New Pokemon Snap Reveals Setting Details

New Pokemon Snap will be set in a brand new region, complete with a new Pokemon professor and a brand new phenomenon to explore. Earlier today, The Pokemon Company released new information about New Pokemon Snap, the long-awaited sequel to the Pokemon picture-taking Nintendo 64 game. New Pokemon Snap will take place in the Lental region, an archipelago of islands with diverse ecosystems ranging from deserts to dense jungles. Players will assist the region's Pokemon professor, Professor Mirror, in investigating the Illumina Phenomenon, which causes some Pokemon and plants in the region to glow. One such example is seen in the new trailer for the game, as a Meganium glows in the night as it looms over the player character.

Similar to the original Pokemon Snap, New Pokemon Snap centers around taking pictures from a fully automated pod. Players will have the opportunity to take pictures of Pokemon in the wild and can manipulate their behavior or get them to come closer by throwing fluffruit at them. Professor Mirror will grade photos once a player completes an expedition, judging them based on the Pokemon's size in the photo, their pose, and how much of the Pokemon is within the frame. Players will collect photos in a Photodex, and it looks like players can label their photos as they collect them. Over 200 Pokemon will be featured in New Pokemon Snap, including many Starter Pokemon and other fan-favorite Pokemon like Pikachu and Lapras.

New Pokemon Snap is the first major release in what's sure to be a big year for the Pokemon franchise. Earlier this week, The Pokemon Company revealed they were teaming up with singer Katy Perry for a new musical collaboration. More announcements are also planned for later in the year as the Pokemon franchise gets ready to celebrate its 25th anniversary. Most fans are anticipating a new Pokemon game release later this year, likely a remake of either Pokemon Gold and Silver or Pokemon Diamond and Pearl.

New Pokemon Snap will be released on the Nintendo Switch on April 30th. Pre-orders are available now.