Pikmin 2's Japanese ship date set

TOKYO-- Nintendo has revealed that it will be releasing Pikmin 2 on April 29 in Japan. The game was originally scheduled for release late last year, but Nintendo delayed the GameCube title's launch due to development issues and to ensure that it would meet customer expectations. The only major title that Pikmin 2 will be competing with on its day of release in Japan is Xenosaga Freaks for the PS2. No American release date has been finalized for the game.

Pikmin 2 is the sequel to Shigeru Miyamoto's 2001 real-time strategy game. Players will once again assume the role of Olimar, who, this time around, deliberately comes back to the Pikmin homeworld rather than crash-landing on it. The reason for his return is the fact that back home, his company is going bankrupt. Accompanied by his assistant, Loojie, he is hoping to clear his debt by enlisting the help of the Pikmin to salvage treasure buried on their planet.

Pikmin 2 will do away with the time limits of the first game and will introduce new colors of Pikmin, as well as a split-screen two-player cooperative mode. In the single-player game, players will be able to alternate between controlling Olimar and Loojie. Pikmin 2 will feature no fewer than 60 different species of enemies--a dramatic increase from the original game. The longevity of the game will be improved greatly through its inclusion of randomly generated dungeons.