New Pokemon Snap

 Switch
User Score
6.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 651 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 427 out of 651
  2. Mixed: 68 out of 651
  3. Negative: 156 out of 651
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  1. ScreenS
    Sep 1, 2023
    2
    Very boring, you honestly do so little that it actually feels like a prototype for Pokemon Sleep. The first game was a 90s novelty and this just exposes that fact.
  2. maluigario
    Apr 2, 2023
    3
    TL;DR: An exercise in tedium and repetition, New Pokemon Snap takes the relaxing idea of being a wildlife photographer in the Pokemon universe and instead forces you to repeat the same levels over and over in the hopes of capturing minute differences in Pokemon behavior between runs while stopping your progress with inane cutscenes.

    New Pokemon Snap is a game where you're a photographer    TL;DR: An exercise in tedium and repetition, New Pokemon Snap takes the relaxing idea of being a wildlife photographer in the Pokemon universe and instead forces you to repeat the same levels over and over in the hopes of capturing minute differences in Pokemon behavior between runs while stopping your progress with inane cutscenes.

    New Pokemon Snap is a game where you're a photographer helping the region's Pokemon Professor explore and document the area by taking pictures of Pokemon in their natural habitats. Much like the original Pokemon Snap, the game scores your pictures on a variety of things, like ensuring the Pokemon is in the center of the frame, facing towards you, takes up most of the frame, and so on. Also like the original, the game takes care of moving you along a set path and gives you some items to help you change the behavior of the Pokemon to get the perfect shot.

    Where this game deviates from its predecessor first is that every single Pokemon has 4 "behaviors" that must be documented. They all have their "calm" state, but then they all have 3 other states they can be found in. You may have to throw food for them to eat so you can capture them eating. You may have to bop them with your food so you can capture their confused look. You may have to play music so you can capture them dancing. This would be all well and good, except that each of these behaviors needs to be caught on camera separately, and you can only turn in ONE photo per Pokemon per trip, meaning it would take a minimum of 4 trips through a particular area to document all of the behaviors of a particular Pokemon. Not only this, but Pokemon behavior changes the more times you go through an area, so it may be impossible to document a behavior until you have made several trips through an area already. On top of it all, every area you can go through has both a day and night mode. While this ocassionally means finding new Pokemon, most often it means that you're taking pictures of the same Pokemon, just asleep now. As the final cherry on top, until you have seen the behavior, you have no idea which behavior the Professor wants to see, so you just have to experiment over and over: Try feeding it during the day. No? How about at night. No? Okay, well now you've levelled up the same area's day path, try again, maybe they'll act different now. No? Okay, back to the night version. Oh, hey, there's a branching path. Guess I'll have to do this level twice now to make sure I catch everything. What you end up doing is just repeating the same levels over and over trying to get whatever specific shots the Professor wants to see and trying to get enough points to unlock a new area so you can start the process all over again.

    As a minor insult to injury, the Professor and his other assistants will give you hints in the form of "Requests". They'll say they tried to capture a certain behavior of a certain Pokemon at a certain point in the level but failed, would you mind trying? But the requests stack up quickly. You'll get two requests for every level you complete and find yourself going back to try and catch one thing, miss it, and have to start over again. At least the old Pokemon Snap was kind enough to give you a speed-up button. This one doesn't even give you that.

    As if the game wasn't already busy wasting your time, once you've unlocked a new level, the game can't just give you a popup to tell you. You have to go back to the lab, watch a cutscene of all the guys in the lab being excited that you get to go somewhere new, and THEN you can go out.

