Pokemon Snap for Nintendo Switch Review (2021)

Say 'Cheese', baby! The beloved nineties classic Pokemon Snap was at long last released for Nintendo Switch on April 30th 2021. Originally played on the iconic N64 back in the day and having had low-key forays on various Wii consoles, the hype for Snap to be rebooted for the portable Switch has been... immense.

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.

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Diamond Pearl Remake & Pokemon Snap News

Alola, fellow Pokemon nerds! Happy new year to you all, and, happy (soon to be!) 25th anniversary of the Pokemon franchise! Yes, February 27th 2021 will mark twenty five whole years since Pocket Monsters was Quick Attacked on an unsuspecting Earth... Well. That escalated quickly! 

No doubt all eyes will be on the annual Pokemon Direct announcement that usually coincides with International Pokemon Day. (February 27th) Eyes will open extra wide this year as once again, "Gen 4" remake rumours are more rampant than an Eevee and a Ditto in DayCare. However, as this year is the the 15th anniversary of Pokemon Diamond & Pearl's release (Yikes, I feel old!) and there have been a series of leaks from allegedly reliable leak sources - things are looking more promising than usual. 

Plus, a 25th anniversary during a period where it's still too early to announce a new region/generation means if Game Freak want to make a Splash to celebrate them turning a quarter of a century old... they'll have to pull something BIG out of the bag. (And not just a bicycle...)

Something that we are definitely are getting on Nintendo Switch this year is Pokemon Snap, release date April 30th. 

Pokemon Snap, while most clearly a fan favourite is an odd choice to me for a remake. In past generations there's always been a photographic element included in main games - from Cameron the Photographer (Just when you least expect it...) in Johto all the way to the Rotom Camera in Alola... has this feature been played out? Are Game Freak just floundering for a choice of game to knock out for spring because that's what they normally do? Why Pokemon Snap, why now? Why on the Switch?

I never played Pokemon Snap as a youngster so I am extremely curious as to whether or not this is a game worthy of its legendary love and adoration. Or, will this reboot fall flat on its face as a victim of nostalgia that just can't quite be replicated?

That being said, I can't wait to finally experience this game first hand and I have high hopes of its aesthetic achievements. The Switch is a gorgeous little machine, I'm sure Snap will be executed with style - let's just hope there's some substance to go with it to...

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Pokémon Mystery Dungeon DX Review

Alola, PokéNerds! Welcome to this week’s Straight Outta Kanto blog post. Straight Outta Kanto is Ireland’s number one spot for Nerd Culture, Nightmares and Nostalgia.

Answer me these questions three and find out what Pokémon you'll be...

You all know by now that here at Straight Outta Kanto we are hardcore GenWunners and devoted beyond reason to Game Freak, but even we've had trouble staying loyal of late. Lack lustre, incomplete feeling, rushed, half-hearted releases by Game Freak on Nintendo Switch have left us wondering whether there is any hope for the future of Pokémon!

And then along comes Pokémon Mystery Dungeon DX - the first new Mystery Dungeon game in four years. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon DX is like that one last game-changing Full Restore you spam during those final crucial moments in your battle against the Pokémon Champion. There is hope!

Anyone familiar with the Mystery Dungeon spin-off series of the Pokémon games will consider the storyline to be fairly standard. You are a human who has been magically transported to the un-named Pokémon world to help save the day for various apocalyptic reasons.

You answer a quiz at the start of the game to determine what adorable Pokémon avatar you will embody for the course of the game. You also get to select your goofy but earnest Pokémon partner. You and said partner build a small base-camp and become stalwart members of the Pokémon community - helping out local neighbours and merchants by going on adventures, or, "explorations" in "dungeons" and generally saving the day.

You participate in these explorations for monetary/material rewards, add new members to your exploration team and advance through the Pokémon exploration ranks. There are addictive side-adventures to keep you occupied as well as the quests that further your progression through the main story line.

As I said, the story line is fairly basic and contains less plot-twists and content than previous Mystery Dungeon games - for example, the epic and heartbreaking Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Time/Darkness. That being said, it's still engaging and tear-jerking at times.

The endearing soundtrack and unique, charming, almost crayon drawing style of the animation gives a familiar game a refreshing face-lift. There is a huge amount of content and areas in the game - both as you play the main plot and post-game.

The "dungeons" are challenging and rewarding once completed but not soul-destroyingly grinding like in previous games. (They at least have the decency to leave most of the grinding misery for the post-game!) Increased battle functions and options make adding new team members and battling with them in the field more user friendly.

