Expected little more than a nostalgia trip when going back to play this game, but found it to continue to hold up really well. Mechanics were solid although could be fiddly especially when commanding pikmin or navigating them across a bridge that would inevitably lead to a mass drowning. A real charming story, Olimar's after action reports are full of small details about his life and family, and do really provide a real motivation for the player to want to finish the game. Watching the ship become slowly more complete as the game continues is surprisingly satisfying.

Now that's a game that has been haunting my backlog since I was a toddler because this game creeped me out and I doubt I'm alone on this.

Pikmin 1 is in a weird position for me, it's a really relaxing game with a pretty chill atmosphere but at the same time, it can get terribly scary due to the unknown and the time limit. This is my main issue that isn't really an issue with the game, it's the time limit! I personally hate time limits because it forces me to think fast and stress whether I can do things in time and I know that If I fail I have to do everything all over again! I don't really have much else to say about this game that hasn't been said already, I'm just wondering if anyone else also dislikes this time limit and it might be why they removed it in future entries.

Other than that this game has an incredible atmosphere that has yet to be mastered by another game that isn't it's own sequel with a really odd soundtrack, amazing character designs, and tight addictive gameplay.

Pretty curious to try Pikmin 2. I cleared Pikmin 3 years ago (which was my first Pikmin game), and remember liking it although it didn't leave a particularly deep impression.

My overall impression is this game feels a little underbaked - which makes sense because it was released one month after the GameCube launched, so it probably got rescoped at some point.

It's hard to know how much to criticize the Pikmin AI, the finicky controls. Part of that adds to its charm and I think when you see that kind of problem in a game, it's also evidence that the game is designing in a new space. Only uninteresting games have no 'problems', except for the problem of being uninteresting.

The main issue is that the combat felt a bit at odds with the enemy variety presented. Pikmin would die by the dozens, or the boss would lose half its health in 10 seconds, and I had no real sense of what I ought to be doing better.

I like the game length - nice and short, memorable levels you remember. More games should be like this! That being said, some of the level design felt like straightforward puzzles that just took time and planning to execute. Like converting blue pikmin to red to get an item through fire - idk, I think there's a more interesting puzzle direction than that. IIRC Pikmin 3 had some interesting puzzles but it's been a while.

If this game were released now I'd probably give it a 3 but it was Nintendo trying to 'casualize' RTS games, after the jump to 3D, and they really did propose some interesting solutions to making a casual RTS for controllers, so yeah it's hard to fault it too much.

The Libra and Sagittarius are souvenirs given to Olimar by his two children and are considered mandatory ship parts, yet they seem to be nothing more than two identical jewels on the sides of his ship. By not collecting these parts, you could essentially create a playthrough where Olimar's failure to leave the planet would not be from a lack of a functioning ship, but instead from not being able to live with leaving behind the gifts his children gave him. There's a lot I could say about this game, but this is the thought that sticks out to me the most.

The closest to perfect a game could ever get. This game is endlessly replayable, addicting, incredibly influential, and overall a lovely puzzle/real-time strategy game with a captivating premise. Yeah there are some glitches that make this game more realistically a 4.5, but this is my favorite game of all time if I don’t give it a 5 what will I give a 5. If you like games with puzzle elements, real time strategy elements, and remarkable landscapes, please give Pikmin a try (and buy Pikmin 4 I beg you please please please buy Pikmin 4)

This was a nostalgic game for me in my childhood. I would play this on my cousins' GameCube at a time where I was terrible at video games, so I would never really get far. Don't think I ever actually got to the blue Pikmin on my GameCube playtime. I've always wanted to beat it but haven't been able to.

When I saw they were selling it on the eShop alongside 2 which I haven't played at all, I immediately jumped at it. Finally beat it and I must say, this is one hell of a great game. I like how different it is from 3 and what I've now played of 2. The stakes are always different in each game. To me, the flat 30 day deadline makes this the most intense game of the series. I like some of the mechanics better in the other 2 and this will probably end up being my least favorite of the series, but I still think it's phenomenal. Especially through its weird amount of tension. Truly one of Nintendo's best series and I hope it finally gets its due, because they sure are treating Pikmin 4 like an event and I love it.

The music, being dropped into an unknown landscape, unusual species, the timer until you ship runs out of breathable air, muddy and dark visuals all contribute to this sense of danger and foreboding. It was overwhelming as a kid but exciting and tense now that I’m older. The UI all has this bubble rounded appearance to try and lessen the scary and tense vibes. All the sound effects are easily identifiable and appealing.

Using your pikmin is exciting and they give you many quickly to avoid the downtime of waiting for them to break down structures and carry items. Kind of feels like a gardening game when you have to wait for the Pikmin to sprout. There’s a lot of waiting in this game but I don’t really mind because I feel like there’s always something else to do or things to plan for.

Pretty linear initially. Sense of progress by showing the change in the total population of Pikmin and the number of ship parts you found. Small body of water nearby to tell the player early on that water kills Pikmin. Captain Olimar commenting on ship pieces and behaviors of the different pikmin helps you start to care for the character. The annoying thing is that part of its difficulty comes from its janky controls. Might just be the Wii motion controls though. The writing is surprisingly adult for a game for everyone. The music is phenomenal (besides final area) and adds to the foreign and dangerous atmosphere. Especially the take off music is so catchy and I couldn’t help watching cutscene over again to just to hear it (even though I’d seen it 20 times at that point). Loved revisiting it and finally playing it with fresh eyes. Such a fun little intro to real time strategy games if a bit janky. They frame your relationship with the pikmin as symbiotic; you help the pikmin grow their numbers and survive (since they can’t pluck each other from the ground or attack strategically) and they help you fix your ship to get home.

Such a delightful little game.

Lays the basic groundwork down for the rest of the series to build upon, yet its simplicity and its charming dialogue help it stand tall.

I think the 30 day time limit is a bit generous but it helps provide a unique element of pressure that the rest of the series never recaptures.