The eagerly awaited sequel to the massively popular Nintendo 64 classic, New Pokemon Snap is finally here and with it, a whole host of new features, beautiful locales to explore, and Pokemon to meet. In this game, players are tasked with exploring the idyllic Lental region which is a treasure trove of biodiversity.
Getting the most out of every snap can be something of a lofty task, as there are lots of things to consider, many techniques to make use of, and limited windows for that perfect picture. With that in mind, there are a few things that will be useful to know before diving into the region of Lental.
10 Speed or Precision?
Sometimes when on a course, a Pokemon will jump out and surprise the player, or a flying Pokemon will swoop overhead. In situations like these, it can be hard to quickly adjust the camera to get a quick snap of the surprising Pokemon.
If a player moves both analog sticks towards the Pokemon in question the camera will move quicker than if they had only moved one. This is a great technique for shifting quickly. In addition, if the player is suddenly alerted to a Pokemon behind them they can use the directional buttons for a very quick 90-degree angle snap.
9 Don’t Ignore Motion Controls
Sometimes the camera in New Pokemon Snap can be a little finicky. It is all too easy to panic and over-correct when trying to get that perfect shot in the middle of the aiming reticle. In situations where only the slightest adjustment is required, it’s best to use the motion controls.
These can be used in both handheld and docked modes, and it may be worth heading to the Settings menu to increase the sensitivity a little as the game default setting is quite low.
8 How Evaluations Work
After each course ends and the player gets their snaps rated by Professor Mirror, players may be confused as to the various different ratings that they receive. There are two metrics by which photos are judged: Rarity and Score.
Each Pokemon in the Photodex has four different slots for photos that are ranked from 1 Star to 4 Stars. These stars are a rating of a behavior's rarity. For example, a shot of a Scorbunny standing idly is likely to be a 1 Star photo, but a snap of it using Blaze Kick is a 3 Star rarity photo.
Each photo is then given a Score and this is where technique comes into play. Factors like the direction the Pokemon is facing, how centered they are in the frame, and even what’s in the background effect a snap's score. Players can receive Bronze, Silver, or Gold ratings for their pictures, and even Diamond if they manage to hit a score of 4,000.
7 Use Every Tool At Your Disposal
As players progress through the game unlocking new courses, they will also unlock new tools that they can use to interact with the Pokemon they pass by within the courses. Fluffruit and Illumina balls can be thrown at or around Pokemon to feed or startle Pokemon, music can be played to make Pokemon dance, and some Pokemon react to being scanned.
Each one of these tools can elicit different reactions from a Pokemon so it’s important to try them all out eventually. In addition, one particular use for the Fluffruit is to use a trail of them to lure a Pokemon to a new area or another Pokemon – they may exhibit new behavior or show off unique interactions!
6 Don’t Run Out Of Film
The snap-happy players may lament this. The camera can only hold 75 photos per outing, and those can disappear fast if the player is taking a ton of snaps for each Pokemon they encounter trying to get that perfect shot. Unless this is the first time they have played a particular course, running out of film will prematurely end the level and the player will be whirled back to the Research Lab.
Keeping this in mind, it’s best to go for quality rather than quantity when it comes to snaps. Be precise and methodical instead of hoping for the best.
5 You Can Change Course Levels
The more a player chooses a particular course, the more experience they get for that course. When the course levels up, more Pokemon will appear and old Pokemon will show off new behaviors. This is fantastic and crucial for progressing through the game and filling up the Photodex, but there is a benefit to revisiting lower-level courses.
Sometimes a certain behavior requires a specific setup to make happen, and players may find that it’s easier to set this up on lower levels. This is especially true on the courses that add a lot of new Pokemon at higher levels, such as Florio Nature Park and the Lental Seafloor.
4 Size Is Important
While the best photos will have a range of high scores from Pose to Background, one tip that can make players’ lives easier is to master the Size category. While the other categories have a maximum of 1,000 points, Size goes all the way up to 2,000.
Knowing this is key to getting the highest rankings, as photos require only 4,000 points to hit Diamond level. With this in mind, try to get as much of the Pokemon’s body within the frame as possible, and remember that photos can be taken zoomed in or zoomed out.
3 You Only Edit Once
Once the player has submitted their photos they get the chance to "re-take" them which can involve editing the brightness or framing of a snap. Players can also add cool filters and such which will accentuate their subject in any way they want.
However, once the player has decided to head back to the lab or retry the course, they cannot do this with their snaps and must replay the course and take the photo again if they want to edit the perfect pic.
2 Revisit Old Levels
It’s nigh-on impossible to exhaust a course of its goodies on the first go. There are alternate paths, difficult interactions to set up, requests that cannot be completed on the first go, and plenty of secrets to discover. It’s absolutely worth revisiting every level a few times.
Doing this will not only let players pick up shots they may have missed the first time around or improve upon what they already have, but this is crucial for unlocking the higher-level courses that will provide access to even more Pokemon and secrets.
1 Requests Are Clues
Players will soon find themselves flooded with requests from Professor Mirror, Rita, Phil and Todd. Each of these requests is a clue to finding rare behaviors from the Pokemon in question and can lead to some very high-scoring snaps.
Some of the requests even have prizes associated with them, so be sure to check the Request menu every now and then to pick them up. Players can get profile icons and stickers that they can use to customize their player cards and decorate their photos.