Reviews// Pikmin 2

So what is a pikmin? We hear the slow kid at the back of the class ask… Well, a Pikmin is a miniscule thingymejigabob that lives on an alien planet. It is neither flora nor fauna, but some bizarre combination of the two. They are well-meaning creatures, with a particular fondness for ‘people’ (if that is indeed what lead character Captain Olimar actually is) and their herd instincts allow for some useful manipulation. All that’s needed to beckon pikmins over to you is a short, sharp blow of a (cosmic) whistle. Once under your control, they can be commanded to gather treasures, attack enemies and generally harvest the goodness from their native planet.

There’s a wide variety of different environments to explore: with concessions to what is expected of such variety i.e. a snowy level, a rocky level, a junglistic level, and so on. And like the first title, you can only work during daylight hours – due to an abundance of nocturnal predators. But the finest discovery on this second visit is that the planet is punctuated by a series of caves and dungeons. Collectively, these add up to being a big part of the gameplay. The principle is largely the same, but once you’ve entered a dungeon you can’t return to your base to collect reinforcements – which makes navigating paths past the perilous dungeon-dwellers far more tense. On the other hand, time ceases whilst you’re underground, so you can approach these sub-missions in a more contemplative manner.

Although there are combat elements, Pikmin 2 never feels remotely violent. When you command your pikmin to attack, for example, a big beetle – the player isn’t subject to the usual geysers of blood, gurgling screeches and pained expressions. Without a blade or bullet in sight, the little creatures calmly batter their target with the not-at-all-threatening leaves (or flowers) that grow out of their heads. When the victim finally gives up the ghost, the little chaps then transport it back to the base-camp where the creature is converted into something good, like money or more pikmin. It’s like the most ecologically-sound forms of hunting: if something’s killed, absolutely nothing goes to waste.