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[kubus]

Embargo has lifted, so reviews should be coming in now. Keeping this post updated.

MetaCritic Page (68)
OpenCritic Page (69)

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GameXplain - "Liked it a lot" (Video Review)

God is a Geek - 8.5 / 10

Hey! Pikmin is a slight divergence from the regular Pikmin mold, and despite the story of Captain Olimar destroying an eco-system and enslaving the planet's population the game is a delight to play. A straight playthrough won't take you much time at all, but filling out the database completely will give you a little bit more to do with your time should you so desire. This is yet another brilliant title to add to the 3DS' library as the system nears the end of its life, it's just absolutely delightful.

DualShockers - 8 / 10

Hey! Pikmin is an incredibly fun platformer that's easy to pick up and doesn't take a ton of hours to finish like many games that have come out this year. While I was able to get through the game in a couple of days, reaching 100% completion on each level will take some time and serious dedication. Fans of older Pikmin titles and even Nintendo 3DS owners that have never tried the series before are in for a treat with Hey! Pikmin — I highly recommend it.

Nintendo World Report - 8 / 10

Hey! Pikmin ends up being a nice spinoff of the Pikmin series, adapting many of the original elements into a platformer/puzzle game. It's flawed but it sure is fun. A better framerate and higher difficulty would be great, especially since I feel like the different Pikmin abilities still had a lot of untapped potential. This installment ends up being a nice new creation that fits into the franchise in a different way than older Pikmin games. At its core, though, Hey! Pikmin is a fun game, and in the end, that's all that really matters.

My Nintendo News - 8 / 10

Fans waiting for the next deep Pikmin experience may be disappointed with this side-scrolling re-imagination of the series, but it is certainly a charming experience for anyone looking for another creative 3DS platformer to play. Although every element of the gameplay feels simplified, Hey! Pikmin manages to retain the feel of the original games. From music to the fonts used in the menus, this alternative take on the franchise is certainly a Pikmin game.

Cubed3 - 8 / 10

Hey! Pikmin feels more like a completely original piece of entertainment that just happens to stage the titular critters rather being than a true Pikmin title. It proves to be a fun and inventive puzzle platformer that feels completely original within the franchise. The only complaint that can be levelled towards it is that it doesn't run well at all on older models of 3DS.

GamingNexus - 8 / 10

Hey! Pikmin is a radical shift for Nintendo's quirky RTS series. It changes or eschews many of the series' longtime mechanics in favor of a 2D platformer-adventure. Longtime fans might be disappointed, but Hey! Pikmin has the same charm and quality that garnered the original games a cult following—just in a more accessible, bite-sized form factor this time.

Wccftech - 7.8 / 10

Hey! Pikmin is a fun 3DS game, one of Nintendo's better handheld platformers recently, but still not up to the quality and polish we'd expect from console Pikmin titles. Pikmin fans might be a bit disappointed by this one, but anyone willing to give it a shot will find a surprisingly deep and fun little adventure to while away the hours.

Critical Hit - 7.5 / 10

Pikmin 4 may be the stuff of dreams for now, but Hey! Pikmin is more than ready to pick up that baton and introduce a new generation to Captain Olimar and pals. Challenging enough for the younger members of the family, Hey! Pikmin is a simple take on the franchise that is backed up by a vibrant palette and world to explore.

HobbyConsolas - 7.5 / 10 (Spanish)

Destructoid - 7 / 10

Hey! Pikmin is a little too simplistic for its own good, especially early on, but Arzest does a fantastic job of distilling what makes this series so special into bite-sized chunks. The transition cutscenes that play out like physical comedy shorts and the adorable little noises really sell it.

Polygon - 7 / 10

Hey! Pikmin did exactly what it needed to do, without extending itself any further. It gave me a series of interesting places, a series of clever puzzles, a series of cute vignettes and soft storybook scenery. The worst thing to say about Hey! Pikmin is, simultaneously, a recommendation — it's perfectly pleasant, well-rounded, and didn't leave me dying for more.

