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Pikmin 2 has finally seen its North American Wii re-release today and here at Panicgamer, we got our hands on it. For those not in the know, Pikmin started on the GameCube and are the newest of Miyamoto’s characters. The basic premise of this real time strategy game has you using creatures called Pikmin to help you find items and deliver them back to your main ship.
In Pikmin you play as Captain Olimar, exploring an unknown planet filled with the Pikman creatures. Once you get on the planet, you have to use the few Pikmin you have to bring back items to their home, the onion. Once they bring the items back they get converted into more Pikmin for you to pluck out of the ground. The whole aim of the game is to collect valuable items so you can help the President pay off his debt..
Nintendo Selects Pikmin 2 is a great choice if you want to play something relaxing as well as strategic.
Pikmin are plant-animal hybrid type creatures that have specific characteristics. Pikmin 2 has 5 types of species of Pikmin, red, yellow, blue, purple and white. Red are fire, yellow are electric, blue are water, purple are strength and white are resistant to poison.
Pikmin 2 has a very distinct art style
Unlike Pikmin 1, there isn’t a time limit in Pikmin 2 so you are free to explore the worlds trying to collect everything you want. However, you still have to avoid being out too late after sunset. Once night time hits, you have to run back to your ship to avoid the nocturnal predators. This might be a little bit easier for some, personally, I prefer being able to spend as much time as I want in Pikmin. I feel less stressful and anxious, completing the level in a timely fashion, so removing the time limit is a definite plus for the players who don’t want to feel rushed. The game also features sub levels within levels which are caves. If you do decide to go into a cave, there is no time that passes so you’re safe to take your time and explore.
If you’re unfamiliar with how New Play Control! Pikmin worked, you moved Captain Olimar around with the Nunchuck, used the Z button to recenter the camera and aimed with the Wii Remote to decide where you want to throw Pikmin. The same controls are featured in Pikmin 2, however there is a bit more. In Pikmin 2, you now have control of Captain Olimar’s companion, Louie. You can alternate between both Louie and Captain Olimar by pressing the minus button the Wii Remote. As you progress further into the game, levels have you using both and dividing the Pikmin among both Olimar and Louie.
Pikmin 2 also features a multiplayer mode. This multiplayer mode has two parts – one is a competitive mode and another is an unlockable challenge mode. In the competitive mode each player controls Olimar and Louie and they face off against each other in a capture the flag style of gameplay. The player has to try to get 4 yellow marbles OR claim the opponent’s marble using his or her own Pikmin. You can also launch attacks against other players to try to make it more difficult for them to capture the flag. When a player collects a cherry, they get an advantage by way of receiving more Pikmin or launching larger attacks.
You can control a hundred of these Pikmin at once.
Challenge mode is unlocked later on from the single player game. This game is played either co-operatively or by ones self. Each level takes place in caves with different amounts of levels. The objective here is to find a key for a treasure. Once you find this key you can access the next sub-level within a specified time limit. This might be something you’d want to do if you miss the time limit from the original. However, if you’re anxious I don’t recommend this mode. The player who completes the level when exiting out of the cave is scored based on the treasures collected, the survived Pikmin and the time taken to finish.
Nintendo Selects Pikmin 2 is a great choice if you want to play something relaxing as well as strategic. There’s enough strategy to satisfy your needs, while being simple enough for most people to play. The elimination of the time limit makes it more relaxing and less stressful for anxious players. The other great thing is this game is going for $19.99 new, so it’s a lot of value for a great price. Check it out before Pikmin 3 for the Wii U hits!
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