A more in-depth story to make the game feel less like a series of fun mini-games would be my main complaint. To be frank, this game is one of the few things that has kept me sane this last month during the Covid-19 lockdown here in Ireland.

Yes, the game contributes nothing majorly new to the Pokémon franchise, but playing it is like a comfortable and reliable encounter with an old friend. It definitely sucks you in and engages you for hours at a time so it's release during this turbulent time was ideal! It's also the best Pokémon release for Nintendo Switch.

4/5  PokéBalls.

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The Birth of Mewtwo: Pokémon Radio Drama

Alola, PokéNerds! We here at Straight Outta Kanto hope you’re staying safe inside like a Cloyster or Clamperl with a shut shell and being as neurotic about hand washing as I would envision Psyduck to be!

As we’re currently without a day job like many of you guys out there right now, there’s not really a major reason to keep to normal routine hours. Not gonna have a great impact on my health down the line – but for now I am loving an almost twenty four hour devotion to all things Pokémon with no interruptions.

Last night, I finally got to tick off one of the Pokémon related items on my nerd bucket list! I’d heard whispered years ago about a Japanese exclusive Pokémon radio drama called “The Birth of Mewtwo” that aired in 1998 in advance of the Mewtwo Strikes Back movie.

(Fun fact, the title “Mewtwo Strikes Back” always confused me as a child. As far as I was aware, this was the first movie – I didn’t understand why Mewtwo was striking back when technically speaking he hadn’t been struck in the first place…!)

This five part radio play was written by Takeshi Shudo and according to Bulbapedia aired on Japanese radio over the five Sundays preceeding the release of the movie. An animé adaptation quietly followed.

I found all five parts of the radio play adequately subtitled and readily available on YouTube. Obviously this was released right at the start of the Poképhenomenon and therefore that meant it was much more flexible in its freedom with regards to plot and characters that we know now, but were still fresh and unformed twenty two years ago. Fan fiction writers – buckle up!

The five short radio episodes are narrated by “Sakaki”, or, as we know him: Giovanni. Enigmatic Daddy and mastermind of Team Rocket. However, while Sakaki narrates the present day, he refers to an incident twenty years prior involving the then Boss of Team Rocket… his own mother. Not only is Giovanni’s mother the Boss of Team Rocket, her underling is none other than… Jesse Rocket’s mother.

Both women are represented as cold, materialistic, domineering and maternal-rejecting profit seekers. Miyamoto, Jesse’s mother, even proclaiming to have left Jesse (or Musashi) up for adoption so that she Miyamoto can continue working tirelessly for Team Rocket.

The plot initially starts out with Sakaki’s mother and Miyamoto examining their South American fossil finds. Enter Mew’s eyelash fossil. Team Rocket are thrilled. They hand the fossil over to their science team – fronted by Dr. Fuji – with the intent of trying to replicate the original Mew from such a small fragment of fossil through the power of cloning and genetic mutation.

However, the plot darkens considerably as the series progresses and travels through time from the twenty years old find of Mew’s fossil all the way to the present. Dr. Fuji has been endeavouring all this time to create Mewtwo and… something else.

I will not spoil the highly dramatic and emotive plot twist, but let’s just say from episode three get your tissues ready, the feels just got real.

For a promo show for what is in essence a children’s movie, the radio play gets very serious with regards to making the listener think about the morals and ethics of human/animal cloning and genetic manipulation. How far is too far in science?

Don’t get me wrong, the show isn’t heavy all the time. Miyamoto, Jesse’s mother, is the main comic relief character for each episode. There are also elements of audio slap-stick comedy that really add charm and warmth to the drama. Also, the backstory and insight in to the family backgrounds of the well known characters is fascinating and adds an alternate perspective on current accepted theories.

As a fan of the Pokémon franchise for twenty one years, I can honestly say this was one of the most unique and stand alone additions to the Pokémon universe cannon I have come across.

It may be too left of centre to be everyone’s cup of polteageist, but for hardcore fans who’d like to expand their PokéLibrary of knowledge – I would highly recommend “The Birth of Mewtwo.”

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Pokemon Platinum Remakes - Sinnoh Wishlist

Alola, fellow nerds! Here at Straight Outta Kanto (https://www.facebook.com/StraightOuttaKanto91/ or insta: @straightoutta_kanto twitter: @KantoOutta) we are majorly excited about the new and imminent Sword and Shield Expansion Pass releases.

However, one is never satisfied with what one has and always yearns for the elusive and out-of-reach. I for one am still dreaming of a Pokemon Gen 4 remake and will not rest until I see this dream realised for Nintendo Switch.

