A major recurring element in New Pokemon Snap is that fish Pokemon are near the bottom of the food chain. The Lental region of New Pokemon Snap is an island chain filled with an impressive array of biomes. Players start off in a temperate nature park before moving on to explore jungles, tropical reefs, harsh icy terrains, and even a volcano. However, throughout all of these different biomes is a harsh reality that New Pokemon Snap constantly forces players to confront – fish Pokemon are very much a meal to other Pokemon.
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Those who paid attention to New Pokemon Snap‘s marketing campaign already suspected that fish Pokemon might have it rough – Nintendo released an entire clip montage showing various Pokemon snatching Magikarp for a presumed meal. However, New Pokemon Snap quickly establishes that this extends beyond just Magikarp – other fish Pokemon are also prey too. In fact, players are encouraged to seek out these moments, scoring invaluable 4-star rating if they can capture a Pokemon chomping down on a fish Pokemon at just the right moment. For example, the best chance of getting a 4-star photo from Wingull occurs in the evening Reef course when players chuck a fluffruit at a school of Finneon. One Finneon hops up in the air and attracts the attention of a Wingull, who promptly scoops up the fish Pokemon and flies away with it for a meal. Other fish Pokemon are subjected to near-meal moments as well. For example, one iconic moment in New Pokemon Snap puts you in the middle of a school of fish as they race away from a Wailord, who seems set on feeding on one or more fish Pokemon as a snack.
While wild animals eating fish isn’t exactly a strange story, the really surprising thing about the food cycle in New Pokemon Snap is that there are very few instances where non-Water-type Pokemon are looked at as a meal. While both Squirtle and Corsola are looked at as potential meals by other Pokemon in the game, these both occur on a water course away from land. And despite the presence of natural predators like Mightyena and well-known delicious Pokemon like Bounsweet in other courses, we don’t see much in terms of land-based Pokemon looking to eat other land-based Pokemon. In fact, one of the few instances where a Pokemon is potentially looked at as a meal is a confrontation between Arbok and Wooper, the latter of which is a Water-type Pokemon! It seems that Water-type Pokemon as seen as especially delicious in New Pokemon Snap.
Outside the weird fixation of Water-type Pokemon as food, New Pokemon Snap offers fans hundreds of different interactions with Pokemon. From a Squirtle riding a Lapras to a pair of Sobble watering a pleased Venusaur, you’ll almost definitely find some sort of interaction in the game that will bring a smile to your face.
New Pokemon Snap is available for the Nintendo Switch now.
