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New Pokémon Snap guide: Steelix boss tips

Use Illumina Orbs to make Steelix glow

A Steelix jumps out of a cavern, glowing with blue streaks across its body Image: Bandai Namco/The Pokémon Company, Nintendo via Polygon
Julia Lee (she/her) is a guides producer, writing guides for games like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Genshin Impact. She helped launch the Rift Herald in 2016.

In New Pokémon Snap, each of the Lental region’s areas has its own huge Illumina Pokémon. Durice’s Illumina Pokémon is a Steelix who burrows in tunnels.

On your first visit to the Durice Illumina Spot, you must photograph Steelix while the Illumina effect is in action. You can activate it by throwing a couple of Illumina Orbs at it, but you’ll need to figure out where it is in the cavern.

Steelix will dig around in the tunnels, quickly popping out of one and going into another. To figure out which tunnel it’s going to come out of, use your scan feature. Once the correct tunnel is revealed, throw a Fluffruit in it, and be ready for the Steelix to pop out shortly. You’ll know when the Steelix gains the Illumina effect, as it will glow with blue streaks across its body.

Since it moves so quickly, start throwing Illumina Orbs near immediately after throwing the Fluffruit.

As you progress through the tunnels, Steelix will lose the Illumina Effect, so continue scanning and throwing Fluffruit to repeat the process.

Keeping the Illumina Pokémon glowing is important, as it’ll pose in new ways, use abilities, or even bring out new Pokémon to photograph.

On your second visit to the Durice Illumina Spot, you’ll see more Pokémon there, like Crobat and Carbink.