New Pokémon Snap (Switch) First Impressions- A Picture-Perfect Revival

Hey fellas: now that I’ve logged a full 24 hours into the game, I present my first impressions on “New Pokémon Snap” for Nintendo Switch. As a longtime fan of the original Nintendo 64 game; I am pleased to say that the title was well worth the wait of 22 years. I will keep things relatively spoiler-free, so let’s get started.

After determining the look of your avatar; you are assigned to go on photography expeditions in the Lental region under Professor Mirror and his assistant Rita. While this game serves as a sequel and re-imagining of the first game; the core concept of taking pictures of Pokémon has thankfully been retained. As someone who believes in the “not broken- don’t fix it” approach to game design, I’m pleased to type this. I believe that a remake, especially one of a video game doesn’t always have to reinvent the wheel: it just has to roll it someplace interesting, somewhere that lets you recapture a snapshot of wonder… as well as one of a surfing Pikachu.

Visually, the game is stunning; showing how far we’ve come in the last several console generations. Highlights are definitely the new night stages and glow-in-the-dark Illumina Spots. I may not put as much stock in graphics as others; but it’s quite impressive.

Though I’m not certain about the developers taking over the main series; I must say that Bandai Namco have done an admirable job of living up to the standards set by HAL Laboratories with the original game. They were specifically chosen due to the success of their work on the Pokkén Tournament games, and the game has already proven a success in its own right: it’s outsold its senior fourfold in the UK; and outsold Returnal by a three-to-one margin. While we don’t have numbers from the US or Japan yet; I wouldn’t be surprised to see similar figures. That will be all for now, I once again recommend playing this game: I know I will before I get my second dose in a couple weeks, and I have much more to talk about very soon. Later.