The last time fans of the series got to see a new Pikmin was in 2004 when Pikmin 2 released on the Nintendo GameCube. Since then, Nintendo had teased at the possibility of a new Pikmin game without really committing to it until E3 2012. After finally being announced, Pikmin 3 became one of the most highly anticipated Wii U games, even before the console launched. Although it missed its initial launch window, the game has finally arrived on the Wii U and I can tell you it was well worth the wait.Story
The story of Pikmin 3 kicks off with our group of explorers embarking on a journey to find food to bring back to their planet, Koppai. As they come upon planet PNF-404, their ship crashes and they are scattered across the planet. Naturally, your new main objective is to reunite with your crew members. Through this process, the game introduces you to Red, Yellow, and Rock Pikmin. The Red Pikmin are excellent fighters and can withstand fire, Yellow Pikmin are excellent diggers and can use their bodies to channel electricity, and the Rock Pikmin are great for breaking through glass and crystal as well as doing major damage when tossed on smaller enemies.Once you have reunited the crew, you begin the major two undertakings of the game. The first is collecting as much fruit as possible (66 fruit in total). The second is finding the cosmic drive key to power your ship for the long journey home. Both objectives will take you throughout the games five distinct areas as well as introduce you to the remaining two Pikmin types: Pink and Blue. Pink Pikmin have the ability to fly which allows them to carry fruit over water and also gives them an edge in fighting airborne enemies. Blue Pikmin can swim easily in water, allowing them to take shortcuts and encounter new enemies that the other Pikmin types cannot.
Gameplay
In this game you control a group of up to 100 Pikmin, along with your extra squad members. If need be you can break up your team into smaller groups, with each of the three squad members controlling their own group of Pikmin. The Wii U gamepad allows you to direct your extra squad members with a “Go Here†function that lets you map out a path for them to follow while you wrap up things on your end.Your quest for fruit is out of sheer necessity. At the end of each day, you will consume one container of juice. Once you run out of juice containers, the game is over. Each fruit you collect can help fill up a juice container; some fruits will give you three full containers while others only supply half a container. Needless to say, the more fruit you collect, the better.
Fruit can be found either out in the open, hidden behind a puzzle, or guarded by a boss. Fighting the bosses for fruit is the highlight of this game. The scale of the bosses in Pikmin 3 is quite impressive with some too tall to fit on the screen! Boss fights also keep you on your toes: once you think you have figured out a boss’s attack pattern, they will switch it up, forcing you to adapt rather quickly. The boss fights often require a lot of strategy and planning. Luckily, if you run out of time (or Pikmin) while battling a boss, you can end the day and return later with the boss’s health being left the same from your previous encounter.
Controls
Controlling 100 Pikmin at a time isn’t easy, but luckily the controls are up to the task. The preferred method of control is the Wiimote + Nunchuck. The game is also playable on the gamepad and Wii U pro controller, but both inputs are inferior to the Wiimote’s IR aiming. Aiming and tossing Pikmin is incredibly easy with the Wiimote, and sending all of your Pikmin at a target with your “Charge†command by shaking the Nunchuck becomes second nature.Closing Thoughts
Having never played Pikmin before, I wasn't quite sure what I was getting into with Pikmin 3, but what I found was an amazing game. Exploring the five unique areas of the game is enjoyable and defeating all of the enemies along the way as well as collecting all of the fruit is extremely satisfying. Nintendo obviously put a lot of care into this game with lots of neat little touches such as the Pikmin humming a song as you run about. Graphics on this game are pretty well done. Some areas could use a little higher resolution textures (mostly the ground textures), but detail on the fruit and enemies is about as much as I'd expect from a first party Nintendo game. With all that said, I highly recommend every Wii U owner to go out and buy this game immediatelyFinal Score: 9.0/10
Last edited by a moderator:
