Pikmin returns on the Wii U and it's still incredibly fun.
The story this time around is, once again, similar to the last two games; three explorers from the planet Koppai set out to find food for their exhausted planet. They stumble upon the same planet Captain Olimar explored and, just like Olimar before them, crash land. The trio is separated and must find their way back to each other while finding food for their planet and while trying to find the missing Cosmic Drive Key so they can get home.
The story is actually more involved here and all three characters are more than just the player character. They have their own personality and they talk to each other. The writing is nothing extraordinary, but it's charming and the characters are amusing. If the Pikmin series reaches a fourth anytime soon, I'd like to see these three return.
Of course the Pikmin run the show here. The gameplay is practically the same as in the previous game, just with some improvements. You still control up to 100 Pikmin at once and run around trying to carry objects back to your ship. The objects of the day here are pieces of fruit. The game still goes by the same day-by-day system where you need to have your Pikmin gathered before nightfall. This game introduces two new Pikmin; the pink winged Pikmin and the black rock Pikmin. The join the red, blue and yellow Pikmin from the first game, restricting the purple and white Pikmin to the challenges.
The aiming is best with the Wiimote and it plays like the Wii version of Pikmin 2 that way. You can split the three explorers up and take on multiple things at once, but this is not needed all that much. The gameplay is still extremely fun and satisfying and the bosses are as creepy as ever and even more fulfilling to take down. You can lock on to targets and send all the Pikmin in your squad to rush the target which is great for when you have the enemies where you want them. Each Pikmin still have their own properties and none of them become useless throughout the game.
You can play with the Gamepad, the Pro Controller or the Wii Mote and all are effective ways of playing the game. The best thing about the multiple control styles is the fact that you can switch between any whenever you want with the press of a button. The Wiimote with the gamepad at your side is the best way to play I found. The game isn't very long, however. It took me 11 hours to complete which left me wanting more. If you want more Pikmin, however, look no further. It's still the polished, fun, fast and satisfying Pikmin gameplay we all know and love. Pikmin pathing still has issues, but it's hard to expect different when there are 100 on the field at once.
There are also two other modes to play through, Challenge mode and Bingo Battle. Bingo Battle has you going against a friend to see who can win a game of bingo first. The spaces on the bingo card are represented by items and whoever finishes a row first wins. The challenge mode is single player fruit gathering time trial. Both aren't very deep, but they are more ways to have fun with your Pikmin.
The music is still calming and beautiful. The sound effects are still the same, though some of the Pikmin sound differently. Each of the characters have their own voices which takes us back to games like Banjo-Kazooie and Luigi's Mansion. It's all very charming and soothing.
The visuals are just as beautiful as the previous games were in their time. The environments are crisp, green and pretty and the creatures look sharp. The Pikmin still lack detail, with the exception of the Rock Pikmin, but they still look adorable as the scamper around. The player characters themselves also look good, but nothing amazing for them. The biggest visual draw everything in motion; the Pikmin battling the creepy creatures in the beautiful environments while it's raining. It's definitely up to the Pikmin standard for visuals.
PROs
- Story is actually involved
- Gameplay is still addicting and polished
- Combat is still frantic
- New Pikmin types are great new additions
- New environments look great
- Multiple control options
- Music is soothing
- Same ol' Pikmin
- More adorable Pikmin
- Wiimote controls still work great
CONs
- Same ol' Pikmin, not much has changed
- Lack of variety in environments
- A little too short
Overall, Pikmin 3 delivers on it's promise; more Pikmin. If you enjoyed the other games, you'll love Pikmin 3. It's over a little too soon, even if it is longer than the first game, but you'll have a great time with the three explorers from Koppai. It's beautiful visuals and soothing soundtrack lull you into the adorable Pikmin's trap.