Get ready for New Pokémon Snap, an all-new adventure for Nintendo Switch that’s inspired by the classic Nintendo 64 game Pokémon Snap.

Filled with diverse ecosystems, from dense jungles to vast deserts, the archipelago of the region is an untouched natural marvel, packed to the brim with Pokémon just waiting to be discovered!

In New Pokémon Snap, players will take on the role of a budding Pokémon photographer and work with the Lental region expert, Professor Mirror, and his assistant, Rita, on an ecological survey to photograph Pokémon thriving in nature.

In New Pokémon Snap  players will take on the role of a budding Pokémon photographer in the Lental region. There they will work with Professor Mirror, the region’s expert, on an ecological survey to photograph Pokémon thriving in nature. 

Wild Pokémon thrive on the islands of the Lental region, where environments can differ greatly, making for a variety of habitats where different Pokémon expressions and behaviors can be observed. Players will be able to get their attention by playing a melody or throwing fluffruit. They’ll also be able to use an Illumina orb (an invention of Professor Mirror’s) on Pokémon to witness something out of the ordinary. They can even use their camera to run scans, which can help them find hidden Pokémon or inspect their surroundings. As players keep researching a course, their research level there will increase, and they may discover Pokémon acting in different ways. Trainers may even encounter Legendary Pokémon or Mythical Pokémon.

A photo’s score will be based on the subjects’ poses, how large they appear, how directly they’re facing the camera, and where they fall in frame. Each photo will get one to four stars, indicating how common or rare the behavior displayed is. Players will have to take many photos to fill out their Photodex, which is their collection of Pokémon photographs.

Photos taken while conducting research can also be saved to a personal album, which is separate from the Photodex. When a course is completed, players can use the re-snap function to adjust the brightness, blur, zoom, and other aspects of their recently snapped photos. After photos are saved to the personal album, a photo-editing mode will enable players to customize their photos with stickers, frames, and filters.

New Pokémon Snap also has several online features that enable players to share photos and compete with others around the world through ranking systems.

Wild Pokémon are all around and have adapted to thrive in all the various natural expanses of the Lental region. They may be seen living in groups patrolling their territory, wandering serenely on their own or even playing with other Pokémon species. With a careful eye and a photographer’s keen sense of adventure, you’ll be able to spot Pokémon lurking in all sorts of places, including secluded hideaways … and sometimes swooping down suddenly from the sky! Players will be able to interact with Pokémon by throwing a Fluffruit, a tasty fruit found across the region, to catch their attention or watch them eat. You can even use this fruit to help draw out Pokémon into a variety of situations to see how they react. These serendipitous opportunities present a special challenge, and catching them with your camera at the perfect moment may gain you higher scores.

Professor Mirror will evaluate and score players’ photos taken on their adventures. Pokémon photography is evaluated based on the subjects’ poses, how large they appear, how directly they’re facing the camera and where they fall in frame. As players take more photos and fulfill research on their journey, they may see Pokémon look and behave in entirely new ways. Players will have to take many photos and use their highest-scoring shots to fill out their Photodex, a collection of Pokémon photographs.

The untouched depths of the Lental region may sound daunting at first, but don’t worry. Explorers will hop into the NEO-ONE, an auto-driving vehicle, which will steer them across various paths on each island and will help free up time to focus on snapping the perfect shots. Throughout your missions, you may even get to see Pokémon looking and behaving differently than ever before. These special moments are memories to savor, so, luckily, you’ll always have your trusty camera on hand to capture them for Pokémon posterity.

Some Pokémon and vegetation that players may discover will appear to have a special glow. These strange occurrences are found only in the Lental region and are known as the Illumina Phenomenon. Jump into the trusty NEO-ONE and uncover the mystery behind the Illumina Phenomenon!

New Pokémon Snap comes to Nintendo Switch on April 30, 2021.