Pikmin 2 is one of those games that I dreamed of playing for the last nearly 20 years. As a young kid, I remember seeing its demo on a GameCube at the local game store and always being intrigued by its colorful space adventure. Finally checking it out for several hours for the first time, I’m convinced it is a one-of-a-kind gem, flaws and all.
The remastered Nintendo Switch game kicks off with Captain Olimar finding out his company is in deep dirt. To help the it out, he has to return to the home of the adorable Pikmin to find weirdly-named, everyday treasures like batteries and oranges to sell for cash.
This simple premise allows for some radical changes from the first game, such as new Pikmin creatures like the white and purple ones, the ability to control Louie, and the stress-free nature of its daily cycle. Even though this was my first foray in the series, I quickly settled into the rhythm of defeating enemies, adding new colorful critters to my army, and digging up treasure.
Screenshot by Siliconera
What holds this game back some from rising to its potential is the overall pacing. This is a straightforward remaster, not unlike the recent Metroid Prime Switch release. However, its gameplay isn’t quite as tight, largely because of the obnoxiously slow Pikmin.
While I appreciate how automated everything is from battling enemies to carrying treasure, they move at a literal snail pace. I would often find myself checking Twitter, working on an article, or twiddling my thumbs waiting for them to finish their task. Even something as simple as a fast-forward button would help alleviate this issue.
Screenshot by Siliconera
My pacing issues aside, there is nothing quite like Pikmin 2 and its siblings. Its mix of strategic gameplay and sim management aspects is wonderfully fresh. There are enough straightforward puzzles to make you think about how to progress to the next area or defeat a particular boss, but nothing too ridiculous to become frustrating.
In addition, the idea of mashing the A button repeatedly to throw Pikmin at foes or obstacles never gets old. It helps, too, that it has a relaxing level of difficulty that never feels stressful, even when you’re managing multiple squads and two protagonists simultaneously.
Pikmin 2 manages to keep its gameplay feeling wonderfully unique for the several hours I played as well. One minute I would be navigating a new area of the planet and scavenging for valuable treasure, and the next I would be exploring a dungeon-like cavern with multiple floors to tackle.
Altogether, the game doesn’t look that bad, either, in this iteration. I will admit that the resolution is not quite as sharp as I’d like, but it performs considerably well and fast when you get past the slow-moving nature of the Pikmin. It helps that the colorful creatures and goofy aesthetic hold up quite well. My only wish would be a replacement for the unappealing wavy font that is hard to look at in dialogue and cutscenes.
If you’re like me and haven’t checked this series out, this is a prime starting point. Just know that it won’t feature the modern graphics and features of later entries, like the upcoming Pikmin 4.
Pikmin 2 is available on the Nintendo Switch.
