I recently covered my thoughts on Pokémon Snap, its influence on me, and why it endures 22 years later. That legacy was actualized with New Pokémon Snap last month for the Switch. I was anxious to get it, but when I finally sat down with it, my thoughts became complicated. It’s only fair, therefore, to share them.
New Pokémon Snap follows an aspiring photographer who, with the help of Professor Mirror and his assistant Rita, sets out to photograph wild Pokémon in The Lentil Region. Like its predecessor, you traverse various courses and “shoot” Pokémon to be studied and evaluated. Unlike its predecessor, there’s a story about studying the island’s “Illumina Phenomenon”. This, in theory, makes the game more expansive. In practice, it does that…but it also needlessly pads the experience.
I think that’s what got lost with this sequel. It’s not like the original game couldn’t have had more content-it only had 63 Pokémon-but it more than compensated with its depth of world. Many of the Pokémon could be interacted with directly, and that influenced the photography. Some could even evolve into stronger Pokémon. This game still has some interactivity, but it’s more passive. You mainly rely on timing and tricky angles, which can be frustrating.
I wasn’t a fan of the levelling system either. The original game didn’t have level grinding or getting the same photos from different angles. This one has both, and progressing through the game becomes a chore sometimes. I wish these features were either streamlined, or cut, as I found them tedious. But I digress.
Another element I found lacking was the items. Like the original game, New Pokémon Snap has fruit you feed wild Pokémon to get photographs. The game also has the Poké Flute, a returning feature that’s under-utilized, and a mechanic that lets you speed up, but it’s missing the infamous Pester Balls. Those are, instead, replaced with Illumina Orbs that you obtain by photographing special plants for Professor Mirror to analyze. Unfortunately, save the “boss battles”, they mostly unnecessary.
Yet another disappointment is the “forked paths” system. Every now and then, a scan will reveal a secret path leading to hidden Pokémon. You can either stay on your current path, or choose the alternative. It’s neat in theory, but these paths aren’t that special. They only provide small detours, which is unfortunate given what could’ve been.
It’s not all bad! For one, the variety of Pokémon has increased significantly, with some appearing in the evening or at night. Some only appear once you’ve levelled up, rewarding you for tedious amounts of level-grinding. I also like the course variety, as well as the Illumina Spots where you “face-off” against special Pokémon for the perfect picture. And, of course, Professor Mirror’s a more forgiving analyst than Professor Oak, even if his grading makes less sense.
I feel bad for griping so much. The game has moments bordering on excellent! I also recognize that I’ll never be the 9 year-old kid from 1999, the kind who’d experience this game with fresh eyes. But I can’t lie. New Pokémon Snap is fun, but I prefer the N64 classic. Sorry.
Pokémon Rumble follows wind-up toys in their quest to become the best. You start with a measly Rattata, or a weakling. When you find a crack in the entrance to a local brawl and decide to enter, you realize you’re in over your head and immediately lose. From there, you have to go to different regions, fight enemy Pokémon and acquire allies, and all to inevitably attempt to try again. So…it’s the Pokémon version of a dungeon crawler, except with toys.
Surprisingly, the game’s a lot of fun! I remember downloading the demo in 2009, completing what I was allowed to (twice), and immediately purchasing the full experience. Which is good, because the game’s quite the package! In fact, it’s hard to put down once you start it. How about that?
The gameplay’s simple: you traverse 6 areas in a given Ranking, fight enemy Pokémon and make your way to the area boss. Most of the time, enemies vanish when defeated. But every-so-often, assuming you daze them first, they’ll collapse to the ground and become allies. Make sure to grab as many allies as possible, because they have unique abilities and attacks that can help you later on. And since you only have three lives per area, that shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Once you acquire a strong enough ally, you can access the Battle Royale. This is, basically, a battle to the finish, complete with “last man standing” rules and a stage boss (or stage bosses). It sounds hectic, as there are multiple enemies at once, but since beating opponents adds additional seconds to your clock, it’s wise to take on as many as possible. It’s easily the best, and hardest, part of each Ranking. It’s also stressful if you don’t plan accordingly.
The game follows the “rock-paper-scissors” formula of the main Pokémon entries: water douses fire, which torches grass. Grass absorbs water. Water gets zapped by electricity, which gets buried by earth and rocks. Both earth and rocks are weak to psychic abilities, which are, in turn, weak to dark abilities. And neutral attacks are always a lottery. Even outside of that, higher-level allies are more-effective against higher-level enemies. And outside of that, it’s important to strategize based on an attack’s “Star Power”, which ranges from 0 (doesn’t give damage) to 5 (gives incredible damage) for your Pokémon’s primary and secondary attacks.
Overall, Pokémon Rumble was a worthwhile revisit after 6 years. Between the chibi-esque designs of the Pokémon, the many secrets and the fun music, I started wondering why I’d given up before. Then the EX difficulty was unlocked, and I found myself in Battles that were tiered. Suddenly, past trauma resurfaced, and I decided to stop playing. But at least I enjoyed everything until then!
That’s really what Pokémon Rumble’s always been: fun, but to a point. Is it repetitive? A little. Is it rote? Yes. Is it possible that someone might find it too easy? Maybe. But it’s warranted a few sequels over the years, ones that’ve expanded on the gameplay mechanics. That alone is worth it, even if EX difficulty sucks!
The game follows the “rock-paper-scissors” formula of the main Pokémon entries: water douses fire, which torches grass. Grass absorbs water. Water gets zapped by electricity, which gets buried by earth and rocks. Both earth and rocks are weak to psychic abilities, which are, in turn, weak to dark abilities. And neutral attacks are always a lottery. Even outside of that, higher-level allies are more-effective against higher-level enemies. And outside of that, it’s important to strategize based on an attack’s “Star Power”, which ranges from 0 (doesn’t give damage) to 5 (gives incredible damage) for your Pokémon’s primary and secondary attacks.
Overall, Pokémon Rumble was a worthwhile revisit after 6 years. Between the chibi-esque designs of the Pokémon, the many secrets and the fun music, I started wondering why I’d given up before. Then the EX difficulty was unlocked, and I found myself in Battles that were tiered. Suddenly, past trauma resurfaced, and I decided to stop playing. But at least I enjoyed everything until then!
That’s really what Pokémon Rumble’s always been: fun, but to a point. Is it repetitive? A little. Is it rote? Yes. Is it possible that someone might find it too easy? Maybe. But it’s warranted a few sequels over the years, ones that’ve expanded on the gameplay mechanics. That alone is worth it, even if EX difficulty sucks!
Now then, time to reengage with reality…
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