The Pokémon Company has announced that New Pokémon Snap is launching for the Nintendo Switch on 30 April 2021. Fans have been asking for a sequel since the original Pokémon Snap on the Nintendo 64 back in 1999.

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.

Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Nick Chavez said:

“New Pokémon Snap presents a fun twist on a Pokémon adventure, with enchanting gameplay that lets players see some of their favorite Pokémon in a different light.

This new game is a fun addition to the strong lineup of Pokémon titles available on Nintendo Switch, and we can’t wait to see everyone’s pictures when New Pokémon Snap launches on April 30.”

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 fulfil 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 savour, 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.

You can already pre-order New Pokémon Snap. In the meantime, check out the trailer below: