Pikmin 3 originally released on Nintendo’s Wii U, but like a lot of games released on that system, it gets a second chance on the far more popular Nintendo Switch. This Deluxe version offers tons of extra content to make it worth playing for both veteran Pikmin players and newcomers. We’ve been playing it for quite a while now and were rather impressed with the amount of extra work and love that went into this new version.
Pikmin 3?
For those who never played the original release on Wii U. Let me briefly explain what Pikmin 3 is. As the name already gives away, it’s the third installment in the Pikmin franchise. One of Nintendo’s strategical IPs that sadly never reached the same amount of success as many of the other Nintendo franchises. That doesn’t mean that the Pikmin games aren’t fun, on the contrary! Pikmin offers a unique take on the strategy genre where you use little creatures called Pikmin to help you collect certain recourses for your spaceship. To make things a lot more interesting, you’ll meet different colored Pikmin, all with their own strengths and weaknesses. Red Pikmin, for example, are fire-resistant while yellow Pikmin can absorb an electrical shock. By combining the powers of your small new friends, you’ll advance in the level, always unlocking a bit more. This has been the premise of the Pikmin franchise right from the start and Pikmin 3 added a lot of fun and improvements compared to the first two entries. Pikmin 3 offers more Pikmin types, multiple Captains to control your small army, a lot of thrilling boss fights, hidden levels, and tons of collectibles. When it released on Wii U, fans of the franchise adored every second of it, as it was clearly the best Pikmin game to date. Well, the best Pikmin game just got even better as this new Deluxe version truly offers everything you could have hoped for!
The Deluxe version
At its core, Pikmin 3 Deluxe offers the same content as the Wii U version with some extra bonuses. It’s worth mentioning that besides some nice additions, other things got scrapped out from this version. One of those things is the ability to use your touchscreen in order to control your small army of Pikmin. This was possible on the Wii U GamePad but was left out in this Switch version for some reason. It’s the game’s biggest flaw in my opinion as touch controls really made it all a lot better, I’m hoping this will return in a future update. That being said, all other things got some major improvements. First things first, this is the biggest version of Pikmin 3 without any doubt. It contains the original story of our three new protagonists in search of food in order to save their home planet and adds all released DLC to the mix. This DLC comes in the form of Mission Mode where you’re tasked to achieve a certain goal before the timer runs out. These missions vary from gathering missions to boss fight missions and all offer a thrilling fight against the clock. It’s a fun addition and great for those who missed out on the original DLC. If you played everything before, there’s still something completely new added to this Deluxe version in the form of Side Stories.
These mark the return of the two beloved protagonists Olimar and Louie and explain what happened to them after their previous adventures. The gameplay of those new Side Stories combines the time-attack approach of the Mission Mode but combines it with the larger maps of the main story. This means that these new stories are rather short and don’t offer tens of hours of extra gameplay but they are still worth playing nevertheless. It offers a new and different take on the story and it’s simply a lot of fun to see two of the original Captains return to the field. It feels and plays extremely familiar as it offers the same typical Pikmin gameplay but due to the timer, you’ll need to rush in order to clear those Side Stories. It offers a welcomed change and extra challenge but some might be disappointed with the length of the new Side Stories. It’s a fun extra for sure but it’s not a real selling point if you played everything else before. Consider it a nice bonus instead of a true expansion.
But wait, there’s more!
Although the extra story content offers a nice bonus and some added fun, it’s not the only improvement in this Deluxe version. What this Deluxe version does best is improving the quality of life for the player. A lot of great new mechanics were added to make the game a lot more enjoyable for newcomers. The new Hint-system is a perfect example of that. If you’re new to the Pikmin franchise, the open worlds can feel rather overwhelming and you’ll often have no idea where to start. The more you advance, the more the game demands to think ahead and even divide the tasks between your playable characters. It’s a lot to take in and originally, the learning curve was pretty steep. Thanks to the Hint-system, you’ll never get stuck as you’ll see where to go and what to do next with just one push of the button. Of course, not everybody will be happy with this change and some will even say it’s against the rules of an exploration game, but you can always easily turn it off in the menus, so it’s there for those who need it. Besides that, the game is also playable in full co-op, which makes working together and dividing the tasks a lot easier and overall just got some extra smaller improvements that make it a lot more fun to play ‘just one more day’. All in all the Deluxe version offers a lot of improvements although it still looks like an older game. I’m really wondering how beautiful a Pikmin game would look if it was made for the Nintendo Switch from the ground up. Hopefully, time will tell!
Conclusion:
Pikmin 3 Deluxe is a great game for those who missed it on Wii U. If offers an incredible amount of content to keep you entertained for the coming weeks. It’s still one of Nintendo’s more unique and fun strategy games so it’s definitely worth giving a shot. If you played the Wii U version and all its DLC, the changes and extra Side Stories might feel a bit underwhelming as they don’t add tens of hours of gameplay. It’s certainly a must-buy for fans of the strategy games and for hardcore Pikmin fans. A nice addition to the ever-growing Switch library!
