Having been made to wait over 2 decades for a new entry in the franchise, it's no surprise that fans have embraced the Nintendo Switch's New Pokemon Snap with wholehearted eagerness. After less than a handful of months on sale, it's equally unsurprising that over 2 million copies of the first-person rail shooter have already been sold to date. Likely spurred on by this wave of success, developer Bandai Namco has just released the first free DLC expansion for New Pokemon Snap.

Adding 20 Pokemon and 3 brand-new areas complete with day and night variations into the mix, the total number of creatures available within the game's Lental region now sits at a curious 234 thanks to the update. While it remains to be seen if more free or paid DLC lands in New Pokemon Snap that expands that number in the future, these latest additions should give would-be photographers plenty to explore in the meantime.

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Florio Island's Secret Side Path

After downloading New Pokemon Snap's August 2.0 update, and the DLC expansion included within it, players are briefed by Phil on a new feature that's been added to the NEO-ONE vessel. Included within the expansion is the Honey, I shrunk the Kids-esque Shrink function ability, that can be used to minimize the vehicle in order to access the Secret Side Path area of Florio Island's Nature Park stage. Located to the left of the Bidoof constructed damn, trainers can get a new perspective on some of their favorite Pokemon following a quick scan of the entrance way that's opened up within the level.

Because the DLC's first area is essentially a unique spin on New Pokemon Snap's tutorial stage, the majority of the creatures that populate the Secret Side Path have subsequently been in the Photodex since launch. Offering a gentle reintroduction to the game's mechanics and world as a result of this, in total both variations of the area accumulatively only feature 3 new Pokemon. It's no coincidence that 2 of these happen to be species with the Mushroom classification as well, with Shroomish and Foongus taking shifts appearing within the stage during the day and night respectively. Considering the version-exclusive Pokemon that have been present in the mainline games since the  beginning of the franchise, the implementation of the pair in this manner is likely a subtle nod to the concept from Bandai Namco.

Arguably the biggest attraction to the Secret Side Path though, both literally and metaphorically, is the newly introduced Snorlax that's made the area its home. To access the iconic sleeping giant's lair, players need to uncover the Secret Side Path's own secret alternate root, that only becomes accessible once Dodrio has scared away Pichu and Scorbunny at the very beginning of the stage. Available in both the day and night variations of the area, Snorlax will interact with the player at multiple times during the run provided they naturally feed it enough Fluffruit.

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Belusylva Island's Mightywide River

Gyarados and Ursarung in the Mightywide River (Day) course in New Pokemon Snap

Accessing the second brand-new area introduced in New Pokemon Snap's DLC expansion is far more straightforward than the Secret Side Path, and the extra steps that go into mastering the game's Shrink function. Available as soon as the player downloads and installs the 2.0 update, the appropriately named Mightywide River course takes proceedings back to a more traditionally sized perspective and setting.

Unlike the Secret Side Path's tiny offerings, the Mightywide River area also features plenty of new Pokemon that can be viewed and interacted with during both the day and night. In total across the two incarnations of the route, 7 newly added creatures call the jungle themed space their home. However it should be noted that of these, only Feraligatr, Tropius, and Psyduck can be found in abundance at the rank 1 level. Reaching rank 2 at 45,000 Expedition Points is where things start to pick up pace though, with the nigh time course being one of the unlocks that the player gets access to at this milestone.

Research level 2 also unlocks a subtle reference to the original 1999 N64 Pokemon Snap within Mightywide River's daytime course. That's because if players illuminate the Crystabloom that's hidden behind the waterfall there, they can get an enraged Gyarados to come out from its hiding spot. In the original installment in the franchise, the same Pokemon would burst out of a waterfall in a similar manner if the player was able to successfully force a Magikarp into the setting. Taking enough of these and other high value snaps eventually earns the player the 3rd and final expedition rank, which in turn prompts the newly introduced Ursaring, Cleffa, and Drilbur, to spawn out in the open along the route during the day and night.

Voluca Island's Barren Badlands

Tepig and Scolipede in the Barren Badlands (Day) course in New Pokemon Snap

Automatically unlocked once New Pokemon Snap's DLC has been downloaded, the Barren Badlands round out the three  new areas that have been added to the game by Bandai Namco in the free update. Featuring as many new Pokemon as the other two aforementioned sections combined, this stage is likely to be the section of the expansion that keeps players engaged for the longest whilst they wrap up the content that's currently available to them.

Entering the stage for the first time during the day gives players ample opportunities to snap a large proportion of the 10 new Pokemon that call this corner of Voluca Island home. These include Diglett, Tepig, Swalot, and Crustle, all of which appear frequently out in the open throughout the Barren Badlands. Considering the location's moniker, it's ironic that the landscape only becomes more crowded once rank 2 has been reached at 40,000 Expedition Points, with a friendly Rockruff and Scolipede coming out to have their pictures taken as well.

While each of the previously mentioned inhabitants of the Barren Badlands can be found during the day and night, there are a handful of Pokemon that only come out exclusively at specific points in the day. During the day a group of Koffing can subsequently be spotted hanging out at the stage's poisonous gas area, while a wild Salazzle will appear towards the start of the area once rank 2 has been achieved. To balance out this daytime party, a flock of Gliscor will come out to play at night once the same level requirement has been fulfilled by the player.

Acting as a special finale to the DLC, one final Pokemon can be found within the Barren Badlands section of the game. Having been introduced to the franchise during the Alola region-based 7th generation, the elusive Mythical Zeraora is the creature that currently bookends the Lental region's Photodex. Unlike a lot of other Legendary Pokemon found within New Pokemon Snap, the electric type spawns out in the open without much leg work on the player's part. Instead, players need to hit research levels 3 and 2 need in the day and night versions of the course respectively.

New Pokemon Snap is now available for the Nintendo Switch.

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