I’ve been reluctant to replay Super Metroid for some time now out of fear the game hasn’t held up as well as I previously thought. After all, it has been nearly thirty years since its initial release. It turns out these fears couldn’t have been more unfounded; if anything, my most recent playthrough only solidifies my belief as to what a timeless game this truly is. This begs the question: how is it that a game from 1994 is still arguably the best of the subgenre it laid the blueprint for?

For starters, this game has quite an unsettling tone. The moody soundtrack, crisp sprites, expressive color palette, and sense of isolation help to establish a thick atmosphere that is unmatched by any of its contemporaries. In this regard, it’s difficult for me to fathom just how far games advanced in the nine short years between the release of the original Super Mario Bros. and Super Metroid. I can’t think of another game from that era that evokes such a claustrophobic feeling.

The environmental storytelling is also top-notch and allows the gameplay and progression systems to be front and center without being bogged down by cutscenes, unnecessary dialogue, and tutorials. The way the game refuses to hold your hand, and instead subtly and organically guides you in the right direction using colored doors and native wildlife, is proof that "show, don't tell" is just as applicable in video games as it is in formal writing.

Upgrades and items are found at a steady rate, giving the game impeccable pacing and an addicting gameplay loop. Even ten years since my last full playthrough, I can still remember most of the secrets tucked away in the dense world of Zebes. This is a testament to the individuality of the game’s many rooms and how memorable the overall map design is. Because there’s always something to stumble upon, it never feels frustrating to get lost, and there is immense satisfaction in piecing together the game world and the way it flows to create one giant labyrinth.

Jumping is definitely floaty which might turn some people off, but it works to great effect once you understand how crucial momentum is to the platforming. The momentum-based physics in tandem with the wall jumping mechanic allow for some inventive, varied sequence breaking techniques that offer much more experimentation than any of the subsequent 2D Metroid games. Replaying the game and understanding just how many options are there right from the beginning allows each playthrough to feel fresh and engaging by taking slightly different routes and shortcuts.

Super Metroid is one of the most important games ever made because of the way it reinvented what a platformer and adventure game could be, and for the tremendous amount of influence it would have on ensuing games from various genres and developers. Sure, you can split hairs over its weapon cycling, relatively primitive menu map, and finicky wall jumping mechanics. The reality is, though, that no game is perfect. Once you come to terms with this, it’s clear the totality of this game transcends any minor flaws it might hold. Super Metroid has often been imitated, and while some games have come close to matching its greatness, whatever magic it holds has never been fully duplicated. It’s one of my first answers to the question, “What game do you wish you could experience again for the first time?”

A must play.

Pikmin 3 scratched my collectathon itch and clicked with me in a way that few games ever have, so making a worthy follow up would be a tall task, especially with the series remaining dormant for so long.

One of the most significant changes in Pikmin 4 is the change from a top down camera angle to one that you have complete control over. You can manipulate the camera at any time, including to a third person perspective, resulting in the game feeling less like an lite RTS and more like an action-adventure. This new camera works to the game's benefit by increasing the scale and scope of the world, or at least giving the illusion of doing so. Really, the surface area of the world isn't that much greater than in Pikmin 3, but the change in perspective does give that impression. The increased draw distance from the third person camera allows you to see more details and objects off in the distance, such as watering cans, shovels, and lawn chairs, emphasizing more than ever that humans used to live on this planet. The newfound freedom in regard to the camera is going to make it hard for the developers to revert to the old style going forward. This is an amazing change and the new standard for the series.

Pikmin 3 is a decade old at this point and still looks great to me, but Pikmin 4 is, without a doubt, one of the best looking games Nintendo has ever produced. The realistic aesthetic from the past games has been dialed back ever so slightly in favor of a more cartoony approach. If you played a lot of Pikmin 3, this is immediately noticeable with some of the enemy models appearing to be cleaner and sleeker, but less gritty. I'd compare this change in the art style to going from Super Smash Bros. Brawl to Super Smash Bros for Wii U, but less drastic. Honestly, you probably won't even notice it unless you've played a lot of Pikmin lately. There is some pop-in here and there (mainly in the basecamp hub area), but again, most people more than likely won't notice. This game is lush and gorgeous; they did the absolute best they could given the hardware limitations.

