Pikmin 3 (Wii-U)

[Blue Blood]

Two notes, Soma:

1. I know what you mean about the atmosphere. But wait until you get further into the game and witness some interesting events and really scary bosses.

2. Purple and White Pikmin aren't in the main game. They're in extra modes only. Rock and Winged 'min are somewhat similar to Purple and White, but are a lot less gimmicky. They have better use that doesn't leave things feeling unbalanced.

Edited August 5, 2013 by Blue Blood

[SIXTH-RATE SOMA]

Firstly, thank you for answering my inquiries, Blue. Secondly, I apologize if I sound condescending at all in these replies, but understand that I am trying to explain something I am unsure how to explain. Without further ado:

 

1. I know what you mean about the atmosphere. But wait until you get further into the game and witness some interesting events and really scary bosses.

2. Purple and White Pikmin aren't in the main game. They're in extra modes only. Rock and Winged 'min are somewhat similar to Purple and White, but are a lot less gimmicky. They have better use that doesn't leave things feeling unbalanced.

 

1. I understand what you are saying here, and yet I feel I must make a minor objection. Atmosphere, unlike a good deal of other video game faculties, is something laid over the whole game experience. Think of it as a sort of frosting on the cake that is our game: it isn't entirely necessary, but if it is there at all then it had better be over the whole cake, no matter how thin a layer. We would have a sloppy cake should we suddenly run into frosting about halfway into our desert. This is moreso why I labeled that particular facet as a flaw so early on. The plot and such may very well improve as I go on, but weak atmosphere at any point in a story rather brings the whole down a bit. That said, thank you for the heads-up concerning the plot and bosses. Can't wait to be face to face with those deranged Pikmin foes again. :3

 

2. This is a bit more disappointing, chiefly for two reasons. The first of which being that Rock Pikmin seem a poor substitute for Purples thus far (however more unique they may be). I dunno, there was just something more charming about the rotund, furry little guys. This is probably not helped by my above bullet concerning Rock Pikmin. Secondly, and I may be entirely unique in this regard, but I just don't see how the Rock and Flying types are any less gimmicky than the Purples and Whites. It just seems more special snow-flakey to me to have Pikmin BUT WITH ROCKS and Pikmin BUT WITH WINGS than to have these peculiar types of Pikmin uniquely fitted to the sub-terrain. It just nags at me with a flurry of little questions (why didn't we see them in the first game? what are the practicalities of carrying a heavy rock throughout your life beyond a bit more protection? why weren't some type of flying pikmin anywhere in the first two game's areas, considering the lack of suitable predators?), which rather keep me from welcoming them as warmly as I could. Again, these sorts of things may be explained in time, but at present I just don't know.

 

Thank you for your time, and sorry for ranting again there.

[Blue Blood]

The biggest difference is that the P3 guys in this game don't have any massive drawbacks like the P2 ones. You're able to use every Pikmin in any situation just about equally, although each type will excel in one particular area. Purple/White did one task better than everyone else and another awfully. The over-presence of candy pop buds in the linear cave areas just encouraged or forced you to play the game in one specific way. That took away from the mystery and didn't require so much skill or forethought.

 

And then you're judging the atmosphere on what, day 2? You're not even out of the tutorial. There's plenty of it, and it's a hell of a lot better than P2's story which was essentially "two guys go on a business trip".Bosses are going to get serious, a full story comes into play (moreso than either of the past games) and there's plenty of secrets. The safer world and smaller number of enemies in this game makes it less threatening than before. I'll totally level with you on that. But otherwise you're quite off the make.

 

I think you're being pretty picky and going into the game with a closed mind. I was initially disappointed with the lack of Purple/White 'min, but after playing through the entire game I can say that Nintendo handled the whole thing just right. Seeing the story develops both as you progress it and find data files is hugely enjoyable too.

 

EDIT: BTW, what do you mean by "Rock Pikmin haven't been well explained"? They have the following characteristics:

• Slightly strong...
• ... but can't hold on to enemies. Instead they bounce back and hurl themselves at enemies repeatedly.
• Can't be impaled or squashed.
• Can break hard materials, like glass or crystal.

