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Pikmin 3 is the weakest game in the series.
- Thread starter Camjo-Z
- Start date
There are some aspects of Pikmin 3 that are the worst in the series (linear campaign design, enemy variety, surrealness). There are a lot of aspects that are the best (game-feel, multitasking, mission mode, pikmin balance, bosses). I would still say that as a whole, considering all modes, Pikmin 3 is the best. Pikmin 1's lack of multitasking and Pikmin 2's pacing with caves are way bigger faults in my eyes.
Pikmin 1's campaign is probably my favorite to replay, but Pikmin 3's mission mode as a whole easily trumps Pikmin 1's campaign. Half of the cave content (filler levels) from Pikmin 2 could've been cut out and it would be a much better game for it.
Pikmin 1's campaign is probably my favorite to replay, but Pikmin 3's mission mode as a whole easily trumps Pikmin 1's campaign. Half of the cave content (filler levels) from Pikmin 2 could've been cut out and it would be a much better game for it.
That's encouraging, I'd shifted it down the play pile in truth. I'll have o give it a try I think, suck it and see.
It's probably my favorite, honestly. They found a great balance between the strict time limit of the first game and the too-lenient unlimited days of Pikmin 2 and switching between the 3 characters was fun. Wiimote and Nunchuck was definitely the way to go though, I'd imagine playing the whole thing on the gamepad ony would make the experience a bit worse. Plus the challenge mode was really fun, and that's the sort of thing I usually don't spend very much time with.
Tavernacle12
Member
I agree OP! And this is coming from someone who considers Pikmin one of his favorite franchises. My reasons (outside of multiplayer, which is amazing):
No Pikipedia/Treasure:
Two of the best things in Pikmin 2 are outright gone. There is no beastiary to play with and read through, there is no treasures to collect. Both are replaced with a fruit guide, which regardless of how nice the fruit looks, is totally barebones. A lot of the heart, humor, and soul of Pikmin was in those writings from 2, and 3 totally removes them.
No Underground:
One of the more interesting aspects of Pikmin is its post-apocalypse undertones. Pikmin 3 removes most of them. Without the underground to explore nearly all the darkness and depth of the world is now gone. Without caves there's also far less variety to the game's environments and far less strategy to the game. There's far less to uncover and explore.
No Secrets:
There are some hidden collectives, like fruits and Olimar logs, but there are far fewer secrets otherwise. Both prior games had secret bosses, enemies, and locations. Pikmin 3 has none.
Characters:
Simply put, they're not that fun. There's not-Olimar, Hoarding Fruit Girl, and Idiot Captain. Olimar had bizarre pathos and was constantly on the verge of depression. Louie is a psychopath.
If Pikmin 3 had come out swiftly after 2 maybe I'd be more forgiving, but they took YEARS to make a game with far less content that its predecessor.
No Pikipedia/Treasure:
Two of the best things in Pikmin 2 are outright gone. There is no beastiary to play with and read through, there is no treasures to collect. Both are replaced with a fruit guide, which regardless of how nice the fruit looks, is totally barebones. A lot of the heart, humor, and soul of Pikmin was in those writings from 2, and 3 totally removes them.
No Underground:
One of the more interesting aspects of Pikmin is its post-apocalypse undertones. Pikmin 3 removes most of them. Without the underground to explore nearly all the darkness and depth of the world is now gone. Without caves there's also far less variety to the game's environments and far less strategy to the game. There's far less to uncover and explore.
No Secrets:
There are some hidden collectives, like fruits and Olimar logs, but there are far fewer secrets otherwise. Both prior games had secret bosses, enemies, and locations. Pikmin 3 has none.
Characters:
Simply put, they're not that fun. There's not-Olimar, Hoarding Fruit Girl, and Idiot Captain. Olimar had bizarre pathos and was constantly on the verge of depression. Louie is a psychopath.
If Pikmin 3 had come out swiftly after 2 maybe I'd be more forgiving, but they took YEARS to make a game with far less content that its predecessor.
TheMoon
Member
There might be hope for you just yet.
Well, I don't really see the difference... Pikmin 1 has a limit of 30, Pikmin 3 has a limit of 50, and I'd argue there's a bit more to do.
The real problem with Pikmin 2 is the lack of any timer when you're in the "dungeons".
Try to do a all-fruits in 10 days, and you'll understand how the three captains can change the game
The game really shine if you go speedrun, I think (like Metroid). Though the thing is... in the 100% 9-day challenge in Pikmin 1, you had some time to rest, in Pikmin 3, you'll basically be busy all the time, it's exhausting.