InsideGamer - 7 / 10 (Dutch)

VideoGamer Portugal - 7 / 10 (Portugese)

GameBlog - 7 / 10 (French)

SpazioGames - 7 / 10 (Italian)

Nintendo Insider - 7 / 10

In the end though, Hey! Pikmin is a solid game and a decent first attempt at bridging out the franchise to multiple genres. The Pikmin seem to have a lot more personality in this game than previous entries and you get to see a more playful side to them. It isn't the longest game out there but there are plenty of things to do that will elongate the experience such as beating each level without losing any Pikmin, as that grants you a gold trophy and of course you can challenge yourself to find every single piece of treasure in the game. Again though, the challenge isn't the greatest here but if this is a way of getting more people into a relatively hardcore series then that is perfectly fine with me.

IGN - 6.8 / 10

Hey! Pikmin has its moments. The stages have some neat but simple puzzles, the visuals and music are solid, the inherent cute charm of Pikmin's weird alien worlds is on full display, and discovering treasures based on common household items – and seeing Olimar's confused interpretations of them – is always good for a smile. However, the lax difficulty, slow pace, and repetitive structure drag it down quite a bit. There's not a lot of meat to Hey! Pikmin, which is disappointing when compared to the required skill and replayability of the console Pikmin games. It's good for a playthrough, but this is a voyage I can't see myself taking again.

EGMNOW - 6.5 / 10

Pikmin fans hoping for the next evolution in the franchise will have to wait for another attempt, as Hey! Pikmin is an enjoyable, but vastly simple experience that doesn't live up to its namesake.

CGMagazine - 6.5 / 10

Hey! Pikmin has very few major flaws. At the same time, it does nothing exceptionally well aside from its controls. I believe that Pikmin games have always been developed with all ages in mind, but this one felt like it was aimed at kids with its simple level design. If I'd never heard of or played a Pikmin game in the past, it might've been easier to just write this off as a boring platformer and call it a day. Knowing the franchise however, it's hard to play this game and not think about all of the ways it could've been done better.

Nintendo Life - 6 / 10

Ultimately it's a decent game, and younger gamers in particular - or those that want a gentle introduction to Pikmin - will likely get the most pleasure and mileage out of it. For everyone else it's worth going in with sensible expectations.

Game Informer - 6 / 10

Pikmin could work in 2D, but Hey Pikmin isn't the game to make it happen. Nintendo's low-impact blend of strategy and action flounders between relaxing and boring. I sometimes felt compelled to replay Hey Pikmin's levels to find the treasures I'd missed the first time around, but I never found what I was hoping to: a richer strategy experience.

GameSpot - 6 / 10

Overall, Hey Pikmin retains a lot of what makes this series great. The terrific character and art design, fun flinging action, and lovable Pikmin and wildlife all work well on the small screen. However, anyone expecting the surprisingly unforgiving nature of the main series will be shocked at how simple this is in comparison. That might not be a terrible black mark on Hey Pikmin, but it's a little disappointing.

Gamer.nl - 6 / 10 (Dutch)

USgamer - 3 / 5

Hey! Pikmin is an interesting reinvention for the series, but it doesn't really go deep enough to be an interesting and rewarding puzzle platformer. It winds up being an adequately executed collect-a-thon—a time-waster that offers a new take on a familiar formula, but fails to take it in any bold new direction.

Trusted Reviews - 3 / 5

Hey! Pikmin takes the series' foundations, strips them right back and offers up an experience in which a younger audience will delight. Enjoyable stuff.

Vooks.net - 3 / 5

Ultimately I found Hey! Pikmin boring and tedious to play. While younger audiences might find the game enjoyable, had I not been reviewing the game I would have dropped it after an hour or so.

Metro GameCentral - 5 / 10

The game does all the basics you'd expect of a Pikmin game, but it lacks any real inspiration or soul. It is a better effort than Arzest's previous titles, and we're sure the whole 2D platformer look wasn't their idea, but no matter who's fault it is the fact is Hey! Pikmin just feels a bit weedy and dull.