You'll learn that all through the data files or experience.

Edited August 5, 2013 by Blue Blood

[SuperLink]

I was disappointed with lack of Purple and White too, and I wish they implemented them into the story somehow, but I think it also helps the game from being over-complex. I imagine they'll get their scenario again in a future game, and I look forward to seeing how they've changed because the changes they made to Yellow and Blue Pikmin made them all really handy and equal.

 

Also agreed with Blue Blood on the atmosphere, while it may not have Pikmin 1's atmosphere (maybe it does to some, I haven't decided yet), it's still got more atmosphere than most games. Just you wait til rainy days against giant scary bosses, oh man.

Actually speaking of which, here's a screenshot I took, slightly spoilery, maybe not.

Atmosphere, man. I have an even more atmospheric screenshot, but it was too spoilery!!

 

And the first time you really start to see your Pikmin working on carrying as you travel a different way and see one of the captains headed one way down the river with "Go Here!" as Winged Pikmin fly over it effortlessly carrying things, man, it's kind of serene to see everyone at work and the game handles it all so smoothly and naturally.

Really, Pikmin 3 doesn't have much shortage of atmosphere, give it more of a chance and you'll have a pleasant time.

Edited August 5, 2013 by SuperLink

[Frogging101]

I just got this game today. It's my first Pikmin game, and I'm on Day 5 and I love it so far. I have a question though (mostly for people who have completed it), if it can be answered without spoilers: How's the replayablity? After completing the storyline, does the game end and you can't play anymore? If you're able to continue playing, do you feel that there's any reason to?

I ask because everyone says that it's pretty short, so for $60+ I'd expect a short game to give me a reason to keep playing.

Edited August 5, 2013 by Frogging101

[Gregzilla]

I'm about 14 days in so far.  Coming from someone who played the first 2 games extensively, this game is fantastic.  It's got a much nicer degree of polish, the characters and story are fun, and the gameplay is wonderful.  I honestly don't care about the lack of Purple Pikmin in story mode, because I find the Rock Pikmin a lot more fun and unique.

 

Though I find it kind of odd that I'm this far in the game, and yet I still haven't found Blue or Winged Pikmin.  Considering how short this game apparently is, I hope they get enough game time to be put to good use.

 

My only real complaint is that combat seems too easy at points.  And in the event that I lose some Pikmin, it doesn't seem as big a deal as in the past games.  But then there are the bosses and bigger enemies that pose a better degree of challenge, and the puzzles are just right.  Also gotta say, I've only beaten 2 of the main bosses, but they were both pretty awesome.  The first one was really exciting, and the second one was pretty intense, almost to the point of being scary.

 

I've only played a couple of challenge levels, but they are awesome so far.  Much better than the previous attempts the series made at a challenge mode.  Shame there aren't more challenges, but hopefully DLC will fix that.

 

So overall I'm extremely satisfied.  Usually when I hype up for a game I end up somewhat disappointed, but I can't say that's the case here.  It's just a wonderful, wonderful game, and may possibly rank among my all-time favorites.

[SuperLink]

I just got this game today. It's my first Pikmin game, and I'm on Day 5 and I love it so far. I have a question though (mostly for people who have completed it), if it can be answered without spoilers: How's the replayablity? After completing the storyline, does the game end and you can't play anymore? If you're able to continue playing, do you feel that there's any reason to?

I ask because everyone says that it's pretty short, so for $60+ I'd expect a short game to give me a reason to keep playing.

Avoiding spoilers as requested, but putting it in spoiler tags for people who'd rather not know;

 

It's designed to be replayed for speedrunning, you can restart from any day you want but once you go back to finish a day it'll erase the data of all the days after it. So basically.. you can pick up your save from many different points and take it in a different direction, but you won't be able to use your old direction anymore, hope that makes sense.

 

When the game ends, the final day reads "END", and when you select it it only shows your score and says "this is clear save data" or something, you can't resume play from there.

