Greetings! I am about to review the game Pikmin 2, one of the later titles released on the GameCube. Like its prequel, Pikmin, the game is an action/adventure/strategy game, and is rated E for Everyone.
Much like the original, Pikmin are small, ant-like creatures. In other words, they can carry things several times their own weight, take down larger foes when working together, you get the idea.
Plotline:
Captain Olimar, returning from the Pikmin Planet with his newly repaired spaceship, the Dolphin, lands on Hocotate, which strangely resembles Saturn. His landing spot is Hocotate Freight, his place of employment. When he exits his spaceship, he finds his boss, or the president as he is also called, and a lower ranking pilot, Louie, waiting for him. The president explains what happened when Olimar was gone. It turns out that Louie, while delivering a bunch of Golden PikPik carrots, was attacked by a ravenous space bunny that devoured all the PikPik Carrots and sent Hocotate Freight into bankruptcy! The president says that he had to sell Olimar's ship, the Dolphin, which is quickly snatched away by a floating robot. Even though the Dolphin was sold for a high price, the president still needs 10,100 Pokos to repay the loose of the carrots. Olimar, in shock, drops the large bottle cap he brought back with him. The only remaining ship, which resembles a large trash can of some kind, activates and sucks the bottle cap inside, and tallies its value as 100 Pokos! The president, surprised by this amount of money from the bottle cap, sends Olimar and Louie back to Pikmin Planet in the only remaining ship. Now back on the planet, it is up to Olimar, Louie, and the incredible Pikmin do save Hocotate Freight!
The days in Pikmin 2 are 15 minutes long, but the clock stops ticking when you go into a cave. Unlike the first game, Pikmin 2 has an unlimited amount of days for you to explore. You must use the Pikmin wisely to gather treasure, defeat enemies, reproduce more Pikmin, and many other things! Here is a brief rundown on the Pikmin.
Red: These Pikmin are resistant to fire and have the greatest strength in battle. These are the first type of Pikmin you find.
Yellow: These Pikmin can be thrown the highest, and have had their ability to throw bomb rocks replaced with the resistance to electrity. These are the fourth Pikmin you find.
Blue: These Pikmin can survive in water, and act as lifeguards for drowning Pikmin. These are the last type of Pikmin you find.
Purple: A brand new type of Pikmin, these guys have ten times the strength and weight of normal Pikmin, and are a whole lot slower. They can carry treasure normal Pikmin can't, but are much slower. They can also stun enemies they are thrown on or nearby, depending on the size of the creature. They aren't resistant to any element. These are the second type of Pikmin you find.
White: Another new type of Pikmin, these guys are much quicker than normal Pikmin. They are resistant to poison and can see treasure buried underground. When eaten by enemies, they poison the creature, knocking off a large, medium, or small amount of the creature's health, depending on the size of the creature. These are the third type of Pikmin you find.
Now, onto the Review. The scores are 1-10, 1 being the worst and 10 being the best.
Story: 7 (Good)
The story is nice overall, but can be quite repetitive in certain areas, such as the caves. The story does change to a rescue mission after you get 10,000 Pokos though, which gave it this semi-high ranking. But, it does seem unlikely for a space bunny to attack a spaceship, which must mean Olimar and Louie are just plain unlucky. Despite some odd events in the story, it still has a decent ranking of 7/10.
Difficulty: 9 (Quite Challenging)
The difficulty of the game has increased by a large amount. One reason is that a certain type of Bulborb species never sleeps, and doesn't give up a chase very easily. Some of the bosses are insanely hard and can wipe out your entire Pikmin squad in mere seconds, such as the dreaded gun-wielding Man-At-Legs. The final boss also has a weapon of each element, which can take a toll on your squad. The conditions give the game a solid 9/10 difficulty.
Sounds: 10 (Perfect)
Every sound is realistic, from the waddling in water, to the cracking of the eggs, and even the ghastly wail of the dreaded Waterwraith. It sounds like everything is happening to you, even the explosions. Because of the incredible sounds you experience during this game, the sound system definetly earns a 10.
Graphics: 10 (Perfect)
Wow! No matter where you look, from any angle, any distance, you can't see even a trace of a pixel! Nintendo's really outdone themselves this time.
Characters: 6 (Decent)
The game only has four main characters, the president, Olimar, Louie, and the Pikmin. Louie loses his spotlight after the 10,000 Poko mark, where the president steps in. Olimar's family is heard from several times in Email, as is Louie's after he goes missing.
Entertainment: 10 (Awesome)
Through thick or thin, you’re going to have fun playing Pikmin 2. The massive levels can entertain you for hours on end, the fierce battles with the bosses and enemies can keep you on the edge of your seat, and you can give your brain some time to develop strategies against enemies or bosses you encounter or solve the sometimes complex puzzles located through the game. The now unlimited days make it a whole lot more fun, as you aren't having a race against time. No matter what, Pikmin 2 will entertain to the end.
Overall View: 9 (Incredible)
When you combine all the features listed above, you get a game that won't stop amusing you. If you have a GameCube and don't own Pikmin 2, I highly suggest you go get yourself a copy, and maybe a copy of the original Pikmin while you're at it. Happy gaming!
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