New Pokémon Snap Photos Can Be Printed On-Demand At Japanese Stores

Those lucky enough to play New Pokémon Snap in Japan will be able to print out their best pictures taken in-game. The announcement comes just a couple of weeks before the launch of the spin-off title. It will take more hardware than just a copy of the game and a working Nintendo Switch console, however.

The original Pokémon Snap was released on the Nintendo 64 in 1999 in Japan and North America, with other regions receiving the game the following year. The basic gameplay, which remains for the new sequel, is an on-rails shooter with the player taking pictures of Pokémon in the wild. Players could use fruit, smoke balls, and other throwable items to entice Pokémon into performing certain actions. It was a critical and commercial success. The sizable fanbase hounded Nintendo for a sequel, but it wasn’t until 2020 that players learned that their wishes were met.

Japanese New Pokemon Snap players will be able to print out their photos at Lawson convenience stores, according to Yahoo! News (translated by Kotaku). Those interested will first need to transfer the photos they want to be printed to a smart device or PC. From there, they’ll use the special link on Lawson’s website to receive a code. Users can then take their code to a Lawson location and have the photos printed either as stickers or on photo paper. There is a small fee attached to the process, 250-400 yen for stickers or 200-350 yen for photos.

In many ways, this feels like a new version of the “Pokémon Snap Station” for the original Pokémon Snap. Those stations were set up across North America and Japan, typically at Blockbuster or Lawson stores, respectively. Players could bring their cartridge of either Snap or Pokemon Stadium to print out stickers of four pictures taken in-game. They were printed four per sheet, giving a total of 16 stickers.

The new system might be a bit more cumbersome, but it is less likely to result in damaged or lost cartridges. There is also no word on if a similar campaign will occur in North America. Given that Blockbuster is now defunct, a new chain of stores will have to be chosen as a replacement. But there is still something magical in being able to hold a photo you took of fictional Pokémon. The new generation of Pokémon Snap photographers will hopefully be able to revel in that feeling as well.

New Pokémon Snap releases for the Nintendo Switch on April 3oth.

Source: Yahoo! News, Kotaku

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