Fujifilm’s Nintendo Switch Instax printer reimagines the classic Game Boy Printer

As a kid, I always wanted a Game Boy Printer.

I had the quirky Game Boy Camera, a primitive digital camera accessory for Nintendo’s classic handheld that released back in 1998, but was never able to convince my parents that I actually needed to print out those green, grainy photos with the Game Boy Printer.

Just a week ahead of the release of New Pokémon Snap for the Switch, Fujifilm has revealed a re-branded version of its Instax Mini Link Printer that allows players to print photos of their favourite in-game shots of Pokémon. The printer’s mobile app also allows you to add Nintendo-themed stickers, effects and frames to any photo.

If you’re old like me and played the original Pokémon Snap for the Nintendo 64 in the late 90s, you’ll likely fondly remember printing out stickers of in-game photos from kiosks at Blockbuster video locations. This new New Pokémon Snap-branded Instax printer seems to take inspiration from this concept. However, instead of having to travel with your N64 memory card to your local Blockbuster, the Mini Link Special Edition uses an iOS or Android app to connect to the printer.

This means that you need to get photos from your Switch screenshot album to your smartphone’s camera roll. While there are several methods, the easiest way to do this is to use a QR Code generation by the Switch that then connects your phone directly to the console over Wi-Fi. Of course, this means you can use the printer for more than just printing out New Pokémon Snap photos since it allows you to select any image from your camera roll.

The new Mini Link Special Edition Smartphone Printer releases in mid-May 2021 in Canada for $129.99. There’s also a version of the printer that includes a silicon Pikachu case. New Pokémon Snap drops on the Nintendo Switch on April 30th. 

MobileSyrup will have more on New Pokémon Snap in the coming weeks.