REVIEW | Pikmin 3 | Michaelsblog

REVIEW | Pikmin 3

Written by Michael Richardson

Published 16 July 2018

All trademarks are properties of their respective owners.

Opinions expressed in this review are of the reviewer alone.

Game Copyright 2013 Nintendo

Wii U Exclusive

Strategic Enthrall

Strategy games are among my favorite genres. From the top down perspective and stressful nature of Fire Emblem, to the real time strategy of Valkyria Chronicles, they consistently invest me in phenomenal experiences that I remember years after completion. Therefore, I was intrigued upon the announcement of Pikmin 3, the third installment of a beloved real time strategy franchise from Nintendo that puts you in charge of a small army of warriors called Pikmin, all the while incorporating time management systems to keep players on their toes. After concluding my interstellar journey, Pikmin 3 left me with a great experience that reminded me of how innovative Nintendo can be, but was mostly hampered by the bothersome reliance on the Wii U GamePad.

Warrior Spirit

Pikmin 3 sublimely opens with commentary that details the plight the three main protagonists face. Alph, Brittany, and Charlie’s fruit loving home planet of Koppai has nearly exhausted its food supply. Consequently, they sent out drones to search for edible matter on extraterrestrial landscapes, and their search lands them on the home planet of the Pikmin, PNF-404. The adventurers are sent to the planet in hope of bringing cultivation to their starving home planet, all the while fighting to survive against their diminishing rations, and retrieve their cosmic drive key that is lost upon crashing into PNF-404 to return home. Overall, the story brilliantly serves its purpose as a segway into the gameplay. While knowledge of previous installments will help, they are not necessary to enjoying the great tale on display that includes character development, references, and humorous dialogue that kept me wanting to see the journey to the end.

While there is a base story, Pikmin relies on forming personal tales, starting with the Pikmin themselves. These small sentient creatures fight enemies, bring back resources, and create wonderfully comedic displays with their lively individual intelligence. Each of five Pikmin types: red, yellow, blue, winged, and rock, the last two are newly introduced, have their own characteristics. Red Pikmin are good fighters and fire resistant, yellow Pikmin can be thrown high, winged Pikmin can fly, and more. Additionally, the Pikmin can be thrown, whistled back, and cycled through to best fit scenarios. Each Pikmin adds a strategic layer to exploration and battling that I adored. No one type feels overpowered and as a result, I brought along a variety of Pikmin each day to oppress the game’s challenging landscapes.

While the mechanics of pikmin remain mostly the same, the inclusion of three captains greatly improves pacing because they allow for multitasking. Pikmin 3’s areas are immense, but they feel manageable and dense with three captain gameplay. Every area is packed with collectables and creatures, and combat feels very fluid and fun, helped by the game’s impressive enemy variety and bosses. These behemoths are no pushover and demand mastery of the game’s mechanics, and were satisfying to overcome. Furthermore, the Pikmin variety and combat created an experience that I found myself addicted too and thinking about after I shut down the game. Furthermore, Pikmin 3 succeeded admirably in creating a world that invested me and kept me coming back.

Similar to previous installments, Pikmin 3 employs a time management system where each limited day is roughly twelve and a half minutes. Upon completing a day, a food ration will be consumed and if you run out of rations, it’s game over and you must start from the very beginning of the game. To lengthen rations, fruit must be collected throughout the world. While I like the idea of dictating the length of the game, fruit rewarded far too much rations and consequently felt too forgiving. Collecting all the fruit permits survival for ninety-nine days, which is way too many given how easy some fruit are to retrieve. I believe the game should have rewarded one-half to two-thirds of the rations it does for each fruit, and placed larger nutrients in challenging areas instead of out in the open. Subsequently, Pikmin 3 would have felt more challenging yet still accessible.

Pikmin 3 includes various improvements over previous installments that simplify the experience. Besides more captains, instead of individual onions for Pikmin, only one exists that permits all Pikmin types to be taken out a once. Also, the motion controlled gameplay from the Wii versions of Pikmin one and two have been translated into this installment and bring a level of precision other controllers cannot offer. Also, the Wii remote can be shaken to disband pikmin, and locked onto a target to rush them. Additionally, the ability to repeat days returns and remains a great addition that alleviates most frustration from an awful day. Also, the Winged Pikmin’s flying ability permits transportation over water without need for Blue Pikmin and neglects ground enemies, and are a fantastic new addition as a result.