 

I continued playing to of course get all the fruit but also get all the exploration notes, especially the Secret Memos. Overall I got about 20 hours in.. but I did take my time with it. I'd say you could get it done about 5 hours quicker than me pretty easily if you wanted to. There are also Mission modes that are very challenging, I'd say there's plenty of value to it.

[SIXTH-RATE SOMA]

1. And then you're judging the atmosphere on what, day 2? You're not even out of the tutorial. There's plenty of it, and it's a hell of a lot better than P2's story which was essentially "two guys go on a business trip".Bosses are going to get serious, a full story comes into play (moreso than either of the past games) and there's plenty of secrets. The safer world and smaller number of enemies in this game makes it less threatening than before. I'll totally level with you on that. But otherwise you're quite off the make.

 

2. I think you're being pretty picky and going into the game with a closed mind. I was initially disappointed with the lack of Purple/White 'min, but after playing through the entire game I can say that Nintendo handled the whole thing just right. Seeing the story develops both as you progress it and find data files is hugely enjoyable too.

 

3. EDIT: BTW, what do you mean by "Rock Pikmin haven't been well explained"? They have the following characteristics:

• Slightly strong...
• ... but can't hold on to enemies. Instead they bounce back and hurl themselves at enemies repeatedly.
• Can't be impaled or squashed.
• Can break hard materials, like glass or crystal.

You'll learn that all through the data files or experience.

 

1. I think, in some regard, we are using two definitions for the word "atmosphere." In my case, I mean atmosphere from a purely immersive perspective. That is, I go forward with the idea that the plot and atmosphere are two separate things, and no matter how symbiotic they become they remain two separate things. I can easily believe you that the plot will get better, or bosses stronger, or what have you. I was more saying that that content is dressed a bit awkwardly, and thus can take one out of the experience. That sense of adventure or what have you isn't there, and even if the game later grows a bit of ambience, it still lacks it at an important part of the game.

Games ranging from Super Mario Galaxy to Metal Gear Solid understand the importance of drawing the player in early, and making them well acquainted with the world. With Pikmin 3, it's a bit like someone shoving somebody at me and telling us we need to be friends now. We may very well become good friends later down the line, but not having a natural introduction sort of hampers that effort for a while.

 

2. I don't see how I'm being too picky. I already listed quite a few things I liked with the game. Heck, I'll add one, now that I've remembered. The Fruit rationing is an excellent mechanic, and I'm very happy to see it introduced to the series. I tried to give Pikmin 3 as much of an open mind as I might. However, I am certainly going to be honest when giving my impressions, and that means listing whatever I find, good, bad, or otherwise. Furthermore, I'm not sure why everyone believes me so terribly concerned with Purple Pikmin. If I missed them that awfully, I'd list it as a flaw in the game and you could all rightfully pick that apart. I just felt they warranted mentioning in relation to the similar situation Rock Pikmin find themselves in.

 

3. My apologies if I was unclear. I meant more in terms of biology rather than gameplay. In previous entries, the Piklopedia or what have you would give some explanation, however fantastical or whimsical, as to how X does Y (how the Fiery Blowhog breathes fire, etc.) How do Rock Pikmin get to be covered in rocks? Why haven't we seen them before? How do they get around having such a bulky, heavy body? I didn't get very clear answers to these sorts of questions yet. They may well yet be answered in time, hence their listing as only temporary concerns. Sorry for the confusion.

Edited August 5, 2013 by Sixth-Rate Soma

[Autosaver]

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Use these promotion codes.

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[SuperStingray]

 

I didn't really know what to expect about Pikmin 3 going in.  Pikmin 1 and 2 are two of my favorite games ever- after all these years, could they really make a sequel that lives up to them?

 

While Nintendo seems disinterested in creating new IPs, I still love how they respect their old ones. In a market where the best way to bring a franchise back to the public eye is to create gritty reboots, Nintendo has my admiration for sticking to their guns and knowing why something they made was great in the first place.  And Pikmin 3 is no exception- it pretty much picks up right where 2 left off and felt like a perfectly natural evolution of the series.

