Gameplay in New Pokémon Snap is similar to its Nintendo 64 predecessor; courses consist of on-rails photography sessions, new courses are unlocked as players progress, items awarded to the player allow for real-time interaction with the environment, and photographs are able to be saved for later viewing. The laboratory of Pokémon researcher Professor Mirror acts as a space for players to review their research on wild Pokémon and their habitats, manage their photo album, customize their account, and interact with online features. The lab also functions as a hub for course selection and serves as another photography course the player can unlock.
The Pokémon photo scoring system has been expanded upon, with letter rankings added for an additional challenge. Certain courses may only be unlocked by achieving a baseline score, and capturing Pokémon in specific poses, recorded in a journal, results in additional bonuses. Courses can be explored at different times of day, offering the player chances to capture unique Pokémon and poses and interactions.[1] The player can also access "Illumina" stages that allow the player to capture photos of Pokémon in their Illumina form.
Synopsis and gameplay
The player photographs Pokémon in their natural habitats to build a "Photodex", using fruit to lure them closer.
In New Pokémon Snap, the player's avatar is a Pokémon photographer[2] who travels to the Laboratory of Ecological and Natural Sciences (L.E.N.S.) in the Lental region[3][4] to help the research studies of Professor Mirror and his assistants Rita and Phil.[5][6][7] Taking photographs adds information to a compendium called a Photodex,[8] which contains entries for more than 200 different Pokémon.[9] While working on the Photodex, the player also investigates the Illumina phenomenon, where Pokémon and plants exhibit a strange luminescence.[10]
For each research expedition, the player travels in the NEO-ONE hovercraft to safely photograph Pokémon in their natural environments, including jungles, deserts and beaches.[2][5] Each photo the player takes is graded by Professor Mirror on a scale of one to four stars based on how rare the current activity of the Pokémon is.[11][12] Each photo is also given a score taking into account things like shot composition, how close the Pokémon is, and whether they are facing the camera or not.[2] Players can decide to save those photos to the Photodex, which can hold up to four photos of each Pokémon (one at each rating).[13] As players take higher-quality photos, they earn Expedition Points that go toward improving the Research Level of each area in the Lental region. Achieving higher research levels will open up more levels to explore in that area.[13][14]
To get better pictures, the player is encouraged to use various tools to coax out rarely-seen Pokémon reactions on camera.[15] To lure Pokémon out, players can use a fruit called a fluffruit,[16] or play a melody that can get some Pokémon to dance.[17] They can also throw an item called an Illumina Orb to cause Pokémon to glow.[18] The orbs serve to not only help the player take pictures at night,[14] but also potentially change a Pokémon's behavior. Depending on the Pokémon, the Illumina orb can help wake up sleeping creatures, or even sometimes cheer them up.[17] Players can find hidden Pokémon in the area by using their camera to scan for them.[19]
After Professor Mirror grades the player's photographs, players can retouch their photos using the Re-Snap feature.[1] This allows the player to change parameters like zoom, blur, and brightness, as well as add photographic filters, photo frames, and stickers.[19] These edited photos can be saved to a personal photo album separate from the Photodex.[1][14] Players can upload their photos online to share with other players, who in turn can help get their favourite photos be featured in-game by liking them, known as giving Sweet! Medals.[18][20]
Development
New Pokémon Snap was developed by Bandai Namco Studios and published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo.[21] Bandai Namco had previously developed the Pokémon fighting game Pokkén Tournament, in which Pokémon were depicted as part of an interconnected world, coexisting with humans. According to game director Haruki Suzaki, who directed both titles, it was this depiction of Pokémon that helped the studio earn the opportunity to work on New Pokémon Snap.[22]
Suzaki's vision for the game was to keep the basic gameplay from the original, while adding new features that reflected how people currently interact with photographs.[23] He explained, "The result is a simple game of taking pictures in a world where Pokémon are alive and well in nature, but at the same time there is a variety of contemporary ways to play with photography."[24]
It was announced during the Pokémon Presents presentation on June 17, 2020,[25] and was released on April 30, 2021, for the Nintendo Switch.
An update released on August 3, 2021, adds three new areas to explore and 20 more Pokémon, bringing the total to 234.[26][27]
Release and promotion
New Pokémon Snap was released on April 30, 2021, in North America and Japan, about 22 years after the release of the original Pokemon Snap.
To promote the game, Nintendo announced company collaborations. A Pokémon Go in-game event, held from April 29 to May 2, featured Pokémon from the Lental region.[28] Nintendo also worked with Fujifilm to introduce a mobile app on launch day that lets players use a Instax Mini Link printer to print out screenshots stored on the Nintendo Switch, including photos taken in New Pokémon Snap. Before printing, the app allows users to decorate their photos with filters and photo frames inspired by the game, as well as from other games like the Mario franchise and Animal Crossing: New Horizons.[29][30]
New Pokémon Snap sold 194,385 physical copies within its first week on sale in Japan, making it the best-selling retail game of the week in the country.[46] In the United Kingdom, it sold four times as many physical copies at launch as its predecessor game, also taking the number one place in sales.[47] It had sold 2.07 million copies by June 30, 2021.[48] It had sold 2.4 million copies as of December 2021.[49]
Notes
^New Pokémon Snap (Japanese: New ポケモンスナップ, Hepburn: Nyū Pokemon Sunappu)
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