Review: Hey! Pikmin! (3DS)

I find it funny that I intended to write my Sonic Mania review before this, and yet here I am writing a review for a totally unrelated game. At the time of writing this, I wasn't even 100% on Sonic Mania nor had I fought the final boss, yet this game, I had and I didn't want to play it quite as much as Sonic Mania. Irony? Or laziness?

For a bit of background before we start, though: I have played all of the Pikmin games prior to this one. While I have not gotten far in Pikmin 3, I have completely finished Pikmin and Pikmin 2. I was rather surprised, then, to hear that the next Pikmin game would not only be on 3DS, but wasn't going to be an RTS. I don't really recall the reasons that were stated as to why this change was being put into effect. Perhaps it had something to do with the fear that it would be a "number managment" game or perhaps they were worried about the movement being constrained to feeling too much like the mouse + keyboard type of gaming that other RTS's have. Quite frankly, I wouldn't have cared, but it does interest me that the style was picked to be decidedly different.

This all comes down to what Hey! Pikmin is. This game is a side-scrolling, 2.5D puzzle/platformer/rapid tap game. I will explain the rapid tap element to this game as the review progresses. Let's start with how this game's story unfolds.

We rejoin Captain Olimar after a time of playing with a different crew altogether, only to find that he has crash landed on yet another planet with Pikmin. It begs the question of how many planets have Pikmin as natural inhabitants and what implications this offers for the universe. Also, Captain Olimar has crash landed...again. At least he has an excuse this time: His wrap drive failed on his way back home and dropped him off traveling at an extremely high velocity in the middle of a super tight asteroid cluster. Despite being an expert pilot, his skills do not save him from the clustered space rocks at the speeds he is traveling and thus he ends up crash landed for the umpteenth time.

The ship, the S. S. Dolphin II, brings Olimar up to speed on their situation. The ship is in vital lack of a fuel source for the warp engine, a substance called Sparklium. Olimar then, much to his surprise, comes across Pikmin yet again. From here, he begins his journey in search of fruit that contains Sparklium, or objects that contain it that the ship can use on its journey back to power the warp engine.

So what is Sparklium, exactly? The game never specifically states, other than it is a fuel source that must be obtained in large quantities in order to make interstellar jumps. It can be found from shiny fruit, or objects that sparkle. I'm going to take this to mean that any object that gleams even the slightest amount can contribute Sparklium, which makes no explainable sense. In the other Pikmin games, the objects made some sense: ship parts in the first one, treasure in the third one, fruit for food supplies in the third one. Now we have...shiny objects for use as a strange sort of fuel source? I'm going to go ahead and blame "Nintendo Logic" here and simply let this one stand for now.

Past the introduction, the story takes a back seat. Instead, the gameplay is primarily a focus on level exploration, letting the Pikmin wander a Pikmin Park to harvest more Sparklium, and exploring the levels for shiny objects. It is here that the biggest drawback to this game's style comes into play as a Pikmin game. There is no open world to travel, no primary hub to explore, no continuous area to explore like in Metroid. Instead, each sector is divided into levels, and each level contains its own Pikmin, its own puzzles and enemies, and never changes.

Part of what made the main Pikmin games fun was the open world and the changing overworlds. As time passed, changes occurred that were either beneficial or harmful, often requiring a player to readapt to survive a brand new situation or learn a new enemy. However, in Hey! Pikmin, every single level is the same layout for all time. There is no need to adapt to a new circumstance, there is no need to farm for Pikmin or guard their lives between levels, and because of this, the replayibility of this game is incredibly shallow. This game is definitely a "one and done" based on the progression alone, a serious drawback to the game that leaves a nasty mark that the rest of the game has to try and build up to keep this game from falling to pieces already. With that, let's move on to the gameplay.

The main gameplay generally sticks to a very, very simple control scheme. The circle pad moves Captain Olimar, and the touch screen is used for literally everything else. The whistle, the jetpack that lets Olimar move about on his own over gaps (finally), and tapping on the screen to throw Pikmin in the designated area of the tap. The only other buttons, besides start/select, that are used are the L/R buttons to bring up a basic map to show "here's where there be stuff" as you explore a level and to give the player a better idea of the surrounding area.

