Pikmin is one of the more original console games around. Children play as Captain Olimar, a miniature spaceman who has crash-landed on an intriguing planet peopled with plant creatures he calls Pikmin. As a result of the crash, thirty parts of his craft have been littered about the planet, and his goal is to reclaim them so that he can continue on his journey.
The miniature hero, Captain Olimar, quickly learns that he needs help moving through the different terrains of the planet. Drawing on the strengths and abilities of little plant creatures, Pikmin, is necessary for him to accomplish his goals. Learning how to best use these color-coded creatures forms the essence of the game. There are 3 varieties of Pikmin: The red ones are little warriors who are resistant to fire. Though less powerful in battle, the usefulness of the yellow Pikmin lies in their ability to carry bomb-rocks and their lightness which allows them to be thrown further than other Pikmin. The blue Pikmin are similarly less powerful than the red ones, but they are endowed with gills that allow them to swim--an important skill, since at least a third of the spaceship parts are found in water.
The whole mission is a timed one--the planet is actually poisonous to the Captain, and he has only thirty days of life support to attain his goals. This necessarily means that children have a limited time to lead Captain Olimar to victory. One day in the world of Pikmin is roughly equivalent to 15 minutes of playing time. The time limit imposes some sense of urgency on players, and forces them to use strategy. Players absolutely need to plan ahead in order to succeed.
Example "days" in the game: On day 4, our 11-year-old tester entered the Forest of Hope. He retrieved a band of yellow Pikmin from the yellow "Onion", threw them up onto a platform to retrieve a pellet (both pellets and deceased prey can be returned to the Onion in order to generate more Pikmin), faced and conquered a Grub Dog, and located a ship part. On day 5, he led his hero and the Pikmin to another area of the planet, the Forest Navel. Here, he faced Fiery Blow Hogs, and used red Pikmin to defeat them. Since this was the second time through the game, he drew upon his experience from his first game--the first time around he had wasted his time trying to attain an object that was ultimately useless. It is elements like this one that make the game appealing to play over again. Kids will likely want to improve and perfect their game.
"Strength in numbers" applies with Pikmin--on their own, they can't do much, but in bands, they are invaluable for blowing up walls, defeating the planet's wildlife, and so forth. Though players command the Pikmin to do different tasks, these little plant-creatures have minds of their own! For example, a player may have "dismissed" a band of Pikmin (which is essentially a command for the Pikmin to halt), and later discover that the Pikmin have attacked an enemy or retrieved a pellet.
Parents are likely to notice Pikmin's unusually calming musical soundtrack--it's a pleasant change from the frantic music found in many video games.
The cut-scenes in the game are fabulous--children are treated to adorable close-ups of the tiny Pikmin. These creatures are endearingly odd for young children, but keep in mind that no matter how well children manage their Pikmin, they will lose Pikmin along the way. Parents should be aware that when Pikmin "die", little ghosts float from their bodies, and more sensitive children may feel responsible.
In terms of replay value, children are likely to want to improve their game after they've completed it once -- whether they attempt to get all of the ship parts in fewer days, or simply try to obtain more parts by the end of the thirty days. Different ending scenes are possible, and what kids will see is dependent upon how many ship parts they have managed to collect. Although the gaming experience is quite compelling, Pikmin does become repetitive over time. Some kids will find the game as oddly appealing as the concept itself. If children do catch on to the concept, they'll be engrossed until they make it to the end, at the very least.
