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Review  Pikmin 2
- By Lander Clinton
[Editor In Chief]
For years, nerds have been asking who would win in a fight between Captain Kirk and Captain Olimar. Today, we have an answer: Captain Kirk.
Olimar, as it turns out, is the size of a quarter, but with help from his pointy-eared first officer Louie and about 100 half plant/half ant creatures called pikmin, Olimar can finally at least take on a tribble or two.
Gameplay:
Just like the background characters on Star Trek, Pikmin are colored red, yellow, and blue, but this time Nintendo wanted an edge, so they've added purple and white pikmin to the mix.
As in the first game, red pikmin are fierce warriors and can withstand fire, blue pikmin can breathe under water, and yellow pikmin can be thrown higher. This time though, yellow pikmin don't carry bombs, but instead can withstand electric jolts.
The two new kinds, purple and white, are essential to solving new puzzles that amazingly weren't in the first game. Note: any new pikmin appearing in Pikmin 3 will solve problems not found in this game. White pikmin are fast and can withstand poison. They are also poisonous to anything that eats them. Purple pikmin are slow and can lift ten times their weight. Their heavy bodies also stun enemies they're thrown against.
Under your direction, the pikmin fight bugs and take down barriers in your path on your quest to collect ancient treasures and pay off your company's debt. Using the right pikmin and maximizing your time is key, but this time you won't face a 30-day time limit. Nintendo cut it down to just 15 days- or as much time as you want. One of those two- I wasn't really paying attention.
New to this entry is where you'll spend most of your time- caves. Lots of treasure exists in underground caves, and lots of physical challenges as well. Although most of the treasures are out in the open, facing the enemies with a limited number of Pikmin is challenging, and will have you resetting to your last save over and over (assuming you suck, or forget that whole last part if I'm the only one who sucks). Since you're on Earth and you're finding relics of humanity, it's a little surprising that not one inappropriate thing for an E-rated game made it to the future.
Each cave ends with a boss fight, and these can get pretty nasty. It's amusing one time to see a whole army of pikmin get wiped out, but when it happens again it's just disheartening. You see, Olimar cares for his pikmin. He hates when they die and he can no longer exploit them for profit. All they ever asked for was yellow honey that lets them work faster, and now they're dead. Oh well, just go make some more.
Aesthetics:
Pikmin 2 improves on the beauty of the first game with crisper and more detailed graphics. The ground is still a little blurry when zoomed-in all the way, but it's hard to play so zoomed-in anyway. The only place where the graphics really go low-key are the caves.
The caves offer unique areas for pikmin other than outdoors nature settings like the overworld. Caves can look like a giant shower or a child's play room, which is a nice change of pace, but the graphics are always pretty simplistic down there.
This is probably because the caves are not pre-determined. Every time you enter a cave floor the layout is totally randomized by the computer. If you want a different challenge, just re-enter a cave you've already completed.
On a different note, Nintendo included some really cool FMVs with this game. Most FMVs on GameCube are highly compressed, but these not only look great but are also comical. In fact, the whole game has a quirky sense of humor that gives Captain Olimar a lot of character.
Sound:
The music in Pikmin is ambient, like walking into The Nature Company before those stores went under for animal cruelty (forcing their employees to listen to that music all day).
The pikmin sound effects are annoying. You'll learn control shortcuts to avoid hearing them, so I guess they help you play the game better. Other sound effects in the game, like plants rustling, are realistic. That means you won't even notice them.
Control:
I'm not going to bother writing out the controls of this game- they will scare you away.
The controls sound very complicated, but are in fact extremely easy to learn. If you played the first game it will all feel very natural. If you didn't play the first game, get this one first and consider the original a challenge version with a time-limit once you beat this one.
Speaking of beating this game, it seems to have no end in site. Once you pay off your company's debt and see the end credits, much of the game is still waiting for you to play it. Don't worry about a short play-time.
Multiplayer:
Yes, yes, it's true. Pikmin 2 has multiplayer modes. Nintendo wants you to spelunk with your friends. I was a little nervous the first time, but once I relaxed it was strangely enjoyable!
OVERALL:
For years, cool people have been debating who would win in a fight: Pac-Man, Pokemon, or Pikmin. Buy Pikmin 2 now and get your own answer.
The Lowdown on  Pikmin 2
| Aesthetics: Awesome |
Control: Awesome |
| Gameplay: Awesome |
Multiplayer: Very Good |
| Sound: Above Average |
Innovation: 5/6 |
| Lasting Appeal: 6/6 |
Rating Explanation |
Overall: Awesome!
"Top of the Genre"
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This game is:
Awesome
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ADDITIONAL
MEDIA: |
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None Yet
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IN A
NUTSHELL: |
| Pikmin live in onions that fly up to space- thanks, Miyamoto! |
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