This game gave us Louie, The President, and Purple and White Pikmins. For that, I am grateful to it. However, I will hold a grudge against it forever due to the existence of caves. This game has been on my backlog for 6 years because of those caves. Now, coming back to it after playing 3 and knowing more, I actually liked them. Then the Dream Den happened and I didn't even try and get a single treasure other than Louie, that thing just kicks you in the dick nonstop so I blazed past it. Even though I enjoyed them coming back, I still think they're too cramped and I wasn't a HUGE fan. I may be the only Pikmin fan stuck in the middle with those. I also think that collecting treasure is just less fun than fruits, and (so I've heard at least) Ship Parts. Watching the number go up is nice, but I like the more stress intensive nature of the others. This game took me 31 days btw. But yeah, idk its fine.

Pikmin 2 is one of the most brutal 1st party Nintendo games ever, and simultaneously one of Nintendo's best games period. The entire Pikmin franchise is one of the most unique in gaming; there are few titles from any developer that even come close to matching the particular niche that it carves out for itself. Pikmin 2 turns that niche into the Mariana Trench and defines itself as one of the most uniquely quirky yet wonderful video games ever made. It's at times funny, at times disturbing, and fully engaging throughout, albeit often extremely stressful. Olimar continues to be one of the most interesting Nintendo characters as the game plays upon themes of neglect and capitalist greed while contrasting with cartoony aesthetic. I hate to repeat 'unique' over and over again but Pikmin 2, and further the entire Pikmin franchise embodies unique in a way that almost nobody else can touch, which is why it is one of Nintendo's best franchises.

People critique this game for how bullshit the caves can be most of the time, which is a completely valid criticism, they also take up most of the game. BUT i just love how insane the caves are, like you're just finding treasures on a sub level and BOOM a bulbear falls down onto you, i fucking love it. The fact purple pikmin are so overpowered may throw off some people, but to me its the games way of showing you that you can play it as easy as you want (using purples) or as hard as you want (not using them). If i did have a complaint, it would be that i wish Olimar actually talked in this game, like he just becomes a silent protagonist. Why. Anyway yeah great game

The treasure-hunting aspect of the game is really fun but the timer whilst you're out in the overworld is completely pointless and serves no meaning.

Also I went to Dream Den before Hole of Heroes and I didn't get the ending, because I didn't collect all the treasure. Was really hoping that Pikmin 2 would end with an unskippable one hour cutscene of the President doing that invisible eating thing he does at the start as you just sit there questioning the choices you made that lead up to this moment

Another wonderful addition to the series. This game can be frustrating, unforgiving, and even unfair, but all together I found this game to be a great time that admittedly had me wanting to throw my controller at the screen at times.

The graphics of this game are much improved from the first game, with the world being much more vibrant and colorful. The sound as well is amazing - the cave soundtracks in particular are a highlight. There’s a video I watched on youtube from “Scruffy” on the audio design in the caves - they’re very good at creating a foreboding/calming/adventurous/strange vibe based on the cave that you’re in, which is quite unique and impressive for a game this old. In general, I liked the vibe of this game more than the first, while being a graphical and audio improvement.

The ai in this game is improved as well, which was my biggest critique with the first one. The pikmin are much better at doing what you want and I found myself being much less frustrated with the controls than with the previous entry.

The design of this game is… controversial. This entry has much of a bigger emphasis on the new “caves”, and you spend much less time aboveground doing typical pikmin gameplay. When I think back to my playthrough of this game, It’s almost entirely of these caves, which does give this one a much different feel to the other entries in the series. The caves are less intricately crafted, and serve as dungeon-style sequences where you gather treasures to increase your money supply. They are also much more difficult, with you having a limited supply of pikmin. These are probably the most controversial element of the game and while they are definitely not perfect, they are probably my favorite parts of the game. Bite sized, dungeon-esque sequences that test your fighting ability and patience. These are also where you find the purple and white pikmin, which are adorable. While I enjoy the caves, I admit there are way to many of them. In fact, they are part of the reason why this game is so much longer than the first. Honestly, most of your time will be spent in the caves - which is definitely a valid critique if they’re not your thing. However, I enjoyed them, and many served as satisfying challenges to spice up the gameplay.

The story of this game is silly, but the treasures are one of this game’s highlights, I like the piklopedia and how many different dialogues there are commenting on the items you find in the world. It’s cute.

