
Whenever there's a new Pokémon game on the horizon, fan expectations are always high – and that goes double when we're talking about a sequel to a much-beloved sub-series. For New Pokémon Snap, The Pokémon Company has entrusted Bandai Namco with development duties, and it sounds like the project is in safe hands.
The game's director, Haruki Suzaki, also directed 2016's Pokkén Tournament, a fighting game that showed Pokémon in a new, exciting way. In some background scenes, Pokémon could be seen living with humans and interacting with the world around them in a similar fashion to the Detective Pikachu movie, and Suzaki has revealed to IGN that his studio's work on Pokkén got them the New Pokémon Snap gig:
"Pokkén Tournament utilized Bandai Namco Studio's strengths and it made Pokémon appealing in a new way. Because of this, we got another opportunity to do something together again and this led to the development of New Pokémon Snap. We were able to talk with the developers [from the original game] and the project started with the involvement of many people."
It sounds like the studio's experience with showing Pokémon living in this way has come in handy for New Pokémon Snap, where seeing the monsters roaming around their natural habitats is an important part of the experience.
"The main focus was to build the world where wild Pokémon actually live in this game. To do this, we first set out to create an exciting world by thinking about the environment in which Pokémon live, creating scenery in detail, and also using Switch hardware's capabilities to the fullest. While doing so, we tried to make Pokémon the star of the game by making them move naturally and with the feel of presence so that it's fun to just watch them and it's even more fun to take pictures of them."
In another recent interview, Suzaki explained how the team decided upon which Pokémon would make the cut for New Pokémon Snap. Consistently, in all of his comments, it seems that letting Pokémon truly 'live' in the game's world has been the focus during development.
[source ign.com]
Comments 29
It seems to me that many fans, at least the most vocal ones, really like it when these spin-offs put more care into portraying the Pokémon as living creatures and not just monsters. I hope they'll take notes and work on reaching this level of liveliness in the main games too, even if gradually. Obviously a direct collaboration between the two developers is impossible but surely they can learn from what Namco has gotten right...?
Now imagine if they would have given the DP remakes to Bandai Namco instead of a developer who almost nobody has ever heard of (ILCA)
But I guess I shouldn't condemn ILCA before they had their chance to prove themself if they are worthy making those remakes or not
@TestudoVilis Yes, it's a shame this rarely gets explored.
Also, I NEED another Pokkén game.
This makes me want Pokken 2 now
So excited for this game. Never thought a sequel would happen. But here we are ☺️
It's quite funny when you think about how Bandai Namco have assumed the role HAL Laboratory had back in the N64 era.
It was HAL Labs that gave us Super Smash Bros, Pokémon Stadium, and Pokémon Snap back on the N64.
Now Bandai Namco is involved with the development of such modern titles, barring Stadium.
Now if Nintendo would take a leaf from that and offer more dormant ops (like F-Zero) to other parties. Heck, Sega made F-Zero GX happen.
namco should handle most pokemon titles tbh
I am pretty confident it will be a solid game myself, but I am hoping for a great game! I will be picking it up for my girlfriend and I to play!
@Dpullam Hey slow down champ! No need to flex like that!
@Lugazz It was too much I know! 😁😁
@RupeeClock Not that you alluded to that, but given the technological advances Stadium is obsolete, especially with Sword & Shield entry and further ones offering that sweet 3d battle on the big screen.
Now if the Switch follow up will be a stationary home console again and they will offer dedicated handhelds, one could see another Stadium entry. But than again the connectivity and everything is online anyways, it will be unlikely.
Now, imagine they made a mainline pokemon game with actually cool and original animations!
Wasn't it rumored that Bandai Namco were the ones originally working on Metroid Prime 4?
@ok1 fine for you, but i think a lot of people would like to see someone else take a crack at the stale formula those mainline games present.
@Lemmy_the_Koopa
Pretty much, it's why we haven't seen such a title since Battle Revolution on the Wii.
Even though we arguably could've had it for the Wii U to cover the 5th, 6th, or 7th generation games.
@Yodalovesu Yes, a lot of news sites reported on Bandai Namco being the ones making Metroid Prime 4 initially before development got rebooted and they were replaced by Retro Studios.
Not sure if it was the right way to put it that they "got picked" to do Pokemon Snap because of their (not) satisfactory work on Metroid Prime 4, or maybe that is why they ended up with Pokemon Snap. Still Metroid and Pokemon belong to very different branches, or what they like to call it, of Nintendo. Hopefully they'll both end up as good games for the fans, of course.
I'd like to think that they're using the game engine from their work on Metroid Prime 4 for Pokemon Snap. Both are fps games ... It's probably not the case, but still, it would be fun if data miners find references to MP4 in its code.
A gamestop employee told me that this game will be in a limited release for a while because of the chip shortage going on. In regards to a Pokémon game he said that was a pretty big deal.
I'm sure you can get it with relative ease, but just in case it does get a shorter print run you might try and grab it sooner rather than later.
But when are we gonna get pokepark 3? I'd buy it!
I came here expecting people to continue to complain about pokemon snap but instead I got to watch them complain about the pokemon series as a whole. Who needs drama tv when you have NL comment sections.
@UmbreonsPapa omg man, look at that family. I wish my daughter was old enough to play this game!
Bandai Namco could have made it into a cool arcade on rail shooter type with vibrating seats using camera's instead of guns. Somekind of a theme park ride
@Low_ink
Creatures Inc. developed the Poké Park Wii games as well as Detective Pikachu 3DS.
When they aren't busy helping with the next mainline Pokémon game such as with asset production, they develop their own spin-off games.
Right now, they're working on the upcoming Detective Pikachu sequel for Nintendo Switch.
Does this game support Labo VR, and if not then why not? I mean, there's a frikin' cardboard camera attachment for Labo VR--things couldn't be more suited for this particular game if someone actually planned it in advance.
@TestudoVilis
Pokemon camp in Sword and shield is great example of that.
Your Pokemon enjoy of wild nature and play, a great addition sonce Pokemon Amie in X Y, but it looks that no many are interested...
I wouldn't mind seeing Bandai Namco assist Game Freak or outright take on the mainline Pokémon games themselves.
@Bomberman64 yeah, thought so. It's kind of odd then to see all the comments here wishing that Namco will get other Nintendo series handed to them
I would actually pay for DLC for this game if they include new areas, and all the Pokémon that were cut out originally so that way all the Pokémon are available.
To be fair, they also worked on Super Smash Bros. 4 and Ultimate and very recently gave Nintendo exclusivity rights to Pac-Man 99, so this doesn't come as a surprise. There's already a good established relationship.
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