LogFAQs > #951425407

09. Pikmin 3/Deluxe (Wii U, 2103/Switch, 2020)

Those of you whove kept up with this topic series might have noticed Pikmin and Pikmin 2 earlier in my list and assumed, understandably, that that was it. Not so!

Pikmin 3 Deluxe, released late last year, is the peak of the series to date, but even before that, I think I probably would have ranked Pikmin 3 in the top 20. Deluxe is, I think, the definitive Pikmin experience thus far.

The Wii U version was clever, and offered some really remarkable improvements and exciting new concepts over its predecessor. The Wii U gamepad acted as a tactical second screen, giving you a touchscreen map to move your three captains, Alph, Brittany, and Charlie, around to different objectives with their squads of Pikmin, while you switched between actively controlling them and passively having them complete tasks. Sometimes, you had to bring the captains together for puzzles that required throwing the captains themselves like Pikmin. Other times you had to intentionally split them up to fight roving enemies or to get more accomplished in a given day, all in pursuit of two goals: fruit to sustain your lives, and a mysterious spaceman named Olimar, who seems to have vanished from this strange planet some time before the campaign begins.

The Switch version loses the second screen feature, but gains a lot in QOL upgrades in gameplay, plus co-op, and a new Olimar side story that fills in some of the story between Pikmin 2 and 3. It is the most fluid, beautiful, sharpest controlled entry in the series. It truly is an upgrade worth the Deluxe appellation.



The great thing about the game, though, is that its difficulty level and learning curve are not dictated so much by the game itself as it is by the person playing. As long as you pick up enough fruit to stay alive, which is incredibly easy, you can take as leisurely or measured an approach as you want. If youre experienced with Pikmin, you can push the tempo pretty aggressively; its possible to 100% the game in as quick as 10 in-game days. If youre a savant, theres harder difficulties in Deluxe for your subsequent runs, and there are challenge modes that offer a pretty significant test of your Pikmin management skills. A gamer of any skill can dive into this game, at this point in the series, whether or not they have ever played a Pikmin game before, and be challenged and thrilled by the experience. Thats a really tight needle to thread and the Pikmin dev team absolutely nailed it here.

As a long-time Pikmin fan, this game presents some of the most fantastical environments, most interesting challenges, and introduces new Pikmin - pink fliers and rock guys who cant grab enemies but can smash glass and do heavy impact damage - and an entire ships worth of likeable and interesting new captains in one fell swoop. It presents more of everything thats satisfying and fun about Pikmin - a surprising depth of strategy, collecting treasures, harrowing boss fights, and beautiful visuals and sound design - while also expanding the games universe in ways that make total sense. Its an incredible experience, and I cant recommend it enough.

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The Thighmaster