 

Many people complained about Pikmin 1 being too difficult because of the time limit, but to me that's what made it interesting.  It gave your adventure a sense of isolation, urgency and finality.  Pikmin 2 countered by not only removing the day limit, but removing the time limit altogether for about half of the environments, trying to focus more on puzzle solving than hustle.  It was by no means a bad decision, and in some ways created some gameplay opportunities that Pikmin 1 couldn't provide.  If Pikmin 1 was Castaway, then Pikmin 2 is Indiana Jones, I guess I would say.

 

But Pikmin 3 hits the Goldilocks zone- it perfected the dynamic the first two games strived to create: testing the player's efficiency.  With 3 characters to cycle between, no opportunities to pause the sun's arc, environments that are more open and labyrinthine than ever and a need to make timely progress, there's a greater call for micromanagement and multitasking.  I would actually say this was the most challenging game in the series.  Even though Pikmin 2 was more difficult, I felt a stronger gratification from completing tasks in this game.  I didn't simply grind through enemies to get to the next hole- I had to figure which ones were my priority and how to allocate my Pikmin.  I was forced to discover ways to become more productive in a day and it felt good.  It's very rare that a game makes me want to do a time trial, but Pikmin 3 was short and compelling enough to make me want to try again.

 

The new Pikmin were also really good.  While purple and white were fitting to Pikmin 2's combat-oriented design, the rock and winged Pikmin prove to have much stronger utility.  Rockmin add a new dynamic to combat (being more like projectiles than soldiers) while the wing pikmin are invaluable for exploring and collecting.

 

As for the narrative, the story was... I dunno.  It was more character driven than 1 or 2, certainly.  Olimar and Louie were one step up from silent protagonists whereas Alph, Britney and Charlie were pretty talkative.  There were some funny character interactions, but nothing that really made them stand out.  It was enough, but kind of left me wanting.  Britney's descriptions of the fruit were funny, but nothing will ever match Louie's notes in the Piklopedia.

 

Pikmin 3 is the sequel I've been waiting for, that's all I can say.  But that said, satisfying a wait of 9 years is quite an accomplishment.

 

[SIXTH-RATE SOMA]

Alright, I figure I should sum up my thoughts on the game in full. Here gooooes nothiiiiing:

 

I suppose I should start off with what I really enjoyed. I've already mentioned the music, graphics, fruit-mechanic, and so forth, but since then I must mention a few more. Olimar's notes provide both an excellent source of punctual exposition both on his own state of affairs as well as practical aspects like puzzle solving. His depth as a character is also retained and slightly expanded upon, giving us the less than savory aspects of the good captain. Louie, while definitely losing some traits from

2, also gains some traits by showing us the more oafish, charming side of his character (which is odd, considering he spends a portion of the game as the antagonist, but I digress). Brittany and Charlie also establish themselves as unique characters in their own right, and though lacking in the development that made their earlier counterparts interesting, might get this in time should they ever return. In other ares, while not on the scale of 2, they're are a wide variety of enemies on display, and they all have their purpose in the gameplay. Similarly, each Pikmin has their own balanced role to play, and as bewildered as I might still be by the new additions, I would lie if I said they were not fun to play with. The open world concept is also quite novel, though I think it might use some fine tweaking.

 

Now, that would be nice on its own, but leaving the list like that isn't entirely honest. As good as I thought the game was, it certainly had its downsides. This section may seem longer than the first, but that's more me trying to properly explain myself than any outright disdain for the game.

 

I've already mentioned early pacing issues with the story, but coming to the credits of the game I now realize why this is. There really just isn't all that much plot to spread about. As much as other members have hyped the story, it's only a tad thicker than the plot to 2, and really lacks the human connection of 1. As such, while serviceable and not at all bad, the plot stands more as a "what-could-have-been" sort of element to the game as opposed to being any sort of boon, and then quickly ends before blooming into anything beyond that. I suppose it might seem a bit picky to be so hard on the story of a Pikmin game, but it's an aspect of the game that's been praised to high heaven, and thus I had higher expectations for it. It's also a rather measly compromise for the small amount of lore in the game, which doesn't quite help matters.

