Pikmin's main strength is its sense of freedom and discovery. There is a strong balance between this sense of freedom and having set goals. You have to aim for one part per day, and the clock is constantly ticking. Still, how you obtain those parts and in which order is completely up to you.

The graphics and sound do a nice job of adding to the relaxing mood of the game. The music isn't notable, but it sets a nice ambience. Different tones and whistles signify when Pikmin are sprouting or finish a task. Plants sway back and forth as you brush past, and the texture design in the environments is very nice. The only thing that really bothers me in this area is that the characters seem rather bland compared to the environments. Their textures are often simple colors or patterns and look a little ugly when you zoom in.

Control is simple and easy to pick up, allowing you to assign Pikmin to tasks, separate them, or call them. The only place where control gets muddy is when you're using bomb rocks. There are a few subtle variables that can cause you to blow up dozens of Pikmin without knowing what happened.

The puzzles throughout the game are involving and require you to juggle different teams of Pikmin since each color of Pikmin has different strengths and weaknesses. One team may have to pull a part out of the water, but then must be replaced by another that can walk through fire. Plus you'll need to have groups spread out, opening paths to the next part while the main team focuses on obtaining the current one.

The one thing that really separates Pikmin from normal strategy games or Lemmings is that you can't help but care about every single one of the buggers. The looks they give when you first discover them, the whimpers they make when left behind, and the tiny screams when they're harmed all contribute to a sense that they're alive. Because of this you'll often find yourself talking to them like children whenever one falls behind or starts playing in the grass without your command. It has a very neat effect on people, and I think it has a lot to do with why women - including my mom - are intrigued with this game.

Pikmin feels like it was designed for even non-gamers to pick up and enjoy. Experienced gamers may complain about it being a little short, but remember that the average person generally frowns upon "wasting" 50 hours on a video-game. I also find that what makes this game last is watching other people discover Pikmin and going about things their own way.