Pikmin 3 prerelease information

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Pikmin 3, like other games, went through several iterations that never made it to the public. Some of these had content that was changed or removed for the final release. In addition, there is unused content inside the disc that also hints at what type of content was meant to be in the final release, at one point.

Characters and Pikmin

Character D

File:Pikmin 3characters.png

The unused character "D" as shown at E3 2012.

To do: Link to the interview in a reference. Care to do so?

There was one character that never made it into the game in any footage whatsoever, and was scrapped early in development. He was showed off at E3 2012 in a bit of concept art, and all that was underneath him was the letter "D". With an interview with Shigeru Miyamoto, he stated that there were three leaders playable in the game, suggesting Character D was scrapped early on, since he was never shown in any footage. Since Alph, Brittany, and Charlie all had the first letter of their name under their art at E3 2012, it is speculated by fans that the character's final name was meant to be Drake, but this name was eventually moved to the game's ship, the S.S. Drake. A possible reason for the scrap could've been due to the fact that controlling and switching between four leaders would have been considered too chaotic.

Brittany

In a prototype version, Brittany's suit was yellow, both in-game and on concept art. In the final version, her suit was changed to pink. Her original concept art also lacked glasses, which she has in the final game.

• Pikmin 3 characters copy 3.png

  Early concept art of Brittany, showed off at E3 2012.

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  Brittany in her yellow suit in a prototype version of the game.

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  Different image of the prototype Brittany.

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  The full concept art piece.

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  The final version of Brittany.

Rock Pikmin

In the earliest footage shown of Pikmin 3, Rock Pikmin had a slightly different appearance, with slightly darker coloration and dark-colored limbs. They also made different sounds that sounded like lower-pitched versions of common Pikmin sounds. Each Rock Pikmin was also shaped slightly differently (e.g. some were shorter but wider). This made them seem more like real rocks, but the feature was eventually removed in the final game.

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  The original concept art for Rock Pikmin.

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  The Rock Pikmin's final look.

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  Rock Pikmin in the E3 2012 demo. Some are shaped differently.

Removed enemies

Main article: Unused content in Pikmin 3.

There are unused files inside the game for a handful of enemies, both new and returning. These got removed for reasons unknown.

• An unknown purple leech-like enemy.
• A version of the Wollywog with a crystal on its stomach. It is possible that it would've stomped with its crystal, and only Rock Pikmin could destroy it.
• A version of the Beady Long Legs with its round head replaced with a foot. It likely would've stomped with its head as well.
• A version of the Male Sheargrub that is rounder.
• An alternate-colored Ravenous Whiskerpillar.
• The Honeywisp.
• The Emperor Bulblax.
• The Wollywog.
• The Breadbug.

Changed mechanics

Lock-on

In an early build of the game, the lock-on feature would cause the camera to enter a tilt-shift mode to focus only on the creature, which would be highlighted in blue. The name of said creature was then displayed in simple blue text above it. This was greatly changed for the final game, which displays the name in a box in the lower right corner. This name is surrounded by Koppaite text stating "Space library lite", "Simple dictionary in the PIPAD", "Just has the names". With the update released on May 29^th, 2014, the lock-on mechanic featured two new images on the left side of the screen. One shows which control makes the Pikmin charge, and the other shows how to cancel the lock-on.

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  The prototype version of the lock-on mechanic.

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  The lock-on interface in the final game.

Whistle

File:Screenshot (18).png

A red character whistling.

Originally, the whistle in Pikmin 3 had a smaller radius than in the past two games, and lasted for a shorter length of time. This was later changed to be slightly larger and longer, and included the ability for the whistle to call Winged Pikmin by raising off the floor after fully expanding to create a cylindrical beam of light.

Throwing leaders

File:Screenshot 2014-05-04 at 8.57.05 PM.png

Notice how high up the red character is compared to the blue, his starting point.

In the early footage shown of the game, the leaders were first shown to have the ability to toss one another to access new locations. At this point in development, the leaders were thrown much higher than they are in the final game. This change was most likely made to rid the game of some areas where players could easily break the barriers.

Changed weights

• In the 2012 demo of Pikmin 3, the Insect Condo was shown as one of the fruits returning from Pikmin 2. In this footage, it required only 8 Pikmin to carry it, as opposed to the 10 required in the final game.
• In the E3 2012 demo, the Medusal Slurker required 7 Pikmin to carry, while in the final game, it can be carried by 6.
• In the E3 2012 demo, the Whiptongue Bulborb required 10 Pikmin to carry, while in the final game, you need 12 Pikmin.

Early names

• In the 2012 demo for Pikmin 3, the Golden Sunseed was referred to as the "Combustion Berry", sharing the same name as a fruit treasure that appeared in Pikmin 2.
• In early footage, the Pyroclasmic Slooch was one of the first new enemies revealed, and its name was instead "Pyroplasmic Slooch", a one letter difference from its current name.

Other changes

Title screen

In an early version of the title screen, the logo contained a "3" made of violet flowers, to resemble the flowers of the Rock and Winged Pikmin. In the final game, these flowers were changed to orange, possibly to represent ultra-spicy spray. In addition, the earliest footage of the game showed that it was originally much dimmer than the final version, although this was possibly due to the fact that the lighting engine wasn't complete at the time it was shown.

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  Pikmin 3's original logo and darker setting.

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  Pikmin 3's final logo and more lit-up design.

Crystals

In the earliest footage of Pikmin 3, crystals were much more opaque. In the final game, they were changed to be completely transparent.

• Pikmin3 BetaCrystal.jpg

  Crystals, as they looked in the game's early production.

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  Crystals, as they appear in the final game.

Early Cupid's Grenade location

One early screenshot of the game shows the snow pile with an iron ball that resembles the President. On top of this pile lies a Cupid's Grenade that is not in this location in the final game. It is likely that the Cupid's Grenade behind the sculpture is where this one was moved, as it is the closest to the earlier location.

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  The Cupid's Grenade in a different place.

Early juice counter icon

In the Nintendo Direct on May 17^th, 2013, the juice counter was seen for the first time. However, unlike the final version, which has an orange colored juice in the bottle, this version has a silver colored juice.

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  The juice counter in an early version.

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  The juice counter in the final game.

Early pause menu

Also in the same Nintendo Direct, the pause menu was shown. The last option says "To Ship's Log", which was later changed to "To Earlier Day" in the final game.

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  The pause menu in an early version.

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  The pause menu in the final game.

Minor changes

• The idea for a different end of day theme depending on how profitable the day was, like in Pikmin 2, might have been considered seeing as how there are unused files for a "happy" and a "sad" version of the Pikmin 3 song.

See also

• Prerelease information
• Unused content