Ranking My Favorite Pikmin Areas Using Tangentially Related Games
Like the last list, I will not clarify any game choices unless asked.
I think what defines an area in a Pikmin game is mostly self-explanatory. I'll be judging these off of way too many factors to list here but you'll see my reasoning. However note that for Pikmin 2 and 4 areas, the quality of the caves included will not be considered for placement. I made a separate list ranking the caves from 2 anyways if that's more your cup of tea!
It's all my opinion at the end of the day of course so no worries if you're list is like, exactly mine but reversed.
I think what defines an area in a Pikmin game is mostly self-explanatory. I'll be judging these off of way too many factors to list here but you'll see my reasoning. However note that for Pikmin 2 and 4 areas, the quality of the caves included will not be considered for placement. I made a separate list ranking the caves from 2 anyways if that's more your cup of tea!
It's all my opinion at the end of the day of course so no worries if you're list is like, exactly mine but reversed.
20 Games
The Distant Spring
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This entry's long so buckle up.
You did it. You managed to get enough ship parts to explore past The Forest Navel. A new way point appears on your map, and you couldn't possibly imagine a place more intimidating, more threatening in nature than the dark caverns of the Navel.
It takes no more than three seconds upon arrival to realize you are in way over your head.
It can be unassuming at first. The area is so bright, a grassy spring that feels like an oasis in a desert. However, you'll slowly start to notice a few things. The fog comes first, as the entire area is coated in a dense mist that makes it very difficult to see ahead, completely eliminating any benefit the new sunlight would grant you. After the fog comes the water, as you realize you are surrounded by nothing but vast pools of water, filled to the brim with very deadly sea creatures, limiting your Pikmin forces significantly. You may try to scramble for more real estate on land, but then you notice the stone walls that block entry into any other safe points, and those so-called "safe points" contain Bulborbs twice the size as usual surrounded by a dozen hungry babies each. It's then that you come to the horrific realization that this new area has the most ship parts out of any in the whole game, and you'll be getting them all somehow.
This is the kind of feeling that makes me a Pikmin fan. Being confronted with a terrifying situation, only to slowly conquer it through sheer force of will and careful strategy. What may seem like an impossible to navigate map on your first landing slowly unfurls to the point where you can tread from the top of the map to the bottom with ease, stepping over the remains of enemies and toppled stone walls.
So many memorable aspects to this place. The Armored Cannon Beetle's revenge is tense due to the reduced arena size. The Chronos Reactor might be the most infamous ship part in the game mainly due to its required use of Candypop Buds. The maze required for the UV Lamp, the double bridge for the Gluon Drive, every ship part requires you to fire some neurons and figure out the best way to grab it. On top of that you have a secret boss, but that's just the cherry on top (and I never fought it because I'm bad at the game).
All of that, combined with the most ambient track in the entire series, leaves us with an area that can induce many emotions from a player. The fear is electrifying, but the satisfaction from conquering the area may be even better, and if we had another Pikmin game with more areas like these, it could be my favorite of all time.
---
This entry's long so buckle up.
You did it. You managed to get enough ship parts to explore past The Forest Navel. A new way point appears on your map, and you couldn't possibly imagine a place more intimidating, more threatening in nature than the dark caverns of the Navel.
It takes no more than three seconds upon arrival to realize you are in way over your head.
It can be unassuming at first. The area is so bright, a grassy spring that feels like an oasis in a desert. However, you'll slowly start to notice a few things. The fog comes first, as the entire area is coated in a dense mist that makes it very difficult to see ahead, completely eliminating any benefit the new sunlight would grant you. After the fog comes the water, as you realize you are surrounded by nothing but vast pools of water, filled to the brim with very deadly sea creatures, limiting your Pikmin forces significantly. You may try to scramble for more real estate on land, but then you notice the stone walls that block entry into any other safe points, and those so-called "safe points" contain Bulborbs twice the size as usual surrounded by a dozen hungry babies each. It's then that you come to the horrific realization that this new area has the most ship parts out of any in the whole game, and you'll be getting them all somehow.
This is the kind of feeling that makes me a Pikmin fan. Being confronted with a terrifying situation, only to slowly conquer it through sheer force of will and careful strategy. What may seem like an impossible to navigate map on your first landing slowly unfurls to the point where you can tread from the top of the map to the bottom with ease, stepping over the remains of enemies and toppled stone walls.
So many memorable aspects to this place. The Armored Cannon Beetle's revenge is tense due to the reduced arena size. The Chronos Reactor might be the most infamous ship part in the game mainly due to its required use of Candypop Buds. The maze required for the UV Lamp, the double bridge for the Gluon Drive, every ship part requires you to fire some neurons and figure out the best way to grab it. On top of that you have a secret boss, but that's just the cherry on top (and I never fought it because I'm bad at the game).
All of that, combined with the most ambient track in the entire series, leaves us with an area that can induce many emotions from a player. The fear is electrifying, but the satisfaction from conquering the area may be even better, and if we had another Pikmin game with more areas like these, it could be my favorite of all time.
1
The Forest Navel
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Almost interchangeable with the number one spot, this belly button of nature is here to show new Pikmin players that the world can be a cruel place, and it does so with style and class.
I can't think of a single other area with more recognizable zones than this one, making it in my opinion the most diverse locale in the franchise. I love the Fiery Blowhog beach bordering that massive lake drenched in shadows, Wollywogs, and a ramune bottle. I adore the cryptic chasm near the bottom of the map illuminated by Glowcaps and housing a stupid mushroom man. It's amazing how dreamlike it feels to walk into the sandy arena of the Beady Long Legs, and I still have nightmares where I have to collect the Libra in a single day regularly. This introduced Breadbugs, Blue Pikmin, and so many more things that are not worth naming but still important.
All of this is punctuated with a music track that is without description. I can't express in words how the tune makes me feel, and it becomes even more elegiac when sundown comes around and some sad riffs kick in.
