Pikmin 1 didn't quite scratch my Pikmin itch as much as I wanted it to, so I sat down and played through Pikmin 3 between last night and today. The only thing I knew about this game going in is that I remembered hearing it was a little short. Compared to the dungeon crawling epic that is Pikmin 2, then yes, I suppose that's true, but I think this game was just as long as it needed to be. I collected all the fruit and it took me 36 days and about 18-ish real time hours.
This game controls totally left-handed with the Wii U tablet and with the right hand manning the stylus. Granted, plaything through the whole thing in one sitting did a bit of a number on my wrist, but I'm just gonna hope that feels better by morning XP. I'm not sure I like it better than the Gamecube controls, but I like it better than the Wiimote+numchuk controls. The only thing you can't do is direct your hoard in a direction like you can with the C-stick in the Gamecube games. Although you DO have a dodge roll you can get and activate with left and right on the D-pad which is pretty freaking sweet. Using the stylus to aim isn't an exact science, at least if you wanna play with the TV + tablet instead of just the tablet, but you get used to it pretty quick.
The graphics are BEAUTIFUL. This is one of my favorite looking games of last (this?) generation. All of the landscapes are beautifully detailed with tons of graphical detail and vibrant colors. The monsters look fantastic, and the really big ones are always a joy to even see just because of how oddball they are and fluidly they move. The level design is proper quality as well, as it always encourages you to inspect all of your surroundings to find dat fruit. Three main party members as well as a "Go To" feature on your map allows for some serious multi-tasking if you're up for it, and there are some decidedly more fiendishly hidden fruit that will require tactical use of all three members each wielding Pikmin of their own.
The combat is Pikmin as usual, more or less, but the world bosses are GREAT. One of my favorite parts of the game. This is the best the Pikmin themselves have ever been balanced, in my opinion. The two new types, rock and flying, replace the old types of purple and white, and have fantastic utility to both of them in that the flying can handle flying enemies easier, and rocks don't cling to things but do damage on impact as well as breaking enemy carapaces. Add in the exploration utility of things like the normal 3 (and yellows which are good at digging now and not nearly as useless as they used to be), and this is definitely one of the best designed games in the series.
Verdict: Highly recommended. A lot of care and detail went into this game, and it shows. It's a great adventure you can get through in a day or two, but it's a damn fun and memorable one. Definitely worth a try if you liked either of the other games even a little :)
This game controls totally left-handed with the Wii U tablet and with the right hand manning the stylus. Granted, plaything through the whole thing in one sitting did a bit of a number on my wrist, but I'm just gonna hope that feels better by morning XP. I'm not sure I like it better than the Gamecube controls, but I like it better than the Wiimote+numchuk controls. The only thing you can't do is direct your hoard in a direction like you can with the C-stick in the Gamecube games. Although you DO have a dodge roll you can get and activate with left and right on the D-pad which is pretty freaking sweet. Using the stylus to aim isn't an exact science, at least if you wanna play with the TV + tablet instead of just the tablet, but you get used to it pretty quick.
The graphics are BEAUTIFUL. This is one of my favorite looking games of last (this?) generation. All of the landscapes are beautifully detailed with tons of graphical detail and vibrant colors. The monsters look fantastic, and the really big ones are always a joy to even see just because of how oddball they are and fluidly they move. The level design is proper quality as well, as it always encourages you to inspect all of your surroundings to find dat fruit. Three main party members as well as a "Go To" feature on your map allows for some serious multi-tasking if you're up for it, and there are some decidedly more fiendishly hidden fruit that will require tactical use of all three members each wielding Pikmin of their own.
The combat is Pikmin as usual, more or less, but the world bosses are GREAT. One of my favorite parts of the game. This is the best the Pikmin themselves have ever been balanced, in my opinion. The two new types, rock and flying, replace the old types of purple and white, and have fantastic utility to both of them in that the flying can handle flying enemies easier, and rocks don't cling to things but do damage on impact as well as breaking enemy carapaces. Add in the exploration utility of things like the normal 3 (and yellows which are good at digging now and not nearly as useless as they used to be), and this is definitely one of the best designed games in the series.
Verdict: Highly recommended. A lot of care and detail went into this game, and it shows. It's a great adventure you can get through in a day or two, but it's a damn fun and memorable one. Definitely worth a try if you liked either of the other games even a little :)