Pikmin 2

Released in December of 2001, Pikmin was arguably the most unique and wholesomely original title courtesy of Nintendo for some time. The project was headed by legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto (creator of classics Mario and Zelda) and as such, Pikmin gathered a large amount of anticipation. The game's feel was undeniably fresh, blending real-time strategy, adventure, and puzzle elements into a cohesive whole. Story-wise, it was a bit simple; Captain Olimar, the main character, crash-lands on a strange planet and eventually discovers plant like creatures called “Pikmin” , whom choose to help him retrieve and repair the parts of his rocket.

These litter critters had specific abilities based on their color (for instance, a blue Pikmin could withstand water), and it was the player's job to guide his or her army of faithful followers through the grassy landscape. If nothing else, Pikmin was an incredibly charming experience. But, obviously, it was more than charming, as critics embraced its cool premise Unfortunately, the game didn't exactly move systems. Yet this time, Miyamoto and his team feel confident that with Pikmin 2, new features will add to the enjoyment. The plethora of welcome additions include a second playable character, better multiplayer, and new Pikmin. Plus, many of the game's minor problems have been addressed.

Pikmin 2 retains alot of similar traits to its predecessor; namely, the environments, overall aesthetics and gameplay. The most noticeable differences include the streamlined controls, second playable character, Loogie, and new-colored Pikmin: purple, who specialize in brute strength, and white, who are small and quick. Once again, you'll have to fend of baddies by hitting their weak spot, solve environmental puzzles, and the like to succeed. In a sense, your main duty again requires you to collect parts and such, but this time, rather than attempting to rebuild your ship, you're gathering objects for your company to sell. Apparently, as Olimar was away, his station of employment went bankrupt and entrusted their welfare into the hands of our two protagonists, who must scour the same planet from the original in search of merchandise to bring back home.

Since the lay of the land basically remains the same, the territory is pretty familiar. Unlike the first Pikmin, this game has no time limit to abide by, so Olimar and Loojie can roam about as they please. Thankfully, you're not limited to the colorful surface; in the sequel, its necessary to adventure into randomly generated underground caverns for more goodies. These same caverns will be one of the many playable locations--there are over 30, all with specific themes--in the added multiplayer modes. First, there's Challenge, a competition between two players in split-screen. Points are the object here, and they're earned by being quick on the draw and nabbing objects and capturing enemies. Another multiplayer feature, co-op, is a bit more mysterious in terms of objectives, but obviously players can team up and control both Olimar and Loojie, respectively. Much to our joy here at Toocubed, playing with buddies isn't just a sloppy add-on, as it packs just as much entertainment as the single-player quest.

At a glance, it seems as though little has changed from the first Pikmin. And, honestly, that is partly true. The graphics engine is identical and controls haven't dramatically changed, which isn't actually bad, since they were very simple and user-friendly to begin with. However, despite the ties this sequel possesses, we're not complaining, mainly because change in this case isn't completely needed. Although we've managed to scrape together a vast majority of Pikmin 2's details, the game is unfortunately not ready to hit shelves until May of 2004. Until then, go play the first Pikmin--you deserve it.