Nintendo is trying to appeal to a wider audience with this game by taking an accessible approach to the controls. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the game's new auto-aiming feature that automatically targets the nearest object of interest, which takes most of the skill and control out of aiming, and makes it difficult to target exactly what you need when multiple objects are crowding a small space. Instead of both strafing around an enemy and aiming your cursor like in Pikmin 3 and Pikmin 3 Deluxe, aiming is now only done by strafing. This control system mostly works fine, and it's not a game ruiner by any means, but it's undoubtedly shallower than before.

In addition to the auto-aiming, there's a new feature that pauses your ability to add Pikmin onto an object once you have the minimum amount required to carry it, forcing you to wait a couple seconds before adding more. I understand the developers are attempting to prevent the player from placing more Pikmin onto an object than they need, but this change makes it unnecessarily cumbersome to quickly move an item with extra Pikmin. Bafflingly, neither the auto-aiming nor the pause-and-wait features can be disabled. I'm all for accessibility options, but forcing them on veteran players is somewhat disenchanting. These flaws could've been avoided entirely by simply giving the player the option to turn them off. If you want to reinvent the control scheme, fine, but there's a perfectly workable control setup from Pikmin 3 Deluxe that could've been ported over as well. This seems like such a low hanging fruit to include as a secondary control setup; giving options to the player is always a good thing.

Beyond these issues, there is a small annoyance here and there where dialogue from the captains will pop up in the middle of the screen, slightly obstructing your view and attempting to hold your hand. Again, it would be nice to be able to turn this feature off, but this one is so minor that it's barely even worth mentioning.

Fortunately, the other new quality of life additions go over far better, such as the ability to program item and menu shortcuts to the d-pad, rewind time if you mess something up, and the game prioritizing leaf over flower Pikmin when targeting nectar. The Piklopedia and Treasure Catalog also return in their best forms yet. I love viewing the enemy and treasure models in more detail, and reading the amusing descriptions from the captains adds a lot to their personalities. Some of the writing here is genuinely witty and funny; you can tell a lot of effort went into this.

I won't spend too much time on the story since the series has always been light in that department. Some of the narrative here is told in a purposely ambiguous manner, and there are certain lines that lead me to believe this retcons the past games and reboots the series. This makes Pikmin 4 the perfect place for newcomers to jump in, but I'm sure some fans will find the approach they take here disappointing. Personally, I can't say I feel too strongly about this either way. I've always played these games more for the experience than the narrative.

There are numerous NPCs - a first for the series - who serve as vessels for the various side missions, most of which will be completed naturally just by playing through the game. The NPCs compensate you handsomely in the form of raw materials that can be used to purchase items and character upgrades from the basecamp shop. The developers would've been better off changing some of these rewards; by the end of the game you'll have more than enough materials to purchase everything, so the missions end up feeling pointless once you clean out the upgrades from the shop. Perhaps completing NPC requests could unlock Dandori Missions specific to that character, or the ability to play as them? I don't know, I'm not a game developer, but the excess amount of raw materials you collect doesn't always feel that rewarding. This is an element of the game they can refine in the sequel.

The beginning of the game definitely has a propensity to talk your ear off; however, the dialogue can be skipped which is a positive for future playthroughs. Just like the Piklopedia, the writing has some charm, but the prologue unfolds at a slower pace than I would like.

