They originally debuted in 2014

Remember the 3DS/Wii U era? It was a weird time, right? Tons of original games were being released left and right, and although the 3DS was helping Nintendo stay relevant, the Wii U sadly never caught on. Throughout that time the company tried all sorts of experiments, including selling three Pikmin shorts in a bundle for $4.99 on both of the aforementioned platforms. While those eShops went kaput a while back, Nintendo didn't just pull a tax writeoff and chuck them into the ether: no, they put them up on YouTube for free. In anticipation of Pikmin 4, you can watch them now!

If you're curious, one of the reasons these shorts caught on worldwide is the Mr. Bean/Shaun the Sheep effect. They contain no spoken words, so anyone can enjoy them. They also tie into the first two games nicely, without requiring any prior knowledge of the series to "get." In other words, they're perfectly crafted for Pikmin newcomers an?d veterans alike. Based on stats ??from multiple Nintendo-based YouTube channels, "Occupational Hazards" is far and away the most popular one if you want to start there.

You can catch all three of them b??elow: no 3DS/Wii U required!

Pikmin Short: Treasure in a Bottle

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANpP2PebOW0

Pimin Short: Occupational Hazards

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=233Z0WhDrak

Test

Pikmin Short: The Night Juicer

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEbPAXTYhcg

[Thanks for the reminder, Nintendo Life]

The post Oh yeah, Nintendo made a few Pikmin shorts, and you can watch them for fr??ee appeared first on Destructoid.

£53.99 for the lot

Nintendo is pushing Pikmin 4 hard before its July 21 release, and you love to see it. Like several of the publisher's older franchises, I'm always willing to let Pikmin have its time in?????????????????????????? the sun, and now you can literally do that with a set of Pikmin? vases.

Revealed b??y the My Nintendo?? Store UK Twitter account, a tri??o of Pikmin vases will release on September 15, 2023, as a "My Nintendo Store exclusive." Nintendo once again decided to go with the classic three Pikmin: red, yellow, and blue. According to the listing, the size of each ceramic vase is roughly 13cm x 5.6cm, and clock in at £17.99 each, or £53.99 for all three. That translates to roughly 70 USD. That's quite? a bit, but Nintendo has never shied away from costly merch.

//twitter.com/Ninten??doStoreUK/status/1679464884512202752

You can find them for pre-order here, along with a few other pieces of Pikmin merch. If I had to get just one, I'd go with the blue Pikmin. The open-mouth look is just so str??iking and strange: it'll be a conversation piece!

[caption id="attachment_391734" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via PlayAsia[/caption]

If you're looking for more Pikmin 4 merch, there is some out there

PlayAsia has a set of Pikmin terrariums up for pre-order now for $51.99 (USD). It's a set of six and features various events and activities from the series. Note that the pre-order deadline for the terrariums on PlayAsia is July 24, and they are available at other places like Amazon.jp, bu??t some outlets do not ship overseas.

The post Th??e My Nintendo Store in Europe is getting Pikmin flower vases appeared first on Destructoid.

Pluck me sideways

There’s no real reason why I should love Pikmin as much as I do. On paper, the idea of having a s?alad army run around picking up rocket parts doesn’t sound too exciting. However, Nintendo hooked me right away back in 2001. My new GameCube was hungry, and I was eager to feed it more.

Nowhere has my enthusiasm for the game been tested quite like with the wait for Pikmin 4. Shigeru Miyamoto first teased us about it back in 2015, and then Nintendo remained coy about it until just recently. Pikmin 4 is finally happening??, and it’s hap??pening very soon.

So, while I eagerly sit here, chewing on my fingernails and waiting for it to reach my local game shop, I’m going to take a look back at the series up to this point. Once the new game does reach my big meaty claws, I’ll circle back and update this list. But for now, here are all the Pikmin games ranked.

5. Pikmin Bloom

I can’t fault Niantic for continually trying to build on their success with Pokemon Go, but I feel like Pikmin Bloom is kind of a demonstration of their dearth of innovation. In general, it feels like a pretty forceful shoehorn of the Pikmin concept into Niantic’s real-world exploration?? format.

On the other hand, it’s not terrible. That’s sort of the thing with this list; none of the games here are bad. It’s just some are more valuable to the property than others. Pikmin Bloom would need a rather large overhaul to be really ??worthwhile?, and I don’t see that happening.

//youtu.be/iHGTVVLmxBI

4. Hey! Pikmin

Hey! Pikmin ??is a pretty innocuous attempt at translating the series�formula to a sidescroller format, but I typically pull “innocuous�from my lexicon when I’m short of nice things to say. It’s really not bad, but it kind of feels like Nintendo focused on pushing the whole Amiibo integration instead of pushing the series forward and innovating in any way.

When Hey! Pikmin was announced, it was during a time when we were waiting for news on Pikmin 4. The news we got was this 3DS entry wasn’t it. And because it’s so lackluster and inoffensive, it’s easy to omit it when thinking of?? the s??eries as a whole.

[caption id="attachment_391430" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

3. Pikmin 2

The first follow-up to the GameCube original was definitely a bigger game that tried a number of new things, but the result is a lot of bloat and what feels like a betrayal of the first game’s charm. Pikmin 2 brought a lot to the series with its vast array of trea??sures, new Pikmin types, and the introduction of multiple captai?ns. Then they buried it all underground.

Most of Pikmin 2 takes place in underground, maze-like caves. The gameplay still largely involves trying to find treasure and return it to your base, but down in the procedurally pieced-together labyrinths, it’s less about survival and puzzle solving and more about straight combat. While you may have been protective of your tiny carrot-people in the first game, Pikmin 2 doesn’t ?give you that luxury, instead necessitating that you view them more as a health bar.

It’s unfortunate, but not everyone is going to hate the different focus as much as I did. While I see Pikmin 2 as the most bloated and inhuman game in the se?ries, others will see it as the most challenging and f??ull-featured entry.

[caption id="attachment_391428" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

2. Pikmin

Following right on the heels of the GameCube’s release, Pikmin was a perfect showcase of what the? console was capable of. Its hundred ?tiny carrot-people felt seemingly impossible on the N64. However, its technical prowess isn’t all that important today. What’s important is that it’s still an excellent game.

Nintendo took the concept of commanding a hundred little workers and ran with it in some extremely unexpected directions. It’s a survival game without the genre’s usual trappings. You cultivate sentient vegetables and try to keep them alive as you recover parts of your ship. While we, thankfully, got sequels that turned Pikmin into a series, the first game does a great job of covering all the possibilities of the concept. Though things have been expanded, rejiggered, and refocused, the core has always stayed the same, proving that Pikmin got it right the first time.

[caption id="attachment_391429" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

1. Pikmin 3

I should be able to just say that this is the game that introduced Brittany as a character, and tha??t would t??ell you all you need to know. Brittany’s the best.

If that’s not sufficient, Pikmin 3 feels like the best delivery of the series�mechanics. It takes multiple captains and makes them worthwhile. It doesn’t go back to the thirty-day time limit of the first game, but?? it does have a supply mechanic that encourages you to continually t??ighten your efficiency. On top of that, it does a much better job with pacing. You know, after you get past all the tutorials about what your Pikmin do.

When it released on Wii U back in 2013, it was the first game for the system that had me playing until the tea tray controller was drained of batteries. Then, when its Deluxe edition came out for Switch, my husband and I played through its added co-op mode. It's still fun to break out to play a round of Bingo Battle or just relive the joy that is Brittany. There isn't a bad Pikmin game, but Pikmin 3 is the best.

