I might just be the only GameCube owner alive who has never played a Pikmin game.
It’s just one series that slipped through the cracks for me. Thankfully I managed to track down the GC originals and they both stand the test of time. However Pikmin 2 was by far the most polished of the two and outshined the original Pikmin in every facet. Not long ago, Nintendo re-released Pikmin for the Wii and now, hot on its heels comes the remake of the sequel – Pikmin 2.
While there is no official word on a Pikmin 3, personally I see re-releasing the GC originals as a smart move to gauge interest, considering a relatively small section of gamers would have played them first time around.
Of course no Wii game can be complete without utilising the motion controller in one way or another and Pikmin 2 makes very good use of it – to the point where it actually improves gameplay considerably from the GC version. There’s no waving your arms around like an idiot, just a simple point and click interface which makes playing the game a breeze.
This time around Captain Olimar returns to the planet of the Pikmin to pillage the world for any salvage of value to earn what extra cash he can to save his ailing haulage business. Thankfully, gone is the dreaded 30 day time limit from the original Pikmin game, and instead the pace is far more relaxed as you explore all the open and hidden areas the planet has on offer. There is still the day/night cycle you need to watch out for, which means any of your Pikmin minions left outside after sundown will be brutally ravaged by any number of wild monsters. Plunder the wide open landscapes and make it back to the ship before dark, but before long you’ll need to venture out further and into underground caverns and tunnels which make up the majority of the game.
You need 10,000 Pokos (dollars) to save your company from liquidation and once this is earned you are able to carry on exploring the planet to clean up anything you’ve missed, if you happen to be one of those 100% freaks.
If you’ve ever played Overlord (and to a lesser extent Lemmings) on other consoles then the gameplay of Pikmin 2 is similar. You have an army of little Pikmin at your disposal and different kinds have very different powers and abilities. So the challenge comes from using the right Pikmin for the job at hand whether that be moving objects, smashing things or attacking enemies. You do have the ability to fight too in Pikmin 2 and fight quite well, so if you’re not keen to lose any of your valuable Pikmin in battle then you can keep them out of harms way and do the deed yourself. You will struggle against the bigger enemies – of which there are many in the underground caverns. They require a bit of trial and error to work out their weaknesses before defeating and carrying them back to your ship. Herein lies the main enjoyment and challenge of the game.
There are two new Pikmin available this time around – purple and white which provide strength and poison respectively. You are not alone in Pikmin 2 either – you have another commander named Louis alongside you which means you can split your Pikmin army into two groups and switch between commanders to better reach your goals.
As you encounter new creatures they are added to the Piklopedia which serves as a reference at any time. You can observe the creatures in a zoo-like environment and make them react to certain actions. Everything you collect is recorded for future reference which makes Pikmin 2 a rewarding game for the hoarders among us.
Included also is a challenge mode which lets you play specifically designed levels with a time limit to achieve your goals. A second player can join in and control Louis which is great fun. Let’s not forget the versus mode which pits two players against each other battling for control of some precious marbles.
Overall, Pikmin 2 is a hugely rewarding and highly addictive game. I have no doubt that this re-release will spark new interest in the series and spur Nintendo on to producing a new and updated Pikmin game.
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