Videos by ComicBook.com
Those who paid attention to New Pokemon Snap‘s marketing campaign already suspected that fish Pokemon might have it rough – Nintendo released an entire clip montage showing various Pokemon snatching Magikarp for a presumed meal. However, New Pokemon Snap quickly establishes that this extends beyond just Magikarp – other fish Pokemon are also prey too. In fact, players are encouraged to seek out these moments, scoring invaluable 4-star rating if they can capture a Pokemon chomping down on a fish Pokemon at just the right moment. For example, the best chance of getting a 4-star photo from Wingull occurs in the evening Reef course when players chuck a fluffruit at a school of Finneon. One Finneon hops up in the air and attracts the attention of a Wingull, who promptly scoops up the fish Pokemon and flies away with it for a meal. Other fish Pokemon are subjected to near-meal moments as well. For example, one iconic moment in New Pokemon Snap puts you in the middle of a school of fish as they race away from a Wailord, who seems set on feeding on one or more fish Pokemon as a snack.
While wild animals eating fish isn’t exactly a strange story, the really surprising thing about the food cycle in New Pokemon Snap is that there are very few instances where non-Water-type Pokemon are looked at as a meal. While both Squirtle and Corsola are looked at as potential meals by other Pokemon in the game, these both occur on a water course away from land. And despite the presence of natural predators like Mightyena and well-known delicious Pokemon like Bounsweet in other courses, we don’t see much in terms of land-based Pokemon looking to eat other land-based Pokemon. In fact, one of the few instances where a Pokemon is potentially looked at as a meal is a confrontation between Arbok and Wooper, the latter of which is a Water-type Pokemon! It seems that Water-type Pokemon as seen as especially delicious in New Pokemon Snap.
Outside the weird fixation of Water-type Pokemon as food, New Pokemon Snap offers fans hundreds of different interactions with Pokemon. From a Squirtle riding a Lapras to a pair of Sobble watering a pleased Venusaur, you’ll almost definitely find some sort of interaction in the game that will bring a smile to your face.
New Pokemon Snap is available for the Nintendo Switch now.