The post All Pikmin Games, Ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

Give it a quick watch before you play the new entry

While the late summer/early fall of 2023 has some pretty killer releases lined up; when it comes to near-future releases, I'm arguably most excited for Pikmin 4. It looks like Nintendo is shaking up the formula quite a bit, and a new brief video tutorial showcases just h?ow that's going to play o??ut in the main fourth entry.

Said vid??eo tutorial covers the following game mechani??cs:

• Gathering up your Pikmin (which is still done through an area-of-effect whistle)
• Ordering Pikmin to build (chucking them at stuff)
• Fighting enemies with Pikmin (chucking them at enemies)
• What different types of Pikmin do, as well as the Oatchi

The latter?? bit is arguably the most important! It reminds everyone that the red Pikmin type is "strong and resistant to fire," blue Pikmin can breathe underwater, yellow Pikmin can conduct electricity [and can be thrown farther], and so on. Rock, ice, and winged Pikmin are also briefly shown off at the tail-end, with no details. But we know that rock-type Pikmin can deal crucial damage in combat (and can break certain walls),? ice Pikmin can freeze enemies and bodies of water, and winged Pikmin can fly/carry objects places some Pikmin can't reach.

Of course, the Nintendo would be remiss to not mention the new Oatchi (dog) mechanic, which is briefly shown at the end. This is arguably the biggest mixup the series has offered to date, and the demo alone offers a ton of strategic possibilities for the concept. You can put this video training to good use when Pikmin 4 launches on July 21, 2023 on Switch.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=HERRRVpEX3o

The post This Pikmin 4 vi??deo tutorial is a nice refres??her for how the series works appeared first on Destructoid.

Is he related to the Berenstein Bears?

Uh oh. It looks like CERN may have fired again. We're now in a timeline graced by the existence of Fiddlebert. Of course, you remember Fiddlebert from Pikmin, right? For those that don't; Fiddlebert was supposedly Pikmin 1's second captain. He was "rushed" since he was just a smaller and green version of Olimar. He would sometimes randomly speak another language and was removed from the Wii and Switch ports of the game...at least, that's what folks on the Pikmin subreddit would have you believe.

//www.reddit.co??m/r/Pikmin/comments/14pn5qe/who_the_fuck_is_fiddlebert/

Pikmin fans are currently debating the existence of the green character. Some claim they certainly remember him from the original Pikmin. But let's be honest here. Fiddlebert is as rea??l as Curious George's tail, Oscar Meyer, and the Monopoly Man's monocle. You know, as real as th??e cornucopia in the Fruit of the Loom logo.

[caption id="attachment_390706" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Nat on Cohost[/caption]

Do you "remember" Fiddlebert?

The creation of Fiddlebert is what happens when a dedicated fan base gets together and wants to pass the time before a highly anticipated game release. We saw a similar situation in the Diablo 4 community. It's honestly great! You have a large group of people all excited for Pikmin 4 and willing to take something silly and run with it. Why you might ask? Because it's fun, it's entertaining, and most importantly it's more Pikmin.

Look, I know the Mandela effect is a real thing. I mean at this point who can argue it? But I have to admit, I don't remember Fiddlebert ever existing. Maybe I just didn't play Pikmin as much as I rememb??er, but surely I'd recognize this green Ol??imar, right?

Pikmin 4 releases on Nintendo Switch on July 21. I'm will??ing to bet Fiddlebert will not make an appearance.

The post Who is Pikmin’s “Fiddlebert?” An investigation appeared first on Destructoid.

I wish there was a hole I could just crawl into and die

By 2004, the Gamecube was running out of steam. Nintendo had come out swinging with their new console, but their fists had hit very little meat. A number of certifiable classics beloved to this day came out in its first few years, but the console still managed to lose further ground to its competitors. Still, that year we got some memorable titles like Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, Pikmin 2, and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.

Of those games I just named, I only love one of them, and it’s not the one we’re ta??lking about??.

In preparation for Pikmin 4, Nintendo surprise-dropped HD versions of Pikmin 1 and 2. I’ve already covered their shiny new port of the first game, and now it’s time to delve into Pikmin 2. Delve deep down. Deep into its endless labyrinths th??at don’t end and drive me completely mad.

[caption id="attachment_390203" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Pikmin 2 (Switch)
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Publisher: Nintendo
Released: June 21, 2023
MSRP: $29.99

Okay. Deep breath. Pikmin 2 starts off strong enough. Olimar finally manages to return to his home planet of Hokotate after being stranded on a Gods-forsaken planet for a month (or 18 days). Rather than immediately taking the chance to spend time with his family, his boss turns him right back around. The company he works for was mismanaged and is deeply in debt. It’s O?limar’s job to collect enough treasure from his former prison to pull the company out of the red. Because shit rolls downhill, and it’s never the people in charge that hav?e to take responsibility for their mistakes.

Anyway, while Pikmin was about trying to retrieve all the parts of your ship, Pikmin 2 is about collecting as much treasure as you can get your mitts on. By treasure, I mean garbage, because one person’s garbage is another person’s ti??cket out of debt. Apparently, all our litter is worth something on Hokotate, so those little spacemen are here to pick it up for us. Wouldn’t that be convenient?

So, really, you’re looking for things like discarded bottle caps and Famicom Disk System games. This is easily my favorite new part of Pikmin 2. However, the Swi?tch port does something blasphemous and removes the game’s p?roduct placement.

//youtu.be/_kKLW7_218s

Executive responsibility

As with the port of Pikmin, Pikmin 2 is largely just a straight?? port that is now in a higher resolution. It plays ??largely the same but offers motion controls if you’re into that sort of thing. It’s a pretty nice port, even if it doesn’t really change anything. However, I want the product placement back.

I hate advertising, but I’ve always thought it was a nice touch that all the garbage in the game utilized real-world brands. You weren’t just collecting bottle caps. You were collecting them from drinks like A&W Root Beer. A plastic lid would be from a recognizable yogurt brand. It never really felt like Pikmin 2 was actually trying to sell you things, it was just an extra touch tha??t ham??mered home that the alien planet you were exploring was Earth all along.

Getting rid of the product placement didn’t kill me inside like I thought it would, but it does make the discovery of treasure ??a smidge less int?eresting. If you never played the original version, the change will be entirely lost on you, but for me, it feels like a part of the game’s personality has been excised.

[caption id="attachment_390204" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The value of life

Unfortunately, that’s not Pikmin 2’s biggest issue. Its real problem is going to be one that some people appreciate and others (like me) will absolutely hate: That’s its change in focus to being more about combat. This culminates in the introduction of underground dungeons. As you explore the various areas, you find holes in the ground that lead to isolated labyrinths buried in the ground. In these, you go floor by floor and try to loot each one of i?ts treasures.

The floors are all procedurally pieced together. Rather than giving you the challenge of figuring out how to safely use your Pikmin to grab out-of?-reach items, you ??instead must try and take down enemies while losing as few of your carrot-people as possible.

The most annoying part of this ??is that it gets really aggressive about killing your Pikmin. Bombs drop from thin air, enemies pop up in precarious spots, and some bosses make it feel that losing Pikmin is an inevitability rather than just the result? of mistakes or poor judgment. In the depths of the world, you’re not given the luxury of taking care of your little helpers. They’re reduced to just a number; a health bar that slowly ticks down.

