While it's already nice to take in the natural environments of New Pokémon Snap, doing so on a Nintendo Switch or TV screen can't match the potential of a VR Pokémon photography experience. It's tough to imagine a game that could introduce VR to the series better than New Pokémon Snap, and Nintendo Labo VR provides a platform for just that kind of virtual reality version.
The new game marks the end of an almost 22-year wait since the 1999 original Pokémon Snap. The game's formula is simple, with the player automatically traversing along a set path and photographing wild Pokémon in various environments. It's a relaxing experience and one many franchise fans hold a lot of love for, but it could be even better if it capitalized on virtual reality.
Being able to physically step into Pokémon's world and see its creatures in life size would be a truly special experience. Because the player is in a stationary position throughout New Pokémon Snap, little would need to be changed about the game to allow for VR play. Players could simply sit in the NEO-ONE vehicle, observe the environments around them, and snap pictures as they see fit. The possibility of seeing a Heracross and Pinsir battling each other up close or a Flygon performing Dragon Dance in the skies above is something many have dreamed, and it could be made a reality with Pokémon Snap in VR.
New Pokémon Snap Should Get A Nintendo Labo VR Update
While nothing has been suggested to this point so far, there is always a possibility that New Pokémon Snap could receive an update introducing VR via the Nintendo Labo VR Kit. Other Switch games, including Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey, have received post-launch Labo VR support in the past, although the fate of Nintendo Labo has recently come into question. Perhaps bringing Pokémon to the dying cardboard peripheral could reinvigorate it.
For fans of the original game, the nostalgia wave alone is worth New Pokémon Snap's price of admission, and for Pokémon fans in general, it's a nice little experience. But regardless of whether it's a Labo VR patch or an entirely separate release in virtual reality, VR provides the chance to truly bring the game to life, creating a New Pokémon Snap adventure on a whole different level.