Wii U-Pikmin 3

Not a launch title, but should be out by Spring of next year. Obviously one of the most anticipated Wii U titles, definitely can't wait to try this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tqk6PTSlrYE

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIIPkyWaiu0[/youtube]

It looks like they're sticking with most of the things that made me hate Pikmin 2 for Wii, except adding a persistent map and telling you where to go.

It's a shame, because touchscreen controls could really help this game. Choosing colors, establishing groups, launching multiple pikmin. Instead they delayed it so they can add better screenshots.

Pikmin 3 preview: Nintendo's adorably dark sci-fi dystopia

by Kat Bailey, Jul 11, 2013 12:00pm PDT

Related Topics – Pikmin 3, Nintendo, Wii U, Pikmin Series
One of Nintendo's more underrated qualities is its knack for producing interesting science fiction. Both Metroid and Pikmin have unique settings and creatures, the kind of stuff that settles into your mind and stays there. They're both surprisingly dark as well--much darker than you would expect a Nintendo game to be.



Consider the first few moments of Pikmin 3. In its opening, we learn that the three main characters are members of a race that has exhausted its food supply and must now search the stars for new sources of nourishment. That in of itself is kind of grim for a Nintendo game. Cute as they might be, Alph, Charlie, and Brittany are members of a dying race, like the Ewoks after the destruction of the Death Star.

Pikmin 3


The Pikmin, meanwhile, are constantly under threat by hungry predators. So much so, in fact, that they seem in danger of extinction themselves. Forget to evacuate a Pikmin before night rolls around, and you're forced to watch as the poor little guy becomes dinner. For a game supposedly meant to appeal to Japanese high school girls, it pulls surprisingly few punches, and that, in a nutshell, is what I find appealing about the setting.



With that in mind, I can't help being sucked in by the plight of Alph, Charlie, and Brittany. Trapped on an alien planet, they have to rely on one another, and whatever Pikmin they find, for survival. The tutorial takes you through their initial hours on the mysterious Pikmin planet, their first encounters with the natives, and their search for each other, all with the clock ticking ominously downward. After all, they aren't just on the hook to save their planet. If they run out of berry juice--their primary source of sustenance--they will die to starvation as well, so the race is on.

Berry juice helps relax the constricting time limit of the original Pikmin, while adding a sense of panic lost in its sequel. The time limit of Pikmin 3 isn't strict, since it's always possible to find more berries and refill the fruit juice that keep Charlie and company alive. Another key change is the ability to go back in time to whatever day you want at the expense of your saved progress. In Pikmin 3, if you're a victim of a Pikmin bloodbath, as I was when facing down the Armored Mawdad, it's easy to go back and simply try again. It's a far more palpable solution over having to start all over, as in the original game. 


ProTip
Pikmin 3 adds many other subtle tweaks that improve the overall experience: from the ability to auto-direct friendly characters using the map screen on the GamePad, to the app that keeps track of stray Pikmin so they don't get eaten at the end of the day.

The interface is thoughtful and intelligently designed, and it really eases the burden of directing a million Pikmin at once. Perhaps the most annoying thing about playing Pikmin on Wii U was having to balance the GamePad on my lap while playing the game with the Nunchuk and Wii Remote. While one could just play with the GamePad alone, I would much rather have the control afforded by the Wii's motion controls. It's simply more cumbersome to use the analog sticks than to "point and click." Pikmin was practically made for the Wii Remote.



By far the biggest addition to Pikmin 3 is the fact that there are three characters now, rather than just one. Captain Olimar makes his presence known with research notes scattered around the planet. But this is Alph, Charlie, and Brittany's show, and each of them have a valuable part to play.

 For example, after rescuing Brittany and uncovering the Rock Pikmin, I had to build a bridge. The materials I needed were across a river. So using Alph, I picked up Brittany and tossed her to the other side, then tossed over a few Pikmin to help. Moments later, I had a bridge, and I was able to continue my quest.



Obviously, the addition of multiple characters has huge ramifications for Pikmin's design. With three characters at your disposal, it's possible to get all kinds of things finished over the course of a day, especially if you're efficient. It also obviously affects the puzzle design, as was demonstrated with the bridge challenge. Again, it's a great idea that feels like a natural progression from Pikmin 1 and 2.

Pikmin 3 plays better when using the Wii Remote


But as much as I like all these clever new ideas, all of which represent Nintendo at its creative best, it's still the setting that grabs me most. It's just so fun and different from everything else on the market right now that it can't help but capture my attention. The humorous and yet surprisingly dark setting is just the tip of the iceberg. It extends to the creatures, the design, the world... everything.

 And for the first time in the franchise, it's all rendered in HD.

