There I was, at the bottom of a cave. Just me, my dog, and about 70 Pikmin, enjoying a funky beat while a disco ball shone directly overhead …wait, I’m definitely misremembering.
There I was scrambling with my dog and about 70 Pikmin, trying not to get squashed by a gigantic daddy long-legs with a disco ball for a head. About par for the course for Thursday afternoon.
But while I was fighting for my life, the experience was as fun as a disco party. It’s just one example of the chaos bursting out of Nintendo’s new Pikmin 4, the latest in a real-time strategy series that hasn’t seen an original console release in a decade. Franchise fans might find it too streamlined, but its innovations make it easy to pick up, especially for new players.
But what are Pikmin, again?
Originally released in 2001, Pikmin centered around the spacefaring freight employee Olimar, who found himself marooned on a strange planet with no way to reclaim his ship parts and with his life support system slowly failing. To his great fortune, he stumbles upon the titular Pikmin, small plant-like creatures that grow from seeds and move in troops at the blow of a whistle.
Olimar is incredibly small, about two centimeters, and the Pikmin are even smaller. Their planet resembles ours but humans don’t seem to be around. You’ll use your tiny army of leafy helpers to pull random items from the earth, including coins, pieces of food, and even various Nintendo memorabilia, like Game Boy games. Once Pikmin carry them back to your ship, they’ll become materials that aid your eventual escape.
Two decades later, the series is back with Pikmin 4. Only this time, you’re not Olimar: you’ve got your own fully-customizable avatar.
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