Pikmin 2 ditches the time limit of the first game, focusing more on the collectathon aspect of pikmin, and it’s for the better. Collecting treasure and paying off your debt is so satisfying, as is completing a cave. It isn’t without its flaws though; many game design decisions had me questioning the devs, such as pikmin lagging behind (which only gets worse as you get the boot upgrade which increases your speed), and some bosses having very punishing attacks, and overall I felt the days were a bit short. These issues don’t plague the game too bad, though, as this is still such a solid experience and holds up regardless of the QOL issues that future entries would implement.

Many caves in this game had me restarting (thank god it saves in-between sub levels) and I’m genuinely happy that the game is probably the most difficult in the series to 100%. I’ve yet to complete challenge mode, but 100%-ing the main game has been a blast.

Music in this game is also just okay, at least compared to the rest of the series. Some themes just get annoying, too. But I suppose that is personal preference.