The simplistic controls work well and seem to be there to encourage looking around and exploration without needing to learn a great deal about the controls. However, the controls are too simple. Basic Pikmin always had throwing and whistling, this is true, but they also had the ability to dismiss and guide Pikmin in a general direction, and depending on how it was done, Pikmin could easily be split into groups to do specific tasks. While the Pikmin groups remain for Hey! Pikmin, the other two do not. Olimar has very limited control of his Pikmin, only being able to disband them by activating his jetpack, and not being able to guide them in a direction or point them to something without physically influencing them via throwing or whistling or pushing against an obstacle with them close by to push with him. This results in a very Lemming-like behavior from the Pikmin which results in high levels of frustration from the Pikmin wandering right back into danger instead of being smart enough to walk around it or hit it on their own, among other problems that they face. This is an instance where I actually found myself desiring at least one or two more steps of complexity to the controls to allow for more control.

I feel that the reason that the controls are so simple is to streamline the experience and allow players to enjoy the levels and pay attention for hazards rather than constantly worrying about what they're doing. This doesn't work for two main reasons: I always find myself having to worry about how to make the Pikmin do what I need them to anyway, and the levels are just boring. There are times that the sights are a marvel to behold, but after the initial display, the levels start to become very much the same kind of a level. The whole point of a level is to attempt to explore it completely, find the Pikmin scattered throughout it by whistling to draw them out of their hiding, and keep them alive while finding all of the Sparklium treasures and the exit. Appeal in other areas seems to have been lost as well, unfortunately.

The charm of Pikmin interaction and the smooth flow of dungeon and overworld exploration has taken a rather solid hit. In Pikmin 2, 3 and some in 1, a lot of the Pikmin's charm came from background elements, such as how they were hanging out when found, or the hums they did or their various background chirps. Pikmin's cuteness and charm was a background element that players could enjoy while maintaining focus on the adventure ahead. In Hey! Pikmin, the game seems intent to shove the cuteness factor around by pausing the game for an unskippable cutscene of the Pikmin being...well, Pikmin. These cutscenes range from mildly amusing to annoying and unnecessary. For instance, sometimes the Pikmin will encounter an enemy while getting something, which is just a way to signal ahead of time that the enemy that will die in the next two seconds was there. There are a few times that the Pikmin are silly and genuinely funny, such as a winged Pikmin scaring off a breadbug but also scaring itself without realizing it had scared off the breadbug thanks to a leaf mask it was using. These cutscenes can later be skipped, but since they are unskippable to start with, it halts the game to push a cutscene that didn't need to be there.

The level design isn't generally terrible otherwise. The game has some slightly clever moments with the pathing and it is possible for a player to make it impossible to progress if impatience is demonstrated or otherwise due diligence or care is not exercised when progressing. Other solutions are somewhat obtuse, but not to the level that it is impossible to find out without methodical testing or a guide. Enemies range from annoyances to interesting roadblocks that take some time and thought to solve. Bosses are rather fun as well, offering a variety of challenges to the player in addition to challenging what the player has learned to do with their Pikmin. In fact, I would argue that the bosses are a highlight to the game, as they are the only time that Pikmin combat is done with the same puzzle element as in the main levels or done on the level as the main games. Other fun challenges can arise from using the Pikmin with their abilities to solve puzzles or traverse the terrain, especially with blue and winged Pikmin.

Speaking of the Pikmin, the types from the third game all make an appearance as the only Pikmin available, though I do believe that white and purple Pikmin can be brought in with amiibos. Olimar can only have a maximum of 20 in his party, which may seem frightening to veterans of the series as the number is small and can vanish very quickly. However, 20 is all that is needed for a variety of reasons, not just the reduced space and the reduced Pikmin requirements for puzzles. The only time the player will see more than 20 Pikmin on screen is the Pikmin park, a place where the Pikmin go after they've been brought back from an expedition to hang out with the rest and gather sparklium treasures in the background while Olimar explores and finds more Pikmin to bring back. This game lacks a resource management system outside of the levels that contain the puzzles and Pikmin to solve them, leaving very little reason to attempt to keep as many Pikmin as possible from level to level except to achieve treasures that require 16 or more Pikmin. The only way to generate more Pikmin in the park is to play side-games for "8" pellets that generate 8 more Pikmin of that color in the park to speed up their farming process. This leaves the park as a small distraction to pay attention to when treasures are found, but otherwise leaves very little to do in the game and offers basically nothing more of value for the game itself. I feel that this is a missed opportunity to use it to farm for Pikmin and require the player to pick and choose Pikmin between missions, and risk taking the wrong ones for the level and require replay with the right Pikmin to gather everything. It would add an interesting layer to the game, one that the game desperately needs.

