Reviews

Nintendo has an uncanny talent at taking an established genre and giving it a fresh, accessible spin, and one of the best examples of this skill is Pikmin. Best described as Nintendo's attempt at creating a Real Time Strategy series, it started life over a decade ago on the GameCube, but we've been forced to endure a nine year wait for an all-new instalment. Thankfully, the end result is of such high quality that it's easy to forgive the Japanese veteran for taking its time - in fact, Pikmin 3 is one of the finest releases on the Wii U yet seen.

Green Fingers

To the uninitiated, Pikmin places you in the shoes of a pint-sized space explorer who has crash-landed on an Earth-like planet and must harness the power of curious creatures known as Pikmin. These plant-like characters come in different colours and can be hurled at enemies or used to collect valuable fruit - essential for your survival while stranded on the strange, alien world. Red Pikmin are excellent in combat and can withstand fire, while Yellow Pikmin are able to channel electricity and are invulnerable to enemies which electrocute other Pikmin. Pink variants can fly and carry objects over bodies of water, while blue ones can swim without drowning. There's also Rock Pikmin, which deliver a considerable punch when thrown and can smash through glass barriers.

Learning to use the skills of all these various types is integral to your success in Pikmin 3. You'll also get to control more than one space explorer, which means you can command different squads of Pikmin and send them to separate positions on the map. On the later stages of the main Story mode this becomes essential as there are parts of the environment that can only be accessed by throwing one of your space men over obstacles or onto higher ground. To add additional replay value, you can return to previously-beaten levels with newly-discovered Pikmin types and unlock other areas.

Be Sociable

The Story mode will keep you busy for many hours - especially if you want to explore every level and find every secret - but when you eventually beat it, the Battle portion of the game offers weeks of play. With the "Collect Treasure" challenges you can work cooperatively with a friend to bag as much fruit as possible before the time limit expires. "Defeat Enemies" is also time-based, but here you have to kill as many foes as possible to pass the stage.

Bingo Battle is perhaps the most intriguing multiplayer mode on offer, combining the core gameplay mechanics with the rules of Bingo - the first person to collect a certain number of symbols is victorious. Add to this the ability to fight end of level bosses (once they've been bested in the Story mode, naturally) and you've got a social package that will keep you coming back for quite some time.

Wrapping Up

Pikmin 3 improves on its predecessors in every regard; visually it's a masterpiece, showing just how beautiful Nintendo's titles can look in HD. The gameplay has also been subtly expanded, making it a deeper and more captivating experience than before. Control options are also robust - you can use the GamePad, Pro Controller or Wii Remote and Nunchuk, which means you're catered for no matter what your preference. If we were going to find fault then we could say that it would have been nice to see the game make better use of the Wii U's innovative controller; it's used as a map screen or for off-TV play, but you can take the pad away and the game is still just as enjoyable. This is a minor grumble, however; Pikmin 3 is such an arresting and downright fun experience that interface concerns will be quickly forgotten once you've built your first Pikmin army.

GAME's Verdict:

The Good:

• Engaging gameplay with plenty of depth
• Multiplayer modes will keep you entertained for weeks
• The first Pikmin in HD, and it looks gorgeous

The Bad:

• Could make more use of the Wii U GamePad
• Additional modes aren’t as fun played solo
• Pikmin sometimes have a mind of their own