Whereas other key franchises in Nintendo's slate have begun to feel just the slightest bit stale, Pikmin still feels fresh and vibrant. Not only that, but in a landscape dominated by drab shooters and zombies, Pikmin's bright palette and quirky characters can't help but stand out. It's such a weird, fun, and creative game that fully realizes Miyamoto's vision from 2001. We need more games like that, not just from Nintendo, but everyone.

-I seriously don't like that this game seems to work better with the Wii remote. How are you selling people on the Gamepad when one of your premier franchises that also seems like a natural fit for the Gamepad isn't best represented on it? Nintendo just seems to have no goddamn clue.

Nintendo can't win... If they abandoned the Wii-mote/nunchuck controls that every one loved, then Nintendo would have been accused of "forcing" the game pad on everyone to fix a control scheme that wasn't broken.

I dunno, it sounds to me like a fun combination of the two control schemes. I imagine mastery of the game will require the ability to juggle both touch and motion controls.

Alternately, it could provide an opportunity for some of that asymmetrical gameplay they want to push. I can see my wife or siblings being up for group management via touch controls, while I'm more of a field marshal on the chukmote setup.

Reminds me of playing Odama on the Gamecube to a slight degree. Someone would manage the flippers, while someone else would work the verbal commands. That could be another fun game to update on the Wii U.

Sounds like a pain in the ass. The wiimote controls in Pikmin 2 are terrible. Half the time I'm tossing pikmin into walls or thin air.

Also people need to can it on the "selling the gamepad" front. Most games behave fine with four buttons and a D-pad, as wii showed us.

soonersfan60 said:

Nintendo can't win... If they abandoned the Wii-mote/nunchuck controls that every one loved, then Nintendo would have been accused of "forcing" the game pad on everyone to fix a control scheme that wasn't broken.

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Yeah, I'm gonna need a source on that.

Well i guess i won't be doing that again.. Started downloading the game off the eShop at 11pm last night and it is at 72% right now 10 1/2 hours later. 

I thought i'd get to play it quicker this way than waiting and going to the store at noon.  Jokes on me.

Picked this up a little bit ago from GameStop. I'm going to do a live stream in a bit while I start playing the game.

Edit: It's over!

I played about an hour with the normal GamePad controls and it works really well. I don't know why people freak out about the Wii Remote control scheme when there are perfectly good normal control schemes with the Pro controller or GamePad. You can even do it all just on the GamePad itself with Off-TV Play, so there's a lot of options to fit your needs.

I'm really not digging the time limit, it curbs exploration and experimentation, because not only do you lose time, but at least in the first few days your juice supply is pretty limited, so you lose precious juice too. The Gamepad works ok and I haven't tried a Wii remote yet but it seems kinda clumsy the first boss took a lot more time than it seems like it should have and that's basically because rounding up your pikmin for another go is quite the effort when there should be a button you can hit for them all to reform if they are in they immediate area.

I don't think anyone is freaking out.  Multiple control options are awesome.  Not sure why they couldn't have offered both on the Wii versions of the games.

soonersfan60 said:

Nintendo can't win... If they abandoned the Wii-mote/nunchuck controls that every one loved, then Nintendo would have been accused of "forcing" the game pad on everyone to fix a control scheme that wasn't broken.

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Granted I realize most people who bought a Wii U had a Wii and probably have Wii Remotes & Nunchucks, but Nintendo should have optimized the game for the gamepad because you shouldn't have to own extra controllers that are from a past system to get the best experience. It's basically an RTS of sorts, which should transfer really well to a controller such as the gamepad. It's functional, but it could've been much better had they not split their focus so much,

How much better?

 I think the gamepad and stylus would have been a more efficient way to control the Pikmin, especially since you even have multiple leaders this time doing plenty of multi-tasking. Also flinging Pikmin at high targets/airborne enemies, would be easier if done on the touchpad. Everyone so far has said this is quite easy with the Wii Remote/Nunchuck combo, not so much with the gamepad. Maybe instead having to use the whistle, especially for a couple of stray pikmin that have wandered off due to occasionally spotty path-finding, you could simply tap them on the pad and they'd be back under your control. I'm pretty much hoping that's how Wonderful 101 works, which features somewhat similar gameplay.

Love this game. Not perfect, but I've been waiting for Pikmin 3 for nearly a decade. I enjoy the Gamepad control scheme (although the lack of the "C-stick" to move all your Pikmin around is a bummer) and the "Go Here" feature is really nice. Saves time. Splitting up your teams can be hectic at first, but it works well once you get the hang of it.

Finally started last night and ran through 8 days.  I've got a love it, hate it vibe.  Love it because it's Pikmin.  Hate it because it's basically Pikmin 2.25 and could really be so much more if it weren't for Nintendo's insistence on moving their franchises on the micro evolutionary scale.

