The April release of New Pokémon Snap provided fans of the series with many opportunities to capture and share images of their favorite Pokémon, allowing them to relive the experience of the original Pokémon Snap title in a fun new way. The game also introduced players to a handful of interesting characters to accompany them, one of which bears strong resemblance to a particular Pokémon from the franchise.
New Pokémon Snap was released in April 2021 on the Nintendo Switch, and functions as a sequel to the 1999 Nintendo 64 game Pokémon Snap. Although the original game has been re-released for both the Wii and the Wii U over the years, this year marks the first time the series has been given a proper successor. The Pokémon Snap games feature unique gameplay compared to most mainline Pokémon titles, as players are tasked with researching Pokémon throughout the region by taking photographs of them.
The Lental region serves as the setting for New Pokémon Snap, and players are given the responsibility of working alongside Pokémon Professor Mirror at the Laboratory of Ecological and Natural Sciences. Also working alongside them are the Professor's assistants, Phil and Rita. While Phil fills the role of the player's rival, Rita is more along the lines of a support character, providing players with tips and guides in order to help them learn how to navigate the game. Recently, however, players have noticed something interesting when it comes to Rita's design.
Pokémon Snap's Rita Looks A Lot Like Goodra
As noted by players on Reddit (via TheGamer), close examination of Rita's hairstyle reveals that it looks strikingly similar to the head of Goodra, a fan-favorite Dragon-type Pokémon. Both her large ponytails and the smaller tufts of hair atop her head strongly resemble the antennae-like horns that Goodra sports. Even their eyes are the same color. The yellow-green hair accessories on the side of Rita's head also remind some fans of the green dots on Goodra's cheek, and Rita's pink and purple outfit draws further comparisons to the slimy Dragon-type Pokémon. A side-by-side juxtaposition of the two shows just how closely Rita's hairstyle and accessories line up with Goodra's design.
Rita isn't the first character in the series to sport a style similar to that of a Pokémon. The Pokémon anime pits Ash against a trainer named Tobias in the Sinnoh region. Everything from his hairstyle down to his cloak are reminiscent of the Dark-type Pokémon Darkrai - so it shouldn't come as much of a surprise to learn that Darkrai is the starring Pokémon on Tobias' team. Rita's attire is most likely an Easter egg, or perhaps an indication that Goodra could be her favorite Pokémon. Either way, it's one of many clever references and hidden surprises to be found in New Pokémon Snap.
Source: TheGamer