If you’re someone who treated the first Pikmin title more as a survival experience to be played with empathy toward your units, that’s just not allowed here. Pikmin 2 is more of a game tha?n the first title. A series of challenges rather than an i??mmersive experience.

[caption id="attachment_390202" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

One person's trash

The result is at least, a much longer game. Getting all the treasures, as Pikmin 2 encourages you to do, can take 20 hours or longer. However, you will spend m??ost of this run-time in the dungeons. A comparatively small fraction takes place above ground, so if the caves don’t jive with you, then it’s hopeless.

Beyond that, this is the game that introduces white and purple Pikmin. The white ones are immune to poison and are, in turn, poisonous to anything that ingests them. However, the purple Pikmin are absolute beasts that clobber anything you throw them at. Throughout the series to date, the purple Pikmin are my favorite. So, at least Pikmin 2 has that going for it.

[caption id="attachment_390205" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Okay, throw her in the hole

The thing about Pikmin 2 is that there are some who will appreciate or even love the changes it made. To me, the reliance on procedural dungeons just makes the experience feel wrong-headed and heavily padded. Others are going to see them as something that makes the title feel bigger and badder than its pred??ecessor.

I get that, but to me, Pikmin 2 is a misstep in the series. Pikmin 3 would delight me enough that I’ve been anticipating Pikmin 4 since Shigeru Miyamoto hinted at it back in 2015, and it’s the game release I’m most excited about this year. However, the inclusion of dungeons gives me pause. The demo for the game at least hints that they’ll be short obstacles and not just long chores that I slog through just to check them off the list. However, the first few hours of Pikmin 2 ??also? mislead in that very same way. So, I’ll have to wait and see.

The new port of Pikmin 2 is a fine way to experience this game, but whether or not you think it’s trash or treasure is go?ing to depend on your preferences. It’s at least cheap enough that you aren’t going to be too out of pocket to give it a try. It’s probably worth it just for the first fe??w hours when it’s at its prime. But just beware that after introductions are made, it’s going to throw you in a hole.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Pikmin 2 (2023) appeared first on Destructoid.

Accidental tourism

The Gamecube started off with a bang in 2001. As if Star War: Rogue Squadron 2: Rogue Leader, Luigi’s Mansion, and Wave Race: Blue Storm weren’t enough to get fans through the year, Pikmin and Super Smash Bros. Melee dropped on the same day on December 3, 2001. It would be crazy to pit any game against such a titan today, but Smash Bros. wasn’t yet the institution it would soon become.

I have a lot of warm memories of Pikmin. I remember failing to get the last piece of the Dolphin on my first attempt and arguing about the existence of purple Pikmin on message boards. Good times.

In preparation for Pikmin 4 (which is one of my most anticipated games of the year), Nintendo has released the first two games on Switch in a nice, clear HD update. There's precedent. They previously surprised us with Metroid Prime Remastered, which was far more than just an HD port. Did Nintendo go to the same effort with Pikmin 1? No. Did I get the last piece of the Dolphin? You better believe?? it.

[caption id="attachment_388240" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Pikmin 1 (Switch)
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Publisher: Nintendo
Released: June 21, 2023
MSRP: $29.99

Pikmin is the story of the intrepid Captain Olimar, whose intelligence is not up to?? par with his intrepidness. While cruising the galaxy in his favorite ship, he’s hit? by an asteroid and sent crashing onto a nearby planet. With his only hope of escape in tatters, he enlists the aid of some indigenous root vegetables to help him piece it back together.

The original Pikmin is perhaps the most anxiety-inducing. You have 30 days to assemble your ship before Olimar’s life suppor?t runs out. There are 30 parts, though only 25 of them are necessary to prevent the spaceman’s posthumous metamorphosis. When you’re new to the game, maintaining a pace of obtaining a ship part each day can be a bit of a tall order. It’s sufficient enough, though. This time through the game, I managed to get everything in 18 days.

//youtu.be/_kKLW7_218s

A new pair of glasses

While Pikmin 1 is larg?ely a straight port of the Wii version played at a higher resolution, it’s been touched up. Mainly, this is just the interface, which displays in HD rather than simply upscaled from its original resolution. You can also play using either motion controls or joypad. Some people swear by using the pointer, but I feel most comfortable with two sticks.

At least I would, but the port also changes the use of the right stick. On the Gamecube version, simply pointing the stick would rally your Pikmin in that direction to attack or grab anything they ran into. In the port, it moves the camera. This makes a whole lot of sense to everybody except my thumbs. Holding the L b?utton results in the right stick functioning as it did originally, but my muscle memory is so ingrained that I’d forget to do this when under pressure.

In any case, the point here is that you shouldn’t expect Pikmin 1 to have been given the tender, loving care of Metroid Prime Remastered. A closer expectation is that it’s more on the level of Super Mario Sunshine from the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection, which I still can’t believe is no?? longer available. That is screwed ?up.

[caption id="attachment_388241" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Root vegetables

In any case, Nintendo hasn’t imposed the same time limitation on the Pikmin remasters, which is nice. Pikmin? maybe doesn’t top my list of favorite Gamecube games, but I still love it very much. It’s a survival game wit??h none of the features that we would normally associate with the modern survival genre. It’s also interesting in the fact that you can grow hundreds of the little carrot people, and still, it’s hard not to feel bad when your judgment fails and a few dozen get squashed by a Wollyhop.

Poor identical little dudes.

Pikmin 1 is also the most straightforward in its concept. The only gating you run into is when it comes to collecting Pikmin abilities. You start off with only red, which are immune to fire and hit harder. Then there’s? yellow that can carry bombs and fly farther when thrown. Finally, you obtain blue, who can breath underwater and that’s good enough. Once you have them all, the world is your oyster.

Actually, not quite. The different stages are unlocked after obtaining a certain number of ship parts, but the point is that, very early, you’re essentially let off the leash. The only thing between you and success is your vegetables and your brain. It’s quite refr??eshing, even i?f that means you can finish the game in 18 in-game days (8-ish hours for a fresh run).

[caption id="attachment_388243" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Carrot-kind

Pikmin’s unique premise and tight design have ensured that it remains rather ageless. Even the graphics, as aged as they are, still convey everything they need to. It’s every bit as enjoyable now as it was back in 2001. Pikmin nailed it so hard on the first try that its sequels could only really iter?ate on the concept.

Pikmin 4 is looking like it may be the biggest evolution the series has seen, but it’s unlikely you’ll need any prior experience with the earlier titles. Nonetheless, I absolutely recommend you check out Pikmin 1 if you haven’t already. If you are familiar with the original, just know that this is a solid port, but it doesn’t really?? add anything that wasn’t in the GameCube version. However, with its bumped-up resolution, it’s easily the best way to play this absolutely timeless fight for carrot-kind’s survival.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Pikmin 1 (2023) appeared first on Destructoid.

Crap, dungeons are back

As part of the latest Nintendo Direct, more details were given on the upcoming Pikmin 4. On top of that, they’ve also revealed HD versions of Pikmin 1 and 2. While the HD versions are cool on their own, they’ve ??actually sh??own off a lot of previously unknown information, so let’s take a look.

The Pikmin 1 and 2 HD versions will be available today. They only showed off the title screens of each, so it’s hard to tell if they’re just HD upscales or if they got the Metroid Prime Remastered treat?ment. I guess we won’t have to wait long to see.

Nintendo also showed off a number of new details for Pikmin 4. Dandori Battles pit you against another spaceman to collect the most trash. You can also finally explore planet PNF-404 at night, which is a first. You’ll find the new Glow Pikmin at???? night.