All in all, I enjoyed this game a lot. It’s a lot longer, harder, and at times more janky and unfair, but I found it to be a fun package all in all. If you liked the first game, give this one a try, you’ll at least find something to like.

Pikmin 2 is fun, but it felt like a big downgrade from the first for me.

A lot of the good of the original is still intact. All the above-ground gameplay is fun, and has the same fun charm as before with some neat new gameplay changes and quality of life improvements.

However, the problems come in with one big change, and one big removal. That change is that there is no longer a time limit on days. While I'm sure plenty of people prefer this less-stressful approach, I feel that removing that framing device makes the game feel a lot less fun. In the original, timed obstacles were interesting. It was an important decision to leave pikmin at certain spots doing things like tearing down a wall while taking care of something in a seperate section of the level. It made multitasking and efficiency feel important. While you still CAN multitask, it's easier to simply bring the whole squad around at once since there's no reason to take risks anymore. The game IS still fun, but less so.

Now something I like a lot less are the caves. It often feels like I spend way more time down there than I do aboveground, which is a shame since I enjoy those sections a lot less. The lack of a timer until sunset removes yet another thing I really like about pikmin, and the randomly designed level design is often not interesting or frustrating. One example was when I ran into a mortar enemy on a small bridge. If I didn't deal with it, it was a major threat. But if I attacked it, it would shake my pikmin off into a pit. Basically it was impossible to not lose pikmin, which is a real problem when I'm on the 6th of 8 layers that constantly drained my resources.

I want to reiterate that I like this game, but compared to the original, if feels like very little of it was an improvement on the formula. I hope 3 can focus back a bit more and truly improve upon the first game's successes.

A adição do louie faz com que o planejamento seja mais variado e intuitivo, entretanto isso me frustra um pouco do porque desse jogo não ter um modo de 2 players para campanha, seria algo muito maneiro. A adição de 2 novos tipos de pikmin também são bem legais e adicionam mais estrategias e variedade, não só isso como a pikmin UI está bem melhor que o jogo anterior.

Os "tesouros" são ótimos coletáveis, ver como o jogo trata os objetos na perspectiva dos personagens é muito cômico, especialmente as referências, bem mais criativo do que pegar peças de nave como no primeiro jogo, mas sinceramente acho brochante como o jogo acaba repetindo alguns tesouros com o decorrer do tempo.

O jogo é maravilhoso na parte visual e atmosférica assim como todo pikmin, entretanto algumas áreas são bem similares as do jogo anterior, fazendo o jogo parecer menos original. O jogo possui mais tempo de gameplay que o jogo original, mas ele só possuí 4 áreas, isso é devido a grande parte do seu tempo você gastar explorando os "buracos" que te levam a mini dungeons no subsolo, entretanto em comparação à superfície eles não possuem tanta da beleza dos mapas da superfície, isso se dá ao fato deles serem salas randomizadas, fazendo com que não sejam tão legais e marcantes em comparação com a superfície.

O BATTLE MODE É MUITO DIVERTIDO PUTA QUE PARIU, MAS É TIPO MARIO PARTY É MUITO FRUSTRANTE, NGM QUER JOGAR COMIGO ;-;

The early hours of Pikmin 2 immediately bring to mind all the qualities one looks for in a sequel entry: refinement, expansion, and a maintaining of the spirit while also taking the series in new directions. The small changes Pikmin 2 presents to the core formula established by the first game radically shifts the player’s approach to gameplay in a multitude of refreshing and unexpected ways. The most notable one, to start, is the axing of the pendulous time limit suspended across the game in favor of a more relaxed goal of simply accruing a set amount of treasure before initiating the first credits roll. What this allows for is a shift in priorities for the player, focusing less on optimizing the gathering of items and maximizing the amount retrieved in a single day, creating instead the necessary time and space for the player to accrue resources and make preparations for the daunting challenges awaiting in the game's many caves.