For those of you currently unfamiliar, “Gen 4” refers to the Pokemon Diamond, Pearl and Platinum series of games from 2006 – 2009. The games are the franchise’s fourth RPG line and is set in the stunning fictitious Sinnoh region. This generation of the Pokemon series has continuously been overlooked for remakes and reboots so often by the game’s creators so that this fact is now a long-running in-joke amongst Pokemon pop culture community.

If you are amenable dear readers, I would like to share with you a few snippets of my vision (and based on discussions with members of the https://www.facebook.com/groups/1623889321229114/ Pokemon Fan Club Ireland) for what a Pokemon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum reboot for the Nintendo Switch could look like.

I have ten points, in no particular order, of things I feel we all would dearly love to see.

1. A Mt. Coronet/Snow Point Wild Area.

Yes! Can you imagine a region as vast and beautiful as Sinnoh having certain routes upgraded with Gen 8 Wild Area function!? Mt. Coronet and the routes proceeding Snow Point City in particular offer ample opportunity for such an upgrade. The post-game resort and battle areas also lend themselves with ease to becoming Wild Areas, as do the three legendary lakes. The improved cinematic graphics and audio capabilities of the Nintendo Switch as well would greatly enhance an already winning soundtrack and region.

2. HD Cynthia.

Cynthia is hands down one of the most strategically strongest (and toughest) Champions of all time, one with an extremely interesting background and is a hands-down fan favourite. Cynthia is a badass. Cynthia and her historian grandmother both. Cynthia is one of the most hands on champions in the game with regards to tackling the evil Team Galactic and frequently re-appears in later games to continue kicking your ass. There’s many rumours circulating that Cynthia is a mother and has a child who is also a Pokemon trainer. Were there to be a Gen 4 remake, I think a good meaty dose of Cynthia with plenty of, if not backstory, then “what happened next” style story building around her would be welcome by all.

3. Distortion World Post-Game Side Quest.

Forgive me for being greedy, but if we get a fleshed out Cynthia in the remakes, I also want a fleshed out Cyrus! I WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO CYRUS AFTER HIS BUTT WAS ORIGINALLY KICKED IN THE DISTORTION WORLD! Where did he go!? Did he ever return from the Distortion World!? IS HE STILL THERE!? A Distortion World post-game story in the style of the Grovyle;s from Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Time/Darkness could be phenomenal. Also, Distortion World as a Wild Area, anyone!? A Wild Area with perhaps legendary Hoopa rings similar to the OR/AS reboots, because let’s face it, a Wild Area Distortion World ain’t gonna have no boring old Pidgeys in it…

4. Pokemon follow you!

Yeeees! Let’s keep this trend of Pokemon following you around outside the pokeball going! Reserved for Yellow, G/S/HG/SS and the Let’s Go games, this is a feature that the adorable and kick ass denizens of Sinnoh deserve! I. Want. My. Piplup. To. Follow. Me. Around. Adorably. 

5. FREE THE HM SLAVES!

Alola’s Ride Pokemon changed… everything! No more HM (Hidden Machine) moves were required to take up precious space in your Pokemon’s move list and the Bidoofs, Sentrets and Zigzagoons of the world were safe! Sinnoh was such a horrifically HM heavy region I would desperately hate to see the new and improved game functions regress from their current state of freedom to HM locking certain areas and Pokemon. The Let’s Go games got around the HM issue in a pretty nifty way, by having your Pikachu/Eevee learn a special trick to get around the HM requiring obstacles, the game creators were able to make a faithful remake without cumbersome features.

6. Sinnoh Mythology Explored.

Each Pokemon game and region comes with it’s own unique and layered culture, lore and mythology but Gen 4 is where the game creators really start hinting at some meaty history. Allusions to eating Pokemon and possibly marrying them all the way to Pokemon and humans being one and the same, Gen 4 raised a lot of questions we all want answers to. Cinematic flash-back cut-scenes fully explaining the histories hinted at in the Canalave City library would be AMAAAAZING. The screen of the Nintendo Switch alone is huge, and also hooks up to your telly – so imagine a big dramatic Pokemon history re-enactment about the origins of Sinnoh on the big screen!? Come on lads! DO IT!

