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The Lost Pokémon Island By NOA Travis It was a rainy day in Saffron City when the phone rang. Todd had just arisen and begun preparing himself some breakfast at the time the call came in. Picking up the phone, he was surprised to hear his good friend Oak shouting excitedly on the other end. "Todd, I've done it! I've really done it!" "Done what?" Todd asked. "Found the fabled Pokémon Island!" Oak responded. "It's incredible! I've been working hard at setting up the proper facilities to allow me to study the wild Pokémon that inhabit the island. I've learned much, but I need a photographer to help me illustrate my lab report. That, my good friend Todd, is where you come in ..." Listening to Oak detail what he required of the young photographer, Todd felt his pulse quicken. Not only was Pokémon Island real, but he was going to go there! Thanking Oak profusely for this incredible opportunity to observe and photograph wild Pokémon in their natural environments, Todd assured the Professor that the faith he had placed in him was well-founded. Slamming the phone down, Todd raced into his bedroom and pulled his suitcase out from under his bed as fast as he could. The tickets were waiting at the airport. By this time tomorrow he would be arriving at Pokémon Island! Tossing a few Poké Balls into the suitcase (for good luck, of course), along with his trusty 35mm camera, Todd finished his packing by ramming a wad of clean clothing into the suitcase and slamming it shut. Time to get to the airport! Many hours later Todd gasped as he caught his first glimpse of Pokémon Island through the clouds below him. It looked like an unspoiled tropical paradise! Sunlight glittered sharply off the crystal blue waters surrounding the island. He took quick stock of the island's geography. There was a jungle, several rivers and streams, and even a volcano! What was with that funny looking cloud hovering just above the island near the volcano? As he neared the island he could see that the waters surrounding the island were teaming with life. A Dratini splashed just off the port wing as the float plane touched down in the harbor -- a Magikarp leapt from the waters in front of him. As the plane taxied to the dock, Todd spotted a quickly-submerging Squirtle. This was going to be the opportunity of a lifetime! Having met the professor and been given the keys to Zero-One, a multi-terrain SUV developed by the Professor himself, Todd wasted no time as he set out for the beach -- the first stop in the adventure of a lifetime! Sound like fun? Well I won't disappoint you then. Pokémon Snap is quite possibly the best game to be released this year. It is beautifully colorful, has unique challenge and appeal, contains hidden courses, and has numerous objectives. The game has a built-in save feature, which alleviates the need for a Controller Pak. Best of all, it involves the most amazing phenomenon of the decade -- Pokémon! So let's get down to it. The game contains the world's most popular Pokémon -- one of which just might be Mew! And, being a world-renowned photographer, you've "Gotta Snap 'em All!" I'm not much for photography in real life. I prefer to be in front of the camera -- where all I hafta do is smile -- than behind it where the real skill lies. But this game makes taking pictures simple. You don't hafta worry about changing any pesky lenses, or whether there's enough light for a great shot. All you have to do is point and snap! You'll be glad for that simplistic approach to photography once you start the first level. Pokémon come at you in a rush, and you have to be very quick to get the great shots the Professor wants. You'll find a total of seven courses, provided you can figure out how to get to each of them, and a plethora of Pokémon on every level! You'll find it rather simple in the beginning, but as time goes on, getting the best shots will require very great ingenuity and skill as they require a lot of forethought to be properly set up. The professor will give you tools to aid you in your endeavors as the game progresses. First he'll provide you with a limitless supply of apple-shaped Pokémon food (Pokémon LOVE these). Use them to lure Pokémon closer for that perfect shot, or just pelt stray Pokémon with them and see what happens. You'll also be provided with a Pester Ball -- the name being pretty much self-explanatory -- and a Pokéflute with which you elicit strange reactions from Pokémon indeed! When the game finally came to an end I felt that "I-wish-the-game-wasn't-ending" feeling that I haven't had since I finished Zelda back in November of '98. I've come to recognize it as the truest indicator of a quality game. The game did seem a little on the short side to me, but that's most likely because I was enjoying it so much. There's a point system in the game, so even if you manage to get a great picture of each Pokémon, there's always an incentive to try again in an attempt to improve your score. Finally, there's a very kewl feature in this game: you can take your game down to a local Blockbuster video store, plug it into a machine there, and print out shots from your own personal photo album! The album in the game can hold a total of sixty shots, and you can print out four sticker copies of your favorite four Pokémon (a total of sixteen stickers) for three bucks. I'd recommend this game to all of you true Pokéfreaks who loved Pokémon Red or Blue, and to anyone who owns and N64 and enjoys a unique challenge. Pokémon Snap hits stores July 26th. If you are convinced it's the game for you, reserve a copy beforehand. Otherwise, come the end of the month, you may end up "Snapless." NOA Travis(Frogboy) Cyberjock/Chat Host Nintendo of America Inc.

There is a buzz on the Artisan streets, and three words are in the air: "Spyro the dragon." To satisfy the clamor for new information on this newfound hero, we bring you this special edition - Spyro-mania!

Spyro-mania has become the phrase for the public fascination with Spyro, a spunky, young dragon who has taken on the task of ridding the Dragon Worlds of Gnorcs, restoring the dragon populace and reclaiming the dragon treasure.

Two days ago, Spyro was out with his dragonfly companion Sparx when Gnasty the evil Gnorc cast a spell upon all the dragons, turning them to crystal. Spyro was the only dragon left unaffected. Instead of running away, this pint-sized hero is showing true courage by single-handedly taking on Gnasty's army of Gnorcs.

"That Spyro really showed the Artisans a thing or two about courage," states local Artisan Biffo the dragon. "I'm always telling my wife, 'Size doesn't matter, honey!' Well, now this l'il fella has proven my point, and quite well I must say. Although frankly, I would have been happy if he left her in that crystal a little while longer. You could fit ten Gnorcs through that yappin' mouth of hers!"

Fontavia, Director at the Artisan Playhouse proclaims, "This Spyro is simply fabulous! What drama! What bravado! I am already writing a script, 'Spyro: Courage Under Fire.' It will be, how do you say...a sensation!"

"I think he's so dreamy!" says Donna Dragon. "It was love at first sight when that brave dragon unfroze me. Spyro gave me a quick wink and trotted off, but I know we made a connection!"

Truly, by all accounts Spryo the Dragon is universally loved. Given such moral support, Gnasty and his Gnorcs seem to be no match. We here at DNN would like to say, "Go get 'em, Spryo!"

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