Caves are the primary source of strategic challenge which was previously supplied by the overarching time limit in the prior game. Each one proposes an arduous trek to the bottom, prompting the player to dispatch all manner of enemy and obstacle along the way, most of which guard the various treasures you’ll need to reach the game’s ultimate goal. The narrow spaces and treacherous hazards encountered in these caves, including new, deadlier, environmental obstacles, make some of the later undertakings especially hardcore. It is, however, less the hazards and enemies themselves that supply the challenge, but the fact that you are unable to spawn new Pikmin while in the midst of any given spelunking venture. Like the first game, a philosophy of general leniency is employed to give players the space to make mistakes and still be able to recover from them. The game saves your progress after each floor, allowing you to reset without redoing the entire dungeon, which is especially beneficial in cases of the randomly-generated layouts rendering themselves unfavorable in certain sections of the game. Additionally, the longer caves often have rest levels, where you’re given the chance to restock on certain valuable resources, and even regain some of your lost troops in the case of specific rare flowers which can sprout additional Pikmin for you.

Perhaps most importantly, the nature of the caves engage the player in ways which more naturally instruct on combat—far more than the first game ever managed to. The forgiving nature and largely open spaces of the first Pikmin meant that even if you lost a significant portion of your troops in combat, you were never punished severely enough that you needed to alter your strategy. It was always viable to simply throw an entire army of Pikmin at a problem, and then recover from whatever losses were incurred. The overarching time limit of the game was the only disincentive to this tactic, but never enough that one would have to engage with combat in a more strategic manner. The limiting nature of the caves prevent this method outright, while their labyrinthian corridors encourage a more considered approach to enemies within the dwellings. The effectiveness of this methodology is evidenced by the introduction of the first of two new Pikmin types in the game’s very first cave, which boast an incredibly utilitarian array of combat-centric skills, in addition to being able to lift ten times the amount of any other Pikmin type.

Purple Pikmin are an insanely powerful asset you quickly learn to utilize effectively but sparingly, due to their precious nature. Unlike your primary Pikmin colors, the newly added Purple and White Pikmin have no means of multiplying ad infinitum, making them especially more valuable when obtained. The tradeoff for this (for Purples, anyway) is an incredible utility that allows you to mow through many enemies, and even bosses, with only a handful of fighters, due to the stun-locking property they possess when thrown. For many of the most common enemies, their existence is trivialized by the existence of Purple Pikmin, but the ability to clear out entire areas using only a small retinue of about eight to ten Pikmin is invaluable for navigating through the caves without losing large swaths along the way. Additional elemental enemies ensure that you can’t just steamroll past every challenge with only Purples in tow, while their lumbering disposition often puts them at risk when dealing with a larger number of enemies at once. While they’re ultimately a bit overtuned in their abilities—particularly when compared to their albino brethren—their incredibly powerful assets in tandem with their scarcity encourage more strategic considerations when entering a cave, especially as the levels and boss fights become increasingly more puzzle-like as the game goes on.

Most of the initial boss fights encountered in the early game of Pikmin 2 are repeats of by now iconic bouts from the first game. Once again we are pitted against the likes of the Burrowing Snagret, the Beady Long Legs, and the Emperor Bulblax, all of whom appear easier than their prior incarnations. However, later caves build upon the familiar patterns of these previous encounters, giving us such harrowing challenges as the newly mobile Pileated Snagret, the mechanized Man-at-Legs, and infinitely-breeding Empress Bulblax. Each of these fights proves to be a worthy culmination of the respective gauntlets endured by the end of their caves, as well as the completely new bosses with entirely distinctive gimmicks to work out. A number of these fights unfortunately suffer from being repeated in later dungeons, usually with an additional gimmick which only succeeds in frustrating and complicating the fight, rather than adding an additional layer of strategy or challenge. The final boss thankfully avoids any irritating pitfalls, making use of every kind of element and hazard thus encountered for a truly climactic battle. The most memorable fight, however, comes not at the end, or even the bottom of any of the caves, but on the first level of the Submerged Castle, where you’ll almost certainly confront the infamous Waterwraith for the very first time. This adversary is less a test of player skill or combat prowess; it’s more an exemplar of well-engineered design intent on instilling blood-curdling fear through a musically-lead oppressive atmosphere and tension-torquing subversion. The effect is so successful that the specter of the Waterwraith hangs in the air, the anxiety creeping back in as you explore new caves, fearing it might drop unexpectedly from the ceiling again.