Adoration would be an understatement. When I think of playing Pikmin, this area is what immediately pops into my mind, and serves as another point in the increasing line chart that is Pikmin 1's areas.
---
Almost interchangeable with the number one spot, this belly button of nature is here to show new Pikmin players that the world can be a cruel place, and it does so with style and class.
I can't think of a single other area with more recognizable zones than this one, making it in my opinion the most diverse locale in the franchise. I love the Fiery Blowhog beach bordering that massive lake drenched in shadows, Wollywogs, and a ramune bottle. I adore the cryptic chasm near the bottom of the map illuminated by Glowcaps and housing a stupid mushroom man. It's amazing how dreamlike it feels to walk into the sandy arena of the Beady Long Legs, and I still have nightmares where I have to collect the Libra in a single day regularly. This introduced Breadbugs, Blue Pikmin, and so many more things that are not worth naming but still important.
All of this is punctuated with a music track that is without description. I can't express in words how the tune makes me feel, and it becomes even more elegiac when sundown comes around and some sad riffs kick in.
Adoration would be an understatement. When I think of playing Pikmin, this area is what immediately pops into my mind, and serves as another point in the increasing line chart that is Pikmin 1's areas.
2
Formidable Oak
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This is how you make a final level. No tiny little gauntlet leading up to an arena, no horrible nightmare cave to hype up your final boss, how about we just design this area as if this were the big bad's castle.
As soon as you begin this dungeon, you will immediately be chased by the Plasm Wraith, who wants Olimar back and will devour everything in its wake to get him. What follows is a sequence that could only be described as tense and disturbing. You fight many enemies here who melt away into gold goo when killed, and a really menacing music track permeates your entire exploration. You'll be solving tons of puzzles and fighting plenty of enemies to get Olimar out of this hell hole, similarly to The Final Trial from Pikmin 1 but if the Emperor Bulblax was chasing you the whole time and the Bulblax was made of golden goo.
You are rewarded for your efforts with an amazing fight against the Plasm Wraith itself, probably one of the most difficult brawls in the franchise even with a party entirely comprised of Rock Pikmin. You'll have like 70 Pikmin scattered all over the place while water and fire rain from above and your captains are all unconscious it's great.
Such a cool idea, having the final boss and the puzzle-solving coalesce with each other to create a mix of both that works so well.
---
This is how you make a final level. No tiny little gauntlet leading up to an arena, no horrible nightmare cave to hype up your final boss, how about we just design this area as if this were the big bad's castle.
As soon as you begin this dungeon, you will immediately be chased by the Plasm Wraith, who wants Olimar back and will devour everything in its wake to get him. What follows is a sequence that could only be described as tense and disturbing. You fight many enemies here who melt away into gold goo when killed, and a really menacing music track permeates your entire exploration. You'll be solving tons of puzzles and fighting plenty of enemies to get Olimar out of this hell hole, similarly to The Final Trial from Pikmin 1 but if the Emperor Bulblax was chasing you the whole time and the Bulblax was made of golden goo.
You are rewarded for your efforts with an amazing fight against the Plasm Wraith itself, probably one of the most difficult brawls in the franchise even with a party entirely comprised of Rock Pikmin. You'll have like 70 Pikmin scattered all over the place while water and fire rain from above and your captains are all unconscious it's great.
Such a cool idea, having the final boss and the puzzle-solving coalesce with each other to create a mix of both that works so well.
3
The Forest of Hope
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If The Impact Site isn't the most iconic area in the franchise, it has to be this.
The Forest of Hope is probably the smoothest increase in difficulty that I have ever seen in the franchise. For each new foe that scares the piss out of you, a new achievement is waiting around the corner, and that prepares you for the next big foe.
Seeing a Bulborb for the first time put the fear of god in new players, but once you learn how to defeat them, you feel like you can conquer the world. That is until an Armored Cannon Beetle erases half your squad, but then you conquer that too! You're feeling invincible at this point, up until you're pounced by three Burrowing Snagrets, the ultimate challenge. Toppling these foes is almost as difficult as the final boss so needless to say this forest really helps increase your skill levels in ways no other area could dream.
The design of the area is top notch, with no chance of ever getting lost, and a liberal use of stone walls to make new sectors all the more exciting to find. There are only one or two areas with Sheargrubs that I find particularly annoying, but other than that, this place is kind of a masterpiece and only ranks this low because the other three have slightly higher highs.
---
If The Impact Site isn't the most iconic area in the franchise, it has to be this.
The Forest of Hope is probably the smoothest increase in difficulty that I have ever seen in the franchise. For each new foe that scares the piss out of you, a new achievement is waiting around the corner, and that prepares you for the next big foe.
Seeing a Bulborb for the first time put the fear of god in new players, but once you learn how to defeat them, you feel like you can conquer the world. That is until an Armored Cannon Beetle erases half your squad, but then you conquer that too! You're feeling invincible at this point, up until you're pounced by three Burrowing Snagrets, the ultimate challenge. Toppling these foes is almost as difficult as the final boss so needless to say this forest really helps increase your skill levels in ways no other area could dream.
The design of the area is top notch, with no chance of ever getting lost, and a liberal use of stone walls to make new sectors all the more exciting to find. There are only one or two areas with Sheargrubs that I find particularly annoying, but other than that, this place is kind of a masterpiece and only ranks this low because the other three have slightly higher highs.
4
Giant's Hearth
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This is the kind of open ended design that makes Pikmin areas feel so mesmerizing to explore, and there are so many elements of this area that surprised me in numerous ways that I couldn't help but feel a sense of overwhelming joy while playing through it.
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the aesthetics of the area. It's such a subtle shift in tone and design, 'cause now we're out here grilling. The locales here feel smoky, not exactly dead but instead resilient to the damage caused by hot coals and the stomping of long-gone humans desperate for their well-done borglars. Even the music serves to emphasize the fact that you have entered a harsh environment, and using the setting of a BBQ to illustrate intensity in the Pikmin world makes a lot of sense.
