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[Prof. Bathtub]

Like others have said, each game has their own strengths.

1 most effectively evokes the "stranded on a hostile alien world" concept, but the controls for directing and calling your pikmin are imprecise and sluggish.

2 has the most stuff in it, and while a lot of the dungeons are dull, some like Glutton's Kitchen or Submerged Castle are pretty memorable. It also has an impressive variety of enemies and bosses, though bruteforcing them with purples is a balance issue that 3 remedied. And yes, the enemy/item descriptions are a highlight of the whole series (to be fair, it seems Hey Pikmin continues this, so it's not some lost element.)

3 is great for the reasons people have outlined. The ability to direct the captains makes multitasking really key, whereas it was hard to do in 2.

 

[DrLazy]

I recently got the urge to play through the Pikmin games again and after blasting through Pikmin 1, completing most of Pikmin 2, and even beating a few levels of Hey Pikmin here and there, I thought I’d jump into the third game which I haven’t touched since it came out 4 years ago. My memories of it were generally fond, but the more I got back into it the more I realized it’s a total letdown compared to the previous two entries for a few major reasons.

1. The controls

I’d go so far as to say this game is nearly unplayable with the default Gamepad setup. Instead of having the aiming reticle be a set distance away from the character, it now moves separately with your character only moving once the reticle has moved enough. Right stick Pikmin control has also been ditched in favor of a lock-on feature that lets you command the Pikmin to charge towards an enemy or object. Together, their powers combine to create... an extremely unwieldy control scheme that had me immediately reaching for the Wiimote and nunchuck. But wait, there’s more! The map and character auto-movement feature can only be accessed using the Gamepad for some bizarre reason! So even if you play with the superior Wiimote aiming, you still need to have the Gamepad ready to go. Just… why?

2. The timer

At first I couldn’t figure out what it was about the timer that was so annoying, because theoretically it should be no different from the first 2 games where it was no problem, right? Then it hit me:

- The level design is FAR more linear than the previous games. In Pikmin 1 and 2 you could be doing one of any number of tasks on any given day, as each ship part / treasure / dungeon entrance was equally important to get to. Here, you just follow one specific route to to the boss arena with little incentive to deviate from the path (fruits are clearly intended to be the successor to treasures and parts, but they quickly become pointless as it’s extremely easy to stockpile a massive amount of juice - in my playthrough where I only went out of my way to find fruit when I had time to kill, I still managed to end up with 33 days worth of extra juice). As a result, instead of feeling like you got lots of mini objectives done in one day when night rolls around, you just feel like you’re constantly being cut off from completing the one big objective.

- Bosses are not fought underground, and thus time passes as you fight them. Here’s the issue: these guys take the better part of a day to fight. If you don't fight them early in the day there's a good chance you'll be interrupted mid-battle and unceremoniously sent back to the ship, and even when you do kill them, good luck getting all the spoils back to your ship before night falls - especially annoying when the boss drops a part needed to access the next level. The final boss is just the worst because of this, what could have been a frantic and fun chase is instead dragged out across multiple days.

3. The characters and writing

Alph, Brittany, and Charlie just suck compared to Olimar and Louie. Even the developers apparently think this, as they turned the Captain into a Poochie by making the trio constantly ask “Where’s Olimar?” whenever he’s not on screen. In addition, while the dialogue still has some pretty good moments, the amazing Piklopedia entries from Pikmin 2 filled with Olimar’s hilarious salaryman musings have instead been replaced by loads of boring tutorial files and a handful of mildly amusing descriptions of fruit from Brittany. Did they run out of time to add it or something? Even Hey Pikmin didn’t disappoint in this regard.

There are other things I could go into such as the removal of dungeons, the annoying decision to make Pikmin return to the empty spot where they picked something up for no apparent reason, the excessive amount of tutorializing that discourages experimentation, or the oddly paced doling out of Pikmin types that sees Blue Pikmin getting a meager amount of screen time in Story Mode unless you go for all the optional fruits and White/Purple Pikmin only appearing in Mission Mode, but I think I’ve made my point.

There are still a lot of good points about the game. The graphics and sound are great, Mission Mode is even better than Pikmin 2's challenge mode especially with the extra DLC levels, and at the end of the day Pikmin gameplay is still pretty fun even with all the flaws... but ultimately it still feels like the worst entry. Anyone else agree or am I just an uncultured swine who doesn't understand the majesty of Pikmin 3?

Yes. This is all true. I'd still put it above Pikmin 2 though. Pikmin 1 still the best.

Pikmin 3 really shines in the challenge mode using Wii and nunchuck and the gamepad as a map. Coop is also fantastic. The time management RTS is so good in the challenges where it's gone / annoying from the main campaign which is a pretty boring linear adventure instead of the glorious open world time-management puzzle rts that makes this series awesome.

