5 Legendary & Mythical Pokemon that need to be in New Pokemon Snap

Meg Bethany Koepp
new pokemon snap zarude

A new Pokemon Snap game is on the way for Nintendo Switch, and fans of the original are eager to jump in and take hundreds of candid snapshots of their favorite ‘mon.

The first Snap title released on Nintendo 64 in 1999, and quickly rose to become one of the best games on the classic console. It had the player take on the role of Todd, who rode around Pokemon Island in a buggy to shoot photographs for Professor Oak.

At the end of the story, the Professor sends the protagonist up to the Rainbow Cloud level where Mew awaits. This was undoubtedly one of the best moments in the entire game as countless hours of snapping photos finally paid off.

Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno are the only other rare monsters in Snap, which made sense at the time given that Gen 2 had only just been created. Now, there’s eight Gens with over 90 Legendaries and Mythicals, making the potential for special monsters endless in the new game. Here’s five we want to see in the Switch title.

Mythical Pokemon Shaymin

shaymin pokemon forms
Shaymin has two Formes.

Shaymin made its first appearance in Generation IV’s Diamond & Pearl on DS. It boasts two formes – its Land Forme and Sky Forme – both of which would be great to see in New Pokemon Snap.

It hasn’t been in a game since Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire in 2014 – not without the use of Bank, anyway – making this the prime time to see a reappearance of the beloved ‘mon.

In the original title, Todd could make certain “secret” monsters appear with Apples, Pester Balls, or the Poke Flute, so it would be cool to see Shaymin show up in a grassy meadow or a field of flowers by using an item in a similar way.

Pokemon Forces of Nature – Tornadus, Thundurus, Landorus

the forces of nature in pokemon anime
The Forces of Nature are made up of the three Legendary genies.

Yes, this is technically three ‘mon, but you can’t have one without the others! Tornadus, Thundurus, and Landorus make up the Forces of Nature: a trio made up of tornado, thunder, and land. 

They were first seen in Black and White, and more recently appeared in Sword & Shield’s The Crown Tundra DLC during Dynamax Adventures. The genie trio would be perfect for New Snap as, like Shaymin, they also have a second form, meaning you could photograph them in both for extra points.

As for how we’d like them to appear, throwing an Apple into a small dust cloud in a desert level would be very fitting for Tornadus. Perhaps playing the Poke Flute during a storm for Thundurus… The possibilities are endless here.

Legendary Pokemon Calyrex

Calyrex is The Crown Tundra’s mascot.

Calyrex made its debut in Sword & Shield’s The Crown Tundra DLC, and is said to be the king of the Galar region. It has two forms – Ice Rider and Shadow Rider – depending on whether Glastrier or Spectrier is used to transform it.

The Pokemon would make an ideal addition to the new game as it has only ever appeared in The Crown Tundra, and because of how epic it is, it definitely deserves more screen time.

Its appearance would need to be something fit for a king, so perhaps a secret level like Mew’s in the first game. Or by playing the flute at a waterfall and a cave opens up The Legend of Zelda-style. Either way, it’d have to be spectacular.

Mythical Pokemon Zarude

zarude pokemon sword and shield
Zarude is one of the latest Mythicals in the Pokemon series.

Revealed on Pokemon Day 2020, Dual Dark/Grass-type Zarude debuted in the Secrets of the Jungle movie, and was later distributed in Sword & Shield via in-game events. It has two forms: its regular one and Dada, which gives him a pink cape with Celebi’s National Pokedex number on.

Since the simian ‘mon has only been around for a few months, it definitely needs to have another appearance. And what better than in New Snap, where players can photograph it in its natural jungle habitat? Think of how cool it would be to see the Mythical jumping through the trees.

The monkey is said to be social and lives in packs, so seeing whole hordes of the monster swing by while you ride through the bush in your NEO-ONE travel pod would be such an amazing experience.

Legendary Pokemon Cosmog

cosmog pokemon sun & moon
Cosmog is one of the main Pokemon in Gen VII.

If you played Sun & Moon or Ultra Sun & Moon, you’ll recognize this little cutie. In the games, a Cosmog known as Nebby is one of the main characters in the story, looked after by Lillie who protects it from harm. It evolves into Cosmoem, and then into either Solgaleo or Lunala depending on what version you play.

The ‘mon would be the perfect addition to New Snap due to its evolutions especially. In the original game, you could evolve specific monsters by doing certain actions, like knocking Charmeleon into a pool of bubbling lava to transform it into Charizard.

Imagine taking a photo of Cosmog to turn it into Cosmoem, and then playing the Poke Flute or using a Fluffruit to evolve it into one of the two Legendaries – it would be epic!