Photography and your favorite Pocket Monsters are back together again with the release of New Pokémon Snap, the long-awaited successor to Pokémon Snap from the Nintendo 64. Players can once again take pictures of their favorite Pokémon in the wild in a peaceful environment, free from battles.
There is more to getting that perfect shot than just pointing a camera, however. Here are the tips and tricks you need to get started in New Pokémon Snap.
Further reading
Understanding research points
To advance in New Pokémon Snap, you will need to accumulate research points, which advance your Research Level. Increasing the Research Level changes the behavior of the Pokémon in an area, often increasing their number or making them less shy — and leading to better photo opportunities, of course. It is also how you unlock additional levels and progress within the game, and important if you want to find all of the legendary Pokémon.
After each expedition, the pictures you take will be rated and given scores. The total is then added to your Research Level for that area, similar to experience points in other games, eventually leading to Research Level increases.
Stars and scores
There are two types of ratings in New Pokémon Snap. The points score is based on the overall quality of the photo; centering your subject, filling the frame, pose, and other similar factors all contribute to the points score, which directly feeds into your research level.
Star rating is determined by the quality of the moment you capture, and ranges from one to four stars. A normal picture is one star. An action, such as eating, is generally good for two stars, while a more unique behavior might be three or four stars.
Your goal is two-fold: Collect pictures at each of the four possible star ratings for every Pokémon, and try to ensure each of those pictures has the highest score possible.
Plan for multiple visits
Each time you visit a new level for the first time, every Pokémon will contribute to your research score, even if you took their picture in the other levels. The camera can take 72 pictures, so be aggressive and snap them up. Scan frequently and try to make note of where the Pokémon spend their time. This will help you know where to look on future runs to increase your score. You aren’t going to get a perfect snap of each Pokémon in one run — focus on nailing a couple each run.
On repeat visits, you want to focus on filling out all the star ratings of each Pokémon. To find different Pokémon, it is often worth checking out what is happening behind your vehicle. Listen carefully as you go, since Pokémon will often call out from hidden areas or when performing interesting actions that could land you a higher star rating.