One of the most important mechanics in New Pokemon Snap is the player's research level. There's one for each of the game's courses and it will typically dictate which Pokemon are available, which routes players have access to and how comfortable some of the course's Pokemon are around the NEO-ONE. In some instances, raising a course's research level can even be a requirement for unlocking new courses and progressing the main story.

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With this in mind, those hoping to complete New Pokemon Snap and fill out their Photodex are going to have to pick up a lot of expedition points, but this can be a slow process for those who don't quite know what they're doing. There's far more to it than just taking a lot of photographs and it can quickly become frustrating at higher research levels. Thankfully, however, there are a few things that players can do to speed things up a little and reach the maximum research level in each course without the need for any unnecessary runs.

Photograph New Pokemon

A Dodrio in New Pokemon Snap

Adding new Pokemon to the Photodex grants a healthy amount of expedition points to the total at the end of a run. As such, a player's first run on a new course should focus on snapping as many different Pokemon as possible, particularly those they haven't seen before. For those who aren't sure, any Pokemon that players haven't added to their Photodex yet will have an orange exclamation mark to the left of their name.

Look For Hidden Pokemon

A Pinsir hiding in the ground in the Florio Nature Park (Night) course in New Pokemon Snap

Not all Pokemon in New Pokemon Snap are standing around in plain sight. Some are hidden in trees and bushes, while others appear behind or above the NEO-ONE. Using the scan function can be very helpful in this regard as it will often alert players to the presence of a Pokemon even if their view of it is obstructed. If players see question marks after a scan, it usually means that they'll need to use an item to get the Pokemon to appear.

Find New Poses

Pikachu riding on a Mantine in New Pokemon Snap

Each Pokemon in New Pokemon Snap has four different poses that can be added to the Photodex. Even if players have already found all of the Pokemon in a course, they can therefore still get a lot of expedition points by taking pictures of those Pokemon in poses that they haven't already captured on film. Using Scan, Fluffruit, Illumina Orbs and the Melody Player can help reveal new poses, as too can the clues given in the game's many photo requests.

Look For New Routes

An alternate route in the Florio Nature Park (Day) course in New Pokemon Snap

Most of the courses in New Pokemon Snap have alternate routes available and these typically hide additional Pokemon that players may not yet have seen. Although there's no notification for individual courses, players do get a sticker on the cover of their Photodex for each Island on which they find every Pokemon, so if players don't have one yet, this means that they're still missing a Pokemon or two and there's a good chance that they'll be found on an alternate route.

Take Good Photographs

The rating of a photo of a Mightyena in New Pokemon Snap

The score that is given to each new Pokemon pose photograph that is handed in to Professor Mirror will be added to the expedition points total at the end of the run. Players should therefore focus on framing their targets centrally and making sure that they fill as much of the frame as possible without cutting off any limbs or other body parts. The full scores for repeat photographs aren't added, although if the new photo is better, the difference between the two photos will be.

NEXT: New Pokemon Snap Complete Guide for Tips, Tricks & Pokemon Locations