New Pokémon Snap: Four-Star Photo Guide | CBR

New Pokémon Snap is the sequel fans of the Nintendo 64 classic have been waited for. It keeps the basic photography gameplay of the original intact while taking advantage of the many advancements that have taken place in the decades since, both in terms of graphics and the Pokémon franchise itself. Much like in the first game, players can earn points based on the general composition and quality of their photos, which is judged by Professor Oak in the original and by Professor Mirror in New Pokémon Snap.

Points, however, aren't the only way that photos are evaluated. There are also star ratings assigned to individual photos that rank the best pictures of each species of Pokémon. However, there is a different between taking a photo that earns more points and taking one that earns the maximum four stars -- and the exact requirements for taking a four-star photo can be confusing.

RELATED: New Pokémon Snap Is (Surprisingly) the Most MORBID Pokémon Game

The first thing to know about star ratings is that they aren't really affected by the overall composition and quality of a photo. Instead, players looking fill their Photodex with different star ratings should try to capture rare and interesting Pokémon behaviors that they haven't taken pictures of before. Stars themselves can have different colors: bronze, silver, gold and diamond. These colors are where photo quality is taken into consideration, as they depend on the number of points the photo earns. In other words, getting a four-star rating on a photo isn't about quality, but getting four diamond stars on a photo is. The number of stars depends on how unique the Pokémon's behavior in the photo is.

This is where things get even more complicated, as what behavior is considered rare is unique to each Pokémon species. For instance, snapping a photo of a Pokémon sleeping might be worth four stars in some cases, but when the subject is a different Pokémon, it could only be worth one star. Generally, the more frequently a player sees a Pokémon doing something, the fewer stars it'll probably be worth. Additionally, some Pokémon won't perform their rarest behavior on a course's first level, meaning players won't be able to four-star every Pokémon in an area on their first ride.

RELATED: New Pokémon Snap Brings Back a Classic Character

Much like in the original Pokémon Snap, players will need to experiment with what items they use on what Pokémon to coax out unique behaviors. These interactions tend to be four-star-worthy shots, so it's worth experimenting.  It'll also be worth trying to grab the same shot multiple times to max out the star color along with the number of stars themselves.

Time of day also matters for certain behaviors. For example, the four-star shot for Pinsir and Heracross can only be snapped in the nighttime variant of Nature Park. Exploration and item experimentation are key to getting pictures of rare behaviors, though this may only be a completionist goal. There does not appear to be any unlock specifically tied to filling the Photodex with four-star photos of every Pokémon.

That being said, four-star photos reward players with more Expedition Points, which helps players unlock more areas and paths. Players get expedition points for pictures of a Pokémon's four-star behavior even if they've previously captured it, so identifying some "rare" behaviors that are easier to find can help players reach higher levels for each course.

Keep Reading: New Pokémon Snap's Main Legendary Is a Deep Cut (But It Makes Sense)