Pikmin 3 (Wii U)

[Hero]

Thoughts on the third one so far.

It's Pikmin, obviously. If you were hoping it wouldn't be about pulling Pikmin, being home in time for dinner, collecting oversized things and fighting adorable carnivores, you're shit out of luck.

If you were hoping for a game that's some parts 1 & 2 while doing an awful lot to tighten up everything, and add meaningful design decisions that open the game into as real-deal RTS as Nintendo's ever been...then you're in luck.

First thing I'd recommend - use the wiimote. The game's gonna tempt you with on-screen play and dual analog controls. Fuck that noise - if you use a wiimote you get pointer controls for directing/throwing Pikmin which is way nicer than relying on aiming with your movements. The gamepad is still incredibly useful though - in any control scheme it behaves as a mini-map on the touchscreen. As soon as you touch the screen, the action pauses and you get a chance to pan around and see where you've been, need to be, and haven't seen. On top of that, you can use the map to make a path for your explorer and Pikmin to travel, hit the "go here" icon on screen, and let them auto-pilot to a destination.

This is really helpful once you get the other explorers in your crew. Things start off with one character as an intro to the base mechanics of Pikmin. Once additional characters are added, you can use the mapping tool to give marching orders to one group of explorer/Pikmin while you control another. Or give orders to everyone and toggle between the two to make sure no unforseen issues crop up. It's a feature that could've been awful had it not been implemented with pausing, and so far it's made my days highly more efficient than in the other Pikmin games.

I'm enjoying it. I know there's some multiplayer stuff but I haven't dug into it yet. From reviews it sounds like you're doing the same things as solo, but with another person controlling a second explorer to help/screw up your day.

[Finch]

The instruction booklet for this is really thin and in 3 languages, but the covers, the little illustrations, and the Pikmin running all over the pages are fantastic. it's not as great as the Nintendo and Big Third Party instruction booklets back in the NES/ Super NES days, but it's the greatest in a while.

[Finch]

Britanny is such a greedy selfish kawaiikochan. I love her the most.

also

This game is magical but significantly more hand-holdy (and less clunky) than Pikmin 1. You can avoid the little yellow bits and make it less hand-holdy, but the baby training wheels illustrations are great and there are secret codes in some of them.


also

(actual spoiler from just before the first boss, the centipede thing)
"if you're reading this, please tell my son i didn't make it" ;_________; GOD NOOOOOOO WHYYYYYYYYYYYYY!?!!? part of me hopes that it's the real deal, part of me hopes that The Gang saves Olimar at some point

[Finch]

ALSO

Though a few reviewers have been going on about how it's a great game but doesn't need the gamepad

Setting it up on a table while you're using the wiimote and having the kawaiikos talk to you through the gamepad screen as if it was their own communication device is the most charming videogame experience thing ever. People trading in that secret element that makes little things special for mobile devices i guess

And while we're at it, people talking about porting Pikmin 3 to Wii U from Wii because wah wah wah, this game is gorgeous BUT I GUESS YOU CAN'T SEE THAT THROUGH YOUR TOO COOL FOR INNTNEDO SHADES

[kedawa]

When was it ever a Wii game?
Those guys are crazy jerks.

[Finch]

I think it might have actually been at one point. Miyamoto said something about it like in 2008. It's much better for not being a Wii game anymore. I wish i'd played it at the Wii U event last year just to see how much they polished it up since. It's weird to say it, but this game has fantastic lightbulbs.

[Shin Johnpv]

When was it ever a Wii game?
Those guys are crazy jerks.

It started life as a Wii game, and probably spent 2 years or so being dev'ed as one. Then it got moved to the Wii U and spent probably another 2 years or so there.

[George]

REally? I thought I read somewhere that originally they wanted it to be a DS or portable game, but that they couldn't replicate the feeling of Pikmin on it

[Shin Johnpv]

Maybe at some point, but in the form we see it today it started life as a Wii game.

[Melf]

So, Smurfs 2 is outselling this in Europe. Pikmin 3 went from #2 to #15 in just a week.

WTF?