Pikmin 3 is a 2013 real-time strategy and puzzle video game created and released by Nintendo for the Wii U console. It follows the GameCube games Pikmin (2001) and Pikmin 2 (2004) and was first sold in Japan on July 13, 2013, and in other regions the next month. Shigeru Miyamoto introduced Pikmin 3 on July 16, 2008, for the Wii console, but later said at E3 2011 that the game would be made for the Wii U instead.
The game includes new features from the Pikmin series, such as more player characters, types of Pikmin, and support for Off-TV Play and downloadable content. In the single-player story, players control three alien captains: Alph, Brittany, and Charlie. They explore the surface of a planet called PNF-404 to find fruit seeds that can help save their home planet, Koppai, from a food shortage. The Pikmin help the captains by fighting enemies, solving puzzles, and collecting items.
Pikmin 3 received mostly good reviews from critics, who praised the gameplay, graphics, and level design. A version called Pikmin 3 Deluxe, which includes improved features and new content, was released for the Nintendo Switch on October 30, 2020. A separate game called Hey! Pikmin was released in 2017 for the Nintendo 3DS, and a direct follow-up, Pikmin 4, was released for the Nintendo Switch on July 21, 2023.
Gameplay
The player controls a captain who leads a group of up to 100 plant-like creatures called Pikmin. These Pikmin help the captain explore the world, fight enemies, solve puzzles, and collect treasures. Pikmin can be guided to complete tasks such as building bridges, breaking barriers, gathering items, and defeating enemies. They come in different colors and have unique features that show their special abilities and protection from dangers. For example, Red Pikmin are not harmed by fire and are stronger than other Pikmin. Yellow Pikmin are not harmed by electricity and can be thrown farther. Blue Pikmin are not harmed by water.
Pikmin 3 includes the Red, Yellow, and Blue Pikmin from earlier games. It also adds two new types: Rock Pikmin, which are gray and can break strong barriers while being protected from heavy objects; and Winged Pikmin, which are pink and can attack enemies in the air and move over water. The game also includes White Pikmin, which poison enemies when eaten, and Purple Pikmin, which are as strong as ten Pikmin. These two types were first introduced in Pikmin 2 but are only available in special game modes in Pikmin 3.
The player can control up to three captains and switch between them to complete tasks and solve puzzles.
When Pikmin 3 was first released, players could use three control methods: the Wii U GamePad, the Wii U Pro Controller, or the Wii Remote (Plus) with the Nunchuk accessory. A later update on May 30, 2014, added stylus control for the GamePad. In all cases, the Wii U GamePad shows an overhead map on its touch screen and is used to access the KopPad, a device the captains use to communicate and view maps and other information. The KopPad allows players to track the captains’ paths and take pictures, which could be shared on Miiverse, a now-closed online community.
In addition to the main story, the game includes a two-player mode called Bingo Battle. Each player tries to collect items on a 4-by-4 grid and must line up four items in a row to win. There is also a mode called Mission Mode, which can be played alone or with a partner. Players complete tasks based on Pikmin gameplay within a time limit. Mission Mode has three challenges: Collect Treasure, where players gather all fruit and enemies on a map using a set number of Pikmin before time runs out; Battle Enemies, where players defeat all enemies on a map as quickly as possible; and Defeat Bosses, where players face bosses from the story mode again.
Plot
In the year 20XX, the people of the planet Koppai are facing a severe food shortage because their population is growing rapidly, their need for food is increasing, and they did not plan properly for the future. Using their SPERO ships, they explored several planets to find ones with resources. One ship returns with good news after examining the Pikmin planet, which they name PNF-404. This planet has plenty of land that can be used to grow food. To investigate and collect food to help their planet, three Koppaite leaders are sent: Alph, an engineer; Brittany, a botanist; and Charlie, a captain. However, when their ship, the S.S. Drake, lands on PNF-404, it breaks down and crashes, separating the three. Charlie lands in the Distant Tundra and meets the Yellow Pikmin but is eaten by the Vehemoth Phosbat. Alph wakes up in the Tropical Wilds and meets the Red Pikmin, who help him fix their ship. Alph learns that the "cosmic-drive key," needed to return to Koppai, is missing after the crash.
Alph finds Brittany in the Garden of Hope and rescues her with the help of the Rock Pikmin. They later save Charlie after the S.S. Drake crashes again in the Distant Tundra, where Brittany discovers the Yellow Pikmin. The group recovers some of Captain Olimar's lost data files and learns that Olimar has the cosmic-drive key, which he mistakenly believed was a treasure. Later, they rescue Louie from the Twilight River after receiving his SOS message, which was intended for Olimar. Louie takes their food and Charlie's rubber duck before escaping to a destroyed spaceship in the Garden of Hope. After questioning Louie, they learn Olimar is in the Formidable Oak. There, the captains and Pikmin defeat a mysterious creature called the Plasm Wraith to save Olimar, who returns the cosmic-drive key. The three use the key to repair their ship, offering Olimar and Louie a ride back to Hocotate. They return home as the Pikmin wave goodbye.
