Pokémon Snap was originally developed from a non-Pokémon photography project called Jack and the Beanstalk.
The project began at HAL Laboratory as a Nintendo 64DD game in which players would photograph scenes and objects. Developers later decided that Pokémon would provide a clearer reason for taking pictures, transforming the project into a franchise spin-off. The completed game placed players in an automated vehicle and asked them to photograph Pokémon in natural environments.
Pokémon Snap was released in Japan on March 21, 1999, for the Nintendo 64. It was one of the earliest Pokémon games to show many creatures in real-time 3D on a home console. Professor Oak evaluated the player's photographs, making image composition and subject placement part of the scoring system.
The original game featured 63 of the 151 first-generation Pokémon. Its distinctive photography concept later received a sequel, New Pokémon Snap, released for Nintendo Switch in 2021.