Pikmin series
The Pikmin series is a video game series owned by Nintendo that focuses on using Pikmin to perform various tasks, such as carrying objects and fighting enemies. It consists of 4 main games, 5 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 Bloom |
| 2022 | |
| 2023 | Pikmin 1 (Nintendo Switch) Pikmin 2 (Nintendo Switch) Pikmin 4 |
Main games and re-releases
- Pikmin (GameCube) – Captain Olimar must gather thirty ship parts before his life-support system fails.
- New Play Control! Pikmin – Re-release for the Wii with motion controls.
- Pikmin 1 (Nintendo Switch) – Re-release for the Nintendo Switch with HD graphics.
- 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 with motion controls.
- Pikmin 2 (Nintendo Switch) – Re-release for the Nintendo Switch with HD graphics.
- 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 and features some other changes.
- Pikmin 4 (Nintendo Switch) – The Rescue Corps must collect treasures and rescue castaways as they try to find Captain Olimar.
Spin-offs
- Hey! Pikmin (3DS) – Olimar must collect Sparklium via treasures in order to power his ship.
- Pikmin Bloom (Mobile devices) – An augmented-reality walking-themed application.
Secondary media
- The Wii U launch title Nintendo Land has a Pikmin-themed attraction, called Pikmin Adventure.
- The Pikmin Short Movies are a trio of Pikmin animated shorts.
- Pikmin.com SpaceForce was a browser game made to promote Pikmin.
Future Games
Confirmed to happen, and Nintendo hopes the wait will be less than the one between 3 and 4.
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.
- The protagonist of Pikmin 4 – a new officer in the Rescue Corps.
- Oatchi – a space dog who serves as the main character's partner in Pikmin 4.
Reception and sales
The main four games have been received well by critics, getting average scores of between 87/100 and 90/100 on the review aggregator site Metacritic. Hey! Pikmin received average reviews, with criticism aimed at its simplistic puzzles.[1] The total number of sales for the series is approximately 9.27 million as of Febuary 2024,[2] with the best-selling game in the series being Pikmin 4.
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, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, in which Olimar is a playable character, and two Pikmin-themed stages appear – 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.
Hey! Pikmin, North American box art.
Hey! Pikmin, Japanese box art.
Pikmin 3 Deluxe, North American box art.
Pikmin 3 Deluxe, original Japanese box art.
Pikmin Bloom, app icon.
Pikmin 4, box art.
See also
External links
- Official website
- Official website (European)
References
- ^ Hey! Pikmin on Metacritic
- ^ Pikmin series on VGChartz, retrieved on March 2nd, 2024
| 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 |