New Pokémon Snap Reviews

New Pokémon Snap is ranked in the 79th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
May 5, 2021

New Pokemon Snap shines in bringing the Pokemon world to life and having you take pictures of it. It does have some long-game flaws, but in the short term, you’ll be in Nirvana as you see Pokemon left and right and try to get all the best shots of them.

Read full review

GamingBolt
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
May 4, 2021

Ridiculously charming and extremely relaxing, New Pokemon Snap provides the most realized and fleshed out window into the Pokemon world yet, also delivering a robust and entertaining game that makes good on the original title's potential remarkably well in the process.

Read full review

8 / 10.0
Apr 28, 2021

New Pokemon Snap really captures what has made Pokemon popular for so many years. It gives a new life to so many Pokemon that we've known and loved over the years and provides a relaxing relief from the plethora of action games on the market. I don't know if a lot of the padding was necessary, but I still enjoyed every second of my time with the game.

Read full review

7.5 / 10.0
May 7, 2021

Snap is back—is it better than ever? Roughly 22 years have passed since the debut of this incredibly niche idea, a polar opposite to the RPG classic that spawned Poké-mania in the late '90s. With so much hindsight (and a thousand more pokémon), there's no place to go but up for New Pokémon Snap.

Read full review

Spaziogames
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Apr 28, 2021

New Pokémon Snap lets you explore and relax while having fun trying to spot every single Pokémon around. A soothing and calming experience.

Review in Italian | Read full review

9 / 10.0
Apr 28, 2021

New Pokémon Snap is the perfect mix of discovery and escapism that retains its nostalgic feel but in a modern and beautiful Poké-laden package.

Read full review

EGM
Top Critic
10 / 10.0
Apr 28, 2021

New Pokémon Snap might be one of the most thoroughly pleasant games that's come out for the Switch, if not ever. While the core gameplay is the same as it was in 1999, everything about the 2021 game is better. The environments are visual delights, the Pokémon are lovingly recreated, and the progression and pacing are just right. If the hobby of gaming has started to feel like a second or third job, then New Pokémon Snap might just be the vacation you need.

Read full review

May 6, 2021

New Pokemon Snap delights at every turn, offsetting a grindy mid-game with a parade of charming Pokemon in this cozy on-rails photo adventure.

Read full review

GBAtemp
Top Critic
7 / 10.0
Apr 30, 2021

Overall, New Pokemnon Snap is a decent game, and a mostly worthy successor to the N64 classic. If you were a fan of the original, you'll be a fan of this one for sure. It's a little rough around the edges in some places, and the grind can be unreal sometimes, but it's still modern Pokemon Snap which is good enough for me.

Read full review

Nintendo News
Top Critic
7 / 10.0
May 7, 2021

New Pokémon Snap may not showcase the Switch’s graphical capabilities, nor will it blow you away with its unimaginative storyline and anti-climactic conclusion, but if you’re a fan of the N64 original, you’ll definitely want to pick this one up. For non-Pokémon fans, the repetitive gameplay does unfortunately hold it back from being a must-have, however its adorable aura and slower pace will have you glowing more than an Illumina Maganium.

Read full review

GameGrin
Top Critic
5 / 10.0
Jun 22, 2021

A middle of the road performance for New Pokémon Snap. It will certainly find its niche, and anyone who considers themselves a big Pokémon fan will come away from this game grinning about some really beautiful moments. The biggest issue with New Pokémon Snap is that there is no reason to stick around after the first couple of hours.

Read full review

8 / 10.0
May 17, 2021

Photograph Pok'mon Pok'mon in their native environments, do not expect much more.

Review in Slovak | Read full review

70 / 100
May 15, 2021

New Pokémon Snap may not reinvent the wheel, but it's just as charming as its predecessor was. It's a calming, lovingly crafted spin-off that will challenge your photography skills.

Read full review

8 / 10.0
May 11, 2021

New Pokemon Snap is "Pokemon Snap 2.0 Plus". Here we not only get more content, but everything looks and sounds much better. This is a real continuation, which fans of the original were waiting for.

Review in Polish | Read full review

A
May 7, 2021

Playing New Pokémon Snap filled me with a joy and excitement that I haven’t felt from a game in a while. Though it has its minor flaws, it really is an experience worth playing that offers gameplay you won’t find elsewhere.

Read full review

Drew Hurley
Top Critic
8 / 10
May 7, 2021

It's the absolute perfect time for this game. Not only because Pokémon is just settling into a new renaissance and resurgence of interest not seen since the 90s, but also because of the state of the world. Games that encapsulate escapism and the ability to just chill are desperately needed. It's part of the reason Animal Crossing exploded like it did. New Pokémon Snap is enjoyable in the exact same way. A game to lose yourself in. A game to play on rainy Sundays. To play late at night. To unwind and to decompress. Best of all, it's the perfect way to reconnect with the franchise in honour of the 25th anniversary. So, settle in, sleeve those new Shining Fates, throw on season two of Pokémon Journeys and get snapping.

Read full review

May 6, 2021

New Pokémon Snap is a delight to play. It's bright, colourful, and overflowing with personality and while it does become a little too "grindy" for its own good, the core gameplay hasn't evolved much from the N64 original, and that's a very good thing indeed. Nintendo may have launched this in and around a lot of big blockbuster stuff (Returnal AND Resident Evil Village has been a big win for Sony over the last week), but then those games are so darned hardcore that New Pokémon Snap is exactly the antidote to them that I have needed.

Read full review

8 / 10.0
May 5, 2021

New Pokémon Snap takes what made the original special, but doesn't add or changes much. It is a fun experience and fans will be happy with this new entry, but they shouldn't expect more than a simple and arcade experience with tedious progression.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

80 / 100
May 4, 2021

New Pokémon Snap is a great experience for anyone who’s either a fan of videogame photography or the Pokémon series. If you’re into both (like me) this title is a dream come true.

Read full review

8 / 10.0
May 3, 2021

All in all, New Pokémon Snap delivers exactly what the title promises: a Pokémon Snap that is bigger and more modern, but with a core that's very similar to the original N64 game. Whether this is a plus or a minus depends on how much you enjoy seeing cute cartoony monsters being adorable. There are few more relaxing and chill games on the Switch, and if you're looking for something to de-stress after a long day, New Pokémon Snap has you covered. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to figure out how to get this giant turtle monster to yawn....

Read full review