It only took The Pokemon Company two decades, but we're finally getting a sequel to the cult classic Nintendo 64 game - Pokemon Snap.
Revealed during a Pokemon Presents stream earlier today, the sequel is aptly titled New Pokemon Snap, releasing on the Nintendo Switch.
For those who feel a little lost with this announcement, Pokemon Snap was a spin-off of the franchise that tasked players with taking pictures of Pokemon, instead of catching them.
Imagine a Pokemon safari - where you can explore different environments filled with unique Pokemon, and even interact with them to trigger Pulitzer-worthy photo opportunities.
Watch the reveal trailer:
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwnnIBPq_v0&feature=emb_logo[/embed]
The Pokemon Company describes New Pokemon Snap as such:
"The New Pokemon Snap game for the Nintendo Switch system is based on its namesake, which was first released for the Nintendo 64 console in 1999. This game will take Trainers on an adventure to unknown islands overflowing with natural sights such as jungles and beaches, where they can research various Pokemon in their natural habitats. They will take photos to make their very own in-game Pokemon Photodex, all while discovering new, never-before-seen Pokemon expressions and behaviours."
Visually, it's a far cry from the cartoon-y environments seen in Pokemon Sword and Shield - with glimmering water and lush tropical environments.
The game is in development at Bandai Namco Studios, probably due to main series developers Game Freak having their hands full with upcoming Sword and Shield Expansions. No release date was announced for Pokemon Snap, so it's likely that the game is still a way off.
The Pokemon franchise is known for making detours from the main catch 'em all series into smaller, stranger titles - such as Pokemon Go, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon and Pokemon Ranger.
This is definitely up there with one of their best experiments, encouraging a sense of adventure that was so unique to the franchise back in the day.
It's actually hard to believe that we're finally getting a sequel!
This article was first published in Hardware Zone.