So even if I like 3 slightly more, I prefer the speedrun in 1.
Pikmin 1's time limit is very lenient for a decent player but I can at least see how it might provide a challenge to less skilled gamers. I remember that as a kid the timer felt really daunting and I wasn't able to beat it, now I just laugh as I blast off with all 30 parts and 12 days to spare. Pikmin 3's on the other hand is a joke and I genuinely cannot imagine how anyone could possibly feel threatened by it without fundamentally misunderstanding some core concept of the game. You have to actively ignore fruits in your path to fail.
As for attempting a speedrun... while I'm sure it does add to the game, I shouldn't have to. Pikmin 1 and 2 didn't require self-imposed challenges to feel like well-designed games. And like I said, the Mission Mode actually does show how three captains can be a game-changer, I just wish it was a larger factor in the Story Mode as well.
There's no strategy though. Once you realize you've reached the boss arena you have exactly 2 choices: rush in and hope you have enough time to kill the boss and get the rewards, or just say fuck it and slog all the way back to the boss arena tomorrow.
I also don't think there's really that much to manage. I did more splitting up in Pikmin 2 than 3. I could send the other captains after some fruits, but why bother? I don't need them and I don't get rewarded for them beyond a description from Brittany, and there aren't even as many unique descriptions as there are total fruits. Meanwhile in Pikmin 2, every treasure was unique, had not just one but TWO comical descriptions in the Piklopedia, and contributed to the overarching goal of the game.
TheMoon
Member
You don't need to touch the screen ever in TW101. Recommended playstyle is with a Pro Controller. The screen usage is 100% optional. Everything can be done with the right analog stick.
Pikmin 3 is easily the best. I played each at release, and beat each a second time (once on the Wii for Pikmin and Pikmin 2).
2 is by far the weakest. The dungeon crawling in 'abstract' levels was a terrible misstep, and purple and white pikmin were both garbage, unlike rock and flying pikmin which are both brilliantly fun.
I disagree with basically every point you made, but this? This is absolutely bonkers. Alph, Britanny and Charlie were the breath of fresh air the series needed. Outside of his piklopedia articles, Olimar is bland as hell. Louie is just a trash cartoon character. Alph, Brittany and Charlie actually had cameraderie.
2 is by far the weakest. The dungeon crawling in 'abstract' levels was a terrible misstep, and purple and white pikmin were both garbage, unlike rock and flying pikmin which are both brilliantly fun.
I disagree with basically every point you made, but this? This is absolutely bonkers. Alph, Britanny and Charlie were the breath of fresh air the series needed. Outside of his piklopedia articles, Olimar is bland as hell. Louie is just a trash cartoon character. Alph, Brittany and Charlie actually had cameraderie.
I thought some of the shapes would be a bit tricky with a stick, no?
Ivellios
Member
Same here
+10000
I never played 2, but Pikmin 3 is may favorite Wii U game and I adored the whole journey. I also get Metroid vibes of "I can't get there yet but just wait until later" and really enjoyed getting all of the fruit. Very satisfying. I also used the Wiimote pointer controls plus the touch controls on the pad and found it to be lovely.
Agreed. 2 ditching the timer and padding out its content was the wrong way to go, though it's still great. This really is one of the most consistent Nintendo series (3DS title not included although it does look better than expected). Can't wait for 4.
That's the whole point. That's a decision you have to make. Risk and gain/loss. And "slog" all the way back means just sending your captain on the map.
TheMoon
Member
No. Iirc the #1 hot tip from back then was NOT to think of them as shapes but gestures anyway. Hence pro controller being the recommended way to play on all accounts.
Let saur explain it to you with a handy video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdHbPXNJvVE&list=PLrwWQGfD4d7H_r3hkL6xsJRbQK_R5Du0y
playingwithfire
Member
Pikmin 3 is my favourite.
I played it using the Wii remote, then again when stylus controls were added.
I'd play it again if we get a Switch version 😏
I played it using the Wii remote, then again when stylus controls were added.
I'd play it again if we get a Switch version 😏
Mattakuevan
Member
With the exception of the bad final boss, pikmin 3 is easily my favorite entry in the series. It just works so damn well.
capylikesgames
Banned
It was my favorite, and the only one I actually beat (though I only ever rented Pikmin 1). 2 felt a little bloated, and I never worked my way to the end. 3 felt really streamlined, and though it may be a detriment to some, there was something about the repetition within optimizing your daily strategy that I had a lot of fun with. That said, your reasons for disliking it are totally valid. I could see this just being a hit-or-miss scenario, based on player taste.
wild wild rice
Member
Hmm 2 is my least favorite because of the filler dungeons and lack of a timer.
