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Published on October 30th, 2020 | by Tory Favro

Pikmin 3 Deluxe Edition Nintendo Switch Review

I have been in this reviewing game for the last… well let’s just say some of you are younger than how long I’ve been writing about video games for! It is not often that I have been anxiously waiting to blurt out that I have been playing a game, and this is one of those moments!

I HAVE BEEN PLAYING PIKMIN 3 DELUXE EDITION!

Phew! That’s out and I can keep writing. In all seriousness guys, Pikmin would have to be nearly my favourite Nintendo series ever and this version of it does not disappoint in the slightest! If you have never played Pikmin before it is a puzzler game but done in such a gorgeous fashion that you do not ever mind working out just what lies in store for you. I do realise that this might be the first time a whole new generation might be playing Pikmin (and I do hope that Nintendo considering bringing out the others at some stage), so let me tell you the story behind this Pikmin – You lucky devils.

Welcome to planet PN4-404. Once you see the map you might be wanting to call it Earth…. but it isn’t. Three brave astronauts from the planet Koppai have ventured across the stars in search of sustenance, but crash land on different parts of the planet. They have a problem; their planet is lacking resources (food) for life to continue there and now on top of that now they have to find each other and food in order to survive on a world of hostile creatures that just want to gobble them up! That is, until they find the Pikmin!

Spread across five regions of the planet you will get to make friends with, and control the Pikmin. These gorgeously coloured creatures are so cute! They will follow you around the map and help you find things, battle monsters and so much more. The Pikmin are introduced very early in the game as without them you will be stuck. Each Pikmin type (colour) has different abilities, so it is important to figure out which of the little guys you want to take out into the field with you. This is where the resource management comes into play, as there is a limit of 100 that can be out in the field at one time. When not adventuring with you, the Pikmin take refuge in a spaceship called an Onion, and whilst you can help the little dudes replicate, any left out on the deadly planet will be gobbled up by all the monsters who all seem to conveniently know where your spaceship and the Onion are located.

Graphically this title is a treat to look at and control. An easy to understand tutorial gently winds its way through the beginning of the game, with the added benefit of being able to check tips if you get stuck. It is still a bit too much for your younger players to wrap their heads around, but I do think teen players and up will have so much fun with it. The graphics look fantastic on both handheld and TV modes, though to I did mainly play with the Switch docked. Pikmin 3 is too beautiful to be confined to the smaller screen when you have options! The three astronauts, Alph, Brittany and Charlie are cute in their own odd way, but my fave was most definitely Alph. He reminded me so much of Olimar from the first game it felt like coming right on home.

Resource management is key in this game, so please don’t forget the idea is to explore and forage. Your Pikmin will help you recover fruit to take back to your ship, the SS Drake which extracts the juice from them to feed you. Run out of juice and it’s game over. Fortunately there is fruit everywhere but you have to be aware of it and look as you explore. I never got sick of running around the world, controlling one of the captains and dictating what actions I needed the Pikmin to do on my behalf. They look so funny running around in a pack behind me and scampering when I whistle! In addition to wonderful environmental challenges and food shortages, you will also have to repair the Drake and find the Cosmic Drive Key which is essential to our heroes getting back to Koppai and saving the day.

For those who were lucky enough to play this the first time round, you will notice some changes, but I do believe that these are all for the better. One of the major ones is the control system which is now way more intuitive and suited to your controller. I played this almost exclusively using my Switch Pro controller and it was perfect for the task. I have large hands and nearly always find the JoyCons a bit small. I do think having the larger analogue sticks was to my advantage in terms of looking about. It is a fast paced game on occasion and the ability to look about quickly was really cool. Also in the past Pikmin games have had a time limit to them, but now as mentioned as long as you can find food for the Koppai Captains, you can keep going so make sure you watch your six and get as much juice as you can! There’s about 100 jars worth of fruit – greatly expanded from the prior 30 day limit.

This new version offers Co-operative mode and a bunch of extras that will greatly expand the game beyond the original. I was not able to use these modes due to the agreement we had with Nintendo when receiving the review copy, but I really think that it will be lots of fun playing this amazing game with a friend.

Pikmin 3 Deluxe is nothing short of a stunning game which I am so pleased has come to the Switch. It is the sort of game that will stay with you long after you are done with it. I think the challenges you face will leave you feeling accomplished after beating them, and if you are lucky enough to get our astronauts home, it is a very rewarding journey. I know Nintendo ports a lot of their games but Pikmin is one of those titles that I would be happy to see time and time again. I sincerely hope that you all enjoy it enough that Nintendo look at more adventures in this beautiful world and the amazing Pikmin. I am really grateful to have had this chance to experience this title.

Tory Favro

About the Author

Tory Favro

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