It took more than twenty years to get a sequel. Announced on June 17, 2020 and released on April 30, 2021 on Nintendo Switch, New Pokémon Snap takes the photo-safari concept of the Nintendo 64 and modernizes it from top to bottom. This page compares the two games for players who know one and want to discover the other. The complete guide to the sequel has its own section: New Pokémon Snap.
The two games side by side
| Pokémon Snap (1999) | New Pokémon Snap (2021) | |
|---|---|---|
| Console | Nintendo 64 | Nintendo Switch (compatible with Nintendo Switch 2) |
| Developer | HAL Laboratory | Bandai Namco Studios |
| Region explored | Pokémon Island | The Lental archipelago, spread over six islands |
| Professor | Professor Oak | Professor Mirror, with his assistant Rita |
| Vehicle | ZERO-ONE | NEO-ONE |
| Photo collection | Pokémon Report | Photodex |
| Scoring | Points based on size, pose, technique, same species and a special bonus | One to four stars depending on behavior, with a score calculated from pose, size, direction, placement, other Pokémon and background |
| Items | Apple, Pester Ball, Poké Flute, Dash Engine | Fluffruit, Music Player melodies, Illumina Orbs |
What stays the same
The heart of the game has not changed. You are still aboard a vehicle that follows its course on its own, camera in hand, free to aim in every direction. You still attract Pokémon with fruit, you still look for the rare behaviors that make great photos, and a professor still evaluates your work at the end of each course. The pleasure of returning to a familiar course to discover a hidden scene, already at the center of the 1999 game, is the engine of the sequel.
A nod appreciated by longtime players: Todd, the photographer from Pokémon Snap, returns in New Pokémon Snap, now a seasoned photographer.
What changes
A much larger region
Where Pokémon Island had six courses and one secret course, Lental stretches over six islands with several courses each, many of which can be played by day or by night. The number of photographable species goes far beyond the 63 Pokémon of the Nintendo 64.
The Illumina phenomenon
Lental is marked by Illumina, a phenomenon that makes plants and Pokémon glow. With the Illumina Orbs designed by Professor Mirror, you can trigger it on the Pokémon you pass, which unlocks new behaviors and serves as the thread of the story, far more developed than in 1999.
The end of the Pester Ball
The Pester Ball, which stunned or disturbed Pokémon, no longer exists. The creators wanted a gentler approach: Fluffruit replace it to provoke reactions, in addition to attracting Pokémon.
An album to edit and share
New Pokémon Snap separates the Photodex, reserved for your best photos, from a personal album where you can touch up your shots and share them online. It is the distant heir of the Pokémon Snap Station kiosks and of the photo sharing in the Wii version.
Which one should you choose?
- For a first approach, New Pokémon Snap is richer, longer and more accessible.
- For the history and the retro charm, Pokémon Snap can be finished in a few evenings and is still available on Nintendo Switch through Nintendo Switch Online and its Expansion Pack.
- For both, nothing stops you from starting with the original: the sequel will only be more enjoyable, with its many nods.
Back to the complete Pokémon Snap guide.