//youtu.be/WtY29lvEup8

Oh, man. There’s an area that’s inside a? house. Wait, I thought that the series took place in a post-apocalypse. That kitchen looks like it’s still in use. So, are we just robbing people?

Pikmin 4 is launching on Switch on July 21st, 2023. You can try out a demo for it today. You can also purchase Pikmin 1 and/or 2 on Switch sometime today.

The post HD versions of Pikmin 1 and 2 are r??eleasing today on ??Switch appeared first on Destructoid.

Including the t-shirt that Miyamoto wore in the Direct

Although Pikmin 4 isn't actually out until sometime next year, Nintendo is getting ahead of the curve with, you guessed it, merch. A new wave of Pikmin 4 My Nintendo goodies are out, including stuff you can buy direc??tly from the store,? and a few small digital rewards.

As far as merch goes there's two versions of the Pikmin logo t-shirt that Miyamoto wore in the Direct, as well as plush toys for Chappie [also called Bulborb or Chappy] (the big creatures that you typically murder in the series), Olimar, and yellow/blue/red Pikmin.  The decorative drinkware decals from 2020 for 400 Platinum Points are also back in stock. My Nintendo rewards inclu?de a printable pop-up card for 30 Platinum, and a wallpaper (landscape and portrait) for 50 Platinum.

Recent My Nintendo rewards (that are still in stock, outside of?? the?? last bullet) include:

• A Splatoon 3 shopping bag (800 Platinum)
• A Splatoon 3 sticker set (400 Platinum)
• A Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes memo pad (600 Platinum)
• An upcoming Kirby keychain

As a reminder, if you want physical rewards, you can find our full Platinum Point guide here, which has been updated with details on weekly missions: bookmark it for when you need quick points for a reward. A handful of points is incredibly easy to get, as that’s basically just 15 minutes with Super Mario Run, or a quick sign-on to the 3?DS or Wii U 3Shop. Also remember that any shipments are bundled together, ??so you can pay a flat rate for multiple items instead of paying it each time. Just know that items go out of stock on My Nintendo frequently, and some are never restocked.

The post Nintendo celebrates Pikmin 4? with My Nintendo merch and ??digital rewards appeared first on Destructoid.

We didn't get any gameplay today

Just what we all wanted! Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto himself appeared on this morning's Nintendo Direct to confirm that Pikmin 4 would be out in 2023. No more aimless waiting!

Miyamoto said that although we weren't getting any gameplay today, we did get a single screenshot. Accordin??g to Miyamoto, the gameplay is "s??impler" this time around, with a focus on "dandori;" or "strategically deploying and commanding the Pikmin."

It's been a while since Pikmin 3, that's for sure! This is all Nintendo had to say on the matter outside of the stream: "The first sneak peek at the next game in the Pikmin franchise revealed a tranquil park and a napping Bulborb, but it was still missing one important element �Pikmin! Where could they be? More details about this new title for Nin??tendo Switch will be revealed ahead of its 2023 launch."

So there you have it: a coy confirmation that we'll get some sort of proper update on Pikmin 4 before it comes out. Though, the lack of gameplay today (as well as the lack of date announcements before May 2023) likely ensures that this will be a mid-to-late 2023 game. Again, all we have right no??w is "2023."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYR3DVFUnyc

The post Pikmin 4 is coming in 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.

I should cancel this foolish Pikmin Bloom expedition, but the little guy has gone so far

Pikmin Bloom isn't the Pikmin gam??e I wanted, but it's still on my phone �it's still telling me that it looks gray out every morning, right on cue �a??nd that counts for something.

You haven't seen much follow-up coverage since CJ's review of this walking-centric mobile game went up on the site, and that's because there isn't much else to say. This is one of those games that can just float by until I'm desperate to clear up a free spot on my home screen. Ideally, Nintendo and Niantic would've leaned more into Pikmin's satisfyi??ng creature-swarming combat, but I get it. This is a low-key walking ga??me. It is what it is.

As someone who's kinda-sorta still playing, the most notable happening in my Pikmin Bloom world is th?a??t, well... I accidentally left one of my prized purple Pikmin halfway across the United States. Without thinking things through, I sent the little fellow out for a last-minute collection, thinking we'd reunite before flying back from a holiday break.

This Pikmin didn't make it to me before my plane took off �it was stranded in Chicago, and I live in Portland. And ever since, it's been walking home. It has 28 days left to go.

Should I cancel the trip? I fe?el like I'm in way too deep.

While my enthusiasm for checking in with?? this app is dwindling, I think I need to keep it around at least long enough to see thi??s heroic plant critter come home safe.

I was initially excited to level up my Pikmin Bloom profile, with the promise of mushroom-pummeling missions nudging me ever?? s??o slightly to walk more. They were neat for the first day or two, but longevity isn't this game's strong suit, especially if you're playing it as a largely solitary experience. Instead, the real draw ended up being the daily recap.

There's something simple but heartfelt about this app asking how your day was, and pausing just long enough before the sad/neutral/happy options pop up that you can reflect and answer earnestly. I feel weirdly compelled to be honest with my Pikmin. And I also like that I can sc?roll back through m??y log, and see some mundane, funny, and even meaningful real-world photo memories, too. It's a pleasant bit of retrospection.

I wouldn't recommend Pikmin Bloom to most people, but it's cozy. It's fascinating that it not only made it through production, but that it continues to persist.

The post I left my Pikmin halfway across the country in Pikmin Bloom, and it won’t be back for 28 days appeared first on Destructoid.

My mom calls it Bloomies.

Following the astronomical success of Pokémon Go, the mobile market has seen its fair share of competitors and imitators trying to capture the magic (and profits) of Niantic's global phenomenon. Everything from The Witcher to Jurassic Park to Garfield has launched its own location-based AR experience, usually with mixed results. Even Niantic has tried to replicate its success with similar games based on Settlers of Catan and Harry Potter. But much like their competition, they didn't fare too well agains?t the popularity of Pikachu and Poké Balls.

Pikmin Bloom goes in a different direction. It's a more laid-back experience, letting players focus more on walking rather than collecting or battling. Where Pokémon Go might ask you to stop moving every 100 steps to catch a new 'mon for your collection, Pikmin Bloom encourages you to k??eep on walking to get that step count higher and higher. If that makes it sound more like a fitness app than a game, well, that's because it is.

Pikmin Bloom (Android [reviewed on a Google Pixel 3a], iOS)
Developer: Niantic Inc.
Publisher: Niantic In.
Released: October 27, 2021
MSRP: Free-to-Play w/ Microtransactions

Pikmin Bloom can best be described not as a game but as a comp?anion app to your phone's built-in fitness tracker. After you create your Mii in the app (or import it from your My Nintendo profile), you'll be given the task of simply walking around your town or city, planting flowers as you go with Pikmin in tow. You'll start with just one, but as you get out and move, you'll find more Pikmin seedlings waiting to be plucked into existence. Like with the eggs in Pokémon Go, each seedling requires a set amount of steps to be walked before they can be pulled from their pot and added to your crew. The more you ?walk, the more you level up, and the more Pikmin you can have following you around in? the world.

