But before we start rabbiting about the wonders of Pikmin 2, PALGN suspects a brief explanation is in order for newcomers. Pikmin are, for want of a better description, plant people. Standing all of an inch high, a Pikmin’s life begins once plucked out of the ground. With their bulbous heads, inquiring eyes and tiny limbs, they’re absurdly cute, charming little blighters, though PALGN accepts that could be a matter of personal taste. Once plucked from the ground, each Pikmin immediately follows and obeys it’s master, performing tasks on demand that include attacking enemies, carrying objects and breaking down walls (amongst many others), whilst a whistle summons any Pikmin within range.
Upto one hundred Pikmin can be guided around the screen at any one time, with excess numbers of Pikmin waiting snugly in the curious pod homes where your army of little plant men sleeps each night. Even after playing the first game to death, the whole concept remains slightly surreal - it’s a well-worn cliché, but there really is nothing quite like the Pikmin titles. The story is suitably potty as well. Upon returning to his home planet, Olimar - space captain and hero of the first game - discovers that the company that employs him is teetering on the verge of bankruptcy. In a bid to rescue the situation, Olimar sets out on the hunt for treasure (actually pieces of rubbish such as bottle lids, used batteries and some Nintendo-themed gems, all of which allows for some sneaky product placement, with Duracell, Dr.Pepper and numerous other brands featuring), gradually building up an army of Pikmin to assist in the search.
Handily, a single tap of the X button splits Pikmin into colour-specific groups.
So how does it compare to the first title? Well, rather favourably as it happens. The first Pikmin was certainly quirky and enjoyable (if far too brief for it's own good), and the old 'if-it-ain't-broke-don't-fix-it' adage has been sensibly applied to the sequel in a number of ways. Pikmin 2 shares the same graphics engine as it's predecessor, not to mention the same camera, identical controls and a similar 'obstacle course' structure that sees new parts of earlier levels opening up as new types of Pikmin (and thus abilities) are unearthed. Infact, the way that new areas in earlier levels gradually become accessible as progress is made on later levels is (oddly) rather reminiscent of Metroid, and the acquisition of new Pikmin types will have players trekking back over old areas, even at the latter stages of the game.
On the subject of new Pikmin, two new types have joined the standard red (good at fighting, resistant to fire), yellow (can be thrown higher, resistant to electric) and blue (resistant to drowning) strains seen in the first game, with purple Pikmin (bulky and heavy, but each with the lifting power of ten standard Pikmin) and white, albino Pikmin (poisonous, dig for treasure, not entirely undisturbing) now available for use. Each has it's purposes, though it must be said that their presence doesn't necessarily result in a greater diversity of puzzles (surely the point of introducing new Pikmin types?), with some obstacles still being a matter of throwing large numbers of Pikmin at the problem, rather than demanding any great cerebral input.
Nevertheless, there's some nice touches: feeding an enemy a single white Pikmin will cause instant death through poisoning, and hunting for buried treasure with a pack of the albino Pikmin is a neat - if slightly random - diversion. The new breeds should be used sparingly however - due to only being found in the subterranean caverns that lie beneath Pikmin 2's colourful worlds, they come in limited numbers.
It’s in these underground caves that players will find the bulk of the treasure required to hit the $10,000 target the game sets, meaning frequent excursions beneath the surface quickly become a necessity. The rules change slightly when delving into these caverns however, for whereas in the open fields above ground the player can call upon the stores of Pikmin resting in their mother ship, calling on reserves is not allowed once in the caves. Thus, selecting which Pikmin to take underground becomes a strategic decision, with different enemies requiring different types of Pikmin to be overcome.
Underground sections are accessed via these small craters in the ground.
Rushing into combat is ill-advised, and having watched scores of Pikmin being electrocuted/rolled over/set on fire in one clean swoop, PALGN quickly learned that taking a few seconds to observe the behaviour of each new enemy was beneficial, certainly moreso than in the first game. Like it’s predecessor, it’s a title that often demands patience and forward thinking, and is all the better for it.
It’s a quite beautiful game, as well. The Pikmin themselves are joyfully animated, and the game effortlessly supports the appearance of one hundred of the little fellows at once with minimum fuss and without a single frame dropped. PALGN’s only bugbear with the visuals would be the rather generic appearance of the aforementioned caverns - whilst the outside worlds are colourfully and imaginatively decked out with all manner of fauna, flora and beasties, the caverns are rather, well, brown. It’s a minor criticism, and it doesn’t dramatically reduce the enjoyment quota, but it’s worth mentioning.
There’s other changes on show. The time limit implemented in the first game has now been given the boot for the cavern sections of Pikmin 2 (on the surface of the world, the time limit still exists), allowing players to roam freely about to explore the nooks and crannies of the game world without the unnecessary pressure of watching the clock. Removing such boundaries can have it’s disadvantages of course, but here it works well, encouraging and allowing more in-depth exploration in a game that is, after all, primarily focussed on exploring. Meanwhile, the introduction of a partner for Olimar - the rather dopey Louie - allows for multitasking, though PALGN didn’t find itself exploiting this new feature as much as had been expected.
It comes as little surprise then that the most noteworthy addition to the formula is the surprisingly decent multiplayer mode. This is bisected into two modes of play: co-operative and competitive. Each works successfully, though competitive play possibly edges it as PALGN’s favourite, despite the rather hectic, pseudo-strategic nature of human-on-human matches. The rules couldn’t be simpler: grab your opponent’s marble from beneath their mother ship and carry it back to your own ship before they manage to take yours. Alternatively, there’s always the option of grabbing four neutrally positioned yellow marbles to secure victory, though swiping the opposition marble is far more gratifying.
The co-operative mode in action. Player one plays as Olimar, player two as Louie.
Co-operative play consists of thirty different missions, and is a more thoughtful, less frenzied experience. And whilst the difficulty curve spikes rather nastily in places (supposedly, each of the thirty levels is slightly more testing than the last, though this occasionally proves not to be the case), it’s a rewarding experience and worth the investment of a second controller. Most of all, it’s heartening to see the multiplayer games aren’t merely a thoughtless add-on - clearly, genuine attention has been paid to this part of the game.
Which, as it happens, sums up Pikmin 2 nicely - nothing here feels thoughtlessly designed or like a casual afterthought. Rather, Nintendo has engineered a sequel that genuinely expands on what was already a strong, likeable experience, and the resulting title is one that shines brightly compared to many videogame follow-ups. The few weaknesses of the first title have been largely papered over, with the singleplayer game now posing a significantly beefier challenge. And in the run-up to a Christmas dominated by big-budget blockbusters, it’s one challenge that PALGN hopes will attract the audience it so richly deserves.
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