Pikmin 3

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Logo, as seen in a Nintendo Direct video in 2013.

Most recent official box art for the game.

Pikmin 3 is the third game in the Pikmin series, set to be released for the Wii U on July 13, 2013 in Japan and on August 4, 2013 in North America. It was revealed at E3 2012 along with a gameplay presentation and several playable demos on the showcase floor. Major new elements announced include Rock Pikmin, Winged Pikmin and four captains.

Note: some details on this page are inferred from gameplay videos and trailers, and may not be entirely accurate. In particular, only Challenge Mode gameplay has been shown, so statements may not apply to other game modes.

Gameplay

The gameplay of Pikmin 3 is largely similar to that of the other two games in the series in that players use the Pikmin to accomplish tasks, and the five existing Pikmin types have been confirmed for the game. New gameplay elements include the Rock Pikmin, used to destroy the armor of enemies and other tough objects; the Winged Pikmin, which hover low above the ground; and new hazards such as ice and magma, which require new tactics to overcome. Pikmin have demonstrated new abilities not previously encountered, such as riding down a natural slide to gather materials and collecting stones from piles around the area to build bridges.

No returning characters have been announced, and four new ones are introduced in the game: a pink-haired girl, a brawny man with a military-haircut, a small man with blue-green hair, and a lanky green-haired man. These Pikmin leaders are able to throw other leaders in Pikmin 3 (though at a lower angle than Pikmin), allowing for new puzzles. Throwing a leader seems to have a similar effect to throwing a Pikmin: the thrown leader will perform possible actions in the surrounding area, such as picking buried Pikmin.

After completing a stage, the replay feature allows players to review their session using the GamePad and the television. The recorded game can be fast-forwarded, rewound or paused.

The game features a Challenge Mode, with three submodes; of these, Mission Mode challenges players to earn a high score by gathering the most fruit by value in a given time limit. The fruit is carried by Pikmin to a floating machine that resembles a satellite, which draws it in and stores it. At certain scores, medals are awarded to the player. Online multiplayer will not feature in the game, but local multiplayer will.

Controls

Players can play using Wii Remote Plus- and Nunchuk-based controls similar to those of the New Play Control! titles, or using the Wii U GamePad controller. With the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, to throw Pikmin, the player shakes the Wii Remote, unlike in the New Play Control! games, and Pikmin 3 adds the ability to shake the Nunchuk to "charge" up a throw.

The GamePad acts as an overhead map and radar to track Pikmin movements in real time. It allows players to move the camera around the area freely by sliding a finger across the touch screen, making it possible to view obstacles from all sides and giving greater flexibility in commanding multiple groups of Pikmin.

When the cursor is moved over an obstacle, enemy or fruit, the target gains a blue glow, and some information is displayed. A button press zooms in the camera and displays its name. In this game, captains gain a new action: they can perform a sideways roll to move out of the way of danger.

New enemies

• Armored Mawdad: a large armored millipede-like creature with pincers around its mouth that it uses to capture Pikmin before using its tongue to eat them. It can be defeated by breaking its armor with Rock Pikmin.
• Medusal Slurker: a Jellyfloat-like creature that attacks in the same way.
• Pyroplasmic Slooch: a magma slug that attacks by licking up Pikmin with its tongue.
• A flying caterpillar-like creature with dragonfly like wings and a curled, butterfly-like proboscis.
• A transparent squid-like enemy that lives underwater and releases poison.
• Whiptongue Bulborb: a white Bulborb that can snatch up Pikmin with its incredibly long tongue.
• Skutterchuck: A Dweevil-like creature that keeps a crystal on its back to defend and camouflage itself; this can be destroyed with Rock Pikmin to expose the creature.
• What appear to be Skitter Leaf-like enemies that look like dead leaves, with smaller, usually concealed leaf-like limbs for moving around. Unlike the Skitter Leaf, they can harm the Pikmin.
• 3-legged water strider-like bugs that can skate across the surface of water and hold water in a bulb on their back which is used to attack and then must be refilled somehow.
• Large fiddler crab enemy with an oversized claw that it uses to grab Pikmin with to eat them. It moves the claw around to block thrown Pikmin, and can expel bubbles which trap Pikmin and captains and float away, popping after a while and dropping anything they contain.
• Large, bio-luminescent moth-like creature that attacks by creating a tornado to suck Pikmin in. It is decorated with many coloured lights, and can become invisible by turning these off.
• Flying butterfly-like creatures that look a little different to Unmarked Spectralids; they stop and rest on Bulborbs' backs, much like how Unmarked Spectralids did in the Piklopedia in the second game.

