Although it's geared more for younger players, Pokémon Snap is good clean fun for Pokémon fans of any age. In this Pokémon battle-free adventure, players assist Professor Oak in completing his Pokémon Report by photographing the cute little buggers in the wild on Pokémon Island. Players take a trolley-like ride through the island's 3-D environments, filled with Pokémon that not only look just like they do in the cartoons, but also have "cries" to match. While there's a limited amount of film for each trip and no zoom lens, players enjoy great freedom of directional movement from within the vehicle, thanks to solid controls. Pokémon Snap isn't as easy as it looks, as not just any old picture will satisfy Professor Oak; submissions for his Pokémon Report are judged on size, pose, technique, and whether or not there's more than one of the same Pokémon in the picture. As progress is made, new areas open up, and players are given items to aid them in their quest. Although there are only seven areas, they need to be revisited often, as hidden and otherwise uncooperative Pokémon must be "coaxed" by using items that you previously didn't have before. Also, Pokémon will do some of the craziest things--which make for great photographs--but only under certain conditions that require much experimentation (or a strategy guide) to unearth. --Joe Hon
Pros:
- Good clean fun for Pokémon fans of any age
- Cute Pokémon 3-D graphics and "cries" faithful to the cartoon series
- Print out stickers of your photos at a Pokémon Snap Sticker Station
Cons:
- An anti-Pokémaniac's worst nightmare
- Contains only 63 of the 151 Pokémon
- Game cartridge can hold only 1 player's save data
