Exploring the Lental region in New Pokémon Snap can be an amazing experience, not just for fans of the original game but also for a whole new audience of young Pokémon photographers. New Pokémon Snap focuses on viewing the titular creatures in the wild instead of engaging in complex battles, and it's a particularly good game for kids just starting out on their Pokémon journeys.
Unlike other Pokémon games, New Pokémon Snap has surprisingly simple controls. Getting a photo is easy, using the left and right joysticks to adjust the camera as the player rolls through an area on rails in the NEO-ONE. Multiple photos of any Pokémon can be snapped at a time by hitting the "A" button. Zooming in is done with the left bumpers, and throwing a Fluffruit or Illumina Orb and running a scan are done with the other face buttons on the right Joy-Con.
The NEO-ONE follows a predetermined course in each of New Pokémon Snap's areas. This is great for young players who might become overwhelmed or get lost trying to navigate the traditional Pokémon game routes and Wild Areas in Sword and Shield. Different paths in the area can be unlocked by scanning the correct spots during exploration, but these new routes are also guided, so players will always get from point A to B with little trouble.
New Pokémon Snap's Photo Editor Is Perfect For Creative Kids
New Pokémon Snap also includes a photo editor to embellish shots after getting them graded by Professor Mirror. Much like a social media editor, players can use interesting filters, create borders, or decorate the subjects of their photographs. Whether adding a cute ring of flowers around a shot of a Sylveon in Florio Nature Park or zooming in on a snoozing Caterpie, decorating these shots can be a great way for younger players to flex their creativity before sharing their photos with friends.
The only setback young players may struggle with while exploring New Pokémon Snap is the photo rating system. In order to complete a Pokémon's entry in the Photodex, they will need to capture four unique behaviors, rated between one and four stars. While the one and two star ratings are fairly easy to accomplish, three and four-star photos can require surprisingly obscure actions to achieve. This could be hitting a Pokémon at just the right moment with a Fluffruit or capturing them interacting with another Pokémon on the route. Because of this vagueness, younger New Pokémon Snap players may need help from an older player to complete some of the more difficult encounters.