Some aspects of Pikmin 3 have not improved over its predecessors. Pikmin are still as dumb as ever and will get stuck to walls at nauseam, which can lead to tiring searches for Pikmin at the end of a day. And although the addition of data logs are useful by providing gameplay tips, their placement completely baffles me. To elaborate, after successfully throwing Pikmin, a data log a few feet away tells you how to throw them. Why was it not immediately given after finding the Pikmin? There are numerous more examples of poor placement, and data logs therefore feel like missed potential and should have been placed appropriately. Also, Pikmin 3’s reliance on the GamePad creates a weird gameplay exercise. While I believe the GamePad is comfortable, having to use it alongside other controllers baffles me. The in-game incarnation of the GamePad, the KopPad, displays a map with several useful features that are exclusive to the touch screen, such as an automatic captain traveling function. These options should have been utilized on the television to prevent players from constantly switching screens. Unfortunately, the best way to play Pikmin 3 is the Wii Remote, nunchuck, and GamePad combo, since the Wii remote offers unparalleled precision and the GamePad provides useful tools.

To add to the frustration, the GamePad’s user interface aggrevates. Each large area is a chore to scroll through since the GamePad has no zoom function. Also, with Pikmin hardly showing up the GamePad and each area having a confusing map layout, the KopPad easily stood out as the worst aspect of Pikmin 3 and left me wishing it had been better implemented onto the big screen.

What I was not expecting out of Pikmin 3 was it’s replayability and fantastic side content. The story encourages repeat playthroughs from displaying global leaderboards and your top five best runs. However, the side content really steals the show. Mission mode tasks a unique array of objectives in varied arenas, similar to a challenge mode. Whether I was collecting treasure, defeating enemies, or felling bosses, this mode was incredibly fun to aim for high scores in and, especially with downloadable content, I see many players coming back to. Additionally, bingo battle has you and a friend duke it out in a Pikmin-like game of bingo. Items must be collected using Pikmin that form a bingo line on a four by four grid. Opponents can be sabotaged by throwing Pikmin onto bingo grid items, or using Mario Kart style items. Bingo battle is such a creative, fun, and chaotic take on an established concept that it shocks me this mode is not online. With its many stages and plentiful local replayability, having the option to play globally would have been great in ensuring a long lasting experience. Furthermore, I hope the quality found in Pikmin 3’s side content is maintained for future installments, and bingo battle is improved to have an online component.

The presentation of Pikmin 3 is simply superb. The production values throughout the game are incredible, best exemplified through the opening and ending cutscenes. Additionally, the game is simply gorgeous and has great art direction. Pikmin has always been about little things, so it comes as no surprise that the game is expertly detailed. There are a multitudinous array of details, material shaders, and textures on display that impress. While some textures such as the grass and leaf textures are flat, they barely undermine the otherwise excellent presentation. Water ripples with every step, leaves blow with the breeze, each fruit look different to the point of edibility, and the sound of squeezing juice simply mesmerises. Also, having one hundred little sentient creatures on screen at once never ceased to amaze me. Even Nintendo knows how beautiful their game is, since there is an option to take pictures of the Pikmin which opens up mountains of creativity.

Additionally, the game ran well in my experience and employs a superb sense of humor that had me constantly chuckling. Each captain feels unique with their different voice clips and personalities, and were all a joy to experience. Also, the music suits Pikmin 3 well being more subtle and atmospheric in nature. Asuka Hayazaki, Atsuko Asahi, and Hajime Wakai composed great music for this installment that harmoniously blends with the experience. Furthermore, the presentation is among the best of any game I’ve played and impressed me throughout.

Without diving into spoilers, I must address issues regarding the final area. While not inherently bad, paired with the more calm and methodical approach of Pikmin 3 it's a shining example of a game losing itself towards the end and was a chore to get through. While it does not diminish enjoyment from the rest of the game, a reworked ultimate challenge would have benefited the experience.

Verdict

Pikmin 3 reminded me about what makes Nintendo so special. It’s a mesmerizing take on real time strategy that invested me in an addicting experience no other developer offers. Even user interface, final area, and bingo battle online issues cannot suppress the polish from the rest of the game. With a great story and gameplay, exceptional presentation, replayable side modes, all with great improvements to the Pikmin formula such as three captain gameplay that seamlessly blend together, Pikmin 3 frequently impressed me and leaves me excited for future series installments. If your interested in a real time strategy game, or a different experience in general, give Pikmin 3 a try. It will create a personal tale remembered for years to come.