Pikmin 3

Did You Know?

• The game's KopPad allowed players to take photographs that could be uploaded to Miiverse.
• Pikmin 3 became the best-selling game in Japan during its launch week, selling about 93,000 copies in two days.

Gameplay

The player commands a captain who leads up to one hundred Pikmin, using their abilities to explore, fight enemies, solve puzzles, and collect fruit. Pikmin come in different colors with special traits: Red Pikmin resist fire and are stronger, Yellow Pikmin resist electricity and can be thrown farther, and Blue Pikmin are immune to water. The game introduces Rock Pikmin, which break tough barriers and cannot be crushed, and Winged Pikmin, which fly and attack airborne foes. White and Purple Pikmin from the previous game appear only in side modes. Up to three captains can be controlled, with the player switching between them. Control options include the Wii U GamePad, Wii U Pro Controller, or Wii Remote with Nunchuk; a later update added stylus control. The GamePad displays an overhead map called the KopPad, used for communication, route planning, and taking photos that could be shared on Miiverse.

Plot

In the year 20XX, the planet Koppai faces famine due to overpopulation and poor planning. A scout ship identifies planet PNF-404 as rich in cultivable food, so three captains—engineer Alph, botanist Brittany, and captain Charlie—are sent to retrieve seeds. Their ship crash-lands, separating them. Charlie meets Yellow Pikmin but is eaten by the Vehemoth Phosbat. Alph awakens with Red Pikmin and recovers the ship, learning the cosmic-drive key is missing. He finds Brittany in the Garden of Hope, and together they rescue Charlie. They discover Captain Olimar's data logs and learn he has the key, mistaking it for treasure. They mistakenly rescue Louie, who steals their food and rubber duck. After interrogating Louie, they learn Olimar is in the Formidable Oak. There, they defeat the Plasm Wraith, save Olimar, and retrieve the key. The captains offer Olimar and Louie a ride home, and the Pikmin wave goodbye.

Development

Shigeru Miyamoto hinted at a new Pikmin game in July 2007, noting the Wii interface suited the franchise. In April 2008, he expressed desire to continue the series. A new Pikmin game was confirmed at E3 2008, with details unmentioned. At E3 2011, Miyamoto stated development moved to the Wii U, citing its HD graphics and GamePad. The game was shown at E3 2012, demonstrating Rock Pikmin and GamePad controls, with a planned release alongside the Wii U, later delayed to mid-2013. Miyamoto confirmed Purple and White Pikmin would appear, hidden in Mission Mode and Bingo Battle. He also planned animated Pikmin shorts for the Nintendo 3DS before launch; these were released on the Nintendo eShop on November 5, 2014.

Release

Pikmin 3 launched in Japan on July 13, 2013, followed by Europe on July 26, Australia on July 27, and North America on August 4. Downloadable content included the Collect Treasure stage pack on October 1, 2013, the Battle Enemies stage pack on November 6, 2013, and a third pack of new stages on December 2, 2013. An update added free missions. The game and its DLC were de-listed from the Wii U eShop in August 2020 after the announcement of Pikmin 3 Deluxe, then re-listed without direct DLC purchases; indirect in-game purchases remained until the eShop closed on March 27, 2023. Redownloading purchased content remains possible. Pikmin 3 Deluxe, an enhanced Switch version handled by Eighting, released on October 30, 2020, adding a prologue and epilogue, difficulty modes, co-op story, the Piklopedia, and all Wii U DLC.