New Pokémon Snap (Switch) – Review

Review copy provided by Nintendo UK, and thanks to Cart Boy for help with edits.

A few weeks ago, fellow Source Gaming staff member Cart Boy looked back on Pokémon Snap, a quirky rail shooter for the Nintendo 64, in celebration of the classic spin-off receiving a sequel from Bandai Namco after decades of anticipation. Just as the original Snap released within an era of immense success for the Pokémon brand (commonly referred to as “Pokémania”), New Pokémon Snap debuts following the mobile juggernaut Pokémon GO and chart-topping Switch installments Let’s Go, Pikachu, Let’s Go, Eevee, Sword, and Shield. Despite the heightened relevance Pokémon enjoys at the moment, it has come under immense criticism from fans as of late, who cite the recent role-playing games as underwhelming. With Sword and Shield’s art direction and graphics being a particular sourspot for players, New Snap was welcomed with open arms by many upon its release last month, purely on account of its trailers showcasing a more visually appealing product. Today, we will judge the long-awaited sequel and see if it is more than just an example of how mainline Pokémon “should” look. As a standalone title featuring hundreds of Pokémon from across the franchise’s history, and as a sequel to its storied predecessor, how does New Pokémon Snap hold up?

Gotta Catch ‘Em All… On Film!

Within both New Pokémon Snap and the original, players explore diverse locales and photograph the titular monsters as they play, fight, eat, and so much more. One of the side series’ most immediately appealing facets is the Pokémon’s behavior. All of them are characterized phenomenally well as they roam their environments, providing visitors with an abundance of intriguing opportunities to document them. Furthermore, cameramen are given plenty of tools to assist them throughout their surveys, allowing them to influence the critters by tossing food, playing music, and so on. However, to ensure a streamlined experience that prioritizes photography above all else, the player’s movement is controlled by an all-terrain vehicle that always moves along a set path. Consequently, a given area’s subjects are only in view for so long, challenging lensmen to pay attention to their surroundings.

All of this is in service to Professor Oak or Professor Mirror (depending on the Snap of choice), who grades players on their work and rewards them with gear and upgrades. They’re among the very few human characters within their given plots, a natural result of the games’ focus on the Pokémon themselves. Of course, this is to the Snap games’ benefit. Keeping the focus primarily on the elemental creatures lets them exhibit their personalities and quirks without distraction, making far more of an impression than any human could ever manage. The Gyarados emerging from a waterfall, a Pikachu flying through the air with the help of balloons, and meeting Mew atop Rainbow Cloud are just a few examples of Snap’s iconic scenes, ideals faithfully adapted and expanded upon for the sequel.

An Enjoyably Shallow Briefing

Although Pokémon has crafted engaging stories full of memorable faces before (like in Pokémon Black and White, their sequels, and the Mystery Dungeon series), New Snap keeps overbearing dialogue to a minimum and lets the Pokémon do their thing. A few allies are encountered during players’ journeys through the Lental region, but they do little more than distribute sidequests and provide exposition. There is the aforementioned Professor Mirror, evaluating shutterbugs’ performance after every level; Rita, a fellow researcher tasked with teaching players how to use new equipment; Todd Snap, returning protagonist of the original Snap and mentor figure, and Phil, an impatient student of Todd’s who is aiming to reach his teacher’s level.

Naturally, a game about photographing the medium’s most iconic lineup of creatures should not distract from such a draw with overly talkative characters or a complex narrative. New Snap’s team of scientists contribute as needed, then stay on the sidelines as players explore the various stages. However, there remains some untapped potential here, especially from Rita and Phil. These two initially seem like they will occupy the classic Pokémon rival roles, but end up serving no greater purpose than the others. While not too much of a missed opportunity given New Snap’s priorities, competing for the best photos could make for a compelling attraction in a potential sequel later on. Nevertheless, there is a bit of history surrounding Lental and its various islands that motivates documentarians to press on and discover the origin of the region’s exclusive Illumina phenomenon.

What? Pokémon Snap Is Evolving!

As a sequel to a beloved title released decades ago, New Snap aims to capture its inspiration’s arcade-like charm by clinging to a similar gameplay formula. Simultaneously, it modernizes Snap’s style of play in more ways than just the introduction of recent Pokémon. For one, the original Snap is infamous for its short length and small variety of levels. Through the inclusion of new environments, multiple iterations of said environments, an online mode that encourages the sharing and viewing of others’ photos, the star rating system, and over 200 species of Pokémon to encounter, players will find plenty to do.

