What was the first Pokémon game built around photographing Pokémon?

Pokémon Snap was the first Pokémon game built around photographing Pokémon.

Released for the Nintendo 64, Pokémon Snap places the player in the role of Todd Snap, a photographer researching Pokémon in their natural habitats. Instead of catching creatures in Poké Balls, the player rides through courses and takes photographs for Professor Oak to evaluate.

The game was released in Japan in 1999 and in North America in 2000. Its courses include beaches, rivers, caves, volcanoes, and other environments where Pokémon behave according to scripted ecological patterns. Players improve their photographs by considering subject size, position, pose, and rarity.

Pokémon Snap is often confused with Pokémon Stadium, which focused on 3D battles and minigames. A sequel, New Pokémon Snap, was released for Nintendo Switch in 2021. The original game remains notable for turning observation and photography into the central Pokémon gameplay loop.