What’s new in NEW PLAY CONTROL! Pikmin?

The NEW PLAY CONTROL! series from Nintendo features Nintendo GameCube classics updated for Wii! New features, new experiences and, most importantly, new ways to control the games are waiting for you, whether you’re new to the titles or have played the originals on GameCube.

For NEW PLAY CONTROL! Pikmin for Wii, the biggest control change concerns targeting. In the GameCube original, Olimar’s target moved where he moved, which made for some difficult aiming when precious seconds mattered. But with NEW PLAY CONTROL! Pikmin for Wii, targeting is as easy as pointing at the screen with the Wii Remote. Read on to find out some specifics about how NEW PLAY CONTROL! Pikmin makes the experience of leading Olimar’s armies more intuitive than ever, and remember you can get the full run-down on what’s new when the game’s official microsite launches at nintendo.co.uk later this week!

Commanding Pikmin
Without a strict measure of control, Pikmin will lollygag, lose focus and, most importantly, stop working. To make Pikmin pay attention and follow him, Olimar uses his whistle, activated by pressing the Wii Remote’s B Button. The sound of the whistle can be heard within a small circle, and Pikmin located within that circle will fall in line behind Olimar. The longer a player holds B, the bigger the circle gets. To determine the centre of that circle, players simply point the Wii Remote at the screen and move the on-screen target cursor.

Throwing Pikmin
Throwing a Pikmin is often the first attack Olimar makes against the beasts of the planet. To toss a Pikmin, use the Wii Remote’s pointer to move the targeting cursor. Once the target is established, press the A Button to throw a Pikmin. If many Pikmin are standing behind Olimar, players can keep pressing A to continuously throw Pikmin.

Swapping Pikmin
At the bottom-left corner of the screen, an icon shows which Pikmin Olimar is about to pick up and throw. If players want Olimar to throw a different colour of Pikmin, they can swap Pikmin (a feature not available in the original Pikmin for GameCube). Instead of releasing the A Button to throw, hold the A Button and then press the B Button to swap the Pikmin for a different colour (press B again if the third colour of Pikmin is desired). Then, release A to launch the little one into the air. Happy landing!

NEW PLAY CONTROL! Pikmin is out February 6, only on Wii.