Mostly Normal Monthly #0009, May 2021
Anticipating a New Pokémon... Snap... It got away.
Pokémon Snaps You
By AJ Eide
Photo mode.
Have you been having a rough week, month, or even… wait, that’s freaking right, we have all been having a heck of a time with this pandemic and I don’t know about you all but sometimes it gets me down. Well, my friends, SNAP OUT OF IT! I have found a temporary solution to all of your problems forever! It comes in the form of Nintendo’s recent game release titled New Pokémon Snap and oh goodness is it glorious.
Behold, the glory of Bidoof - Photo by AJ
The environments are a wonder to behold. Vibrant greens and blues pop out at you in the very first region that is chalked full of some of your favorite Pokémon, giving you a running start. Don’t fret though. There are a variety of biomes including everything from the jungle, desert, to the beach. Even a volcanic region! But what about the game play you ask?
After a bit of instruction from your guides, Professor Mirror, and his dedicated assistant Rita you hop right into the NEO-ONE. The NEO-ONE is really what makes the game fun and dare I say a bit intense at times, even frantic. The NEO-ONE is a self-driving capsule that you ride through the environments in. You cannot control the NEO-ONE at all which gives you the ability to focus fully on snapping pics. The intensity comes in because the NEO-ONE doesn’t stop so you can get a good photo, you have to use your photography skills along with some great timing and a little bit a luck to get the Pokémon in the perfect pose.
Getting on the rails! - Photo by AJ
Those poses are what get you points. Other factors dictate these points as well. The poses along with placement of the Pokémon in the photo, the size of the Pokémon in the frame, how many other Pokémon are in the photo with the main subject all dictate how the Professor will score your photos. After he looks them over you get to choose which ones to keep in your Pokédex and then get back out there for more photos! There are also some special requests you can do to earn titles, stickers, and frames to edit your photos in edit mode. The points you earn from the main photos will unlock new abilities and biomes.
GOOOOOAAAAAAL! - Photo by AJ
Some of the abilities on your research camera are things like playing a melody, which will make some Pokémon do a dance. You can run a scan that tells you where things are in the jungle, or in the dark, and sometimes it will make the Pokémon look right at you for a better shot. The more you research the more abilities you unlock and the more you know about a certain Pokémon the more likely it is to act differently and show different behaviors.
Hey You Pichu! (and Grookey) - Photo by AJ
My time with ‘New Pokémon Snap’ has been a delight. One can’t help but smile when you see a Scorebunny chasing a Grooky through a meadow of flowers. For a game “just about taking pictures” there sure is a lot to do and see. The constant pressure the NEO-ONE puts on you to perform keeps it just entertaining enough to not be dull and only minorly frustrates you when you happen to be looking left when that Tangler finally jumps and you miss the snap. Don’t worry adventurer, you’ll get the shot next time.
Most Anticipated
By Chris Stern
Rebuilding the hype.
I’ve been falling into a routine with the games I’m playing in the last month or two. Final Fantasy XIV, Hearthstone, and Dark Souls Remastered are stealing most of my very limited free time. In order to shake myself out of this routine, I’ve decided to make a list of the games that I think will steal me away from them.
Unbeatable
Rock On - Trailer from D-Cell’s YouTube
After getting my hands on the free demo of this stylish anime music adventure, I hope it comes to Switch so I can curl up on the couch with some excellent headphones and fight to the rhythm in comfort. Simple, two-button controls make for an accessible surface to a game with deceptive amounts of depth. The developers are putting out an episodic side-story on Steam and Itch, which will be a great way to keep my interest until the game drops.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2
So little is known about the sequel to my favorite game of all time, except that it is coming, and more news should be on its way. The tantalizing trailer from a few E3s ago has me hoping Nintnendo will make this the Majora’s Mask to BOTW’s Ocarina. I want it dark, strange, and dreamlike. This is the one game making me hold my breath for E3 2021.
Hollow Knight: Silksong
I can’t wait to play as Hornet - Photo via Hollow Knight: Silksong Website
Silksong will finally let me venture back into the gorgeous 2D art and challenging gameplay that made Team Cherry indie darlings. I am so excited to play as Hornet, the badass, agile rival of Hollow Knight.
Deathloop
I have talked about this game for AGES and I am willing to wait to get my hands on Arkane’s trippy 70’s inspired timeloop deathmatch when it comes to Xbox. Gives me plenty of time to finally play Prey and Dishonored 2. Time loops have made for some of my favorite movies, so I hope the same goes for this game.
Final Fantasy XVI
Square Enix has entrusted the next mainline Final Fantasy to Naoki Yoshida, the director of their beloved MMO XIV, which many longtime players believe has the best story in the entire series. The setting draws influence from western fantasy for the first time in a while (see 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, and 15), and the combat looks different from any game in the series before.
Sable
Give it to me! - Photo from Shedworks’ Website
Holy fuck the soundtrack is by Japanese Breakfast (check out Be Sweet) and the art looks like a Moebius comic in motion. I think Shedworks watched Jodorowski’s Dune and decided, “Hey, we can make that.” I can’t wait to zoom around on my hoverbike and explore this gorgeous game.
Elden Ring
After opening myself up to FromSoft’s high pressure, beautifully horrifying worlds with Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Dark Souls Remastered, I am eager to see how Elden Ring varies their punishing and rewarding formula. Plus, if this game finally comes out, George R.R. Martin might finish writing The Winds of Winter. I am not quite as rabid as the dedicated fans who pick apart six-second-long, fake leaks, but I am eager nonetheless.
The Gunk
I loved Steamworld Dig, and Image and Form has shown that they excel at making many different genres of game in that game’s various follow-ups. The Gunk looks like a gorgeous step into 3D for the studio, and I love a good mechanical arm.