Oatchi the Dog is a new second playable character in lieu of the captains from Pikmin 3. Functionally, he acts as a cross between a captain and a Pikmin, with the ability to throw and whistle Pikmin, fight enemies, carry treasure, rush forward and slam into objects, swim, and jump. While I love his design, concept, and overall early game balance, he quickly becomes an absolute powerhouse in the mid and end game through upgrades learned at the basecamp. These lite RPG elements give the game an additional sense of progression, but you're limited on which ones can be unequipped in the menu. Gear in the form of health bonuses and elemental resistances may be unequipped at any time, which is basically a must to add an additional tinge challenge to the game, but learned skills that increase his carrying potential, digging speed, and strength are permanent. Because Oatchi's purchasable skills trivialize much of the game's combat and can't be unlearned, I suspect most players wanting some semblance of a challenge will regret their decision to purchase them all. This shouldn't be an issue on subsequent playthroughs because you can simply avoid making purchases and learning skills you don't want, but the option to unequip and unlearn anything and everything you purchase from the shop should still be in the game. In a sense, these could act as minor difficulty sliders that give novice players the ability to equip Oatchi with buffs without saddling skilled veterans with them after making an unsuspecting purchase.

Balance issues notwithstanding, Oatchi is fun to use and controls really well. His ability to jump adds some fun platforming elements to the gameplay, and gives the areas a stronger sense of verticality. Because of the increased number of ledges that often only Oatchi can clear, I didn't split up and multitask nearly as much as I did in Pikmin 3, but it's something I'll explore more on my next playthrough. If Oatchi is brought back in future installments, the developers either need to tweak the way his upgrades are handled, or design more enemies around his unique capabilities.

Pikmin 4 makes a weird change and differs from past titles in that you can only have three Pikmin types with you on the field at once. I was optimistic this would add some strategy and careful decision making about which types to bring with me, but this never comes to fruition because there's an in-game recommendation for which ones to bring with you at the start of each area and cave. This new system is definitely a downgrade as it doesn't add any strategy and only serves to simplify the game for new players.

Two new Pikmin types are introduced here, the first being Ice Pikmin that have the power to freeze water, giving you the ability walk on top of it. I enjoy that this gives you another way to manipulate the environment, but it ends up being an underutilized mechanic because Oatchi can safely transport Pikmin across every body of water in the game (there is an interesting Dandori Challenge that utilizes the freezing mechanic better than anything in the game’s main areas). They can also freeze enemies for a few seconds, preventing them from moving or attacking. The developers attempt to balance this by having the enemy shatter when defeated in a frozen state, leaving you without a carcass to take back to base, but it never really matters because you’ll have a plethora of extra Pikmin in your onion at any given time. I feel like Ice Pikmin are mainly included as a way to make the game easier for new players. Their inclusion in future games should be more puzzle-centric and less combat-centric. The other new Pikmin type is the Glow Pikmin, which can only be used during night expeditions or in caves (I'll go over the Glow Pikmin more in a subsequent section).

Some of the other Pikmin types sort of lose their niche because Oatchi has a wide range of utility and several overlapping qualities with them; for example, Oatchi is immune to water and can swim like Blue Pikmin, carry heavy objects like Purple Pikmin, fight well like Red Pikmin, and so on and so forth. I honestly struggle to think of any sort of usefulness Rock Pikmin have in this game, which is a shame because Pikmin 3 featured them quite heavily. There aren't that many breakable objects in this game, and the ones that are there can be destroyed using Oatchi. Their AI is much improved, however. No longer will they bounce off a pellet and just sit there. In fact, the general Pikmin AI is improved across the board. They follow your captain's path much more closely and it's rare for them to get stuck behind walls. Winged Pikmin have a fair amount of utility because they're still the best transporters, though their pathing got slightly nerfed. White Pikmin have an entire postgame area based around their poison immunity, so they have some usefulness. If I have to choose one, Yellow Pikmin probably see their stock drop the most - there's just not a lot of electrical hazards or puzzles in this game, so choosing to take them with you is hard to justify. Also, Oatchi can reach treasure on high ledges, so, yeah, Yellow Pikmin are fairly useless.

