After being left in the dark following its initial announcement during a Pokemon Presents livestream last summer, fans were finally treated to more gameplay footage and details about New Pokemon Snap just a few weeks ago. In addition to the announcement of an April 30 release date, players learned about the scenic new Lental region, professor Mirror, and the mysterious Illumina Phenomenon.
Gradually, more information about the long-awaited Pokemon Snap sequel has been released, such as the game's file size, price, and the mention of some sort of online functionality. Now, popular Japanese video game magazine Famitsu has dedicated an entire section of its most recent issue to revealing new screenshots and details regarding the upcoming game.
Scans of the magazine pages featuring New Pokemon Snap were posted by user Riomegon over on Reddit. While some of the screenshots featured in Famitsu have already been officially revealed, some newer images show off what seems to be cutscenes featuring Professor Mirror, Rita, and the player character, as well as Pokemon like Tangrowth, Octillery, and Seviper for the first time.
One section of the Famitsu scans initially puzzled fans, as it featured several screenshots of the original Pokemon Snap game on the Nintendo 64. While this led to some fans jumping the gun and theorizing that this meant the original game would be bundled in with New Pokemon Snap, Reddit user CoffeeBard graciously translated the Japanese to shed light on the situation.
According to CoffeeBard, this section simply gives readers an overview of 1999's Pokemon Snap, speaks on how a sequel is being released over 2 decades later, and mentions how Lawson convenience stores originally provided a sticker-printing service to coincide with the original game's launch. The section also notes that New Pokemon Snap will include 200 Pokemon, whereas the original game included just 63.
Some Pokemon fans have expressed disappointment that only a fraction of today's monsters are being included in the new game, but Famitsu also mentions that the original game has an active following even today, due to its replayability. Hopefully, players will be able to find just as much to do in New Pokemon Snap, especially with the possibility of DLC expansions.
The rest of the information featured in the Japanese magazine seems to touch on details already revealed in trailers and the game's official website. As Pokemon fans prepare to explore deserts, jungles, beaches, and more, it is likely that there will be even more surprises in store for soon-to-be players of New Pokemon Snap.
New Pokemon Snap is set to launch on April 30 for the Nintendo Switch.