Pikmin was released in 2001. And given its success, it had a second part, Pikmin 2 in 2004. Much later, Pikmin 3 came out for the Nintendo WiiU console and recently Pikmin 4 for Nintendo Switch. Next we will talk about the bundle from Pikmin 1+2 recently released also for Nintendo Switch.
A success to bring this saga closer to a generation of gamers that was not even born when this game was first released. Like the little one who accompanies me to do this review and who is 9 years old.
pikmin saga
Apart from Pikmin 1, 2, 3 and 4, there was one between 3 and 4: “Hey Pikmin” released in 2017 for Nintendo 3DS.
It is an independent sequel, but it helped precisely the smallest players who are excited about Pikmin 4 today to connect with the saga.
First Pikmin
The Pikmin saga, in short, talks about Olimar, an astronaut who comes from a distant planet: Hocotate. The character is tiny. On board his Dolphin ship and while navigating through space, he suffers an accident that makes him land on the strange planet PNF-404.
After the accident, the ship is damaged and Olimar realizes that he only has 30 days until the oxygen in his suit runs out. This is how Olimar discovers the existence of mysterious creatures in the form of small plants called Pikmin. Pikmin have different colors and abilities.
With the help of the Pikmin, in the first installment, Olimar will fix his ship and manage to return to Hocotate with his family. An adventure that must be completed in “30 days” in game time. The days last around 15 minutes.
Pikmin 2
Pikmin 2 picks up the story where it left off and in which Olimar must return to the planet PNF-404 to save the company he works for from bankruptcy.
To do this, Olimar must collect the treasures he finds on the planet whose value will save Hocotate and the company where Olimar works. This time he will be accompanied: with Luis. We will tell you more about the game later, but first let’s discuss the gameplay of both.
Gameplay: it is simple, but it has its mechanics
Pikmin bases its gameplay on knowing how to handle the aforementioned creatures, taking advantage of their abilities.
The logic of making groups becomes interesting for smaller players, since it poses a good strategic challenge. The difficulty is not very high, but it requires time and concentration.
“The enemies were tough, the bosses were tough. It was better to take care of the enemies first before collecting the pieces, because otherwise they would eat the Pikimin in the meantime”, says Joaquín, our little 9-year-old gamer who accompanies us in this review.
Playing Pikmin (1), what you should keep in mind
In Pikmin 1, there are three types of Pikmin: Red, Yellow, and Blue; the red ones are the most suitable to attack and resist fire, the yellow ones can handle bombs and the blue ones can be in the water without dying. “In addition, you can throw the yellow ones higher,” our mini gamer reminds us.
What is added in Pikmin 2
Here we are joined by a partner: Luis. And there is more. In the case of Pikmin 2, there are two new species: purple and white. They are only found in flowers located in caves. Regarding the Pikmin that were already in the first game, the yellow ones added a new ability: now they resist electricity.
“The fact that they resist electricity is a useful ability because it is used to defeat strong electrical enemies and to break down walls related to electricity,” Joaquin adds. “Everything that has to do with electricity, you solve it using those Pikmin,” he adds.
Regarding the two new types of Pikmin, their abilities are quite new. The purple Pikmin equals more Pikmin (in strength) is stronger than the rest. “He hits harder, but he’s slow,” our player tells us. In the case of the white Pikmin, we were struck by the fact that it has red eyes: and it is not by chance. He has no pupils. And it is that he has the ability to see things that are underground and start digging, like a mole. White Pikmin move faster than the others and resist poison.
As with the yellow Pikmin and its link with electricity, in the case of the white Pikmin, it will be able to solve any challenge that has to do with poisonous things, whether they are enemies, walls or others.
The “secret” Pikmin
In Pikmin 2 there is a kind of “secret Pikmin”, as Joaquín has baptized it. It is located in the first area in a cave. It’s a bulb. The official information of the video game indicates that it is about bulbikmin (Parasiticus Pikminicus).
It is, according to Olimar’s notes, “a parasitic form of Pikmin that has colonized a bulb.” It belongs to the Pikmin family, and they appear only in Pikmin 2 . It weighs 7 pikmin, while an uninfected bulb weighs 10 pikmin. This could be because, when the parasite infects the host bulb, it limits its growth, although it is only a theory.
“Resist everything. Electricity, water, poison, fire”, explains our mini gamer. It’s not Common. They have only been found in underground caves. Its behavior is like that of the spotted bulbous, that is, it is patrolling the area where it is in search of food. It may be accompanied by 10 or fewer young Bulbikmin, depending on how many Pikmin are in the Sub-Level, as there should only be 100 in total. That is, if the leader had 100 Pikmin, he would only meet the adult Bulbikmin.
The video game, like the first installment, has attractive gameplay and is undoubtedly a great addition to the Switch catalog.
Is Pikmin 1+2 worth it?
The games are already classics. When you purchase Pikmin 1+2 on your console, 2 video games will be saved (separately) they are two “codes” although in its physical edition it is only a cartridge. It is undoubtedly an excellent alternative before playing Pikmin 4.
They obviously look better than their predecessors. They undoubtedly add to the catalog of the hybrid console and will give you several hours of entertainment.