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the flaming pine cone mechanic. It's certainly janky at first and this cannot be denied, but when you get the hang of how it works, it becomes euphoric to spill flames into every pile of straw you see, and this leads to some pretty invigorating time trials and puzzles where you need to navigate the torch bearer to some tricky locations. Arson has never been more fun.
I was surprised by how many fun enemy encounters exist here. Getting half my squad flattened by a giant Sheargrub is honestly hilarious, and this is also where most players will encounter the Sovereign Bulblax for the first time. I don't think very highly of this name distinction, but I do think the fight is very fun. Getting to dunk on Masterhops in a matter of microseconds makes you feel like a badass, and while I really really hate fighting the Bloomcap Bloysters, they serve their purpose quite well and I have to respect them for it.
It's these little things that truly coalesce into greatness, and a lot of the time that's really all that you need.
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This is the kind of open ended design that makes Pikmin areas feel so mesmerizing to explore, and there are so many elements of this area that surprised me in numerous ways that I couldn't help but feel a sense of overwhelming joy while playing through it.
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the aesthetics of the area. It's such a subtle shift in tone and design, 'cause now we're out here grilling. The locales here feel smoky, not exactly dead but instead resilient to the damage caused by hot coals and the stomping of long-gone humans desperate for their well-done borglars. Even the music serves to emphasize the fact that you have entered a harsh environment, and using the setting of a BBQ to illustrate intensity in the Pikmin world makes a lot of sense.
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the flaming pine cone mechanic. It's certainly janky at first and this cannot be denied, but when you get the hang of how it works, it becomes euphoric to spill flames into every pile of straw you see, and this leads to some pretty invigorating time trials and puzzles where you need to navigate the torch bearer to some tricky locations. Arson has never been more fun.
I was surprised by how many fun enemy encounters exist here. Getting half my squad flattened by a giant Sheargrub is honestly hilarious, and this is also where most players will encounter the Sovereign Bulblax for the first time. I don't think very highly of this name distinction, but I do think the fight is very fun. Getting to dunk on Masterhops in a matter of microseconds makes you feel like a badass, and while I really really hate fighting the Bloomcap Bloysters, they serve their purpose quite well and I have to respect them for it.
It's these little things that truly coalesce into greatness, and a lot of the time that's really all that you need.
5
Hero's Hideaway
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Back in the day, if you had played the GameCube Pikmin games all the way through, you probably started to have fantasies regarding where they could go from there. Every now and then, the thought of being able to walk your Pikmin squad through a house will reach your mind, and even though the likelihood of this idea being used was low, you couldn't help yourself but ponder what it would feel like.
Pikmin 4 had the balls to make it happen.
Now I must admit, saying that this area is well designed might be a bit too generous. Navigating the area can be frustrating due to the incredible difference between altitudes. You'll also spend a lot of time running around in completely empty space, especially if you've already combed the area of enemies. Pikmin pathing here can be nightmarish to deal with, as they simply refuse to just walk off of countertops despite their bones of steel, made even more mind-boggling by the fact that even the Pikmin with WINGS will refuse to take easier routes. Dealing with the fans can also be tricky as it's hard to exactly pinpoint where they might blow your Pikmin, and the landing site after a launch can put you in some precarious situations.
But who the fuck cares!? You are playing Pikmin in a house for God's sake. You can climb up onto a countertop and collect treasures out of the sink, or pull an Onion out from the open freezer. Let's climb onto the table where the TV sits, presumably the same TV one could be playing Pikmin 4 on. Stairs may be a challenge, but a dog and a couple paper bags can solve that problem lickity split. There's a cave on a stove that's on fire at all times, photos of dogs used as treasures, and a center table housing a tense fight against an Armored Cannon Beetle.
Need I even mention the inclusion of some very unique mechanics. Moss herself serves as a wonderful obstacle to your exploration, stealing your Pikmin on sight. Even though she can be pacified with little effort thanks to the herculean force of Oatchi's charge, it's a concept that vibes with me super well. There's also the safe where Olimar resides requiring you to actually find specific treasures scattered across the area to decrypt the exact code necessary for entry, a concept which I don't really think had been explored to its fullest extent, even counting the globes you pick up in Pikmin 2 which unlock areas. Specific treasures required for progression is a very neat idea.
Remove all of the details and replace them with white blocks, and this area would be a piece of dog shit, but in its current state, it serves as the perfect realization of a concept that the vast majority of Pikmin fans have been clamoring for since 2004, and it was well worth the wait.
---
Back in the day, if you had played the GameCube Pikmin games all the way through, you probably started to have fantasies regarding where they could go from there. Every now and then, the thought of being able to walk your Pikmin squad through a house will reach your mind, and even though the likelihood of this idea being used was low, you couldn't help yourself but ponder what it would feel like.
Pikmin 4 had the balls to make it happen.
Now I must admit, saying that this area is well designed might be a bit too generous. Navigating the area can be frustrating due to the incredible difference between altitudes. You'll also spend a lot of time running around in completely empty space, especially if you've already combed the area of enemies. Pikmin pathing here can be nightmarish to deal with, as they simply refuse to just walk off of countertops despite their bones of steel, made even more mind-boggling by the fact that even the Pikmin with WINGS will refuse to take easier routes. Dealing with the fans can also be tricky as it's hard to exactly pinpoint where they might blow your Pikmin, and the landing site after a launch can put you in some precarious situations.
But who the fuck cares!? You are playing Pikmin in a house for God's sake. You can climb up onto a countertop and collect treasures out of the sink, or pull an Onion out from the open freezer. Let's climb onto the table where the TV sits, presumably the same TV one could be playing Pikmin 4 on. Stairs may be a challenge, but a dog and a couple paper bags can solve that problem lickity split. There's a cave on a stove that's on fire at all times, photos of dogs used as treasures, and a center table housing a tense fight against an Armored Cannon Beetle.
