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Pikmin 3
Topic Started: Aug 23 2013, 06:15 PM (189 Views)
TheGreg
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It has been nearly a dozen years since Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto debuted Pikmin on the GameCube.

There was nothing like it then, and it remains a uniquely original experience.

Part real-time strategy, part action-adventure, and all Nintendo charm, Pikmin 3 is also the best game in the series.

This is the first must-play title on Nintendo’s struggling Wii U system and it is also a testament to the console’s strengths.

The Wii remote and nunchuk offer a great control scheme, with the pointer allowing for the necessary mouse-like accuracy this genre demands. As anyone who played the Wii re-releases of the first two titles knows, controlling your troops/workers is far more intuitive and precise than a standard control pad could ever be.

Pikmin 3 also makes great use of the Wii U’s Gamepad as a map and status screen. Using the touch screen, players can scroll through the area map on the fly, checking stray squads and even issuing commands to them while focusing on a specific group.

These elements make Pikmin 3 a more fluid and immersive experience, giving players the ability to intuitively multi-task and easily scan environments.

And while this alone is an improvement, I also think the game design is the best yet.

Gone are the somewhat tedious caves from the second game and the stressful 30-day time limit from the original.

These refinements allow for a more seamless experience as well as providing a more satisfying format for exploration and discovery.

The daylight time limit remains in effect, however, meaning there is still a necessary sense of urgency.

Using strategy to collect the game’s beautifully-rendered fruit and fighting the game’s outstanding boss battles are consistently engaging elements. This is definitely one for completionists, as I amassed an inventory of fruit (used for juice to sustain the stranded travelers) far greater than I would ever need to complete the game.

Environments are rife with discoveries and rewards, but also legitimately dangerous. Despite its cute characters, there are real threats around every corner. A wrong move can decimate your squad.

There is definitely something disturbing about your little flower buddies being crushed or eaten by various predators; their tiny ghosts floating away to Pikmin heaven. That’s nature though, and it has always been a brilliant, dark reality of these otherwise cheery games.

Pikmin 3 also marks Nintendo’s first true foray into realistic HD visuals, and it’s a great looking game. Lighting and textures are occasionally stunning and the art direction is quite beautiful.

This is a brilliant, bizarre and charming game that is accessible and fun, but also intelligent and original. The best Nintendo games are just that, and this one shouldn’t be missed.
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