In 2001, Pikmin was a fantastic launch title for Nintendo's GameCube, a real-time strategy game with accessible controls and stunning graphics. A fresh, new IP, it was a flag bearer for Nintendo's efforts to meld genres and reinvigorate their brand post-N64.
Seven years later, New Play Control! Pikmin is little more than filler in Nintendo's release calendar.
New Play Control! Pikmin's updated controls' proof is in the pudding. The game's point-and-click design replicates a computer mouse, and though the controller's over-simplified layout hinders the use of more buttons than A, Z and B, it still manages to improve upon the already pleasant GameCube controls. The game feels like it was engineered for the Wii, and should inspire more developers to consider Nintendo's console for RTS titles.
However, the controls alone do not warrant a new purchase. Nintendo's refusal to update the graphics means you'll be spending your game time staring at muddy textures and jaggy polygons. This game looked great half a decade ago, but HDTVs don't do the title any favors.
Full review after the jump...
For those that have never played Pikimin and have no interest digging up the original out of a used games bin, the title still comes recommended. It's a fun strategy game that's still unique. Olimar, our hero, who stands no taller than a pea pod, along with dozens of colorful Pikmin creatures, work together to find the missing pieces of his spacecraft: lifting items, attacking enemies and meeting comical untimely deaths along the way. The characters are full of life; they're possibly the most underappreciated character designs in the Nintendo canon.
That said, New Play Control! Pikmin exemplifies Nintendo's "most profit from least effort" strategy. Like the no frills Virtual Console emulations to the last-gen Wii hardware, this game's a money grab barely disguised by a low price tag and abandoned potential. Why isn't Pikmin 2 on the same disc? Why isn't their bonus content to warrant a re-purchase? Why are we paying $30 for a modified launch title for a dead console?
