A few quick tips for New Pokemon Snap’s launch weekend

Swap those buttons and crank up the sensitivity

A new Pokémon Snap game is out today, a sentence I am still honestly surprised I’m typing in the year 2021. The first was a one-off spin-off on the Nintendo 64, a quirky game that let you photograph Pokémon instead of capturing and battling them.

The first Snap still became something of a nostalgic classic and now, two decades later, New Pokémon Snap has hit the Nintendo Switch. It is Pokémon Snap as you remember it, albeit with a few notable changes.

We’re still playing it ourselves, but for those picking it up this weekend, there are a few crucial tips you’ll want to know:

• Change up your control scheme! The default control scheme makes the left-stick control both your focus pointer and camera, and A as your default “Take a Photo” button. I’ve found Set 4 in the settings to be much more comfortable; it shifts that focus adjuster to the right stick, allowing the left to solely be your camera adjusting stick, and most importantly it puts the shutter click on R, a shoulder button.

• Turn up the sensitivity. Seriously, you want high sensitivity in this game. Pokémon will go flying by you, and while there are some turn options available, having a high sensitivity made it way easier for me to track Pokémon with my lens. I’ve been sitting around a 7.

• Remember the basics. If you’ve played Pokémon Snap before, you’ll know how the professors like their photos. Head-on shots, with Pokémon as prominent as can be, will net you more points. At the beginning, as you’re building up research levels, those big point-scorers can do work, and be on special look-out for reactions, interactions, or special animations.

• Don’t be stingy with the shots. Honestly, I’m surprised by how many shots I have to work with at times in New Pokémon Snap. My first few course runs ended with double-digits of film left. Don’t be afraid to let the shutter click a few times to nail a great moment.

• Use all your senses. As an experiment, I played through a course with no sound, and that run made me really appreciate all the audio cues in this game. Seriously, it’s great to have a little chirp or growl to let you know that a Pokémon is up to something and you should take a quick look around for it. Some Pokémon will even trail your buggy, and sound is a great way to catch them snooping around.

• Experiment. As always, different Pokémon react to different situations. When going through a course, don’t think that you’ve seen all a single Pokémon can do already; as you unlock more items, new photo options will open up, netting you even more points. Hit buttons, throw things, and generally test the waters. That buggy seems pretty safe from repercussions either way.

New Pokémon Snap is out now on Nintendo Switch. Keep an eye out in the future for our review!