VendettaRed07
Member
I think 2 is a bit better. As good as Pikmin 3 is it's just too short. Feels like half the length of Pikmin 2. Longevity isn't everything but Pikmin 2 still feels like the stronger package
Myoclonic Jerk
Member
I'm a big fan of Pikmin.. I think 3 was the best
Professor Lexicovermis
Member
In my humble opinion:
2 > 1 > 3
I couldn't even muster up the will to complete 3, it just seemed... off. Oddly enough, Nintendo Land's Pikmin Adventure was more enjoyable to me than 3 itself...
I hope 4 ends up more like 2.
2 > 1 > 3
I couldn't even muster up the will to complete 3, it just seemed... off. Oddly enough, Nintendo Land's Pikmin Adventure was more enjoyable to me than 3 itself...
I hope 4 ends up more like 2.
what
WHAT
Olimar is one of Nintendo's secret best characters. You learn so much about his outlook on life through his notes. For anyone sleeping on Hey Pikmin, that game brings it just as hard as Pikmin 2 when it comes to Olimar's journal. Here's just a small sampling of notes from that game:
"My daughter said she wanted to be treated like her mom, so I got her a fancy dress. She said, 'No, like MOM!' so I bought her a toy car to drive. She threw a fit. I couldn't tell where I was going wrong. When I mentioned it to my wife, she laughed and said, 'She wanted you to give her a hug.' Just like me to get the simplest things all twisted up!"
(About the Super Mario Bros. boxart) "The man this chronicle is presumably about is a very tragic figure. He seems to be simultaneously running up against a brick wall, falling to a fiery death, and menaced by a sort of reddish-white, wriggling larva. With so many insurmountable obstacles on all sides, he can't be long for this world. May you have better luck in the next life, my mustachioed friend."
(About a trophy) "When I was a little Olimar, I did anything to get attention. I had to have the latest styles. I carried books around that had really long titles. This mysterious monument seems like a tribute to that little Olimar. Shiny on the outside. Empty on the inside. It's better to be shiny on the inside!"
It's nice that Pikmin 3 had more dialogue between characters compared to Pikmin 2's ship doing most of the talking, but the journal entries offered a lot more room for character development.
Either way it wastes the player's time when they could have just paused the timer during boss battles.
YearoftheWooster
Member
Wiimote + Nunchuk + Gamepad on table is the best control method for 3.
3 > 2 > 1
3 > 2 > 1
Professor Lexicovermis
Member
This is partly why I disliked 3. We spent all of 2 learning how Olimar thinks, growing to understand this man's outlook on life, only for 3 to say:
"Remember that guy? Ah, good times. Here's these three completely blank slates with little-to-no personality beyond "guy", "girl", and "big"! By the way, Olimar's still here. And no, you can't play as him. He's just the MacGuffin."
The day timer ticking during bosses is aggravating as well. 2 had one overworld boss, I believe, a Beady Long Legs. If it hadn't spawned by the time the clock was 3/4 of the way over, it simply wouldn't show up. If you WERE fighting it, the timer stopped as long as you were actively fighting it (I.E. the boss music was playing).
Polygonal_Sprite
Gold Member
Yup and the best WiiU game. Miyamoto still got it!!
Despite the polish, I still maintain that 2 is the weakest. Losing the urgency with the timer made the investment on a per day basis much weaker, and the dungeons were really ugly to look at and dull to traverse for as much content as they put in them. The puzzles also felt fairly rudimentary compared to the other entries, though I'm willing to give it a bit of slack on that front with the emphasis being more on what you could do with two captains in terms of creating an efficient day. It's still a rather good game, but I think it lost a lot by catering to the complaints the first game got that I think the third game did a far better job of addressing without losing the appeal.
ronpontelle
Neo Member
3 is my favourite too, especially the challenge modes. Getting the platinum medals on those was excruciating, but so much fun.
I haven't played 1 in ages, but the time limit was frustrating at release and when I last played it about ten years ago! I can't honestly remember too much about Pikmin 2 though!
Also the Wiimote pointer and using the gamepad to manage the map was great, and vital for the challenge modes.
Overall it's one of my favourite series, and with liking 3 the most, it's one of my favourite games in recent years.
An announcement of Pikmin 4 for Switch would pretty much be the best news Nintendo could give me!