As for the available items and unlockables, they largely serve as replacements for those found in 1999’s Snap. Scanning supplies those behind the camera with spots to interact with and briefly alerts surrounding Pokémon, Fluffruit can be thrown at creatures to draw their attention and encourage them to take a few bites, playing the Melody motivates certain subjects to perform unique actions, and the Illumina Orbs cause those hit by them to emit a bright color. Surprisingly, Pokémon are often unfazed by this occurrence, allowing for more striking pictures to be taken and certain critters to gleefully react to their temporary new glow. Of this item lineup, the Illumina Orbs are the most significant, being the keys to unique sights (like a Scorbunny impressing its friends with a blue flaming kick) and the primary “weapons” against New Snap’s various “bosses.”

Illumina Pokémon are rare and elusive specimens found throughout Lental that motivate Mirror and friends’ expedition. Unlike the region’s other Pokémon, these mysterious few glow naturally and take more effort than usual to properly capture on film (the Meganium seen on much of New Snap’s marketing being one of them). All of these Illumina Pokémon serve as New Snap’s bosses in a similar manner to Mew in the original, demanding extra steps in order for a satisfactory photo opportunity to present itself. Another level design element introduced by New Snap is the occasional option to take different routes mid-stage. Often requiring certain criteria to be met, new routes offer wholly unique areas within stages containing otherwise unavailable Pokémon and interesting interactions. Sidequests issued by Mirror and company ask you to revisit stages to snap photos of certain occurrences, adding more replayability. Clearing these missions earns the player various stickers and icons, which are respectively used for editing photos and online profiles. All these mechanics, features, and collectibles augment the original Snap framework, yielding a deeper, denser product than the original. Hours can be spent within Lental, revisiting its inlets to capture perfect snapshots of its many inhabitants.

3D Pokémon, Looking Their Best

Unsurprisingly, a game revolving around documenting fictional wildlife will have vibrant scenery and expressive creatures as primary selling points. This was discernibly one of New Snap’s strengths as far back as its unveiling last June. A lush meadow, coral reef, desert oasis, and even a time-displaced forest are just a few spots visited by cameramen on their tour, supplementing the colorful variety of Pokémon waiting to be recorded. While the Pokémon brand’s jump to 3D has certainly been a successful one, New Snap marks a new visual peak for the franchise due in part to a lively art style and fantastically animated roster of mascots. Given the first Snap’s role as one of the property’s initial attempts at the third dimension, its successor striving to reach new heights is only natural.

Another admirable facet of New Snap’s presentation is its choice of available Pokémon. Rather than exclusively coming across the most popular monsters, photographers encounter a vast selection that covers virtually all corners of the brand. Icons like Gengar, the Eeveelutions, and various starters make expected appearances alongside obscure creatures like Vivillon, Lumineon, Florges, Minior, and Sawsbuck. The former is utilized especially well here, finally making use of its various wing patterns to remain an exciting find throughout the various areas. After all, the monster-collecting phenomenon has introduced an abundance of critters that fade into obscurity due to their lack of battling skill, often resulting in well-designed Pokémon being left in the dust. Consequently, Snap is the perfect outlet for them, allowing their interesting gimmicks and personalities to properly shine through. Lastly, Lental contains a few Legendary Pokémon of varying sizes and iconicity, making for some of the most awe-inspiring instances in the game.

Photo Finish

With New Snap, Pokémon spin-offs have further proven themselves to be vital parts of the greater franchise. A world built around creatures with so much character and flexibility feel like natural fits for countless genres, many of which have been and will continue to be explored. The mainline role-playing games’ significance cannot be overstated, but their more experimental counterparts have established respectable niches of their own that contribute to the rest of the brand in under appreciated ways. For decades, Pokémon Snap was one such influential gem, but it now has a chance to reach modern audiences through a New, charming lens. Whether players are unfamiliar with Pokémon, have been passionate fans for years, or are somewhere in between, New Pokémon Snap is a relaxing experience and fantastic tour through a collection of memorable islands alongside gaming’s greatest bestiary.