Topic: Nintendo Land Impressions

[NWR_Neal]

So how awesome is the Pikmin Nintendo Land attraction?

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/impressions/31717

Nintendo officially unveiled four new Nintendo Land attractions today: Metroid Blast, Balloon Trip Breeze, Mario Chase, and Pikmin Adventure. They were all playable at today's Wii U Preview Event. First, I'm going to attack Pikmin Adventure, the action-based adventure attraction.

Pikmin Adventure was shown in cooperative form. There is a versus mode, but we weren't allowed to check it out yet. It was playable with up to five players, with one player using the GamePad, and one-to-four players using Wii Remotes.

The GamePad user controls a Mii-infused Olimar character who has his own army of tiny Pikmin. You look primarily on the GamePad from a third-person perspective. This Olimar character can move around and throw the Pikmin at enemies and obstacles. He can also use his whistle to call all the Pikmin back, including the ones that the Wii Remote-wielding players control.

Those players, using the Remote NES-style, can jump and attack from their more isometric vantage point on the TV. You can also resist Olimar's whistle by shaking the Wii Remote, which can make for some frustrating and fun moments as the Olimar character messes with the other players and calls them back.

That's an example of what makes this game sing. It strikes that Four Swords-like chord where you're co-operating, but there is an underlying competition. While you have to work together to progress through the levels, you also are seeking out nectar, which levels up your characters. Every three pieces of nectar raises your level, and at level five, you turn into a bud Pikmin (or if you're Olimar, his Pikmin get buds). At level 10, you turn into a flower Pikmin. During the multiple times I played the demo, I saw level 11. The representatives did not know how high it went, but it seems like there might not be more benefits past 10.

 

The game is structured in a series of levels where you have to go through linear stages, with each stage containing an end level boss based off of a Pikmin enemy. There are a bunch of mechanical Bulborbs and the like littering the environments. To be really blunt, this game is incredible. Throughout the Wii U Preview Event, the Nintendo World Report team played through the two available demo levels numerous times, exchanging who was in control of the GamePad. We had a blast every time.

Pikmin 3 might not be coming until 2013, but Pikmin Adventure fills the Pikmin void at launch. It's more arcade-based than a real Pikmin game, but it's got the charm and the fun. This might turn out to be one of the best Nintendo Land impressions.

[shingi_70]

Going to keep the pikmin fan satisfied till 3 comes out.

[Fatty The Hutt]

Awesome write-up. Or should I say "rad"?
Game sounds great. Nintendoland sure sounds like the real deal. Definitely a big step above Wii Sports as a launch title that not only demonstrates what the system is about, but also has some real depth to it.

[Axe23]

I just watched a video of this over at IGN, looks seriously excellent.  I wish I had more people to play with, but I'm still really excited.  Between this and the Metroid stuff Nintendo Land is looking like a pretty good deal to me. I know a lot of gamers have been dismissive of it as a "mini-game collection", but I think some of the games in it have more depth than that suggests.