How Many Pokemon Are In New Pokemon Snap?
Though many fans thought they'd never get a sequel to the N64 cult classic Pokemon Snap, it's finally happening. New Pokemon Snap arrives on the Nintendo Switch on April 30, 2021. The original Pokemon Snap only featured 63 Pokemon, featuring only 151 of the Generation 1 Pokemon to seek out. New Pokemon Snap will include at least 200 Pokemon spanning all of the available generations, but which 200 Pokemon will make the cut? Since the original Snap was released, the National Pokedex has expanded to include almost 900 Pokemon, but developers had a method for selecting who appeared in New Pokemon Snap.
In an interview with Game Informer, game director Haruki Suzaki explained that his team began by creating the landscapes for New Pokemon Snap first, then consulted with Game Freak to determine which Pokemon would live there and what sorts of relationships they might have. Suzaki's team wanted to maintain the canonical behaviors of Pokemon and provide an experience that aligned with other Pokemon games.
Here are the confirmed Pokemon you can look forward to photographing in New Pokemon Snap.
Who's that Generation 1 Pokemon in New Pokemon Snap?
Pokemon fans banded together to analyze each New Pokemon Snap trailer and provide an exhaustive list of Pokemon featured in the new game. IGN's New Pokemon Snap guide crowdsourced analyses from a variety of Pokemon aficionados to provide a list of every Pokemon that has appeared in New Pokemon Snap trailers and promotional materials so far. Fan-favorite fan wiki Bulbapedia also shared a similar guide.
23 Kanto Region (Generation 1) Pokemon have appeared in promotional material for New Pokemon Snap, including favorites like Pikachu, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle. Interestingly, Charmander, the third starter Pokemon from the original game, was nowhere to be seen. Of course, that doesn't mean that the beloved fire lizard won't make an appearance.
Other recognizable Generation 1 Pokemon in New Pokemon Snap include Magikarp, Eevee, and the ever-present Caterpie. Overall, it looks like New Pokemon Snap features a strong offering of Pocket Monsters for fans of the O.G. series entries.
Later gen Pokemon and nostalgia in New Pokemon Snap
IGN's guide shows that a variety of Pokemon from later generations will also appear in New Pokemon Snap, all the way up to Generation 8, the Galar Region. So far only three Generation 8 Pokemon have been confirmed, the three starter Pokemon from Pokemon Sword and Shield.
However, the confirmed Pokemon seem to primarily come from the first three generations of the series, emphasizing that New Pokemon Snap seeks to both provide a new experience for younger players and remind older players of their favorite childhood game. Overall, it seems that New Pokemon Snap wants to capitalize on nostalgia.
The original Pokemon Snap had horror undertones that mystified players for years and made a lasting impression, and this new game appears to be taking some interesting risks, as well. Some of the Pokemon in New Pokemon Snap trailers also look larger than usual, perhaps alluding to an in-game phenomenon that alters Pokemon. Fans will have to see for themselves what secrets New Pokemon Snap holds when it arrives on the Nintendo Switch on April 30.