Pikmin is a real-time strategy and puzzle video game series created by Shigeru Miyamoto and developed and published by Nintendo. The games involve guiding a group of plant-like creatures called Pikmin to collect items by removing obstacles, avoiding dangers, and battling animals that threaten the player and the Pikmin.

The Pikmin series includes four main games and two spin-offs. The first two games, Pikmin (2001) and Pikmin 2 (2004), were released for the GameCube and later made available on the Wii as New Play Control! titles in 2008 and 2009. Pikmin 2 was re-released in the Nintendo Selects series in 2012. Both games were remastered for the Nintendo Switch in 2023 as Pikmin 1+2. A third game, Pikmin 3, was released for the Wii U in 2013. An improved version of Pikmin 3 for the Nintendo Switch, called Pikmin 3 Deluxe, was released in 2020. The first handheld game in the series, Hey! Pikmin, was released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2017. Pikmin 4 was released for the Nintendo Switch in 2023. Pikmin Bloom, a mobile spin-off, was released for iOS and Android in 2021. Pikmin Finder, an augmented reality browser-based mobile game, was released in 2023.

Gameplay

The game mixes action platformer elements with puzzle and strategy challenges. The Pikmin series takes place on a planet named PNF-404, where players control groups of Pikmin. Pikmin are intelligent, loyal, plant-animal hybrids that follow their leader’s commands. The first leader, Captain Olimar, is a small alien from Hocotate. Pikmin 2 introduces Louie, a coworker, and The President, Olimar’s boss, as playable leaders. Pikmin 3 features leaders from a new alien species, Alph, Brittany, and Charlie, who are from Koppai and share some traits with Hocotatians but have unique features. Pikmin 4 allows players to control a customizable character from an interplanetary rescue team, aided by Oatchi, a space dog with special abilities.

Players guide Pikmin to complete tasks, such as retrieving items essential to each game’s mission. Pikmin must navigate obstacles and the planet’s creatures. Since individual Pikmin are small and vulnerable to predators, players must assign them to tasks based on their abilities to ensure success. Each day in the game lasts about 13 minutes, and players must complete as many tasks as possible before sunset.

Pikmin come in different colors, each indicating their abilities and resistance to environmental dangers. The first game had three colors: Red, Yellow, and Blue. Red Pikmin resist fire, Blue Pikmin swim using gills, and Yellow Pikmin can be thrown higher and carry bomb rocks. In Pikmin 2, Yellow Pikmin lost the ability to carry bomb rocks but gained immunity to electricity. White Pikmin are fast, resist poison, can poison enemies, and detect buried objects. Purple Pikmin are strong and can carry heavy items, dealing significant damage with their shockwave.

Pikmin 3 added two new types: Rock Pikmin, which break crystalline materials and deal the most damage when thrown, and Winged Pikmin, which fly and can retrieve items from high places or attack airborne enemies. Yellow Pikmin now dig faster, Blue Pikmin swim, White Pikmin dig slowly and attack weakly, and Purple Pikmin have second-highest attack strength and digging speed, with their shockwave stun returning.

Pikmin 4 introduced Ice Pikmin, which freeze enemies and water but have low attack power, and Glow Pikmin, which are immune to fire, water, electricity, and poison and can stun enemies in groups. Glow Pikmin are used during night expeditions or in caves and require glow seeds collected at night to summon. In Pikmin 4, bomb rocks are no longer carried by Pikmin but are items players can use directly. Rock Pikmin can now be crushed on hard surfaces, and Yellow Pikmin dig faster than ever. Purple Pikmin retain their attack strength and shockwave stun.

All Pikmin types share a way to show their strength and speed: a stalk on their head with a leaf, bud, or flower that develops when they are fed nectar or planted in the ground. After sunset, Pikmin are stored in "Onions," their motherships, to avoid nocturnal predators. Onions are crucial for Pikmin reproduction. When food is delivered to an Onion, it produces seeds that grow into new Pikmin. Onions travel with Olimar as he explores PNF-404.

Plot

The main character in the Pikmin series is Captain Olimar, who works for the Hocotate Freight Company. He pilots a rocket ship called the S.S. Dolphin, named after the developmental code name of the GameCube. Olimar has a wife, a son, and a daughter. In Pikmin 2, a character named Louie is introduced as Olimar’s coworker. Louie causes the Hocotate Freight Company to go into debt after losing a shipment of gold "Pikpik" brand carrots to a "ravenous space bunny." The names "Olimar" and "Louie" are inspired by Mario and Luigi, characters created by Shigeru Miyamoto.

In Pikmin 3, three new characters take over as playable leaders: Alph, an engineer; Brittany, a botanist; and Captain Charlie. These characters come from Koppai, a planet with inhabitants similar to the Hocotatians. They communicate through in-game dialogue. Though not playable during the main story, Olimar and Louie appear later in the game’s plot and are integral to its story. They can also be played in Bingo Battle Mode, downloadable missions, and side story missions. Olimar’s expedition logs are found by the crew and provide helpful advice about PNF-404. Olimar and Louie are playable in the "Olimar’s Comeback" side story missions in Pikmin 3 Deluxe.

