Pokémon Snap comes to Wii U – Virtual Console, that is

Pokémon Snap will be available on Wii U Virtual Console tomorrow, Jan. 5, marking yet another platform on which the Nintendo 64 classic will be playable. But as the popular series spinoff approaches its 18th anniversary, some are losing hope that there will ever be a new, updated take for modern hardware.

The Wii U Virtual Console release, which launched in Japan and Europe months ago, will cost $9.99, as it did on the Wii Virtual Console. The Wii Virtual Console version of the game is also compatible on Wii U, and has been since the latter console launched in November 2012.

What’s different about the Wii U port is that it will be compatible with the Wii U GamePad, although players won’t be able to use its gyroscope to take photos. That seems like a missed opportunity: The on-rails photography simulator makes players use the joystick to control the focal point of their cameras, a gimmick that seems well-suited for motion controls.

Despite the game making it onto two different consoles with motion-based controllers, Nintendo has never iterated on Pokémon Snap beyond its N64 release. That hasn’t stopped fans from petitioning for a sequel, and it’s clear the company recognizes their interest.

Still, the response to the long-awaited Wii U Virtual Console release has been largely positive, even as some shared their frustrations about the game’s one-off nature.

There is something close to a modern-day Pokémon Snap in Pokémon Sun and Moon. The games’ Poké Finder feature allows players to take photos of select Pokémon in particular spots around the Alola region. It falls quite a lot short of the rush players get at the end of Pokémon Snap, when they’re taking photos of the elusive legendary Mew — or frankly any other level in the one-of-a-kind classic.