her? I thought that I was going to have to do something
really special to make her come out of hiding for a few seconds on
a regular board. but, no- she's there floating around right in front
of you on the whole big board dedicated to just her! It is a bit
challenging actually getting the picture though since you cant while
she's in her bubble. But still, it's dumb. They should hid her really
good in one of the main boards.
Overall 6 out of 10
This is not a game I recommend buying unless you like to waste
money. $50.00 for the game. $3.00 every time you want to print out
stickers. If you have 40 pictures you want as stickers, you are going to
need $30.00 for that! 4 pictures on each sheet, so you'll need 10 sheets
at $3.00 each!!!! Defiantly rent this game. You'll beat it in 1-3 days.
You'll only have spent around $5.00 instead of wasting $50.00. It's
a very fun game the first time around, but you're not going to want to
play it much after you beat it.