Pokémon Snap is not a game where you move forward in a straight line. Seven courses, four items and one secret open up under different conditions: a number of species photographed, a cumulative score in your Report, a hidden exit to trigger. This page puts everything in order, from your first shot to the photo of Mew, and links to the detailed walkthrough for each course. It also answers the question many people ask when they open the island map: where do I go, and in what order?
The map of Pokémon Island in seven courses
Pokémon Island is a volcanic island where humans once lived: you’ll find a disused power plant, railways and huts. Only wild Pokémon live there today, and Professor Oak wants to preserve it: capturing a Pokémon there is forbidden. The island has six main areas and one secret area. They are linked together by the unlocks described below.
| Course | Pokémon | ZERO-ONE mode | Pokémon Sign | Walkthrough |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beach | 12 species | Ground (rails) | Kingler rock | Beach walkthrough |
| Tunnel | 12 species | Ground (rails) | Pinsir shadow | Tunnel walkthrough |
| Volcano | 10 species | Ground | Koffing smoke | Volcano walkthrough |
| River | 12 species | Floating | Cubone tree | River walkthrough |
| Cave | 13 species | Aerial | Mewtwo constellation | Cave walkthrough |
| Valley | 13 species | Floating | Dugtrio mountain | Valley walkthrough |
| Rainbow Cloud | 1 species (Mew) | Aerial | None | Rainbow Cloud walkthrough |
Several species appear in more than one course: Pikachu, Magikarp, Zubat. The total of 63 distinct species is therefore lower than the sum of the columns above. For the complete list, see the game’s Pokémon list.
The unlock order, step by step
| Step | Condition | You get |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Start of the game | The Beach and the camera |
| 2 | Six different species photographed | The Tunnel |
| 3 | About 24,000 points in the Report | The Apple |
| 4 | Throw an item at the Electrode at the end of the Tunnel | The Volcano |
| 5 | 22 species photographed across the Beach, Tunnel and Volcano | The River |
| 6 | 72,500 points in the Report | The Pester Ball |
| 7 | At the River, hit the camouflaged Porygon with a Pester Ball so it jumps onto the button | The Cave |
| 8 | 40 species photographed | The Valley |
| 9 | In the Valley, knock the Mankey onto the button with two Pester Balls | Oak’s hut, then the Dash Engine |
| 10 | Dash Engine in hand and about 130,000 points in the Report | The Poké Flute |
| 11 | Six Pokémon Signs photographed and handed in to Oak | The Rainbow Cloud |
| 12 | Photo of Mew handed in to Oak | Challenge mode for every course |
How unlocks work
One rule simplifies everything: unlocks happen during Oak’s scoring session, that is, when you finish or leave a course and show him your photos. TAS records indicate that a course and an item are not unlocked in the same session. So if you reach an item’s point threshold in the middle of a course, you’ll have to finish the session, then head out again to make use of it.
Three main families of conditions coexist. The first is the species count: six for the Tunnel, twenty-two for the River, forty for the Valley. The second is the Report score, which governs the items: the better your shots, the sooner the Professor equips you. The third is the secret outcome: an Electrode to blow up in the Tunnel, a Porygon to send onto a button at the River, a Mankey to knock down in the Valley. The magazine Gamekult summed up this logic in its 2000 review: you change location by reaching a species quota, by racking up points or by opening a secret passage.
Our recommended route for a first playthrough
- Beach. Get at least six species, without aiming for perfection: you’ll be back with the items.
- Tunnel. Photograph as many species as possible and show them to Oak. The Apple will come with your score.
- Back to the Beach and the Tunnel. With the Apple, shots of Surfing Pikachu, Eevee and Magneton are very doable. Blow up the Electrode at the end of the Tunnel.
- Volcano. Charmander in a pack, Moltres, the Magmar fight. You’re getting close to 22 species.
- River. Once you hit the count, the river opens up. The Pester Ball is earned around this stage.
- Back to the River with the Pester Ball to find the secret exit.
- Cave, then Valley. The two courses that open up the most scenes.
- Pokémon Signs, flute, Mew. Redo the six signs, then finish with the Rainbow Cloud.
The site’s original walkthroughs
This page builds on two older Pokémon-France pages, which are still available: the 2012 walkthrough and its 2016 reformatting, the Pokémon Snap walkthrough. They present the Pokémon course by course and in order of appearance. This guide adds the unlock conditions, the special poses, the scoring and the items. The 2016 walkthrough describes the first six courses, then summarizes the Rainbow Cloud in a few lines; it provides good reference points for beginners.
