Hey! Pikmin

Hey! Pikmin
Developer	Arzest
Publisher	Nintendo
System	Nintendo 3DS
Release Date	JP July 13, 2017 US/PAL July 28/29, 2017
Rating	ESRB: E

Hey! Pikmin is a puzzle-platforming game that was released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2017. It is the first spin-off of the Pikmin series and features Olimar.

Story

Olimar's ship was damaged by asteroids and ended up crash landing on a planet inhabited by Pikmin. He finds that he needs more sparklium to fuel his ship and escape, and he works with the local Pikmin to obtain it. It turns out that he needs 30 thousand Sparklium in order to properly fuel the ship.

Gameplay

This game features a gameplay shift from the normal Pikmin games, as it employs a 2-D sidescrolling style rather than a free-range 3-D environment and acts as a platformer. In this game, the player controls Olimar going through different levels in search of items containing sparklium. Instead of having a steady roster of Pikmin, Olimar starts each level alone and must find Pikmin within the levels themselves. All recruited Pikmin end up in the Pikmin Park, where they can find more sparklium and unlock other areas of the park.

Olimar is able to use his jetpack and swim, and otherwise he must rely on the Pikmin to act for him. Red, Yellow and Purple Pikmin appear, as well as the Rock and Winged variants from Pikmin 3.

Legacy

There has been no indication of any game in the style of this installment. The next Pikmin games would be the mobile game Pikmin Bloom in 2021 and the next main installment, Pikmin 4 in 2023.

Trivia

• Its Japanese release date was exactly four years after the release of Pikmin 3, and its European/Australian releases were only a day off from being exactly four years.