Pikmin
Review By: Eric Mortensen
Pikmin
Review By: Eric Mortensen
System: Gamecube
Genre: Real Time Strategy
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
ESRB Rating: Eveyone
Release Date: 12/03/01
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| fun puzzle solving elements, great control over your Pikmin followers, imaginative worlds | length, time limit, story lacks at times |
Rating:
Fun: 18 out of 20
Pikmin is a fun puzzle solving game. It is very fun to tell your Pikmin what to do. You guide your Pikmin through a creative world to help find the lost parts of your ship. I didn't think ordering around little minions would be so fun.
Innovation: 8.5 out of 10
Pikmin is an innovative game. It doesn't bring anything new to the table but it does everything so well. There have been many other games where you order around minions but Pikmin does everything so well. It takes concepts from previous games and adds them smoothly to the game. It polishes off all the little bugs from previous games. It adds little touches to the gameplay to make it a funner game. Even though it brings nothing new to the game industry it does everything so well.
Control: 9 out of 10
You would think ordering 100 Pikmin around at the same time would be hard but it isn't at all. The controls are simple but allow you to do many things. There are a few bugs with the controls but otherwise I had no trouble with them. It is easy to keep your Pikmin under control. You can easily get your Pikmin to follow and nothing is too hard to do.
Graphics: 9.5 out of 10
Nintendo created a beautiful, imaginative world for Pikmin. The scale of the game is so well done. Objects that would be really small here on earth are humungus on this planet. The characters are well designed. The monsters are imaginative but not menacing. They fit the game perfectly. There really are no cutscenes in the game so that is a problem. The best part of the graphics are the Pikmin themselves. They are so cute. They look simple but they are well animated.
Sound: 8.5 out of 10
The sound in Pikmin is good but you will probably not remember any of it after you play the game. The characters say few things but they are well done. The voices of the Pikmin are so cute and steal the show. The soundtrack is nicely done but none of it is memorable. Overall there is not much sound in the game. There really isn't a whole lot to say abou the sound in this game.
Replay value: 7 out of 10
Pikmin takes around 20-25 hours to complete. It is fun the first time you play through the game. I wish the game was a little longer. I also wish there was no time limit. It rushes the experience when it didn't need to be. The second time through is still fun but is not nearly as fun as the first time you play it. The game is of a decent length but you are left wanting more.
Challenge: 8.5 out of 10
Pikmin is a challenging game. Some of the pieces of your ship are really easy to get and you will have no trouble retrieving them. Others are very difficult to get. They either have hard creatures to defeat or puzzling challenges. Usually the game keeps a steady challenging pace. When you get through the hard parts you feel a sense of accomplishment. Pikmin gives a good challenge to veteran video game players.
Multiplayer: No multiplayer available
Story: 8.5 out of 10
The story of Pikmin is pretty good. The concept of crash landing on a planet is not original. Nintendo makes it interesting though. Finding all the parts of the ship is exciting and creates an good story. Pikmin really add to the story. The story makes you want to keep playing. There are more original stories but Nintendo adds great polish to it.
Tilt: 8 out of 10
Overall Pikmin is a good game. There are many great things about the game. The thing I liked least was the time limit. It rushed the game along at an unwelcome pace. It realy took away from the experience. I would have like to explore the worlds more but I was in such a rush to get all the pieces of the ship. Pikmin is a very original game that anyone with a gamecube should take a look at.
Overall: 85.5 out of 100
Pikmin is a good game. There are very few games like this that are actually good. There are a few problems with the game but they don't bring it down too far. If you own a gamecube and want a good puzzle game Pikmin is for you. You can find Pikmin for under $20 and it is definently worth it. This game is not for everyone but most people should enjoy it.
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