Fun Club What are your thoughts on Pikmin as a franchise?

[Stilt Village]

Pikmin 1 is a great game, a GameCube classic I love to go back to every now and then. I haven't played any of the others yet. What holds me back a little is the removal of the time limit - Pikmin 1 is an all-killer-no-filler short arcade style game that feels fast paced and invites trying to get a high score/improve your times. I love the atmosphere the looming time creates and this seems less emphasized in the sequels. I assume they're still good in their own way, so I intend to get around to it eventually

3 is easier, with the challenge being mostly self-imposed (you can multi-task with three characters now, so there's a ton of potential for getting things done fast), but it's much the same sort of experience as 1. It's 2 & 4 that remove the time limit, though 4 does have an unlockable side mode inspired by the first game where you need to collect 30 ship parts in 15 days.

I wish they would have just completely rebooted it, name and all. This is the best place for newcomers to jump in and that 4 only brings weird baggage to the game.

I'm curious about what you're talking about with the auto lock-on, though. I'm pretty sure I did everything and don't remember their being issues. I mean, I didn't always love it and wish it was more like 3's cursor, but it was usually fine I thought.

Yeah, I could understand actually doing a clean slate and calling it Pikmin Dog or whatever instead of 4. What they did instead was just pointlessly confusing for people who played the previous games while offering no benefit to new players. I'm still not sure if it was actually a reboot or not.

The part that I saw caused a lot of people issues with the lock-on is One Fell Jump, from the Sage Leaf Trials. You have a very strict time limit to kill all of these Bulborb Larvae with 5 Purple Pikmin, and you need to take advantage of their shockwave damaging everything around them when they land by throwing them into a large group. But the cursor completely refuses to cooperate here because you're trying to throw them into a chaotic mess of almost 100 enemies, so you sort of just try to aim at where you want in the chaos and the cursor will lock on to what it will. You just outright don't have the control you should because of it here, and it's really noticeable.

 

[Djehuty]

I hate the seires but it’s also Nintendo’s best series, though my top 5 nitnedo seires is highly suspect

Kirby, Pokémon, animal crossing, Mario kart and xenoblade , Zelda and Mario are just okay.

Metroid sucks castlevania did it better


EDIT: I would like to take steel diver on a dinner date

 

[Djehuty]

The part that I saw caused a lot of people issues with the lock-on is One Fell Jump, from the Sage Leaf Trials. You have a very strict time limit to kill all of these Bulborb Larvae with 5 Purple Pikmin, and you need to take advantage of their shockwave damaging everything around them when they land by throwing them into a large group. But the cursor completely refuses to cooperate here because you're trying to throw them into a chaotic mess of almost 100 enemies, so you sort of just try to aim at where you want in the chaos and the cursor will lock on to what it will. You just outright don't have the control you should because of it here, and it's really noticeable.

, using oatchi in smart ways (as bait or charging or just going off on his own whatever) actually make it pretty easy.

 

[Suswave]

What they did instead was just pointlessly confusing for people who played the previous games while offering no benefit to new players.

I just… simply don’t agree here. I don’t understand how this was confusing, or how it didn’t benefit new players. What am I missing?

 

[Metroid]

I hate the seires but it’s also Nintendo’s best series, though my top 5 nitnedo seires is highly suspect

...

Metroid sucks castlevania did it better


EDIT: I would like to take steel diver on a dinner date

Bait used to be believable

 

[xghost777]

Pikmin rocks! 2 and 3 are my favorites for the awesome co-op modes and 4 is definitely my favorite single player since it is tremendous. I hope we don’t have to wait too long for Pikmin 5!

(Also since it got brought up here, definitely get rid of the soft target lock and throw cap in Pikmin 4 or make it a menu option, that stunk!)

 

[shoichi]

A fun Nintendo-take of the RTS genre.
Of which I really enjoyed the genre growing up, playing SC, WC3, C&C:RA/YR, AoE, etc.

Enjoyed the Pikmin series so much that Olimar was one of my mains ever since he got introduced in Brawl.

 

[Stilt Village]

I just… simply don’t agree here. I don’t understand how this was confusing, or how it didn’t benefit new players. What am I missing?

Instead of being a direct sequel or a completely fresh start that doesn't have the baggage of the previous entries, it takes some strange third approach where it seemingly contradicts the past entries while also re-covering or referencing most of their events in condensed form and involving most of their characters and worldbuilding, and I am just completely lost as to the intended benefits of this approach over simply making it a normal sequel and going over the actual previous games in passing or making it a reboot and ignoring them. It's not any simpler for new players and it's just confusing for old ones.

