Pikmin is so great that its sequels still mange to be really good games even though they completely abandon the first game's core structural feature -- the time limit.
God, the time limit. I love the 30 day time limit in this game so much. It's a stroke of arcade-y genius to have a calendar pressuring you to make every little carrot dude and second of daylight count. And because everything is designed with that 30 day calendar in mind, this game has basically perfect pacing. It doesn't have to add roguelike dungeon crawls or increasingly complicated multi-character micromanagement to stay challenging because the threat of running out of days is the challenge. No need for a side dish when your main plate is a perfect portion.
Also the sounds are all permanently etched into my brain and the water is so watery it makes me want to throw pebbles at my TV.
God, the time limit. I love the 30 day time limit in this game so much. It's a stroke of arcade-y genius to have a calendar pressuring you to make every little carrot dude and second of daylight count. And because everything is designed with that 30 day calendar in mind, this game has basically perfect pacing. It doesn't have to add roguelike dungeon crawls or increasingly complicated multi-character micromanagement to stay challenging because the threat of running out of days is the challenge. No need for a side dish when your main plate is a perfect portion.
Also the sounds are all permanently etched into my brain and the water is so watery it makes me want to throw pebbles at my TV.