I haven't played 1 in ages, but the time limit was frustrating at release and when I last played it about ten years ago! I can't honestly remember too much about Pikmin 2 though!
Also the Wiimote pointer and using the gamepad to manage the map was great, and vital for the challenge modes.
Overall it's one of my favourite series, and with liking 3 the most, it's one of my favourite games in recent years.
An announcement of Pikmin 4 for Switch would pretty much be the best news Nintendo could give me!
You depend of items from some bosses to continue the story. The whole story is based on the sense of urgency (even if it's not very strict, but still). It totally makes sense from this point of view that you need to beat the boss within the given time and you have to manage your time. I just don't understand how you fail to see the logic of everything here.
Edit: You can play the bosses as you want in the missions anyhow. But the story itself is that you are under time pressure.
Can't really say which single player I liked the least (Edit: I actually didn't finish the first one because I got stuck at a boss and never came back). The best for me was probably part 2, but that's going off memory which can be a bit tricky.
But for multiplayer, 3 is DEFINITELY the best. The Bingo rules are much better than "get four yellow marbles or your opponent's marble", and as a bonus, if you actually liked that one, you can still play it.
But for multiplayer, 3 is DEFINITELY the best. The Bingo rules are much better than "get four yellow marbles or your opponent's marble", and as a bonus, if you actually liked that one, you can still play it.
Got it. 2 is by far the worst. New play control Pikmin 1 and 3 with wiimote aiming are the best.
Lord_Byron28
Member
Pikmin 1 was the weakest. Pikmin 2 was my absolute favorite. I've replayed the game hundreds of times. Pikmin 3 had amazing level design but was incredibly linear and very content light. If that's one thing I wish more for the series is a bit more content.
C.Olimar788
Member
As someone who recently replayed Pikmin 3 and is currently replaying Pikmin 2, I definitely agree with some of your points. Especially regarding writing, where Pikmin 3 falls hopelessly short - Alph, Brittany, and Charlie aren't inherently less interesting than Olimar, Louie, and the President, but they don't have the same amount of space to develop. Where Pikmin 1 had lengthy post-day monologues and part descriptions where Olimar would develop and Pikmin 2 had the Piklopedia, Pikmin 3 has... the little fruit descriptions and a bunch of tutorial text. Most of the end-of-day reports I saw were just tutorial with very little character injected into them, which was such a terrible shame. As a result the captains, and even the overall plot, falls flat.
With that said, though, Pikmin 3 easily has the best gameplay of the series. Being able to send captains around with the Gamepad is a fantastic addition that makes working through the map and collecting fruit a treat, and the lock on/charge system works really well and is a more than acceptable substitute for swarming Pikmin. It especially makes throwing Pikmin a lot easier, which is a godsend. Granted you really have to use the Wiimote and Nunchuk alongside the Gamepad to have the best possible control experience, but it's well worth it for how smooth and wonderful it is.
Pikmin 3 also has the best set of Pikmin. Winged Pikmin alone add an entire dynamic to the game that no other color does, making the gameplay much more interesting with their relatively-simple inclusion. Having all colors of Pikmin spawnable also encourages creativity and experimentation much better than Pikmin 2. In Pikmin 2 you don't feel like you should bring Purples and Whites with you to battle because losing them hurts so much more than any other color, and as a result you are disincentive to use them at all. Pikmin 2 had me reaching for the reset button more than a few times because I got unlucky or made a minor mistake and lost my too-valuable Purples, whereas in Pikmin 3 I always felt like, yes, it was a punishment to lose Pikmin, but I never felt like I needed to break immersion and try the day over again because I could grow more. 3 also does a very good job balancing the tension of 1's day system with the relaxed nature of 2's. The moment where Louie steals your fruit is especially memorable and probably one of the best int he series for how it is set up.
I do miss dungeons, though, and being able to fight bosses without time limits is much better than how Pikmin 3 handled them for the reasons you've said. It also sucks how every new enemy in Pikmin 3 feels less memorable because you don't get to spend the extra time with them in the Piklopedia and/or Pikmin 1's credit roll. I would love to find out what Olimar or Louie (or Alph or Brittany or Charlie) had to say about those wacky electric rats, or the bizarre frogs that flip crystals onto your Pikmin. Pikmin 3 also suffers from being too short - Pikmin 2's dungeons are a godsend for elongating the game and did a great job of it. Pikmin 3 having duplicate fruit made the game feel even shorter, which sucked.