 

[Twilight]

I adore 1 and 3. 2 is mostly fine with the surface gameplay but almost every cave is bad. 4 is definitely one of the Nintendo games of all time and doesn't really retain much of what I love about the series and I'm worried about the future (would at least like the good story, atmosphere and soundtrack back if they aren't adding any gameplay friction or incoveniences again).

So as a franchise it is mostly good so far, it has peak gaming but only in 2 of them.

 

[ngpdrew]

Instead of being a direct sequel or a completely fresh start that doesn't have the baggage of the previous entries, it takes some strange third approach where it seemingly contradicts the past entries while also re-covering or referencing most of their events in condensed form and involving most of their characters and worldbuilding, and I am just completely lost as to the intended benefits of this approach over simply making it a normal sequel and going over the actual previous games in passing or making it a reboot and ignoring them. It's not any simpler for new players and it's just confusing for old ones.

I can kind of agree with you on this though personally I laughed at a lot of the strange inconsistencies. Pikmin 2 took great joy in dismantling the accomplishments from Pikmin 1 and this went even farther by randomly erasing bits and pieces of everything.

 

[Síriocaz]

Missing that "it's one of my favorite/MY favorite Nintendo franchise" option. Don't think Pikmin is one of the best in Nintendo's catalog, but it definitely is my favorite by far.

 

[Brock Reiher]

One of the best series in all of gaming. Consistent and creative and you can make an argument that every game in the series is the best. Cute too!

My personal favorite is Pikmin. The things people say are negatives I think are positives.

 

[Suswave]

Instead of being a direct sequel or a completely fresh start that doesn't have the baggage of the previous entries, it takes some strange third approach where it seemingly contradicts the past entries while also re-covering or referencing most of their events in condensed form and involving most of their characters and worldbuilding, and I am just completely lost as to the intended benefits of this approach over simply making it a normal sequel and going over the actual previous games in passing or making it a reboot and ignoring them. It's not any simpler for new players and it's just confusing for old ones.

newcomers are let in on hints of the lore without feeling like they have to know everything that happened in the other games

oldheads get to enjoy nods to it with a sort of obliquely new story that works on multiple levels

the best characters in the series get to shine in a new light without being roped off from new fans

if you need to canonize it, let’s say our friends from Hocotate have bad chronic amnesia

 

[Tall Valley Nerd]

i never played a pikmin game but i really really love watching pikmin fans gushing about the franchise everywhere
i really wish i will get to try it one day

 

[RoyalGoldenFES]

Not really my thing but happy that it's in a good spot and people are enjoying it

 

[MeowMix]

Pikmim was the last IP created by Miyamoto, no wonder he seems so desperate to keep it going at Nintendo.

You have access to his whims and desires huh?

 

[T-Hell]

I have 3 and 4 purchased but still unplayed. I bought them both when I played 3's demo and I had a good time (by that time I also played Tinykin which I had a blast with and made me more curious about the franchise). While still in my backlog, just for what I played from the third game's demo I'm sure I'll have a good enough time to call it worth it.

 

[DenkeyKong]

Loved my time with 4, haven't gone back but seen a Let's Play of the first one which seemed to be a bit basic, but I'd love to try 2 and 3 eventually

Don't sleep on Pikmin 1!

It might have been the first in the franchise, but in some aspects it is still the best, even after 4 entries. The atmosphere, soundtrack and narrative combined make for a wonderful feeling of really being lost on a planet all alone.

And while the individual parts of the game may look somewhat basic, there are often multiple ways to tackle obstacles. Mix that with the in-the-moment decision making you will constantly do on your playthrough plus the looming day limit and it's a nifty little masterpiece.

I daresay Pikmin 1 is my favourite in the series.

 

[linkwashere]

It's amazing and Pikmin 3 alongside the original one, are peak Pikmin.

Also, Bingo Battle is one of the best multiplayer experiences ever designed.

 

[Red Monster]

I have never played a Pikmin game before. I have 3 on Wii U and also the 3DS one that I got when it was on a deep sale. They both have sat in the backlog for a very long time.