For all the ways in which the caves of Pikmin 2 reinvigorate and expand upon the philosophies established by the first game, they’re also the embodiment of the game’s most lackluster element. Because each cave is randomly generated from a predetermined set of repeating and interchangeable environments, the vast majority of visual renderings experienced in a playthrough end up feeling bland and indistinct. The overworld areas are not a particular reprieve either. Whereas the first Pikmin featured four bespoke and environmentally diverse areas to explore across its playtime, the main areas of Pikmin 2 are largely similar to one another, and lack any kind of memorable locales or set pieces. The layouts of these areas often push players towards a specific objective, hampering the open-ended sense of exploration these games otherwise engender. One of the core appeals of Pikmin, conveyed initially by the first game, is the shrunk-down perspective of a familiar world rendered fanciful by way of a humorously alien perspective; despite falling short in regards to the visual expectations for the game, Pikmin 2 still retains the innate charm and splendor of the series through clever writing and humorous commentary, inspired by the story’s conceit and real world analogues.

One of the most surprising factors of Pikmin 2 is its value as a work of satire. It’s not particularly deep in this regard, but the repeated emphasis on, and acerbic derision of, capitalist greed and exploitation, leads to a more thoughtful experience than one would initially expect. Its commentary goes beyond the simple dichotomy of rapacious executives and subjugated workers, taking into consideration the underlying imperialist foundation for Captain Olimar’s relationship to the Pikmin. The story goes like this: a foreign explorer is contracted by his employer to extract valuable resources and treasure from an uncolonized land, utilizing the labor of the native inhabitants and decimating the natural ecosystem in the process. While Pikmin 2 is ostensibly still a cozy game built around the aesthetic appeal of exploring naturally-presented environments, those weighty social critiques remain inescapable when considered beyond face value.
Is it ironic, then, that the “treasures” Captain Olimar pilfers upon his journey would often be considered relative junk to us? The first of these items found in the game is a Duracell branded battery, the first of many humorously identifiable objects recognized from our everyday life. Skippy peanut butter, Carmex lip balm, an old 7-Up bottle cap—these are but a handful of familiar items encountered when playing Pikmin 2. The resonant tangibility of these extant materials helps the sentiment of the game’s commentary feel more applicable, while maintaining a trademark sense of whimsy through playful naming schemes. The dialogue and character exchanges aren’t the only places where the writing of Pikmin 2 shines, though. The end of day diary entries from Olimar are supplanted here by a short correspondence letter from your boss, chronicling his plight in evading vicious loan sharks and hiding out underneath a bridge. Similarly, there is a treasure trove of detailed entries on every item you collect and enemy you defeat, building upon the zoological observations of the creatures you’ve encountered and postulating over the perceived purpose of every treasure you’ve come across. It makes for a nice break in gameplay, relaxing between days by reading up on all the things you’ve seen and filling out your perspective of the world through the lens of these wide-eyed explorers.

It is undeniable that Pikmin 2 achieves so much, and constantly delights and surprises with its many new additions and twists. It never feels quite as iconic and instantly understood as its predecessor, but in many ways it surpasses it through sheer mechanical ingenuity. The way it engages you to understand and appreciate the nuances of its systems, instructing and encouraging you to think more strategically without forcing you to suffer in the process; the way the sly contortions of the game’s writing leads to a far more satisfying thematic experience than one would ever expect from an otherwise guileless series; the way that such a seemingly benign decision like making the products you collect correlate with actual objects you see and use in life dramatically effects the immersive feeling of the game to an almost inexplicable degree. This feature in particular was removed for the recent Switch port of the game, so I felt even more assured when setting out to play the Wii version specifically, which still retains this (in my opinion) essential experience to the game. The general blandness plaguing the environments and occasional bullshit complicating later dungeon expeditions seem to hurt all the more, because had these pitfalls been avoided Pikmin 2 might just be the undisputed greatest game of its kind. But in spite of this, it’s still phenomenal, and appreciated even more for being so distinct from the game that came before it. You need not compare the two to appreciate how they both excel in different ways, but it’s nice to, just the same, as in doing so you unveil how flexible and wide-reaching an essential Pikmin experience can be.

Pikmin 2 takes the charming dialogue, visuals, and music found in its predecessor and expands upon them in wonderful ways. I didn't think it was really possible to make the world presented in the original feel more charming and unique, but the small bits of story featuring Olimar's crappy job are a joy. The inclusion of real world items as treasures enhances the immersion as well - nothing like finding a Duracell battery to remind you that this game technically takes place after the nuclear extinction of humanity. The thing that makes this game a much different game than the original lies in its gameplay. It takes a more challenge-oriented approach, with procedurally generated dungeons stealing center stage. While usually fun, the caves cause occasional issues with balancing.