    All in all, for a game that should be all about the relaxing idea of you going out and taking pictures and having a good time at your own pace, New Pokemon Snap instead insists on you playing the game ITS way, on ITS time, with no respect for your time as a player.    … Expand
  3. Vinivitorioyo
    Mar 9, 2023
    8
    Achei muito gostosinho e relaxante. Foi exatamente o que eu esperava quando comprei o jogo. Sai muito satisfeito e achei que valeu o dinheiro que paguei na compra. Existem poucos jogos relaxantes. Esse estimula curiosidade e encanto.
  4. Dangusse
    Feb 13, 2023
    5
    outrageously slow and redundant tutorial. the game is incredibly simple, and i dont know why they think we want to stare at the professor talking at a snail's pace for so long and have to press A so many times for him to say like 1 word for each press. this just wont stop, either. i'm more than 20 minutes into the game by the time they allow me to just simply MOVE, and there wereoutrageously slow and redundant tutorial. the game is incredibly simple, and i dont know why they think we want to stare at the professor talking at a snail's pace for so long and have to press A so many times for him to say like 1 word for each press. this just wont stop, either. i'm more than 20 minutes into the game by the time they allow me to just simply MOVE, and there were absolutely zero interesting cutscenes, just these two idiots standing in front of a static background and telling you absolutely nothing useful or interesting. they barely even explain the game, it's like the writers specifically wanted this to be as unenjoyable as possible.

    the controls are a mess, there are somehow four different layouts that are all nonsensical and all of them disproportionately utilize the left joycon while only using the right joycon to take pictures.

    once the game actually starts, it's not halfway bad, but it's impossible to recommend when the basic gameplay formula involves so much soul drainingly boring and obnoxious dialogue. i have to wonder if this was done to pad out the average play time without including much content, since i have heard other reviewers saying that there are very few levels.

    for the original n64 release to have such limited content was one thing, because it was an incredibly rushed title that happened to find great niche appeal. however, it's insulting for the issues with the original not to be fixed in an updated version. these maps are not that large, not that long, and not that detailed. besides that, it would take very little extra work to create more stages, so i wonder if nintendo is simply trying to set the bar as low as possible in order to make future titles as profitable as possible.

    edit: for me to find another review which says that there are no mid stage evolutions is completely unacceptable. why in the name of all that is sacred would they bother REMOVING features from an already extremely simplistic game?    … Expand
  5. Gosticouilles
    Jan 13, 2023
    5
    I had fun ar first but it got old pretty fast. Being able to control our vehicule speed would have made the game way more enjoyable since some parts feel really empty and slow.
  6. Divad27
    Dec 18, 2022
    8
    I cannot comment on this game as a neutral person, but I am aware that it is not for everyone, in fact most people will get bored and stop playing it, especially because of its high price. As a fan of the franchise, it is a game that I have really enjoyed due to the exploration capacity (although guided) and the beauty of the graphics (taking into account that it is a switch game). A shortI cannot comment on this game as a neutral person, but I am aware that it is not for everyone, in fact most people will get bored and stop playing it, especially because of its high price. As a fan of the franchise, it is a game that I have really enjoyed due to the exploration capacity (although guided) and the beauty of the graphics (taking into account that it is a switch game). A short experience but if you play it with the right mentality, it will be very enjoyable… Expand
  7. ElSmasher
    Nov 26, 2022
    5
    With a real lack of stakes. New Pokemon Snap could only be a game to be sold. Nostalgia may hypnotize 64 fans but not me. If the game wants to act on the graphics (which is not beautifully beautiful), it puts aside the content and gameplay because of a dated rail shooter system. The chara-design and the variety of the pokemons' reactions save the day in this rather laborious game.
  8. Catsup
    Nov 3, 2022
    0
    This is the most boring game I have ever played since all you do is press the A button to take pictures of the pokemon you see. It has some quality but it's ruined by the very simplistic gameplay, don't spend your hard-earned 60$ on this game, and instead go buy Xenoblade Chronicles 3 instead.
  9. Eidnex
    Sep 13, 2022
    8
    Super Grafik Viele Level Pokemon in ihrer natürlichen Umgebung, wirkt sehr lebendig.
  10. Wehew
    Sep 7, 2022
    7
    taking photos are so relaxing! if they made it easier and friendly for everyone to play it would be better
  11. BertKA88
    Aug 30, 2022
    2
    Honestly just found it boring and repetitive. Just grinding the same courses over and over isn’t my idea of fun.
  12. Nintendist
    Jul 2, 2022
    10
    this game is so good and so beautiful. i love the little details on every stage
  13. nicket
    Jun 16, 2022
    9
    Do not listen to the people that are review-bombing this game and saying the original Pokémon Snap was better; that's just their nostalgia talking. This iteration surpasses its predecessor in every single way: pokémons, animations, interactions, environments, secret paths, unlockables... I swear I felt like a kid again playing this and discovering pokémons.

