With the New Pokemon Snap giving longtime fans something to cheer about, the old one for the Nintendo 64 still lives on fondly in the memories (and living rooms) of many. The original Pokemon Snap was a cult classic and gained an immense following when it was released in 1999 (for Japan and North America; Australia and Europe got their release in 2000).

RELATED: New Pokémon Snap: 5 Easter Eggs & References To The Original Game

However, despite the tremendous and long-lived following, there are quite a few hidden details about this much-loved video game that even some of the most hardcore fans probably did not know.

8 The Game Was Supposed To Be About Jack & The Beanstalk

original concept art for the island in pokemon snap on the nintendo 64.

In 1995, when the game was still in the very early stages of conception, it was supposed to be in a completely different setting. One that, from the title, sounds like it would have been more medieval, though this was changed because the development team didn't really see a direction to move, in terms of motivation for the player.

That is until the developers, HAL Laboratory, decided to include Pokemon into the game and center one's photographic exploration around capturing these pocket monsters on film as opposed to in pokeballs. This was a great move, as the franchise's popularity and the "collect them all" vibe worked very well for the game.

7 The Game Was Supposed To Be For A Different Console

nintendo hardware revisions

Initially, the original Pokemon Snap was meant to be released on the Japan-only extremely limitedly-released peripheral known as the 64DD, which gave the Nintendo 64 console a tremendous host of advanced (for 1999) functions such as internet connectivity, providing massive amounts of extra storage (64 Megabytes), usage of disks instead of cartridges, and much more.

However, since the 64DD was discontinued in 2001 after only about 15,000 were sold, many games had to be ported to the N64's normal cartridge system or to the GameCube if the developers wanted them to be played.

6 There Was Supposed To Be A Ghost Level

player showing a photo of the ghost pokemon to professor oak.

While there is a Ghost-type pokemon in the game (Haunter, in the Tunnel Course), there was also supposed to be an entire level dedicated to them. In the game's files, there are music tracks that are labeled for a non-existent area that prove there was meant to be one. There course's name is never mentioned, but one of the two music tracks for it was labeled "Fantastic Horror".

This seems to have been scrapped due to only three Ghost-type pokemon existing at the time, which fans suggest would have made this spooky course a bit boring, however, this is merely speculation; especially when considering that there could have been much more than just the three Generation I Ghost-types present.

5 There Was A Massive Update To The Visuals Before It Was Released

comparing the pre-lease and final versions of pokemon snap on the nintendo 64.

One thing many fans are likely appreciative of is the lovely and smooth graphics of one's track-bound adventures across a tropical island. The varied terrain and cozy level of detail are some of what made Pokemon Snap such a huge success, however, the final version of the game that most are familiar with is a far cry from the pre-release version.

RELATED: New Pokemon Snap: Every Illumina Spot Request & How To Complete Them

While the island in the final game boasts sunny beaches, vivid forests, and even an active volcano, the pre-release version seems to only have dry, savannah-like terrain and a comparatively dull color palette. It's possible that the game was initially intended to be in the Kanto region's Safari Zone, however, there is nothing to actually confirm this.

4 Ekans Was Supposed To Be In The Game

ekans the poison-type pokemon in the pre-release version of the game.

Reptile-loving Pokemon fans will likely be a bit disappointed to learn that Ekans was cut from the final version of the game, though there is proof of their existence in the game's files thanks to footage from the pre-release version of the game.

It's possible that Ekans, and maybe some other pokemon, were cut from the final version of the game in order to free up some memory for the significant graphical quality upgrade that the final version received.

3 It Is The Only Game That Shows Slowpoke Evolving

shellder biting slowpoke's tail and making them evolve together.

In the Pokemon games, both the main series and other titles, it is mentioned that Slowpoke evolves into Slowbro by having their tail bitten and clamped onto by a Shellder, however, this is only ever shown in the original Pokemon Snap.

While this scene has definitely been shown in the anime, the River Course is the only place in the gaming world where such a sight can be witnessed and can lead to an impressive photograph of the natural phenomenon.

2 The North American Version Had Some Japanese Voice Actors

two ground-type pokemon in the original pokemon snap's valley course.

When the English dub and text were being made for the game's global release, some pokemon maintained their Japanese lines. This is likely due to there being no real reason to change some of the sounds the pocket monsters make if they do not say their own name (which gets localized heavily).

RELATED: New Pokemon Snap: How To Get The Best Photos

This is a clever way to save money and put important budget resources towards other aspects of production. Some of the pokemon that this occurred with are Metapod, Diglett, Dugtrio, Magnemite, Magneton, Geodude, Graveler, Psyduck, and Porygon, though there may even be a few more.

1 It Was The Only N64 Game To Appear On The Wii U Virtual Console

charizard breathing fire on the gamepad screen.

In 2016 (for most of the world, North America got it in 2017), the original Pokemon Snap was released on the Wii U's Virtual Console and is the only Nintendo 64 game that has achieved this honor. This was likely a huge factor in the New Pokemon Snap being made as it reignited the flames of nostalgic fans from the late '90s.

Thanks to this clever re-release (and the new Pokemon Snap game), fans of all ages now get to enjoy capturing pokemon in a novel way; one that doesn't involve them having to fight each other for the entertainment of humans. Maybe, in the future, this will lead to additional Pokemon Snap games and others that explore this vivid and interesting world in even more immersive ways.

NEXT: New Pokemon Snap: Every Request In Sweltering Sands (Night) & How To Complete Them