Pikmin came out in 2001, early in the GameCube's lifespan, and it still keeps me entertained to this day. The game is an enjoyable mix of strategy and action. Shigeru Miyamoto (the creator of Mario and most other popular Nintendo franchises) created yet another gem with this game.
Plot
Captain Olimar's is travelling through space, when his ship gets hit by a meteor and crash lands on a strange planet (that looks a lot like Earth to me). The ship is broken into many pieces that are spread across the planet. He discovers little plant things, which he names Pikmin. His mission is to find all the parts (with the help of the Pikmin) before he runs out of air.
Gameplay
You play as Olimar, and you are in command of the Pikmin. They follow you when you walk, and do your bidding. If you want them to attack an enemy, you throw them at the enemy. If you want them to get something, you either throw or move them towards the object. The controls of the whole game are fairly simple to learn, so this is an easy game to just "pick up and play" without an instruction manual. There are three types of Pikmin you will control in the game: red, yellow and blue. Red are the strongest, and can go through fires without being killed. Yellow are the quickest, and can carry and use bomb rocks to do heavy damage. Blue are the only ones that can go in water without dying. You must make more Pikmin by bringing enemies and pellets to their ships. More seeds will be shot out of the ship and into the ground.
With Pikmin by your side, you must find ship parts across various areas. You start with only one area, and must unlock the others by finding a certain number of pieces. Some pieces might be easy to find, while others will take time to find. There is also some useless ship parts in the game, that aren't required to beat the game.
There is a variety of enemies in the game. Some small enemies that are easy to beat, big enemies and very large ones. Enemies do different things, which is a nice touch for the game. One enemy might blow your Pikmin away, while another might spit fire on you, and another might just try to eat them. You can fight some enemies by yourself (by punching them), but it doesn't always do much damage. More times than not: an enemy will damage you a lot, and you will need to restore your health by returning to your ship.
The game has a time limit of 30 days. Each day in the game is about 15 minutes in real time. While the time limit seems frustrating, it's not a big deal as it adds a nice challenge to the game. I enjoy challenges, as the sequel of the game didn't have a big challenge to it. I reviewed Pikmin 2 here: http://www.epinions.com/content_404864011908). With the time limit in place, you need to manage your time well if you want to beat the game in 30 days or less. This is a nice strategy element to have, and makes the games non-linear which is good. You can do whatever you want, but you must always remember your overall goal. If you are sick of an area: go to another. If you are in need of more Pikmin, go to an area where you know there is a lot of pellets and enemies to get.
Besides the story mode, there is a challenge mode. In this mode, you must make as many Pikmin as you can in each area. The areas are the same ones in story mode, however they have less enemies. Top scores are recorded, which is always a nice feature.
Graphics and sound
The game's graphics are very colorful, and full of detail. There is water, trees and numerous other things that make the game look great.
The sound is very well done also. Each level has a catchy little tune to it, that will have you humming along. The Pikmin say a few things, when you pull them out of the ground and when they are in battle. Enemies make some sounds as well. I found no issues with graphics or sound, as it all works well with this game.
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