Need I even mention the inclusion of some very unique mechanics. Moss herself serves as a wonderful obstacle to your exploration, stealing your Pikmin on sight. Even though she can be pacified with little effort thanks to the herculean force of Oatchi's charge, it's a concept that vibes with me super well. There's also the safe where Olimar resides requiring you to actually find specific treasures scattered across the area to decrypt the exact code necessary for entry, a concept which I don't really think had been explored to its fullest extent, even counting the globes you pick up in Pikmin 2 which unlock areas. Specific treasures required for progression is a very neat idea.
Remove all of the details and replace them with white blocks, and this area would be a piece of dog shit, but in its current state, it serves as the perfect realization of a concept that the vast majority of Pikmin fans have been clamoring for since 2004, and it was well worth the wait.
6
Tropical Wilds
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Easily my favorite main area from Pikmin 3, and I can't exactly come up with a lot of good reasons but I'll try my best.
I really love how this place looks, probably my favorite aesthetic in the entire franchise. You have this tropical setting full of sand and lush trees with the sun beaming down at all times, and it's just so vibrant it makes you want to squee. The area is also quite compact yet very easy to navigate and get to where you need to be, with two major beaches on each end that serve as perfect landmarks of where you are.
Lots of memorable enemies here. This will probably be where you encounter the Shaggy Long Legs for the first time, and while it is incredibly annoying that the spider freak keeps walking between arenas, the enemy itself is very fun to fight so I can forgive it. Also included is an encounter with a Calcified Crushblat that you can very easily miss, which is a shame because I love this stupid idiot, the water-to-rock conversion you'll need to fight it brings back memories of the Chronos Reactor from the first game. Need I mention anything about the Sandbelching Meerslug, a boss that uses the environment in such an interesting way and ends up being one of the game's most memorable bouts.
Goes to show how great an area can be just from looks alone, and also serves as a great place to utilize Pikmin 3's camera system.
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Easily my favorite main area from Pikmin 3, and I can't exactly come up with a lot of good reasons but I'll try my best.
I really love how this place looks, probably my favorite aesthetic in the entire franchise. You have this tropical setting full of sand and lush trees with the sun beaming down at all times, and it's just so vibrant it makes you want to squee. The area is also quite compact yet very easy to navigate and get to where you need to be, with two major beaches on each end that serve as perfect landmarks of where you are.
Lots of memorable enemies here. This will probably be where you encounter the Shaggy Long Legs for the first time, and while it is incredibly annoying that the spider freak keeps walking between arenas, the enemy itself is very fun to fight so I can forgive it. Also included is an encounter with a Calcified Crushblat that you can very easily miss, which is a shame because I love this stupid idiot, the water-to-rock conversion you'll need to fight it brings back memories of the Chronos Reactor from the first game. Need I mention anything about the Sandbelching Meerslug, a boss that uses the environment in such an interesting way and ends up being one of the game's most memorable bouts.
Goes to show how great an area can be just from looks alone, and also serves as a great place to utilize Pikmin 3's camera system.
7
Serene Shores
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This is the only area in the entire Pikmin franchise that will actually undergo a significant change depending on what time of the day it is, and I find that to be absolutely extraordinary.
Blue Pikmin are the stars of the show here, and you get so much use out of their abilities that it's enough to make a grown man cry tears of joy. These useless losers are now able to swim like champions and murder every sea creature with relative ease, so be careful who you make fun of in middle school is what I'm saying.
However, this mostly applies to the first half of the day when the tide is high. Once the tide lowers, the game completely changes. You can use all of your Pikmin now for several different purposes, whether it's building bridges, breaking walls, collecting a massive watermelon with Oatchi's might alone, or climbing the massive sand castle that looms over the whole map. That castle in particular is one of my favorite set pieces in any map, as the treacherous climb forces you to dodge rolling boulders and a fight against a strong enemy waiting at the top. While I don't think the Crusted Rumpup is the greatest thing since sliced bread, the Sovereign Bulblax in Olimar's Shipwreck Tales is a super terrifying touch awaiting you at the top of the castle.
Such a beautiful beach vacation for you and your squad to soak up the sun and catch some waves.
---
This is the only area in the entire Pikmin franchise that will actually undergo a significant change depending on what time of the day it is, and I find that to be absolutely extraordinary.
Blue Pikmin are the stars of the show here, and you get so much use out of their abilities that it's enough to make a grown man cry tears of joy. These useless losers are now able to swim like champions and murder every sea creature with relative ease, so be careful who you make fun of in middle school is what I'm saying.
However, this mostly applies to the first half of the day when the tide is high. Once the tide lowers, the game completely changes. You can use all of your Pikmin now for several different purposes, whether it's building bridges, breaking walls, collecting a massive watermelon with Oatchi's might alone, or climbing the massive sand castle that looms over the whole map. That castle in particular is one of my favorite set pieces in any map, as the treacherous climb forces you to dodge rolling boulders and a fight against a strong enemy waiting at the top. While I don't think the Crusted Rumpup is the greatest thing since sliced bread, the Sovereign Bulblax in Olimar's Shipwreck Tales is a super terrifying touch awaiting you at the top of the castle.
Such a beautiful beach vacation for you and your squad to soak up the sun and catch some waves.
8
Awakening Wood
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I was hesitant to include any Pikmin 2 areas at all, considering the copied layouts from the first game. Since the main event of Pikmin 2 are the caves, the over-world areas suffered a bit of a blow, and it can be hard to justify that any of these retooled locations surpass their Pikmin 1 originals.
This one comes pretty close though.