Oh man, Pikmin 2. I find it hard to put into words the feeling this game gives me when I play it.

There are a lot of things wrong with this game. It is brutally difficult in a way Nintendo has not topped since. The Pikmin types are severely unbalanced, with blues being awful unless literally required and Purples being capable of easily nuking most bosses or enemies in the game.

But it works. It really works. It's a nonstop joyride that pushes your strategy skills and/or your ability to hit your Gamecube's reset button to the limit.

It's not a game for casual players. If you savor a tough and unforgiving game like I do, though, you'll love it to death.

Pikmin is beloved for a reason: its a timeless nintendo classic, able to express so much charm and wonder in a lot of its aspects.

But most importantly, Pikmin 2 is a game that... betrays you. It gives you multpile times a high sense of security, only to crush your hopes with an unexpected danger that will make you paranoid for the rest of the adventure. Feeling like the road is clear? Too bad, here's a spider with an exploding head that come sat you while a boulder falls from the sky.

Remember that enemy that felt really easy? She is back with an army of bloodlust fetuses that will not hesitate at destroy you.
Remember the enemies that only appear only in the toughest dungeons? They are outside your house now: have fun!

Feel like the caves are too easy and repetitive? Here's a castle in the middle of the lake.... don't worry about it, just jump in.

The amount of shocking and even horrific moments Pikmin 2 for me are able to outshine the flaws the game have in terms of gameplay, and mixes with a sense of discovery and wonder that leads to one of the most interesting experiences in a Nintendo title. An high recommendation for me.

Following an unintentionally extended vacation on an unknown planet, Olimar returns home to his workplace. Without even getting a chance to say hi to his family, the company president exclaims that he's 10,000 pokos deep in debt. Imagine if you took a vacation and returned to find your workplace in disarray. Actually, that happens more often in my life than I'd like to elaborate on.

Pikmin 2's biggest flaw is a lack of having a concrete goal. Yeah, there's the 10,000 poko debt, but with no day limit, you can proceed at basically any speed you want to. This means that Pikmin 2 is effectively a collectathon. I'd argue the 10k debt is just the devs luring you into the gameplay loop, like a tutorial phase of sorts. The 30-day limit has effectively been replaced by a different kind of tension: managing your Pikmin within caves. When you lose Pikmin in a cave and move on to the next floor, they're gone for good. You wanna keep as many Pikmin on hand for as long as you can, especially with having no idea how many floors deep a cave is. It's also probably helpful to note that the Pikmin 2 devs are out to get you at every turn. Some levels are randomized, others have traps that are just there to fuck with you. Sometimes it can feel like someone's "super hard" romhack. Somehow, I actually find this endearing. I swear I'm not a masochist in denial, I just find games that have no qualms with torturing the player to be extremely funny, even when I'm on the receiving end. I don't think this shit would be nearly as tolerable if you couldn't reset your console to retry a floor though.

Another major factor that helps edge this game out over Pikmin 1 for me is the Pikmin AI. I'm not even kidding when I say that seeing my Pikmin narrow their formation as they cross a bridge is a game-changer. Everything feels more responsive overall. You can split up duties with the second captain of your group, but we unfontunately haven't reached Pikmin 3 levels of multitasking yet. Louie was simply my relay point for when Pikmin returned to base. New to Pikmin 2 are purple and white Pikmin. I didn't get very much use out of purples (useful for combat and nothing else), but whites got plenty of use by being very delicious to my enemies! Watching Emperor Bulblax die from food poisoning was the best thing ever after suffering against him in Pikmin 1.

Charm factor and variety carry this game hard. Caves may be too similar visually, but the smorgasbord of creatures found within are a force to be reckoned with. The value of the treasures mean nothing to me, I just want to know what they're called, and more importantly, what Olimar thinks of them. Yeah, the Piklopedia fuckin' rules. Getting to read detailed research blurbs on each creature is great, as well as hearing Olimar's internal monologue on each treasure. The man still thinks of his wife and kids, even on company time.

Pikmin 2 made me laugh, cry, and fear for my life. It kept me going from beginning to end, no matter how many times it struck me down. The final boss annoyed me to no end, and I want to put Louie through a meat grinder, but I somehow still came out of the experience feeling positive. The modding scene for this game is also surprisingly active, so I may very well find myself playing more Pikmin 2 in the near future. It can be bullshit, but it's admittedly my kinda bullshit.