Pikmin 3 is out!

[Graham Mitchell]

I downloaded Pikmin 3 today and I'm really loving it so far. It's clever, fun, and would be a great game to play with kids. Anybody else try it so far? I really have no complaints about it so far (though I wish they could have gotten it running at 60 fps.)

[jonebone]

I'm a big fan of the series and read the reviews, looks interesting enough.

Big problem though, I don't own a Wii U and am not willing to purchase it until a price drop. I'll add this to the backlog and hopefully get a chance to play it within the next year.

[Graham Mitchell]

The relative inactivity of this thread about a fairly major release speaks volumes. This is the first Pikmin game in 8 years and it really puts that stupid gamepad to good use. Not to mention, this is probably the most visually impressive game Nintendo has released to date.

And nobody cares. Scary.

Well, I'm continuing to enjoy it. If you've got a wii u and you don't have this game, you're seriously missing out.

[InsaneDavid]

The relative inactivity of this thread about a fairly major release speaks volumes. This is the first Pikmin game in 8 years and it really puts that stupid gamepad to good use. Not to mention, this is probably the most visually impressive game Nintendo has released to date.

And nobody cares. Scary.

Well, I'm continuing to enjoy it. If you've got a wii u and you don't have this game, you're seriously missing out.

That's the thing, it looks great to be honest. However not great enough to make a hardware purchase for me.

[Aussie2B]

Well, it's the most interesting Wii U release to me thus far, but still not a system-seller. Another thing that has me hesitant is that, while I enjoyed Pikmin 2, I thought it was a downgrade compared to the original. Besides the concept being old news (while the first game felt so fresh and original), the lack of any kind of challenge or urgency (which the original's time limit provided) made fetching items feel more like busywork, as opposed to the strategizing of the original which had me repeating days until I could pull off everything I wanted to do perfectly. The randomly generated areas were also kinda bleh. I much prefer the carefully crafted areas of the original. I'm not sure if Pikmin 3 has randomly generated areas or not, but I have heard that the challenge is pretty nonexistent (I hear running out of juice is the only real threat and supposedly it's easy to stock up on a ton) so that makes me wonder if it'll feel more like Pikmin 2 than the original.

[jonebone]

That's the thing, it looks great to be honest. However not great enough to make a hardware purchase for me.

Exactly this.

Well, it's the most interesting Wii U release to me thus far, but still not a system-seller. Another thing that has me hesitant is that, while I enjoyed Pikmin 2, I thought it was a downgrade compared to the original. Besides the concept being old news (while the first game felt so fresh and original), the lack of any kind of challenge or urgency (which the original's time limit provided) made fetching items feel more like busywork, as opposed to the strategizing of the original which had me repeating days until I could pull off everything I wanted to do perfectly. The randomly generated areas were also kinda bleh.

And this too. I enjoyed the variety in the types of Pikmin in Pikmin 2 (more classes), but the underground areas felt like more of a chore than fun. I wouldn't say it was a downgrade to the original, but it took a step forward and a step backward.

Bottom line, Pikmin 3 is the most appealing title on the Wii U for me, but still not enough for me to buy a system. It seems than many others feel the same way.

[8-bitNesMan]

I'm a diehard Nintendo fan and I love my Wii U. I think what has held me back on getting this is the $59.99 price tag. I really want to play it but I sorely miss the original Wii days when every first party release was $49.99 (or less). I plan on getting it, I guess I'm just holding out hope for a sale sometime in the near future...

[Graham Mitchell]

Well, it's the most interesting Wii U release to me thus far, but still not a system-seller. Another thing that has me hesitant is that, while I enjoyed Pikmin 2, I thought it was a downgrade compared to the original. Besides the concept being old news (while the first game felt so fresh and original), the lack of any kind of challenge or urgency (which the original's time limit provided) made fetching items feel more like busywork, as opposed to the strategizing of the original which had me repeating days until I could pull off everything I wanted to do perfectly. The randomly generated areas were also kinda bleh. I much prefer the carefully crafted areas of the original. I'm not sure if Pikmin 3 has randomly generated areas or not, but I have heard that the challenge is pretty nonexistent (I hear running out of juice is the only real threat and supposedly it's easy to stock up on a ton) so that makes me wonder if it'll feel more like Pikmin 2 than the original.

I haven't played much of the first 2, but I can tell you that 3 has a (rather strict) time limit, which is what imposes most of the challenge. The challenge is less about getting killed and more about accomplishing your goals within the time limit (sometimes the puzzles are real head scrathers, too) and protecting your pikmin from the monsters....cuz if they all get eaten, you can't get anything done and have to spend your next day making more. The threat is more about lost time than lost progress.

The levels are not randomly generated, but once you pick an area to land in, you're stuck there for the day. It feels a bit like a Zelda game, where as you get more types of Pikmin or new items, you are able to revisit levels and access new areas with new items/bosses/etc. within them.

In addition, it really is visually impressive. The fruit almost look real, and some stills in the creeks and gardens look nearly photorealistic.

But as you said, the concept is old news, and probably won't push hardware sales.

[Aussie2B]

I haven't played much of the first 2, but I can tell you that 3 has a (rather strict) time limit, which is what imposes most of the challenge. The challenge is less about getting killed and more about accomplishing your goals within the time limit (sometimes the puzzles are real head scrathers, too) and protecting your pikmin from the monsters....cuz if they all get eaten, you can't get anything done and have to spend your next day making more. The threat is more about lost time than lost progress.

By the "time limit" of the original game, I was referring to the 30-day limit, which gave the game a sense of urgency and created real consequences to playing poorly, in that you could screw yourself out of getting the best ending pretty easily and even the normal/good ending if you do really badly. All three games have you keeping an eye on the daily clock so that you don't needlessly lose Pikmin at night by forgetting about them, but in Pikmin 2, and I assume Pikmin 3, it really doesn't matter how well you plan out your actions if you have infinite days to grind up your Pikmin numbers.

The base concept is kind of tricky to design genuine challenge around, but I think the first Pikmin did it best, as much as some gamers whined that the time limit was too strict. Personally, as short as the original is, I feel the game is very replayable, and I was happy to replay the game to earn the best ending. I imagine I'll replay it more just for fun in the future; Pikmin 2, not so much. It took me a long time to 100% complete Pikmin 2 (over 40 hours, if I remember correctly), and with it occasionally feeling like busywork, I'm not so drawn to go back to it.

[Graham Mitchell]

In Pikmin 3, it can go as long as you want only as long as you are able to find fruit.

That said, I'm quite enjoying it. I don't know how anyone could play with the GamePad, though.

The "go here" function is quite useful on the pad. What are you playing it with? A wiimote or a pro controller?