Allow me to take you back briefly in time, dear reader, and transport you to a world where the pop culture phenomenon that is Pokemon exploded like a Graveler with Self-Destruct on to the unsuspecting youth.
Pokemon Red, Blue and Yellow for the handheld Nintendo Game Boy were hotter than a pissed off Charizard and the franchise was producing more merchandise and spin-offs than a Ditto in a Day Care produces Eggs.
Pokemon Snap launched in Japan in 1999 with its Western release in 2000. Snap was a basic first person shooter game. Except you shot the Pokemon with a camera. Focusing on Todd Snap - an earnest young voyeur who made numerous cameos in the hit television spin off series. You, as Todd, travel around a small island by jeep taking photos of the denizen Pokemon, advancing through the game based on the quality of your photographs.
(A little bit like a less depressing version of instagram but with more Jurassic Park tendencies.)
The original Snap was a low-effort high result game that was as addictive as it was endearing and enjoyable. Despite being bound by the game's Jeep/One Way Rail system, there was still a level of on-the-ground immersion in the world of Pokemon never before experienced.
Getting to interact with the Pokemon that you previously only battled with now in a non-combat environment was a delight. Seeing your favourite critters up close in their habitat acting goofy or kawaii was a real mood lifter. And after the last year, it's fair to see the mood of the globe needs to be lifted!
Enter 2021 and the eye-melting stunningly pure graphics of the Switch. A game as treasured in the nostalgic hearts of nerds across the world as Snap always poses difficulties for reviewers. Are we praising it unfairly for Nostalgic Purposes? Or are we critiquing it too harshly for Nostalgic Purposes?
After 72 hours of straight playing I can honestly say that your precious childhood memories are safe! While the story has been lightly updated and new characters introduced, this game only benefits from the advanced technology.
The region has been expanded upon, the PhotoDex now contains a greater variety of Pokemon from later games and not just the first 151 and the fluid game play allows for hours of your time to be frittered away on this whimsically wholesome game. Pester Balls are now Fluff Balls and the good old Jeep is a space age Neo One teleportational pod. Also, the tender friendship between Pichu and Grookey is the most healing salve for the soul out there.
My only quibbles with the game would be the ridiculously long loading lag between scenes; also the fact that there seems to be a fault in the camera recognition when deliberately snapping specific items or Pokemon and it logs as an un-recognisable/unusable in the PhotoDex.
I'm sure you can imagine that there will be quite the online forum feeding frenzy later in the year the closer we get to the Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl re-boots, so for now, just sit back, forget your many crushing worries and enjoy the gentle Neo One ride through the opulent and verdant Lentil region.
Straight Outta Kanto can be found on:
https://www.facebook.com/StraightOuttaKanto91
