Which studio developed the first Pokémon Snap game?

HAL Laboratory developed the first Pokémon Snap game.

Pokémon Snap was released for the Nintendo 64 in Japan in March 1999 and later reached other markets. Instead of capturing Pokémon in Poké Balls, players take photographs while riding along fixed paths through environments such as beaches, rivers, caves, and volcanoes. Professor Oak evaluates the pictures at the end of each course.

The game began as a project called Pocket Monster Snap before being adapted into a Pokémon title. HAL Laboratory, a studio known for work on Nintendo platforms, developed the final game. Its unusual photography-based design made it one of the franchise’s earliest major departures from the traditional role-playing format.

Players can improve their photographs by attracting Pokémon with items, finding hidden routes, and capturing unusual poses or interactions. Pokémon Snap is sometimes confused with its 2021 sequel, New Pokémon Snap, which was developed by Bandai Namco Studios. The original Nintendo 64 title remains the one developed by HAL Laboratory.