New Pokémon Snap: as iconic as the original? Our test with video!

New Pokémon Snap

The idea of ​​driving around armed with a camera instead of a pistol in a rail shooter and taking pictures instead of monsters is as simple as it is ingenious. Nevertheless, the game principle of Pokémon Snap has only very rarely been copied or further developed since its release in 1999 (in Japan, in this country the game was released in 2000), even if many titles now have a built-in photo mode as a small bonus feature. If you want to refresh your memories: Here is our retro special for Pokémon Snap. So Nintendo (with the support of Bandai Namco) has to do it again itself, 22 years after the premiere of the photo safari, New Pokémon Snap is released - we have played through the adventure, what we think of it, you can now find out in the test with video review.

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Table of contents

Page 1 New Pokémon Snap being tested, Page 1 1.1 More to do than back then 1.2 Welcome to the jungle 1.3 The tricks of the photographers 1.4 It shines everywhere 1.5 Four-star photos 1.6 (House) tasks at home forgotten Page 2 New Pokémon Snap in the test, Page 2 2.1 The agony of choice 2.2 A new Pokémon appears 2.3 Simply good 2.4 Take your time Page 3 Image gallery for "New Pokémon Snap: As iconic as the original? Our test with… Unfold

More to do than back then

Anyone who played Pokémon Snap on N64 back then not only remembers magical moments - the first photo of Mew, Charizard bathing in a volcano, captured in a snapshot - but also probably The fact that the title was actually not very extensive. Of the 151 monsters at the time, only 63 appeared in the game; there were only seven levels, one of which was reserved for Mew and otherwise quite empty. We were therefore quite suspicious in advance : Since there has been no Pokémon Snap for so long, Nintendo could be content with simply bringing the adventure optically and technically up to the current status quo, instead of expanding the scope in a contemporary way. At this point we are only too happy to give the all-clear. In order not to spoil your enthusiasm for exploring flora and fauna, we do not provide precise information on the number of levels and Pokémon, but note that there are more than ten of the former and more than 180 of the latter. That is impressive! There are other, important differences that provide additional long-term motivation, but let's first come to the similarities with the original, which is loved by many. Many Pokémon don't stay stationary, but rather move on the track as we drive. So it's up to us to find the perfect moment for the snapshot. Source: Computec Media GmbH

Welcome to the jungle

As a new Pokémon photographer, either male or female, the excursion starts for us on the island of Floreo. There Professor Mirror hired us to help him research the local Pokémon world. And basically it works the same way as it did over 20 years ago: We are driven through nature by our whisper-quiet all-terrain vehicle called Neo-One, we don't have to worry about the controls. As in a classic rail shooter, the route is automatically driven so that we have our hands free to capture the impressions with a photo. At this point, a recommendation before you start your adventure: It is best to set the sensitivity of the camera and viewfinder to the highest level immediately, otherwise the lens will move very slowly. We can save up to 72 recordings, then we return - or we reach the end of the set course, and then the safari is also over. There is no danger on the excursion, New Pokémon Snap (buy now 59.90 €) is, just like its predecessor, a peaceful, non-violent game and therefore also fully suitable for young paparazzi. However, this does not mean that it is literally child's play to take photos that meet the high demands of the professor, but more on that shortly.

The tricks of the photographers

is available as an aid At first we have absolutely nothing available, so we observe and take pictures of the animals without interacting with them. Over time, however, we can exert influence and thus capture better motives. As in the predecessor, our pockets will soon be full of delicious apples that we throw in front of the Pokémon's paws (or at the pear). So we can immortalize how they eat the fruit or wake them up when they take a nap. It is also how we lure them to other places and then we may witness a new behavior. The Poké flute from Pokémon Snap is also making a return, albeit in a digital version: At the push of a button, the camera plays a melody that wakes sleeping monsters and animates other specimens to dance. The doodle is pretty annoying, though. There is no equivalent to the incense ball that once infuriated Pokémon, but the accelerator is there again, with which we can drive faster and put ourselves in a better position for certain moments. However, this feature is only activated quite late, as is the possibility of taking series recordings. We take up to six pictures in quick succession with just one push of a button, so that it is easier for us to catch the perfect moment, but also to snap our film very quickly and therefore have to return to the base.

It's glowing everywhere

The selection of Pokémon is good overall and many favorites have found their way into the game. However, there are also a few copies that were not particularly well received in the editions of that time - we just say Unratütox. But Morlord, here in the picture, is of course indispensable! Source: Computec Media GmbH New in New Pokémon Snap are the so-called Lumina balls. Glowing Pokémon are reported across the archipelago, and the lumina blooms seem to have something to do with the phenomenon. In each level we have to make a picture of a glowing lumina blossom for the professor so that he can make the lumina balls that match the island. Once that's done, we always have an unlimited supply of the item in our pocket. With the balls we activate dormant flowers and thus sometimes attract new Pokémon or change their behavior, or we throw them at the monsters themselves with different results. Finally, we use a scanner that shows us flowers, Pokémon and special features in the vicinity . The sound of the device can also startle animals.

Although the number of objects that can be used is limited, it sometimes remains unclear which object leads to the intended result. Some Pokémon do not react at all to Lumina balls, others change location, sleeping monsters sometimes do not wake up from the flute, but have to have an apple thrown at their forehead first. How do we lure a creature out of its mud bath? Maybe by making a nearby flower shine, maybe we have to lay an apple trail, or play the wake-up song ... the desired approach is not always logically deducible. A lack of clarity is also a problem in other parts of the game, but at least it leads to us trying around a lot and getting nice surprises over and over again. But it can also be frustrating, especially when the problem motive is waiting at the beginning of a course - it is of course not possible to go back, if you miss the time window with the right action, you have to restart or end the level, both of which involve loading time. New Pokémon Snap virtually combines the rail shooter mechanics with not always completely transparent puzzle gameplay.

Four-star photos

While in the old Pokémon Snap only one photo per species was required , Professor Mirror needs four snapshots of each creature for his Fotodex, and that of different behaviors. The four photos per entry are sorted by star rating, these stand for the monsters on the map are drawn in the places where we see them. This enables us to better plan in advance where and how we will pull out the camera. Source: Computec Media GmbH Rarity. A Pikachu that just sits there staring holes in the air corresponds to the first photo of the Pokédex quartet, i.e. the one-star motif. Here, too, it is not always possible to understand what you have to record in the image for the other three shots. With some Pokémon, the "rarest" motif, i.e. the picture with the most stars, is a moment that can be photographed from the very beginning without any major problems. According to the star rating, a creature is "seldom" asleep than awake, although it is always found sleeping - strange. Perhaps when it comes to the classification into star categories, how much time you have to hold the required pose also plays a role? In fact, we can only speculate. In any case, it is not possible to simply look up what the professor wants to see. Whether this stimulates the player to experiment or rather frustrates them depends on the personality of the photographer.

Forgetting (household) tasks at home

Small tips on how to get Pokémon to adopt special poses or to change behavior, we receive through the orders. These are like mini-quests, hidden in the hub of the game in the upper right corner of the screen. When we first took a look at the list, there were over 100 missions waiting there that ran unnoticed. We had already done a handful, with some we received filters or stamps for photos as wages.