New obstacles

• Gates made out of sand that look like sandcastles.
• Glass gates that Rock Pikmin can break.
• Crystal Nodule: large crystals that Rock Pikmin can break. They may have items inside.
• Spotcap: small mushrooms that block areas and can be broken by any Pikmin.
• Kingcap: a large Spotcap.
• Fragments: piles of pieces used to make bridges. A number above the pile shows how many pieces remain.
• Lily pads that captains and the Pikmin can stand on.

New Pikmin

Rock Pikmin: Rock Pikmin are basically rocks that have a Pikmin stem, legs, and arms. They are capable of breaking Crystal Nodules due to their physical properties also being similar to that of rocks. They are also the only Pikmin capable of breaking the armor of the Armored Mawdad. They are seemingly generated from the Medusal Slurkers.

Winged Pikmin: Appearing pink in color with large blue insect-like eyes, the Pink Pikmin are unique in that they have wings. This enables them to fly over hazards and carry objects through the air with ease. While it has not been explicitly stated, the Winged Pikmin have a pink pellet that they can carry, so it is assumed that they have an Onion.

Other elements

• Common Glowcaps can be found mostly buried beneath the ground. If a captain touches one of these, it emerges, rising to full height and shedding light on the nearby area. The game features very dark areas, making these useful plants.
• Pikmin 3 seems to feature updated graphics that are different from the first and second game, which seemed to have a very similar style of graphics. In Pikmin 3, there is much more texture, an example of which being that a Bulborb's spots seem to raise off the said Bulborb's back, rather than simply being markings on the back akin to the ladybug. Everything appears much glossier, and Pikmin stems seem to glow slightly.
• During the game, players will be able to take screenshots of the game from the Pikmins' point of view. Players can then post these screenshots onto Miiverse to share with other players.

History

Pikmin 3 was first announced during E3 2008, where Shigeru Miyamoto said, when asked about the Pikmin series, "We're making Pikmin." Nothing else about the Pikmin game in development was revealed, however. On 24th July 2008, Shigeru Miyamoto confirmed in an interview, "[the Nintendo development teams] are all working on new Mario, Zelda and Pikmin projects".

The game was originally planned for the Wii, but this was changed with the announcement of Nintendo's Wii U at E3 2011, where Pikmin 3 was confirmed for the new console. However, no confirmation has been made as to the exclusivity of Pikmin 3 to the Wii U console.

The announcement of the New Play Control! Pikmin games raised questions as to the feasibility of a Pikmin 3; following, in an IGN interview, it was made clear that the re-releases of Pikmin and Pikmin 2 are separate from Pikmin 3: Cammie Dunaway: It's not the Pikmin that Mr. Miyamoto referred to, no. Mr. Miyamoto referred to a new Pikmin, as opposed to the classics that are being re-released on Wii.

Artwork

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  A map of the area playable in the E3 demo

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  Playable captains in the game

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  North American Boxart

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Gallery

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  Pikmin battling an Armored Mawdad

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  An image of a Whiptongue Bulborb with a long tongue that acts similar to an anteater

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  Walking through a destroyed gate

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  A pile of Fragments

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  Pikmin carrying yellow rocks

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  Captains are able to throw Pikmin as well as other captains

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  Pikmin constructing a bridge

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  The ray-like enemy

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  The crab-like enemy

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  The butterflies, just flying off from a Red Bulborb

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  Another screenshot of the Whiptongue Bulborb, showing its name

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  Blue Pikmin with some new water enemies

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  Pikmin sitting on a vine

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  Returning fruit for points in Mission Mode

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  Pikmin on a lillypad with a new enemy overhead

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  Red Pikmin breaking down a Gate

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  Skitter Leaf-like enemies

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  Pikmin attacking a Red Bulborb

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  Pikmin being eaten by Pyroplasmic Slooches

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  Showing the Pyroplasmic Slooch's name

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  Red Pikmin near a Whiptongue Bulborb

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  A Whiptongue Bulborb attacking

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  A Fiery Blowhog near some Glowcaps

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  Unknown butterflies flying around a Spotty Bulborb

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  A closer view of the unknown butterflies

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  A Spotty Bulborb near two dead Dwarf Bulborbs

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  Another view of the Spotty Bulborb

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  Unnamed crab enemy attacking the Pikmin

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  Yellow Pikmin on a branch

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  A Dwarf Bulborb attacking a Red Pikmin

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  A Spotty Bulbear and Dwarf Bulbears

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  A Spotty Bulbear approaches

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  Close-up of a Spotty Bulbear

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  Another screenshot of the Spotty Bulbear

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  Yellow Pikmin and Rock Pikmin

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  Blue Pikmin submerged in water

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  Red Pikmin carrying gold rocks

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  A tablet-like communicator

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  The three captains walking

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  A frozen-over area

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  Older Pikmin 3 Logo, first seen at E3 2012.