The Pikmin series is a game series owned by Nintendo that focuses on using Pikmin to perform various tasks, such as carrying objects and fighting enemies. It consists of 3 main games, 3 re-releases, 2 spin-off games, and various other media.
Media
Release timeline:
| 2001 | Pikmin |
| 2002 | |
| 2003 | |
| 2004 | Pikmin 2 |
| 2005 | |
| 2006 | |
| 2007 | |
| 2008 | New Play Control! Pikmin |
| 2009 | New Play Control! Pikmin 2 |
| 2010 | |
| 2011 | |
| 2012 | |
| 2013 | Pikmin 3 |
| 2014 | |
| 2015 | |
| 2016 | |
| 2017 | Hey! Pikmin |
| 2018 | |
| 2019 | |
| 2020 | Pikmin 3 Deluxe |
| 2021 | Pikmin mobile app |
| TBA | Pikmin 4 |
Main games and spin-offs
- Pikmin (GameCube) – Captain Olimar must gather thirty ship parts before his life-support system fails.
- New Play Control! Pikmin – Re-release for the Wii.
- Pikmin 2 (GameCube) – Olimar and Louie must gather treasures to repay Hocotate Freight's debt.
- New Play Control! Pikmin 2 – Re-release for the Wii.
- Pikmin 3 (Wii U) – Alph, Brittany and Captain Charlie must gather fruits in order to solve Koppai's hunger crisis.
- Pikmin 3 Deluxe – Re-release for the Nintendo Switch that adds more content to the base game and features some improvements.
- Hey! Pikmin (3DS) – Olimar must collect Sparklium via treasures in order to power his ship.
- Pikmin mobile app – Currently untitled augmented-reality mobile application.
- "Pikmin 4" – Future title, with the only information known about it being that its development has been confirmed.
Secondary media
Three short movies have been made by Nintendo about the Pikmin series, but their canon is debatable. The Nintendo Land attraction called Pikmin Adventure is about the Pikmin franchise, but does not belong to the Pikmin canon.
Main characters
- Captain Olimar – main character of the first two games and Hey! Pikmin, and original discoverer of the Pikmin.
- Louie – Olimar's partner during his voyage in Pikmin 2.
- The President – president of Hocotate Freight, the company Olimar works for, and alternate partner in Pikmin 2.
- Alph – one of the explorers in Pikmin 3, the ship's main engineer.
- Brittany – one of the explorers in Pikmin 3, a botanist.
- Captain Charlie – one of the explorers in Pikmin 3, the captain.
Reception and sales
The main three games have been scored well by critics. Pikmin 2 scores generally higher than Pikmin (e.g. scores of 90[1] and 89[2] on review aggregator Metacritic, respectively). Pikmin 3 scores were closer to those of Pikmin 2.[3] Hey! Pikmin received average reviews, with criticism aimed at its simplistic puzzles.[4] The total number of sales for the series is approximately 5.93 million as of March 2021,[5] with the best-selling game in the series being Pikmin 3 Deluxe.
In other games
- Main article: Pikmin in other media.
Elements from the series also play parts in a number of other Nintendo games, most notably Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, in which Olimar is a playable character, as well as two Pikmin stages – Distant Planet and Garden of Hope. There are also multiple soundtracks and trophies.
Pikmin have made cameo appearances in games like WarioWare: Smooth Moves and the Nintendo DSi/3DS software transfer animation, while Pikmin-themed items have appeared in Nintendogs and the Animal Crossing series.
Gallery
Pikmin, North American box art.
Pikmin, Japanese box art.
Pikmin 2, North American box art.
Pikmin 2, Japanese box art.
New Play Control! Pikmin box art.
New Play Control! Pikmin, Japanese box art.
New Play Control! Pikmin 2, European box art.
New Play Control! Pikmin 2, Japanese box art.
Pikmin 3, North American box art.
Pikmin 3, Japanese box art.
Pikmin 3 Deluxe, North American box art.
Hey! Pikmin, North American box art.
Hey! Pikmin, Japanese box art.
See also
References
- ^ Pikmin 2 on Metacritic
- ^ Pikmin on Metacritic
- ^ Pikmin 3 on Metacritic
- ^ Hey! Pikmin on Metacritic
- ^ Pikmin games search on VGChartz, retrieved on March 22nd, 2021
| Games | |
|---|---|
| Main games | Pikmin • Pikmin 2 • Pikmin 3 • Pikmin 4 |
| Spin-off games | Hey! Pikmin • Pikmin Bloom |
| Re-releases | New Play Control! Pikmin • New Play Control! Pikmin 2 Pikmin 3 Deluxe • Pikmin 1 (Nintendo Switch) • Pikmin 2 (Nintendo Switch) |
| Web games | Pikmin.com SpaceForce • Pikmin Treasure Hunt • Pikmin Finder |
| Super Smash Bros. series | Brawl • for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U • Ultimate |
| Others | Pikmin Adventure (Nintendo Land) • Stage Debut |