I think we're getting this so late because Nintendo of America was holding it to come out shortly before Pikmin 3, but Pikmin 3 kept getting delayed.

Either that or Nintendo of America is just confusing and ridiculous.

I've always wanted to play the New Play Control Pikmin 2 since Pikmin (1)'s time limits scared me. Maybe I'll pick up both at the same time!


Also, fingers crossed, if Nintendo of America bothered with releasing this, then I hope they bother (themselves or some other company) to get Pandora's Tower out. Hope those rumors are true!

Better late than never, I suppose. I was literally about to import this from the UK, so this is a nice surprise! So far, 2012 is looking to be a pretty good wrap-up for the Wii's console cycle.

I've probably only played through 10% of the original game.  Liked it a lot, just got busy and forgot about it.  For the new play controls, is it basically using the wii remote like a mouse and selecting multiple unites to perform commands like the old Warcraft/C&C games?

hope no one was doing a hunger strike :-p

;D
That is all.

interesting .....  I missed the entirety of the Pikmin train but when P3 comes out I may just get swept up in the hype and try these NPC games.

Controlling with a GC pad does not interest me.

Yay!

Heck yes. I love this game and i cant wait to buy it. ;D

Imported this a while back, along with some other games they claimed weren't coming over.  I don't care enough to double-dip and certainly not enough to go out of my way to support NoA.  So yeah, interesting news but it comes months too late.


(Subtext: I'm slightly bitter and NoA can suck it.)

Too bad New Play Control died an early death, but glad this is finally coming here.  Now the only one left on the table is Chibi-Robo.

Never really had the chance to play the game on GC, so I will try to pick this up, especially since I never really wanted to take the time to modify my Wii to accept imports. Now all we need is Disastor Day of Crisis (I am only half joking).

Hmm I guess now is as good as time as any to finish Pikmin.

I've played quite a bit of the NPC Pikmin games.  It doesn't exactly work like that.  You move the pointer around with the Wii Remote Pointer, but you select Pikmin by just creating a circle from the pointer using the B button, very similar to the way the GC version worked.  Really, the only concrete advantage you can get with the Wii remote is that your remote can go farther across the screen, instead of being stuck to a set radius around Olimar/Louie.

By the way, the multiplayer component of Pikmin 2 is fantastic if you have a chance to play online with someone.

That's probably the most logical conclusion, especially if Pikmin 3 was originally slated for the Wii.

I've actually never played a Pikmin game, despite owning both of the Gamecube versions. Maybe this will give me an excuse to finally dive into the series.

I wasn't big on the GameCube so I passed on Pikmin 2. The game looks more my style than the first game, so I hope this turns out to be true. The GameCube version isn't exactly cheap, and I would expect this to be $30 like the other New Play Control! games, which is probably less than a new copy of the GCN version.

Maybe it is because I've grown cynical of NOA, but I think it could be due to poor planning on their part, and games like this, Xenoblade etc are being released to pad the Wii lineup so software sales don't completely fall of the edge of the earth before Wii U is out.

I'd guess it's also because the first NPC Pikmin game didn't meet sales expectations. I recall seeing dozens of unsold copies of the game for cheap prices in several places.

Isn't it too late for that?  Sales already fell off the edge of the earth last year when the Wii didn't see any meaningful release for... what, nine consecutive months?  Maybe longer?

Perhaps I'm just cynical, but the time when I can celebrate these type of announcements for Wii has long since passed. We are finally getting a port of an 8-year old game that has been available in every other region on Wii for the last 3 years, and NoA wants me to be excited?  Screw off.  Put an enhanced version or Pikmin Collection on either the 3DS or Wii U and maybe then I'll start pulling out the wallet.

I agree that we are probably only getting this game as a mandated release to increase series awareness before Pikmin 3 is announced, although it might be a reaction to better-than-expected sales for Xenoblade. (NoA: "Wii actually has people willing to pay for quality, core gaming experiences?  Who knew!")

OMGWTF THATS AWESOME.

love the new controls to pikmin and I love 2 so this is a easy buy.


OT but i wonder if NOA will release Disaster Day of Crisis and Fatal Frame to continue to pad out the year? seems like everything else is coming

The only thing about this that excites me is the fact that Pikmin 3 is all but confirmed to be a launch title for Wii U. Neal's logic is sound, assuming NoA isn't completely incompetent.

