Pikmin 3

Pikmin 3
File:Boxart.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 revealed during the Nintendo press conference at the 2012 Electronic Entertainment Expo on June 5th. It will be released on the Nintendo Wii U console in spring 2013 for Japan, and sometime in quarter two 2013 elsewhere.

Plot

From what has been seen at E3 so far, Pikmin 3 revolves around 4 entirely-new characters who come to the Planet of the Pikmin for currently unknown reasons, and explore the depths of the planet after having become lost. 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. There will be 4 captains, and Olimar and Louie will not be playable.

File:Gamepad.jpg

The Wii U gamepad as the map screen.

Controls

Wii Remote Plus+Nunchuck

The game's main controls use the Wiimote 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. 

New Pikmin

Currently, 2 new Pikmin types have been seen:

• Rock Pikmin

• Pink Flying 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

Pikmin 3 was the very first game N

File:Wii U - Pikmin 3 E3 Trailer

Pikmin 3 E3 Trailer.

intendo 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.

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.

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 4/21 for Lego City Undercover: The Case Begins on the 3DS. This may mean that Pikmin 3 will be released in April or May 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.

Some people may be confused as to why Nintendo said Pikmin 3 will be released in the launch window even though it doesn't seem like it. What you have to remember is that the launch period is six months long, that makes April the last month of the launch period, April is also the first month in quarter two of the year.

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.

File:Nintendo release calender.png

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

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 Pikmin 2's map theme.
• 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.

References

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