Pokémon Snap/Getting Started

Professor Oak is a famous Pokémon researcher, and he's currently doing research on Pokémon Island. He has invited you to take pictures of Pokémon to help him complete the report.

While the main Pokémon games revolve around using pokéballs to catch all the pokémon, the objective of Pokémon Snap is to take pictures of all the pokémon, including the most elusive of all Pokémon, Mew. The reasoning behind this is that catching Pokémon would disrupt their natural state. Because of this, you are only allowed a limited number of tools, such as apples or the Pokéflute, to use in capturing pictures of the pokémon on the island.

In the beginning, you are equipped with nothing but a camera and a vehicle, known as the "Zero-One". The Zero-One will follow the same track through each course, though its speed can be adjusted. Each time you go through a course you are equipped with film good for 60 shots. At the end of each course, Professor Oak will grade each photo you've taken on subjects such as whether or not the pokémon is centered, how close you got to it, and its pose, and add any new pokémon to his report. As you take photos of more kinds of pokémon, you will be allowed to explore more courses or use more tools. In total, there are 6 courses that contain a total of 63 Pokémon.