The game’s ending depends on how many fruits the player collects during the game. If all fruits are gathered, the narrator says the three successfully completed their mission to restore life on Koppai and suggests the crash may not have been accidental. In a post-credits scene, some Pikmin see a flaming object falling and run to it. An additional story in Pikmin 3 Deluxe, titled "Olimar's Comeback," explains the object is a pod containing Olimar and Louie, who were sent back to the planet by the president of Hocotate Freight to retrieve and repair their destroyed spaceship.
Development
Shigeru Miyamoto first mentioned the possibility of a new Pikmin game in a July 2007 interview with IGN. He said, "I certainly don't think we've seen the last of Pikmin. I definitely would like to do something with them, and I think the Wii's controls are a good fit for the Pikmin series." In a later interview with CNET.com in April 2008, Miyamoto said he was focusing on other Wii projects but still wanted to continue the Pikmin series.
A new Pikmin game was confirmed during Nintendo's developer roundtable at E3 2008. Miyamoto stated that his team was working on a new game in the series. Details about gameplay or development were not shared. At an E3 2011 roundtable discussion, Miyamoto said that Pikmin 3 development was moved to the Wii U, the next generation of the Wii. He explained that the Wii U's HD graphics and the GamePad, which has a second screen, would work better for the game.
On June 5, 2012, Pikmin 3 was shown during Nintendo's press conference at E3. Some new gameplay features, such as Rock Pikmin and controls using the GamePad, were demonstrated. Nintendo said the game would be released around the same time as the Wii U, but the release was delayed until mid-2013. When asked about the Purple and White Pikmin from the second game, Miyamoto said, "They're in there somewhere, just hidden." A video from Nintendo Direct later confirmed that these Pikmin would appear in the game's Mission Mode and Bingo Battle.
In a Polygon interview, Miyamoto said he planned to release a series of animated Pikmin shorts on the Nintendo 3DS before Pikmin 3's launch. These shorts were not mentioned for months after the game's release. Miyamoto later said they would be released on November 5, 2014, on the Nintendo eShop.
Release
Pikmin 3 was released in Japan on July 13, 2013. The game was released in Europe on July 26, Australia on July 27, and North America on August 4.
The Collect Treasure stage pack downloadable content (DLC) added four missions on October 1, 2013. The Battle Enemies stage pack DLC added four missions on November 6, 2013. An update that added GamePad stylus control was also released with the DLC. A third DLC pack, which included new stages (not remixes of old stages), was released on December 2, 2013. This pack included four new Collect Treasure stages and four new Battle Enemies stages. An update later added one free Collect Treasure mission and one free Battle Enemies mission.
The game and all of its DLC packs were removed from the Wii U Nintendo eShop in August 2020 after Pikmin 3 Deluxe was announced for Nintendo Switch. The game was briefly re-listed, but the ability to buy DLC directly from the Wii U Nintendo eShop was removed. However, players could still purchase DLC indirectly through the Pikmin 3 title itself until the Wii U Nintendo eShop closed on March 27, 2023. Players will still be able to re-download purchased copies of Pikmin 3, the free updates, and already purchased DLC packs after the Wii U eShop closed, at least for the foreseeable future.
Pikmin 3 Deluxe is an improved version of the game for Nintendo Switch, released on October 30, 2020. Eighting was responsible for porting, planning, developing, and coordinating new features for the game. The Deluxe version includes a new prologue and epilogue with Captain Olimar and Louie, multiple difficulty modes, cooperative play in the story mode, the return of the Piklopedia from Pikmin 2, and all DLC from the Wii U version.
Reception
The game received mostly positive reviews. Many reviewers liked its well-designed levels, high-quality graphics, and gameplay. In Japan, four reviewers from Famitsu gave the game a total score of 37 out of 40, with one critic giving a perfect score of 10 out of 10. The Sunday Times gave it 5 out of 5 stars. IGN gave the game a score of 8.8 out of 10, praising its design but noting that the game was too short. ITF Gaming gave it a 9 out of 10 for its beautiful, well-made environments. Ben Croshaw of The Escapist praised the game's graphics, controls, and sense of urgency but pointed out that the Wii U did not use the touch screen at first to select targets individually.
In Japan, Pikmin 3 became the top-selling game during its first week, selling about 93,000 copies in two days and helping sell 22,200 Wii U systems. In the UK, the game reached number 2 on the all-formats chart, behind the retail version of Minecraft for Xbox 360. In the US, it became the top-selling game during its first week, and according to the NPD Group, 115,000 copies were sold in its first month, entering the all-formats chart at number 10. As of December 31, 2013, about 210,000 copies had been sold in the US.
Pikmin 3 Deluxe became the top-selling retail game in its first week in Japan, selling 171,349 physical copies. As of March 31, 2021, 2.04 million copies of Pikmin 3 Deluxe had been sold, with 860,000 sold in Japan and 1.18 million sold in other regions. As of December 2021, Pikmin 3 Deluxe had sold 2.23 million copies worldwide. As of December 2022, the game had sold 2.40 million copies.