Masuda sheds new light on Snap sequel

[Talon87]

CVG original interview | CVG summary | Nintendo News

Quoting straight from the interview:

Wondering what may be next for Game Freak, we can't resist asking Masuda if he happened to have 'listened' to any of the other common fan requests. As we ask his translator our question, we notice Masuda smile as the words 'Pokemon Snap' leave our lips.

"It's always great to hear from the fans and as a game player myself I can relate to what they want," he replies. "They're always wanting cool new things and obviously it would be great if we had the resources to develop all of these things but that can be difficult.

"For Pokemon Snap specifically, that wasn't originally developed by Game Freak so..." he trails off and thinks, perhaps knowing this is a delicate subject and making sure his words aren't misinterpreted.

"As a player I definitely want to play a cool new version of Pokemon Snap but at the same time I also think if it was just a remake with better graphics I don't think it would be as interesting as a lot of people are imagining.

"I think whoever..." he stops to measure his words again. "If someone was to end up developing it they'd have to come up with some cool ideas to really make it a good game for the current generation. It's sort of like what I was saying about Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. If it was just a direct port that would be kind of neat as well, but having new elements is definitely important."

So A, Masuda is aware fans would like to see a Snap 2; B, he shares that sentiment; and C, he wants Snap 2 to be more than just a graphically touched-up Snap. That's pretty good. I know that I easily passed over Pokémon Snap back in the day, not owning an N64 anyway. Even if I had owned the proper console to play it on, I think I might have still passed it over for superior titles. It was a cute game, and one I'd love to see them revisit on the Wii U, but it just ... didn't seem like it would be that fun for ages 10 and up. It's good to hear that Masuda wants to see these issues addresses in a Snap sequel.

But what's also interesting is the friendly reminded that the original Snap wasn't even made by Game Freak: it was made by HAL Laboratories, creators of the Kirby franchise, and simply made use of a Pokémon skin foisted on them during the height of Pokémania. So even though HAL and Game Freak should be friends and all, given their similar relationships with Game Freak, I wonder if there are some ownership rights involved there. *shrug* Even if there aren't, Masuda indicates that the Game Freak team doesn't seem too interested in tackling (or equipped to tackle) a Snap sequel. That's understandable. With BW having come out in 2010/2011, BW2 having come out worldwide in 2012, XY having come out worldwide in 2013, and ORAS soon to come out worldwide in 2014, the team really hasn't had much of a chance to even catch their breath. Diverting attention to a Snap sequel would mean placing Z, XY2, or even Generation 7 on the back burner for a little while longer. Maybe that's a good thing for a studio that has had to do nothing but turn out the same RPGs year after year after year; but for now, Masuda's words suggest that they don't really have a choice.

Given Game Freak's willingness to outsource Pokémon projects to other studios in recent years -- Pokémon Conquest being developed by Tecmo Koei, Pokken Tournament being developed by Bandai Namco, and of course the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series being developed by ChunSoft -- I have to wonder if Game Freak is simply waiting for the right suitor to come along. Perhaps if Tecmo Koei, creators of the Fatal Frame camera games, were to ask Game Freak for the reins to Pokémon Snap it might go somewhere. But perhaps Tecmo Koei themselves see Snap 2 as too much of a financial risk. Who knows. If a big name studio doesn't want to touch the project, then maybe what we'll need is a smaller, indie-gone-pro team to ask for the rights to Snap 2.

[Kyro12]

It's cool to hear that a Snap 2 isn't entirely outside the realms of possibility. What console do you think it would be made for? I would imagine 3DS because of the AR capabilities (it would be hellishly fun to have Pokémon showing up around you) or maybe WiiU so they could use the console's graphical prowess (compared to the 3DS) to make a more defined world to find the Pokémon in?

[Kindrindra]

Masuda, speaking from my heart!

I hope they do end up outsourcing it to someone- A modern version of Snap would be utterly breath-taking. Can you imagine how many courses they could fit in with the current technology we have? Nevermind the fact we don't have to deal with silly poly graphics anymore! Just applying half of the stuff the game industry has developed in the forever since original Snap would be fantastic.

[Talon87]

Originally Posted by Kyro12

What console do you think it would be made for?

Originally Posted by Talon87

It was a cute game, and one I'd love to see them revisit on the Wii U

The Wii U and the 3DS are both made for photography games. The 3DS would be better for games that don't require amazing graphics and for games that will have you peering through the camera's viewfinder the entire time. The Wii U would be better for games that require amazing graphics and for games that will have players alternate between peering through the camera's viewfinder and looking at the world with their own two unfiltered eyes.

For these reasons, the Wii U was an obvious pick for the Fatal Frame franchise. For these same reasons, I could see Snap 2 being on either platform. I honestly hadn't thought about the 3DS until you mentioned it, but you are right: the camera lenses on the reverse face of the device can allow players to treat the entire console as a "camera" of sorts.

The more I'm thinking about it, the more I'm thinking that a 3DS version might make the most sense for Snap 2. First, Pokémon fans already picked up a 3DS in order to play XY or ORAS. It makes sense to release more Pokémon games on the platform that Pokémon fans already own the most. Second, Snap 2 really doesn't need amazing graphics. It'd be nice if it had them, but the original Snap was cartoony enough and blocky enough (oh, N64 graphics ...) that fans' expectations wouldn't be dashed by a blocky cartoony sequel. But third and most importantly, a 3DS version of the game would allow for some interesting design choices simply not possible on the Wii U. Namely: if they made it so that the Pokémon show up "in the wild" around your neighborhood, sort of like what they did with the BW2 app where you could interact with the genie/kami trio, then that could lend itself to the gameplay that Masuda is clearly hungry for out of a Snap sequel.

But I think that if all we want is for Snap 2 to be "Snap 1 but better looking and with more creatures," then the Wii U is still the better pick. It's more powerful, it benefits from a much larger display screen, and it will give gamers the at-home satisfaction that they enjoyed with the original. The 3DS ideas I have in mind are more appropriate for people who love to go outdoors and do stuff. If you can't travel too far from home, it could make the game really boring. But with the Wii U, where the game would be designed to be played from home in the first place, we could probably better expect a fun experience for players who can't (or who choose not to) wander too from home.

[DaveTheFishGuy]

Snap 2 would be the thing that tips me over to getting a Wii U, probably.