One of the most important controversies about the release of Pokémon Sword and Shield on Nintendo Switch was its incomplete Pokédex. At the time, game producer Junichi Masuda explained that the problems of competitive balance and development deadlines were to blame for some of the more than 800 Pokémon that no longer had an appearance, but the whole situation caused a bit of stink in line.
A very vocal group of annoyed fans and a failed boycott attempt later, these complaints have been resolved in large part, thanks in part to the fact that the game list has been expanded through the DLC, but it is still true. anger and resentment. Therefore, it is much more interesting to know how the team behind the new Pokémon Snap has decided to address the inclusion issue.
Speaking to Game Informer, the game’s director, Haruki Suzaki (who has experience with the franchise, who also directs the Pokkén Tournament), explains that choosing which Pokémon should be included was “really difficult”. Here are his full comments on the topic:
“The selection of Pokémon was really tough. My vision was to create a world where you can really imagine wild Pokémon thriving in their natural habitats and ecosystems. At first, we thought about Pokémon’s natural habitats and the fascinating landscapes and climates for “Then we reduced our decisions by balancing how different Pokémon would live in these habitats and their relationships within each environment. As a result, there are more than 200 variety-rich Pokémon that appear in this game.” .
Perhaps it is worth noting that the expectations of a “complete” Pokédex in New Pokémon Snap will be much lower; the original game, released more than 20 years ago, only featured 63 of the original 151 Pokémon, so it would make sense for a sequel to follow the same with a limited selection.
Still, it’s interesting to see that the team has made their decisions by focusing on how each monster would function within the environments created. Suzaki also notes that “I absolutely wanted to keep the basics of the base game where everyone can have fun just by watching the Pokémon thriving in nature and taking snapshots of them.”
The new Pokémon Snap will be released on April 30 for Nintendo Switch. You can check out our first impressions of the game here if you haven’t already.