Pikmin 2
Encyclopedia
is a real-time strategy
video game developed by Nintendo
for the Nintendo GameCube
. It was released in Japan
on April 29, 2004, in North America
on August 30, 2004, in Europe
on October 8, 2004, and in Australia
on November 4, 2004.
Pikmin 2 is the sequel to Pikmin
, also for the Nintendo GameCube, and is considered an improvement over the previous title, receiving universal acclaim from reviewers.
In 2009, both Pikmin games were re-released for the Wii
as part of the New Play Control!
series.
battery
to a Dannon yogurt lid. Several of the treasures found on the planet are items from previous Nintendo ventures. Different obstacles and enemies make the retrieval of each treasure unique. The player must take into consideration the strengths, weaknesses, abilities, and numbers of each type of Pikmin when carrying out the challenges needed to retrieve these treasures. This is compounded in difficulty by the fact that no more than 100 Pikmin may be in play at any given time. The player is given one day at a time to play, with each day equaling about 13 minutes in real-time. Typical tasks involved in collecting treasures include defeating enemies, building bridges, destroying walls, or moving obstacles.
In addition to above-ground areas, cave
s can be found throughout the landscape. Caves contain multiple treasures and enemies spread across multiple sub-levels. Special rules apply to exploring caves. When the player is exploring a cave, time does not pass above ground due to a strong magnetic field. The main restriction regarding cave exploration is that there is no access to the Pikmin Onions (the creatures' mother ships). This means that once players enter a cave, they can only use the Pikmin that they brought with them (see Bulbmin for the exception). There are a total of 105 sublevels divided into 14 caves in the game.
In Pikmin 2, a player may continue to search for treasure for as many days as they wish. The game contains 201 collectible treasure pieces, as opposed to the 30 ship parts of the original Pikmin. Another addition to the formula is a mode for two captains to be in the play area simultaneously, making multi-tasking easier. In Pikmin, there was only one captain directing multiple groups of Pikmin. In both Pikmin games, commands cannot be issued from a distance, meaning that a one-captain system caused a lot of running between groups. The addition of sprays is another new feature in Pikmin 2. Sprays are obtained by collecting 10 berries
of the corresponding color, but can occasionally be found in egg-like vessels when smashed, instead of the usual yellow nectar. The red spray energizes Pikmin to increase both speed and attack strength. The purple spray turns enemies caught in the blast radius to stone, the downside of this being that if an enemy is killed while frozen, their body will shatter and not leave behind a corpse.
The yellow Pikmin have changed abilities between games. In Pikmin, the yellow Pikmin have the ability to pick up bomb rocks and throw them, in order to break walls of dirt and stone or severely damage enemies. In Pikmin 2, the bomb rocks available are too large for a yellow Pikmin to carry or throw, but the yellow Pikmin have gained the ability to withstand electricity.
Two new kinds of Pikmin were added, the white Pikmin and the purple Pikmin. These Pikmin do not have Onions, but rather are created by tossing other Pikmin into violet and ivory Candypop buds (which are only found underground in caves). They live within the spaceship at night. Purple Pikmin have superior carrying ability, a stunning attack, and cannot be blown away, while white Pikmin are poisonous when consumed by enemies, can detect buried treasures, and move (and carry objects) faster than the other colors.
The controls are also improved over the previous game and Pikmin can be thrown slightly faster.
Challenge mode is unlocked after obtaining the key which can be found in the single-player game. This mode is similar to exploring a cave in story mode, except that two players can play. An arena or cave is selected and players attempt to reach its bottom within a time limit. Each time a key is found, the player advances to the next level. At the bottom floor, the key creates a closed geyser. Pikmin must dig at this to activate it. Players try to get as many points as they can by retrieving treasures on each sublevel, leaving with as many Pikmin as possible, and completing it as quickly as possible. If a player completes an arena without losing any Pikmin, they will achieve "perfect" status for that arena.
and white
, as well as the unique Bulbmin.
s. Some of these minigames required the player to pluck all the Pikmin in an area in a set amount of steps, or to try to get Pikmin from one point to another. These cards were not released outside of Japan, as the e-Reader was not released in Europe, and had been discontinued in North America at the time. The cards contain region-specific encoding which blocks their use with North American e-Readers.
