What Makes This Review So Extraordinary? That's a Secret. But Just Look At It!
Kenri is taking an unusual course of action (it makes sense! (gasp!)) in that he’s reviewing Pikmin today, before reviewing Pikmin 2 later this week (Kenri doing work?! That’s unpossible!).
Pikmin is, and I say this with only my deepest opinion in mind, the most innovative game released in the last 3 years.
As you load up Pikmin, you’re greeted with a cheerful “Pikky!”, the sound a red Pikmin makes. Already, this charming little effect is enough to make you grin. Or vomit with rage. It really depends on whether you like GOOD “kiddy” games (Mario, Pokemon, Sonic, Vectorman…) or lame “adult” games (GTA and any number of GTA spin-offs).
Pikmin starts with you, Captain Olimar, flying through space… And that’s where everything goes downhill, because your ship (The Dolphin) follows the path of the Titanic as it hits an asteroid and crashes on a strange planet. Your ship is broken; 30 pieces were stripped from it during the fall. Your life-support system can only work for 30 days, and then you’ll be pushing up daisies. Or Pikmin. Or something.
So, this leaves you in an awkward spot. You have to retrieve the rocket parts with no help. Or so you think. You soon stumble upon a red bulb with legs, nicknamed an Onion, that spits out a seed. As you pluck the seed, the strange creature reminds you of a Pikpik carrot from your home planet. And thus, your first Pikmin is found.
Utilizing the Pikmin’s help, you soon recover your engine, your Eternal Fuel Dynamo, your Extraordinary Bolt, etc. You find three different types of Pikmin, and learn how to use them to solve the various puzzles scattered about the terrain. The fire resistant reds, the high-flying yellows, and the aquatic blues will all need to be used correctly to collect the 30 parts and get home.
But it’s not all puzzles. Using the A button to throw your Pikmin, the C-stick to surround enemies, and the B button to call attention to your troops, you must battle the many carnivorous creatures that would love to eat your Pikmin. Your basic enemy is the Spotty Bulborb, but you’ll fight many other monsters from the armor-plated Breadbug, to the long-beaked Burrowing Snagret, to the enigmatic Smoky Progg, you’ll fight them all to retrieve your rocket parts and return home.
The controls are simple enough for a child to use them. All the commands are conveniently placed so you can use them at a moment’s notice - which is a good thing, as you’ll have to.
But that’s not to say the game’s easy. You’ll find yourself restarting the same level over and over, even if you beat it, because one false move and you lose a good 40 Pikmin. And only if you’re diligent enough to collect 29 rocket parts in 29 or less days will you unlock The Final Trial, the last hurrah, the big kablooie, etc (i.e. the last level).
And let me tell you, there’s no greater satisfaction than commanding a militia of 70 Pikmin to destroy a single Bulborb or barely bringing back your third rocket part in one day just moments before the sun goes done.
Which brings me to another point. Besides having the 30 day limit, you also have to gather all your Pikmin before nightfall or they’ll be eaten by the planet’s wildlife. This means that the whole game will be frantic. With 30 days, 30 parts, and only a certain amount of sunlight, the odds are piled up pretty high against you. This is why I recommend playing the game twice. One time through to get the feel of the game, and another time to win.
Pikmin
Graphics: 6/10
Difficulty: 10/10
Game-Play: 8/10
Story: 8/10
Overall: 8/10
Kenri of the Yuri is just this guy who writes silly things, sometimes. He is profoundly embarrassed about a good 60-70% of the stuff he's written. You might know him better as your friendly neighborhood Level 43: Editor. View his or her author page or author profile.
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