hue
2004
I started playing Pikmin 2 right after beating Pikmin 1, and there are immediate quality of life improvements that I greatly appreciated. Being able to switch between Pikmin types while holding a Pikmin is great for quickly picking the one you need without having to dismiss as often, and Pikmin feel more clever overall, for example they now automatically pick up a pellet after taking out a Pellet Posy. Being able to switch to a second leader is also useful, but admittedly I was not able to do as much multi-tasking as I expected to do, which may be due to my own inability, but being able to send a leader somewhere automatically while doing another task would be helpful (and is something the Pikmin games would later implement in future titles).
The game's new structure with a focus on procedurally-generated caves where you bring a set number of Pikmin in and are unable (for the most part) to get more shows a big change in the game's focus compared to its predecessor. Since Pikmin 1 focused more on the overall challenge of finding all 30 ship parts in 30 days, each individual challenge was less demanding, as major disasters could throw players off pace and the tension came from hoping you had enough days left to recover all the parts. In Pikmin 2, there is no time limit, instead each cave demands more from the player with challenging layouts full of enemies and hazards. The designers were free to create more difficult encounters, as if the player lost all their Pikmin, they could simply take time to get more and come back later with no time limit looming overhead. I find this change to be a great one. The tension of getting through a cave is palpable, knowing that every Pikmin lost is a permanent weakening of your abilities to not just to defeat the boss at the end, but also to take back all of the treasure.
While Pikmin 2 is definitely challenging, I never felt that it was poorly balanced until taking on the final boss, which was a nonstop 30 minute gauntlet of dodging attacks and running in to throw Pikmin before recalling when they started their next attack. The boss does not give you enough of a window to deal much damage, so the fight turns into a bit of a slog that had my hands cramping up from throwing so many Pikmin. Having to refight the boss if you don't have enough Pikmin to take back its treasures is another brutally punishing element that, while interesting, I found to be a bit much.
For the most part, I also believe that most Pikmin types fill an important niche. Yellow Pikmin are much more useful now, as they resist electricity which is the most fatal hazard type in the game, as it instantly kills the other Pikmin types with no chance of whistling them back to safety. Red Pikmin are still useful for fiery enemies and traps, but their role in combat has been somewhat overshadowed by the powerful but somewhat rare Purple Pikmin. The quick White Pikmin are able to keep up with the leaders' speed easily unlike all other types (which have been slowed down since Pikmin 1), allowing you to make some risky but exhilarating moves to quickly grab treasure and get out before enemies have time to attack, but I would say that they are the new least-utilized Pikmin type. As most poisonous hazards can be neutralized with a single White Pikmin, there is little need to amass many of them.
The game's writing is clever and thought-provoking, reading the Piklopedia and Treasure notes was a fun way to wind down after a tense day exploring caves. Learning more about Olimar's family dynamics, his thoughts on Louie and the President, as well as his theories about the ecology of the planet was something I looked forward to at the end of each day. Unlocking Louie's notes towards the end of the game was great, seeing his recipes for each creature gave him some much-appreciated characterization after being absent for much of the playthrough, though I still wish you could pick either Louie or the President as the second leader after Louie is rescued.
Pikmin 2 is a game that surprised me in how much room Pikmin had to grow, and gracefully takes on a new direction for the series considering how much has changed structurally. Even after beating the game, I could not stop thinking about how rich the world of Pikmin 2 is, and it makes me wish that Nintendo would do more to emphasize their writing in their games, as Pikmin 2 clearly shows how much it can add without getting in the way of players who are not interested.
The game's new structure with a focus on procedurally-generated caves where you bring a set number of Pikmin in and are unable (for the most part) to get more shows a big change in the game's focus compared to its predecessor. Since Pikmin 1 focused more on the overall challenge of finding all 30 ship parts in 30 days, each individual challenge was less demanding, as major disasters could throw players off pace and the tension came from hoping you had enough days left to recover all the parts. In Pikmin 2, there is no time limit, instead each cave demands more from the player with challenging layouts full of enemies and hazards. The designers were free to create more difficult encounters, as if the player lost all their Pikmin, they could simply take time to get more and come back later with no time limit looming overhead. I find this change to be a great one. The tension of getting through a cave is palpable, knowing that every Pikmin lost is a permanent weakening of your abilities to not just to defeat the boss at the end, but also to take back all of the treasure.
While Pikmin 2 is definitely challenging, I never felt that it was poorly balanced until taking on the final boss, which was a nonstop 30 minute gauntlet of dodging attacks and running in to throw Pikmin before recalling when they started their next attack. The boss does not give you enough of a window to deal much damage, so the fight turns into a bit of a slog that had my hands cramping up from throwing so many Pikmin. Having to refight the boss if you don't have enough Pikmin to take back its treasures is another brutally punishing element that, while interesting, I found to be a bit much.
For the most part, I also believe that most Pikmin types fill an important niche. Yellow Pikmin are much more useful now, as they resist electricity which is the most fatal hazard type in the game, as it instantly kills the other Pikmin types with no chance of whistling them back to safety. Red Pikmin are still useful for fiery enemies and traps, but their role in combat has been somewhat overshadowed by the powerful but somewhat rare Purple Pikmin. The quick White Pikmin are able to keep up with the leaders' speed easily unlike all other types (which have been slowed down since Pikmin 1), allowing you to make some risky but exhilarating moves to quickly grab treasure and get out before enemies have time to attack, but I would say that they are the new least-utilized Pikmin type. As most poisonous hazards can be neutralized with a single White Pikmin, there is little need to amass many of them.
