New Pokémon Snap for Nintendo Switch – My Nintendo News

Grab your camera, strap on your Neo-One, and embark on your photography adventure in the new Lental region to gather research and snap photos of your favorite Pokémon. It’s no secret that fans have been clamoring for a sequel to the N64 gaming classic for some time, but was it worth the wait?

It’s been a long time since the N64 and Pokémon Snap days. In fact, over two decades ago, we saw a generation of Pokémon leap into the seat of the Zero-One buggy to take control of Todd, capturing photos of Gen-1 Pokémon for Professor Oak to criticize. It’s pretty much the same this time around in New Pokémon Snap for Nintendo Switch, but now you’re in the hot seat, under the direction of Professor Mirror. And there are over 200 fan favorites – spanning all generations – to look out for.

The research lab is nestled beautifully in the Lental region, and under the direction of Professor Mirror and Co., you are quickly tasked with investigating a strange phenomenon called “Illumina.” Essentially, some Pokémon have been spotted with a glowing aura, which occurs under certain conditions, and the professor asks you to piece together the theory behind these events. It’s a loose plot and one that I never really felt invested in, but it’s a step up from the previous game and at least serves as a basis for you and your camera in the wild.

If you’re new to Pokémon Snap games, the idea is pretty straightforward when it comes to gameplay. If you’re familiar with the “ It’s a Small World ” ride at Disney, where spooky animatronic child singers are strategically placed as areas of interest along the boat ride, New Pokémon Snap is similar in appearance. the style but fortunately not in the aesthetics! Here you’ll be using a camera capable of scanning, throwing apples and glowing orbs, so it’s a very slow rail ride, where it’s up to you to take some interesting photos of Pokémon in their natural habitat. . Players need to keep a close eye on their behavior, movement patterns, and use the environment to trigger certain in-game actions in order to earn a decent amount of points from Professor Mirror.

Unfortunately, just like the infamous Slow Water Tower, repeatedly moving along the same courses becomes boring. There are 23 courses in total – counting the day / night versions – to play, but I found the boredom creeped in after four to five hours. In this sequel, Professor Mirror gives you research points and the better the photo, the more points you will receive. After completing a course, usually in about five minutes, points accumulate, which allows you to increase your research level and, in turn, discover more places to visit. There is a level cap, but I was able to progress fairly easily in under 15 hours to complete the base storyline. However, a small amount of grinding is required to progress during the adventure, which means you will likely have to repeat the same handful of lessons, which makes the whole process a bit tricky.

Thankfully, Bandai Namco has done a fantastic job of bringing the world of Pokémon to life, which helps distract from the slower parts of the adventure. Watching Pokémon wander through the lush jungle of Florio Natural Park, and down to the vibrant depths of the Lental seabed that is home to Luvdisc’s schools, almost any place is interesting to browse. For example, you’ll really want to get that four-star image of Bulbasaur or take a perfectly cropped shot of Exeggutor sitting on the sunny beaches of Maricopia. There’s a lot of replayability here, as completing a course the first time around means you’ll be eager to go back in time, capturing all the Pokémon you can. Still, the payoff lies in returning to a route to capture this difficult-to-capture Pokémon.

Most of the locations can be approached day or night. Visiting the same area but in a different light is a good idea and, combined with the behavior patterns that adjust differently for each Pokémon, it’s a beautiful sight to behold. Progressing through the Founja jungle when it was darker meant I could take pictures of the otherwise illusory Liepard. The way the creatures interact with each other is not only fun in and of itself, but capturing them while they close or sleep in the same plane will do wonders for these research points as well. Plus, it can be incredibly cute.

For finishers, completing the PhotoDex will save you a lot of extra game time, as you’ll be able to capture one to four star photos of each Pokémon. While this is a tedious task, it is a decent way to extend the longevity of New Pokémon Snap. However, questions arise as to Professor Mirror’s ability to rate your photos. On numerous occasions, I have found the rating system to be biased when I chose not to manually choose which photos to rate. The ability to automatically select the teacher certainly speeds up the process, but it also means the PhotoDex fills up quickly with each variant making the cut. Oddly, I felt like I was cheating at times, but in the end it was a great way to get things done. Completing the PhotoDex isn’t mandatory and there are some post-match abilities that definitely make the process easier, which will be a blast for those aiming for 100% completion.

There are also the “ tasks ” that the folks in the game place on you throughout your adventure, requiring you to take pictures of Pokémon at a certain point in time and / or in a certain way. There are over 100 in total and they are completely optional. Personally, I didn’t feel the need to finish much and ended the game with just an accomplished handful. However, it is interesting that the option is there, as it will scratch the itch of success that some players may have. It also helps that there are things you can easily accomplish while taking care of your business anyway.

One notable feature is the online functionality, and while the dream of teaming up and teaming up with your friend to watch Pokémon together online may not be a reality, the photo-sharing feature is a nice addition. Having the ability to edit or “paste” images from your library and pin them to your digital character card for other players to browse is a fun way to showcase your favorite photos. Leaderboards also provide a way to brag about your overall score, and with another score option unlocked after the credits roll, there’s an incentive to keep shooting for the perfect shot.

The new Pokémon Snap might not showcase the Switch’s graphics capabilities, or blow your mind with its unimaginative storyline and anti-climactic conclusion, but if you’re a fan of the original N64, you’ll definitely want to pick this one up. this. For non-Pokemon fans, the repetitive gameplay unfortunately keeps it from being a staple, but its adorable aura and slower pace will make you shine more than an Illumina Maganium.

7/10

A review copy of New Pokémon Snap has been provided to My Nintendo News by Nintendo UK.