 

As far as characters, I must mention that while Brittany and Charlie both established their own characters, Alph just... is. He has some nice lines here and there, but ultimately I can't quite name any really defining features on him. It's not a deal breaker, but it is a bit disappointing considering the effort to expand on everyone else's character in the game.

 

From a gameplay standpoint, I can only name a few real objects of contention. The first and most obvious was a lack of replacement for the C-stick's maneuvering from the previous games. I can't count the times that would've been useful to have around in this game, and I'm really at a loss as to why it's missing, as I can't think of any decent understudy for the feature. Furthermore, the bosses were pretty hit-or-miss for me, and seemed oddly paced at times. While some bosses were quite easily bested, others just seemed to drag on for reasons more arbitrary than due to any challenge. The most obvious example is, sadly, the final one, as some rather dodgy design aspects take away from what would've otherwise been grand finale. I believe I'm forgetting something else, but I've already bored you with my ranting by this point, so I'll save it.

 

Ultimately, while a great game in its own right, Pikmin 3 probably sits on the bottom of the totem pole for me, lacking both the excellent plot and atmosphere of the first game as well as the excellent world-building and gameplay-polish of the second. I don't regret playing it in the slightest, but at the same time I don't think I'll return to it any time soon. Still recommended, but not as strongly as I wish, I suppose.

 

And with that brick of text, I'm off to bed.

Edited August 7, 2013 by Sixth-José Soma

[Gregzilla]

Just beat the story mode, not getting all the fruit or hidden memos yet.  Here are my thoughts.

 

First off, this game is gorgeous.  The art is beautiful and the graphical prowess of the Wii U really makes everything shine.  I was also very impressed at how some of the bosses affected the environment as they moved.  Enemy design is great as always, and the locations are all beautiful.  Though I wish there could have been a few more new enemy designs, as it felt like there was too much time spent fighting enemies we've seen before.

 

Secondly, the gameplay just feels so much more polished than the previous 2 games.  Aiming where to throw Pikmin is much more responsive now that the reticle indicates when you are aiming at an enemy.  Pikmin also seem better at following the leaders in more narrow lines to avoid running into trouble or falling off stuff.  They still get stuck on scenery occasionally, but it's not that huge an issue.  The lock-on system is also a nice addition, and I think it makes up for the lack of the swarm move.  The roll move is cool too, but I didn't really use it much outside of boss fights.

 

Overall it was such a pleasant, fun, and charming experience that I think it would take too long to talk about how much I like it.  So I'm gonna go over what I didn't like.

 

Rock Pikmin are incredibly fun to use, but while not as overpowered as Purple Pikmin, still pack a bit too much of a punch and tend to make battles too easy.  The levels also seem kinda empty at times.  There should have been more enemies in certain areas, because a lot of time is spent walking around without any real obstacles or challenges.

 

Now for spoilers.

 

 Olimar and Louie's presence in the game was cool, and a nice nod to the previous games.  Overall I wish the story had a bit more depth though.  The presentation is a step above the first two, but there isn't a whole lot of plot.  It's a shame, because the three new characters are likable - more so than Olimar and Louie, in my opinion - so I would have liked to see more of their personalities shine through.

 

A lot of reviews were put off by the game's ending, stating it was a bizarre change of pace.  I, on the other hand, thought the last level was awesome.  It really put your management skills to the test while keeping you on your toes trying to avoid the giant blob of death.  As for the final boss fight, I thought it was very good as well.  Perhaps a bit too chaotic near the end, but genuinely intense and exciting.

 

Overall, this is one of my favorite games in a long time.  I'd probably say it's the best Nintendo game since Donkey Kong Country Returns.  I'll have to let it sink in a bit before I decide if it's the best in the trilogy, but it is definitely the most polished.  It's a fantastic game.  I just hope we don't have to wait another decade for a sequel.

[Doctor MK]

European peeps - anyone who ordered one of the Red/Yellow Pikmin keyrings from Club Nintendo received it yet?

