Pikmin 3

Pikmin 3
Developer	Nintendo EAD
Publisher	Nintendo
System	Wii U
Release Date	JP July 13, 2013 PAL July 26/27, 2013 US August 4, 2013
Rating	ESRB: E

Pikmin 3 is a realtime strategy game that was released for the Wii U in 2013. As its name indicates, it is the third installment of the Pikmin series. It was released nearly a decade after the previous installment, and its development had first been confirmed in 2008.

Plot

The game follows a trio of Koppaite explorers named Alph, Britanny and Charlie who travel to the planet from the previous Pikmin games, now known as PNF-404, in search of food resources. They end up crashing and being separated, and they work with the creatures known as Pikmin in order to survive.

Gameplay

The main gameplay is similar to that of the previous games, in that the player controls one of several leaders in controlling and guiding the movements of the Pikmin under their command. This game now features three leaders that the player can switch between, while the previous installment had two. The different types of Pikmin still retain their unique abilities, and this game introduces two new Pikmin subtypes: Rock Pikmin and Winged Pikmin.

Pikmin 3 features a single-player Story Mode, as well as Bingo Battle and Mission Mode. In Bingo Battle, two players compete in collecting enough treasure to fill up a bingo board. In Mission Mode, there are a number of objectives that can be completed by one player or by two players playing cooperatively. The three types of missions involve collecting treasure, defeating enemies and having rematches with bosses from Story Mode.

This game also had paid DLC in the form of three Mission Mode packs that were released in the last months of 2013.

Legacy

Some elements of Pikmin 3 were incorporated into the Super Smash Bros. series with Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U, which included Alph being available as a playable alternate costume for Olimar.

Ports/Remakes

• A Nintendo Switch version was released in 2020 as Pikmin 3 Deluxe. That version featured some gameplay changes and new features, including playable Side Stories, a co-op option for Story Mode and the Pikolopedia that was previously in Pikmin 2. It also included the original game's DLC as part of the base game.

Sequels

The next Pikmin game would be Hey! Pikmin for the Nintendo 3DS in 2017, which was a spin-off that featured a side-scrolling gameplay style. A mobile game, Pikmin Bloom, would also launch before the next main Pikmin game. This game's actual sequel, Pikmin 4, would come a decade later in 2023.