As you and your Pikmin walk, they'll come across v?arious fruits that are converted into nectar. Feed the nectar to your Pikmin and they'll sprout flowers on their head. Pluck a petal from those flowers and you can plant it the next time you go for a walk. The color of the nectar you feed them determines the color of the flowers that ??you can grow. The idea is that you and people in your neighborhood will plant enough of these digital flowers as you go to make your town look like the flower dress from the end of Midsommar.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=jp2StaIKZgk

What's nice about Pikmin Bloom is that it doesn't expect you to keep the app open while you walk. Though you will need to boot it up i??f you want to plant flowers, you can close the app and carry on with your routine knowing that it's tracking your steps and GPS location. Even if you don't open it for a day or two, it'll still keep track of your movement. If your phone already has a pathetic battery life, believe me when I say this is not going to help thin??gs. Ever since I started using the app, I've had to charge my phone an extra time each day to keep it from fully draining.

When you are done walking for the day or just taking a break in the afternoon, you can open the app to see all the pieces of fruit your Pikmin have found on your journey. Converting tha?t to nectar will let them pick up more fruit the next time you get walking. As you level up, you'll also be able to send them on expeditions to pick up any large fruit or seedlings you passed throughout the day. The further away the item is from your location, the longer the expedition will take, though, from my experience walking around my town, it's never more than a 20-minute wait for them to return. If I still lived and worked in the Bay Area, I'm sure it would be a different story.

After you hit level 15, you can also send your Pikmin out on missions to destroy any mushrooms you crossed along the way. This will take a bit more time, but you are rewarded with more fruit upon completion. Mushrooms can be taken down alongside the Pikmin of other players, and if you can find anyone else using ??this app where you live, you'll have to let me know what that's like. I am, as far as I know, the only person in my town bothering with it right now. And I'm sure everyone just assumes I'm playing Pokémon Go when I stop on the sidewalk to ta??ke an AR picture of m??y Pikmin crew.

I've used Pikmin Bloom every day for more than a week now and I'm having trouble finding any reason at all to recommend it. Besides eating my battery faster than Joey Chestnut eats hot dogs, it's a rather pointless app. This is nothing more than a gussied-up pedometer with non-intrusive microtransactions that is slower to load on your phone. It doesn't have the excitement of discovering new types of pocket monsters on your journey or seeing the structures your friends have created in the now-defunct Minecraft Earth.? Instead, it's hoping you'll care about beautifying your fake neighborhood with fake flowers (and the word "beautifying" is doing a lot of heavy lifting there).

Maybe for some, Pikmin Bloom will be a cute app they use with friends to track their steps and share photos of their Pikmin out in the real world. It certainly has the cuteness factor going for it. All Pikmin games do. But what it doesn't have is a strong motivating element that'll drive players to get out and explore the world. It's fine that this is a more passive experience than other location-tracking games, and I appreciate that it works with my routine rather than forcing me to carve time out of my schedule to fit it into my life. But if my only reward for keeping the app around is a nearly dead battery and a flat map covered in flat flowers,? I'd rather just stick with seeing my step ?count in Google Fit.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game downloaded from Google Play]}

The post Review: Pikmin Bloom appeared first on Destructoid.

Get to walking

[Update: The Pikmin Bloom download rollout is live in the US! You can find it here on the App Store and here on Google Play.]

Within the span of a week after the launch of Pokemon Go, Niantic went from "that weird company that made Ingress" to a global superstar, grossing millions from their Pocket Monster project. After they took off, they collaborated for Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, amid other upcoming IP-based deals like Transformers and Catan. Now they're poised for a Pikmin Bloom download rollout.

Wait, Pikmin Bloom? Yep, that unnamed Pikmin game finally got a title, and it's currently out in Singapore and Australia, with a "worldwide rollout" coming in the next couple of days. Niantic announced the news last night, providing the g?ist of the game alongside of a quick appearance from Shigeru Miyamoto in a five-minute Direct-like?? clip.

You'll walk to "grow your Pikmin squad," make flowers bloom in-game, and "walk to log your memories." Pikmin Bloom's conceit is that Pikmin actually exist in our world, and we need to use devices to see them?: cute! Here's a quick recap:

"The most important thing in Pikmin Bloom is your daily walk. As you walk, you’ll find Pikmin seedlings along your path, so the more you walk, the more your Pikmin squad will grow. You can then pluck Pikmin f?rom seedlings after they grow. Walk more to make more friends with Pikmin."

The tagline is "let's fill the world with flowers," which is both heartwarming and makes me fear for the longevity of the game. As someone who loves the concept of Pikmin, it's a strange IP to put this much de?velopment time into; compared to say, ?a planetary exploration-based AR game featuring Samus.

Still, this happened, and you can play it, and walk and chill with little creatures soon. You can watch the micro Nintendo Direct on it below, where Miyamoto is as adorable as ever. According to Niantic, this is a "jointly developed" project with Nintendo, and Miyamoto worked "clos??ely" with the team to bring this to life.

??//twitter.com/NianticLabs/status/1453150997317050372

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Now the bugs can be a literal feature

Remember when Nintendo confirmed a Niantic-led mobile Pikmin project back in March? Well, me neither. This past year has been a blur, and given Niantic's track record, this is sort of a "I'll see it when I see it" situation. But what about the Pikmin mobile release date? According to Nintendo, it's still d??ue b??y the end of 2021.

As Nintendo Life points out, Nintendo snuck a little update on the Pikmin mobile release date in the latest consolidated financial forecast. Here's the full quote:

"In our mobile business, we will focus on continuing to operate the applications that we have released to date, along? with the application featuring Pikmin from Niantic that is planned for the second half of 2021, and work on ways to encourage more consumers ??to continue to enjoy playing these applications."

Note that this is as of August 5, so it's not a delayed response, and it seems like it's very confident in letting us know that it is still on track. Now things could change: including the Pikmin mobile release date.

I really have no clue as to how this is going to pan out. I mean, Niantic can barely manage Pokemon Go, much less whatever they have planned for Pikmin. It's totally possible that they could market it as a very low key casual alternative to the money-making Go, which would be an excuse for a limited amount o?f updates and support.

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'The first in a series of apps' co-developed by Nintendo and Niantic is none other than... Pikmin?!

Pikmin 4 is still nothing more than a distant dream, but Shigeru Miyamoto can't truly abandon his tiny alien plant children. The next game in the series after Pikmin 3 Deluxe is another offshoot: an as-yet-unnamed Pikmin mobile game that?'s being co-developed by Nintendo and Niantic Tokyo Studi??o.

Most people associate Niantic with the monstrous Pokémon Go, and that's not changing anytime soon – but Nintendo wants to branch out with more AR-f?ueled games for its "beloved characters."

This new Pikmin game is "the first in a series of apps that the two companies will develop together,"?? according to a press release, and it's built to "encourage wa??lking and make the activity more enjoyable."

The companies didn't release any screenshots yet, but there's a sign-up page with artwork. You know I had to pre-register as soon as I saw it. Pikmin is my jam, even in l??ean times. I'll take just about anything.

"Niantic's AR technology has made it possible for us to experience the world as if Pikmin are secretly living all around us," Shigeru Miyamoto said in a very on-brand press statement. "Based on the theme of making walking fun, our mission is to provide peopl?e a new experience that's different from traditional games. We hope that the Pikmin and this app will become a partner in your life."

The Pikmin app will release "globall??y later in 2021," though specific platforms weren't mentioned yet.

"As we continue to expand our games portfo?lio, it was a natural next step to team up with Nintendo," said Niantic CEO John Hanke. "We're looking forward to shaping the future of AR together, bringing Nintendo's beloved game characters to life for mobile game players around the world."

I'll go on hikes with Pikmin, let Pokémon lull me to sleep, and dream about treasure with Wario.