    The only two things that    Do not listen to the people that are review-bombing this game and saying the original Pokémon Snap was better; that's just their nostalgia talking. This iteration surpasses its predecessor in every single way: pokémons, animations, interactions, environments, secret paths, unlockables... I swear I felt like a kid again playing this and discovering pokémons.

    The only two things that bothered me were the music –which left much to be desired– and the wasted potential of the photo editor; the filters, stickers and frames could have been way better. Also, the fact that just a maximum of 6 pictures could be displayed in the online page was a bit disappointing.

    Other than that, the game is fantastic. If you enjoy Pokémon and Photography, and just want to relax, New Pokémon Snap is definitely for you.    … Expand
  14. SeiferA
    Jun 3, 2022
    8
    Graphics: 10/10
    Beautiful. Just absolutely beautiful. From the clear water to the Pokemon textures, this game is absolutely pleasant to look at.
    Sound: 6/10 There’s really nothing super big I can bring up about the music and sound fxs. The music is certainly better than Pokemon Snap’s late 90s era MIDI music. And sound fxs do the job well enough. But neither are really anything to    Graphics: 10/10
    Beautiful. Just absolutely beautiful. From the clear water to the Pokemon textures, this game is absolutely pleasant to look at.

    Sound: 6/10
    There’s really nothing super big I can bring up about the music and sound fxs. The music is certainly better than Pokemon Snap’s late 90s era MIDI music. And sound fxs do the job well enough. But neither are really anything to write home about.

    While I can’t comment on the English voice acting, I can say the Japanese voice acting was pretty superb overall. Though the professor’s one liner comments at the end of each picture review did get tiring rather quickly.

    Gameplay: 9/10
    So the controls, options at your disposal and general feel of the game is really great. But I have a confession to make: When I played this game a year ago, I assumed in order to progress I needed to finish the side missions provided to me.

    It wasn’t until I picked back up this game recently that I realized progress is made 80% of the times by just getting to level 2 in the area.

    Had it been as difficult as I thought it was, I would’ve given this part of the game a very low score, but now I realize the game is essentially just as simple to play as Snap on the 64, albeit a bit longer with more post game content. The game also encourages multiple replays, not only with the missions and post game content, but also understanding the paths Pokemon will usually take as well as the best spots to snap a picture; That much has carried over from 64.

    So yeah, overall I like the gameplay! For a game with a premise as simple as this, I don’t know how I could ask for anything more than what the team provided (Aside from maybe being able to compare pictures and scores with your friends as oppose to randos, hence the near perfect score)

    Story: 6/10
    The story is fairly straightforward, with your character investigating the region to discover a new type of Pokemon and solving the mystery behind their strange power. The story does get a bit compelling towards the end, but I gotta admit, by the time I was done, I did feel like it was all a bit anti-climatic.

    I would have also preferred if we got more real time cutscenes; It seems like the majority of the game’s story is told via stills.

    Difficulty: 1/5 (Very Easy)
    Like I mentioned, this game only requires for your to get a level 2 or light up/take pictures of the flowers to unlock the next area. It’s really simple gameplay overall, with the only difficult part being the slight grind to get to level 2 (Which really only requires 2 play throughs total as long as you’re actively trying to take pictures)

    BOTTOM LINE:
    8/10

    I don’t know if I’d recommend this game as a full price title especially since, despite lasting longer than Snap 64, its still a pretty short game, but you do get quite a bit of enjoyment out of it nonetheless. I had fun taking pictures and sharing them on social media, and I kinda want to print out some of these as stickers someday. Just like the good ol days.

