5 tips for playing New Pokemon Snap

New Pokemon Snap is one of the best casual experiences I’ve encountered all year and while it’s a chill game, there are some things you can keep in mind that make playing a little easier or just to help you get more out of it.

A big thing to remember is that you need to get into the mind-frame that you’re going to be going back to the same stage over and over. Don’t try to knock out as many tricky moments in one run or you’re just going to spend the ride scrambling. Beyond that, here are some things to keep in mind.

Note, this may contain some spoilers for the game. Be ready.

Different thrown objects weigh differently

I know this one feels like it would be self-explanatory but I constantly forget this. Fluffruit is heavier than Illumina Orbs. Yeah, yeah, I know, shock gasp, apples are heavier than light. But when you’re experimenting and trying to see what you can do it’s really easy to forget it.

I’ve set up the angle to hit an enemy with an Illumina Orb only to then try lobbing a fruit at them only to have it drop halfway there or…dunk into lava. Likewise, a throw that will get a Fluffruit landing at the feet of a Pokemon might also send an Illumina Orb blasting overhead and into the distance.

Check it out, here. Without tilting my angle, watch how far the Illumina Orbs go than the Fluffruit.

For most of the game, it’s not that problematic. Honestly, I encountered a slew of happy accidents doing this. It’s how I discovered that Fluffruit stuck to the Cacnea in the desert as I was trying to throw it up the hill towards a different Pokemon that I just hit with an Illumina Orb and then, using the same angle, I lobbed a fruit and…shunk…stuck right to its needles.

The only time this became super frustrating though, and the moment that encouraged me to make this the first thing on my list despite seeming super obvious is when you get to the Volcano. You will be tasked with taking pictures of two Illumina Volcaronas.

To do this, you’ll need to first hit them twice with Fluffruit to put out their flames (I don’t understand how that works either) and then hit them with an Illumina Orb so their glowing patterns appeared.

I cannot tell you how many times I got their flames snuffed only to then, immediately toss Illumina Orbs into the distance missing an incredibly easy shot by laying bricks.