 

[Megafan96]

I have never played a Pikmin game before. I have 3 on Wii U and also the 3DS one that I got when it was on a deep sale. They both have sat in the backlog for a very long time.

imminent pikmin sweep for red monster

 

[MeowMix]

I feel like Pikmin may be on the verge of getting its very own BOTW moment... What I find admirable/astounding is that 4 games in... We still haven't come across an organized antagonist force. And scale-wise, think of a future Pikmin title releasing with a similar scale to that very same BOTW, especially when compared to all Zelda titles that preceded it. How about Pikmin Revolution for a title?

And finally uh... Super Switch early 2025 with better graphics and memory... Food for thought...

 

[Bulborb]

Yes! That game is mostly criticized but I think it was fun, it looked really good and it's not very long or difficult. A nice game for those times where you just need to enjoy the ride. But I also enjoyed Chibi Robo Zip Lash (a lot), so maybe my taste is... questionable!!
Thanks! I love my Pikmin pots. Playing Pikmin Bloom made me realize I needed them haha

Oh wanna be friends on Pikmin Bloom? I like it I plant flowers when I walk on my local bike path.

 

[Bulborb]

I feel like Pikmin may be on the verge of getting its very own BOTW moment... What I find admirable/astounding is that 4 games in... We still haven't come across an organized antagonist force. And scale-wise, think of a future Pikmin title releasing with a similar scale to that very same BOTW, especially when compared to all Zelda titles that preceded it. How about Pikmin Revolution for a title?

And finally uh... Super Switch early 2025 with better graphics and memory... Food for thought...

I know alot of people hate the time limit of one because it makes it a survival game but I would love an open world pikmin with like a 80 day time limit where you gotta scrounge up resources before the 80 day mark or you fail so it keeps you like trying to move ahead into unkown territory. I know most people would hate that idea but that sounds something I would love xD

 

[StretchNStripes]

I think there is something to be said about the fact that Pikmin was such a breath of fresh air when it came out and is still pretty unique in the modern game space. It pulls from so many different genres and comes out feeling like its own thing at the end of the day.

If I was speaking in terms of scope or wow-factor, I would not say it is the most significant Nintendo franchise. But in the same vein as say, Splatoon, I would say it is one of the best if only for how well it represents that very creative side of Nintendo.

Speaking personally, it is my favorite Nintendo franchise. I would say it has had consistent quality over its releases and each entry has something special about it. I do have some minor gripes with 4, mostly related to control and story, but the way it blends together a lot of the previous games and succeeds in making a "Pikmin" experience that touches on each aspect that made the series special is incredibly admirable. For that reason, I would say it is likely the best entry so far, and I am excited to see where the series will go in the future.

 

[ngpdrew]

Is this a safe space for Pikmin hot takes?

Spoiler: Hot Take - Use Gloves When Handling

Kill the timer.

 

[DenkeyKong]

Is this a safe space for Pikmin hot takes?

Spoiler: Hot Take - Use Gloves When Handling

Kill the timer.

Lol that ain't no hot take

This is one though:

Spoiler

Bring back the timer.

 

[PixelKnight]

I think there is something to be said about the fact that Pikmin was such a breath of fresh air when it came out and is still pretty unique in the modern game space. It pulls from so many different genres and comes out feeling like its own thing at the end of the day.

If I was speaking in terms of scope or wow-factor, I would not say it is the most significant Nintendo franchise. But in the same vein as say, Splatoon, I would say it is one of the best if only for how well it represents that very creative side of Nintendo.

Speaking personally, it is my favorite Nintendo franchise. I would say it has had consistent quality over its releases and each entry has something special about it. I do have some minor gripes with 4, mostly related to control and story, but the way it blends together a lot of the previous games and succeeds in making a "Pikmin" experience that touches on each aspect that made the series special is incredibly admirable. For that reason, I would say it is likely the best entry so far, and I am excited to see where the series will go in the future.

While personally I’m not interested in Pikmin, I do agree with this view of it. It’s unique, refreshing and adds variety to the list of longrunning series of games of a larger scope.

 

[Stopdoor]

Is this a safe space for Pikmin hot takes?

Spoiler: Hot Take - Use Gloves When Handling

Kill the timer.

Lol that ain't no hot take

This is one though:

Spoiler

Bring back the timer.

this is probably the least safe space for hot takes tbh

 

[ngpdrew]

this is probably the least safe space for hot takes tbh

I will take my bad takes elsewhere! To General Discussion!

 

[Djehuty]

Castlevania > Metroid

Isn’t bait, it’s the truth.