. Upon discovering that the bottle cap
Olimar had found and brought back from the distant planet is of considerable value, the President sends both he and Louie back to the distant planet to find more treasures and pay off the debt. The duo return to the planet and quickly reunite with the Pikmin creatures, who help in scavenging the treasures. Upon paying off the debt, Olimar departs for Hocotate but realizes that Louie was left behind. Upon telling the President, he decides to help Olimar find Louie and claim any additional treasures still left undiscovered.
s Top 200 Games list. and placed 29th in Official Nintendo Magazine's 100 greatest Nintendo games of all time.
GameSpot
gave Pikmin 2 a 9.2 out of 10, stating that the game fixed nearly every problem the original had. IGN
gave Pikmin 2 a 9.3 out of 10, and was extremely pleased at the multitude of ways the game had improved upon what was good about Pikmin
and fixed the problems it had, such as a lack of multiplayer and a 30-day playing limit.
was confirmed to be in development for Wii
, but then later at E3 2011, Shigeru Miyamoto announced that the game will be released on the Wii U.
Both Pikmin 2 and its predecessor were re-released in the New Play Control! collection
of revamped GameCube titles for the Wii. However, the US only received the first title.
Strategy game
A strategy game or strategic game is a game in which the players' uncoerced, and often autonomous decision-making skills have a high significance in determining the outcome...
video game developed by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
for the Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
. It was released in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
on April 29, 2004, in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
on August 30, 2004, in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
on October 8, 2004, and in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
on November 4, 2004.
Pikmin 2 is the sequel to Pikmin
Pikmin
is a strategy video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube video game console in 2001. Pikmin is the first game in the Pikmin series of video games, and the third game for the Gamecube overall. It was designed by Shigeru Miyamoto. Pikmin was released on October 26, 2001...
, also for the Nintendo GameCube, and is considered an improvement over the previous title, receiving universal acclaim from reviewers.
In 2009, both Pikmin games were re-released for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
as part of the New Play Control!
New Play Control!
The New Play Control! series, known in Japan as is a program by Nintendo to upgrade several GameCube games for release on the Wii. These re-releases incorporate graphical improvements, which include 16:9 widescreen support. They also feature reconfigured controls to fit the Wii Remote...
series.
Gameplay
Gameplay in Pikmin 2 revolves around using different combination of Pikmin to retrieve various 'treasures' from the planet's surface. These treasures range from a DuracellDuracell
Duracell is a brand of batteries manufactured by Procter & Gamble.Additionally, Duracell owns the Procell professional-use brand.-Products:Duracell manufactures alkaline batteries in many common sizes, such as AAA, AA, C, D, and 9V...
battery
Battery (electricity)
An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
to a Dannon yogurt lid. Several of the treasures found on the planet are items from previous Nintendo ventures. Different obstacles and enemies make the retrieval of each treasure unique. The player must take into consideration the strengths, weaknesses, abilities, and numbers of each type of Pikmin when carrying out the challenges needed to retrieve these treasures. This is compounded in difficulty by the fact that no more than 100 Pikmin may be in play at any given time. The player is given one day at a time to play, with each day equaling about 13 minutes in real-time. Typical tasks involved in collecting treasures include defeating enemies, building bridges, destroying walls, or moving obstacles.
In addition to above-ground areas, cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
s can be found throughout the landscape. Caves contain multiple treasures and enemies spread across multiple sub-levels. Special rules apply to exploring caves. When the player is exploring a cave, time does not pass above ground due to a strong magnetic field. The main restriction regarding cave exploration is that there is no access to the Pikmin Onions (the creatures' mother ships). This means that once players enter a cave, they can only use the Pikmin that they brought with them (see Bulbmin for the exception). There are a total of 105 sublevels divided into 14 caves in the game.
In Pikmin 2, a player may continue to search for treasure for as many days as they wish. The game contains 201 collectible treasure pieces, as opposed to the 30 ship parts of the original Pikmin. Another addition to the formula is a mode for two captains to be in the play area simultaneously, making multi-tasking easier. In Pikmin, there was only one captain directing multiple groups of Pikmin. In both Pikmin games, commands cannot be issued from a distance, meaning that a one-captain system caused a lot of running between groups. The addition of sprays is another new feature in Pikmin 2. Sprays are obtained by collecting 10 berries
Berry
The botanical definition of a berry is a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary. Grapes are an example. The berry is the most common type of fleshy fruit in which the entire ovary wall ripens into an edible pericarp. They may have one or more carpels with a thin covering and fleshy interiors....
of the corresponding color, but can occasionally be found in egg-like vessels when smashed, instead of the usual yellow nectar. The red spray energizes Pikmin to increase both speed and attack strength. The purple spray turns enemies caught in the blast radius to stone, the downside of this being that if an enemy is killed while frozen, their body will shatter and not leave behind a corpse.
