Pokémon Snap course order and unlock requirements
Unlock all seven original courses and distinguish score goals from route switches.
Edition covered
Original Nintendo 64 game and its original gameplay rules. Screenshots show the Nintendo Switch Online rerelease interface. New Pokémon Snap on Switch is a different game with different courses and scoring systems.
Open courses through different kinds of progress
The seven courses do not all unlock through the same counter. Some require enough photographed species, while others require an action inside an existing course. Use the requirement table before repeating a run solely for points.
| Course | Requirement | Type of progress |
|---|---|---|
| Beach | Available at the start | Initial route |
| Tunnel | Photograph 6 different species | Report species count |
| Volcano | Trigger the Tunnel exit with Electrode | Course interaction |
| River | Photograph 22 different species | Report species count |
| Cave | Reveal the River switch with Porygon | Course interaction |
| Valley | Photograph 40 different species | Report species count |
| Rainbow Cloud | Submit all six Pokémon signs | Sign collection |
Keep a short return-trip plan
An item earned later can reveal an exit or improve a photo opportunity in an earlier course. Set a specific target for the revisit, then keep film available as the vehicle reaches that part of the route.
| Problem | Check | Next trip |
|---|---|---|
| Few species recorded | Missing encounters in earlier courses | Seek new subjects |
| Good scores but no new route | A switch or exit may be required | Inspect the relevant course interaction |
| Sign not accepted | Photograph the environmental shape | Frame the actual sign |
| Old course feels exhausted | New tools may change reactions | Return with a specific item plan |
Use the Tunnel exit deliberately
Near the end of the Tunnel, triggering the relevant Electrode’s explosion opens the alternate route toward the Volcano. Do not assume riding the course without interacting will unlock every branch.
Finish the signs before Rainbow Cloud
Oak’s Pokémon-sign assignment leads to the final course. Photograph and submit the six environmental signs; ordinary photographs of the Pokémon those shapes resemble do not substitute for them.
References
| Reference | Website |
|---|---|
| Nintendo original instruction manual | www.nintendo.com |
| Original game reference | bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net |
| Beach encounters | bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net |
| Tunnel route | bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net |
| Volcano route | bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net |
| River route | bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net |
| Cave encounters | bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net |