The post Out of nowhere, we’re getting a mobile Pikmin game in 2021 to ‘encourage walking’ appeared first on Destructoid.

Poor Wii U

I'm floored that Pikmin 3 is gaining some tract?ion on Switch, but I'd be lying if I didn't wish that same success on the Wii U.

Look, I'll never stop pouring out beverages of assorted varieties for the Wii U (same for the Vita). It was a great system that was absolutely slept on, in part due to Nintendo's odd name for it and their lackluster marketing campaign. It's not one person's fault! Alas, the Wii U was home to a ton of modern clas?sics, but Nintendo isn't letting all that development effort go to waste.

Pikmin 3's sales in Japan are proof of that. As evidenced by sales acquired from Game Data Library, Pikmin 3 Deluxe (Switch) is now the best-selling retail game of the franchise in Japan. "Including the Wii U original," Game Data Library surmises, Pikmin 3 is now on track to become a million seller if you account for the 513,000 physical sa??les in Japan, as well as a?dded digital sales.

For a series that doesn't get a whole lot of love even at Nintendo, that's quite a feat. It's refreshing to see it pop up in games like Smash Bros. over the years; refusing to be forgotten.

2021 Updated Sales Data [Famitsu via Game Data Library]

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'What Pikmin type digs the quickest?'

Last year, Nintendo r?ol?led out a series of video quizzes.

In June, it showcased a "Can You Guess that Game" challenge, with fuzzy logos and characters slowly coming into focus: it's still the best one! Then it went game-centric, delivering a Mario Kart quiz. Now it's Pikmin 3's turn.

While it's only three questions strong, Pikmin is a pretty good choice for a quiz for multiple reasons. Chiefly, it's not exactly a blowout title in terms of popularity, so fringe fans aren't going to know all of its secrets. It's also fairly nuanced, as there's tons of obscure lore bits to pick from (like what the game labels each piece of fruit; a tidb?it used here), as well as a degree of mecha??nical depth.

You can find all of the questions below!

Question 1:

Question 2:

Question 3:

The post Nintendo is bring?ing back their video quiz series with a Pikmin episode appeared first on Destructoid.

Nothing major

Pikmin 3: it's pretty great!

If you understandably missed it on Wii U for any number of reasons (if you didn't have a Wii U, I'm sorry), it's worth picking up on Switch. You do have a Switch right? I mean, the Switch is on its way to hit 100 million units sold eventually, s??o odds are you have one. Or a Switch Lite. Or maybe you'll get an eventual hypothetical Switch Pro. So we're probably good here.

Ahem, Pikmin 3! Nintendo just put out a shiny new patch this week, but it's not very exciting unless you were impacted by a few bugs. One involve?d fruit not being recorded "under certain conditions" (vague), and it will not be a retroactive fix. In other words, you do need to go bac?k to that level and earn the fruit again manually, which is annoying, as there's a chance a bug could strike again. Monitor your fruit!

Another bug is basically the same thing, but with badges. It's a little less important than fruit, but it may impact your enjoyment nonetheless. In that case, you'll also need to earn those badges again?. Also annoyingly, the glitch involved reverted badges, so you may not have even noticed it. You can find the full patch notes below.

Pikmin 3 [Nintendo]

Overview

• Fixes the bug where collected fruits were not being recorded under certain conditions.
  • If the problem was already happening, the collected fruit record will unfortunately not be adjusted. Once the update is downloaded, the bug will be fixed by going back to the date with no fruits recorded and collecting a fruit.
• Fixes the bug where acquired Badges got reverted to the unacquired status under certain conditions.
  • If the problem was already happening, the badges can be acquired by meeting the acquisition condition again.

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Promoted from our Community Blogs

_{[There's no other Nintendo series quite like Pikmin, and this blog from Sam van der Meer illustrates that point well with an admittedly very late-game example plucked from Pikmin 3. It's our hope that Pikmin 3 Deluxe – a seven-year-later Switch remaster of the Wii U original – can help rekindle the elusive-as-ever Pikmin 4. Other underappreciated Nintendo series were able to reach wild new heights on Switch, and Pikmin should be next in line. It's finally time, Miyamoto. -Jordan]}

Pikmin is very near and very de??ar to me. It was, basically, the first video game I remember getting, saddled with my Christmas Day GameCube (whose delivery was in itself a theatrical, magical, holly joll??y charade pulled by my parents and o??ur former tenants in the house). It’s a real dollop of molasses-grade nostalgia for me, and venturing forth into Pikmin 3 Deluxe, I was maybe slightly concerned that my memories of t??he series were what sustained its lofty prestige in my mind. I’d played about two-thirds, three-quarters of Pikmin 3 back on Wii U, but never beat the thing??, and outside of my very recent Hey! Pikmin tribunal, I hadn’t played the series since.

Pikmin 3 is a ma??sterpiece. The ways in which Nintendo prompts the player to? multitask, controlling three Koppaite explorers with a particularly-relatable obsession and passion for fruit, are incredibly interesting and thoughtful, and absolutely satisfying; directing one troupe of pikmin to build a bridge and sending another to move in the direction o?f a sweet treat while you focus on battling some Garden of Earthly Delights-l??ookin&r??squo; monstrosity is an exercise in time management prompted by Pikmin 3’s ever-ticking clock.

The strengths of the franchise, multitasking, time-management, and clever use of the titular mobs ar??e combined time and time again in Pikmin 3’s level design, and are front and center used to test the player’s mettle in the?? game’s final enc??ounter. The Plasm Wraith.

At this point our protagonists have found Pikmin OG Captain Olimar—keeper of a crucial MacGuffin needed to blast off homeward—in the clutches of an oozing, shiny, to?tally effin’ remorseless consumer of flesh beast. 

(Quick aside, when doin&rsq??uo; some Googlin’ for this I saw that there’s all sorts of spooky lore implications of the Wraith, which I find kind of hilarious but also amazing because Nintendo, even at its most seemingly-innocuous, is crafting worlds with the full vision of brilliant artists. Please god give me a Pikmin 4.)

Basically, the final boss of Pikmin 3, adhering to the fragmentation ??of the gameplay into timed days, demands that you carry the unconscious-Olimar to your ship, navigating the internal labyrinth of a gnarled oak stump, while fleeing the Blob-like (Steve McQueen, not X-Men) Wraith.

So, first, the introduction of the “save Olimar” mechanic adds a layer for the player to wrap their noggin around; Brittany, the fairest of the three Koppaites, is designated the “lead,” meaning that the pikmin carrying Olimar will follow her… which means she’s the line carrying the bait that invokes ??the wrath of the Wraith. So with one of your three explorers now expressly targeted by the big bad, a new layer of strategy is folded in; use Brittany and her Olimar-saddled pikmin as a distraction, luring the Wraith while you work to clear your path with the other two explorers? Control Brittany’s bunch to pull the Wraith in a particular direction, away from the rest of the party as they build a bridge or smash a wall? 

Which is also to say, the labyrinth of Pikmin 3’s Formidable Oak is a gau??ntlet meant to test the abilities of p?retty much all of your pikmin varieties. Crystals need the heft of rock pikmin to shatter, while the occasional elemental enemy will demand their respectively-colored little trooper to dispatch. Keep in mind, you’re strategizing an efficient and minimally-damaging run here, d??oing so while keeping an eye on the ceaseless Wraith as it oozes to??wards Olimar. Pikmin 3’s final encounter takes the multitasking you’ve been doing all along and makes things e??ven deadlier, the ticking clock accentuated by the enc??roaching cosmic horror that craves Olimar for its… weird, indecipherable schemes.

