NEW PLAY CONTROL! Pikmin

Olimar's Odyssey

A galactic navigator known from constellation to constellation for his hard work, Captain Olimar toiled day after day, shipping goods from planet to planet – always on time, always dependable.

But on one fateful day, a screeching asteroid slammed into Olimar’s trusty ship, the Dolphin, sending it into a perilous tailspin. Nearly destroyed, the Dolphin was able to make one last delivery: Captain Olimar, alive, on a strange planet.

Olimar awoke to see the remains of his miracle-working ship – broken into pieces, a skeleton of its former self. The good news, he thought, was that he was alive. The life-support system built into his suit gave him the bad news: The planet’s air was poisonous and his suit had enough power to support him for only 30 days.

As he searched the planet for help, Olimar soon learned he was not alone. On the first day, he discovered a plant-animal hybrid he named Pikmin. These creatures obeyed Olimar’s every command, allowing him to control them any way he wanted. As the commander and his subjects canvassed the area, they found a piece of the Dolphin, and now must scour the planet to salvage the pieces that remain.

The task is mighty: recover 30 pieces of the ship in 30 days, spread across a planet - filled with Pikmin-hungry animal life - that becomes more dangerous with each passing day. Will the commander find the parts to reconstruct the Dolphin?

It’s time to get to work.

Meet the Pikmin

With Olimar’s first steps on the planet, he encountered a strange pod, one that looked like an onion back on Hocotate. This ‘Onion’ spat a seed into the air, which sprouted with a red glow. Olimar plucked it from the ground and discovered this creature he called ‘Pikmin.’

Pikmin serve many roles for Olimar: demolition experts, labourers, warriors. They will do anything he commands and even let him throw them into the air. More Pikmin are created by bringing fuel in the form of beasts and pellets to the Onion. On the planet, there are three types of Pikmin, each unique, each loyal to their Captain.

Red Pikmin

Red Pikmin are the brutes of the bunch. Their attack does more damage to the animal life of the planet than the others. They’re also immune to the heat of fire. However, keep them away from water as they don’t know how to swim.

Yellow Pikmin

Yellow Pikmin are daredevils. The lightest in weight of the breeds, they like to catch the big air when they’re thrown, meaning they can reach the highest of heights. They’re the only breed of Pikmin willing to handle the dangerous Bomb Rocks found on the planet.

Blue Pikmin

Blue Pikmin would love nothing more than to waste a day away swimming in solitude in the pools of the planet. Their gill-like openings allow them to breathe in the water, which makes them invaluable members of Olimar’s team.

From Seed to Flower

The longer a Pikmin stays in the soil, the more it matures until its leaf turns into a bud and then a flower. Fully bloomed flower Pikmin are the fastest, strongest Pikmin. Bud Pikmin represent the mid-level of Pikmin development. Pikmin also fully bloom after they drink Nectar.

The Beasts

The only thing standing between Olimar and the parts of his ship are, well, everything - not the least of which are the beasts of the planet. They don’t have an appetite for the brave Captain, just his underlings. It’s not that they want to eat the Pikmin into extinction: Pikmin just taste so good, the beasts can’t help themselves.

Bulborbs

Can anything polka-dotted be dangerous? If it’s a hungry Bulborb, you bet. Its big eyes on the top of its head are as big as its stomach. But the eyes can’t see what’s going on behind it. From the back is the perfect place to strike and swarm this beast.

Fiery Blowhog

Some spouts are used to put out fires, a Fiery Blowhog’s snout starts them. This beast has a lot of love to give, to things that love fire. It can shake Pikmin off its back and then blast them with a stream of fire from his nose. A similar breed of Blowhog puffs out air.

Wollyhop

These chunky frog-like creatures leap into the sky and then slam themselves to the ground, crushing anything beneath it. Wollyhops can often jump into the sky when Pikmin are still latched onto them. It takes a swarm of Pikmin to weigh one down enough to stay on the ground.

Swooping Snitchbug

The two-armed flying pest follows your posse, swoops down, grabs two unsuspecting Pikmin and then plants them back into the ground. This bug must be dealt with immediately, knocking it out of the sky and then swarming it until it says good-bye.

Surviving the Planet

To some, 30 days feels like an eternity. For Olimar, the end of 30 days could send him to eternity. But the Captain knows how to move freight, and with the fearless Pikmin at his side, he will make the most of the secrets he learns on the planet to make every second count – and make sure they’re not his last.

Cutting Grass

At first, the way the Pikmin lag behind like a lost puppy is cute to Olimar – cute until they really do get lost and he runs into a big Bulborb. Fully maturing a Pikmin to the flower state is the only way Pikmin can keep up with Olimar and give him the speed he needs. When Olimar can’t afford to leave Pikmin planted in the ground, he can take them for a walk in the grass, where often sweet Nectar can be found. One sip of it instantly blooms his slowpokes.