Pikmin also have the ability to ride on Oatchi which reduces your squad's hurtbox size; I'm not too fond of this because it removes the risk and vulnerability from navigating the world with a large group. From the ride position, Oatchi can rush your Pikmin forward and slam into an enemy, causing them to spill on top of your foe. In tandem with the Ice Pikmin, this maneuver effectively ends most encounters before they even begin. If it were up to me, I would completely remove the rush mechanic, or at least give you the option to disable it; currently, it's too overcentralizing. Although I like the wide variety of Pikmin types this game offers, I wish there were more opportunities to put their niche characteristics to good use.

One of my main hopes going into Pikmin 4's story mode was that the areas would be more experimental in terms of their themes and biomes. Up until this point, the areas contained within the main campaigns have followed the seasonal themes of spring, summer, fall, and winter. Pikmin 2 tested the waters with some eccentric cave biomes (namely the toybox), but it wasn't until Pikmin 3's multiplayer that they started to tap into the full potential of what a Pikmin level could be. The abandoned construction site, jigsaw fortress, and Christmas-themed level progressed the series beyond the natural gardens of the originals and into something more imaginative, standing as proof that Pikmin levels could be increasingly peculiar without being too gimmicky or sacrificing gameplay. After playing those levels in Pikmin 3's side modes, I was optimistic that Nintendo would extend those ideas into this game's story mode, if only they try to make a concerted effort to step outside the seasonal restrictions from the campaigns in the first three games. All of this is to say that while I'm not sure any of these areas reach the heights of the Christmas level from Pikmin 3's mission mode, the developers do experiment with some new and interesting archetypes in the second half of the campaign, which is a joy to see. All six areas are fun and vibrant, and feel more dynamic as a result of the new camera. The beach area feels particularly dynamic with the way the water level drops, making you plan on which sections to explore based on what time it is during the in-game day. I don't want to get too specific on the last couple of areas in the game for fear of spoiling them, but the fifth one has to be my personal favorite because of its fire mechanics and central set piece. These areas also ditch the interconnected loading chambers from Pikmin 3 in favor of a more seamless design without loading screens. This is easily the best set of areas in the series yet.

All of the enemies in this game are really unique and creative, but the ones in the main areas don't ever respawn, which is a weird change and just a bad idea all around. If you ever want to return to a previously explored area, it feels pointless and lifeless because nothing is populating the world. Also, by the time you get access to the pink, white, and purple onions in the end game, you'll have killed most of the enemies in the game, so there's not a good incentive to propagate more and play around with them. In this regard, the sense of progression feels off.

A couple of the new gameplay ideas they introduce work really well, the first being the ability to move your ship to multiple spots in each area. This increases your overall efficiency by cutting down the time it takes to bring an item back to your ship. I foresee this being doubly important for speedrunners trying to beat their best time, and considering how many times I've played through Pikmin 3 over the years, I'll inevitably learn to push this mechanic to its full potential as well. I also like the idea of Flarlics and how they work as a secondary progression system. These are hidden garlic-like objects that increase your squad's maximum Pikmin limit by ten, up to one hundred. No longer are one hundred Pikmin just handed to you within the first couple of days. Just like the ability to move your base, this opens up potential for new and more efficient gameplay paths in future playthroughs once you understand which ones can be collected the fastest. Even outside the context of speedrunning or trying to beat your best run, it's satisfying to see your squad's numbers slowly increase in size over the course of the game. Both of these new gameplay additions hit the mark.

