Hey! Pikmin

Genre: Platformer

Players: 1

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Review:

Hey! Pikmin, released on Nintendo 3DS in 2017, is a bit of an oddity within its series. Where most Pikmin games are a unique sort of exploration and puzzle-focused character-driven Real-Time Strategy game, Hey! Pikmin is a fairly standard family-friendly Platformer with some light Puzzle-Platformer elements.

Given that the Nintendo 3DS has no mainline Pikmin game, and given that as of 2022 we haven’t seen a completely new entry in the mainline Pikmin series for nearly a decade, one might understand how this game can still be seen as something of a major disappointment to series fans. However, I try to make it a point to judge a game by its own merits, and not just based on what that game isn’t.

As a Platformer, Hey! Pikmin retains much of the charm and polish of the mainline series – the game still focuses on the whimsical Captain Olimar, his odd interpretation of the “alien” planet he finds himself on, as well as the strange artifacts he encounters (the running joke being that Olimar is tiny and finding various items that have been left in someone’s garden), and of course you also have the adorable titular Pikmin half-ant/half-plant critters.

This game’s visuals are presented in full 3D even though the gameplay is strictly 2D. The backgrounds can be somewhat flat and static, but everything else has a lot of really nice detail that gives it a somewhat realistic feeling… which then clashes with aforementioned backgrounds. These visuals are backed by an absolutely lovely instrumental soundtrack emphasizing the natural beauty of the world you find yourself in, and of course you have the cute high-pitched babbling of the Pikmin themselves as they go about their work. At least in terms of presentation, this is definitely a Pikmin game.

The gameplay here is quite good too, though it’s also not especially inventive or original. You generally move from left to right, trying to get to the end of each level and collecting various odds and ends to power your ship along the way. Olimar himself can’t jump or fight, so players must toss Pikmin to gather bits and pieces to create a path for him, or toss them at enemies to neutralize them. Players of the mainline Pikmin games will find all of this old hat, but it’s at least interesting to see it in a different context.

The problem here is just how simple and slow-paced the game is. Puzzles you encounter are rarely particularly challenging, and Olimar’s slow walking speed is compounded by the way the game stops the action any time something new pops up so the game can explain it to you or at least give you a little introduction to it. As a result, this game’s pacing is dreadfully slow.

Is Hey! Pikmin the worst thing ever? Absolutely not. Will it please most fans hoping to play Pikmin on the go? Evidently not that either. Is it a truly great and inspired take on the Platformer and/or Puzzle-Platformer genre? Err… sorry, no. Ultimately, Hey! Pikmin is a polished and charming Platformer that’s too slow-paced and simple to be something truly great. However, fans of the franchise and Platformer fans who don’t mind a game that’s simple and easy and keep their expectations low may still find this to be a pleasant addition to their collection.

tl;dr – Hey! Pikmin is a Platformer with Puzzle-Platformer elements that brings the charm and polished presentation of the mainline Pikmin games to a different genre. It’s too simple and far too slow-paced, but it’s still a pleasant experience… just not a truly great one.

Grade: C+

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