Two new kinds of Pikmin were added, the white Pikmin and the purple Pikmin. These Pikmin do not have Onions, but rather are created by tossing other Pikmin into violet and ivory Candypop buds (which are only found underground in caves). They live within the spaceship at night. Purple Pikmin have superior carrying ability, a stunning attack, and cannot be blown away, while white Pikmin are poisonous when consumed by enemies, can detect buried treasures, and move (and carry objects) faster than the other colors.
The controls are also improved over the previous game and Pikmin can be thrown slightly faster.
Game modes
As well as the main game (story mode), there are also 2-player battle and challenge modes. The 2-Player battle is unlocked from the beginning of the game where two characters (Olimar and Louie), are each controlled by a player. The object is to take four yellow marbles or the opponent's red or blue marble back to the player's ship. If either player passes out or runs out of Pikmin, the other player wins. The player's own marble cannot be carried by that player's Pikmin, allowing the opponent to gradually steal it over several assaults. If Pikmin come across a cherry and bring it to their onion, a wheel full of bonuses spins at the right side of the screen. The bonuses range from getting ten more Pikmin or turning all of your Pikmin to flower Pikmin, to sending an avalanche or a Volatile Dweevil at your enemies. While Pikmin can fight each other, they cannot kill their opponents. When defeated, Pikmin reappear next to their opponent's Onion to be re-selected as a member of the opposing army. Likewise, the purple spray functions differently against enemy Pikmin – it buries them in the ground rather than petrifying them.Challenge mode is unlocked after obtaining the key which can be found in the single-player game. This mode is similar to exploring a cave in story mode, except that two players can play. An arena or cave is selected and players attempt to reach its bottom within a time limit. Each time a key is found, the player advances to the next level. At the bottom floor, the key creates a closed geyser. Pikmin must dig at this to activate it. Players try to get as many points as they can by retrieving treasures on each sublevel, leaving with as many Pikmin as possible, and completing it as quickly as possible. If a player completes an arena without losing any Pikmin, they will achieve "perfect" status for that arena.
Pikmin
The red, yellow, and blue Pikmin from the previous game return, along with two new colors of Pikmin, purplePurple
Purple is a range of hues of color occurring between red and blue, and is classified as a secondary color as the colors are required to create the shade....
and white
White
White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...
, as well as the unique Bulbmin.
- Red Pikmin are the traditional "starter Pikmin" that Olimar and Louie first find. They are generally the toughest fighters of the known Pikmin species, second only to the mighty purple Pikmin and are also flame-resistant, making their strength against fire creatures invaluable. In addition to being generalized by their bright red color, they also have a small, pointed nose. This is the most common type of Pikmin.
- Purple Pikmin are the strongest Pikmin. Instead of finding a purple Onion which sprouts them, they are a conversion of regular Pikmin that are tossed into purple flowers (called Violet Candypop Buds) which can only be found in some caves. They are the heaviest Pikmin and strongest when it comes to lifting items, as their weight and lifting strength is equal to that of 10 Pikmin. They are purple, hairy, stocky, and very sluggish as compared to other Pikmin. They do more damage against enemies than Red Pikmin when thrown, as well as when hitting the enemy with their heads.They can also stun their enemies on impact when thrown. Dwarf bulborbs and other small enemies will be crushed instantly if this pikmin is thrown directly on top of it.
- White Pikmin are the third Pikmin species. Like the Purple Pikmin, they can only be obtained by tossing Pikmin into flowers known as Ivory Candypop Buds. They are able to unearth any item that is underground, are immune to poison, and are able to poison any enemy that consumes them. White Pikmin can also walk and carry items 1.5 times faster than Red, Yellow, and Blue Pikmin. They are smaller and thinner than any other species, and have characteristically large, red eyes, which are speculated to be what helps them to see and locate buried treasures.
- Yellow Pikmin are the fourth species of Pikmin to be found in the sequel. Unlike the previous game, they can not wield bomb-rocks, but are now resistant to electricity, which allows them to tear down electric gates that would harm other Pikmin. They can be thrown higher than any other Pikmin type, allowing them to access items that are too high for other Pikmin to reach. They are distinguished by their large ears.
