Captain Olimar makes his 3DS debut…
I love the Pikmin series, I’ve played every game from the GameCube classic to the 3rd for the Wii U and am eagerly anticipating Pikmin 4, which I hope won’t be too much longer…But for now, the series takes a different turn for the 3DS. Gone is the traditional gameplay, replaced with a hunt for fuel so Olimar can escape in his spaceship once again.
Hey! Pikmin is more of a platformer than the standard games. You control Olimar with the D-pad, while tapping the bottom screen to either whistle to call over Pikmin, tap the screen where you want them to go or to attack, while Olimar himself has a jet-pack he can use to get across higher surfaces. The game is broken up into levels, with 3 hidden items in each as well as plenty of opportunities to gather the required 30,000 Sparklium (the fuel source needed to get home). Some levels even have alternative end paths to reach hidden levels, much like Super Mario World.
Amiibos can also be used, including the newly released Pikmin figure which unlocks hidden levels exclusive to the Amiibo usage, while also gathering Pikmin to you in levels. Besides the levels, you’ll collect Pikmin to be relocated in the Pikmin Park and can be used to search for resources while you play the main game, once in a while you’ll get a notification saying that they’ve found something and it will result in getting more Sparklium.
I personally really enjoyed my time with Hey! Pikmin, despite it being such a vast departure for the series. I can see why some fans and critics haven’t taken to it, but I think it deserves a chance. There’s a free demo on the eShop for those of you on the fence. Sure, it’s not the traditional Pikmin gameplay…but it’s still fun regardless.
However, there’s no 3D effect yet again from a Nintendo title. It makes me ponder if Nintendo have abandoned the 3D element of the 3DS completely now, especially with the upcoming release of the New Nintendo 2DS. I wonder if other upcoming Nintendo games such as Metroid: Samus Returns will have 3D or if this is truly the end of 3D on Nintendo’s handheld.
The Verdict
Hey! Pikmin is a big departure for the series, but that’s not a bad thing…it just isn’t as memorable as a result. It’s still fun however and makes me pine for Pikmin 4 all the more. Oh and Nintendo, please port over the original trilogy to the Switch…