Pikmin 3 prototype information
Pikmin 3, like other games, went through several iterations that never made it to the public. While no one has been able to go into the game's files to get unused content as of now, some prototypical elements that never made it to the final product can be found by looking at early trailers and footage. Hopefully, over time, unused data will be able to be observed from the game's disc itself.
Characters and Pikmin
Brittany
In a prototype version, Brittany's suit was yellow, both in-game and on concept art. In the final version, her suit was changed to pink. Her original concept art also lacked glasses, which she has in the final game.
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Early concept art of Brittany, showed off at E3 2012.
Brittany in her yellow suit in a prototype version of the game.
The final version of Brittany.
Character D
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To do: Link to the interview in a reference. |
There was one character that never made it into the game in any footage whatsoever, and was scrapped early in development. He was showed off at E3 2012 in a bit of concept art, and all that was underneath him was the letter "D". With an interview with Shigeru Miyamoto, he stated that there were three captains playable in the game, suggesting Character D was scrapped early on, since he was never shown in any footage. Since Alph, Brittany, and Charlie all had the first letter of their name under their art at E3 2012, it is speculated by fans that the character's final name was meant to be Drake, but this name was eventually moved to the game's SPERO, the S.S. Drake. A possible reason for the scrap could've been due to the fact that controlling and switching between four leaders would have been considered too chaotic.
Rock Pikmin
In the earliest footage shown of Pikmin 3, Rock Pikmin had a slightly different appearance, with slightly darker coloration and dark-colored limbs. They also made different sounds that sounded like lower-pitched versions of common Pikmin sounds. Each Rock Pikmin was also shaped slightly differently (e.g. some were shorter but wider). This made them seem more like real rocks, but the feature was eventually removed in the final game.
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The original concept art for Rock Pikmin.
The Rock Pikmin's final look.
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Rock Pikmin in the E3 2012 demo. Some are shaped differently.
Early area
In the E3 footage of the prototype of Pikmin 3, an area was shown off, and it was seen as a very water and log based area. No area resembles this one in the final game, but it is still partially references in the final product however. It is the location seen in the title screen, and its area selection zone can be seen on the map screen before choosing where to land.
This area is also represented in mission mode as the Shaded Garden. It may seem as though, with "garden" in the name, that it was a representation of the Garden of Hope, but the Garden of Hope has almost no connections to logs at all. The prototype area was most likely going to contain Blue Pikmin as the species found, and it is also possible that the Quaggled Mireclops, a very water and log based boss, was going to be the main boss of the area.
A part of the early area.
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An image of the prototype area. Notice the abundance of water.
A throwing puzzle in the area. Notice the logs and lily pad.
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An image of the area showing the characters riding a lily pad down the stream.
Another image of the player riding the stream.
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An image of the player throwing Brittany across the logs in an early puzzle.
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An image of the prototype title screen, which gives a good look at the area's layout.
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Changed mechanics
Lock-on
In an early build of the game, the lock-on feature would cause the camera to enter a tilt-shift mode to focus only on the creature, which would be highlighted in blue. The name of said creature was then displayed in simple blue text above it. This was greatly changed for the final game, which displays the name in a box in the lower right corner. This name is surrounded by strange characters, presumably of the language of Koppai. With the update released on May 29th, 2014, the lock-on mechanic featured two new images on the left side of the screen. One shows which control makes the Pikmin charge, and the other shows how to cancel the lock-on.
The prototype version of the lock-on mechanic.
The lock-on interface in the final game.
Whistle
Originally, the whistle in Pikmin 3 had a smaller radius than in the past two games, and lasted for a shorter length of time. This was later changed to be slightly larger and longer, and included the ability for the whistle to call Winged Pikmin by raising off the floor after fully expanding to create a cylindrical beam of light.
Throwing captains
In the early footage shown of the game, the captains were first shown to have the ability to toss one another to access new locations. At this point in development, the captains were thrown much higher than they are in the final game. This change was most likely made to rid the game of some areas where players could easily break the barriers.
Changed weights
Insect Condo
In the 2012 demo of Pikmin 3, the Insect Condo was shown as one of the fruits returning from Pikmin 2. In this footage, it required only 8 Pikmin to carry it, as opposed to the 10 required in the final game.
Medusal Slurker
In the E3 2012 demo, the Medusal Slurker required 7 Pikmin to carry, while in the final game, it can be carried by 6.
Early names
Combustion Berry
In the 2012 demo for Pikmin 3, the Golden Sunseed was referred to as the "Combustion Berry", sharing the same name as a fruit treasure that appeared in Pikmin 2.
Pyroplasmic Slooch
In early footage, the Pyroclasmic Slooch was one of the first new enemies revealed, and its name was instead "Pyroplasmic Slooch", a one letter difference from its current name.
Other changes
Title screen
In an early version of the title screen, the logo contained a "3" made of violet flowers, to resemble the flowers of the Rock and Winged Pikmin. In the final game, these flowers were changed to orange, possibly to represent Ultra-Spicy Spray. In addition, the earliest footage of the game showed that it was originally much dimmer than the final version, although this was possibly due to the fact that the lighting engine wasn't complete at the time it was shown.
Pikmin 3's original logo and darker setting.
Pikmin 3's final logo and more lit-up design.
Crystals
In the earliest footage of Pikmin 3, Crystals were much more opaque. In the final game, they were changed to be completely transparent.
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Crystals, as they looked in the game's early production.
Crystals, as they appear in the final game.
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