Exploring the Awakening Wood is like cutting a knife into a warm stick of butter. Everything just kind of fits together, from using the Purples you find in one cave to explore another almost immediately after, the wonderful bridge shortcut you put together near the half of the globe you find later on, and overall I really feel like there are some neat set pieces in this place. I can visualize the opening span with the Red Bulborb and his compatriots so easily, and the Creeping Chrysanthemum by the fork in the road is so iconic to me I can't pinpoint why.
There's even some fun nods to the first game, with the Snagret Hole placed right where the flock of three Snagrets were in the first game (complete with an additional bonus Snagret), just to name one example.
While most Pikmin 2 areas don't hold a candle to their original inspirations, I think this one can stand on its own as a very neat, alternate-universe Forest of Hope. Also the music is legendary but I'm learning that goes for a lot of Pikmin areas.
---
I was hesitant to include any Pikmin 2 areas at all, considering the copied layouts from the first game. Since the main event of Pikmin 2 are the caves, the over-world areas suffered a bit of a blow, and it can be hard to justify that any of these retooled locations surpass their Pikmin 1 originals.
This one comes pretty close though.
Exploring the Awakening Wood is like cutting a knife into a warm stick of butter. Everything just kind of fits together, from using the Purples you find in one cave to explore another almost immediately after, the wonderful bridge shortcut you put together near the half of the globe you find later on, and overall I really feel like there are some neat set pieces in this place. I can visualize the opening span with the Red Bulborb and his compatriots so easily, and the Creeping Chrysanthemum by the fork in the road is so iconic to me I can't pinpoint why.
There's even some fun nods to the first game, with the Snagret Hole placed right where the flock of three Snagrets were in the first game (complete with an additional bonus Snagret), just to name one example.
While most Pikmin 2 areas don't hold a candle to their original inspirations, I think this one can stand on its own as a very neat, alternate-universe Forest of Hope. Also the music is legendary but I'm learning that goes for a lot of Pikmin areas.
9
Garden of Hope
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It really grinds my gears that half of this level is inaccessible until Louie decides to be an asshole and randomly explode, destroying a concrete block to give you access to the second half. This is frustrating to me because there's no way to accelerate this exploration without playing through 80% of the campaign, and it's not even because of a Pikmin deficiency it's because Louie ate nitroglycerin I guess.
Revisiting an area is certainly an interesting concept though. I find the second visit with the Blue Pikmin to be particularly memorable, as the bridge puzzle allows you to fight a whole set of new an interesting enemies. There's a fun scale puzzle which is only fun because you can skip the entire thing with Winged Pikmin because Winged Pikmin are the best. There's even this really cool mini-boss fight against some Bug-Eyed Crawmads, a wonderful evolution of a Pikmin 2 enemy that utilizes 3's awesome feature of being able to attack specific body parts.
Speaking of which, you fight two bosses here, and both of them are top class. The Armored Mawdad is a great encounter where you can just chuck Rock Pikmin indiscriminately and hope it shatters like glass, and the Quaggled Mireclops is one of my favorite Pikmin fights just because of how huge it is and how messy and chaotic the encounter can be.
I find all of my problems with this place stem from it having two required campaign visits that split the area in half. In all honestly I would've preferred if they just made a new area for the revisit and kept the original as an Impact Site sort of thing, but I can't say I dislike this at all. Very worthy of being a Smash Bros. stage.
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It really grinds my gears that half of this level is inaccessible until Louie decides to be an asshole and randomly explode, destroying a concrete block to give you access to the second half. This is frustrating to me because there's no way to accelerate this exploration without playing through 80% of the campaign, and it's not even because of a Pikmin deficiency it's because Louie ate nitroglycerin I guess.
Revisiting an area is certainly an interesting concept though. I find the second visit with the Blue Pikmin to be particularly memorable, as the bridge puzzle allows you to fight a whole set of new an interesting enemies. There's a fun scale puzzle which is only fun because you can skip the entire thing with Winged Pikmin because Winged Pikmin are the best. There's even this really cool mini-boss fight against some Bug-Eyed Crawmads, a wonderful evolution of a Pikmin 2 enemy that utilizes 3's awesome feature of being able to attack specific body parts.
Speaking of which, you fight two bosses here, and both of them are top class. The Armored Mawdad is a great encounter where you can just chuck Rock Pikmin indiscriminately and hope it shatters like glass, and the Quaggled Mireclops is one of my favorite Pikmin fights just because of how huge it is and how messy and chaotic the encounter can be.
I find all of my problems with this place stem from it having two required campaign visits that split the area in half. In all honestly I would've preferred if they just made a new area for the revisit and kept the original as an Impact Site sort of thing, but I can't say I dislike this at all. Very worthy of being a Smash Bros. stage.
10
Blossoming Arcadia
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This is where I feel Pikmin 4 truly begins. This can be seen as immediately apparent upon landing at your first site and taking in the beautiful scenery. Flower petals grace the floor sporadically, the lush dirt mixes so well with the soft, sandy beaches that surround the rivers, and you can't help but appreciate just how engrossed in nature this area feels.
Gameplay wise, we're not doing half bad either. At lot of landing bases very close to each other and conveniently placed make navigating the area smooth as butter. You'll also encounter some wonderful new enemies, including the Downy Snagrets which are God's most favorite creation. Of course a Burrowing Snagret will set its crosshairs on you at some point and while the fight is just as underwhelming as it is in 3, I can't help myself from enjoying the presence of a Snagret in any capacity. Need I also mention the redesign given to the Creeping Chrysanthemum, using the vibrant flora the Arcadia creates as a tool to descend upon your army and swallow up Pikmin by the buckets.
Wonderful design mixed with beautiful aesthetics and a wide range of interesting enemies does give this place quite an edge, only being held back by an absence of particularly exceptional elements that the higher-ranked areas tout with pride.
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This is where I feel Pikmin 4 truly begins. This can be seen as immediately apparent upon landing at your first site and taking in the beautiful scenery. Flower petals grace the floor sporadically, the lush dirt mixes so well with the soft, sandy beaches that surround the rivers, and you can't help but appreciate just how engrossed in nature this area feels.