TheSixthAxis - 5 / 10

Much like Chibi Robo! Zip Lash was a bit of a flop in converting a primarily 3D franchise into 2D, Hey! Pikmin makes errors of its own. While the antics of the Pikmin seen in the levels are adorable and the game is visually pleasing, I just couldn't get over the way the Pikmin behaved when I was playing. It's otherwise a rather bland and forgettable adventure that Pikmin fans can quite easily skip.

 

[OfficerRaichu15]

Really hoping this is good

 

[Toadthemushroom]

GameCentral - 5/10

In Short: A 2D portable Pikmin was probably never a good idea, and this uninspiring effort does little to prove otherwise.

Pros: The control system works well and the use of both screens is interesting. Controlling the pikmin is as enjoyable as ever, and the guilt at their deaths hurts as much as always.

Cons: Shoehorning the traditional Pikmin gameplay into a 2D platformer often doesn't work, with many mechanics simplified or removed. Unimaginative level design.

Score: 5/10

 

[-GJ-]

Curious to find out how long this game is. It looks pretty cool tbh. Even though I was a bit sceptical at first.

 

[benzopil]

TheSixthAxis -- 5/10

Much like Chibi Robo! Zip Lash was a bit of a flop in converting a primarily 3D franchise into 2D, Hey! Pikmin makes errors of its own. While the antics of the Pikmin seen in the levels are adorable and the game is visually pleasing, I just couldn’t get over the way the Pikmin behaved when I was playing. It’s otherwise a rather bland and forgettable adventure that Pikmin fans can quite easily skip.

 

[purseowner]

Everyone has a fetish for dumping on Arzest/Artoon so this should be fun...

I absolutely adored the demo so I'm in no doubt I'll love it.

 

[GiantBreadbug]

"It isn't 3D; 5/10" is what I'm getting from some of those reviews.

Imagine considering a game's strengths bas d on the game itself rather than its name. Crazy I know.

Only way this is bad to me is if it's too short. Gameplay was a blast in the demo.

 

[13ruce]

Demo was pretty okayish and fun imo so if the full game is like that it deserves a 7+ atleast imo.

 

[KingSnake]

Poor pikmins. Cruel Nintendo.

 

[wild wild rice]

About what I expected.

I'm picking it up because I'm an unabashed fan of the series and the demo, while not great by any means, was charming and seemed enjoyable enough for casual play.

I expect it to be a 7, tops, and I hope this isn't "Pikmin 4."

 

[NotLiquid]

Yep those reviews look about what I'd expect from Arzest unfortunately

 

[Kenzodielocke]

What happened to the Pikmin that was almost finished a few years ago?

 

[Shiggy]

The second Arzest game within a week. That should be fun.

 

[Pyroblazer]

Pretty meh game like always from Arzest it seems. Demo was only average for me too. Game seems to be super easy and a bit repetive in it's level design.

 

[Linkstrikesback]

What happened to the Pikmin that was almost finished a few years ago?

They were probably talking about this.

 

[maxcriden]

Thanks for posting this!

I'd like to know from those who have played (hi kubus, have you played it yet?) how bad is the performance? Is there any slowdown or just framedrops? Did it affect playability? And for those answering, which system have you tried the game on? I've heard it pushes 3DS and N3DS but performs better on the latter.

 

[GiantBreadbug]

They were probably talking about this.

[citation needed]

 

[wild wild rice]

Thanks for posting this!

I'd like to know from those who have played (hi kubus, have you played it yet?) how bad is the performance? Is there any slowdown or just framedrops? Did it affect playability? And for those answering, which system have you tried the game on? I've heard it pushes 3DS and N3DS but performs better on the latter.

Have you tried the demo?

I played on N3DS. Framerate is a bit dodgy here and there, but not game breaking by any means. It'll probably only bother you if you're irrationally hypersensitive. (On N3DS, anyway. Could be worse on OG?)

 

[tebunker]

I mean, I got a preorder for $15 after tax thanks to Prime Day Glitch 2017. So I think i can take a flyer on it...

reading some of the review blurbs it seems like putting the Pikmin franchise on top of this game may have hurt it more than helped.

