Pikmin 2
A sequel removing the time limit, adding two leaders and new Pikmin types.
Pikmin 2, a real-time strategy puzzle game from Nintendo, launched on the GameCube in 2004. This sequel to the 2001 original Pikmin sends Captain Olimar back to the Pikmin planet to scavenge treasure, saving his employer Hocotate Freight from bankruptcy.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Nintendo EAD
- Publisher
- Nintendo
- Director
- Shigefumi Hino; Masamichi Abe
- Producer
- Shigeru Miyamoto; Takashi Tezuka
- Designer
- Hiroaki Takenaka
- Writer
- Motoi Okamoto; Kazumi Yamaguchi
- Composer
- Hajime Wakai; Kazumi Totaka
- Series
- Pikmin
Facts from the source article.
Plot
After returning home from his first adventure, Captain Olimar discovers that his coworker Louie has blamed a "space rabbit" for losing a shipment of luxury carrots. To cover the loss, the company took out a huge loan and sold Olimar's ship. When Olimar accidentally drops a bottle cap he brought back as a souvenir, the company's intelligent ship declares it extremely valuable. The president sends Olimar and Louie back to the same planet in that ship to gather more treasure. They crash and get separated, but the local pikmin help them reunite. During their search, Olimar finds white and purple pikmin, types he had never seen. Louie's personal notes show he cares only about cooking and eating the local plants and animals. Once they collect enough treasure to pay off the debt, Olimar takes off for Hocotate, only to realize Louie is missing. They return to rescue him and eventually find him riding a giant, weaponized spider-like creature called the Titan Dweevil. After using all pikmin types to defeat it, they recover Louie and leave the planet. A later epilogue reveals that Louie actually ate the missing carrots himself and lied about the space rabbit. Ship logs also suggest he may have been controlling the Titan Dweevil.
Development
After the first Pikmin game came out, Shigeru Miyamoto confirmed a follow-up was being made in December 2002. The team spent roughly two and a half years on it, originally aiming for an autumn 2003 launch but pushing it back six months to make more adjustments. Shigefumi Hino handled graphics direction, while Masamichi Abe oversaw game design. Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka acted as producers. Hajime Wakai wrote the music, and Kazumi Totaka directed sound, hiding his signature tune twice as an Easter egg. The strict 30-day timer from the first game was dropped so players could explore without pressure, making the experience longer. A cooperative two-player mode was tested for the main campaign but limited the design, so it was moved to its own separate mode. The game debuted in Japan on April 29, 2004, then reached North America, Europe, and Australasia later that year. Japan got exclusive e-Reader cards with extra minigames. Many in-game treasures showed real brands like Duracell, which were swapped for made-up ones in the Switch version. A Wii re-release under the New Play Control! line came out in 2009 for Japan, Europe, and Australia, with a North American version arriving in 2012. HD remasters for the Nintendo Switch launched on June 21, 2023.
Reception
Pikmin 2 received critical acclaim, with aggregate scores of 89.44% on GameRankings based on 58 reviews and 90 on Metacritic based on 54 reviews. GameSpot named it the best GameCube game of August 2004. Nintendo Power rated it the 47th best game on a Nintendo System in its Top 200 Games list, and Official Nintendo Magazine ranked it 29th on its 100 greatest Nintendo games list. GamePro labeled it one of the top five GameCube games. In 2020, IGN placed it at number 6 on its list of the top 20 GameCube games. Many critics considered it superior to its predecessor, praising the removal of the 30-day time limit for increasing longevity, though Nintendo World Report had mixed opinions, feeling the lack of urgency might encourage laziness. The addition of multiplayer was praised, though the lack of LAN online play disappointed some. The strategic and puzzle-oriented gameplay was widely praised. GameSpot noted improved Pikmin artificial intelligence, while IGN remarked on recurring shortcomings such as Pikmin getting stuck behind walls. Graphics and presentation were highly praised; IGN noted photorealistic environments and a constant 30 frames-per-second, and GameSpot called it an impressive achievement. Eurogamer described it as relentlessly and giddily gorgeous. X-Play felt the graphical improvements were marginal. Minor complaints were voiced about the camera system, often obstructed by large objects.
More in Characters & Species
Elsewhere in Pikmin
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced