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Pikmin 3 review round up; Wii U’s killer app?

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pikmin3winning

Nintendo’s Wii U is a great console, blah blah blah – I’m sure you’ve read me extolling its virtues countless times before. What the damned thing really needs is games; a killer app that can convince people to buy the system. Could the system have just found its killer app?

Reviews for Nintendo’s bizarre, yet incredibly endearing puzzle/RTS are in – and it looks like the game is a winner. Of course, with it being one of Shiggy’s titles, that’s hardly surprising. Here’s what Critics have had to say about the latest Nintendo masterpiece.

  • CVG: 8 – The throwaway nature of its GamePad integration doesn’t prevent Pikmin 3 from being Nintendo’s best HD single-player experience to date, but it does mean that the wait for the definitive Wii U title goes on.
  • EuroGamer: 9/10 – Pikmin still feels like strategy seen with fresh eyes – strategy, perhaps, by designers who were unconcerned with labelling, and just let their ideas lead them where they wanted to go. Just as the Koppai explorers give each lump of fruit they encounter its own name (cantaloupes become Wayward Moons, limes are reborn as Zest Bombs), Nintendo has transformed a genre traditionally concerned with large-scale warfare into a knee-high epic built of scavenging and babysitting. Survival, not domination. Family, not factions.
  • GamesRadar: 4.5/5 -Pikmin 3 is a game about nature, just as it always has been. But on Wii U it’s so believable it often feels like you’re sitting in a real garden, playing with ants and beetles in dappled sunlight. Despite the macabre undertones of the cruelty of nature, the game is charming, funny, and utterly captivating. It is without doubt yet another Miyamoto masterpiece, and one that the Wii U desperately needs.
  • God Is a Geek: 9/10 – Considering the lengthy campaign, Pikmin 3 is great value for money. Offering multiple ways to play, it is so incredibly well-designed that it’s hard not to feel impressed with the confidence – and that’s without considering how beautiful it looks in HD, or how wonderful it sounds (the soundtrack is luscious). We’ve waited long enough, but Pikmin 3 is everything we were promised it would be: a gorgeous, fun, exciting experience that absolutely everyone should try. Never leave a Pikmin behind, though, as it scars you for life.
  • IGN: 8.8 – Pikmin 3 is a delight. There’s nothing else like its gentle combination of exploration, strategy and discovery, and it made me feel both empathy and responsibility for virtual creatures that most games would treat as disposable fodder. It transported me like few other games can, giving the feeling of being a stranger in a strange (but oddly familiar) world. It’s over too soon, but it leaves a lasting impression.
  • Kotaku: No score – Pikmin 3 is a game that doesn’t try to re-invent the wheel. For better or worse, it sticks to the formula of past titles and has just enough tweaks-like three characters or two new types of Pikmin-to keep it from feeling stale. It does have its problems here and there with the camera, controls, and AI, but for the most part is an enjoyable ride. If you liked past Pikmin games or enjoy the idea of a light puzzle/RTS hybrid, Pikmin 3 is probably the game for you.
  • Nintendo Insider: 92% – Miyamoto has said that his vision has finally been realised in Pikmin 3, and there’s much that can be found to support that claim. As the Wii U firmly sets its sights on a resurgence, Pikmin 3 delivers an action-strategy experience like no other. And at a time where many complain that Nintendo aren’t investing in new IP, it serves as a reminder to the fresh breeze of creativity that can be achieved when they do.
  • NintendoLife: 9/10 – Beautifully crafted and filled to the brim with exciting gameplay features, Pikmin 3 is a worthy new instalment in Nintendo’s quirky strategy series. The core gameplay mechanics remain true to the GameCube originals, but are further enhanced by the unique features of the Wii U GamePad; controlling your Pikmin is a much smoother experience as a result, and allows for a relatively advanced level of play. There are a few minor issues here and there, but overall Pikmin 3 proves Nintendo still has the magic to make games that get the most out of its bespoke hardware.
  • NowGamer: 9.0 – A brilliant game that retains the entertainment of the original Pikmin games but still feels as unique as ever. A Wii U must-play.
  • Official Nintendo Magazine: 90% – Like dormant seeds, this is slow to germinate but, given time, it blossoms, an explosion of scintillating strategy and pheromone-laced fruitiness.

Sounds like another must-have title for the Wii U that people will continue to largely ignore. while it may well be the Wii U’s killer app right now, it’s probably just not enough to convince either the masses or the hardcore sort to pick up a Wii U. We’ll have our own review soon.

Last Updated: July 23, 2013

26 Comments

  1. Spathi

    July 23, 2013 at 11:44

    “Another must-have title” – That makes it two in total?

    I’m not joking. I bought the Wii-U a month or two ago, and so far, only Monster Hunter is a good game.

    Edit: And please, ZombiU is a average game at best, and at worst it really is a piece of shit 😉

    Reply

    • RinceWind

      July 23, 2013 at 11:51

      You are going to incur the wrath of Geoff! lol

      Reply

      • Trevor Davies

        July 23, 2013 at 11:56

        but gain the protection of Darryn?

        Reply

        • RinceWind

          July 23, 2013 at 11:57

          I think Darryn also liked the game, he just couldn’t play it longer than a 7-year-old girl…

          Reply

          • Trevor Davies

            July 23, 2013 at 12:00

            Remember how you said you’d be nice to Darryn?

            You fell into my carefully constructed master trap! mwuhaha hahahaha

          • RinceWind

            July 23, 2013 at 12:01

            No! NOOOOOO! You utterly cunning bastard! *wheeps

          • Trevor Davies

            July 23, 2013 at 12:02

            😀

          • RinceWind

            July 23, 2013 at 12:03

            I will get you back, mark my words! I WILL!

      • Spathi

        July 23, 2013 at 12:06

        I really really tried to like the game. It has some very nice ideas, and I love the implementation of the wiiU remote. When however looking objectively at the game and the gameplay, it feels like something out of the PS2 era.

        It also didn’t help that I started playing The Last Of Us while busy with ZombiU, it really showed me the contrast between an alright game, and the a exceptional game. If ZombieU was released on the PS3, and used the Vita as a 2nd screen, it would’ve been panned all round in my opinion.

        I’m keeping the WiiU for future Mario games and I want to give Pikmin a try, but I’m really glad I didn’t pay R 4600 for the console.

        Reply

    • FoxOneZA - X-Therminator

      July 23, 2013 at 12:23

      This is what happens with many exclusives; if it’s an exclusive, it gets many brownie points no matter how average it is.

      I’m enjoying Mario, ME3 and Trine 2 but you’re right that R4600 is far too much for that console.

      Reply

      • Spathi

        July 23, 2013 at 12:36

        Bought Trine 2 on the steam special, game has loads of charm!

        Reply

    • ICHI

      July 25, 2013 at 10:36

      I have really enjoyed Super Luigi U more than I enjoyed Mario but both were good (not great) games. But yeah Monster Hunter gets the most time out of my Wii U so far (160hrs and climbing), though I’m trying to put more time into other games. I thought Need for speed most wanted was excellent and so is Lego City but again they are not system sellers. Pikmin 3 is a big deal for me so if I don’t like it I will be upset lol

      Reply

  2. ElimiNathan

    July 23, 2013 at 11:46

    This game looks pretty decent

    Reply

  3. RinceWind

    July 23, 2013 at 11:58

    No score from Kotaku?

    Reply

    • FoxOneZA - X-Therminator

      July 23, 2013 at 12:21

      That’s how they roll with all reviews.

      Reply

  4. OVG

    July 23, 2013 at 12:01

    Nintendo have no sense of urgency when it comes to making games. Its like they just do not give a shit.

    I am happy with my Game Cube but even waiting for games on that system was like watching paint dry.

    SORT YOUR SHIT OUT NINTENDO as usual you are about to kill another console because the 3rd party do not give a shit and your first party are sleeping.

    Why did it take 5 fucking years to make Zelda TP for the Game Cube???? answer me that.

    Reply

    • Kuma

      July 24, 2013 at 16:07

      Would you rather they rush all their projects and get average scores, or take their time with and make masterpieces.

      For comparison, Naughty Dog had already worked on The Last of us for after Uncharted 2 released.

      How did 5 years in the oven work out for them? 😉

      Reply

      • OVG

        July 24, 2013 at 16:14

        ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz……… That was me with my GameCube.
        THEN BAMMMMMMMM!!!!! SUCKER PUNCH TO THE FACE NINTENDO SEAL OF QUALITY!!!!

        Then ZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzz……..

        BAMMMMMMM!!!!!

        ZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzz

        RIP

        Wii BAMMM BAMMMM BAMMMM BAMMMM BAMMMM INFINITE

        Wii U ZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz,,,,,,,

        XBOX ONE, PS FOUR….. RIP Wii U

        Reply

    • ICHI

      July 25, 2013 at 09:05

      Although it’s not a good answer I thought Zelda tp was held back to launch on Wii at the same time?

      Reply

      • OVG

        July 25, 2013 at 09:12

        That is right, but because they burnt such a small batch the retailers ran out of the Gamecube version a week after release.

        I WAS PISSED. After all that waiting and loyalty to the dying console, Nintendo shafted their loyal fans because they wanted to plug the stupid Wii.

        I never got to play it. That was when I went over to the PS2 and never looked back.

        http://n4g.com/news/17573/game-cube-zelda-twilight-princess-shortages

        Reply

        • ICHI

          July 25, 2013 at 10:33

          Awww I had a 360 but still had time for the wii I loved some games on that system, arguably more than I loved my 360 games (obviously other than Trials HD & Evolution and Minecraft). But it’s a sad state of affairs when a consoles best games are their XBLA titles. Man I want another Trials game 🙁

          Reply

          • OVG

            July 25, 2013 at 10:39

            Nothing wrong with the Game Cube. Wind Waker was GOTY 2003 for a reason, while TP flopped.

            If it aint broke dont fix it but Nintendo got to greedy and tried to copy the iPhone’s casual captivation thru imagination. Touch screen? WOW motion controllers WOWER… with a small *i* thrown in.

            It worked, they made a gazillion Yen. I moved on (the people who spent all of their money over 2 decades helped Nintendo ditch them for a better market)

            Fcuk em

    • RinceWind

      July 25, 2013 at 09:17

      Indeed.

      Reply

  5. TiMsTeR1033

    July 23, 2013 at 12:58

    i wonder if the screen shot is from in game?

    Reply

  6. OVG

    July 25, 2013 at 09:18

    Where in fudges name is STARFOX???
    I suppose Nintendo can only handle one 1st party game at a time.

    Reply

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