On the subject of game challenge, this game has very little to offer. This game is intended to be a casual play, which is a hinderance more than a benefit. I only got a game over once in this game, and it was due to something I largely had no control over. All of the challenge of this game generally comes from the player not knowing what to expect from a boss or around a corner in a level, leading to cheap Pikmin death or damage taken because of a lack of foresight. This is especially true of bosses, where the primary cause of Pikmin loss is never from the boss being a true challenge, it is from simply not knowing what the boss does with its patterns and being unable to react fast enough. Even in the instances where the boss should be difficult, such as the final fight, the only times I lost Pikmin were not knowing where to move in time because of my lack of knowledge of the fight. I still beat it in one go.

There are points where this game does present some semblance of challenge, though, and this is where the lack of challenge elsewhere becomes detrimental. There are extra levels, found by a "secret" exit in one of the levels in a sector. I put secret in parentheses because, with the exception of one level in sector 5, all of the exits are quite obvious and easy to find. All of these secrets areas offer a little extra challenge on top of what this game already offers, and sometimes ask the player to be familiar with the Pikmin's physics and AI and how to manipulate the Pikmin to get them to survive or function.

As stated before, the Pikmin have limited control over them and are rather dumb. They'll walk mindlessly or sit idly until they are found or given an order. They trip (much to my annoyance), they will walk right into an enemy and kill themselves if thrown past it by accident, they might get themselves stuck or just behave in odd ways that make no sense. Generally, they do follow Olimar, and do their best to keep up with Olimar and not make much of a fuss, and when they work, the game can be played as normal. When they don't work, or the situation presents something where the AI and controls buckle, frustrations occur.

I already talked about tripping. It's a rather comical occurrence that generally shouldn't have the chance to happen, and for good reason. It's a random chance of occurring and can occur at the worst possible moment. I have had Pikmin in Hey! Pikmin trip just before I go into a door, which means they don't follow me through...and some of these doors are doors I cannot go back through for one reason or another. Idle Pikmin automatically get counted as "dead" in the totals at the end level if they are not picked back up quickly enough. Missing throws is often a far larger punishment than it needs to be. A bad throw into fire or lava is one thing, missing a throw and having the Pikmin commit suicide is another thing altogether. There is nothing more infuriating to me than missing a breadbug by an inch, having the Pikmin turn around, and then the Pikmin walks into the enemy from the back and dies inexplicably to "touch-you-jutsu". Oh, and Pikmin can walk off edges and to their deaths too, if you happen to call them from a bad spot.

At least the "call" function works well in this game. It has a wide range and Pikmin respond immediately. However, it quickly becomes an annoyingly integral part of the game. When Pikmin are called, they will tightly cluster behind Olimar, and move at his pace as much as they can. This is a "must know" for some of the game's later mechanics that can only really be figured out by watching how the Pikmin move around Olimar when the whistle is blown. It is vital to master this mechanic to have the Pikmin dodge tightly spaced attacks, tighten up against Olimar to avoid wall crush on a vertical scrolling stage, or things like that. This would not be detrimental if it weren't so vital. The call function acts as a very limited form of "Pikmin control" and after a duration, the Pikmin resume their normal spacing and don't cluster as much, leaving them vulnerable and requiring a timing to the whistle to dodge attacks or guide Pikmin through tight spaces. 

There are good gameplay mechanics, though...not everything is really that bad. The jetpack is a godsend for Olimar in this game. Why he couldn't use it earlier is beyond me, but the jetpack affords Olimar limited flight time, allowing him to cross gaps and go to areas that can't be reached otherwise. However, most normal Pikmin cannot follow Olimar and will not even try to when he does this. This can afford "placing" Pikmin for a while to go and investigate something without endangering them. Winged Pikmin, however, will follow Olimar...though I have no problems with winged Pikmin, or blue Pikmin, or red Pikmin either, generally. The only two types I have some issues with are the Yellow Pikmin and Rock Pikmin.

