This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Pokemon franchise, and so far it has been celebrated with an International Space Station New Year's livestream, special Pokemon trading cards at McDonalds, and the announcement of a virtual Post Malone concert taking place on "Pokemon Day," February 27. New Pokemon Snap is also releasing this year for the Switch, but surprisingly it did not appear in Wednesday's Nintendo Direct despite being scheduled to release soon.
A follow-up to the 1999 Nintendo 64 spin-off game that let Pokemon fans take pictures of the universe's diverse fauna, New Pokemon Snap was announced in June 2020 and has been slowly doling out information ever since. One trailer this January revealed its April release date, then more New Pokemon Snap details and photos were published by Famitsu earlier this month. The on-rails gameplay will be similar to the original Pokemon Snap, with players taking photos of 200 monsters in their natural habitats and influencing them via mechanics like throwing Fluffruit.
However, New Pokemon Snap will also let players research the Illumina phenomenon cropping up across the Lental region, trying to figure out why Pokemon and vegetation are mysteriously glowing. This information alone offers enough of a baseline and an intriguing hook for prospective players, so The Pokemon Company doesn't necessarily have to give out any more information prior to release. However, with a game like Bravely Default 2 putting out another new trailer during the recent Nintendo Direct to advertise its launch at such a biggest event, it's odd that New Pokemon Snap didn't do the same.
That being said, it's likely the game's developer is holding off. While some fans may want total silence leading up to New Pokemon Snap's launch on April 30, at risk of too many details being revealed that spoil all of its surprises, the promotional material released thus far leaves a lot to be desired in terms of an extended look at how the gameplay loop on Switch will work. Much of the pre-release footage has been cut into snippets, so putting out a longer showcase of how an early-game stage would work seems like it could convince those who aren't already sold on the concept. Luckily there's still a perfect window to release such a video: Pokemon Day.
Beyond the aforementioned concert, it's not entirely clear what The Pokemon Company has planned for the official 25th anniversary of the Pokemon franchise. It would make sense to put together a Pokemon-focused Direct that talks about upcoming releases meant to celebrate, similar to the Super Mario 35th anniversary Direct last year. Without other game series as distractions, that would be the perfect time to offer one final showcase of New Pokemon Snap pre-release, as well as touch on other titles like the upcoming Pokemon Sleep or the oft-rumored Pokemon Diamond and Pearl remakes (if they are, in fact, coming soon).
Even if the developers decide to keep longer level showcases under wraps before New Pokemon Snap releases, there are other details about the game that may help players decide whether to jump on board. For example, Nintendo hints at online features for New Pokemon Snap on its store page while listing the game as a single player experience, so more could be discussed about what these features entail - perhaps how players can share their photos online.
Regardless of whether or not the game does get another showcase, fans of the series only have to wait a few months before getting people's live reactions to the long-anticipated revival. However it would undoubtedly make sense for more to come by the end of February, if at all, so it will be worth looking out just in case.
New Pokemon Snap releases April 30, 2021 for Nintendo Switch.