Pikmin 1+2 review. Remaster of a classic in its original form

In August we published a review of the fourth part Pikmin, where they said that for players from the CIS this is not a very well-known series of Nintendo games. And suddenly a re-release of the first two parts for Switch appeared on sale. Pikmin 1+2 is aimed at players who missed the original duology and want to catch up.

Initially a duology Pikmin was released on the GameCube and then on the Wii. The games received high marks from the press, but were mainly only popular in Japan. We took a look at the classic ported to Switch to tell you how Pikmin 1+2 has improved and whether it can still be played comfortably a few decades after its original release.

A review copy was kindly provided by Achivka. Russian players can buy Pikmin 1+2 on cartridges in M.Video and Eldorado stores.

The first part of Pikmin was released 22 years ago and was one of the most important exclusives of the new GameCube at the time. The game was invented by the famous Shigeru Miyamoto – “father” Donkey Kong, Mario The Legend of Zelda, Star Fox, Metroid Prime and other Nintendo games. Unlike the mentioned games, Pikmin passed by the most players, as the GameCube console could not surpass the second PlayStation in popularity. And that’s a shame; the series about children of color is on par with other Nintendo franchises in terms of execution quality and game design.

In the first Pikmin we play the role of Captain Olimar, a small explorer who ends up stranded on an unknown planet after a ship accident. The planet’s atmosphere is not suitable for comfortable living, and oxygen reserves are only enough for 30 days. During this time, the protagonist must explore the area and repair his ship.

Due to his small stature, Olimar cannot fight the hostile fauna. The resources required for repairs are very heavy and it is almost impossible to carry them to the ship yourself. Fortunately, the main character encounters friendly Pikmin who are not averse to helping an astronaut in trouble. They do not know how to think and make decisions independently, but with the help of a competent leader in the person of a player, children can do unimaginable things.

The gameplay as a whole is no different from the fourth part. You can read a review of it here. Pikmin is a special mix of strategy and puzzle, where the player, controlling small creatures – Pikmin, collects artifacts and explores dungeons. Units are divided by color and corresponding skills: red ones are strong fighters and have resistance to the fire element; yellow ones are lighter in weight, can be thrown onto a higher ledge, and are also immune to electricity; blue ones are not afraid of water and help their counterparts of other colors navigate through liquid obstacles. Yes, in the first part there are only three types of Pikmin, but there are enough of them for the most interesting puzzles.

Individually, Pikmin are weak, but when gathered into one large army they can easily carry heavy loads and kill large creatures. Managing units is very simple. Pikmin is designed as a home console strategy game, so navigation and controls are intuitive. However, the developers have retained the important elements of an RTS: resupply, new unit creation, tactical combat, and thoughtful progression.

Pikmin 1 is much harder and has more hardware than the recent fourth installment. Still, improvements in subsequent sequels have simplified game design considerably. You have no group members, which means you can’t multitask. A strict time limit does not allow you to relax for even a second. You are simultaneously tasked with a thirty-day air supply and a fifteen-minute day, during which you must complete as many tasks as possible. Before night falls, the Pikmin must be collected and brought to the ship so that they are not devoured by dangerous creatures. Pikmin 1 is a hardcore game from ‘classic Nintendo’, which in 20 years has grown into a company with an informal audience.

Pikmin 2 is the perfect sequel that surpasses its predecessor in every way. The plot has been significantly expanded and the game universe has received details and small details. Olimar returns to his home planet to discover that his employer has fallen into enormous debt – partly due to the negligence of an inexperienced newcomer, Louis. At the end of the first part, the main character took with him a souvenir: a bottle cap, which turned out to be an expensive relic on his home planet. It was sold for a considerable sum, which was still not enough to pay off the debt. And now Olimar and his partner Louis return to the Pikmin planet to collect as much treasure as possible and help the boss get rid of financial problems.

There is no time limit in the sequel, so you don’t have to rush or worry about wasting time. Partner Louis becomes a second commander, with the help of which you can perform several tasks at the same time. In addition to the three Pikmin mentioned above, new ones are added: purple and white. The former are very strong and can lift heavy objects, including a team of ten units. The latter are not afraid of poison and are needed to solve puzzles with traps.

Despite the lack of time restrictions, Pikmin 2 is not an easy game. The biggest problems lie in the underground levels, which you need to look at to get more valuable rewards. The sewers are filled with ingenious puzzles, traps, dangerous enemies and bosses. One wrong move can lead to the death of the Pikmin. But you can only recruit a new army on the surface.

Compared to the first game, Pikmin 2 doesn’t feel old-fashioned. Those familiar with the “four” will have no problem getting used to the 2004 game. All the defining features of the series are taken from the sequel. Pikmin 2 is fun to explore dungeons, unravel the mysteries of an unknown planet and follow the plot.

It’s great that classic Pikmin games are coming to Switch, but it’s sad that they’re just ports without much improvement. Textures are aged and look muddy, this is especially noticeable when you bring the camera closer to the ground. Although the models still look good due to their cartoonish stylization. In handheld mode the graphics look good, but the same cannot be said about dock mode. The games could use some special polishing, which was done in the remaster, for example This year’s Metroid Prime.

Engineers have confirmed that the Pikmin 1+2 re-release will work on Switch by emulating the Wii console’s version. With the increased resolution, the graphics have lost their ‘soap’, the frame rate does not drop below 30 and the added anti-aliasing eliminates the ugly ‘ladders’ from the models. At the same time we noticed a particular clumsiness in the operation. Sometimes there is input delay: there is a time difference between pressing a button and the character executing a command.

The first parts of Pikmin are well preserved for their age, but against the background of the recent ‘Quartet’, outdated technological aspects stand out. The artificial intelligence of the Pikmin and enemies leaves a lot to be desired. Children can easily get lost in the vastness of the location or get stuck in an object. You have to get used to management and management. The difficulty level is quite chaotic. Some levels are completed with the snap of your fingers, while others force you to continually cycle through your options. The situation is similar with the bosses: we defeated some without any problems, while others were forced to replay the dungeon, because the Pikmin army can only be replenished on the surface.

Pikmin 1+2 is a good port of a classic without any visual improvements. We’re excited that modern players will have the opportunity to experience the founding fathers of the series in their original form. But after the fourth part and Pikmin 3 Deluxe, it is difficult to recommend the game to those who are about to join. This release is made for fans who do not need improved graphics, for whom the gameplay is the most important.

It is also important to understand that classic Nintendo games are much more complex and require high skill from the player. If you liked the fourth part but found it too easy, try Pikmin 1+2.