How awesome would it have been if your secondary character was always on the gamepad to control/run around while your main character is still doing his thing on the tv?  That way you can watch both simultaneously.   The glorified gamepad map/inventory screen is a waste.  Ran my gamepad down last night and didn't see the benefit at all.  Guess I'll stick to the pro controller.  Maybe try the Wiimote/nunchuck combo.  Losing the c-stick control sucks.  The camera stick is a waste when you can just tap the L button to center the camera.

The game is pretty, but man I'd love to see setting this series in a hyper realistic garden like the cover art above.  That's gorgeous and stylish. Add to that more realistic weather effects.  Rain that affects the height you can throw Pikmin, makes the rock Pikmin slippery/prone to dropping things, puts out fire, etc.  Snow that makes whatever they're carrying heavier or sink in big snow banks.  Strong gusts of wind that could knock your guys down, or flip them over with the items they're carrying. Something.  Shit.  

What's with the 100 Pikmin limit?  Everyone has gorgeous widescreen sets now with plenty of real estate to use.  That and the Gamecube could handle 100 on screen, can the WiiU, a decade newer, not handle more?

ing text bubbles.  It's like I'm still playing on the NES.  It's 2013 and it's ridiculous.  

Pikmin 3 would be the perfect sequel if it was released in 2004.  Pikmin is one of my favorite Nintendo franchises(been waiting on this one for years), but there is so much unrealized potential is ridiculous.  It'll take us another decade and two more consoles for Nintendo to budge the needle on the evolutionary scale.  This isn't Mario where there will be backlash for trying new things.  It's a smaller title that could benefit from some experimentation and a larger jump in advancing the series.  

I've decided the text bubbles where they type at you letter by letter instead of showing everything at once is the worst first world problem ever

moothemagiccow said:

I've decided the text bubbles where they type at you letter by letter instead of showing everything at once is the worst first world problem ever

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If you press the RT on the gamepad all the text will pop at once. Was glad I found that on accident.

Is Pikmin 3 really that short of a game? My son apparently rescued Olimar and can leave any time, and I don't think he put in 10 hours total. Obviously there are the treasure hunt / side quests to do which he'll work on at some point, but it just seems like there is less to this game overall than 1 or 2.

Most reviews said it can be beaten in 10 hours tops. That was pretty much my reason to wait til there's a sale on it or something.

Maybe that's why Nintendo didn't want to make it a launch title. I'm sure it would have gotten more scrutiny and complaints then. I guess I wish I would have waited, but pre-ordered it to get Lego City for half price.

I think it would have gotten less scrutiny at launch.  People know launch titles aren't the cream of the crop.  I think it was hurt by holding it.  9 months and this is it?  However seeing the lack of gamepad integration, I see why they held it from launch.  It still should have been a Spring title though.

I love it, but as I pointed out above it has its fair share of flaws & shortcomings.

As to be expected when a new sequel is released, but did anyone else notice how hard to find / pricey (well, compared to its $19.99 MSRP) the Pikmin 2 Wii release is now?  Nothing really to add to the Pikmin 3 conversation, but just glad I picked that up when I did.

I wouldn't say $33 on Amazon is "pricey."

Anyway, I'm about 46 days in and collected all the fruits, found 5 of the hidden digits and just have to fight the final boss.  I took my time so I don't quite have the same complaints about lack of playtime as others.  However, it would be nice if these games were longer.  I just want to keep playing.   Toss a couple DLC levels our way.  Let us take 300 Pikmin out of the Onion at a time (100 per character).

I do have a question though.  On the Frozen Tundra level(I think that's the name), there is a datapad on a ridge right by where the Ship/Onion land.  How the hell do you get it?  It's too high to toss a character to, and I can't find a way to climb up to it.  I'm done with that level, would suck to waste a day just to get that one item, but... completionist.  lol

Corvin said:

I wouldn't say $33 on Amazon is "pricey."

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I guess I'm comparing it to the $19.99 MSRP, which just a couple of months ago it was easy enough to find, but not now after Pikmin 3 dropped. The release is just over a year old too to boot.

EDIT: Ok, I'll actually keep this on topic for those that have played Pikmin 3, as it was the only Wii U game nominated for GOTY (thus far for this year that is) for the Golden Joystick Awards. I know there have only been a handful of exclusive (or semi exclusive) Wii U games, but has it really been the best so far? Seems like I've heard more positive responses from Lego City Undercover and Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, but its Nintendo IP status probably pushed it on the ballots instead.

Corvin said:

I do have a question though. On the Frozen Tundra level(I think that's the name), there is a datapad on a ridge right by where the Ship/Onion land. How the hell do you get it? It's too high to toss a character to, and I can't find a way to climb up to it. I'm done with that level, would suck to waste a day just to get that one item, but... completionist. lol

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I was able to toss a captain onto the ridge. Try throwing at an angle from the top of the slope near the onion.

