The Pikmin series is like a downward slope to me. The very first game is such a unique thing, and no other game afterwards tries to recapture the feeling in either the story or explorable world. Pikmin 1 is a desolate lonely game that keeps you on edge for the entirety of its runtime. There were times where I rushed through the first half of this game just so I could have time to relax and explore the Distant Spring. By doing that I was rewarded with an optional boss encounter. The creatures are great. The music is great. The gameplay is simple but endlessly replayable. No other game does it better.