 

[TheCongressman1]

It's my favorite of the three, but I'm not a huge Pikmin fan. I love the world and the premise, but there are a lot of gameplay mechanics I just hate. The timers are my biggest gripe. If the world is dangerous at night, let me face it, make it risk/reward. Don't just force me off the planet.

And yeah you're right, the non-wiimote controls are terrible. Not being able to swarm your Pikmin sucks as well.

 

[nicolasacmf]

Pikmin 3 is by far the best of the three. Pikmin 2 on the other hand... what a mistake that game was.

 

[kunonabi]

Yeah, Pikmin 3 is easily the best for the me. The core gameplay and controls are perfection and the challenge maps and multiplayer are bloody excellent. First two games just dont play nearly as well for me.

 

[Roo]

I do agree Pikmin 3 feels a little bit more linear than the past two games but other than that I think it's the best of the trilogy.

I really hope they do way bigger worlds for Pikmin 4. Not to the point of getting lost and/or making your comeback to the ship at night a hassle but still bigger than those in Pikmin 3.

 

[MrSaturn99]

You raise some decent points, but I can't say I agree; it felt like the perfect balance between the first two games (in particular, the original Pikmin feels like the rough draft of what Miyamoto and co. wanted to accomplish with 3). There is some linearity to it, but it leaves just enough wiggle room to try out all sorts of runs and strategies.

Also, Challenge Mode is godly. I just Bingo Battle had CPUs or something since I never get to play it.

Pikmin 3 is Wii U's masterpiece, and I can hardly wait to see how they'll top it with 4. Don't make me wait another nine years, Nintendo!

 

[Your Entertainer]

What's with all the Pikmin 2 bashing? Amazing game and easily the best still.

 

[Prof. Bathtub]

If the world is dangerous at night, let me face it, make it risk/reward. Don't just force me off the planet.

To be fair, a lot of the games' design seems to be based off the idea that the larger enemies are asleep and won't attack until you get close. Wandering enemies like Bulbears need to be defeated promptly so you know your pikmin can be left to their tasks (removing walls, building bridges, carrying items) without worry. Now, if all the bulborbs/etc were awake, you would have to kill all the enemies before exploring/collecting, instead of taking them as they come. Point is, a more aggressive game style could be interesting, but if Pikmin 4 tries it, the progression style will be adjusted accordingly.

 

[QuantumSquid]

the best part of the game is when you put the fruit in the juicer.

it's so satisfying

 

[Ridley327]

You raise some decent points, but I can't say I agree; it felt like the perfect balance between the first two games (in particular, the original Pikmin feels like the rough draft of what Miyamoto and co. wanted to accomplish with 3). There is some linearity to it, but it leaves just enough wiggle room to try out all sorts of runs and strategies.

Also, Challenge Mode is godly. I just Bingo Battle had CPUs or something since I never get to play it.

Pikmin 3 is Wii U's masterpiece, and I can hardly wait to see how they'll top it with 4. Don't make me wait another nine years, Nintendo!

It seems like we're going to get a much shorter turnaround time than we did with Pikmin 3. Remember that 3 was announced back in 2008 and didn't see release until 2013. Pikmin 4 was first mentioned back in 2015, and after E3 this year, I'm inclined to believe that it's one of their 2018 titles that have yet to be announced.

 

[MrSaturn99]

the best part of the game is when you put the fruit in the juicer.

it's so satisfying

god i know

I mean, maybe you can get a little too much juice, but that juice and the sound of it pouring...mmmm...

always gets me in the mood for white grape juice

 

[BGBW]

Personally I love the Wiimote+Gamepad setup and it's one of the best uses of the Wii U hardware.

 

[Loz246789]

Yeah I'm gonna be boring and agree with everyone saying Pikmin 3 is the best so far. I appreciated having two captains in pikmin 2, but I very rarely actually took advantage of them. It was only in pikmin 3 with the (EXCELLENT) gamepad use and 3 captains that it finally all clicked and I became the multi-tasking god the game expected me to be!
... Or at least, I tried. The challenge mode broke me.

Anyway, Pikmin 3 squad > Pikmin 2 squad, but Olimar > any individual captain.

 

[Waddle Dee]

I've never actually played a Pikmin game but I love the time-based gameplay of Dead Rising 1 & 2 so I'm wondering if the timer stuff in Pikmin is on a similar level...

 

[cheez124]

I agree, mostly. Pikmin 3 was a little disappointing for me. The removal of caves, treasures, and the Piklopedia are some of my biggest issues. I can see why people might consider the caves a slog, but I honestly really enjoyed them, especially the themed ones like the Glutton's Kitchen. The treasures were always so exciting to find, unlike 3's fruit. Almost every treasure was unique, whereas in 3 you'd often be seeing the same fruit several times throughout the game. Reading the Piklopedia was one of my favorite things about Pikmin 2 as a kid. Learning about the enemies or reading Louie's cooking notes was always fun. I actually liked Pikmin 3's new enemy designs, so it would've been nice to learn a little more about them.