    So yeah, totally check this out! Just again, I’d rather wait until it goes on sale in some capacity.    … Expand
  15. 0semsum0
    Apr 8, 2022
    8
    This game is absolutely gorgeous. If you ever dreamed about living in the Pokémon world (not for the fights) since watching the TV show, this is currently the closest you can get, considering how the graphics look on games like Arceus. The Pokémon feel very alive and natural, and sometimes the environment is just amazing on its own. The true game is just to watch the Pokémon, but theThis game is absolutely gorgeous. If you ever dreamed about living in the Pokémon world (not for the fights) since watching the TV show, this is currently the closest you can get, considering how the graphics look on games like Arceus. The Pokémon feel very alive and natural, and sometimes the environment is just amazing on its own. The true game is just to watch the Pokémon, but the photography also feels nice. I got frustrated a few times because I missed the perfect shot, but if you manage to seize the opportunity, it makes you proud.

    The posing and behaviour of the Pokémon is really well executed. You are encouraged to experiment how to influence the Pokémons' pose, and there are some very funny scenes too that I won't spoil. The missions are hard to fulfill, but it wouldn't be fair to treat them as puzzles. They are mere hints for your experiments, and when you finally get to fulfill the requirements, you are rewarded with exciting behaviour.

    There are still a few things I don't like. Throwing / shooting with fruit or Illumination Orbs sucks. Sadly, it is essential to a few levels, including the ones with the Guardian Pokémon (essentially bosses). Progressing the story is a little bit too repetitive, you have to play the same level two or three times before you progress. For the rating, size matters most. You can get a good score if the Pokémon is just big on the photo, and it is hard to get a good score if it's small, but strikes an interesting pose. Considering what the game gets right, those issues are not big, I would still recommend it to every Switch owner who likes laid back games.    … Expand
  16. MedNow
    Apr 6, 2022
    8
    I love the graphics. The game is cute and amusing. It's cool to see these pokemon doing something else then battling. I love it that as you advance you see different behaviour and different pokemon. It's not a 10 for me because it's to slow paced for my taste at sometimes. Redoing the same course over en and over just to level up can become dull at times!
  17. Elite_Institute
    Mar 5, 2022
    8
    "There’s a lot to like about New Pokémon Snap and Bandai Namco have done an excellent job bringing back this classic spinoff series. It expands on the existing formula, and remains just as addictive as ever. I may miss some of the omissions, like finding Pokémon shapes in the environment, or triggering evolutions [which are notably absent], but the addition of things like requests and"There’s a lot to like about New Pokémon Snap and Bandai Namco have done an excellent job bringing back this classic spinoff series. It expands on the existing formula, and remains just as addictive as ever. I may miss some of the omissions, like finding Pokémon shapes in the environment, or triggering evolutions [which are notably absent], but the addition of things like requests and photo editing help make up for that. Whilst the game may be a tad overpriced for a small spinoff, it is still one of the best Pokémon titles on the Switch."