Anyone do the challenge missions?  Holy crap I've sunk more time into these than it took to finish the game itself.  Spent a couple hours on each to just get gold.  (still have a couple silver on the Enemy challenges).  On top of that I got a couple Platinum on the Fruit mode.  Had to YouTube those and it still took me probably 3 hours each (on top of the 2 hours to get gold).  I did manage a couple Platinum on Enemy mode sans YT.  Those were a bit easier.

I can't seem to put this down to play Rayman yet. 

I'm a huge Pikmin fan and I loved 3. Don't really understand the complaints about being too short either. I got all the fruit while I was going along and my end playtime was just under 15 hours. Right now sits as probably my second favorite game of the year.

I'm a huge fan of Infinite Undiscovery. I really don't understand the complaints that it sucks. Never should the phrase "I'm a huge fan of" be followed with a declaration of why you simply cannot understand why everyone on the planet doesn't have your tastes.

Blaster man said:

I'm a huge fan of Infinite Undiscovery. I really don't understand the complaints that it sucks. Never should the phrase "I'm a huge fan of" be followed with a declaration of why you simply cannot understand why everyone on the planet doesn't have your tastes.

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Learn how to read. I never said I don't understand why everyone doesn't have my taste. I said I didn't understand people complaining about the length. It's right around the same length as the first two games and about double the length of your average game these days.

The Questyen said:

Learn how to read. I never said I don't understand why everyone doesn't have my taste. I said I didn't understand people complaining about the length. It's right around the same length as the first two games and about double the length of your average game these days.

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Don't mind him. Although you were sort of asking for it by posting something positive in this forum.

Counted up my time in my play log.  Including all the bonus missions I ended up logging over 40 hours.  Not too shabby.  Bring on the DLC!

Kind-of an obscure question...I have no experience with Pikmin whatsoever, but is it anything like the Pikmin mini-game in Nintendo Land?

I got a question. Just bought the game yesterday and I have not started it yet. Does the game provide some sort of how to play or am I on my own learning the game?

It doesn't have a traditional tutorial but it does have little "data pads" that you find that tells you techniques and tricks.

It doesn't have a traditional tutorial but it does have little "data pads" that tell you techniques and tricks.

I'd consider it to have a tutorial. It explains all your basic moves and stuff as they unlock and you progress through the game. It doesn't expect that you've played the first two.

The Questyen said:

I'd consider it to have a tutorial. It explains all your basic moves and stuff as they unlock and you progress through the game. It doesn't expect that you've played the first two.

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Oh good, this is my first Pikmin game so I should not have any trouble. I mean I played RTS games before so it wont be hard to adjust. It's just learning all the ins and outs of Pikmin.

Sir_Fragalot said:

Oh good, this is my first Pikmin game so I should not have any trouble. I mean I played RTS games before so it wont be hard to adjust. It's just learning all the ins and outs of Pikmin.

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Yeah you will be fine. It delivers new mechanics as you go along so you're not starting out at the beginning with a ton of stuff to remember.

The Questyen said:

Yeah you will be fine. It delivers new mechanics as you go along so you're not starting out at the beginning with a ton of stuff to remember.

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Not going to say that the game is easy, but the game is really easy to get into I must say. Played like 20 minutes and I am having a blast. Really fun. Can't believe I never played the first or second.

One piece of advice to help people early on. The worrying about fruit juice really only is an issue for the first two or three days so don't stress out about getting everything perfect. You will have tons of extra juice by the end.

How is the DLC for the game?  With Best Buy running a 20% off on eShop cards, I'm thinking of picking some of it up when the game arrives.  Anyone play it and have some thoughts?

psunami said:

How is the DLC for the game? With Best Buy running a 20% off on eShop cards, I'm thinking of picking some of it up when the game arrives. Anyone play it and have some thoughts?

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I'm having a blast with the DLC so far. Played it with my buddy til the wii (pun intended) hours of the morning last night. Only wish they made this a 3 player online game. That would have been nuts!

cashgunschaos said:

I'm having a blast with the DLC so far. Played it with my buddy til the wii (pun intended) hours of the morning last night. Only wish they made this a 3 player online game. That would have been nuts!

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Would it have lasting value for single player as well?

psunami said:

Would it have lasting value for single player as well?

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I did for me. I played it a ton when I first got it. Took a break, now back to it again!

Pretty helpful article on Kotaku for Pikmin newbies. Can't post a link yet, but just google Kotaku Pikmin 3 tips

I got this free with MK8.  I see that there are 3 DLC packs.  Which are worth buying?

Blaster man said:

I got this free with MK8. I see that there are 3 DLC packs. Which are worth buying?

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Same here and I'm playing it more than anything else right now. It's just so good and fun and charming...