A bit out of character for me, but I gave up on this game after about five hours. Although I commend Nintendo for trying to branch the Pikmin franchise into a different genre, there really didn't seem to be any unique ideas that Pikmin brought over to platforming. Maybe if I did a little research I could prove the following wrong, but I feel like this game might be Nintendo’s creative floor.

At times, it felt like I was playing a new iteration of Yoshi’s Island, but don’t read that as a compliment, quite the opposite actually. Where Yoshi’s Island gives you a charming and relaxed romp through various worlds, Hey! Pikmin just doubles down on relaxation to the point where the player is at times subdued.

The player is never placed in a situation with any stakes. The largest levels of decision making equate to should I take this detour to get more collectables or should I just keep moving towards the end of the stage. Though there are different Pikmin with different uses, the game limits which Pikmin you have access to, so you are never thinking about any unique applications of the tools at your disposal. All of this could magically change after the point where I stopped, but after five hours of droning onwards without joy it was clear the game wasn’t respecting my time.

If you’re looking for a chance to solve puzzles, apply critical thinking skills, or simply register brain activity on a fMRI; you may want to look elsewhere. If you’re looking for a way to unwind just before bed or a game to autopilot while watching a program, then maybe Hey! Pikmin is right up your alley.