Pikmin moment
This game is such a delight… pure pikmin fun with some beautiful graphics to boot. This game feels a lot different to play with the new perspective and whatnot while still playing very similarly to the previous entries. I’d say this game is a worthy sequel in the series with some wonderful elements, although there are a few things that I gotta knock off points for unfortunately…
The presentation in this game is beautiful. It feels like the next evolution in the series and clearly a ton of effort went into the visuals and sound design. Areas like the aquarium are simply gorgeous - and set a fantastic vibe to the areas you explore. The caves I feel are the highlight in this regard, the forest-type underground area is also beautiful, the lamp posts in the background make you feel like you’re travesing through an abandoned area. The outside locations are so intricately crafted and beautiful - a ton of effort clearly went into making these areas feel both realistic and well-designed. For example, the beach level has you going through an underwater section that is really just a puddle, but it feels giant due to the perspective. I’d say that this all comes together to make the game feel vibrant and delightful to play - it’s all just so warm and inviting.
The design is also a highlight. The caves in particular are much more specifically designed and unique than in 2 - I like how each one has a gimmick and how many of them there are. I like the many references to pikmin 2 - when I heard the “relax” theme in the final challenge it had me feeling nostalgiac for a game I played only a month ago lmao. The submerged area was also a fun callback. The areas themselves are much larger and vertical which makes the sense of scale more apparent.
The story and characters are also really fun. I like the plot (a bit too much dialogue, let’s speed things up please) and seeing olimar and louie again was fun, (louie you’re a bastard) and the new characters were great. (Oatchi is creepy though, nobody will change my mind on that, why is he looking at me like that)
My main criticism with the game is with the pikmin cap and the lock-on mechanic. I really don’t like how you can only have 3 pikmin types at a time and I wish there was an option to turn it off. I get it’s an accessibility thing but the game doesn’t even really stick to it - you can get more pikmin types in the caves to increase the amount but not in the overworld? Idk. I really am not a fan. I also would like an option to turn off the lock-on mechanic, although I think it does make the game feel more “breezy” and fluid to play. I just wish there were more options, although this is nothing new for Nintendo games.
Overall, I really love this game! Wish there were more options but overall I am really glad we got another entry in the series, and I love the ambition. Really hope we get another one sometime relatively soon because I think this is a bold new entry in the series that adds a lot of cool stuff, really refines the formula. Play it if you have the chance!
This game is such a delight… pure pikmin fun with some beautiful graphics to boot. This game feels a lot different to play with the new perspective and whatnot while still playing very similarly to the previous entries. I’d say this game is a worthy sequel in the series with some wonderful elements, although there are a few things that I gotta knock off points for unfortunately…
The presentation in this game is beautiful. It feels like the next evolution in the series and clearly a ton of effort went into the visuals and sound design. Areas like the aquarium are simply gorgeous - and set a fantastic vibe to the areas you explore. The caves I feel are the highlight in this regard, the forest-type underground area is also beautiful, the lamp posts in the background make you feel like you’re travesing through an abandoned area. The outside locations are so intricately crafted and beautiful - a ton of effort clearly went into making these areas feel both realistic and well-designed. For example, the beach level has you going through an underwater section that is really just a puddle, but it feels giant due to the perspective. I’d say that this all comes together to make the game feel vibrant and delightful to play - it’s all just so warm and inviting.
The design is also a highlight. The caves in particular are much more specifically designed and unique than in 2 - I like how each one has a gimmick and how many of them there are. I like the many references to pikmin 2 - when I heard the “relax” theme in the final challenge it had me feeling nostalgiac for a game I played only a month ago lmao. The submerged area was also a fun callback. The areas themselves are much larger and vertical which makes the sense of scale more apparent.
The story and characters are also really fun. I like the plot (a bit too much dialogue, let’s speed things up please) and seeing olimar and louie again was fun, (louie you’re a bastard) and the new characters were great. (Oatchi is creepy though, nobody will change my mind on that, why is he looking at me like that)
My main criticism with the game is with the pikmin cap and the lock-on mechanic. I really don’t like how you can only have 3 pikmin types at a time and I wish there was an option to turn it off. I get it’s an accessibility thing but the game doesn’t even really stick to it - you can get more pikmin types in the caves to increase the amount but not in the overworld? Idk. I really am not a fan. I also would like an option to turn off the lock-on mechanic, although I think it does make the game feel more “breezy” and fluid to play. I just wish there were more options, although this is nothing new for Nintendo games.
Overall, I really love this game! Wish there were more options but overall I am really glad we got another entry in the series, and I love the ambition. Really hope we get another one sometime relatively soon because I think this is a bold new entry in the series that adds a lot of cool stuff, really refines the formula. Play it if you have the chance!