While Pikmin 2 is still my favorite, I don't think I'd call Pikmin 3 the weakest. I really liked Flying Pikmin, the 3 captain system, and the mission mode. My ranking would probably be 2 > 3 > 1. Hopefully Pikmin 4 will bring back the Piklopedia and caves in some way.

 

[poodaddy]

Pikmin 3 was my favorite but I also found 1 and 2 a bit too difficult so my opinion here probably doesn't count for much.

 

[BRocknRolla]

It's the only game of the series I played, but found the whole thing incredibly easy, and I blew through the game in no time at all (While getting all the fruit and extras as I went). I was pretty disappointed.

 

[Refreshment.01]

I recently got the urge to play through the Pikmin games again and after blasting through Pikmin 1, completing most of Pikmin 2, and even beating a few levels of Hey Pikmin here and there, I thought I’d jump into the third game which I haven’t touched since it came out 4 years ago. My memories of it were generally fond, but the more I got back into it the more I realized it’s a total letdown compared to the previous two entries for a few major reasons.

1. The controls

I’d go so far as to say this game is nearly unplayable with the default Gamepad setup. Instead of having the aiming reticle be a set distance away from the character, it now moves separately with your character only moving once the reticle has moved enough. Right stick Pikmin control has also been ditched in favor of a lock-on feature that lets you command the Pikmin to charge towards an enemy or object. Together, their powers combine to create... an extremely unwieldy control scheme that had me immediately reaching for the Wiimote and nunchuck. But wait, there’s more! The map and character auto-movement feature can only be accessed using the Gamepad for some bizarre reason! So even if you play with the superior Wiimote aiming, you still need to have the Gamepad ready to go. Just… why?

If this was August 2013 you would have a point IF playing the game sans Wii Remote.

The game got a controller upgrade that lets you use the touch screen as a 1:1 trackpad when playing on the TV or pin point touch interface for Off TV play. Both options are more precise than using an analog stick thumbstick in any way.

So objectivly the control complain is not valid.

Also you are leaving outside other important modes. The Mission aspect has: Collect the fruit challenges, battle enemies and boss battle for single player or Co op play. Then theres the head to head mode: Bingo Battle. All these modes are more fleshed out than the previous multiplayer attempt or additional modes in the previous games.

Finally contrary to your claims the multi tasking has been expanded in this game with the addition of a third captain.

Personally, i like the Pikmin 1 Wii version. But leaving preference aside Pikmin 3 is the best game in the series so far.

ABout the "Easy" complains. The game is designed for everyone and replayability in mind. Try doing the 10 day fruit challenge to see how "easy" it is. Getting all high ranks in mission mode is a decent challenge as well.

 

[ozfunghi]

I absolutely loved the first. The multiplayer in the second game, was also a great addition but the caves got a little tedious after a while. But the third, and definitely the DLC, blows both out of the water OP. No contest. You are WRONG, but then again, you knew this when you made the thread.

Spoiler

O(pi)nions and all

Seriously though, wiimote + gamepad combo rocks.

 

[Professor Lexicovermis]

I don't understand why some people are acting as though this topic is about 3 being objectively better/worse than 2 and/or 1. This is clearly down to each poster's opinion, and I see no reason to bash someone for theirs.

 

[ProgenitorCastle]

Going off topic a bit I suppose, but people really need to stop pointing out what opinions are and how they work. We all know it's an opinion, but it needs to be stated to encourage discourse. The internet would be a pretty quiet place if people didn't give voice to them. We really don't need anyone pointing them out, it's silly.

Nah, fuck that provocative, clickbait style nonsense.

 

[ratcliffja]

Nah, it's Pikmin 2. The lack of a timer hurt the game and the dungeons were dull.

Pikmin 2 is easily the best in the series because of the dungeons.

 

[Pizza]

I LOVE the Pikmin games. They're sincerely system sellers for me.

I'd rate them 2, 3, 1 tbh. 2 felt way more dire, and all the journals and the piklopedia were iterated on in a really really neat and fun way. I fucking love captain olimar honestly. The overworld had lots of challenging encounters and creative ways to find treasure (and I loved finding treasure) and the dungeons turned that up to 11.

3 was amazing. I highly recommend playing with the Wii remote and a nunchuck and putting the gamepad on the stand. Being able to use the superior controls while having the minimal sitting on the table in front of you was great, and you could press and drag to command the other two characters on the fly. I really liked Alph as a fresh perspective as a protagonist, but the piklopedia was sorely missed.

