Review for Hey! Pikmin. Nintendo 3DS game, the video game was released on 13/07/2017
Three years after his last appearance, Captain Olimar is back in action. But Hey! Pikmin it is not at all what one might expect from the return of the brave astronaut, at least not in form. It is possible that this transposition to 2D can keep intact the true soul that made the Pikmin series fascinating and memorable?
Again, our space hero will face a crash landing on an unknown planet. Although the spaceship remained almost intact, the supplies of energy (called luminum) would not be enough to leave and return to the home planet Hocotate.
Certainly, however, Olimar would not be able to reach all the luminum units present in the territory alone, so he will also have to this time take advantage of the help of the little Pikmin.
The plot does not differ drastically from those to which the series has accustomed us over time. The experience of collecting energy supplies and items in fact it is not conceptually different from what we experienced in the old chapters.
The environment and the creatures that inhabit the planet will be our obstacles, easily tackled with the help of the aforementioned Pikmin, divided into four different species: the reds, strong and fire resistant; the blues, skilled swimmers and able to breathe underwater; the yellows, light and resistant to the current; winged Pikmin, capable of flying and carrying objects; the rocky Pikmin, able to break through crystal walls thanks to their weight.
The levels will require a progressively greater use of the characteristics of each Pikmin, creating a fair challenge for the player (especially in the youth target).
Continuing on the gameplay it is necessary to highlight what makes Hey! Pikmin a spin-off: the aforementioned transposition to 2D platform.
The title is based on the use of the sliding pad (or action keys for left-handed people) to move Olimar, while to call with the whistle, launch the Pikmin or to take advantage of the jetpack it will be necessary to hold the stylus and use the touch screen. A solid and immediate control configuration which will never be an obstacle even to the less experienced player.
Aiming to launch the little creatures will in fact be simple and accessible, making the execution of the puzzle solution a breeze.
But here comes the point: finding the solution to the puzzle. Assuming that this is a game with a very young target, we knew we had to expect a reduced level of difficulty; in this case, however, perhaps it is too much.
The level design while being quite elaborate and (in some levels) well verticalized, remains pretty simple and thanks to Olimar's slowness of movement, the entire title is less satisfying on the gameplay side than what the series itself has accustomed us to. If we add to this a not particularly appreciable longevity, it would not surprise us that the more mature audience could turn up their noses.
Finding objects to create ladders, defeat enemies, and find alternate paths is almost immediate, although keeping an eye on both screens initially turns out to be relatively complex.
Where does the challenge lie then? In keeping as many Pikmin alive as possible. Protecting them from other creatures will become less and less immediate; so get ready to commit yourself, otherwise the aforementioned secondary paths will not be accessible for you!
These alternate levels will be bonus stages or more complex than the standard ones. Here you will have to face richer level designs, in order to obtain new objects and luminums.
However, despite this low difficulty, Hey! Pikmin manages to be a good pastime: varied and imaginative settings, enemies with a fun design and the typical descriptions of the objects given by Olimar ("Hypnotic pendulum" for a yo-yo, "Music gallery" for an accordion and so on) they will bring the gaming experience closer to the old glories, while maintaining the title's spin-off identity.
Similarly, the view from above in the so-called Pikmin Park, where the surviving creatures will gather at the end of the level to search for treasures in the environment it is a pleasant reminder of tradition. Overall the graphics engine behaves very well and goes well with the portability of 3DS.
Another nice feature is the support for Amiibo. They will be obtainable in game in areas called “secret oases” e they will return additional luminums. it made us smile to find a “Giant in dungarees” after approaching Mario's Amiibo.
The incompatible ones will be usable one a day, keep that in mind!
Different speech is for the two Amiibo dedicated to Olimar and the little Pikmin. They will allow you to respectively get 4 Pikmin more in one level while the second will call up twenty Pikmin in the park.
There is only one lack that surprised us and it is the absence of the 3D feature: the great opponents that are placed in the upper monitor perhaps they would have had a more impactful rendering. Obviously, however, in a game strongly based on the use of two monitors, to see the gap between the two would have been unpleasant so it was a lack that did not terribly sadden us.
Even the audio sector is positioned in the merits of the title: Vibrant and natural sounds and well studied and effective noises will accompany you without ever sounding out of place. Similarly, the soundtrack is not easily forgotten, given the cheerful and carefree tones.
Evaluate Hey! Pikmin is not an easy task: it is a technically well-made game, which has little or nothing to do with previous titles in the series and which aims at a much younger target. Despite the hints to its predecessors, it only partially retains its spirit, limited by what is the control scheme and the 2D structure. Arzest and Nintendo have been able to create an enjoyable and appreciable experience, which for a boy or an adult could be slow and flat but for a child it could represent a good pastime that would never put him in difficulty.
Those expecting a Pikmin 4 will probably be disappointed, but that's not Hey! Pikmin. Of course, a degree of difficulty and a pinch of extra longevity wouldn't have hurt.
► Hey! Pikmin is a Platform-type game developed by Arzest and published by Nintendo for Nintendo 3DS, the video game was released on 13/07/2017
