Pokémon Snap

Professor Oak, I knew you liked Pokemon, but not that way...

A Nintendo 64 game based on the Pokémon series. You have to CATCH THEM ALL! on a photo safari. The game plays as a Rail Shooter but with a camera, with points for capturing Pokémon in certain poses, or having multiple Pokémon in one shot. Professor Oak has provided you some items to help you on your journey, which can be used to draw out Pokemon or get them into different poses.

Of all the spinoffs Pokémon obtained in the Gen. I era, Pokémon Snap is by far one of the most successful and popular, and any mention of it on a message board tends to result in posts by people wanting a sequel. People finally got their wish when a game called New Pokémon Snap was announced for April 2021 on the Nintendo Switch.

This game has nothing to do with one of the three mascots of Rice Krispies. Or a cute blue and white humanoid drawing.

Tropes used in Pokémon Snap include:

Amazing Technicolor Battlefield: The Rainbow stage.
Awesome Personnel Carrier: The Zero One, a multi-purpose vehicle which can move on land, sea and air (using rocket boosters). Unfortunately, since the game is a rail shooter, the Zero One cannot go off the guided route aside from the River and Valley where the vehicle can drift from side to side of the water.
Brick Joke: While exploring the Cave, you can try to save Jigglypuff from Koffings chasing them. Each Jigglypuff you save (three in all) reappears near the cave's exit, either singing or dancing.
The Cameo: Six Pokémon appear as Pokémon Signs which will unlock the Rainbow Cloud once all six of them are photographed. The six are Kingler, Pinsir, Koffing, Cubone, Mewtwo and Dugtrio.
Comedic Sociopathy: Pokémon can be bonked on the head with apples, and knocked out with Pester Balls. It's all good fun.
Com Mons: There are some Mons you can photograph dozens of times.
Convection, Schmonvection: Played straight in the volcano stage.
The Dev Team Thinks of Everything: Play the Poké Flute near a singing Jigglypuff and it'll get offended.
Dolled-Up Installment: Source.
Easter Egg: There are tons of little secrets and Video Game Set Pieces that you can find by performing specific actions. The most difficult one to see is definitely getting a Pikachu to ride Articuno. If you do manage it, though, the result is well worth it.
First-Person Snapshooter: Instead of being a sidequest, it's the central premise of the game.
Floating in A Bubble: Mew.
The Fool: Meowth acts a bit like this in the Beach level, merrily skipping after Pidgey whilst terrorizing them.
Gotta Catch Them All: On film, that is. It is a Pokémon spin off after all.
Green Hill Zone: The Beach.
Heartbeat Soundtrack: Used while Mew chases the bubble.
Island Base: Subverted. Professor Oak hangs out here within his own lab.
Last Lousy Point: Goldeen can be rather annoying to photograph. It only appears in the canyon area, and you have to throw Pester Balls into the water to scare it out. This can take many Pester Balls, and once Goldeen DOES jump out, you have about half a second to mentally process that fact and snap a quick picture of it before it splashes back down again. Muk is pretty hard too, because once it's evolved the damn thing won't move!
- Magneton can be fairly annoying to get the center bonus on due to the gap between its bodies.
Lava Pit: There's a few at the end of the Volcano stage. Dunk a nearby Charmeleon into the left one for it to evolve, and throw Pester Balls in the right ones for Growlithe and Arcanine. Moltes's egg must be dumped into lava for it to hatch and for the player to continue the stage.
Magic Music: Pokémon will usually get really excited and start using their Elemental Powers when they hear the Pokéflute. You usually get a ton of bonus points for this.
Missing Secret: Despite what you may expect from a Nintendo 64 game, there are exactly 63 Pokémon in the game. An Ekans was present in some betas, but it can't be found in the final game.
Mobile Shrubbery: Porygon attempts to blend in with the grass and a rocky hillside using Conversion. However, you can still see part of it sticking out and moving.
Monsters Everywhere: Pokémon in each area obviously. Magikarp appears in every zone aside from Rainbow Cloud, Pikachu appears in four, Zubat and Bulbasaur appear in two (although in the Cave zone, the Bulbasaur are actually Ditto).
Morphic Resonance: Ditto.
Olympus Mons: The legendary birds and Mew.
Playing with Fire: The Volcano stage in general, but with Magmar and Charizard you can get them to use Flamethrower.
Power-Up Food: The players receive the Pokémon Food power-up upon completing the Tunnel level for the first time.
Rail Shooter: Different definition of shooter, though.
Shock and Awe: The Electric-type Pokémon use electrical attacks in the game. This is required to get Zapdos in the Tunnel zone.
Spooky Photographs: One of the Pokémon signs is a constellation of Mewtwo. Also, Haunter is only recognizable after the film is developed.
Squee: Lots of things in the game, due to almost all Pokémon being squee-worthy. Mew posing in front of the camera looks absolutely adorable, though. As does the Pikachu riding Articuno Easter Egg.
Stuff Blowing Up: Electrode explode when hit with apples or Pester Balls.
Surfer Dude: Surfing Pikachu.
Sweet Dreams Fuel
Updated Rerelease: The Virtual Console release adds a feature where you can add the pictures you've taken in-game onto your Wii Message Board. This is done to replace the original game's feature of printing out stickers of photos at game rental shops.
Video Game Caring Potential: There are a number of sections where you can be friendly to various Pokémon or help them throughout a stage. They will usually reward you with the opportunity for a very good photo later on.
Video Game Cruelty Potential: Hitting Pokémon with food or Pester Balls.