Pikmin 2 is a 2004 real-time strategy puzzle video game created and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. It is the direct follow-up to the 2001 game Pikmin and the second game in the Pikmin series. In the game, Captain Olimar returns to the Pikmin planet to gather valuable treasure after discovering that the company he works for—Hocotate Freight—is close to going out of business.
Similar to its predecessor, Pikmin 2 involves exploring the surface of an unknown planet from a microscopic viewpoint. The player guides the Pikmin to complete tasks such as removing obstacles, fighting enemies, and collecting items. The game introduces new features, such as the ability to control two leaders at the same time and the inclusion of new Pikmin types.
Pikmin 2 was highly praised by critics, earning average scores of 89.60% on GameRankings and 90 on Metacritic. Many reviewers highlighted improvements such as new Pikmin types, a longer story mode, additional multiplayer options, and the removal of the 30-day time limit from the original game. The game was re-released as part of the New Play Control! series for the Wii in 2009 in Japan, Europe, and Australia. It was later released in North America in 2012. An HD version of the game was made available for the Nintendo Switch in June 2023. A sequel, Pikmin 3, was released in 2013 for the Wii U.
Gameplay
Pikmin 2 builds on the gameplay from Pikmin. Players control two characters, Captain Olimar and Louie, from a tiny viewpoint to gather treasures (such as scrap metal and broken toys) on an unknown planet called the "distant planet." The game involves leading groups of plant-like creatures called Pikmin to complete tasks. Pikmin follow Olimar and Louie as they move. Players can throw individual Pikmin at enemies or obstacles to fight or build structures. They can also direct groups of Pikmin to attack enemies together. Since two leaders are controlled at once, players can split their Pikmin groups to handle multiple tasks. While players can collect unlimited Pikmin, only 100 can be on the field at any time.
Exploration happens only during daylight, starting at sunrise and ending at sunset. Pikmin left behind at sunset are lost to predators, a rule from Pikmin. Unlike Pikmin, there is no time limit, and players can take as many days as needed.
Pikmin come in five colors, each with special abilities. Red Pikmin resist fire, blue resist drowning, and yellow resist electric hazards. Purple and white Pikmin are new to Pikmin 2. White Pikmin move faster, resist poison, and find hidden treasures. Purple Pikmin are slower but stronger and can stun enemies when thrown. Players must choose the best Pikmin for each task. A Pikmin’s stalk, topped with a leaf, bud, or flower, shows its speed and strength, which grow after eating nectar. More Pikmin are born by bringing enemy remains or pellets to the "Onion" motherships. Purple and white Pikmin are stored in the Hocotate Ship and created by throwing Pikmin into special flowers called Candypop Buds. A sixth type, Bulbmin, resists all hazards but is only temporarily usable. Sprays collected from plants can help: purple spray turns enemies into stone, and red spray boosts Pikmin speed and strength.
Players explore four different areas on the planet, each with unique enemies and treasures. The Hocotate Ship’s AI provides hints. When treasures are found, Pikmin carry them to the ship, where their value is calculated. Caves, found across the planet, contain treasures and enemies. Some enemies, like the Waterwraith, are only in caves. Time does not pass on the surface while in caves, allowing endless exploration. However, Pikmin Onions cannot enter caves, so players must bring enough Pikmin beforehand. Caves also have bosses, which reward new abilities when defeated. Cave layouts are randomly generated, except for boss floors. Purple and white Pikmin can only be made in caves using special Candypop Buds. The game ends after collecting all 201 treasures.
In addition to the main game, there is a two-player competitive mode and a challenge mode. In the competitive mode, players control Olimar and Louie to collect marbles or steal the opponent’s. In the challenge mode, players work together to find a Key treasure in caves within a time limit. Success depends on treasures collected, surviving Pikmin, and time taken.
Plot
After the events of Pikmin, Captain Olimar returns to his home planet, Hocotate. He learns from his employer, a space transport company, that his co-worker, Louie, lost a shipment of luxury carrots to a "space rabbit." The company takes out a large loan to cover the loss and sells Olimar's ship. When Olimar drops a bottle cap he brought home as a souvenir, an intelligent ship from the company evaluates it as very valuable. The company president orders Olimar and Louie to take this ship to the planet where the treasure was found and collect more of it to save the company.
Olimar and Louie crash land and are separated, but are reunited with the help of local pikmin. While collecting valuables, they encounter white and purple pikmin, which Olimar had not seen before. Notes from Louie's crew show that he is only interested in cooking and eating alien plants and animals.