Gameplay wise, we're not doing half bad either. At lot of landing bases very close to each other and conveniently placed make navigating the area smooth as butter. You'll also encounter some wonderful new enemies, including the Downy Snagrets which are God's most favorite creation. Of course a Burrowing Snagret will set its crosshairs on you at some point and while the fight is just as underwhelming as it is in 3, I can't help myself from enjoying the presence of a Snagret in any capacity. Need I also mention the redesign given to the Creeping Chrysanthemum, using the vibrant flora the Arcadia creates as a tool to descend upon your army and swallow up Pikmin by the buckets.
Wonderful design mixed with beautiful aesthetics and a wide range of interesting enemies does give this place quite an edge, only being held back by an absence of particularly exceptional elements that the higher-ranked areas tout with pride.
11
Perplexing Pool
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It can be a bit unflattering to compare the areas in Pikmin 2 to the ones whose layouts they stole from the original game. This is definitely an example of a level failing to live up to its predecessor.
Not to say it's bad, no not at all. It's sprawling and full of life, and the music solidifies that this place is kind of like a getaway vacation. I love a lot of the enemy selection here, such as the only above-ground appearance of the Toady Bloyster who drops a treasure, and the Beady Long Legs who will jump-scare you without fail when he drops near your landing site.
Where this area seems to falter is when it's compared to the Distant Spring, which is inevitable considering they use the exact same layout. The Spring was this ominous, open area that was quite intimidating to explore, as explained in that entry. The Pool on the other hand guides you along a set path with relative ease. It does not take long to find the Yellow Pikmin up at the highest point of the map, and once you've done that, you have basically conquered the area. On top of that, you can drain the water in several places here, really reducing the nuance that comes with exploring this area. Even more placed on top of all that, the Pool has a fetish for scale puzzles, and while some can be easily cheesed, others are nightmare Saw traps that I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy.
A lot of negatives for sure, but it's such a relaxing area that doesn't breed too much frustration when hopping from place to place, and for that I cannot fault it too badly.
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It can be a bit unflattering to compare the areas in Pikmin 2 to the ones whose layouts they stole from the original game. This is definitely an example of a level failing to live up to its predecessor.
Not to say it's bad, no not at all. It's sprawling and full of life, and the music solidifies that this place is kind of like a getaway vacation. I love a lot of the enemy selection here, such as the only above-ground appearance of the Toady Bloyster who drops a treasure, and the Beady Long Legs who will jump-scare you without fail when he drops near your landing site.
Where this area seems to falter is when it's compared to the Distant Spring, which is inevitable considering they use the exact same layout. The Spring was this ominous, open area that was quite intimidating to explore, as explained in that entry. The Pool on the other hand guides you along a set path with relative ease. It does not take long to find the Yellow Pikmin up at the highest point of the map, and once you've done that, you have basically conquered the area. On top of that, you can drain the water in several places here, really reducing the nuance that comes with exploring this area. Even more placed on top of all that, the Pool has a fetish for scale puzzles, and while some can be easily cheesed, others are nightmare Saw traps that I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy.
A lot of negatives for sure, but it's such a relaxing area that doesn't breed too much frustration when hopping from place to place, and for that I cannot fault it too badly.
12
The Impact Site
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Absolutely iconic, there's not much here but it's all wonderful.
This is the only Pikmin game which creates an entire area for its tutorial, a decision I think they could've easily brought into 2 and especially 3. As a tutorial, it serves its purpose and gives us a wonderful introduction to the game with some silly Red Pikmin, interesting level geometry with slopes and ramps, and an awesome looking ship part.
There's so much more though, can we talk about the arena where the Mamuta and Goolix will occasionally spawn on? It's like Nintendo had two more enemies they wanted to include but had no idea how, so let's make them these enigmatic weirdos that arrive to The Impact Site on alternating days. They're really cool enemies by the way, and we can't ignore what lies beyond the stone wall. There you will find a luscious spring with the Pikmin 1 exclusive Pearly Clam Clamps, enemies that I am so glad returned in Pikmin 4 because they are the perfect test of timing and managing your patience.
Just a wonderful place overall, and topped with what may be my favorite music track in the entire series. There's something about this area's music that screams Pikmin to me and I can't exactly pin point it, but it's beautiful and I love it.
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Absolutely iconic, there's not much here but it's all wonderful.
This is the only Pikmin game which creates an entire area for its tutorial, a decision I think they could've easily brought into 2 and especially 3. As a tutorial, it serves its purpose and gives us a wonderful introduction to the game with some silly Red Pikmin, interesting level geometry with slopes and ramps, and an awesome looking ship part.
There's so much more though, can we talk about the arena where the Mamuta and Goolix will occasionally spawn on? It's like Nintendo had two more enemies they wanted to include but had no idea how, so let's make them these enigmatic weirdos that arrive to The Impact Site on alternating days. They're really cool enemies by the way, and we can't ignore what lies beyond the stone wall. There you will find a luscious spring with the Pikmin 1 exclusive Pearly Clam Clamps, enemies that I am so glad returned in Pikmin 4 because they are the perfect test of timing and managing your patience.
Just a wonderful place overall, and topped with what may be my favorite music track in the entire series. There's something about this area's music that screams Pikmin to me and I can't exactly pin point it, but it's beautiful and I love it.
13
Wistful Wild
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This area has such a cool concept. Let's take both the first and last areas from the first game and stitch them together, as well as add details that show how much time has passed. From purely an idea standpoint, I love this place.
