It's been 22 years since the original Pokemon Snap released on the Nintendo 64, with many fans practically begging for a sequel during all that time. Many believed, at the time, the technology of the Wii or Wii U would have led to a sequel, but it never came to pass. As such, when New Pokemon Snap was announced in the summer of 2020, it was a big deal.
Now, New Pokemon Snap is out in the wild, and it remains a big deal. The core formula of the 1999 title remains, meaning players will travel courses via a set-rail track and aim to find and take pictures of wild Pokemon. It's a simple formula - one without much need for change - and that's exactly what New Pokemon Snap is. It's not the most innovative Pokemon title, but then again, it doesn't have to be.
Players find themselves in the new Lental Region, with the goal of helping Professor Mirror, Rita, and returning character and Pokemon photographer Todd discover what causes the Illumina phenomenon. To do so, the goal is simple: take good pictures of as many Pokemon as possible, while discovering little secrets and moving the story along, in a set time. Many of the tools required for this are front-loaded on players, such as the scan and the fluffruit, while regional Illumina Orbs have to be required as players move from section to section of the map.
In that, players find New Pokemon Snap's greatest strength: the varied environments. New Pokemon Snap's gameplay isn't necessarily the most exciting, but it is incredibly relaxing. The atmospheric touches of the game mean there's little-to-no hardship in the gameplay, with players exploring everything from a simple nature park and a beach to Snowcapped mountains and the Lental Seafloor. These courses add new Pokemon on every run, really incentivizing a return to already-visited areas in pursuit of secrets and new Pokemon, but the game also offers a day/night version of most courses. Some Pokemon that sleep in the day are active at night, or sometimes it's brand new Pokemon exploring the area based on the time.
In other words, there are multiple reasons to revisit a course, and while there are times where New Pokemon Snap can be "grindy," it often feels the opposite of that all the same. Grinds can sometimes lead to frustrations with a game or its RNG, but even playing the same track a couple of times back to back remains relaxing. This is noteworthy because, particularly in the tutorial, there are times where players do have to repeat tracks. Whether it's because they didn't get enough experience or missed a specific photo of a Crystabloom, there is a somewhat "grindy" element to the game, but it never feels like it.
When interacting with these locations, Pokemon, and characters, New Pokemon Snap has all the charm of the original even if it's missing some features. In short, New Pokemon Snap is more streamlined with more Pokemon and varied maps, but in the process, elements like evolving Pokemon through elaborate schemes and well-placed fruit throws didn't make it into the game. That's not to say the game is without any required tricks, as players will need to hit Crystablooms with Illumina Orbs to unlock certain Pokemon, but that it may not be as involved as the original.
Of course, no game is perfect, and the same can be said of New Pokemon Snap. One notable and detrimental aspect of the game is the inconsistency of Professor Mirror's rating system. Players should aim to get a 1-star, 2-star, 3-star, and 4-star photo of every Pokemon, and the color of those stars (bronze, silver, gold, or platinum) indicate its overall quality. Factors such as the framing of the Pokemon, the background/additional Pokemon captured in the photo, and the Pokemon's pose are all important, but it doesn't quite feel that way. For example, a terrible photo with a specific pose (that may or may not be recognizable in the photo) can get rated as a high-quality 4-star photo, while some of the best in terms of all factors can be rated as a mid-quality 1-star photo.
As such, sometimes it's better to take a bunch of photos until the game seemingly denotes one of them as a really good picture (via in-course communications from Rita and the others) than it is to actually aim for good photos. It's not a big issue overall, but for many players, it will be a recurring one. After beating New Pokemon Snap, luckily, this can matter a little less, but it's something to keep in mind. A good photo does not always equate to good progress, and sometimes the opposite is true.
The game does sometimes get a little laggy, especially when there's a lot of Pokemon on-screen or something complicated is happening, but it's very minor. It's not an issue often, and it doesn't seem to be worse depending on how it is played. Whether in docked mode or in handheld mode, New Pokemon Snap offers a solid technical experience. That being said, Joy-Con Drift, for those who experience it, can be a real pain in this game. As some level of precision is required in taking photos, Joy-Con Drift can take players completely off-track and disturb the otherwise calming experience, but that's obviously a problem with the Joy-Con, not the game.
Many fans have been waiting for a Pokemon Snap sequel since their childhood, and while it may not exactly be what they imagined, it's a solid experience and highlights what has been sorely been missed in the franchise. New Pokemon Snap is a worthwhile sequel, a relaxing journey through the Pokemon world, and fun to play in the comfort of one's home or on the go.
New Pokemon Snap is available now on the Switch.