Pikmin 3
Overview -
Nintendo all-star designer Shigeru Miyamoto brings his 'Pikmin' series into the HD era with this third installment, enabling the truest fruition of his original gardening-inspired vision. In what is essentially a real-time strategy title, players control three tiny space adventurers as they search a newfound planet for food sources in order to sustain their deteriorating homeworld.
Along with them are the native Pikmin army – even tinier helpers who come together like a pack of ants to fell larger foes, build bridges, tear down walls and even carry fruit back to your ship. Few games really attempt to capture nature in such a way as 'Pikmin,' and none do it with Miyamoto as its director. 'Pikmin 3' may very well be the first must-have title on Wii U.
Video Review
'Pikmin 3' is a storybook. It's a still life of perpetual movement. Every little detail, from the way brush wavers upon contact or rippling water drags behind your captain, builds a world only an artist could craft. For a company just now venturing into HD, Nintendo sure does know how to utilize it. Each of the game's five areas represents its own visual theme, whether it be the browns and oranges of autumn or the whites and grays of winter. Delve into a cave and the flicker of fire against the walls will immediately shift the atmosphere from explorative to creepy and mysterious. Simply put, no game can match how 'Pikmen 3' visually represents both the majesty and horror of nature so well.
Audio Review
With every beautifully rendered creature comes a matching array of vocal affects. Pikmin yelp as they are thrown, cry as they're killed and hum as they follow you along the path. Enemies bellow a battle cry or lazily snore in their sleep. The three captains trade foreign blurbs with each other in a very Nintendo fashion. Much like the visual design, the audio is crafted with such fine detail as to immerse you in the very surface dirt of this natural little world. At the same time, the soundtrack excels with notes and movements that reflect both the inherent mystery and childlike glee of exploration.
While the series has always found charm in its highly organic and lush environments, not to mention the inherent adorableness of its titular creatures, the Wii U's high definition capabilities make 'Pikmin 3' a true spectacle of the eye. You'll be blown away by the environmental design. Though the campaign could be more challenging and a little longer, those looking for a more intense experience will certainly find it in the aptly named Challenge Mode. Even so, with a couple design tweaks on the formula from Miyamoto, including two new Pikmin variants, some fantastic bosses and tighter, densely-packed areas, 'Pikmin 3' takes the series to a new plateau of excellence.
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