 

[DenkeyKong]

I know alot of people hate the time limit of one because it makes it a survival game but I would love an open world pikmin with like a 80 day time limit where you gotta scrounge up resources before the 80 day mark or you fail so it keeps you like trying to move ahead into unkown territory. I know most people would hate that idea but that sounds something I would love xD

It's pretty cool how Pikmin as a series has a clear split in games that has now been alternating ever since Pikmin 1: time-focused or resource-focused. Both have its fans and both have its (dis)advantages. For a future entry I'd like to see them combined; a more arcadey version with a time limit for those that want to optimise or chase a high score (like the idea you are describing), and a version that lets you explore freely for those that just want to explore the world at their own pace.

 

[Brofield]

My first franchise on Gamecube that shaped my love for the purple lunchbox, and one of my all-time favourite series. Until Pikmin 4, I implored anyone to find a way to play the first game on whatever platform they had access to.

Now that Pikmin 4 is out, I consistently recommend it as the game to share with anyone who wants to have their first introduction to the series before starting with Pikmin 1 and then playing chronologically from there.

 

[Bulborb]

It's pretty cool how Pikmin as a series has a clear split in games that has now been alternating ever since Pikmin 1: time-focused or resource-focused. Both have its fans and both have its (dis)advantages. For a future entry I'd like to see them combined; a more arcadey version with a time limit for those that want to optimise or chase a high score (like the idea you are describing), and a version that lets you explore freely for those that just want to explore the world at their own pace.

this! 100% agree. I want a mode that is time based but also resource based like getting x amount of resources by x amount of time. Like the Pikmin 2 treasures with the debt and the Time limit from Pikmin 1

 

[Bulborb]

Castlevania > Metroid

Isn’t bait, it’s the truth.

LMFAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOO WHAT

 

[Stopdoor]

It's pretty cool how Pikmin as a series has a clear split in games that has now been alternating ever since Pikmin 1: time-focused or resource-focused. Both have its fans and both have its (dis)advantages. For a future entry I'd like to see them combined; a more arcadey version with a time limit for those that want to optimise or chase a high score (like the idea you are describing), and a version that lets you explore freely for those that just want to explore the world at their own pace.

Honestly Olimar's Shipwreck Tale is really close to being that, if it was only a bit more fully-featured I'd give Pikmin 4 a lot more credit. I kind of feel like Oatchi breaks the meta though and you'd need to nerf/limit him a ton to really have "classic" gameplay.

 

[BlackthornOrion]

Pikmin 5 should keep mostly the same format as 4, but then also have an expanded Olimar's Shipwreck Tale-esque mode that has roguelike components for people that want a more arcade-y beat-the-clock style of gameplay

 

[afternoon delight]

Instantly gravitated toward it from GameCube on, and honestly, I think it's creatures and design are some of the best video games have ever produced- but I love gardening and nature so I'm biased as hell! Just incredible in my opinion.

Castlevania > Metroid

Isn’t bait, it’s the truth.

Image found via google:

 

[DenkeyKong]

Honestly Olimar's Shipwreck Tale is really close to being that, if it was only a bit more fully-featured I'd give Pikmin 4 a lot more credit. I kind of feel like Oatchi breaks the meta though and you'd need to nerf/limit him a ton to really have "classic" gameplay.

Yeah, but then you'd have 2 games in 1 (Pikmin 4 main campaign and Olimar side story). I'd like to see 1 big main campaign that can be enjoyed in 2 entirely different ways.

 

[DittoM]

It’s one of the few major Nintendo series I haven’t played a single entry of so idk. No real thoughts about it other than this series makes people feral, if the subreddit pre-Pikmin 4 announcement is anything to go by.

 

[Bulborb]

It’s one of the few major Nintendo series I haven’t played a single entry of so idk. No real thoughts about it other than this series makes people feral, if the subreddit pre-Pikmin 4 announcement is anything to go by.

If you listen closely you can hear us feral pikmin fans and pikmin sub reddit enhabitors in the main theme of Pikmin going AYAYAYAYAYA

 

[Stopdoor]

Yeah, but then you'd have 2 games in 1 (Pikmin 4 main campaign and Olimar side story). I'd like to see 1 big main campaign that can be enjoyed in 2 entirely different ways.

I think some cinematic things will always make the main story mode kind of annoying for speed run challenges, I don't really mind some light remixing but it would be nice to see most of the same enemies and locations, yeah. Shipwreck Tale was so limited, I'd agree making it some seperate canon thing is unnecessary, just a remix of the main mode is all I'd want.

