Pikmin (series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pikmin |
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Series logo since 2022
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| Genres | |
| Developers |
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| Publishers | Nintendo |
| Creators | Shigeru Miyamoto |
| Platforms | |
| First release | Pikmin October 26, 2001 |
| Latest release | Pikmin Finder September 1, 2023 |
The Pikmin (ピクミン ) series is a fun set of real-time strategy and puzzle video games. It was created by Shigeru Miyamoto and published by Nintendo. In these games, you lead a group of small, plant-like creatures called Pikmin. Your goal is to collect items, clear paths, and fight strange creatures.
The Pikmin series has four main games and two spin-off games. The first two games, Pikmin (2001) and Pikmin 2 (2004), first came out on the GameCube. They were later updated for the Wii in 2008 and 2009. In 2023, both games were made even better for the Nintendo Switch as Pikmin 1+2.
Pikmin 3 was released for the Wii U in 2013. An improved version, Pikmin 3 Deluxe, came out for the Nintendo Switch in 2020. The first handheld game, Hey! Pikmin, launched on the Nintendo 3DS in 2017. Pikmin 4 arrived on the Nintendo Switch in 2023. There's also a mobile game called Pikmin Bloom, released in 2021 for iOS and Android phones.
Contents
How to Play Pikmin Games
Pikmin games mix action, puzzles, and strategy. You explore a planet called PNF-404, which looks a lot like Earth. You control a crowd of tiny, colorful creatures called Pikmin. These Pikmin are smart and loyal. They are like a mix of plants and animals. They follow your commands.
Throughout the series, different leaders have guided the Pikmin. The first and most famous leader is Captain Olimar. He is a tiny alien from the planet Hocotate. In Pikmin 2, Olimar's co-worker Louie and his boss, The President, also become leaders. Pikmin 3 introduces new alien leaders: Alph, Brittany, and Charlie. They are from the planet Koppai. In Pikmin 4, you create your own character. This character is part of a rescue team and gets help from Oatchi, a space dog with special powers.
You tell your Pikmin to do many jobs. Their main job is to find and bring back important items. You must guide them past dangers and fight the planet's creatures. Each Pikmin is small and weak on its own. But they are very strong when they work together! Some Pikmin are better for certain tasks. You need to choose the right Pikmin for each job. This helps you get items, avoid dangers, and defeat enemies. Each game day lasts about 13 real-life minutes. You try to get as much done as possible before the sun sets.
Pikmin Types and Abilities
Pikmin come in many colors. Each color means they have special abilities or can resist certain dangers. The number and types of Pikmin have changed over the games.
Original Pikmin Types
The first Pikmin game had three colors:
- Red Pikmin are immune to fire. They are also strong in fights.
- Blue Pikmin can breathe underwater thanks to their gills. They can move through water without drowning.
- Yellow Pikmin can be thrown higher than other Pikmin. In the first game, they could also carry bomb rocks.
Pikmin 2 Additions
In Pikmin 2, Yellow Pikmin became immune to electricity instead of carrying bomb rocks. Two new types were added:
- White Pikmin are very fast. They are immune to poison gas. They can also poison enemies if eaten. They can find hidden objects underground.
- Purple Pikmin are much stronger and heavier than other Pikmin. This makes them great for fighting and carrying heavy items. They can also stun enemies when they land.
Pikmin 3 Additions
Pikmin 3 brought two more types:
- Rock Pikmin are gray and look like small rocks. They can break crystal materials. They cannot be crushed or pierced. They do a lot of damage when thrown.
- Winged Pikmin are pink and can fly. They can fly over water and pits. They can also carry items that are high up and attack enemies in the air.
Pikmin 4 Additions
Pikmin 4 introduced two new types:
- Ice Pikmin can freeze enemies and bodies of water. They cannot be frozen themselves. They have low attack power.
- Glow Pikmin are ghost-like and only appear at night or in caves. They are immune to all elements like fire, water, electricity, and poison. They can stun enemies when a group charges together.