The game's writing is clever and thought-provoking, reading the Piklopedia and Treasure notes was a fun way to wind down after a tense day exploring caves. Learning more about Olimar's family dynamics, his thoughts on Louie and the President, as well as his theories about the ecology of the planet was something I looked forward to at the end of each day. Unlocking Louie's notes towards the end of the game was great, seeing his recipes for each creature gave him some much-appreciated characterization after being absent for much of the playthrough, though I still wish you could pick either Louie or the President as the second leader after Louie is rescued.
Pikmin 2 is a game that surprised me in how much room Pikmin had to grow, and gracefully takes on a new direction for the series considering how much has changed structurally. Even after beating the game, I could not stop thinking about how rich the world of Pikmin 2 is, and it makes me wish that Nintendo would do more to emphasize their writing in their games, as Pikmin 2 clearly shows how much it can add without getting in the way of players who are not interested.
It's difficult to recall the best parts of Super Mario Bros. Wonder because each level is so full of fun ideas, refreshingly unique and vibrant scenery, and cute moments that singling out an individual highlight is almost impossible. The Wonder Flower effects are such a treat, and contribute even further to how packed with ideas the game is. Even when some are reused on occasion, the environment is usually different enough that still feels fresh. Additionally, the Bubble Flower alone is enough to create an entire game around it, in fact I wish that they had chosen it as the "main" power-up of the game over the Elephant Fruit, which I feel does not do enough to justify its existence.
The Badge system is an interesting way to tweak the gameplay to suit your preferences, but I admit that controlling Mario is so fun and full of nuance that I barely touched it, opting instead to play each level as close to their intended experience as possible, but I'm looking forward to delving into it on a deeper level in future playthroughs. I did really enjoy the Badge challenge levels, especially the more demanding ones.
I have never felt a greater desire for more from a game than I felt after 100%ing Super Mario Bros. Wonder, mostly because most ideas are only given a single level to be explored and I feel as though there is so much depth to uncover that the main game does not fully deliver on. Compared to Super Mario 3D World (which I feel is Wonder's closest sibling title), there is very little postgame content, which exacerbates this feeling of wanting more to challenge me to fully master each mechanic and power-up. A bonus world of remixed, more challenging versions of the levels with the most compelling mechanics would do a lot to remedy this. Another idea would be to add a set of challenge levels for each power-up, as I feel that they have a lot of potential left unused, especially the Bubble Flower as previously stated and the Drill Mushroom which I feel did not get much time to shine.
One last thing I wanted to mention, despite my mixed initial impressions on the Talking Flowers from the game's reveal trailer, I am shocked to say that I ended up finding their lines quite charming and added a lot to the experience.
I love this game, and the worst thing I can say about it is that it was so fun that I wish it went on just a bit longer and challenged me a bit more, which I think are pretty good problems to have.
The Badge system is an interesting way to tweak the gameplay to suit your preferences, but I admit that controlling Mario is so fun and full of nuance that I barely touched it, opting instead to play each level as close to their intended experience as possible, but I'm looking forward to delving into it on a deeper level in future playthroughs. I did really enjoy the Badge challenge levels, especially the more demanding ones.
I have never felt a greater desire for more from a game than I felt after 100%ing Super Mario Bros. Wonder, mostly because most ideas are only given a single level to be explored and I feel as though there is so much depth to uncover that the main game does not fully deliver on. Compared to Super Mario 3D World (which I feel is Wonder's closest sibling title), there is very little postgame content, which exacerbates this feeling of wanting more to challenge me to fully master each mechanic and power-up. A bonus world of remixed, more challenging versions of the levels with the most compelling mechanics would do a lot to remedy this. Another idea would be to add a set of challenge levels for each power-up, as I feel that they have a lot of potential left unused, especially the Bubble Flower as previously stated and the Drill Mushroom which I feel did not get much time to shine.
One last thing I wanted to mention, despite my mixed initial impressions on the Talking Flowers from the game's reveal trailer, I am shocked to say that I ended up finding their lines quite charming and added a lot to the experience.
I love this game, and the worst thing I can say about it is that it was so fun that I wish it went on just a bit longer and challenged me a bit more, which I think are pretty good problems to have.
2001
Really fun and charming, Pikmin strikes what must have been a tricky balance of calmness and tension. It does feel like something is missing, as Yellow Pikmin don't get much of a chance to shine compared to the other types, and bomb rocks are a bit clunky to use.
That being said, when the game makes you use all three types together, like when getting the Libra, it really feels like something special. Olimar's end of day logs and ship part descriptions are charming and give you some insight on his life on Hocotate and also highlight the depth of the planet's ecosystem. It also feels like the perfect length to revisit and see if you can get all the parts in less days, which I'm excited to do at some point.
That being said, when the game makes you use all three types together, like when getting the Libra, it really feels like something special. Olimar's end of day logs and ship part descriptions are charming and give you some insight on his life on Hocotate and also highlight the depth of the planet's ecosystem. It also feels like the perfect length to revisit and see if you can get all the parts in less days, which I'm excited to do at some point.