Spawn Kill Favorites: Pikmin 2

The Nintendo GameCube was not as disappointing to me as it was for many gamers. Due to some of the things going on in my life during the time of its release (College, marriage, becoming a parent, etc.) I didn’t have time to play every game released. One of the largest complaints about the Cube was that it did not have the number of quality games that the other systems had. Though this may be true, I found many treasures in my GameCube library. For instance, the purchase of Pikmin 2 led to the most charming game experience in my career as a gamer.

Pikmin 2, originally released in the summer of 2004, is a real-time strategy game in which you take control over Olimar, the original game’s protagonist, and Louie, his assistant. Olimar and Louie return to the planet of the pikmin to find treasures in an attempt to get their company out of debt. Now these “valuable treasures” are little more than litter with items ranging from a box of matches to a battery. Part of the humor and charm of the collection of these items is the in-game names of each. For example, a screw is called a “Repair Juggernaut” and the jack-o-lantern is referred to as a “Possessed Squash.”

To obtain these knickknacks, your Olimar and Louie must command a variety of pikmin to complete tasks such as building bridges, moving obstacles, or destroying enemies. You may direct, at the most, 100 pikmin at a time and as part of the strategy you must select how many of the variety of pikmin make up that number. As in the original game, there are red, blue, and yellow pikmin. However, in the sequel, the white and purple pikmin have been added. Each of these creatures has a different ability or strength. For example, red pikmin are fire-resistant and yellow pikmin are nearly unaffected by electricity.

Many complaints of the first Pikmin title were based around the 30 day challenge. Meaning you had to find all of the items within 30 days (each day is approximately 15 minutes real time) to succeed at the game. This sequel did not include that stipulation and you can explore, experiment, and collect for as long as you want. Another complaint of the original was that you had to run back and forth between different groups of pikmin to control them. This was addressed by adding Louie to the game, which allowed you to switch between the two characters to control the armies of pikmin. Another issue with the first Pikmin was that it was a single-player affair. Nintendo added co-op challenge areas and versus battles in response.

I love this game because of its humor and focus on collection. It appeals to me because of the same love I have for Borderlands and Animal Crossing: Wild World (check out the SKF for it here). Pikmin 2 is also a gem of my collection because it was the first console real-time strategy game that I had a positive experience with. And yeah, I know it’s not a traditional RTS title, but Nintendo brought those elements to a console to make a great game. Try it out with either Pikmin or Pikmin 2 on the GameCube or the New Play Control! re-release of the original on the Wii.