New Pokémon Snap captured the hearts of Pokémon fans all over the world earlier this year, delivering an modern gaming experience that remained true to the spirit of the N64 original. Starting at 6:00pm Pacific Daylight Time on August 3, players will be able to receive a free update to the game which adds three additional areas for players to explore on the map, with both day and night versions for each area. The three new areas together also feature a combined 20 additional Pokémon for players to snap and add to their Photodex, on top of the 214 already present in the game at launch. As with similar updates to other Nintendo first party titles like Animal Crossing, while players will of course need an internet connection in order to download and receive this update, Nintendo Switch Online membership is not required for players to be able to enjoy it.
Barren Badlands (Day/Night)
Players return to Volcua Island for this area, for an exploration of the badlands adjacent to the desert area. The area is scattered with a variety of unusual and dangerous features, with Pokémon hiding in nooks and crannies of the rocky terrain.
From the released screenshots, the Mightywide River appears to be a a gently-flowing river that runs alongside a forest, with players taking Pokémon snaps as they ride the NEO-ONE down the river. Though it's unclear if this is intentional, the environment seems very reminiscent of the Pokémon Island River of the original N64 game, so it's possible this area may be intended as something of a homage to that.
The player and NEO-ONE are shrunk down to miniature size for this area, resulting in all Pokémon looking like giants, and giving players a whole new perspective on Pokémon behaviour.