(Another aside: There is a Correct way to play a Pikmin game, and that is absolutely trying to minimize the losses of your little cadets. I played Pikmin 3’s finale over the course of three or so days, trying time and time again to triumph with… minimal losses. Mine wasn’t a no-death run, but my point in this?? too-long aside is? that Pikmin should be played with the idea that you’ll restart days should you accrue a high body count. It’s just the moral thing to do, and the challenge imbued by compassion for your pikmin is a pa??rt of what? makes the games so good.) 

The first par??t of t??he Plasm Wraith encounter shows how Nintendo realizes the strength of the Pikmin games isn’t necessarily their combat, which, if you’re efficient, should mostly boil down to well-placed insta-kills or quick swarms of pikmin. Outside of the game’s actual boss fights, that is. The Plasm Wraith encounter is like a timed, deadly obstacle course, and makes? the core loops of what makes Pikmin… bossier. 

It’s the sort of game des?ign and philosophy that sort of takes me a step back and just marvel at the ima?gination. Splatoon is one of the most brilliant games of th??e past dec?ade, I think, because of the way it reprioritizes the primary object (KILL) of competitive shooters to instead focus on territory control, and the mechanics used to achieve that. The simpl?ifi?cation of objective in the open world game, distilled in Breath of the Wild to the single task of eliminating Ganon; absolutely anything else you do in that game’s vast wilderness is an exercise in true player freedom, making the world… open. There’s a reason Ninte??ndo is heralded by its legions, after all, and Pikmin 3 makes a case just as strong as some of its more-widely acknowledg??ed triumphs.

Returning to our golden goose Plasm Wraith, once Olimar’s been collected from the murk of the maze, the Wraith morp?hs from blobby ooze to a bipedal, murderous walker. The Metal G?ear of Pikmin enemies, if you will. Being a more-or-less straight combat encounter, here things are sl??ightly less i?nnovative or brilliant in design, though nonetheless test your pikmin-hurling mettle.

The Wraith can only be damaged in chunks, with pools of its golden goo puddling as it spits and stabs at you. Launch your forces at the separated puddles to eventually trim the fat on the Wraith, and send it packing. The encounter features attacks that have effective counters for each pikmin type (except, specifically, the winged ones, which are a?? great addition; I do still miss my purple and white ones though…), but it’s pretty nonchalant compared to the desperate dash you just faced escaping the Oak.

I’m beginning to feel a teensy bit skeptical regarding the fate of the alleged fourth Pikmin (we don’t really need to talk about or ac??knowledge Hey! Pikmin beyond the fact that it is significantly?? b?etter than Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash and, probably, Metroid Prime: Federation Force). With the series a beloved creation of our man Shigeru ??Miyamoto, no doubt ther??e’s an extra dusting of Nintendo-sanctioned elbow grease and a keener eye for detail being applied to any future Pikmin titles (except, with the existence of Hey! Pikmin maybe that’s not true at all…), bu?t the good-but-not-excellent sales of Pikmin 3 Deluxe might further impede?? a proper new outing for our favorite mini??-murder simulator.

I?n a few words, I have some per??sonal thoughts and desires for a fourth game:

First and foremost, keep things weird. Pikmin 3 has a strong rogues' gallery o?f crea??tures to disassemble and churn into usable pikmin, but, like, remember this thing from Pikmin 2?

Jesus Christ, what even is that? 3 introduced a slew of great new bosses, but it ??somehow feels less alien and dangerous, overall, than its predecessor. This in part due to the expanded dialogue and character roster, it seems, which avoi??ds becoming too cutesy or childish while still being fun and accessible.

The three-character dynamic of Pikmin 3 is also absolutely phenomenal, and I&rs??quo;d hope returns in any future games; the multiple player characters allows for the maps to really open up and dare the player to juggle tasks, exacerbating the fun of Pikmin. I wonder if it would be worth exploring making the player characters a bit more efficient or interesting?? for a sequel; you’re limited to essentially fling pikmin, which should always be the core of the games, but what if there were tools you could use? Send one of your characters equipped with, I don’t know, a space jackhammer to clear a path, or some light arms to deal with minor enemies. I see a profit?able?? Remington crossover if Nintendo is willing to play ball.

But until a Pikmin 4 materializ??es (or doesn’t…) we’ve got Pikmin 3 Deluxe to pore over. I finished my playthrough about a week ago and am already sort of itching to jump? back in, this time with (fewer) casualties, and an eye for anything I might have missed. Because Pikmin 3 is sublime ??and worth our respect. Do it for Miyamoto and his garden.

The post Pikmin 3’s final boss is top-tier Nintendo game design appeared first on Destructoid.

Small tweaks for an already big adventure

There's no way Pikmin 3 came out over seven years ago.

Wait, I'll just check...nah, I don't believe it, it must be a typo. Wait, we reviewed it! That info box looks pretty legit. Maybe it did.

Either way, it's hard to believe it's been that long, as Pikmin 3 has remained a staple of my dusted-off Wii U since. I still ??head back into the little pint-sized world t??o blow off some steam from time to time, and the Bingo Battle mode has been a perpetual font of fun for my wife and I.

The Deluxe version on Swi??tch makes things a little easier on us if we want to boot it all back up again, even if it's not a huge upgrade.

Pikmin 3 Deluxe (Nintendo Switch)
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: October 30, 2020
MSRP: $59.99

The meat of Pikmin 3 still li??es with its story mode, which sends three intrepid adventurers crash-landing on a treacherous planet while trying to save their civilization. How do you do that? By commanding armies of cute little creatures, of course.

This raw formula was divined back in 2001 and it still hasn't gotten old yet. Pikmin 3 took things a step further by introducing new creatures into the mix, which further break down the nuances of combat and exploration with extra abilities that present new tactical decisions. Knowing which Pikmin is the best creature for the job is the key to survival in multiplayer — or besting the top times in the game's miss?ion mode.

The gist is that you're commanding a small army of creatures to do your bidding; colle??cting items, breaking through barriers, and defending yourself against hostile (and not-so-hostile) denizens of the planet. Specific Pikmin can be swapped to deal with certain situations: like Blue Pikmin for water-based puzzles, Yellow Pikmin for long-range reconnaissance and electric hazards, and so on.

It sounds simplistic, but it?? absolutely works. Although the campaign is a bit hand-holdy at first (you can mostly skip the remedial text at least), it does shift to a point where there are choices to be made and optional paths to explore; all while being governed by a time system that asks you to return your Pikm??in to home base before the creatures of the night attack them.

This time around in the Deluxe edition, you'??re getting co-op for the campaign as well as side stories: which unlock as you progress through the story and are very in line, quality-wise, with the core game. Don't get too excited though: both storylines (one opens up after a few story missions, the other unlocks after the game is finished) mostly serve as remixed missions of s??orts with little narrative tension or elucidation. They're fun, but about as fun as the other onboard missions are.

So those are the main additions. Other tweaks include a new "Ultra-Spicy" difficulty setting, more streamlined lock-on capabilities, an in-game achievement system (badges), and a "Piklopedia" that documents various bits of the game as you discover them. Prior DLC (some extra standalone missions) is also included. Beyond the other changes, just capping your Pikmin to 60 (from 100) in Ultra-Spicy could be the excuse people need to play Pikmin 3 again — especially if they have a co-op partner.