3 would have been my favorite EASILY if they had made the challenge levels into dungeons. Even if the dungeons were optional or something, they could have unlocked the associated challenges upon completion. The "you have X number of Pikmin to go through a series of increasingly difficult rooms" is the reason I keep going back to 2. I liked the controls of 3 best though. The chase scene and boss at the end is EXACTLY what I was sorely missing from the game tbh. They should have crashed their ship way harder on the way down, and should've had to go into dungeons to find them, and find upgrades that olimar dropped. I liked olimar and Louie as supporting characters, but I would've loved to see the new trio get more fleshed out! 3 has a lot of what I like from 2, but also drops some of my favorite stuff

1 is sick, but it's a rare case where the sequels have really expanded upon the initial game in meangingful ways

 

[Sir Ilpalazzo]

Pikmin 2 is easily the best in the series because of the dungeons.

I think the dungeons work against what makes Pikmin shine - Pikmin's mechanics are at their best when time constraints push the player to build up their army and cover ground as quickly and efficiently as possible. Pikmin 3 may have a weaker time limit than I'd like but completely removing the time limit from the game and enabling the player to play slowly and carefully, as Pikmin 2 does, isn't really what Pikmin is about. (Pikmin 2 is a little too long to be as replayable as the earlier games, too, which is a big minus.)

 

[Camjo-Z]

I think the dungeons work against what makes Pikmin shine - Pikmin's mechanics are at their best when time constraints push the player to build up their army and cover ground as quickly and efficiently as possible.

There probably should be some kind of extra layer added to the dungeons if they return in 4 to keep them from being so leisurely, half the time I'd just send Louie in to smack around the weaker enemies and set off any potential traps before bringing Olimar in with the squad to clean up. As Pizza mentioned, something like the final boss from 3 would be an awesome idea for a dungeon. No time limit, just an invincible predator always on the move and ready to decimate you if you don't keep the pace.

Nah, fuck that provocative, clickbait style nonsense.

TIL not putting "IMO" after an obviously subjective opinion is apparently provocative clickbait.

 

[Polioliolio]

Pikmin 2 was massive. The caves made a big game feel even bigger. Loved it. So much cool stuff to find!

Pikmin 3 looks good, but when I beat it, I thought I was only half way through.. Eh.

 

[Mr-Joker]

Nah that would be 2 as dungeons really ruin the flow of the game and it just feel the same as tackling the over world.

Pikmin 2 is easily the best in the series because of the dungeons.

Dungeons are so boring though as it's so easy and just doesn't feel the same as multitasking in the over world as you're working against the clock to explore the areas, find treasures, clearing paths to create short cuts and managing your Pikmin numbers.

In dungeons non of that exist and the challenge just comes from in ensuring that your Pikmin numbers don't fall which was never a problem nor challenging as you could just reset from the last floor, plus after awhile it the dungeon environment quickly end up feeling the same.

 

[atr0cious]

My only issues with the game was setting the wii mote bar and all that for "perfect" controls, especially since I did a lot of coop.

The touchpad controls are actually near perfect, especially with a full size stylus, they're just right hand only,which is a huge bummer.

I'm a lefty, so playing with the gamepad was completely off the table for me, actually went out and bought a wiimote and nunchuck to play it through in the end. I have 'Wonderful 101' to go through and am sort of dreading it on account of the control scheme.

I feel lefties might have a slight advantage in using the touchpad for combat in the W101, as that was the main way I played through it. Being dexterous enough with that hand to switch from movement to touchpad, while using the right hand to choose and charge morphs will be useful. You should enjoy it either way.

 

[dreampeppers99]

For me, how you see if a game is better or not, in a series, will heavily depend on the time you played each version. Adds to it the fact that sometimes you're not willing to play any games at all.

For short, I love DKC3 (it was the first DKC that I could play to the end) and I also love Pikmin 3 (my first pikmin experience, I tried pikmin 1 but never finished and then pikmin 3 made me see the series in a whole different perspective) ... but then I prefer Crash 2 (I could 100% it) over 3.

 

[goldenpp72]

I really loved 3, it;'s better than 1 anyways, I haven't yet played 2.

 

[PetrCobra]

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

They have them in MP

 

[ozfunghi]

Pikmin 2 was massive. The caves made a big game feel even bigger. Loved it. So much cool stuff to find!

Pikmin 3 looks good, but when I beat it, I thought I was only half way through.. Eh.

And you probably were... until you played the missions. Best part of the game.

 

[Tuck]

I loved Pikmin 3, but I dont remember the first much (besides the time limit which i didnt like) and I never played the second. I heard the second got bogged down with filler (cave segments or something?)

 

[dafortune]

This is a crazy opinion.

Pikmin 2 is not a good game.

 

[talkingood]

Respectfully disagree. It's the best imo. And it's first Nintendo game that my wife has not only liked but loved. She mostly plays strategy games on PC and never understood my love for Nintendo, but she still asks to play it with me.

 

[Memory]

No way, its the best, especially with the addition of the multi-player modes.