Pikmin Growth and Home
All Pikmin types show their strength by the plant on their heads. It starts as a leaf, then becomes a bud, and finally a flower. This happens when they drink nectar or stay planted in the ground.
Pikmin live in special homes called "Onions." These are their motherships. At sunset, Pikmin go into their Onion for safety. This is because dangerous creatures come out at night. Onions also help Pikmin grow. When Pikmin bring food, like defeated enemies or pellets, to an Onion, it creates new Pikmin seeds. These seeds grow into new Pikmin that you can pluck from the ground. Each Onion holds Pikmin of its own color. The Onions fly with Captain Olimar as he explores the planet.
Pikmin Story and Characters
Main Characters
The main hero of the Pikmin series is Captain Olimar. He works for the Hocotate Freight Company. His spaceship is called the S.S. Dolphin. Olimar has a wife, a son, and a daughter.
In Pikmin 2, we meet Louie, Olimar's co-worker. Louie causes the company to go into debt. So, Olimar and Louie must go back to the Pikmin planet to find treasure. The names "Olimar" and "Louie" are inspired by Mario and Luigi.
Pikmin 3 introduces three new playable leaders: Alph the engineer, Brittany the botanist, and Captain Charlie. They are from the planet Koppai. Olimar and Louie also appear later in Pikmin 3's story.
Pikmin Creatures
When Olimar first crashes on the unknown planet, he meets the plant-like beings he calls "Pikmin." He names them after the "Pikpik" carrots from his home planet. Pikmin are small, brightly colored creatures. They are about as tall as a US dime.
Pikmin follow your every command. They can attack enemies, defend Olimar, and carry large items. They are weak alone but amazing when they work together in groups. Pikmin make strange, squeaking noises. You can give them commands using a whistle or other high-pitched sounds.
Besides the main Pikmin types, there are also Mushroom Pikmin. These are regular Pikmin that get infected by spores from a creature called a Puffstool. They then attack other Pikmin.
In Pikmin 2, you also find Bulbmin. These are parasitic Pikmin that take over Bulborbs (a common enemy). You find them in caves. They are immune to most dangers, but they won't follow you out of the cave.
Other Characters
In Pikmin 2, another important character is the President of Hocotate Freight. He is a big man who runs the company. He makes Olimar and Louie go back to the planet to find treasure. The President's ship can talk and helps identify the treasures you find.
Pikmin Game History
| 2001 | Pikmin |
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| 2002 | |
| 2003 | |
| 2004 | Pikmin 2 |
| 2005 | |
| 2006 | |
| 2007 | |
| 2008 | Pikmin (New Play Control!) |
| 2009 | Pikmin 2 (New Play Control!) |
| 2010 | |
| 2011 | |
| 2012 | |
| 2013 | Pikmin 3 |
| 2014 | |
| 2015 | |
| 2016 | |
| 2017 | Hey! Pikmin |
| 2018 | |
| 2019 | |
| 2020 | Pikmin 3 Deluxe |
| 2021 | Pikmin Bloom |
| 2022 | |
| 2023 | Pikmin 1+2 Pikmin 4 Pikmin Finder |
Pikmin (2001)
Pikmin was the first game in the series, released in 2001. The story is about Captain Olimar crashing his spaceship on an unknown planet. He meets the Pikmin and needs their help. Olimar has to find the missing pieces of his ship to escape. He must do this before his air supply runs out. The planet's air is poisonous to him. The game has three different endings. The ending depends on how many ship parts you find.
The game was later released for the Wii in 2009. It also came to the Wii U's Virtual Console in 2016. A high-definition (HD) version was released for the Nintendo Switch in 2023.
Pikmin 2 (2004)
Pikmin 2 came out in 2004. It starts right after the first game. Olimar returns home and finds his company is in huge debt. The company president sees that a souvenir Olimar brought back is very valuable. So, Olimar and Louie are sent back to the Pikmin planet. Their mission is to collect more "treasure" to pay off the debt. This treasure is actually human garbage like bottle caps. In Pikmin 2, you can control both Olimar and Louie. This helps you get more done in a day. Unlike the first game, there's no time limit. You can take as many days as you need to find all the treasure.