    https://theeliteinstitute.net/2021/05/12/new-pokemon-snap/    … Expand
  18. Lumber_Jones
    Feb 21, 2022
    8
    This game is another in a long list of games that Nintendo has tried to use to cash in on the all powerful aroma of nostalgia. The visuals, not just for the Switch but for a game as a whole, are stunning. The on rails shooter aspect clearly let them manage their resources to help make the world feel more lively and give more dynamic actions to the monsters that we have the pleasure ofThis game is another in a long list of games that Nintendo has tried to use to cash in on the all powerful aroma of nostalgia. The visuals, not just for the Switch but for a game as a whole, are stunning. The on rails shooter aspect clearly let them manage their resources to help make the world feel more lively and give more dynamic actions to the monsters that we have the pleasure of interacting with. the sound track and ambient noise of the world and the NEO-001 as it moves around are brilliantly executed, and of course the soundtrack is great and at times feels almost cinematic. The worst parts of the game come in the games use of mechanics and story. The game being an on rails shooter takes a good deal of agency away from us as players. So much so that the fact that we cannot do things to encourage evolution like you could in the first game, pushing Charmeleon into the fire pit as an example, feels like a major miss from Nintendo here. Furthermore the story of the game is flimsy at best and I felt like there were constantly two stories that I was working on. One was researching the Pokemon and completing my photodex, for no real payoff, the other was looking for the Guardian Pokemon throughout the game. I would have appreciated the game so much more if a story hadn't been what felt shoved into the faces of us as players, but also if the hints for completing things for the photodex actually worked. The necessary targets that you have to hit, both literally with fruit and 'pester balls' and figuratively with taking specific pictures at specific times are frustrating at best and once completed I felt more of a moment of relief then I did one of pride in completing these harder goals to see rarer pokemon/poses.

    Overall this game is worth every penny and I can only hope that Nintendo adds more content to the game to keep players coming back over time, or at the very least not wait multiple decades between releases next time.    … Expand
  19. Vanilla461
    Feb 2, 2022
    10
    Genuinely the most incredible experience in the pokémon world thus far. Not a complicated game, but a stunning world
  20. Jaumecen
    Jan 31, 2022
    10
    Great game, huge fan of something different, a true successor of the first Pokemon snap.
  21. Federx
    May 2, 2021
    10
    It's better than the original in every possible way. It has more routes, more paths, day night cycle, more pokemon etc.
    The underwater level is absolutely gorgeous
  22. Speedie
    Jan 29, 2022
    8
    This has to be the most beautifully polished Pokémon game ever developed. The gameplay may not have been quite as engaging as the main line games, but wow was it beautiful. Let me start with the few thing I would've liked to see improved on in the game. in comparison to the first Pokémon Snap game, some of the environments feel much larger, but unfilled. You're left with a few coursesThis has to be the most beautifully polished Pokémon game ever developed. The gameplay may not have been quite as engaging as the main line games, but wow was it beautiful. Let me start with the few thing I would've liked to see improved on in the game. in comparison to the first Pokémon Snap game, some of the environments feel much larger, but unfilled. You're left with a few courses where you can see spanning emptiness outside the map and it feels more like a simulation that an environment. Outside of that this game is everything it promised to be. It can often be immersive, especially with the inclusion of online features allowing players to show their individual experiences. After release there was a content update that added two more environments and some extensions and updates to already existing ones. It would be nice to see more content updates in the future and see the game getting supported more, especially with the competitive point system gaining quick popularity. For an immersive step into the Pokémon world, this is about as close as you'll get for now.… Expand
  23. GenkiYokota
    Jan 27, 2022
    0
    One of the worst games I've ever had the chance to play.
    Very short (5 hours), repetitive ad nauseam, and without any evolution of the concept seen in N64.
  24. DeadmanMano
    Dec 23, 2021
    7
    I wanted to take cute pictures of Pokémon, and New Pokémon Snap lets me do that. The gameplay loop is pretty repetitive, and the NPC's are really bland, but looking through my Switch screenshots and seeing pictures I took of some of my favorite mons brought me a lot of joy.
  25. whitesneaka
    Dec 7, 2021
    8
    Fun blast from the past experience! At it's core the game is a graphical upgrade to the origional. Nintendo didn't mess with the formula which sometimes is a bad thing, especially in games that come out yearly - but since this is only the second installment in the franchise it's inviting. With that said, one of the drawbacks is the games lack of different modes. SO why not a score higherFun blast from the past experience! At it's core the game is a graphical upgrade to the origional. Nintendo didn't mess with the formula which sometimes is a bad thing, especially in games that come out yearly - but since this is only the second installment in the franchise it's inviting. With that said, one of the drawbacks is the games lack of different modes. SO why not a score higher than 8? Well initially, I was unhappy with the short run time for the game but did appreciate Nintendo quickly coming out with an expansion. That too played thru quickly though so I am holding out hope there is another expansion on the way. Regardless, the game is not deep and lacks more than one way to play.… Expand
  26. Sir-Gary
    Nov 23, 2021
    0
    Una vergüenza para el juego original, no hay casi evolución en la formula y se siente como un juego anacrónico en sus mecánicas y conceptos básicos.
  27. FriendlyDM2
    Nov 22, 2021
    8
    NEW Pokémon Snap leaves me wanting more and more! Seeing Pokémon in their natural habitat, simply acting the way they are and getting to photograph them is a TON of fun! I wish even more content was released to this already very beefy game!