I haven't really touched on combat yet, so let's do that here. Combat is done by Pikmin throwing, and only Pikmin throwing. As stated before, there is no "Pikmin guiding" and Pikmin can only inflict damage on a throw, oddly enough. Olimar throws the Pikmin at the speed with which you can tap the stylus to the touch screen. So, rev up that forearm and get to tapping, but also remember to place your taps carefully. Throwing Pikmin at certain points on regular enemies will allow the Pikmin to cling to enemy or otherwise stun it. In fact, most normal fights actually come down to precision throwing. Hitting a breadbug just right, or having Pikmin latch onto the top of an enemy to damage it are the primary ways of dealing damage...most of the time. However, there are instances where rapid tapping becomes the primary way of dealing with threats, and this is where the game begins to fall apart around its own combat system.

There are three situations where rapid tapping not only becomes favorable, it also becomes necessary in some instances. Underwater, in the air with winged Pikmin, and in boss fights. Blue Pikmin travel in a straight line and damage whatever they hit upon impact underwater. Winged Pikmin do the same in the air. As such, the game often throws lots of enemies, resulting in a mass flurry of throws be needed to ward off the enemies and keep Pikmin alive and Olimar's health stable. This rather dumb mechanic can lead to fun moments but is otherwise rather counterintuitive to the rest of the gameplay. Where the rest of the challenge thrives might be through boss fights, but even those fall to rapid tapping at the end of the day. Each boss generally has a point where their weakness is vulnerable, either by throwing Pikmin at a specific point or doing a specific series of steps to make the boss vulnerable. Once the boss is vulnerable, it is a matter of positioning Olimar correctly and launching as many attacks as possible before the boss shakes itself off and goes through its patterns. This leads to the bosses being disappointingly easy and simple, the highlight being that at least there is something more to them than most of the other levels.

Finally, on the subject of Pikmin throwing. The only three Pikmin that are reliable in their arcs are winged Pikmin, blue Pikmin, and red Pikmin. Winged Pikmin travel in a straight line no matter what, and on land, blue and red Pikmin all have set arcs that are intuitive that bring them right to the designated point that was tapped. Yellow Pikmin tend to fly a little farther than the pointer, or can fly in odd trajectories that make them hard to aim ideally, making them frustrating to use. And Rock Pikmin...these guys fly in arcs that are slightly off, I feel. That, or their hitboxes are wacky. Either way, I've missed more than my fair share of targets with these guys and it becomes quite infuriating when you lose a rock Pikmin to the dumbest thing because of a throw that wouldn't have missed with another Pikmin. Would it be unreasonable, perhaps to give us a throw trajectory to go along with that crosshair, Nintendo?

Finally, on the subject of presentation as a whole. This game is pretty underwhelming as a whole. It has its moments, and the music can be pretty good, but when most of the levels are either uninteresting and not a challenge. When they do decide to be a challenge, like the secret level from sector 8, the challenge comes off as unwarranted and there is little way to prepare the player for the mess that these levels become. The areas are graphically appealing for a short while but quickly lose their charm and the music can be fairly forgettable after a time.

And...there's not much more to talk about. This game is generally unimpressive and a somewhat fun holdover at best. This game is not a hard game, it does not take long to finish, and it is criminally bland and average save for the sparks of inspiration and the joy of discovering the solution to the rather simplen puzzles. With the jarring experience, the strange difficulty spikes, the frustrations born of poor design in many instances, and a plot that doesn't even make sense for a Pikmin game of all things...this game feels like there wasn't a lot of passion poured into it. It was a test to see if it worked, but the developers put their foot into the water, felt it was cold, and pulled back without just trying to settle in. This game is a "one and done" deal for most people, with very little replay value except for playing levels to gain max sparklium or keep every Pikmin alive or things like that.

I give this game a 6/10. It is nowhere near the caliber expected from a Nintendo game or a Pikmin game. Fans of the series may still find enjoyment from this, but as far as introducing newbies goes, this is a terrible game to start with. Start with Pikmin 2. Then play 3. Then play 1 if you're interested in seeing the roots of this game series. This game could stand to be better, but falls so far short in crucial areas that it gimps itself and ultimately winds up being less than average.