In Pikmin 4, the main character is customizable by the player and works as a rookie member of the Rescue Corps. Their task is to rescue other Rescue Corps members and Olimar. The player character is one of two playable characters in the main story, alongside Oatchi, the Rescue Corps’ dog. Olimar and Louie appear later in the game’s story and are important to the plot. Louie plays a more antagonistic role in this game. While not playable in the main story, Olimar can be played in the "Olimar’s Shipwreck Tale" side story.

In Pikmin, Olimar is stranded on an unknown planet and discovers small, plant-like creatures he names "Pikmin" because they resemble the "Pikpik" brand of carrots from his home planet, Hocotate. Pikmin are small, brightly colored creatures as tall as a U.S. dime. They follow commands to attack enemies, defend Olimar, or retrieve large objects. Pikmin are weak individually but strong when working together. They make squeaking noises and can be directed using a whistle or other high-pitched sound.

Pikmin come in different colors, each with unique abilities. In Pikmin, there are three types: Red Pikmin, who are good in combat and can withstand heat and fire; Yellow Pikmin, who can be thrown higher, use bomb rocks (in Pikmin and Pikmin 3), are immune to electricity (from Pikmin 2 onward), and dig faster (from Pikmin 3 onward); and Blue Pikmin, who have gills and can swim or avoid water-based attacks without drowning. Mushroom Pikmin attack other Pikmin and are created when regular Pikmin are infected by spores from the Puffstool.

In Pikmin 2, three new Pikmin species are introduced: Purple Pikmin, who are slower but much stronger and can break obstacles; White Pikmin, who are toxic to enemies, immune to poison, and can find buried treasure; and Bulbmin, a subterranean species that infects Bulborbs (common enemies) and controls them. Bulbmin live in caves and follow Olimar only after the adult Bulbmin is defeated. They are immune to most hazards except explosions, being eaten, or falling into bottomless pits. They can be transformed into other Pikmin species using Candypop Buds.

In Pikmin 3, two new Pikmin species are added: Rock Pikmin, who look like rocks and can break glass, ice, and enemy carapaces; and Winged Pikmin, who fly using transparent wings and can carry items over hazards like water and pits.

In Pikmin 4, two new Pikmin species are introduced: Ice Pikmin, who can freeze enemies and water; and Glow Pikmin, who are ghost-like and only appear at night. Glow Pikmin are immune to all elemental hazards and can only be used during night expeditions or in caves.

Another main character in Pikmin 2 is the President of Hocotate Freight, a large man who runs the company and keeps debt collectors away. The president is forced to sell the Dolphin, which is replaced by an unnamed ship that can speak, name, and evaluate treasure on the planet.

Development

Pikmin is the first game in the series, released on October 26, 2001. The game’s story follows Captain Olimar, who crash-lands on an unknown planet and meets small plant-animal creatures he names Pikmin because they look like a type of carrot called “Pikpik carrots.” Olimar must collect pieces of his broken spaceship to leave before his oxygen runs out. The planet’s air is harmful to his species. The game has three endings based on how many spaceship parts Olimar finds. If he finds all thirty parts by the final day, he waves goodbye to the Pikmin, who protect themselves at night while colorful Onions watch him leave. If he finds at least twenty-five parts, he leaves quickly, and one of each type of Pikmin runs to his ship. If he finds fewer than twenty-five parts, he crashes again, dies from the planet’s air, and is placed into an Onion, turning him into a Pikmin-Hocotatian hybrid.

Pikmin was released for the Wii in 2009 as a New Play Control! title. It was also available on the Wii U’s Virtual Console in North America in 2016. An HD version of the game was released for the Nintendo Switch in 2023.

Pikmin 2, released in 2004, takes place right after Pikmin. When Olimar returns to his home planet, Hocotate, he learns his employer, Hocotate Freight, is in debt. His boss discovers a valuable souvenir Olimar brought back and sends him and another employee, Louie, to the Pikmin planet to collect treasure to pay the debt. The main goal is to gather items called “treasure,” such as bottle caps and gadgets. Players control both Olimar and Louie, switching between them to complete tasks. Unlike Pikmin, Pikmin 2 has no time limit, so players can take as many days as needed to collect all treasure.

Like Pikmin, Pikmin 2 was released for the Wii in 2009 (or 2012 in North America) as a New Play Control! title. It was also available on the Wii U’s Virtual Console in Europe in 2016. An HD version was released for the Nintendo Switch in 2023.

In 2007, Shigeru Miyamoto, a game designer, said he hoped to make more Pikmin games, especially with the Wii’s controls. Later, in 2008, he confirmed Pikmin 3 was in development for the Wii. In 2011, he said the game would move to the Wii U because its graphics and controls would work better. Pikmin 3 was announced in 2012 and released in 2013.

In 2020, Nintendo announced Pikmin 3 Deluxe, an improved version of Pikmin 3 for the Nintendo Switch, released on October 30, 2020.