Might get this either way. Depends on how my much free time I pick up in the next few months.

I somewhat enjoy that a game that many people wanted to be released is being released, and it generates so much negativity, since God forbid Europe gets it first... it really restores my faith in mankind's ability to be cynical and bitter no matter what.

I loved Pikmin 2 and have wanted to go back to play it, but the cheapest price I could find it for (online or in stores) was $45. Now that the NPC version is coming here finally, I plan to pick it up.

Great for people who missed this game when it originally came out.  Pikmin 2 was a blast, one of my favorite Gamecube games.  The multiplayer was quite fun and the single player was great as well.  Never played the original on Gamecube so I got the New Play Control version and the controls are a good fit and the game was good, though not quite as good as 2 in my opinion.

Considering it came out in 2009 in Europe and Japan, yeah people are cynical. It is not your typical couple month release gap, heck not even a year gap, but almost 3, which is embarrassing (But hey better then no game at all). In addition, it has little to do with being cynical of the game, since I see several people (myself included) will likely pick it up, it is cynicism directed at NoA for a troubling trend lately when it comes to being stubborn about releasing several of their games here. The announcement literally came out of nowhere, I don't recall any major publisher taking 3 years to release a game in major territories.

Atleast you guys are getting it. I'm still waiting for Excitebots. :(

I'll just be that guy who hopes for a Pikmin Trilogy release in 2014.

That would be fun, something like the Metroid Prime Trilogy. Wouldn't shock me, Nintendo seems more willing to offer compilations then they did in the past. Hopefully if they do, they at least put the same amount of resources into it as they did with the Prime Trilogy

To help restore your faith even further, let me go on:


Nintendo: "We aren't going to release this game. The first set of NPC titles didn't sell well."
Me: "Ok, after waiting for (literally) years in the hope that you would change your mind, and considering that the release schedule for the final year of Wii has been given with no mention of Pikmin 2, and knowing that Wii U will be on shelves in a couple of months so that Nintendo's focus will be squarely on promoting that system and the new 3DS, I'll go through extra effort and expense to legally find a way to play this game that I really wanted."
Nintendo: "Oh yeah, we'll release it now. Sorry about that confusion with the 'never gonna happen' stuff before, and for leaving all of you Wii gamers out to dry for a year with no releases even though there were a handful of already translated games we could have shipped, and for not setting expectations with our core gamers so that they know a reasonable time in advance that it's actually coming. That was our bad... but hope you all love me now for being awesome and giving you what you wanted!"


It's like when people thank NoA for finally releasing Xenoblade, even though they wouldn't have done so except GameStop approached them and cut a deal to take on publishing risks so that it could come out here.  Or The Last Story, where XSeed did the same thing.


They have every right to release or withhold games on whatever basis or timeline they want. As a consumer I have every right to be disappointed in the way that Nintendo (NoA in particular) has been handling their business over the past couple of years.

That's really my hope for third parties games that are making their Nintendo debut on WiiU. For instance, I would like to play Assassin's Creed or the Arkham series, but I don't plan on buying an XBox or PS3. So if the third installment of those games are coming to the WiiU (which I plan to get), then I'm hoping the first two in each series gets ported over as a two-game compilation or (gasp!) a digital download. THEN I'd play/buy all of 'em.

That's cool for those who perhaps enjoyed the first Pikmin but have never played the second.

Personally, I actually prefer the first game. I felt like Pikmin had a certain tension that Pikmin 2 lacks. I also really dislike the randomised underground sections in the second game. I much prefer the above ground sections which are far more pretty and interesting.

I didn't mind them too much, but I do vastly prefer the above ground sections.  The inability to breed Pikmin underground is what really hurts it for me as I get a lot of satisfaction in taking out a big enemy and harvesting his remains into new Pikmin.  For me both Pikmins got it slightly wrong.  My ideal Pikmin would just be above ground sections to collect treasure and take over the ecosystem without a time limit and without the underground sections.  My favourite part of the first Pikmin is the challenge mode where you try to breed as many Pikmin as you can in one day.  I'd love that but with the ability to slowly take over the area in as many days as I see fit.

Just picked this up for $20.  I never played it on Gamecube, and I love it so much!  Can't wait for Pikmin 3!