However, Pikmin fans may be able to recognize what's wrong here. The Impact Site and The Final Trial from the first game had about two moving enemies in them combined. They were mostly empty areas which tested your other Pikmin skills like elemental management and the like. The Wistful Wild, on the other hand, is an endgame area filled to the brim with very dangerous baddies, so this entire area just comes off feeling ridiculously cramped. Many enemies are duplicated into tiny spaces, Armored Cannon Beetles will chill out in long corridors with no place to hide, and there's this asshole Gatling Groink who can and will find your landing spot and rain hellfire upon all living creatures present. I'm convinced there's an extra block of code that improves the Groink's pathfinding the instant you start picking up the stupid blue dumbbell.
It sucks because the music and general mood of this area is so strong, and I adore how your landing spot is where the Emperor Bulblax was in the first game and the Dream Den is where your first ship part was, almost as if you're re-tracing your steps from the original. Solid idea but they could tone down the vicious creatures a bit.
Side note this area is also a massive retcon because there is no fucking way The Final Trial was right next to The Impact Site or else we wouldn't have had tO FLY THERE!
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This area has such a cool concept. Let's take both the first and last areas from the first game and stitch them together, as well as add details that show how much time has passed. From purely an idea standpoint, I love this place.
However, Pikmin fans may be able to recognize what's wrong here. The Impact Site and The Final Trial from the first game had about two moving enemies in them combined. They were mostly empty areas which tested your other Pikmin skills like elemental management and the like. The Wistful Wild, on the other hand, is an endgame area filled to the brim with very dangerous baddies, so this entire area just comes off feeling ridiculously cramped. Many enemies are duplicated into tiny spaces, Armored Cannon Beetles will chill out in long corridors with no place to hide, and there's this asshole Gatling Groink who can and will find your landing spot and rain hellfire upon all living creatures present. I'm convinced there's an extra block of code that improves the Groink's pathfinding the instant you start picking up the stupid blue dumbbell.
It sucks because the music and general mood of this area is so strong, and I adore how your landing spot is where the Emperor Bulblax was in the first game and the Dream Den is where your first ship part was, almost as if you're re-tracing your steps from the original. Solid idea but they could tone down the vicious creatures a bit.
Side note this area is also a massive retcon because there is no fucking way The Final Trial was right next to The Impact Site or else we wouldn't have had tO FLY THERE!
14
Sun-Speckled Terrace
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This is the World 1-1 of Pikmin games.
Impeccably designed in order to ease players into a new experience, but as such lacks any notable set pieces or areas that make Pikmin maps so memorable. I'm struggling to think of things to write about because the level itself is kinda boring.
One thing I do really like about this area is how you can obtain all three primary color Pikmin types here, with the Blue Onion being a very unique puzzle that perfectly educates you on the uses of Ice Pikmin and perhaps also giving Oatchi extra carry weight. I also like the mountain area that ends in a mini-boss fight which serves as an interested setting change.
Other than that, it's an area all right, no doubt about it, says so right there.
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This is the World 1-1 of Pikmin games.
Impeccably designed in order to ease players into a new experience, but as such lacks any notable set pieces or areas that make Pikmin maps so memorable. I'm struggling to think of things to write about because the level itself is kinda boring.
One thing I do really like about this area is how you can obtain all three primary color Pikmin types here, with the Blue Onion being a very unique puzzle that perfectly educates you on the uses of Ice Pikmin and perhaps also giving Oatchi extra carry weight. I also like the mountain area that ends in a mini-boss fight which serves as an interested setting change.
Other than that, it's an area all right, no doubt about it, says so right there.
15
The Final Trial
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Let's not mince words here, this is just an arena for the final fight against the Emperor Bulblax.
Making final boss areas in a Pikmin game is not an impossible feat, as Pikmin 3 did a great job at just that, but here it feels kind of pointless. It's frustrating that the final tasks before the Bulblax take just barely long enough so that fighting the Emperor himself on the same day becomes way more challenging. This means that you should probably just allocate two half-days for this place instead of one full day, which is quite annoying.
However, even though this is a glorified Colosseum, the fight against the Emperor Bulblax himself is very fun and challenging, and the music that plays here is a certified bop, so the Final Trial proves to still have a ton of value.
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Let's not mince words here, this is just an arena for the final fight against the Emperor Bulblax.
Making final boss areas in a Pikmin game is not an impossible feat, as Pikmin 3 did a great job at just that, but here it feels kind of pointless. It's frustrating that the final tasks before the Bulblax take just barely long enough so that fighting the Emperor himself on the same day becomes way more challenging. This means that you should probably just allocate two half-days for this place instead of one full day, which is quite annoying.
However, even though this is a glorified Colosseum, the fight against the Emperor Bulblax himself is very fun and challenging, and the music that plays here is a certified bop, so the Final Trial proves to still have a ton of value.
16
Distant Tundra
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To be blunt, I really don't like how this area is introduced. One thing I love about arriving at a new area is that I can take in my surroundings and sort of explore at my own pace. No need to rush since I just unlocked this place, I can instead scout out the area and get a good feel for what the map looks like.
Instead Alph flies the Drake like a drunk, blind grandma and crashes into a rock, tossing Brittany into a cave and giving you a very aggravating objective to complete. When I feel that I am under the threat of one of my crewmates being devoured in a cave if I don't assemble a bridge fast enough, I don't get to soak in the area itself or really have any fun whatsoever. These kind of stress tests work better when you're at the peak of an arc and not when you just woke up in this snowy wasteland. Even if Brittany doesn't actually die if you don't complete the challenge in a day, that point isn't made incredibly clear.
Sadly I don't enjoy much else about this place. The fight against the Shaggy Long Legs here might be the most infuriating battle in the game due to it going for a swim every five seconds. There's a lot of focus put on ascending to higher ground which I'm not fond of due to the wonkiness of throwing captains and the abundance of snowball-wielding assholes who will scatter Pikmin across the stratosphere. Even the boss fight against the Vehemoth Phosbat is just ok.
It's just kind of a let down that I think could've been massively improved if I could breathe upon entering it. Sad that this is the best snow-based Pikmin area the series has seen.
