Nintendo has become one of the biggest video game companies in the world because of how many beloved intellectual properties they’ve been able to develop. The Pikmin series first appeared on Nintendo’s GameCube, and it makes for a very unique take on the real-time strategy genre.
The Pikmin series has gathered a number of sequels over the years, but it’s still a franchise that’s struggled to become mainstream. Pikmin 3 flew under many people’s radars since it was exclusive to the Wii U, but now it’s been updated for the Switch with Pikmin 3 Deluxe. This is a great way for people to experience this entry in the series, but it’s not without its flaws.
10 Best: The New Side Stories Prologue And Epilogue
Pikmin 3 Deluxe Edition brings the overlooked Wii U game over to Nintendo’s Switch, but it also adds in some additional story content that functions as both a prologue and epilogue for Pikmin 3’s story. Side Stories features both Captain Olimar and Louie and they’re fun new missions for these characters, even if they aren’t overly long or challenging. Those that are big fans of Louie won’t be disappointed and they’re also available to be played with co-op. Pikmin 3 Deluxe also incorporates all of the DLC material from before, which also adds to the original game’s length.
9 Worst: No Online Play
Nintendo has been revolutionary in various areas of video game development, but it’s interesting to see how the company continues to not make online gaming a priority. Nintendo still operates off of archaic systems for the online modes in its games, but Pikmin 3 Deluxe doesn’t even benefit from that hindered version. There’s no online play at all, either through co-op or the Bingo Battle, which would have made such differences. Players also need to be members of Nintendo Switch Online in order to upload high scores, but there’s nothing else done with it here.
8 Best: There’s Couch Co-Op Story Mode
Nintendo has many great multiplayer titles, but the Pikmin series has primarily been treated as a solo affair. One of the more exciting additions in Pikmin 3 Deluxe is that local co-operative play is now allowed in both the game’s Story Mode, as well as the new Side Stories content that’s available.
This totally changes the way in which Pikmin 3 Deluxe plays and it turns it into an even more enjoyable experience. Bingo Battle also returns, which features a two-player game that puts players at odds with each other rather than on the same team.
7 Worst: The Difficulty Is Lowered
It’s not unusual for ported and re-released versions of games to try and re-balance certain mechanics to take into consideration the sensibilities of modern gamers versus when the title first came out. Unfortunately, Pikmin 3 Deluxe goes too far in this department and the core game is exceptionally easy, with longer days, weaker enemies, and stronger Pikmin. In fact, the original difficulty of the Wii U version is referred to as the game’s Hard Mode. There’s also an intense hint system that won’t just tell players what to do, but literally guide them forward with arrows.
6 Best: It Has Achievement Badges
Enhanced and upgraded versions of old games like Pikmin 3 Deluxe are fantastic for those that missed out on the title the first time around, but they can sometimes be tedious experiences for those that did previously play it. Pikmin 3 Deluxe offers a fantastic remedy to this problem with 50 achievement-based badges that reward players for completing more difficult and unconventional tasks through the game. It’s a great way to get more out of the game and the way in which more badges improves the player’s ranking is another nice way to compete against other people.
5 Worst: No Teases For Pikmin 4
Development of a Pikmin 4 was announced all the way back in 2015 and while there haven’t been many updates on the upcoming Nintendo sequel, fans were hopeful that Pikmin 3 Deluxe may act as a way to bridge the gap between titles.
Despite how the game features a new prologue and epilogue, they’re fairly self-contained and they do nothing to tease the next adventure in the series. This game could have been a great opportunity to tease something about the upcoming game, even if it was just some early production art.
4 Best: It Has A Piklopedia
The very first Pikmin titles offers a lot to keep the audience busy, so it’s impressive to see how Pikmin 2 adds even more into the equation. One of the biggest additions is a Piklopedia, a comprehensive source of information on all of the creatures that are encountered. Sadly, Pikmin 3 loses the feature, but it’s proudly returned for this enhanced version of the Nintendo sequel. The Piklopedia adds a whole new level of completion to the game and it’s even more entertaining that all five captains offer up their diverse entries this time around.
3 Worst: No Plans For Additional Content
Pikmin 3 Deluxe has done a good job in terms of being the ultimate version of itself since it includes all of the former DLC as well as additional features. Some titles are able to survive purely because of the lengthy post-release content that’s slowly made available. There doesn’t seem to be any of that for Pikmin 3 Deluxe. Even the Wii U version made use of Amiibo and the GameCube installments provided bonuses for things like specific save data. Pikmin 3 Deluxe isn’t a long game, so some dedicated support for its future would be a big deal.
2 Best: Ultra-Spicy Hard Mode
Pikmin 3 Deluxe Edition attempts to streamline the Pikmin experience for those that have never played a game in the series before, which leads to some unfortunate concessions when it comes to the game’s difficulty. Fortunately, Pikmin 3 Deluxe Edition tries to placate veteran Pikmin players with an Ultra-Spicy Mode, which goes a step beyond the standard Hard Mode. Here the player is limited to a smaller finite number of Pikmin while they must also contend with shorter days, stronger enemies, and less nectar. It doesn’t make the game impossible, but it’s a nice bonus.
1 Worst: The Price
Nintendo has been porting over more and more titles that were previously exclusives to the Wii U and there are now barely any games that are only available on the former Nintendo console. It’s nice that Nintendo makes older titles available for new audiences, but often the pricing can leave a lot to be desired. Pikmin 3 Deluxe is the price of a regular Switch game at $60, yet the title is an updated version of a game that’s nearly a decade old and was previously available for much cheaper on the Wii U’s online store.
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