After gathering enough treasure to pay the company's debt, Olimar heads back to Hocotate but realizes Louie was left behind. Olimar and the president decide to return to rescue Louie and collect more treasure to strengthen the company's finances. They eventually find him in a deep cave, on top of a large, spider-like creature with weapons called the Titan Dweevil. Different types of pikmin are needed to disable and defeat the creature. Louie is rescued, and the crew leaves the planet, leaving the pikmin behind.
In a special ending, it is revealed that the missing shipment of luxury carrots was eaten by Louie, who made up his report to the president to avoid trouble. A ship's log suggests he may have been controlling the Titan Dweevil.
Development
In December 2002, one year after the release of Pikmin, game designer Shigeru Miyamoto said a sequel was being made. Development took about two and a half years. The original plan was to release it in Autumn 2003, but the team delayed it by six months to make changes and improve the game. Pikmin 2 was directed by Shigefumi Hino, who worked on the graphics, and Masamichi Abe, who focused on game design. Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka were the producers. Hajime Wakai created the game’s soundtrack, and Kazumi Totaka was the sound director. A hidden version of "Totaka's Song" appears twice in the game as an Easter egg. The 30-day time limit from the original Pikmin was removed so players could explore the game world more slowly, which made the game longer. The developers tried adding cooperative two-player gameplay in the main game but found it limited the overall design. Multiplayer was instead placed in a separate game mode. Pikmin 2 was first released in Japan on April 29, 2004, and later released in North America, Europe, and Australasia that year. Nintendo e-Reader cards that worked with Pikmin 2 were only sold in Japan and included extra minigames. Many treasures in the game showed real-life brands like Duracell, but these were replaced with fictional brands in the Nintendo Switch remaster.
In 2009, both Pikmin and Pikmin 2 were re-released for the Wii as part of the New Play Control! brand, which featured updated versions of GameCube games with Wii Remote controls. New Play Control! Pikmin 2 was released in Japan, Europe, and Australia in 2009 but was not confirmed for North America until the June 2012 issue of Nintendo Power. It was later released in North America in June 2012 as a Nintendo Selects game, along with the re-release of Mario Power Tennis. This was the second-to-last Wii game published by Nintendo of America. HD remasters of Pikmin and Pikmin 2 for the Nintendo Switch were announced and released on June 21, 2023.
Reception
Pikmin 2 received high praise from critics. It earned an average score of 89.44% on GameRankings based on 58 reviews and an average score of 90 on Metacritic based on 54 reviews. GameSpot called it the best GameCube game in August 2004. The February 2006 issue of Nintendo Power ranked it as the 47th best game on a Nintendo system in its Top 200 Games list. It was also ranked 29th on Official Nintendo Magazine’s list of the 100 greatest Nintendo games of all time. GamePro listed it among the top five GameCube games. In 2020, IGN placed it at #6 on their list of the top 20 GameCube games of all time.
Many critics believed Pikmin 2 was better than its first game, Pikmin. They said it fixed problems from the original. Removing the 30-day time limit was praised for making the game last longer, though Nintendo World Report had mixed feelings, saying the lack of urgency might make players less motivated. A separate multiplayer mode was well-received, but the absence of LAN online-play disappointed some players.
Pikmin 2’s strategic and puzzle-based gameplay was widely appreciated. GameSpot noted that the Pikmin’s artificial intelligence was improved compared to the original, though IGN pointed out recurring issues, such as Pikmin getting stuck behind walls or separating from the group.
The graphics and presentation in Pikmin 2 were highly praised. Critics said they were much better than the original. IGN called it “refreshing” to see a Nintendo game with such high production values, mentioning realistic environments, particle effects, character animation, and the game running smoothly at 30 frames-per-second. GameSpot agreed, saying the improved visuals performed well on the GameCube. Tom Bramwell of Eurogamer called the game “relentlessly and giddily gorgeous.” However, X-Play felt the graphical improvements were only slight. Some critics also mentioned that the camera system was sometimes blocked by large objects in the game world.
X-Play’s staff nominated Pikmin 2 for their 2004 “Best Strategy Game” award, which went to Rome: Total War. At the 8th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the game was nominated for “Console Action/Adventure Game of the Year,” an award that went to Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
In a review of the Nintendo Switch version, PJ O’Reilly of Nintendo Life described the remaster as “bare-bones.” He noted that replacing licensed brands with fictional ones made it harder for players to connect Earth and the Pikmin planet. Despite this, he gave the remaster an 8/10 score because of the game’s strong core quality.
During its first week of release, Pikmin 2 sold about 162,000 copies in Japan, totaling 483,000 copies sold there. For the New Play Control! re-release on the Wii, the game sold about 237,000 copies in Japan over its lifetime.