 

[rickyson33]

indifference

i've never actually tried one but it doesn't really seem like something i'd be into

 

[slide's]

absolutely one of my favorite game series. love the gameplay at a fundamental level. love the unconventional overarching game structure(s). deeply love the world design and creature design and visual style.
i have some quibbles about 3 and 4 (most of all how 4 seems to be following the general recent nintendo trend of like...making their games slightly discouraging of second playthroughs?) but they're all really special games.

 

[SeaBusCBus]

Never played the games and have no interest. Just not for me. Although, can't really say that I am realizing as I type this out, if I have never played them. I guess I should say that I have not seen anything yet that makes me want to play them.

 

[Stilt Village]

How I would solve the divide in the series is by making a larger game with many cyclical time goals. There are already elements of this in the series, like enemies changing after a certain number of days, the tide going out later in the day, and really the day system in general. I want it to work like the day system writ large. The speedrunner Mario bus analogy. I want to see weather cycles, seasons, migrations, stuff like that which changes the levels and the accessibilty of things drastically. The end of day report could give detailed forecasts about these things for planning purposes.

So you'd have that pressure of the time limit to accomplish something with the fastest possible cycles, but it doesn't limit the size of the game or result in an instant loss state, so it's basically a non-entity if you're not that type of player. You can keep going as slow as you want, or rewind to keep trying the same day until it's perfect.

 

[DenkeyKong]

How I would solve the divide in the series is by making a larger game with many cyclical time goals. There are already elements of this in the series, like enemies changing after a certain number of days, the tide going out later in the day, and really the day system in general. I want it to work like the day system writ large. The speedrunner Mario bus analogy. I want to see weather cycles, seasons, migrations, stuff like that which changes the levels and the accessibilty of things drastically. The end of day report could give detailed forecasts about these things for planning purposes.

So you'd have that pressure of the time limit to accomplish something with the fastest possible cycles, but it doesn't limit the size of the game or result in an instant loss state, so it's basically a non-entity if you're not that type of player. You can keep going as slow as you want, or rewind to keep trying the same day until it's perfect.

That would also be an interesting way to take the next installment.

Speaking of the end of day screen, I want the graph back. And the replay videos Pikmin 3 had.

 

[BDGAME]

I play and really enjoy the first. I don't enjoy the second. Never try play other game of that franchise again. Maybe I will try the Pikmin 4 a day.

 

[Bulborb]

absolutely one of my favorite game series. love the gameplay at a fundamental level. love the unconventional overarching game structure(s). deeply love the world design and creature design and visual style.
i have some quibbles about 3 and 4 (most of all how 4 seems to be following the general recent nintendo trend of like...making their games slightly discouraging of second playthroughs?) but they're all really special games.

Can you elaborate on this? Because I hear this all the time and I dont get it. The other day I heard Scott the Woz and Nathaniel Bandy talking about how Super Mario Odyssey is "the best 3d mario game but the least replayable" I dont get this? I have 400 hours in Mario Odyssey and most of those hours are me deleting my completed save file and restarting the game from beginning to end. Why do people keep saying New Nintendo games arent as replayable as the old ones? I dont get it at all. Im on my 4th Playthrough of Pikmin 4. The only thing I do different than my first playthrough is now I just hit the button to skip all the dialouge cuz I know what they are gonna say.

Mario Odyssey I have replayed like 25 times since 2017 I dont get why people say its not as "replayable" lol Is it cuz theres more cutscenes than usual mario games? You can skip those with the start button on the controller though so... Idk I dont get it lol.

 

[Tamantayoshi]

Can you elaborate on this? Because I hear this all the time and I dont get it. The other day I heard Scott the Woz and Nathaniel Bandy talking about how Super Mario Odyssey is "the best 3d mario game but the least replayable" I dont get this? I have 400 hours in Mario Odyssey and most of those hours are me deleting my completed save file and restarting the game from beginning to end. Why do people keep saying New Nintendo games arent as replayable as the old ones? I dont get it at all. Im on my 4th Playthrough of Pikmin 4. The only thing I do different than my first playthrough is now I just hit the button to skip all the dialouge cuz I know what they are gonna say.

Mario Odyssey I have replayed like 25 times since 2017 I dont get why people say its not as "replayable" lol Is it cuz theres more cutscenes than usual mario games? You can skip those with the start button on the controller though so... Idk I dont get it lol.

If I had to guess it would have to be the sheer length of nintendo games in the modern era. Odyssey, pikmin4 and botw/totk are much longer then games released previously in those franchises.