I hope Pikmin 4 is the best of the series and takes the lessons learned from all of them. As it is all have flaws and benefits and it's very difficult for me to pick out a favorite, but I think 2 > 3 > 1. A Pikmin with 3's gameplay design coupled with 2's attention to worldbuilding and story would be a fantastic Pikmin indeed.
With that said, though, Pikmin 3 easily has the best gameplay of the series. Being able to send captains around with the Gamepad is a fantastic addition that makes working through the map and collecting fruit a treat, and the lock on/charge system works really well and is a more than acceptable substitute for swarming Pikmin. It especially makes throwing Pikmin a lot easier, which is a godsend. Granted you really have to use the Wiimote and Nunchuk alongside the Gamepad to have the best possible control experience, but it's well worth it for how smooth and wonderful it is.
Pikmin 3 also has the best set of Pikmin. Winged Pikmin alone add an entire dynamic to the game that no other color does, making the gameplay much more interesting with their relatively-simple inclusion. Having all colors of Pikmin spawnable also encourages creativity and experimentation much better than Pikmin 2. In Pikmin 2 you don't feel like you should bring Purples and Whites with you to battle because losing them hurts so much more than any other color, and as a result you are disincentive to use them at all. Pikmin 2 had me reaching for the reset button more than a few times because I got unlucky or made a minor mistake and lost my too-valuable Purples, whereas in Pikmin 3 I always felt like, yes, it was a punishment to lose Pikmin, but I never felt like I needed to break immersion and try the day over again because I could grow more. 3 also does a very good job balancing the tension of 1's day system with the relaxed nature of 2's. The moment where Louie steals your fruit is especially memorable and probably one of the best int he series for how it is set up.
I do miss dungeons, though, and being able to fight bosses without time limits is much better than how Pikmin 3 handled them for the reasons you've said. It also sucks how every new enemy in Pikmin 3 feels less memorable because you don't get to spend the extra time with them in the Piklopedia and/or Pikmin 1's credit roll. I would love to find out what Olimar or Louie (or Alph or Brittany or Charlie) had to say about those wacky electric rats, or the bizarre frogs that flip crystals onto your Pikmin. Pikmin 3 also suffers from being too short - Pikmin 2's dungeons are a godsend for elongating the game and did a great job of it. Pikmin 3 having duplicate fruit made the game feel even shorter, which sucked.
I hope Pikmin 4 is the best of the series and takes the lessons learned from all of them. As it is all have flaws and benefits and it's very difficult for me to pick out a favorite, but I think 2 > 3 > 1. A Pikmin with 3's gameplay design coupled with 2's attention to worldbuilding and story would be a fantastic Pikmin indeed.
momshotdad
Member
Easily Pikmin 1. That timer was crazy tight and gave me a sense of dread every time I fired it up.
Vital Tundra
Member
While I enjoy 2 the most I think they all bring something great to the table. Im one of the few that doesn't like the timer in 1 and likes the juice in 3. There is no stress in 3, but its far better in terms of trying to minimize the days and fruit you take and use in subsequent playthroughs.
Honestly my only real gripe with the game is the lack of piklopedia. What were they thinking not including that again?
Honestly my only real gripe with the game is the lack of piklopedia. What were they thinking not including that again?
Thanks a lot.
White Pikmin will always be my favorite but I agree that the Winged/Rock Pikmin were much better implemented in 3 than Purples and Whites were in 2. Having just one Onion was a great QOL improvement, I wish we could have seen all 7 types of Pikmin in the Story Mode but I guess that's something to look forward to in the fourth game.
As for Pikmin 4 hopes I would love to see it go even further in the dungeon crawling direction, ditch the boring RNG layouts and drab art design but keep the same massive amount of content and sense of dread as you delve further and further into a cave with no way to get more Pikmin and a terrifying boss assuredly at the end. Few gaming moments are quite as epic as getting to the bottom of the Subterranean Complex and finding a goddamn cyborg spider with a laser-guided machine gun waiting for you.
Easily Pikmin 1. That timer was crazy tight and gave me a sense of dread every time I fired it up.
What ? It wasnt even that hard and i was like 12 years old !
The timer was really my favorite stuff in Pikmin 1, it added so much to the atmosphere !
That being said, i don't mind if it's not there anymore, it's more relaxing that way which is another good feeling to have but i'm glad there is at least one game which feel tense about the timer.
Terrible_Majesty
Member
P3 is one of the reasons to own a Wii U best graphics and could have been the best if they had all pikmin including the purple and white