    It’s a lot of fun to try and get higher scores every single time, but at some point, it does become a little bit tedious, and it’s easier to try and    NEW Pokémon Snap leaves me wanting more and more! Seeing Pokémon in their natural habitat, simply acting the way they are and getting to photograph them is a TON of fun! I wish even more content was released to this already very beefy game!

    It’s a lot of fun to try and get higher scores every single time, but at some point, it does become a little bit tedious, and it’s easier to try and look up online how to get the best score for a specific Pokémon, or how to reach a specific star count to finish up your Photodex, which is a bit of a shame.    … Expand
  28. Kadanka
    Oct 7, 2021
    10
    Not sure what all these low scores are talking about, they seem to not have known that pokemon SNAP is a game about virtual photography. It’s not slow or stale, if anything I wish I could slow down! its super fun and relaxing to tell the truth. You go down a rail way and unlock more interactions as you go, while submerged in rich sound, beautiful pokemon models and engagements. You have aNot sure what all these low scores are talking about, they seem to not have known that pokemon SNAP is a game about virtual photography. It’s not slow or stale, if anything I wish I could slow down! its super fun and relaxing to tell the truth. You go down a rail way and unlock more interactions as you go, while submerged in rich sound, beautiful pokemon models and engagements. You have a few ways to interact with the outside world and they all add a layer of gameplay that make revisiting older routs to see what’s possible even more exciting. If you enjoy games like animal crossing then you will probably enjoy this too. A good amount of collecting and familiarizing to help keep you busy. Really it’s a 8/10 or 9/10 but I gave it a higher score because of these unfair reviews bombs.… Expand
  29. Kurtkobane
    Oct 5, 2021
    9
    Very fun game, excelent graphics, especially for Pokemon standards, plot is short ald shallow, but it was never the Focus of those games, bosses are creative and enjoyable, and the areas are gorgeous. Very good and enjoyable.
  30. Clair12
    Oct 3, 2021
    8
    I loved, I think Is not better than the original but gave me a lot of great moments! Nostalgic!
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Awards & Rankings

80
#80 Best Switch Game of 2021
7
#7 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2021

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 116 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 89 out of 116
  2. Mixed: 27 out of 116
  3. Negative: 0 out of 116
  1. CD-Action
    Dec 7, 2021
    80
    In a nutshell: as a researcher, you travel to various places, interact with wild Pokémon and take photos to document their behavior. This simple concept only works thanks to the Pokémon, but it doesn’t have to be a drawback, because the game shows the world of pocket monsters more realistically and vividly than any title before it. [07/2021, p.72]
  2. Ninty Fresh Magazine
    Dec 3, 2021
    75
    New Pokémon Snap looks beautiful and is packed full of exciting Pokémon, but the increased complexity has brought the game to a grinding halt. [Issue #4, p.51]
  3. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Oct 6, 2021
    90
    New Pokémon Snap isn't totally perfect, but it is a lovingly, intelligently updated take on a now 22-year-old original that only came to life because it was imbued with Mr. Iwata's magic. I know seeing this sequel would have made him smile. [Issue #53 – July/August 2021, p. 69]
See all critic reviews »