Pokemon Snap Coming to Wii U Virtual Console Tomorrow
By AJ Caulfield 04 January 2017
The Nintendo 64 classic Pokemon Snap will be available tomorrow, January 5, on the Wii U Virtual Console in North America, months after the Japanese and European releases.
Pokemon Snap saw success upon its initial debut to the N64 in March of 1999. The most popular Pokémon spinoff title to date, Pokemon Snap was touted for its player interactivity, real-time 3D renderings, and incorporation of photography into gameplay. The title has since made its way to various consoles and platforms, most notably the Wii and Wii U Virtual Consoles.
Beginning tomorrow, Pokemon Snap will be available in the Nintendo 64 menu of the Wii U Virtual Console. Players can expect to shell out $9.99 to scoop up the title. Last year saw two region-specific releases of Pokemon Snap to the Wii U Virtual Console. The title was released in Japan in April 2016, and European fans received it a few months later, in August. Following the recent release of Pokemon Sun and Moon, and last year’s summer success Pokemon GO, the time has never been riper for Nintendo to deliver Pokemon Snap to North American audiences.
In Pokemon Snap, players take pictures of the Pokemon they encounter and send them off to Professor Oak for evaluation and grading, based on various criteria, like visibility or number of Pokemon present in the pictures. The North American release of the title comes hot on the heels of the Poke Finder, a feature in Pokemon Sun and Moon that emulates Pokemon Snap.
While Sun and Moon players have Alolan forms of famous Pokemon to take photos of, those who pick up Pokemon Snap are limited to the original 151. Additionally, the Poke Finder allows for likes and comments from fellow players, a feature not seen in the late ’90s classic.
Since the game has been available on the standard Wii Virtual Console for quite some time, some players question the advantage of the release to the Wii U Virtual Console. The answer is quite simple: The release offers support for controllers outside of the standard one, such as the Wii U GamePad and the Nintendo Pro Controller. Players may have a bit more motivation to pick the title up given this added compatibility.
The past few months have been plush with Nintendo goodness, and when considering how quickly Pokemon Sun and Moon broke sales records, it seems obvious that fans would question the possibility of additional titles. What is less apparent, however, is some fans’ questioning of the market sustainability of these nostalgic releases. While many fans have speculated on whether a Pokemon Snap sequel could ever hit shelves or digital stores, others have expressed their favor for the Poke Finder and its more up-to-date qualities. A new Pokemon Snap could either dominate or be a total dud; only time will tell.
Pokemon Snap will be available on the Wii U Virtual Console in North America beginning tomorrow, January 5. It is currently available on the Nintendo 64, Wii Virtual Console and Wii U Virtual Console in Japan and Europe.