The dungeon-esque caves that were absent from Pikmin 3 make a triumphant return. In terms of design and mechanics, these are a huge step up from the ones introduced in Pikmin 2. The procedurally generated layouts of Pikmin 2's caves are scrapped in favor of a more deliberate and purposefully crafted design, allowing for puzzle elements to have a stronger presence. Mechanics like switches, conveyor belts, fans, bouncy mushrooms, and climbing ropes are used to reach the end of each floor, and while none of the puzzles here are brain busters, they do give the caves some much needed variety. As a result, the caves feel more unique and balanced, and slightly less combat centric than in the past. Pikmin 2's caves are full of jank, such as random falling boulders and bombs that take out your whole squad, forcing you to reset the game. None of that jank is in Pikmin 4, but if you do mess up, the new rewind feature allows you to instantly reset without turning off the game. The only downside to the caves is that there aren't a bunch of new themes; a lot of the cave themes feel like remastered versions of the ones from Pikmin 2. The only new one that has stuck with me is the aquarium. Still, I commend them for taking a weakness of Pikmin 2 and flipping it into a strength of Pikmin 4.

The bosses at the end of each cave mostly have colorful and creative designs. I say mostly because a couple of the bosses are just larger versions of regular enemies with no unique features, leading me to believe the developers ran out of time to develop a few more unique designs. There's also nothing on the scale of the bosses from Pikmin 3, which strikes me as weird because you'd assume the developers would design bigger bosses to take advantage of the game's new camera system. Regardless, there are some clear standouts among the new bosses, my favorite being Groovy Long Legs (sure to become a fan favorite). Some classics from Pikmin 2 also return, such as the Empress Bulblax, Man-at-Legs, Giant Breadbug, and more. There's something here for everyone.

The hardest bosses are contained within the last cave of the game. This is a boss rush challenge against previously fought bosses in remixed arenas. The difficulty spike is quite stark, so I can see this frustrating new players, but I guess that's why the rewind feature is there. I love this area because it forces you to take a new perspective and employ new strategies to take out bosses that previously didn't pose much of a threat. It's quite long, too. Two thumbs up for this cave.

Dandori Challenges, a rebranded version of the Mission Mode from Pikmin 2 and Pikmin 3 where you try to collect everything in a level before the time expires, are implemented into the story mode this time around in the form of caves in each area (you can later replay them at the basecamp if you want to beat your high score and try for a platinum medal). I view the missions from Pikmin 3 as the full realization of Miyamoto's original vision for the series - seeing your Pikmin run back and forth like worker ants, the way they force you to optimize your multitasking skills, and creating incentives for the player to replay them over again to achieve a better time in the form of medals - this is all great stuff. In fact, it's one of my favorite side modes in any game, ever. Mechnically, the Dandori Challenges in Pikmin 4 function just as well as the missions from Pikmin 3, and again manage to be one of my favorite parts of the game, gameplay-wise. Unfortunately, the feature from Pikmin 3 where you can upload your best score and see where you rank relative to other players in the world is gone. This was a primitive feature, sure, but I was hoping they would expand on it by giving you the ability to save your replays and challenge your friends' ghosts, not scrap it entirely. I'm holding out hope they'll add more features to this mode in a future patch. Also, I know this is nitpicking, but I wish you could access these more quickly from the main menu of the game instead of having to go into your story mode save file to do so.

Night expeditions are one of the new features in story mode. While these aren't unplayable by any means, the mechanics and tactics in this mode strike me as a bit underdeveloped and surface level. The goal is to protect one or two bases from oncoming enemy forces, essentially playing out as quasi-tower defense missions that make use of Oatchi and the new Glow Pikmin. The differences in the way the Glow Pikmin function from the other types are only minor, as they don't propagate from pellet posies or enemies, but instead from glow pellets randomly found throughout the area. They can also use a charge attack that stuns and defeats most enemies in one or two hits. The skill ceiling and potential for strategy here is low, and the optimal play is to constantly spam this move on the bigger enemies while Oatchi protects the base. Some of the later missions do introduce tougher enemies, but none of them are that difficult, and the basic strategy remains the same. Some of the problems with these night expeditions could be remedied by adding an endless mode with increasingly difficult waves of enemies, original stages, new Glow Pikmin abilities for specific enemies, and more than two bases. These are a fairly small portion of Pikmin 4 (you can beat them all in a couple of hours), and even though they're a bit mindless and one-note, their impact on my enjoyment of the game is negligible.

