Jonas Ward
“Pikmin 2” was the quintessential puzzle strategy game by Nintendo’s spectacular developers. The second produced in the series, “Pikmin 2” won numerous awards for its originality in the video game world. Originally produced for the Nintendo GameCube in 2004, “Pikmin 2” received numerous sequels after the second installment due to massive success.
The story of “Pikmin 2” is a bit much to take in, but it unfolds well and is easier to understand later in the game. The story first takes place on a distant planet called Hocotate. Captain Olimar is the main protagonist in the story, he is a celestial explorer and freight master living on Hocotate. Olimar is in control of products that are shipped to their planet in exchange for currency called pokos. The story later progresses and Olimar is notified by his boss that his coworker Louie, lost a shipment of golden Pikmin, losing an unfathomable amount of pokos.
Due to the massive amount of debt burdened on Olimar, his boss demands him to travel to the planet where the valuable golden Pikmin are located with Louie on his spaceship. Olimar and Louie later land on a planet called Earth in search of valuable objects and the incredibly rare golden Pikmin. Olimar and Louie are only about a quarter inch tall, so they are incredibly small on Earth.
This is the second time they have been on Earth. Olimar and Louie are later greeted by different types of Pikmin willing to help them on their journey. Pikmin are little seedling beings that have special abilities like weight, water, fire, poison and electricity. During the rest of the story, Olimar, Louie and the Pikmin traverse Earth in search of valuable objects to repay their debt while trying to find the rare golden Pikmin variety.
The gameplay for “Pikmin 2” is amazing. Players grow their Pikmin army by discovering multiple types throughout the story. Different types of Pikmin are used for different puzzles. To make progress in the story, players must complete puzzles, but if they don’t have the proper Pikmin, players won’t progress. Players Pikmin can be killed by different enemies known to earth like ladybugs, mice, snakes and different types of small animals. Defeating these enemies becomes easier if the player’s Pikmin army is big enough to handle the task. “Pikmin 2” is a puzzle-based game with stupendous rewards once completed. Players can enter dungeons for treasures, explore different landscapes and discover different objects that are worth pokos to repay debt.
The graphics for “Pikmin 2” are classic early 2000s Nintendo. Colors are rich.Environments are tactile. Objects are movable while not being static, and everything appears to be rendered well for the game. Since players play as a tiny alien race, objects around them are small like bottle caps, thimbles, batteries, crayons and the list goes on. Enemies are downright terrifying. They roam when players explore a dark dungeon underground which really adds to the visual appeal. Characters are appealing, cute and easy to find on the screen. Pikmin are various colors, shapes, sizes and heights. Everything combined creates a visual and fun environment for players to explore.
The controls for “Pikmin 2” are extremely simple. While playing the game, the most useful tool is a whistle to call the Pikmin army to your location. Fighting enemies in the game consists of players throwing their Pikmin soldiers by their sprouts on top of their enemies. Additionally, throwing Pikmin in certain locations is required to complete puzzles. “Pikmin 2” offers considerable puzzles that challenge players while offering good rewards for their actions.
“Pikmin 2” was a smash hit for Nintendo upon its original release in 2004. Scoring incredibly high on game reviews in the early 2000s, “Pikmin 2” was placed at number 6 in 2020 by IGN in their top 20 GameCube games of all time list. The game is fun and relaxing while offering challenging puzzles for players. “Pikmin 2” is a must play for anyone who wants a classic Nintendo title under their belt and especially if they want to grow their army.
