Pikmin 3 releases this week in stores and on Nintendo eShop across Europe on July 26th, exclusively for Wii U. Fans have waited for almost a decade for this latest game in the critically acclaimed series, where lush vegetation and curious wildlife are brought to life with beautiful HD graphics. The Wii U GamePad, or as it’s referred to in the game KopPad, offers a new take on strategic gameplay. Use it as a map to divide and conquer, by tactically sending the three explorers to way-points in the area, or study your actions at the end of each day in the replay to improve your strategy. There’s also the Camera, which puts you in the tiny shoes of the travellers and turns your GamePad into a motion sensor-controlled camera that allows you to snap photos of your findings and share them on Miiverse! And if someone else needs the T.V, you can continue your solo game thanks to the Off-TV Play feature.
There are also new Pikmin types, Meet the Rock Pikmin who are the sturdiest of all Pikmin and can be used to smash through glass walls or enemies’ exoskeletons! Also making their debut are the Winged Pikmin, whose ability to fly lets them carry things above ground and lift blockades, forging new paths.
Story Mode: Take control of three new characters Alph, Brittany and Charlie, who are tasked with saving their home planet Koppai from starvation and searching the peculiar planet of PNF-404 for nutritious fruit. With PNF-404 full of hostile inhabitants, the intrepid trio are not alone – but thankfully they are aided by a diminutive army of plant-like Pikmin who obey their every command.
Not only does Pikmin 3 offer a single player story mode but also new multiplayer modes to take your game competitively or cooperatively online.
Mission Mode: You are given tasks to complete within a time limit, such as defeat a fiendish boss or collect as much fruit as possible. Play alone or co-operatively and aim for the highest score on the online leaderboard, where you can see how you compare to other Pikmin 3 players around the world!
Bingo Battle: A competitive multiplayer mode which puts you and a friend against each other, on a variety of different maps, to complete a line in a special Pikmin-themed bingo card. The Pikmin twist is that each square on the bingo card is an enemy to take down and collect, or an item or fruit to bring home. With numerous ways to play the maps and rules that can be customized, novices and veterans alike can enjoy employing different tactics to outwit their opponents!
