New Pokemon Snap has been taking the realm of the Pokemon fandom by storm, as most new games in the franchise tend to do. It brings back the completionist itch and trial-and-error fun of the original Pokemon Snap for the N64.
The first game released back in 1999, more than two decades ago. That is quite the gap in the video game industry to wait for a sequel to release. However given that amount of time, it is not surprising that the developers took their time to pay homage to the original game that started it all. Here are a few that players should look out for.
5 Todd Returns
The first and most obvious reference takes the form of Todd. The protagonist of the original Pokemon Snap makes a formal appearance as an NPC in the new game. Todd arrives early on, before the player completes the first island. He takes on a kind of "sideline mentor" role, in the sense that he gives great tips thanks to his own experience as a now world-renowned Pokemon photographer.
But that is not his only venture. Todd also seems to have a tinkerer side to his personality. Through conversation with Professor Mirror, the player learn that Todd helped design the NEO-ONE. This all-terrain vehicle is used in New Pokemon Snap and is the successor to the original game's ZERO-ONE vehicle.
4 Surfing Pikachu Pt. II
Most fans of the original game remember the first level quite well. Todd teleports in on top of seemingly an abandoned railway near a beach, and the journey on Pokemon Island officially begins. On the beach in question, a Pikachu can be found early on and is even one of the first Pokemon that players can take a photo of. Fans will be pleased to know that in New Pokemon Snap's own beach level, not just one, but two Pikachus make an appearance.
In the original game, players could lead the Pikachu to an abandoned surfboard where it would act like it was surfing. This same interaction can be replicated in a slightly different way in the new game, by getting one of the Pikachus to move towards a nearby Stunfisk. If startled, the Stunfisk will carry the Pikachu out onto the, water where Pikachu surfs on top of it in order to not fall into the ocean. It's a creative reference to such an iconic image in the Pokemon mythos.
3 NEO-ONE
As mentioned earlier, Todd helped design the NEO-ONE, thanks to all his experience with the vehicle's predecessor, the ZERO-ONE. The ZERO-ONE alone was an impressive vehicle, tackling the varied terrain of Pokemon Island with little to no issue. It could ride over land, float in water, and even hover slightly above dangerous terrain.
The new and improved NEO-ONE can do all of this and more. The most drastic changes include being able to traverse underwater and its holographic heads-up display, capable of planning routes and displaying scanner information. The NEO-ONE also appears to have a shield that may serve as protection from any Pokemon that may be too aggressive. This last feature was notably missing from the ZERO-ONE.
2 A Return for Mew
Mew has a reputation as one of the most elusive Pokemon in the world. This, of course, makes it every photographer's dream to capture on film. Both Todd Snap and the player character of New Pokemon Snap are able to have encounters with the New Species Pokemon. The way their interactions play out have a lot of similarities to one another.
The original game alluded to Mew as the final Pokemon that players would need to find. The game's opening cutscene shows Todd in a forest where, despite his best efforts, he cannot photograph a Pokemon that is flying all around him. That Pokemon was Mew. Todd had to photograph various clues in every level in order to unlock Mew's final level, Rainbow Cloud. From there, players had to try and break Mew's barrier with Pester Balls in order to photograph the Pokemon fully.
In the current game, Mew can be encountered in the jungle level after the game is beaten. The player character must also break Mew's barrier as it zips in and out between the various trees. It is a challenging and satisfying callback to the last mission of the original game.
1 Professor Oak Reference
The final reference is quite minor. However, it further integrates games like New Pokemon Snap into the relevancy and canon in regards to the overall Pokemon mythos. All Pokemon fans recognize fans the famous Professor Oak. He is the impetus of many childhood adventures and first experiences with the world of Pokemon, whether that be through the games or the original anime.
Pokemon Snap fans will know that Professor Oak was also Todd's employer in the first game. He was a mentor to him, giving him insight into the world of Pokemon and rating the photos he brought back. In one of the loading screens, New Pokemon Snap mentions that Todd once worked with another famous professor before his work with Professor Mirror. This famous professor was none other than Professor Oak.