Smile, Pikachu: You’re on camera! New Pokemon Snap for the Nintendo Switch is only days away now, and Fujifilm has partnered with Nintendo to mark the occasion. Nintendo Switch players will now be able to print classic film-style photos of their Pokemon Snap portraits with the Instax Mini Link smartphone printer for the Nintendo Switch. Also known as the Mini Link Special Edition, the printer capitalizes on the Switch’s screenshot capture ability by turning the in-game image into a QR code. From there, a smartphone with the printer’s dedicated app can scan the code and command the little printer to print the image. It’s a delightful callback to the days when Kodak partnered with Nintendo to develop printing kiosks that conjured up photos from Pokemon Snap for the Nintendo 64.
The joint campaign was recently announced by Fujifilm in a press release, along with promotional YouTube videos. The video footage shows the Mini Link Special Edition printing photos from screenshots in not only New Pokemon Snap but also in Super Mario Odyssey and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Adorable photo frames featuring Nintendo characters in the mentioned games can be printed out, too.
It’s unclear whether or not the Mini Link Special Edition can print screenshots from Breath of the Wild. If it does indeed pull photo data directly from the Switch’s internal screenshot capture, however, it stands to reason that printing hard copy photos from other games like Breath of the Wild are certainly possible. There is no knowledge of any Zelda-themed photo frames at this time.
The Mini Link Special Edition will release to authorized Fujifilm retailers on the same day as New Pokemon Snap, which is April 30. Rest assured, those who already have a regular Instax Mini Link printer won’t need to purchase the Special Edition printer as they can simply download the free Special Edition app to access the full Nintendo Switch features. Fans might, however, be tempted to buy the Special Edition for its snazzy “Ash White” color. The uncanny name shows off its accents of red and blue to coordinate with the Switch. The Ash White printer will also be available in a bundle with a super-cute silicone Pikachu case. The bundle is planned to be released in late May for $119.95 USD ($179.99 CDN). The standalone Mini Link Special Edition printer will be priced at $99.95 USD ($129.99 CDN).