It is always a double edged sword when you take a well loved ip and try a different type of game with it. People have unrealistic expectations because of the existing IP, but on the other hand sometimes developers can take chances of different ideas and still have a good selling piece of software thanks to the ip. The key tipping point seems to be that the new ideas need to be so well executed they out shine the expectations from the ip history.

Personally I am okay with what I have read and heard. Not expecting a 10/10 type experience, amd again if I hadn't gotten it for $15 I'd probably have not bought it.

 

[:Motorbass]

Nintendolife met my personal game scores amazingly accurately. 6/10 was what I was expecting unfortunately.

 

[maxcriden]

Have you tried the demo?

I played on N3DS. Framerate is a bit dodgy here and there, but not game breaking by any means. It'll probably only bother you if you're irrationally hypersensitive. (On N3DS, anyway. Could be worse on OG?)

Thanks wwr! I have heard it is worse on 3DS, yeah. That's my concern. I'm not very tech aware but is framerate dropping as distracting or gameplay affecting as slowdown, like in KF in BOTW pre-patch?

 

[Velcro Fly]

Well I enjoyed Chibi Robo and some of the reviews are comparing it to that so my $7 investment from the Prime Day fiasco seems solid here.

 

[kubus]

Thanks for posting this!

I'd like to know from those who have played (hi kubus, have you played it yet?) how bad is the performance? Is there any slowdown or just framedrops? Did it affect playability? And for those answering, which system have you tried the game on? I've heard it pushes 3DS and N3DS but performs better on the latter.

I played and completed it! Also with amiibo, because that's already out in Japan for quite some time now, so if anyone has questions about amiibo functionality, shoot.

Even on my New 3DS the game had quite a few framedrops, but they're pretty random. For example when I'm not doing anything special, just walking through the level, the game would have some slowdowns. But in the heat of the moment I haven't experienced any annoying hiccups or anything that resulted in damage or lost Pikmin or anything. There are quite a few fast paced levels as well (I won't spoil them), but nothing stood out to me.

I can't test on an OG 3DS unfortunately, because I have the game digitally. Perhaps someone else can chime in, or maybe one of the reviews can give some insight on performance!

 

[7DollarHagane]

This never felt like it would be a good idea or fun. Just the concept was a huge hurdle to get over.

 

[wild wild rice]

Thanks wwr! I have heard it is worse on 3DS, yeah. That's my concern. I'm not very tech aware but is framerate dropping as distracting or gameplay affecting as slowdown, like in KF in BOTW pre-patch?

Nowhere near that, for sure. The gameplay is slow enough that it shouldn't affect your ability to do anything, really. And with the low resolution on the screens I honestly barely noticed it and it was easy to shrug off. Maybe others are more sensitive than I am.

Again, only played the demo on N3DS so who knows.


Edit: Kubus, I hadn't realized you played it. How did you feel about it?

 

[nluckett]

Surprisingly charmed by the demo (and that music)

Glad to see the Pikmin series continue in any form really. Glad to hear it sounds like Arzest pulled this off better than their usual efforts.

 

[QuixoticNeutral]

This is filed under wait-and-see for me (also because for once it's not unthinkable to hold out for a drop in price), though I've been interested in the concept from the start. Mainly, I don't trust reviews in any direction when it comes to side-scrollers anymore after the Wii U era exposed the systemic ignorance about the genre among reviewers and showed off just what casual dabblers they are. If an actual 2D platformer veteran gets their hands on this and is able to comment on longevity and how the design escalates into the late-game challenges, I'm eager to hear about it.

Not expecting a secret Tropical Freeze or Woolly World out of this, or anything even close, but games like those have trained me to expect that reviews have nothing useful to say about the late-game/expert/completionist experience whatsoever.

 

[Living the Dream]

I'm still getting it. Not expecting greatness, but I'm down!

 

[purseowner]

Thanks for posting this!