 

I know a friend who got his a couple of days ago, and I've seen from searching around that a few others have got them too, but mine is yet to arrive. Didn't know whether they might just be sending them out staggered or whether I should get in touch with Nintendo to find out where it's gone missing!

[Blue Blood]

Nope. No sign of mine yet. I certainly wasn't expecting anyone to have gotten them so quickly. The only other thing I ever ordered from CN was the Deluxe Mario Figure, and that took about 3 weeks.

[Jolt_TH]

I've only ordered the mario galaxy soundtrack and the NES classic note books in the past, they took about 3 weeks to a month so I'd probably wait a bit longer

[Pawn]

Mine's not arrived yet either, but wow, it's taken other items 3 weeks to get here? Oh well, it's not like I need it right now or anything.

Edited August 7, 2013 by Pawn

[KrazyBean]

I received mine yesterday actually.

[Katzii]

Still waiting on mine but I ordered a Game Card case at the same time.  That being said, I ordered two other Game Card cases recently and they took maybe 3 or 4 days to get here?  I guess it depends which of their depots they're sending from.

[Blue Blood]

Okay, scratch that. I got my 'Sunseed Berry' and 'Mock Bottom' today. They're lurvly keyrings, but slightly lacking in detail on the fruit. I think the Pink'min is supposed to be on a Dusk Pustule, but it's just a solid mauve ball so it's a bit hard to tell. And then the Yellow'min's berry is solid red, without the seeds being painted. The details on the Pikmin themselves though it great. They even got the stripes on the Pink one.

Edited August 8, 2013 by Blue Blood

[Doctor MK]

Damn, still waiting on my keyring! I am extremely jealous of you right now, Blue Blood

[Pawn]

I received my Red Pikmin today. =] I've not started the game itself yet, but hopefully I'll have some time to do so tonight.

Edited August 10, 2013 by Pawn

[Doctor MK]

Finally got around to finishing this game today, and it was an absolute joy from start to finish. This was my first true Pikmin experience (having only briefly played a bit of the original on Gamecube) and despite not being too familiar with the mechanics or the characters, I found myself sucked into the world of the Pikmin and actually quite invested in the story. The fruit-based timer system is a stroke of genius - it adds a real sense of suspense and survival, at least towards the start of the game when you haven't amassed a large quantity of food, and it's a nice compromise between the inevitable doom of Pikmin 1 and the sheer freedom of Pikmin 2.

 

I played through the entire game using the GamePad alone, and a few impractical moments aside (I'm looking at you, boss battles!), I was perfectly content with the way it controlled. And the map was so unbelievably useful, both for seeing where to go and sending team members off on tasks. No way would I have enjoyed the game as much without it, and for that alone I'm glad it ended up on Wii U.

 

The actual plot may have been a bit short, but I'm sure I'll jump back into it again at some point to finish collecting up all the fruit.

 

Oh, and my Red Pikmin keyring showed up at the weekend too. Happy days!

[-Mark-]

So, I finally got all ten secret memos to complete the code. I entered the code on the given site and got... one 58-second video.

 

I've heard there's actually one video per stage, and in addition to this, Miyamoto's original post did say 'a series of videos'. A quick ask on Miiverse told me that the other codes are out there; on IGN's Pikmin Wiki. What I want to know is, is there any legitimate way to find the codes for the other videos in-game?

[KrazyBean]

 

So, I finally got all ten secret memos to complete the code. I entered the code on the given site and got... one 58-second video.

 

I've heard there's actually one video per stage, and in addition to this, Miyamoto's original post did say 'a series of videos'. A quick ask on Miiverse told me that the other codes are out there; on IGN's Pikmin Wiki. What I want to know is, is there any legitimate way to find the codes for the other videos in-game?

 

 

Wait, were do you go to enter the code?

[-Mark-]

If you go to Miyamoto's post in the Pikmin 3 Developer's Room Miiverse, you can click the small Internet Browser icon to be taken there.

 

As far as I'm aware it only works on the Wii U.