But these tweaks might not be enough for people to trash their Wii U copy and pick up a shiny new Switch cart. The side story missions are in line with ??the rest of the campaign and fun to play in co-op, but for solo players, you're pretty much getting the same game with very similar visuals (the "Deluxe" moniker mainly refers to content, rather than any extra graphical sheen). As someone who spent ages toiling away with the core game and the fabulous Bingo Battle mode though, I don't mind.

Bingo Battle really is such a huge part of why I enjoy Pikmin 3 so much to this day. Pitting players?? against each other in a PVP format, your job is to complete a bingo card of random items that are strewn about various arenas. Collecting a strawberry, for instance, will "tick" one item off the card, forcing you to collect four more in a line to win. There's so much nuance ??to this seemingly simple format, it's insane.

Players can head over to enemy territory immediately to "block" the other team from getting key items while you're looking back and forth at yo??ur card and the game to keep tabs on things you want to bring back for the future. Power-ups can drastically change the tide of each battle, with the option to dodge them or hold on to them for the perfect moment. There are also advanced strategies like knowing exactly how many Pikmin are required to lug an item back, which can make the difference between a split-second win or loss. Then there's the gargantuan task of micro-managing different Pikmin w??hile you take on the PVE component of the game, often at its most brutal.

For seven years my wife and I have been playing Bingo Battle and we haven't gotten tired of it. That's staying power. One huge benefit of the Wii U edition: the GamePad is missing from this Deluxe version, for obvi?ous reasons. There was a certain joy to playing "split-screen" games with a partner and?? having your own tablet while they commanded the entire TV. I sorely miss it, but it's not coming back. Time to move forward. 

Pikmin 3 Deluxe is anothe??r re-release that isn't going to?? blow some people away, but provides another means with which to play a potentially forgotten Wii U classic. For me, it still holds up, and then some.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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100 easy points

In case you missed it, Nintendo added actual physical rewards to My Nintendo.

They require Platinu??m Points, which are a finite resource; earned by activities like playing various Nintendo mobile titles?? and mucking about on the Nintendo website.

One of the more recent additions involves finding secret Pikmin to promote the Switch release of Pikmin 3. Here's how to complete all five missions and net 100 poin??ts.

First, log into My Nintendo and verify that you need to complete the quests: they're all at the bottom of the landing page. Then head to the Pikmin 3 Deluxe landing page.

The first Pikmin is right on the homepage, near the bottom, hiding behind a leaf.

The second Pikmin is on the story page, also near the bottom, after "How to Play," behind a leaf.

The third one is a bit more sneaky and located on the gameplay page. It's right above the text "Mission Mode," hiding in a bush.

The fourth Pikmin is on the same page. Scroll down further and locate that one below the text "Piklopedia," on a flower bud.

The last one is on the "buy now" page, also near the bottom, below the My Nintendo logo. This one is like exiting through the gift shop!

Congrats! You now have 100 more Platinum Points. Generally these quests don't go away, so you can redeem them now and use them before they expire: or save the quests for a rainy day when you need a quick boost??.

Also check out our other My Nintendo tips:

• Sign into the eShop on Wii U or 3DS once a week
• 300 easy Platinum a month from Super Mario Run
• Earn up to 5,400 Platinum Points with Fire Emblem Heroes
• Go grab 100 easy My Nintendo Platinum Points with the new Zelda missio??ns
• Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp can net you 180 Platinum Points a week f??or little effort

The post Here’s how to get free My Nintendo Platinum Points with the Pikmin 3 quests appeared first on Destructoid.

If these get a million views each, surely then Nintendo will show us Pikmin 4, right?

The recent Nintendo Treehouse Live deep dive into the upcoming Pikmin 3 Deluxe really sold me on picking up the title for Switch even if I still have it for Wii U with most of the DLC. The local co-op, advanced control options, and playable side stories are more?? than enough reason for me to jump back into it. I l adore th??e original on the Wii U enough to drop some cash on the three short animated films Nintendo produced to promote its release.

As we told you a few days ago, Nintendo is delisting those videos from the eShop. Thankfully, unlike items that get delisted from other Nintendo digital distribution platforms, these ar?e more readily available now that they're finding a second life on YouTube.

"The Night Juicer"

"Treasure in a Bottle"

"Occupational Hazards"

I'd love to see more of this kind of stuff out of Nintendo. Also, I'd really like those brilliant Kid Icarus: Uprising&n?bsp;shorts to get the same treatment. Or, even better, to have them included on a Switch port of that 3DS gem.

Pikmin 3 Deluxe launches for Nintendo Switch ??on October 3??0, 2020.

The post Those wonderful Pik?min short movies are now?? on YouTube appeared first on Destructoid.

Nintendo showed the world map in Age of Calamity and announced a Pikmin 3 Deluxe demo with an Ultra-Spicy reward

Nintendo streamed a fresh Treehouse Live segment today with a "deep dive" into Pikmin 3 Deluxe and a gameplay showcase for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. If you want to wa?tch the extended broadcast above, you're free to do so, but I've spl??it the news up for each Switch game if you just want a recap.

What's new for Pikmin 3 Deluxe

Nintendo confirmed optional motion/gyro control support for Pikmin 3 Deluxe along with an Ultra-Spicy difficulty mode (with a cap of 60 Pikmin in the field and other "challenging elements"), the creature-tr??acking Piklopedia, and Side Stories with Captain Olimar and Louie. The level shown on-stream was Day 4: Tundra in Olimar's Assignment, a treasure-collecting time trial with local co-op support.

As a reminder, the main story is fully playable in co-op and there's also a h?ead-to-head Bingo mode.

Players who clear the eShop demo of Pikmin 3 Deluxe will be able to start the full game on Ultra-Spicy. This might go without saying, but your save data from the demo will transfer. Look for it tonight.

What's new for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity

So help us, there are hidden Koroks to track down in Age of Calamity. No more Gold Skulltulas.

Nintendo showed off the world map, too. I??n between main missions, you'll be able to jump to a bunch of locations across Hyrule to level up characters, strengthen weapons, and unlock other "things."

Across the map, merchants and side-missions are your chance to earn and spend supplies – a major facet of Hyrule Warriors and the reason I'm going to dump hundreds of hours into this game. On-stream, Link gave materials to a "youth from Hateno Village" to unlock a Two-Handed bonus combo.

Amusingly, Nintendo reassured everyone by saying that weapons don't break like in Breath of the Wild. Instead, you'll fuse weapons into each other to improve stats at the Blacksmith. Swords, spears, sledgehammers, and the almighty Soup Ladle ("it actually packs quite the wallop") were sho??wn tod??ay.

The stream also demonstrated a fight against Hinox with Impa. Is she the best or is she the best?

Unlike the Pikmin 3 segment, which was a lot of old ground if you're even remotely familiar with the series, the entire Age of Calamity showcase is worth watching. Urbosa and Zelda had ti??me to ??shine.

The last Nintendo Treehouse Live presentation – the one with Paper Mario: The Origami King and Bakugan of all things – struggled with frequent technical hiccups and cross-talking. There was undeniable room for improvement. As far as today's games go, Pikmin and Hyrule Warriors are a nice duo??. I want 'em both. That said, the quality of today's Treehouse showcase was also rocky at times.

These aren't system-defining title??s by any means, but I'm stoked to have them this year. Given that they're releasing on October 30 and November 20 respectively, I hope Nintendo doesn't hold back.

Remember Ni??ntendo Direct days? I miss their succinctness.

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