I'd like to know from those who have played (hi kubus, have you played it yet?) how bad is the performance? Is there any slowdown or just framedrops? Did it affect playability? And for those answering, which system have you tried the game on? I've heard it pushes 3DS and N3DS but performs better on the latter.

Just noticed this from the Cubed3 review:

The only complaint that can be levelled towards it is that it doesn't run well at all on older models of 3DS.

 

[kubus]

Edit: Kubus, I hadn't realized you played it. How did you feel about it?

As a huge Pikmin fan I thought the game was incredibly charming, and I especially loved the little cutscenes with the Pikmin and the Pikmin Park, because they really make the Pikmin shine there and give them extra character. I likened the Pikmin Park to watching a documentary about an anthill, it's just so soothing to watch them go at work at the leaves and rocks and stuff.

Unfortunately I felt that the meat of the game, the levels, were just way too easy. I managed to grab all of the treasures in each level on my first try, bar a few exceptions, and even got the No Pikmin Harmed medal on a lot of levels on a first attempt. Another big misstep of the game in my eyes, is the Sparklium. I had 30.000 Sparklium pretty early in the game (about World 5 or 6?) and after that the stuff just becomes useless. The counter just keeps going up, but there's no end goal there. No high scores to beat per level, nothing to unlock (as far as I know). Even the Pikmin Park becomes desolate once you finish digging up all the Sparklium there, which is a shame because it's one part of the game that just becomes unusable about 3/4 in the game.

I did enjoy my time with the game though, but mostly because the Pikmin are so adorable and I liked reading the log entries for the stuff you dig up (though it's a bit disappointing how they keep recycling batteries and watches - why not use different objects?). I finished the game in 15 hours, and that includes completing all the levels, getting all the treasures and filling up the entire log. I might go back and try to complete all the levels without getting a Pikmin killed for the gold medals, but most likely I'll decide to spend that time on a new game instead.

I gave the game a 6, but because I'm such a huge Pikmin fangirl my personal score would probably be more like a 7 because the Pikmin themselves are portrayed wonderfully and that really added to my enjoyment of the game.

Btw if anyone cares, I haven't played any other Arzest game as far as I know, and don't bear a grudge against them or anything.

 

[wild wild rice]

*snip*.

Great impressions, thanks! Sounds like as a Pikmin fan I'll find things to enjoy even if the game itself is entirely average, which basically confirms what I expected.

Not that I'm proud of letting a lackluster game slide because of the IP, but what can I say.

 

[Brandon F]

Was this the Pikmin 4 game that Miyamoto hinted so long ago?

 

[Linkstrikesback]

[citation needed]

If I've missed some other pikmin game being announced, please, correct me.

 

[SporeCrawler]

Was this the Pikmin 4 game that Miyamoto hinted so long ago?

no

 

[tayls129]

There's a demo available and I'll give me review based on that: Not good/10.

 

[Maintenance]

 

 

[hardcastlemccormick]

Just noticed this from the Cubed3 review:

Yikes

 

[James Scott]

At least Miyamoto is working on a new one.
Expected it to be received worse but hey

Spoiler

Pikmin

 

[MrSaturn99]

Kinda expected this, to be honest.

Loved the demo, so I think I'll dig it more than most despite going in with expectations it won't be as good as the mainline games. But it doesn't need to be.

 

[FleenerW]

What happened to the Pikmin that was almost finished a few years ago?

They were probably talking about this.

Was this the Pikmin 4 game that Miyamoto hinted so long ago?

If I've missed some other pikmin game being announced, please, correct me.

Miyamoto said Pikmin 4 is still progressing just one month ago and that he's not allowed to talk about it: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1391732

 

[killroy87]

Good to see it isn't as bad as I feared. The game just looks so fucking boring, I can't get over it lol. I love Pikmin, but all the footage of this I've seen just looks like the most bland game imaginable.

 

[DeuceGamer]

I expected it would get worse reviews than this because it's 2D.

The demo was good so I'm going to give it a try. It looks like it has some interesting level designs with various paths and hidden items, which seems like I'll want to replay the levels to find the different area's and items.

