Thursday, January 14, 2021

New Pokémon Snap release date confirmed, preorder today!

Pokémon Snap is making a return, and we can't wait to snap some photos! Here's what we know.

Twenty years is a long time to wait, but for those die-hard fans of Pokémon Snap, our patience has paid off. That's right, during June 17th's Pokémon Presents, the New Pokémon Snap was announced. This long-awaited sequel is coming out on Nintendo Switch on April 30, 2021 and we are very excited to see what this new game has in store. Here's what we know so far.

The wait is over

New Pokémon Snap

$60 at Amazon $60 at Best Buy

Strike a pose

Set off on a brand new adventure exploring the world of Pokémon behind a camera lens. Travel to the Lental region, bask in nature's beauty, and try to snag a few snapshots of the wild Pokémon that live there while trying to solve a mystery. Use your tools and timing to get the perfect shot and compile your own personal Photodex.

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What is Pokémon Snap?

Pokémon Snap released on March 21, 1999 for the Nintendo 64. It's a single-player photography simulation game where players are sent to different areas like jungles, beaches, and caves to explore and take pictures of Pokémon for Professor Oak. He longs to study Pokémon in their natural environment, and what better way than to send someone out in the field in his Zero-One buggy to catch them in action rather than in a Poké Ball?

Pokémon Snap's concept is very simple; snap pictures of Pokémon and fill the Photo Dex for Professor Oak. Of course, there's more to the game than that. You can't just take a picture and hand it off. It's an art form. You are a photographer after all, and the professor wants you to meet certain standards.

Photos need to be centered, framed correctly, and they need to have enough of the Pokémon to get into the album. Each photo receives a grade and gets points based on size, the Pokémon's pose, and staying in frame. Players can earn more points for a little stylistic flair, such as catching more than one of the same Pokémon in the photo or capturing a unique pose.

After you explore each area and earn enough points, Professor Oak will introduce new areas on the map so you can take more pictures. Plus, he'll give you new equipment that can help you uncover secret paths, draw out hidden Pokémon, or discover new poses and picture-perfect scenes. Of the original 151 Pokémon, 63 were available in the game.

What we know about New Pokémon Snap so far

Pokémon Snap fans rejoice! On January 14, 2021, Nintendo of America gave us the tweet we've all been waiting for. After months of silence, Nintendo has given us a trailer and a release date of April 30, 2021. Plus, preorders are available starting today.

The trailer displays some fantastic visuals, a look a Professor Mirror, and plenty of Pokémon in their natural environment. It gives us a glimpse of gameplay and quite possibly some throwback tools from the original that will help you obtain the perfect shot.

According to Nintendo, the New Pokémon Snap will have players exploring and snapping photos of the Pokémon living on the Lental Islands. The Pokémon and vegetation of the Lental region glow mysteriously, and it's your job to get to the bottom of it.

Your task is to investigate the Illumina phenomenon and help Professor Mirror with his research. While the game is new, the concept will remain the same with, maybe, a few updates. With the same goal of snapping the perfect photos of Pokémon in the wild, this new game promises a variety of environments where players can frame up some fantastic shots of Pokémon living their best wild-life.

Players will hop into the NEO-ONE travel pod and explore different environments from beaches to deserts, gathering research, and of course, getting the best shot. Some additional goals include discovering new, natural Pokémon behaviors and checking out areas we've never seen up close and personal. The game boasts that you can catch over 200 different Pokémon on your journey.

Compile that Photodex

While plenty of the gameplay seems to be the same, the Photodex has definitely gotten a makeover. The original Pokémon didn't provide much when it came to photos. The game's goal was simply to snap good photos, and Professor Oak would evaluate them by certain aesthetics — was the Pokémon centered? Did you get a close enough shot? Were there multiple Pokémon of the same type in the photo? Was the Pokémon being expressive or doing something unique? From there, you compiled your best shots of each Pokémon in a Photodex, trying to get a better shot each time you went out into the field.

This proves to be the case in New Pokémon Snap from the new screenshots, but with a few unique additions, such as placement and background.

In New Pokémon Snap, the Photodex is much more in-depth. Not only does it appear that you can keep more than one shot, but it also provides information about the Pokémon in the photos. The original game encouraged players to go back for better shots as new tools became available. It would be interesting to see if this new game adds objectives to keep players involved.

What we hope for in the New Pokémon Snap

Even with the additional trailer and backstory, more info would be great. But barring the obvious, there are some things we hope will make it into the new game. The original concept was incredible. It was simple, straightforward, and easy to pick up and play. The only additions I'd like to see are some ways to take Pokémon photography to the next level.

For instance, even though this was part of what made snapping a shot so rewarding, it might be nice to eventually earn a "stop" or "pause" mechanic to grab a great shot, perhaps after players reach the end. Also, any photo enhancements, like zoom, filters, or other details, might be a welcome change.

As far as online multiplayer, a photo leaderboard might be a fun way to wrangle up some friendly competition. Additionally, it could be exciting to have tournaments and challenges to get the perfect shot. In fact, it might be interesting how the New Pokémon Snap might integrate with Pokémon Go.

Above all else, more Pokémon to snap and new places to explore might be just what this game needs.

Is there a release date?

New Pokémon Snap will be released on April 30, 2021 on Nintendo Switch. You can preorder the game as of January 14, 2021.

As more information comes out, we'll be sure to keep you updated.

The wait is over

New Pokémon Snap

$60 at Amazon $60 at Best Buy

Strike a pose

Set off on a brand new adventure exploring the world of Pokémon behind a camera lens. Travel to the Lental region, bask in nature's beauty, and try to snag a few snapshots of the wild Pokémon that live there while trying to solve a mystery. Use your tools and timing to get the perfect shot and compile your own personal Photodex.



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