Like the first game, Pikmin 2 was also released for the Wii in 2009. An HD version came out for the Nintendo Switch in 2023.
Pikmin 3 (2013) and Spin-offs
Shigeru Miyamoto hinted about a new Pikmin game for years. He felt the Wii's controls would be perfect for it. In 2011, he announced that Pikmin 3 would be for the Wii U. He thought the Wii U's HD graphics and special screen controller would work even better. Pikmin 3 was released in mid-2013.
In 2020, Nintendo announced Pikmin 3 Deluxe. This was an improved version of Pikmin 3 for the Nintendo Switch. It came out on October 30, 2020.
A new Pikmin game for the Nintendo 3DS was announced in 2016. It was a side-scrolling action game. In 2017, its title was revealed as Hey! Pikmin, and it was released on July 28, 2017.
In 2021, Niantic, known for Pokémon Go, announced a mobile Pikmin game. It uses similar AR (Augmented Reality) technology. On October 26, 2021, the game was named Pikmin Bloom and launched in some countries.
Pikmin 4 (2023)
In 2015, Miyamoto said Pikmin 4 was almost finished. It was officially announced in 2022. Pikmin 4 was released on July 21, 2023, for the Nintendo Switch.
Pikmin in Other Games and Media
Super Smash Bros. Series
Captain Olimar became a playable character in the Super Smash Bros. fighting game series. He first appeared in Super Smash Bros. Brawl in 2008. In these games, Olimar fights by commanding his Pikmin. He can pluck new Pikmin from the ground during battle. Olimar's special move, called a Final Smash, shows him flying away in his spaceship. Then, Red Bulborbs attack the other players.
The Super Smash Bros. games also feature stages based on the Pikmin planet. Alph from Pikmin 3 can be used as an alternate costume for Olimar.
Other Nintendo Games
Pikmin appear in the Nintendo 3DS's AR Games. They also show up when you transfer data between Nintendo consoles. For example, Pikmin carry data when you move games from a Nintendo DSi to a 3DS.
Nintendo Land, a Wii U game, has a team game called Pikmin Adventure. In this game, players control their Miis to fight robot enemies from the Pikmin world. One player uses the Wii U GamePad as Olimar, and others use Wii Remotes to play as Pikmin.
There were also card-based Pikmin minigames for the Nintendo e-Reader in Japan. These were called Pikmin 2-e.
Amiibo and Theme Parks
Pikmin amiibo figures can unlock special costumes. You can get a Pikmin Mii costume in Mario Kart 8. You can also get Pikmin character costumes in Super Mario Maker.
You can find red, yellow, and blue Pikmin at Super Nintendo World in Universal Studios Japan. They are seen carrying items like coins and berries.
Pikmin Short Films
In 2014, three short animated Pikmin films were released. They were shown on the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS eShop. These films, "The Night Juicer," "Treasure in a Bottle," and "Occupational Hazards," feature Captain Olimar and groups of Pikmin. They were later put on YouTube to help promote Pikmin 3 Deluxe.
Images for kids
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Olimar, surrounded by Pikmin, stands by Pellet Posies (right) that can be brought to the Pikmin Onion to grow more Pikmin.
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Concept art of Pikmin 3 characters Alph, Brittany, Charlie (each labeled 'A', 'B', and 'C', respectively), a Pikmin, and an unnamed fourth character (labeled 'D') who was removed during development
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A selection of the varying Pikmin types (from left to right): Blue Pikmin, Yellow Pikmin, Red Pikmin, Winged Pikmin, Rock Pikmin, White Pikmin, Purple Pikmin, Ice Pikmin and Glow Pikmin.
See also
In Spanish: Pikmin (serie) para niños
