New Pokemon Snap categorizes each photo into four different categories. The best and most valuable photos are always 4 stars, but if you want to complete your photo album, you'll want to get photos of every Pokémon in all four star categories - ranging from 1 to 4. If you don't know how the category system works, we'll break it down and explain how to earn each type of star rating. Earning a Star Rank is different for each Pokemon, but it's also basically the same for the entire Pokedex.
New Pokemon Snap is just like the original N64 classic – you'll ride on a track through natural surroundings, snapping photos of Pokemon along your route. There are all-new ways to interact with Pokémon here, including throwing apples at them, playing music, or sending an electronic pulse to get their attention. You'll have to experiment with all of these methods to (eventually) find all the different poses for each Pokemon. Some poses belong to the same category, and some can only be available after unlocking new research levels in an area. There are three Wanted Tiers, so if you're having trouble getting those 4-Star Snaps, you might want to wait until you've unlocked the highest Wanted Tier for a location.
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How to Respond to All Requests | Florio Natural Park (day)
How to get 1, 2, 3 and 4 star snaps | The basics
All photos (snapshots) you take of Pokemon are separated into one of four categories – 1/2/3/4 stars. Images are saved for each star category and categorized individually. You can get silver/gold/platinum snaps to reach Star. The higher the star category, the higher the point value. To get the best images possible, you'll want to keep an eye out for these super rare 4 Star Snaps.
To round out your photo album, each Pokémon has a slot for all four star categories – so you'll want to get simple pictures, action shots, and whatever else you can. If you choose [Auto-Select] At the end of a research cycle, Dr. Mirror will always prioritize taking new photos for your Pokédex – he won't necessarily choose the best one, but he will always choose the best possible shot that also fills in an empty space in your photo album.
- NOTE: You DO NOT need to save a snapshot of a request to complete this request. If you already have a higher-rated 4-star snap, don't worry. You are not required to overwrite your previous snap – the request will still be considered complete.
Requests are a new feature in New Pokemon Snap. These clues will always lead you to a 4-star Snap, so try to complete them to get the rarest Pokemon photos.
How To Get Different Star Ratings | The breakdown
1 star: common images. Any snapshot of a Pokémon performing its most common behavior is a 1-star snapshot. It means either standing still, moving on the ground, or just doing nothing interesting. These are the easiest snaps to get and usually don't involve any one-time interactions.
2 stars: unusual images. 2-Star Snaps can be earned by reacting to you or performing a special Pokémon interaction - you'll usually earn them by throwing apples, using your swipe pulse to get their attention, or playing music. You can use apples to both anger or feed Pokemon, and a Pokemon that eats (or an angry Pokemon) will almost always be a 2-star snap. Performing a Swipe Pulse and capturing a Pokémon's Reaction will also give you 2 stars.
3 stars: rare images. 3-star snaps can be obtained in a number of ways: you'll need to capture rare interactions or use Illumina orbs to capture unique Pokemon poses. Try tossing apples to generate unique Pokemon reactions - if the Pokemon interact with each other, it's almost always a 3-star snap. By using Illumina Orbs, you can awaken Pokémon, make them aggressive, or make them particularly friendly. The music will also sometimes give you a special 3-star snap if you capture the dancing Pokemon.
- When exploring an environment, use Scan often to find unique points of interest. These will usually give you a hint to find a 3-star or 4-star Snap. Often drawing a Hidden Pokémon with an Illumina Apple, Scan, or Orb will earn you 3 stars.
4 stars: Legendary images. The rarest of the rare Snaps. There is no set method for obtaining 4 star images. They're all different – some are just rare interactions that you'll need to pay attention to, while others require a lot of interaction from you. Sometimes you'll need to catch a Pokemon snoring, or a Magikarp doing a huge leap out of the water, or a Pokemon falling out of a tree. You will have to try on all of your items and be extra vigilant.
The easiest way to find 4 star snaps is to Bookings. Each request gives you a clue for a specific Pokemon. If you solve the mini-puzzle, you will always get a 4-star snap. Sometimes it's as simple as just staring - you may also need to unlock research level 3 before 4-star poses/interactions become possible.
To get the rarest snaps, you should also search alternative routes. Use Illumina Orbs on the different color dormant bulbs in each area. When they light up, they can reveal Pokemon tracks – scanning those tracks will unlock alternate paths through a level that you can use over and over again unlocked. These alternate paths give you unique access to different types of Pokemon – if you want the best shots (of certain Pokemon), you'll need to find and unlock all of these alternate routes!
This covers the basics of how to get all four snap categories. Getting 1-3 star snaps is a breeze once you get the hang of it. The tricky part is finding those super rare 4-star snaps… even with clues, it's not easy. We'll talk more about how to get all 4-star snaps soon.
