Pikmin Bloom

Pikmin Bloom
File:Pikmin Bloom app icon.jpg
App icon
Console	iOS, Android
Developer	Niantic, Nintendo
Publisher	Niantic
Genre	Augmented reality
Players	1 player (online functionality)
Release date
Japan	Later in 2021
North America	Later in 2021
Europe	Later in 2021
Australia	October 27th, 2021
South Korea	Later in 2021

This article or section is about an upcoming or recently released game. The content here is subject to change as more information is discovered. All information added here must be verifiable and not speculative.

Pikmin Bloom is a spin-off game in the Pikmin series for mobile devices. It is currently rolling out worldwide, with the initial release in Australia and Singapore being on October 27^th, 2021. It is an augmented-reality game, co-developed by Niantic and Nintendo.

Gameplay

The following article or section is in need of assistance from someone who plays Pikmin Bloom. Particularly: Describe more aspects of gameplay.

Pikmin Bloom is a game about walking. Walking around is how most things in the game are done, such as growing Pikmin and finding fruit. Because of this focus on walking, the game requires the GPS in the mobile phone to be on, and it needs permission to use the phone's inbuilt step counter, either on Apple Health or Google Fit. The game also requires an account to play, and the account can be set up with a Nintendo account, a Google account, a Facebook account, or an Apple account (on iOS devices).

One of the main activities is growing Pikmin. All 7 main Pikmin types appear in the game, and are unlocked over time based on the player's level. Pikmin in this game start as seedlings. The player can place a seedling in a slot in their in-game bag, and after walking some number of steps (usually 1000), they can pluck the Pikmin and add it to their collection. Pikmin can be individually named, and are tagged with the location where their seedling was found. Only a certain number of Pikmin can be in the player's squad at a time, with the rest being on standby.

Through walking, growing Pikmin, and doing other tasks, the player can increase in level. Doing this unlocks additional features over time, such as expeditions and Decor Pikmin. Badges can also be unlocked by completing certain criteria.

The main screen of the game takes place on a map of the real world centered around the player, who is displayed as a Mii character. This map displays roads and water bodies, and also Big Flowers, flowers planted by other players with the Flower Planting feature, and items obtainable through expeditions. As the player walks around, the Mii will move and so will the current squad of Pikmin following the Mii. From this screen, buttons on the right allow access to toggle Flower Planting mode, view the incubator bag, and enter a mode where the Pikmin squad can be viewed close-up. In this close-up mode, Pikmin will idle around, and can be ordered to form a line by holding a whistle button. The player can feed nectar to Pikmin, which will upgrade their maturity from leaf to bud and bud to flower. Giving nectar to a flowered Pikmin will cause its flowers to glow, and by tapping on a glowing flower, petals can be obtained, and the Pikmin will revert to a normal flower. This view has a button to enter an AR mode, which will use the device's camera to project the Pikmin onto a surface in the real world, where photographs can be taken of them.

The Lifelog feature allows the player to look back on their walks with the app over time, displaying things like each day's step count, the postcards received that day, and the Daily Lookback feature. The game also contains a shop where items can be bought for in-game coins or real money.

History

The app was announced on March 23^rd, 2021, simultaneously by Nintendo and Niantic, on Twitter and their own websites. The initial announcements featured some basic information and a single image. Developers at Niantic also tweeted about the game. Nintendo confirmed the title would be released in the second half of 2021 in its earnings release for the fiscal year ending March 31^st, 2021.

The game had a closed beta period, where people could sign up to recieve information about the game and invitations to test the beta. Beta testing began in Singapore on March 30^th, 2021 and expanded to Australia on April 19^th, 2021. The closed beta continued until the app's release.

On October 27^th, 2021, the title of the app, Pikmin Bloom, was officially announced, along with a promotional trailer, and the app was released in Australia and Singapore. It will be rolling out in other regions over the next few days.

Gallery

• PIKMIN BLOOM LOGO.png

  Official logo.

• 

  Wide version of the key art which includes the logo.

• 

  Promotional image used in the March 2021 announcement.

Trivia

• This is the first Pikmin game to be released in Portguese.

External links

• Official website