Beyond the main story, there is some optional content to keep you busy. Olimar's Shipwreck Tale is a side mode where you play through a reimagined version of the first Pikmin title within remixed areas of Pikmin 4. If you want to fully contextualize the plot, this mode is a must because a few unanswered questions from the story mode get resolved here. They do a great job of keeping the spirit of the original Pikmin fully intact by implementing a 15 day limit to find all of Olimar's ship parts, giving it more tension when juxtaposed with the relaxed vibe of the story mode. It's only a couple hours long, but this is a perfect example of a developer going the extra mile and including side content that's actually meaningful.

Upon completing Olimar's side story you gain access to the Trial of the Sage Leaf, home to ten of the toughest Dandori Challenges in the game. They're worth doing as soon as you can because this is how you unlock the elusive white and purple onions. A few of these missions make it genuinely tough to achieve a platinum medal; the last one in particular took me well over twenty tries. These are a breath of fresh air after a mostly easy game. Honestly, I'd kill for a side game in the same vein as Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker that has nothing but these challenging Dandori Missions. A man can dream, can't he?

This game is sure to keep you busy for a while if you plan on doing everything the single player mode has to offer. My completion time was about 40 hours, and that includes 100% completion in the story mode, all of the side modes, and platinum medals on the Dandori Challenges. Frankly, I wasn't expecting it to be this long because the other games are much shorter, but I'm not complaining. It's a welcome change.

The multiplayer features, or lack thereof, is where Pikmin 4 really paints itself into a corner. In Pikmin 3, you had the option to play true split screen co-op in the Mission Mode. Pikmin 3 Deluxe went even further and allowed you to play through the entire story mode in split-screen. These co-op modes allowed both players to control separate squads of Pikmin. Instead of expanding on this feature, Pikmin 4 removes it entirely and relegates the second player to an on-screen cursor they can use to throw items and disrupt enemies (think Super Mario Galaxy). Calling it half-hearted is being generous. I can't imagine anyone other than young children actually wanting to play this way.

Worse yet, the stellar Bingo Battle from Pikmin 3 has been scrapped in favor of Dandori Battle. I'll be blunt: the new battle mode is a downgrade in every way. The nuances and subtleties that made Bingo Battle one of the best multiplayer Nintendo experiences ever - fighting over cherries, carefully strategizing and blocking items from your opponent's bingo card, the large number of detailed maps (thirty-six variations in total), and the careful balance between chaos and strategic planning - are now gone. Instead, this new mode is time based, less calculating, collectibles respawn at random, and there's only six maps, most of which feel a lot smaller and more generic than its predecessor. I know Bingo Battle is a very high bar to clear, but why even bother including a battle mode if you're only going to make six maps? Look, I'm sure there's some fun to be had here, but Dandori Battle doesn't hold a candle to Bingo Battle. If I want a fleshed out multiplayer experience, I'll just return to Pikmin 3.

Pikmin 4 gets a lot right and feels like a natural evolution of the series. The areas are the best in the series, caves are implemented much better than in Pikmin 2, the campaign is the most robust offering to date, Dandori Missions are addicting and well designed, the updated camera system gives new insight into the world of Pikmin, the visuals are beautiful, there are some smart new quality of life and gameplay changes sprinkled throughout, and the general gameplay loop of exploring, defeating enemies, and collecting treasure is still as fun as ever. It does have some issues, though, and in its current form I don't think it will have the longevity and replayability of Pikmin 2 or Pikmin 3 for me. Some of the flaws are inherent to the design of the game, but others are fixable if they choose to update it (it's worth noting this is a review of the launch version of the game, Ver. 1.0.1). I'd be shocked if this game doesn't get downloadable content, so hopefully in future updates they can rebuild the multiplayer features and battle mode to their former glory, add additional control options (specifically the one from Pikmin 3 Deluxe), and add more Dandori Challenges. If they can do that, I can see myself slightly bumping my score.