7. Underground Wild Area.

Underground Wild Area, anyone!? Or, failing that, just a really juicy, mini-game filled visually spectacular Underground feature for Nintendo Switch. I would play the heck out of that. It was enjoyable as a clunky little poor graphic game for Nintendo DS, there’s no excuse for it either not feature in a Gen 4 remake or to be less than its original DS incarnation. Making it a bit more like the Secret Bases of Hoenn is probably asking too much…

8. A Full Darkrai and Cresselia post-game quest.

Darkrai is one of the coolest rare Pokemon additions in the decades long list of Pokemon and is the antagonist in some of the darkest Pokemon storylines that the franchise has created to date. That coupled with the fact he has a direct opponent in Cresselia – the Holmes to his Moriarty if you will – has left me wanting some class of in-game Darkrai/Cresselia showdown for years. What better venue to stage this showdown than on Sinnohs very own Full Moon island after a dramatic battle to save Sailor Eldritch’s Nightmare-ridden son… I’m telling you. The Darkrai/Cresselia/Sailor Eldritch Arc of Pokemon D/P/Platinum is one of the saddest non-entities of the franchise. The possibilities for an epic post-game duel and rescue mission are endless. I want this post-game quest more than I want the Distortion World one. And I really want the Distortion World one…

9. Sinnoh Formes.

I have actually really enjoyed the regional variants added to the later games since Pokemon Sun and Moon and I for one welcome our new Sinnoh Forme overlords. While regional formes felt gimmicky initially with the Alolan ‘mon, I actually think Game Freak hit the nail on the head with the Galarian Formes and would love to see how some of the national Pokemon can be updated for a region as diverse and lush as Sinnoh.

10. More. Eeveelutions.

I DON’T CARE WE ALREADY GOT TWO NEW EEVEELUTIONS IN SINNOH.

I. WANT. MORE.

It’s been years since our last new Eeveelution – we deserve a new Eeveelution and as Sinnoh has already proven itself to be a region where new evolutions of Eevee cann thrive – I WANT MORE!

So that’s it in essence! Of course, there are many, many arguments for and against a multitude of other functions and features and characters and plots in the Gen 4 games that are not discussed here today, but that’s what the official Straight Outta Kanto social media is for!

Twitter: @KantoOutta and @VenusDeVilo

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Pokemon Cafe Mix - A Prelude to Ranger on Switch

Alola, PokeNerds! Straight Outta Kanto here - feeling like a Froslass caught in a Fire Blast! I am just not enjoying this dull, muggy, humid August weather. Hopefully you guys are enjoying your summer more than I am.

Out of sheer no-pub/no-holidays related boredom last night I acquiesced at last and gave Pokemon Cafe Mix an auld download there on my Nintendo Switch. I'd been initially apprehensive about the game as it is a pay-to-play aimed at a more juvenile audience. However, after playing for a while last night I thought I'd share my thoughts with you fellow nerds and see how we match up.

First off the bat, the game's unique art style is charming and utterly adorable. It's like watching a lovingly pure motion picture of the sweetest Pokemon fan art. The plot is extremely basic. You and your Eevee are hired to work at a new local cafe and "mix" food and beverages for your Pokemon clientele.

As I mentioned already, the game is aimed at a much younger audience than normal and therefore the game play itself is as basic as the plot. Utilising the touch screen mechanism of the Nintendo Switch you literally (and simply) "mix" up and match assorted Pokemon shapes and icons to complete an "order" from a customer. Mix and match the required amount of shapes and icons successfully and earn miscellaneous points, acorns and friendship values of the various 'mon customers to advance within the game.

Speaking of game advancement, I hadn't been playing even a full thirty minutes before I was brought to the Nintendo eStore to pay to continue working on an order for a kawaii Charmander... In all honesty guys, that's where I stopped playing. I'd seen enough.

This is a fun boredom breaker of a game for toddlers or older. Also, its a great little way to introduce the glory of Pokemon to whole new generation of future trainers. Unfortunately, I don't think there'd be enough engaging content to hold the attention of, or warrant the expense, for older fans of the franchise. (However, each to their own - anything that brings you joy is never wrong!)

One thing in particular about Pokemon Cafe Mix was that it did give me hope that there could feasibly be a Pokemon Ranger remake on the horizon. One thing we discuss often in the Pokemon Fan Club Ireland Facebook group is how hard it would be to replicate the game play mechanics of Pokemon Ranger on the Switch. Ranger's capture methods were based entirely around the Stylus feature of the DS, there is certainly no stylus with the Switch! We'll never see a Ranger remake... OR WILL WE!?

The game play of Pokemon Cafe Mix revolves around spinning your finger on the touch screen in a circular motion while an energy gauge fills up based on the precision and success of your finger spins. That is literally the exact identical capture method used in Pokemon Ranger!!!

Game Freak are known for testing out features and functions in smaller games before trialling them properly in main games so perhaps... Cafe Mix is their way of seeing how a Pokemon Ranger remake could be adapted to the Switch!?

We live in hope... And you heard it here first! ;)

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