Print your New Pokemon Snap photos with this Pikachu-themed printer for Nintendo Switch

Pokemon fans have been waiting for a follow-up to Nintendo's original pocket monster photography game for decades. Now it's almost here: New Pokemon Snap on Nintendo Switch launches on April 30. By all accounts, it's every bit the charming and relaxing game many were hoping for. Like the original game, it's all about taking photos of the Nintendo game's iconic creatures.

If you really love the photos you take in game, you might want to print them. Back in 1999, you did that by visiting photo print locations. For the new game, Nintendo is taking a different approach: Fujifilm's Instax Mini Link smartphone printer, a smartphone app and a silicone Pikachu case.

Fujifilm launched this handheld smartphone photo printer back in 2020, but the Nintendo partnership is all new. In addition to releasing a new Switch-themed red-and-blue color option, Fujifilm is releasing a new Instax Mini Link for Nintendo Switch app that makes it easy to transfer photos from the game console to your smartphone. From there, they can be cropped and edited in the app to fit the Instax Mini's instant photo format and sent to the printer.

It's absolutely perfect for Pokemon Snap, but the Nintendo Switch integration isn't exclusive to the photography game. The app's interface can be dressed up in New Pokemon Snap, Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Super Mario themes -- and even comes with Nintendo-themed frames that can be applied to any photo in your phone's camera roll.

If you're the kind of gamer who will absolutely need to print that four-star Squirtle photo, you'll be able to pick up the Instax Mini Link in a bundle with a special Pikachu Silicone Case for $119.95 in May. A red-and-blue special edition for $99.95 is also in the works. You could just buy the regular Mini Link right now -- but where's the fun in that?