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To be blunt, I really don't like how this area is introduced. One thing I love about arriving at a new area is that I can take in my surroundings and sort of explore at my own pace. No need to rush since I just unlocked this place, I can instead scout out the area and get a good feel for what the map looks like.
Instead Alph flies the Drake like a drunk, blind grandma and crashes into a rock, tossing Brittany into a cave and giving you a very aggravating objective to complete. When I feel that I am under the threat of one of my crewmates being devoured in a cave if I don't assemble a bridge fast enough, I don't get to soak in the area itself or really have any fun whatsoever. These kind of stress tests work better when you're at the peak of an arc and not when you just woke up in this snowy wasteland. Even if Brittany doesn't actually die if you don't complete the challenge in a day, that point isn't made incredibly clear.
Sadly I don't enjoy much else about this place. The fight against the Shaggy Long Legs here might be the most infuriating battle in the game due to it going for a swim every five seconds. There's a lot of focus put on ascending to higher ground which I'm not fond of due to the wonkiness of throwing captains and the abundance of snowball-wielding assholes who will scatter Pikmin across the stratosphere. Even the boss fight against the Vehemoth Phosbat is just ok.
It's just kind of a let down that I think could've been massively improved if I could breathe upon entering it. Sad that this is the best snow-based Pikmin area the series has seen.
17
Valley of Repose
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This is the only area in Pikmin 2 that is not built off of the foundation of existing Pikmin 1 maps. Needless to say I can see why they recycled those areas because their attempt at a brand new zone is mostly unappealing.
I love the music and the snow theming, but other than that there really isn't much here. Half of the area is dedicated to the long-as-shit tutorial, and when you can finally return with Blue Pikmin to open the second part, you'll find that the entire map is a giant straight line. It takes ages for any amount of Pikmin to take the giant Princess Peach crown from the tippy top of the map all the way to the bottom, and that's not even acknowledging all of the enemies that will halt the carrying progress even more if not dealt with. It's especially mean that the optimal path back to the ship hides a Burrowing Snagret who will either absolutely jumpscare you on your first stroll by, or devour an entire squad of Pikmin carrying back a stupid clock.
There are some interesting areas present here, like the Fiery Bulblax that you need Blue Pikmin to defeat (even though you may see this in the Submerged Castle first), but it's so hard to think of anything else that I particularly love about this place. Maybe the music, yeah probably the music.
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This is the only area in Pikmin 2 that is not built off of the foundation of existing Pikmin 1 maps. Needless to say I can see why they recycled those areas because their attempt at a brand new zone is mostly unappealing.
I love the music and the snow theming, but other than that there really isn't much here. Half of the area is dedicated to the long-as-shit tutorial, and when you can finally return with Blue Pikmin to open the second part, you'll find that the entire map is a giant straight line. It takes ages for any amount of Pikmin to take the giant Princess Peach crown from the tippy top of the map all the way to the bottom, and that's not even acknowledging all of the enemies that will halt the carrying progress even more if not dealt with. It's especially mean that the optimal path back to the ship hides a Burrowing Snagret who will either absolutely jumpscare you on your first stroll by, or devour an entire squad of Pikmin carrying back a stupid clock.
There are some interesting areas present here, like the Fiery Bulblax that you need Blue Pikmin to defeat (even though you may see this in the Submerged Castle first), but it's so hard to think of anything else that I particularly love about this place. Maybe the music, yeah probably the music.
18
Primordial Thicket
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For a final location, it serves its purpose quite well. The dark shadows of the woods loom over the area, and this gross underbelly of nature makes you feel like you are one of those cliche explorers whacking vines with a machete in search of gold.
As you arrive here, you may also notice that the place is littered head-to-toe in poisonous hazards, some of which are impassable without the immunity White Pikmin bring. So imagine my shock and awe as I activate the survey drone to look for the White Onion only to find that the Onion is noticeably Pink instead. This decision baffles me, because trying to trudge your way through this nightmare with four White Pikmin is a Sisyphean task considering that 90% of the enemies have a venom-spewing fungus growing out of every orifice.
That's far from the only problem of course. Mushroom patches will stop your progress every three micrometers, forcing you to take down a dozen tiny mushrooms (the only tangible objects in the game that don't trigger your auto-aim by the way) in order to allow you to walk at a normal speed as well as have any Non-Winged Pikmin carry stuff down that path. The mechanic of drowning mud is also particularly nasty, with the difference between the mud you can and cannot walk on being represented by one digit in their hexadecimal color, and your journeys into the deeper patches being met with having everyone you love sucked into the maw of a Bogswallow.
About as fun as it looks.
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For a final location, it serves its purpose quite well. The dark shadows of the woods loom over the area, and this gross underbelly of nature makes you feel like you are one of those cliche explorers whacking vines with a machete in search of gold.
As you arrive here, you may also notice that the place is littered head-to-toe in poisonous hazards, some of which are impassable without the immunity White Pikmin bring. So imagine my shock and awe as I activate the survey drone to look for the White Onion only to find that the Onion is noticeably Pink instead. This decision baffles me, because trying to trudge your way through this nightmare with four White Pikmin is a Sisyphean task considering that 90% of the enemies have a venom-spewing fungus growing out of every orifice.
That's far from the only problem of course. Mushroom patches will stop your progress every three micrometers, forcing you to take down a dozen tiny mushrooms (the only tangible objects in the game that don't trigger your auto-aim by the way) in order to allow you to walk at a normal speed as well as have any Non-Winged Pikmin carry stuff down that path. The mechanic of drowning mud is also particularly nasty, with the difference between the mud you can and cannot walk on being represented by one digit in their hexadecimal color, and your journeys into the deeper patches being met with having everyone you love sucked into the maw of a Bogswallow.
About as fun as it looks.
19
Twilight River
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I HATE LILLI-PADS I HATE LILLI-PADS I HATE-
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I HATE LILLI-PADS I HATE LILLI-PADS I HATE-
20