[Feature] Still not convinced? Five reasons to pick up Pikmin 3 next week

With the enhanced power of the Wii U, Pikmin 3 will feel much more realistic. Both in graphical details — perfect for the gorgeous natural world of Pikmin– and in processing: every Pikmin now moves independently, rather than perfectly en masse.

Pikmin can also be targeted to specific body parts of enemies, rather than simply chucked onto them, and a “dodge roll” command is now available, allowing a captain and their Pikmin to quickly evade objects and enemies together. Onions, from the previous games, are now available for every Pikmin type, rather than just red, yelow, and blue. Scanning — a feature some might recognize from the Metroid Prime series — is a new feature in Pikmin 3, allowing objects on the map to be scanned, to acquire more information about that object.

The Wii U Gamepad also adds new gameplay: The Gamepad’s touch screen can be used to view the level map from an aerial perspective, allowing players to micromanage multiple groups of Pikmin as well as their captains, similar to a real-time strategy game.

There are two additional gameplay modes in Pikmin 3: Mission Mode and Bingo Battle. “Mission Mode” comprises three different types of challenges: gathering fruit, battling enemies, and battling bosses:

– In the fruit-gathering challenge, the player must gather as much fruit as possible before the time runs out. Different fruit have different values, and the player’s score is determined by the value of all the fruit they collected in the time limit.

– The enemy-battling challenge is similar, but instead of collecting fruit, the player must defeat as many enemies as they can in the time limit, and the score is determined by the amount of spirit points each enemy gives when they are defeated.

– The boss-defeating challenge is essentially a “boss rush” mode, where the player must defeat a certain amount of bosses using a limited amount of Pikmin.

Bingo Battle is a 1 vs. 1 or 2 vs. 2 game. Each player controls a different captain: Alph vs. Olimar for 1v1, and Alph and Brittany (or Charlie) vs. Olimar and Louie for 2v2. Each player or team must work to complete their bingo card by collecting objects and lining them up on their card. However, each player/team also has a flag, which they must protect, while also trying to steal the other player/team’s flag. If a player or team steals the opposition’s flag, they automatically win the battle. Bingo Battle also contains many items for players to use to either help themselves or put the opposing team at a disadvantage, allowing for very hectic battles!

Pikmin 3 will feature two brand-new Pikmin types as well. The first is the Rock Pikmin. While retaining the standard plant-like leaf on the top of their heads, these Pikmin resemble rocks more than plants! Their special ability is being able to smash through various materials found in the game using their rock-hard bodies, as well as the hard shells of certain enemies! Their bodies also make them very durable to certain enemy attacks; definitely a must-have on your side to give you a strategic advantage.

The second new Pikmin is the Winged Pikmin. These are small, winged Pikmin that can fly! While they are the smallest of all Pikmin, they have a distinct advantage in that they can fly over certain hazards that other Pikmin may not be able to cross, as well as being able to carry items while flying.

Overall, Pikmin 3 looks to be the most expansive Pikmin game yet, as well as one of the most involved, detailed, and gorgeous games on the Wii U platform, and it should prove to be a huge hit for the console. The game is already available in Europe and Australia, and will be available in North America on August 4th. Have you picked it up? Do you plan on picking it up?

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