- Blue Pikmin are the final kind of Pikmin to be acquired. They are able to survive underwater, allowing aquatic exploration and foraging. They can also act as lifeguards and rescue any other Pikmin type drowning in water. They also have a single gill on their faces which resembles a mouth. It is suggested that these and possibly other Pikmin are nearly as strong as purple Pikmin, considering the fact that if a purple Pikmin is thrown into water and begins to drown, if a blue Pikmin is thrown near it, it will pick it up and toss it onto land despite the purple's enormous weight.
- Bulbmin are only found in caves and cannot be taken out of them. According to the in-game Piklopedia, they are juvenile bulborbs (a common enemy) that have been infected with some sort of Pikmin parasite. They are immune to fire, water, electricity and poison due to the fact that they are protected by the Bulborb's body. They may be used with candypop bulbs just like other Pikmin. Bulbmin will only appear if there are fewer than 100 Pikmin in the field already. They are found following a large 'parent' Bulbmin that must first be defeated to enlist the regular Bulbmin.
Pikmin 2 e-Reader
In Japan, after the release of Pikmin 2, Nintendo released Nintendo e-Reader cards that contained minigameMinigame
A minigame is a short video game often contained within another video game. A minigame is always smaller or more simplistic than the game in which it is contained. Minigames are sometimes also offered separately for free to promote the main game...
s. Some of these minigames required the player to pluck all the Pikmin in an area in a set amount of steps, or to try to get Pikmin from one point to another. These cards were not released outside of Japan, as the e-Reader was not released in Europe, and had been discontinued in North America at the time. The cards contain region-specific encoding which blocks their use with North American e-Readers.
Plot
Pikmin 2 begins immediately following the events of Pikmin. Captain Olimar has returned home to his home planet Hocotate to find that the company he works for, Hocotate Freight, is in debtDebt
A debt is an obligation owed by one party to a second party, the creditor; usually this refers to assets granted by the creditor to the debtor, but the term can also be used metaphorically to cover moral obligations and other interactions not based on economic value.A debt is created when a...
. Upon discovering that the bottle cap
Bottle cap
Bottle caps are a type of closure used to seal the openings of bottles of many types. They can be small circular pieces of metal, usually steel, with plastic backings, and for plastic bottles a plastic cap is used instead. A bottle cap is typically colorfully decorated with the logo of the brand...
Olimar had found and brought back from the distant planet is of considerable value, the President sends both he and Louie back to the distant planet to find more treasures and pay off the debt. The duo return to the planet and quickly reunite with the Pikmin creatures, who help in scavenging the treasures. Upon paying off the debt, Olimar departs for Hocotate but realizes that Louie was left behind. Upon telling the President, he decides to help Olimar find Louie and claim any additional treasures still left undiscovered.
Reception
Pikmin 2 was widely considered an improvement on the original game and was rated the 47th best game made on a Nintendo System in Nintendo PowerNintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
s Top 200 Games list. and placed 29th in Official Nintendo Magazine's 100 greatest Nintendo games of all time.
GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
gave Pikmin 2 a 9.2 out of 10, stating that the game fixed nearly every problem the original had. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave Pikmin 2 a 9.3 out of 10, and was extremely pleased at the multitude of ways the game had improved upon what was good about Pikmin
Pikmin
is a strategy video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube video game console in 2001. Pikmin is the first game in the Pikmin series of video games, and the third game for the Gamecube overall. It was designed by Shigeru Miyamoto. Pikmin was released on October 26, 2001...
and fixed the problems it had, such as a lack of multiplayer and a 30-day playing limit.
Sequel
In a developer round table discussion at E3 2008, Pikmin 3Pikmin 3
Pikmin 3 is a game in development for Wii U. It is a sequel to Pikmin 2, a 2004 GameCube game and the third game in the Pikmin series....
was confirmed to be in development for Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
, but then later at E3 2011, Shigeru Miyamoto announced that the game will be released on the Wii U.
Both Pikmin 2 and its predecessor were re-released in the New Play Control! collection
New Play Control!
The New Play Control! series, known in Japan as is a program by Nintendo to upgrade several GameCube games for release on the Wii. These re-releases incorporate graphical improvements, which include 16:9 widescreen support. They also feature reconfigured controls to fit the Wii Remote...
of revamped GameCube titles for the Wii. However, the US only received the first title.