Pikmin (New Play Control!)

Pikmin is a port of a Gamecube game released several years ago, in which having played myself was a huge fan. Sadly, the gamecube was doomed to obscurity and so this game didn't reach the audience it deserved.

For those who weren't lucky enough to play it the first time around, you take control of Cpt. Olimar who crash lands on a distant planet and has 30 days to recover his lost spaceship parts, with only the aid of the local creatures known as pikmin. Pikmin are tiny plant-like beings who seem to (luckily) obey every order issued by Olimar.
Just like ants, Pikmin are pretty much useless on their own but as the saying goes "There's safety in numbers". You can have up to 100 pikmin on the field at one time and can order them to fight, build, destroy or carry anything from local hostile wildlife to your missing ship parts. With 3 varieties of pikmin, each with their own strengths and weakness you'll have to assess each new situation/enemy carefully to decide which to… more »

Pikmin is a port of a Gamecube game released several years ago, in which having played myself was a huge fan. Sadly, the gamecube was doomed to obscurity and so this game didn't reach the audience it deserved.

For those who weren't lucky enough to play it the first time around, you take control of Cpt. Olimar who crash lands on a distant planet and has 30 days to recover his lost spaceship parts, with only the aid of the local creatures known as pikmin. Pikmin are tiny plant-like beings who seem to (luckily) obey every order issued by Olimar.
Just like ants, Pikmin are pretty much useless on their own but as the saying goes "There's safety in numbers". You can have up to 100 pikmin on the field at one time and can order them to fight, build, destroy or carry anything from local hostile wildlife to your missing ship parts. With 3 varieties of pikmin, each with their own strengths and weakness you'll have to assess each new situation/enemy carefully to decide which to use.

Thankfully with the popularity of the Wii, Nintendo have re-released some of it's better titles with some extras added to enhance the experience. Pikmin features new motion controls and an improved save function that allows you to restart any day.
"New motion controls? big deal!" I hear some people say, but using the remote to control the cursor makes to so much easier to aim and control your pikmin and honestly feels like an improvement upon the original. Now if you can see a pikmin even on the farthest edge of the screen you can call it, while previously you'd had to have run into range. Each level is timed which helps adds to the strategic side of things, should you push for that extra spaceship part or spend time harvesting more pikmin?

This newer update is a welcome addition to the Wii's library and although people have said to buy the gamecube version, I'd have to advise the opposite. The improved control scheme and save function more then make up the difference.

However, Pikmin still remains to be a short game and I managed to complete the story and all 30 spaceship parts within 5 hours easily. The motion controls deffinately made the game easier so that could act as a double-edged sword when considering a purchase. Also the character models look dated, but you spend very little time zoomed in close enough to notice. The environments are still as lush and beautiful as before and you'll honestly enjoy exploring every nook and cranny.

Now with Pikmin 2 awaiting a "New Play Control!" release and the brand new Pikmin 3 being made, there's never been a better time to start plucking your pikmin!