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.

New Pokémon Snap goes beyond the scope of the original game to provide an experience that’s both nostalgic and refreshingly modern. On-rails photography journeys are enjoyable thanks to a plethora of secrets, fun items to use, and consistently interesting changes to each level. Modern quality-of-life features minimize any potential frustrations with not understanding how to best plan out your runs, while a slew of side quests, online functionality, and postgame bonuses add some meaningful replayability. Though it remains technically imperfect and may not justify its price tag for all players, New Pokémon Snap is a welcome return for the spin-off series and one that Pokémon fans shouldn’t skip.

Few games offer the precise mix of escapism and relaxation that is the basis of New Pokémon Snap. It's an exquisite game that improves on its predecessor on Nintendo 64 in every way, smartly taking advantage of the Switch's merits. If you adore Pokémon, this is certainly the well-deserved vacation for you.

New Pokémon Snap is a photography game with occasionally clunky progression, but which is eager to show off its delightful subjects and let them surprise you.

New Pokémon Snap brings the spirit of the original game to a brand new generation on the Nintendo Switch. With breath-taking visuals, tight gameplay, and an unmistakable Pokémon charm, this title is a relaxing and laid-back experience worth exploring.

New Pokemon Snap is exactly what the name implies. It is a new Pokemon Snap and that’s it. It doesn’t reinvent the gameplay, nor does it add to it or even clean it up. Quality of life issues that were present in 1999 stand proudly untouched in 2021. That being said, if you just wanted another Pokemon Snap, this is exactly that. It is significantly bigger than the original, and photo editing options in combination with Twitter and Facebook integration make it a somewhat more social experience. While it is easy to say this is the definitive Pokemon Snap experience, I can’t help but find myself wanting something that truly feels new rather than simply more. New Pokemon Snap is a loyal-to-a-fault sequel, that hopefully harkens to something a bit more adventurous down the line.

But by stripping the Pokémon of anything that feels organic, Nintendo has effectively made its critters feel like wind-up toys, removing the romanticism and mystique that should always come through witnessing raw, unbridled nature. They took these untamed lands and tamed them before we even got there. Unfortunately, the resultant game is as exciting as you’d imagine.