For years after Pokemon began airing, I had one request every single Christmas. I wanted Pokemon on VHS. The request carried over to birthdays, too, and over time I accumulated dozens of episodes of my favorite show. You could easily identify which tapes were my favorite, as the actual tape began to fade and Pokemon labels began to crumble and peel. After episode 40, The Battling Eevee Brothers, the Island of Giant Pokemon was my favorite to play again and again. And this morning, when Nintendo revealed we’d be shrinking the Neo-One down to explore in Pokemon Snap, the little girl in me lit up with fond memories of that busted-up VHS. I’m thrilled about New Pokemon Snap’s Secret Side Path, and it’s all because it taps into that Island of Giant Pokemon magic.
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If you missed one of Pokemon’s earliest episodes, then just know that it was even a bit of a wild one for its time. The old, core group of Ash, Misty, and Brock wind up on a remote island after coming under attack from a group of Gyarados, and Team Rocket are, of course, there too. Separated from their own Pokemon partners, they go off exploring this island full of mystique and strange ‘mons they’ve never seen before. Even for a show about talking monsters you keep as pets, train, and battle, the episode had a certain air of magic I was smitten with as a little one.
So here the usual crew are, stumbling about the island and meeting legendary Pokemon like Zapdos and Moltres for the first time and wind up getting chased by, you guessed it, giant Pokemon. One thing leads to another, you have your typical Team Rocket hijinks, and then eventually you discover the colossal Blastoise, Pikachu, and others aren’t real – they’re just really cool animatronics owned by Giovanni. As a kid, I retconned that bit from my memory and continued to believe those Pokemon existed. We ended up with Dynamax, anyway.
Regardless, this episode stuck with me for ages. Outside of Pokemon, changing the scope and scale on just about anything has long appealed to more than just childhood me, but adult me, as well. It’s the same reason I never outgrew my dinosaur phase as a kid, or why I collect Gundams and fawn over kaiju films. The towering and monstrous creatures and tech of the world always provide a rush, and when you look up at something and suddenly feel shockingly small, it’s a guaranteed thrill. The Island of Giant Pokemon married that idea of childhood wonderment, and it’s why I’ve always adored it and wished we saw those Pokemon behemoths again. Let me see that scale from some of my favorites, like Gengar.
I understand this isn’t what New Pokemon Snap is emulating with the Secret Side Path shrinking your Neo-One down. Hoothoot isn’t turning so big it’s eclipsing the moon, you’re just turning so small that you look a bit like bird food. Regardless, I do love the idea, and even if it’s not in the same scope of blowing up my favorite ‘mons into towering, wandering skyscrapers for a level of Snap, I’m still thrilled about what this does to the scale.
I may never get an actual Island of Giant Pokemon level or game, but I think this comes quite close to representing the magic that comes with looking up at one of your favorites, only to whisper a “wow,” before snapping your shot. As someone who hasn’t much touched the game since launch week, I reckon this will be what sends me scrambling back. And while I like all of the cute forest critters we saw in the trailer, I’m crossing my fingers to see that giant, waddling Gengar somewhere.
Next: New Pokemon Snap Needs A Level In Space
