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Pikmin is great!

February 6, 2002 › Sandy McMurray | comment

Pikmin for Nintendo GameCube Last night, I sat in front of the television for seven hours fighting giant frogs and growing an army of tiny plant people. If all goes well, I should be able to rebuild my spaceship this evening -- then I can return home and see my family.

I've been playing Pikmin on the Nintendo GameCube. The game is a unique and addictive combination of action, exploration, and problem-solving. Pikmin is simple enough for kids to play but challenging enough for adults.

Smerek's Law states that you can't describe a video game without sounding like an idiot, but here goes:

After crash-landing on a strange planet, a tiny spaceman named Captain Olimar must rebuild his ship before his life support systems fail.

The alien world is populated by plant-like creatures called Pikmin, which Olimar can control. As the spaceman, your mission is to explore the alien world and rebuild your ship before time runs out.

Pikmin is the latest creation of game designer Shigeru Miyamoto (creator of Mario, Donkey Kong and The Legend of Zelda, among others). The main characters in the game are charming. The bad guys -- mostly bugs and frogs -- are dangerous but not scary or menacing.

There's no need to read the manual if you don't want to; the action begins right away, and you're told everything you need to know as the game proceeds. The first few levels are simple, providing orientation and instant gratification; later levels are more complicated and challenging.

Most new video games are variations on a theme. There are sports games, racing games, fighting games and strategy games. It's rare that a new game breaks new ground.

Pikmin is a compelling argument in favour of getting a GameCube.

February 6, 2002 › Sandy McMurray | comment on this item