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.