Pikmin 3

Pikmin 3
File:Pikmin3Boxart.png
Pikmin 3
Console	Wii U
Developer	Nintendo EAD
Publisher	Nintendo
Genre	RTS
Players	{{{players}}}
Release date
Japan	N/A
North America	N/A
Europe	N/A
Australia	N/A
South Korea	N/A

Pikmin 3 is the upcoming third installment in the Pikmin franchise. It will be released on the Nintendo Wii U console in July 13 for Japan, August 4 for America, and sometime in 2013 elsewhere.

Plot

File:3 Leaders.jpg

The three leaders we have seen so far in-game.

From what has been seen so far, Pikmin 3 revolves around 4 entirely-new characters who come to the Planet of the Pikmin for currently unknown reasons. None of these characters seem to be related to Olimar nor presumably Louie, who are notably missing, though Olimar was confirmed to indeed appear in the game.

According to Krysta Yang, Public Relations Specialist for Nintendo, more of the story will be revealed as the game comes closer to launch.

The game is planned to be more similar to Pikmin 1 due to the fact that Shigeru Miyamoto intends to add a time limit back to the plot.

Gameplay

Pikmin 3 will give a complete overhaul to the series' battle mechanics; rather than simply throwing pikmin at targets, the player must analyze a target and determine exactly how it should be brought down. For example, some walls will be more easily broken if Pikmin attack them from the top and work their way down, and some enemies may react differently if attacked in sensitive areas, such as their eyes. 

Pikmin 3's graphical design will be much more realistic thanks the the enhanced resolution and processing power of the Wii U console, and will also sport a slight exaggeration to character designs. Unlike in the past games, the pikmin will be slightly larger and each one is capable of moving individually, making them stand out more and making them seem more "alive".

Basic Gameplay will retain most of its recognizable features from past games; the game revolves around the player controlling an army of up to 100 various pikmin, which can be directed to perform a variety of tasks to harvest salvagables.

In addition to these, a new action can now be performed by captains, which will cause them and their pikmin swarm to quickly drop and roll side-to-side, which can be used to quickly move out of the way of a stampeding creature. Captains will also be able to throw one another like Pikmin. When Pikmin 3 was first announced, it was said that there would be 4 new playable captains, and it is unknown if Olimar and Louie will be playable but Olimar is confirmed to appear in the game. However, in an interview with Shigeru Miyamoto, he suggests that only three leaders will appear in Pikmin 3. "Having that map--and the fact that you have the three different leaders that you switch between to command your Pikmin--and having the touchscreen on the map will allow you to change perspective or jump to a specific leader and quickly give orders."

File:Gamepad.jpg

The Wii U gamepad as the map screen.

Controls

Wii Remote Plus+Nunchuck

The game's main controls use the Wii Remote Plus and Nunchuck. The Wii U Gamepad will always display a full overhead map and a HUD, allowing for a less-cluttered screen. Using the precise movements of the Wii Remote Plus, the cursor can be aimed specifically at enemy's weak points.

Wii U Gamepad

The game can also be played entirely off-screen with the Wii U GamePad. Using this control scheme, the game can be played in a more mobile, wireless form. The left analog stick can be used to walk while the right one will move the cursor, which will make the gameplay similar to the original Gamecube ports of the first 2 games. Captains can easily be switched around by using the touch screen on the GamePad.

Miiverse Support

Like all Wii U Software, Pikmin 3 will have a Community for Nintendo Network Users to make posts about the game. All users can make posts, even those who don't own the game.

Revealed in the January 2013 Nintendo Direct by Satoru Iwata, you can now take highly-detailed pictures from the eyes of a Pikmin using the Wii U GamePad. You can then share your pictures over Nintendo's Miiverse service, presumably on the Pikmin 3 Community.

New Pikmin

Currently, 2 new Pikmin types have been seen:

• Rock Pikmin

• Winged Pikmin

Krysta Yang, Public Relations Specialist for Nintendo, has also stated in an interview that there will "definitely be more pikmin" than the Rock Pikmin. 

Nintendo E3 Presentation

File:Wii U - Pikmin 3 E3 Trailer

Pikmin 3 E3 Trailer.

File:Pikmin 3 - E3 2012 Gameplay Presentation & Trailer HD

Pikmin 3 Demonstration

Pikmin 3 was the very first game Nintendo presented at E3 on June 5th, 2012.

Production

The concept of Pikmin 3 first began in early 2006, and actual production of the game began in mid-2007. Miyamoto stated he was working with "a very, very, small team" and began experimenting with the DS, 3DS, and Wii consoles. Eventually, they settled on Wii, and began working on Pikmin 3. Miyamoto stated that they ran into many graphical and technical issues on the Wii version of the game.

On June 6, 2011, Pikmin 3 was annouced to be moved to the Wii U. On June 5th, 2012, the game was finally revealed to the public at E3, during Nintendo's presentation.

Character D is possibly scrapped from being playable, and possibly from the game for unknown reasons.

Release Date

Pikmin 3 was originally planned to be a launch title for the Wii U, but this was later changed to "launch window". In December of 2012, Pikmin was announced to have been delayed again, this time until Q2 of 2013. The game has also been confirmed to be released shortly after the month of March ends in Japan, America, and in the summer for Europe.

File:Nintendo release calender.png

The Nintendo release calender as of 2/20/13.

On Nintendo's official release calender, Pikmin 3 seems to be planned to come out after The Wonderful 101 but before the release of Wii Fit U. The closest confirmed date (the game with a set date closest to Pikmin 3 on the list) is 5/24 for Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D. This may mean that Pikmin 3 will be released in May or June of 2013. On the Japanese release calender for Nintendo, Game and Wario is set (not in stone) to come out on March 28th, and at the very bottom it says (with Google translate) that a game has not been posted by the convenience of the manufacturer. This could mean that Nintendo has hidden Pikmin 3 from the list for unknown reasons, or that Pikmin 3 is, again, coming out April or May of 2013.

File:Japanese nintendo release calender.png

Game and Wario is close to the top, and the "hidden by manufacturer" thing is close to the bottom.

On April 17th, Nintendo anounced that the game would be launched on August 4th.

"Pikmin 3: In addition to new Rock Pikmin, the new game also introduces flying Winged Pikmin that follow the player and can carry items in the air. The game launches in stores and in the Nintendo eShop on Aug. 4."

Trivia

• Pikmin 3 is the first game where multi-player is available in the real story. (But this could just be a multiplayer mode)
• The music in Pikmin 3's E3 2012 trailer is a remix of the main theme of Pikmin.
• The wait between Pikmin 2 and 3 took approximately 9 years.

• P3.jpg

  The Pikmin 3 logo

• Pikmin3Captains.jpg

  Captains throwing eachother to get around an obstacle.

• Pikmin 3 characters.png

  The 4 new characters in Pikmin 3. Olimar and Louie will not be playable in the game for currently-unknown reasons. Although Olimar will indeed appear, it is unknown why he is not playable.

• Relaxing pikmin.jpg

  The three original Pikmin in HD.

• Pikmin 3 Japan Art.png

  An expanded image from Pikmin 3's box art, shown on the Japanese Nintendo website.

References

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