Bomb Rocks

Bomb Rocks are essential to bringing down stone gates and can do major damage to beasts. However, they can also do major damage to Olimar and any Pikmin not smart enough to stay away from an explosion – which is all Pikmin. When he needs a Pikmin to throw a bomb, Olimar can command his Pikmin to separate into groups. The Yellow Pikmin with bombs stand in a separate group from the other Yellow Pikmin. He should then choose those few Yellow Pikmin to come with him, throw the Pikmin to place the bombs and then call them back to get out of the way. At the very least, this minimises the damage other Pikmin will take from bomb blasts.

Multitasking

Because Olimar can have up to 100 Pikmin with him at all times, it’s important to his livelihood to keep them all working. However, he also recognizes each Pikmin’s strengths and weaknesses, which is why multitasking becomes that much more important. For example, for each 100 Pikmin he has, 30 can be ordered to construct a bridge, 30 to tear down a wall and the rest can clear the area of beasts or work to make more Pikmin. It’s true that the more Pikmin working on a project, the faster a project gets done. However, as the game wears on, more and more Pikmin reserves will be needed if disaster strikes when running up against the big beasts of the game.

Practice with Challenge Mode

Once all three colours of Onions are discovered, Olimar can test his Pikmin reproduction skills in Challenge Mode. Separate from his adventure, Challenge Mode calls on Olimar to produce as many Pikmin as possible in one day. Each location is full of beasts, as well, so without superior battle skills, Olimar will start losing as many Pikmin as he grows.

WHAT'S NEW?

The NEW PLAY CONTROL! series from Nintendo features Nintendo GameCube classics updated for Wii! New features, new experiences and, most importantly, new ways to control the games are waiting for you, whether you’re new to the titles or have played the originals on GameCube.

For NEW PLAY CONTROL! Pikmin, the biggest control change concerns targeting. In the GameCube original, Olimar’s target moved where he moved, which made for some difficult aiming when precious seconds mattered. But with NEW PLAY CONTROL! Pikmin, targeting is as easy as pointing at the screen with the Wii Remote. Using the pointer capabilities of the controller not only makes it easier to move the target cursor, it gives players a precision that they could not experience previously. The Nunchuk controller is also used to play this game, with Olimar’s movements determined via the Nunchuk’s Control Stick and most Pikmin movements and orders doled out with the Wii Remote.

Commanding Pikmin

Without a strict measure of control, Pikmin will lollygag, lose focus and, most importantly, stop working. To make Pikmin pay attention and follow him, Olimar uses his whistle, activated by pressing the Wii Remote’s B Button. The sound of the whistle can be heard within a small circle, and Pikmin located within that circle will fall in line behind Olimar. The longer a player holds B, the bigger the circle gets. To determine the centre of that circle, players simply point the Wii Remote at the screen and move the on-screen target cursor.

Throwing Pikmin

Throwing a Pikmin is often the first attack Olimar makes against the beasts of the planet. To toss a Pikmin, use the Wii Remote’s pointer to move the targeting cursor. Once the target is established, press the A Button to throw a Pikmin. If many Pikmin are standing behind Olimar, players can keep pressing A to continuously throw Pikmin.

Swapping Pikmin

At the bottom-left corner of the screen, an icon shows which Pikmin Olimar is about to pick up and throw. If players want Olimar to throw a different colour of Pikmin, they can swap Pikmin (a feature not available in the original Pikmin for GameCube). Instead of releasing the A Button to throw, hold the A Button and then press the B Button to swap the Pikmin for a different colour (press B again if the third colour of Pikmin is desired). Then, release A to launch the little one into the air. Happy landing!

Swarming Pikmin

A Pikmin might not seem very threatening, but 100 Pikmin make even the largest beast sense its doom. Instead of throwing the Pikmin one-by-one, Olimar can order them to all move in one direction. To swarm, use the Wii Remote to point the target cursor at the desired location in which to swarm, then press and hold the Down Button on the +Control Pad. (Previously, this action was performed by moving the C Stick in a certain direction on the GameCube controller). When a ship’s part is found, Olimar needs to command them to swarm the object and carry it back to The Dolphin. Swarming is also used to move the entire group of Pikmin away from something dangerous, like water or fire.

Rank and File

On many occasions, Olimar will want only one group of Pikmin to follow him, but he wants to keep another colour group close by for quick access to them. At any time, Olimar can ask the Pikmin to stand at attention in their colour group. To do this, players simply press the Nunchuk’s C Button. Once Pikmin are in their appropriate group, players can point the Wii Remote at a group to target it, then press B to use Olimar’s whistle and make them follow him.

Time Travelling

In addition to the control enhancements, players can now ‘back up’ a few steps in a save file. In Pikmin for Nintendo GameCube, players were only able to replay the previous day if they were dissatisfied with their progress. However, in NEW PLAY CONTROL! Pikmin, players can revert to an even earlier day. If you’re playing on Day 10 and realise that you made a mistake in Day 8, you can go back and play Day 8. Your adventure then continues from that day.