Pikmin 3 is oddly mesmerizing
There’s lush scenery and soft music but fun little characters steal the show
Pikmin 3 ★★★★ 1/2 Available on: Nintendo Wii U Rating: E for everyone over 10
There is something completely enchanting about Pikmin 3.
The scenery is beautiful and lush, the music is mostly soft and soothing, and watching the game’s fun, colourful little characters run around various obstacles is oddly mesmerizing.
Make no mistake, Pikmin 3 is not for adrenalin junkies. Players who want to traverse rough terrain while blowing up everything in sight, need to look elsewhere. This title is all about solving puzzles, collecting various items and helping a hapless crew of space explorers survive on an alien world.
Pikmin 3 opens with a crew of astronauts leaving their home world. It seems due to issues with massive overpopulation, the people of the planet Koppai are now facing severe famine.
After searching for a planet that may have food to support the population, scientists from the world discovered a planet, PNF-404, that looked promising. The planet had a similar atmosphere to Koppai and may have food supplies capable of feeding the populace.
Charlie, Alph and Brittney are sent to investigate. After a long space voyage, they arrive at PNF-404. However, their ship crash lands and they are separated. The three explorers then meet with the strange world’s inhabitants, called Pikmin.
‘Make no mistake, Pikmin 3 is not for adrenalin junkies. Players who want to traverse rough terrain while blowing up everything in sight, need to look elsewhere.’
In an attempt to scare the strange Pikmin away, Charlie blows a whistle loudly. Instead of scaring the strange and colourful little creatures, the whistle draws them closer and seemingly puts them into a trance where they follow commands.
The three explorers must use the Pikmin, all of which have various abilities, to navigate through various obstacles in their way, collect food for their home world, regroup with their fellow explorers and eventually fix their rocket and return home.
The Pikmin and their strange lemming-like nature quickly steal the show in this title.
Watching them run around aimlessly and then snap to attention and gather the second a whistle is blown is fun and addictive.
Players must learn to use the Pikmin properly. Black Pikmin are hard and can crash through barriers, while pink Pikmin can fly and carry items over walls and other obstacles. You can only control 100 Pikmin at a time.
Controlling the little guys consists of firing them at an obstacle or opponent. After that, they seem to develop a mind of their own and just complete the task they have been tossed into.
Pikmin 3 is a quiet and, mostly, calm little game that is sure to delight fans of puzzle games.
It’s also strong, and welcome, offering to Nintendo’s Wii U game console, which has been struggling to sell units due to a lack of great appealing games.
Pikmin 3 helps to fill that gap.