Pikmin 3 Preview – Familiar Gameplay, Troubling Controls

After watching Nintendo’s press conference at E3 this year, I can easily say that Pikmin 3 is the game I am most excited about from the publisher.  I have been a HUGE Pikmin fan ever since I got the original back with my Gamecube 11 years ago. Seeing Nintendo finally show off the next game in the series was a welcome surprise.  When I got to Nintendo’s booth on day one of E3, I made sure it was the first game I got my hands on.

The mode that I played was essentially a time attack mode.  It played very similar to how Pikmin has played in past in which you explore the world and gather parts to bring back to your Onion (your spaceship), except returning items to your Onion in this demo would increase your score rather than generating new Pikmin.  The controls with the Wiimote and Nunchuk felt very familiar and natural, using the same controls as the New Play Control versions of the first two games.  Right away, everything came back to me.  I was gathering fruit, attacking enemies, knocking down barricades, etc.  Shortly into the demo the rock Pikmin  are introduced.  These Pikmin are new to Pikmin 3, and act as throwable projectiles.  I quickly found them useful in destroying a glass barricade, and defeating enemies with a hard outer shell that must first be cracked.

Towards the end of the demo, the nice lady at the demo station asked if I would like to try the Wii U Gamepad.  I was so engrossed into the game that I had completely forgotten that I was still playing with the Wiimote!  With three minutes left in the demo, I made the switch.  As much as I hate to say it, controlling the game with the Gamepad was imprecise and clunky.  Using the Gamepad, the position of the cursor is controlled by the tilt sensor.  Tilting the Gamepad forward and back positioned the cursor further and closer in the distance, and tilting left and right follow similarly to what was happening on screen.  This requires you to hold the Gamepad in an awkward vertical position that I would forsee becoming uncomfortable during long play sessions.  The other Gamepad functionality includes a minimap of the area displayed in real-time on the handheld screen.  While a nice touch, I found I wasn’t really paying it much attention.

As far as the graphics are concerned, Pikmin 3 looks great.  The series has always been known for its photo realistic natural environments, and Pikmin 3 continues the trend.  It’s nothing revolutionary mind you, but it’s also one of Nintendo’s first attempts at an HD game, so I’m willing to cut it some slack.

No official release date just yet, but Nintendo has stated that it will be available during the “Launch Window”.  Overall, I walked away impressed.  My biggest concern is the Gamepad controls, but time will tell if anything changes between now and the retail release.