More than twenty years after Pokémon Snap on Nintendo 64, New Pokémon Snap came out on April 30, 2021 on Nintendo Switch. Developed by Bandai Namco Studios, it takes the player to the Lental region, camera in hand, to photograph more than two hundred Pokémon in their natural habitats. A generous, contemplative sequel, far richer than the original.
Photographing Lental
Professor Mirror studies the ecology of the Pokémon of Lental, an archipelago of six islands with very different climates. Aboard the NEO-ONE, a vehicle on rails, the player travels fixed routes and snaps the Pokémon they come across, to complete the Photodex. Lush jungle, scorching desert, seafloor, snowy plain, volcano, ruins: the settings are superb, and every Pokémon has its own behaviors, habits and reactions.
Unexpected Depth
Each course can be replayed by day and by night, and its research level rises from 1 to 3 over successive visits, which brings out new Pokémon and new behaviors. Fluffruit, Illumina Orbs, the Melody and the Scan trigger reactions, sometimes in chains: luring one Pokémon toward another, bringing out a Legendary, setting off a battle. More than 230 requests ask you to capture these moments. The Professor rates each photo from one to four stars based on behavior, then on pose, size, angle, framing and background. See getting started.
Illumina
The story revolves around Illumina, a luminous phenomenon unique to Lental, and the Illumina Pokémon, the giant guardians of each island. Meeting them, at the end of each island, makes for real spectacle. See the Illumina Pokémon.
Editing and Sharing
An album lets you edit your photos, filters and stickers included, and share them online with a Nintendo Switch Online subscription. A free update in August 2021 added three areas and twenty Pokémon.
The Downsides
The formula remains repetitive: you have to replay the same courses often, and some requests demand obscure chains of actions. The rails limit your freedom. But for anyone who likes to take their time and observe, it is a rare pleasure.
Our verdict
A successful, contemplative and rich sequel that finally gives Pokémon Snap the scale it deserved.
What we like
- Gorgeous, very lively settings
- 234 Pokémon with polished behaviors
- Hundreds of requests and interactions
- A generous free update
What we like less
- Courses you have to replay often
- Requests that are sometimes obscure
- Progression on rails