A Nintendo 3DS game called Hey! Pikmin was announced in 2016 and released in 2017. It was developed by Arzest.

In 2021, Niantic, the company behind Pokémon Go, announced a mobile Pikmin game called Pikmin Bloom. It uses augmented reality and was released in Australia and Singapore.

In 2015, Miyamoto said Pikmin 4 was in development. Updates in 2016 and 2017 confirmed it was still being made. The game was officially announced in 2022.

Pikmin 4 was developed using the Unreal Engine, a first for a Nintendo game. It was co-developed by Eighting. Key staff include Yuji Kando, who directed Pikmin 3, and Yutaka Hiramuki, who designed the game and story.

The Pikmin series has two main gameplay styles: one with time limits and challenges, like in Pikmin and Pikmin 3, and another with longer, treasure-collecting missions in caves, like in Pikmin 2. Pikmin 4 combines both styles and adds new features, such as Oatchi, to appeal to more players.

Pikmin 4 was announced in a Nintendo Direct on September 13, 2022. A teaser trailer showed the game’s environment but no gameplay or story details.

Reception

The Pikmin series has been well-received by critics. It is often praised for its gameplay, which involves planning and managing time and resources, as well as its visual design. Philip Kollar of Polygon called Pikmin 3 "a rare example showing that Nintendo can still create something completely different."

In a review of Pikmin 4, IGN's Jada Griffin noted that the co-op feature acts more like a helper mode instead of true co-op. This is different from the second and third games in the series.

Legacy

Olimar became a playable character in the Super Smash Bros. series starting with the 2008 game Super Smash Bros. Brawl. He has appeared in every later game in the series. In battle, Olimar controls Pikmin, and he depends on them to complete tasks, just like in the Pikmin games. Olimar can pick up new Pikmin from the ground unless he has the maximum number allowed. In Brawl, he can control up to six Pikmin, while later games allow him to control up to three. Pikmin are weak and can be easily defeated, but new Pikmin can be picked up immediately after others are lost. Olimar's Final Smash is a special move where he enters his Hocotate Spaceship, which flies into the sky while Red Bulborbs attack other players. The spaceship then crashes, causing damage and knocking players back as Olimar is thrown out.

The Super Smash Bros. Brawl game includes a stage called Distant Planet, which is based on the setting of the Pikmin's home planet from the first three Pikmin games. This stage returned in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U added a stage based on Pikmin 3, and both stages returned in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Alph from Pikmin 3 appears as an alternate costume for Olimar in the 3DS and Wii U versions.

Pikmin appear in the Nintendo 3DS built-in application AR Games. During the transfer of downloadable content from a Nintendo DSi to a 3DS (or between 3DS devices or to a 2DS), Pikmin carry data across. A similar animation occurs when transferring saved data from a Wii to an SD card using the Wii U transfer application. Another animation follows when completing the transfer from the SD card to a Wii U.

Nintendo Land includes a team attraction called Pikmin Adventure, where players control Mii characters to fight robotic versions of Pikmin enemies. The attraction uses the Wii U GamePad to control Olimar and the Wii Remote for other players to control Pikmin. On the Game Boy Advance, the Nintendo e-Reader peripheral included Pikmin minigames exclusive to Japan after the release of Pikmin 2, titled Pikmin 2-E. In these minigames, players control Olimar or Pikmin to solve puzzles.

Pikmin franchise amiibo figures can unlock a Pikmin Mii costume in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Pikmin character costumes in Super Mario Maker.

Red, yellow, and blue Pikmin can be seen on ledges in Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan, some carrying items like coins from the Mario series and berries. In 2025, Miyamoto confirmed that Pikmin can appear in any Nintendo franchise, and they have since appeared in the DLC for Super Mario Bros. Wonder and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.

Pikmin gummy candy was released in Japan in September 2021. The candy features grape-flavored blue Pikmin, apple-flavored red Pikmin, orange-flavored yellow Pikmin, and lemon-flavored white Pikmin.

A manga-style comic strip based on the Pikmin series, written by Kino Takahashi, was first published on June 21, 2023.

On November 5, 2014, three animated Pikmin movies—"The Night Juicer," "Treasure in a Bottle," and "Occupational Hazards"—were released on the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS eShop. These films were shown at the Tokyo International Film Festival. Puzzles related to the movies were added to the Puzzle Swap mode in StreetPass Mii Plaza. The films were later uploaded to YouTube to promote Pikmin 3 Deluxe.

On October 7, 2025, an animated short film featuring a baby chasing a moving pacifier with Pikmin designs was released. Some people speculated the film might be related to the Pikmin series or to an origin story for Rosalina from The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, noting the baby's appearance. The next day, Nintendo released a second version of the short on the Nintendo Today! app, revealing that invisible Pikmin were moving the pacifier. The first version included a piano piece, while the second version had more complete music. Both versions were released together on YouTube on October 22, 2025. These shorts were the first produced by Nintendo's in-house animation studio, Nintendo Pictures.