When I first played Pikmin in 2001, it ended up becoming the surprise hit from the Nintendo GameCube launch window for my family. As a 13-year-old, admittedly, I didn’t actually know a lot about the real-time strategy game when I brought it home alongside Luigi’s Mansion and Wave Race: Blue Storm. However, it only took me an hour of diving into Shigeru Miyamoto’s new puzzle adventure before I immediately became hooked. Whether you are a nostalgic fan or a newcomer who has always wanted to play the popular GameCube series’ origins, Nintendo has given us the chance to experience the classic once again with the HD Switch re-release of Pikmin in 2023.
The Nintendo Switch port gives the space adventure a fresh coat of paint with high-definition resolution visuals and a new wide-screen aspect ratio. Unfortunately, Pikmin is outshined by Nintendo’s recent Switch re-release outings, such as The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening and the Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl remakes.
Pikmin offers no extra frills and is as straightforward as a port can be in comparison. Making its shortcomings even more noticeable is the recent release of the excellent Pikmin 4, which saw the franchise reach new heights with massively improved gameplay and features. Because of this, new players who started with Pikmin 3 or Pikmin 4 may experience whiplash when jumping into the HD re-release. Despite the missed opportunity to do more with the beloved GameCube title, though, Pikmin still holds up today.
Screenshot by Siliconera
While its features are scaled back substantially compared to later entries, Pikmin is held together by its incredibly fun gameplay that made the franchise a hit back in 2001. After crash-landing on an unknown planet, you take control of Captain Olimar, who discovers a new plant-like species called Pikmin. Within minutes, the accessible gameplay will have you guiding an army of the adorable creatures around like a conductor leading a symphony. The more Pikmin you collect, the more items scattered around the map you can interact with, which leads to new areas.
Pikmin‘s gameplay loop creates a snowball effect that is extremely rewarding. Although not as advanced as its sequels, the GameCube classic still adds complexity to the title’s main mechanic by having three different Pikmin colors. Red Pikmin are more durable for fighting and can survive fire, whereas Yellow use bombs and can be thrown high into the air. Finally, Blue Pikmin can interact with water-based environments. The goal is to find the missing parts of Olimar’s broken ship within 30 days, and building up the right team of Pikmin is essential to doing this.
Screenshot by Siliconera
So outside of a higher resolution, you may be wondering what Pikmin on the Switch actually offers. Unlike some of Nintendo’s other re-release projects, the HD title has rock-solid frame rates that rarely drop. Even at 30 FPS, there is no better feeling than controlling an army of 100 Pikmin on screen. The most noticeable change, however, is the game’s new widescreen visuals. With the improved aspect ratio in Pikmin, it’s actually easier to use your Pikmin as you get a fuller view of your environment and the enemies that inhabit it.
For those feeling nostalgic about the 2001 GameCube launch title, there is no better way to play it than Pikmin. Those returning already know what to expect, and the HD visuals are likely more than enough for most fans. For newcomers looking to dive back into the series’ origin for the first time, know that the re-release is a basic port with no extra features. So while it still has that addicting gameplay the franchise is known for, its features and story are largely scaled back. You may be better off jumping into the Pikmin 2 HD re-release instead, which already showed pretty substantial improvements from its predecessor.
As far as this fan goes, I couldn’t stop smiling from ear to ear while playing the re-release. Pikmin 1 may not be as refined or as fun as the latest Pikmin 4, but the HD port allowed me to re-experience the magic of the game that my 13-year-old self originally fell in love with. I just can’t help but wonder what could have been had the Miyamato classic been given a proper remake treatment with modern features instead.
Pikmin is available now on the Nintendo Switch.
