| Pikmin 2 review |
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Pikmin 2 picks up straight after the events of the original game, with Olimar reaching his home world after crash landing on an unknown planet (which is obviously Earth, but never referred to as such in the game). We learn that Olimar is in fact an inter-galactic shipper of cargo, and in his absence the President of Hocotate Freight has made some rather unfortunate financial decisions. Strapped for cash, the company now owes 10,100 Pokos on a loan with no means to repay it (the President notes that 100 Pokos is more than a year's salary!). Discovering that a bottle top brought back from Earth is worth 100 Pokos alone, Olimar is sent back to the mysterious planet, to gather 10,000 Pokos worth of 'treasure' (junk to you or I) and settle the company's debts. Joining our space-suited hero in this new adventure is Hocotate Freight's other employee, Louie - a quiet type of guy who, it seems, would rather not be gallivanting around strange new worlds.
It's a charming conceit that the story is played out from Olimar's alien point of view, as we learn of a strange planet and stranger creatures (which clearly represent Earth's insect-life). Olimar and Louie are both literally bug-sized, and so we rediscover the minutiae of organic life through their experiences, rekindling the wonderment of our own childhood exploration. Assisting Olimar are the ever-obedient Pikmin, tiny carrot-like sentient beings, who can be persuaded to carry treasure and attack adversaries. Pikmin can be thrown to overcome obstacles, and can be gathered in groups of up to 100, by whistling in their direction. A good chunk of this game involves 'resource management': coaxing groups of Pikmin, ushering them out of harms way, and feeding the 'Onions' (Pikmin home-pods) with spent enemies and plant life to create more Pikmin.
The three original types of Pikmin return: Red, which can withstand fire and fight well; Blue, which can resist water; and Yellow which may be thrown high and can endure electricity. Joining their brethren are the new White and Purple Pikmin, both physically different from the original three – White has resistance to poison, is able to dig, and can move faster than the other Pikmin, and Purple, who are slow, strong and heavy. It is even possible to control other creatures within the game, but their uses are limited, as they cannot be reared in the same way as the five main Pikmin races. This expanded line up affords us many more puzzle types, although it is rare for more than two or three kinds of Pikmin to be needed at once.
Following a similar path to the first game, there are four large areas to explore, with the player choosing which one to visit in a single 'day' (or play-span). Initially a single area is available, with new areas and new types of Pikmin discovered as the game progresses. Control is granted to both Louie and Olimar by simply giving the player freedom to switch between them at any time. This could have naturally led to intricate puzzles involving both controllable characters, but sadly only two very similar puzzles in the entire game require this method of interaction. The real usefulness of this dual control is limited to tackling obstacles with one character, and managing the creation of Pikmin with the other. Players can now also approach the game at their own pace, the thirty-day deadline of the original release has gone.
So far, so Pikmin. Graphically Pikmin 2 strongly resembles the beautiful organic design of its predecessor, although now there is even more detail furnished on the small outdoors. Ok, so there are two new types of Pikmin available, but the four main areas and basic game play will be very familiar to those who experienced the first title. No, the most radical departure for Pikmin 2 is the introduction of underground lairs. The four main overland areas now - functionally - become hubs to these lairs, which are the only locations where White and Purple Pikmin can be found.
The underground game mechanics vary a great deal from the classic, real time strategy of the overland areas. The game effectively morphs from an exploration-based RTS, into an unusual combat and puzzle hybrid (although the basic controls remain the same). While outdoor time progresses from dawn to dusk (at which point Pikmin must be safely gathered up), in the underground caverns time is frozen. Normally the collected husks of vanquished foes can be used to generate more Pikmin, but here they count as treasure and contribute to the loan repayment. The most jarring change is the inability to generate new Pikmin; you are stuck with only the troupe that entered an underground lair with you.
This limited supply of Pikmin must be able to handle all the obstacles thrown at them throughout consecutive underground chambers, which can number ten or more. Most chambers contain treasure items, and a lair must be journeyed through from the beginning to reach a particular chamber, so you will find yourself revisiting them over and over again. To save time players will learn to safely hide their Pikmin and tip toe around the creatures that respawn on each visit, rather than fight them anew. This repetitive abuse of the game system can become frustrating and tedious, alleviated only slightly by random item and creature placement.
Underground areas do offer a significant challenge, particularly so in the final few levels. Some puzzle designs are nothing short of insidious, and will have the player swearing furiously at them. Progress must be made slowly to preserve your precious Pikmin, and often you will need to separate a small task force for each particular job. All of which is great fun in a taxing kind of way, and hugely rewarding when the next treasure item is added to the list (collection addiction is strong). It would not be an exaggeration to say that the underground areas form the core of Pikmin 2, as they contain the lion's share of collectable treasure. As a consequence overground puzzles are a little less difficult and less ambitious than some of those presented in the first game, and can even become a time-consuming obstacle in getting to the main action underground.
All in, this sequel is more than twice the length of the original, extended further by a number of additional game play options. A two player versus game takes place in small, contained chambers, pitting Olimar against Louie to be the first to collect four yellow marbles, or steal the opponent's blue or red marble. After the care and attention paid to preserving the little blighters in story mode, it's disconcerting to see Pikmin pitched against Pikmin, and even Pikmin pitched against Olimar! Also included is a comprehensive challenge mode featuring single or split-screen co-operative play, unlocked part-way through story mode. Challenges take place against the clock, with one or two players racing to gather as much treasure as possible in underground lairs. Challenge mode and versus play are enjoyable diversions; fast, frenetic, and a lot of fun in short bursts. Stretching your hard earned gaming yen a little further are e-reader downloadable mini games, and character profile cards, three of which are included with the game.
Pikmin 2 features two very different styles of play, but they are two halves of one game that do not fit together very well. It is a shame that the underground lairs were not presented as a separate quest, or that individual chambers cannot be directly visited once a lair has been fully explored. Despite this, a great many hours of enjoyment can be had from this game. To surmise then, Pikmin 2 is a great exploration-based real time strategy and puzzle game, but a fractured one. |
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System: Nintendo GameCube
Genre: Strategy
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1-2
Version: Japan
Writer: Richard Davies
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Pros:
- Charming small-scale organics
- Seriously challenging puzzles
- Collection addiction
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Cons:
- Overly familiar
- Disparate game styles
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Pikmin 2 Video: 3.9MB
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