 

[wild wild rice]

I expected it would get worse reviews than this because it's 2D.

The demo was good so I'm going to give it a try. It looks like it has some interesting level designs with various paths and hidden items, which seems like I'll want to replay the levels to find the different area's and items.

My beef with the level design in the demo was that you would be presented with two paths: one leads to a secret or item and the other forces you into the next section of the level with no option of turning back to get what you missed.

I kinda hate that.

 

[watershed]

If this game scores between 7-8 I'll probably pick it up. I liked the demo a lot and don't share the common concerns that it has ugly graphics, is too slow, or too simple. But if the reviews highlight other flaws, I will pass. I hope this game is as good as the demo sold it to be!

 

[Ridley327]

This seems to be landing where I thought it would based on the demo. As a fan of the series, I actually appreciated that they designed it to be more suitable for what the 3DS was capable of, and while some might bemoan the sidescroller direction, it's actually hard enough to go back to 480p for the games prior to Pikmin 3 as the increase in resolution did wonders for being able to read the level, and trying to shrink that down to a resolution near half the size for the sake of having a "proper" game would have been a complete disaster.

 

[maxcriden]

I played and completed it! Also with amiibo, because that's already out in Japan for quite some time now, so if anyone has questions about amiibo functionality, shoot.

Even on my New 3DS the game had quite a few framedrops, but they're pretty random. For example when I'm not doing anything special, just walking through the level, the game would have some slowdowns. But in the heat of the moment I haven't experienced any annoying hiccups or anything that resulted in damage or lost Pikmin or anything. There are quite a few fast paced levels as well (I won't spoil them), but nothing stood out to me.

I can't test on an OG 3DS unfortunately, because I have the game digitally. Perhaps someone else can chime in, or maybe one of the reviews can give some insight on performance!

Ooh, I've got the amiibo coming - but wasn't planning to open it! What is the amiibo functionality?

Thank you for the info, as always.

So frame dropping and slowdown are both an issue, or are those the same thing? Forgive my lack of tech savviness.

How did you like the game itself? (Edit: just read your impressions above - a bit disappointing from the sound of it but as a fellow Pikmin superfan I'm sure I will find some aspects to like as it sounds like you did. Thanks for posting your thoughts on the game!)

Nowhere near that, for sure. The gameplay is slow enough that it shouldn't affect your ability to do anything, really. And with the low resolution on the screens I honestly barely noticed it and it was easy to shrug off. Maybe others are more sensitive than I am.

Again, only played the demo on N3DS so who knows.

Edit: Kubus, I hadn't realized you played it. How did you feel about it?

Thanks for the info. So is it only a visual rather than game performance issue? Is that what it means for it to drop frames rather than have slowdown specifically? kubus mentioned slowdown too, so maybe both are issues. I'm not usually very aware of these technical issues except slowdown (like in BOTW pre-patch, most notably to me).

Unfortunately since it is said to be worse on OG 3DS....but I'm not sure how much worse.

Just noticed this from the Cubed3 review:

Thanks man.

 

[finalflame]

is this game canon?

 

[Ridley327]

is this game canon?

As I understand it, it's kind of its own thing to make it easier to for newcomers to enjoy it. Not that Pikmin has had a particularly exhaustive backstory even after three games, but the idea is that it's just Olimar without the baggage.

 

[finalflame]

As I understand it, it's kind of its own thing to make it easier to for newcomers to enjoy it. Not that Pikmin has had a particularly exhaustive backstory even after three games, but the idea is that it's just Olimar without the baggage.

Ah I see! Well, looks to be reviewing perfectly mediocrely, which is about what I expected. I am very excited to see whatever the next mainline Pikmin game turns out to be, however. Pikmin 1 + 2 are some of my fondest GameCube memories.

 

[MrBadger]

I actually had a great time with Chibi Robo Zip Lash, so the reviews drawing less-than-favourable comparisons don't faze me. However, Yoshi's New Island was so god damn boring, and this looks like more of that. So I'll pass.