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Retail Radar: Pikmin sprouting on 3DS

Brendan Sinclair
By Brendan Sinclair, Senior Editor

UK retailer Zavvi now accepting preorders for a handheld version of Nintendo's garden-set real-time strategy series.

At the 2008 Electronic Entertainment Expo, Shigeru Miyamoto told a room full of press that Nintendo was working on a new installment of Pikmin. While the assumption at the time was that such a project would be in development for the Wii, a retailer listing today suggests the franchise is heading to the 3DS instead.

UK retailer Zavvi has a product page up on its website for Pikmin on the 3DS. Unfortunately, there's very little substance to the listing itself. There's no product description or box art, and the March 18 release date assigned to it is questionable, considering that the system itself won't arrive in the UK until March 25. The date is especially unlikely given that Nintendo today held press events in Amsterdam and New York to reveal its launch plans but didn't even include a mention of Pikmin in its launch window lineups.

[UPDATE]: Nintendo responded to GameSpot's request for comment, saying, "We have nothing to announce at this time."

Originally released in 2001 as a GameCube exclusive, Pikmin is a console-friendly take on real-time strategy games featuring a stranded alien enlisting the local flora to comb a garden environment for various pieces of his crashed ship. The game saw a sequel in 2004, and both installments wound up being included in Nintendo's New Play Control line of GameCube games redesigned for the Wii's motion-sensing controller. However, the New Play Control version of Pikmin 2 has yet to be released in North America.

For more on the series, check out GameSpot's reviews of Pikmin and Pikmin 2.

Brendan Sinclair
By Brendan Sinclair, Senior Editor

Brendan Sinclair has been a games journalist since 1999. His tastes are eclectic, though he has a definite affinity for games with arcade roots. He's Canadian, but has also been at home in Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, and San Francisco.

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Wormkid_64 35 pts

Me want Pikmin 3.On 3DS and/or Wii.It matters not to me which.GIVE MORE PIKMIN!

enrique_marrodz 5 pts

Please!! at least a bundle with 1&2 for the Wii in America! (3)DS could be great platform too of course!

snoopy248 5 pts

YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES!

oneligas 7 pts

every time i see a Pikmin i think they look like someone crossed a alien a angler fish and a marshmallow

warhawk-geeby 108 pts

Pikmin. Never again have I spent so long wasting my days. Frickin love this game.

Wormkid_64 35 pts

I don't care what system it is on,FINALLY another entry in one of the greatest series of all time!I just can't wait for some REAL news from Nintendo. And the title just works so well on the 3DS: Pikmin 3DS.Also the 3DS has major graphics power,and so I trust it would look just as good on there if not better than on the Gamecube.It would be nice to see it released on both the 3DS and the Wii though.

FarmFreshDX 27 pts

One of Pikmin's major strengths was the graphics. The Gamecube eeked out some great-looking surroundings for Olimar in Pikmin/2 and it'd be a shame if the 3DS had to lose that quality. Also, if Nintendo makes Pikmin 3 exclusive to the DS, I'm going to be very sore that they won't finish the trilogy on a console.

IceJester45 21 pts

I was hoping the new Pikmin game would be on the Wii. Oh well...

coylenintendo 5 pts

Nintendo has been talking about a new Pikmin game for years now. it was a pretty good series back on the Gamecube. even though I don't play their games too much anymore, a 3rd game would probably be best on the Wii but I'm sure it'll be good either way.

Gelugon_baat 713 pts

Heh, this article reminds me of something that had been uttered in a recent HotSpot episode, in which one of the guests suggested that Olimar is a jerk for exploiting the Pikmin's eagerness to follow him. Now that same person is going to roll his eyes up thinking that "now Olimar can boss them around in 3D!" (Hint: This GameSpot staffer has professed no love for 3D more than a few times on the HotSpot - though he is going to buy the 3DS anyway just 'cos it's a more powerful DS.)

thaflu 5 pts

This is one of my favorite franchises. Hope its not a remake. Been waiting for another Pikmin since 2004!

Solidsnake13_2 5 pts

This will be a great game to have on 3DS and I remember that there was supposed to be a new Pikmin game in the works so this could be it, who knows. we'll just have to wait and see ladies and gentlemen

sman3579 6 pts

As long as I get a new Pikmin game I am happy.

mario-nin-freak 21 pts

They kinda jumped the gun didn't they:P

wanderz 5 pts

i wouldn't put to much hope in a retailer listing. i remember having a gamestop ad list Stars! supernova! with a price and release date.. etc.. sadly the game was never completed never mind given a release date. i'm sure there is other times it's happened especially on a web site. not to say there won't be a pikmin title for either DS, 3DS or Wii sometime but I really doubt it'll be out in march. might even be a good thing if this does create some buzz maybe it'll push them to finally release a new game.

HaloPimp978 90 pts

So glad Pikman is coming back. Though I don't think it will come out until 2012.

hm360 5 pts

Retailers don't list random stuff. They get information from somewhere, even if it's little in detail. They make the rest up to act as place-holders until the real thing comes though. It's just a way to maximise advertising time really.

Cruse34 5 pts

while that source is likely false, the story is likely true. IGN had an article on it a few weeks ago

DrEvilKoala 5 pts

That's rather disappointing. I was expecting that I would be able to play the game on my Wii... Granted, Zavvi isn't all that reliable, but I think there's a good chance that this might be true.

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