Review: Pikmin 2
The original Pikmin was a quirky and addictive strategy game for the Gamecube, and quite a hit game at the launch of the Gamecube, so it was only a matter of time till Nintendo released a sequel. Can Pikmin 2 live up to the greatness of the original.
Story:
Olimar returns home from crash landing on Earth only to find that his company has gone bankrupt and the ship he just reconstructed days ago has been repossessed. But not before a treasure from Earth falls out of the ship. Olimar's Boss discovers that this stuff is highly valuable and could save the company, so he and an assistant get set to Earth to find all of the Treasure they can.
Graphics:
The Graphics are still good and are greatly improved, over the original which is what we expect from a sequel. But I couldn't help but feel that there was more that they could have done. Still the graphics are good and have the Myamoto charm in abundance.
Music:
Pikmin 2's music is good, well up to the standards we hold Nintendo to, though would probably will not be humming the tunes to Pikmin 2 after you finish playing the game. Where Pikmin 2 gets hurt however is in the fact that they did not change some of the annoying sounds made by some of the characters. Some will not mind it but the high pitched chirps hurt the ears after a while, especially if your hearing is touchy to high pitched noises like mine is.
Game play:
Once again Pikmin 2 is one of the most fluent, and fun real time strategy games to play on the current consoles, and Pikmin fans will be right at home. Those whom are new to the Pikmin world will not only catch on quick but will be hooked at the responsiveness of not only Olimar, but the Pikmin themselves to your every whim as you solve the many puzzles and defeat larger predators.
Design:
This game is every bit as well designed as the rest of the series, Miyamoto and his team has another quality title here. And what even makes it even more fun is that there is now multiplayer mode, so now you and a buddy can explore earth's under-regions for treasure together. If there are any gripes that any one might have about this game, it would be the brand names added to the game. That is right they are all here Duracell, Pepsi, and of course Nintendo. This might put some people off, but I personally thought that it added a level of realism to the game since the Pikmin is set on Earth after all, and all of the trash we get rid of is branded, it made sense so it didn't bug me at all.
The bottom line is, Gamecube owners should have this game and if you don't you should defiantly check it out, you probably won't be sorry.
Graphics
8/10
Game play
8/10
Sound
8/10
Fun factor
9/10
Tilt
9/10
Average score
8.4
Pikmin:
Pros:
Good Music
Good Design
New Pikmin
Addictive Fun
Easy to use controls
More realistic
Cons:
I expected more
Character's Chirps and whistles can be hard on the ears
Some might be turned off by product placement, and cute characters