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Hey! Pikmin Review


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59970c7a65134_HeyPikminboxart.png.c1616abc0ecbc497ebef04e39e20dba2.pngPikmin makes the leap to handhelds for the first time with Hey! Pikmin, a spin-off that trades the real-time strategy of the series for puzzle/platformer stages. This time Olimar isn't exploring vast areas with numerous paths and hazards but instead plays through 2D levels with pre-set Pikmin selections and a handful of treasures to find. Despite the change in gameplay the style of Pikmin is preserved: Hey! Pikmin is a charming adventure, even if it doesn't live up to the quality of the main series.
 
Olimar may have the worst luck of any Hocotate Freight pilot. Once again his ship crash lands on a strange planet, and this time his ship is out of fuel. But as always Pikmin are here to help, and the treasures they collect can be converted into Sparklium fuel by Olimar's ship. Hey! Pikmin lacks the end-of-day journal entries found in other Pikmin games but it does have log entries describing all of the creatures and treasures Olimar finds. Just like the main series the log entries are the heart of the game: charming, funny, and sometimes introspective, it's always worth taking the time to read Olimar's notes. Additionally you'll occasionally see little skits play out in the middle of levels which have the Pikmin being their cute, curious selves. There's nothing plot related in these but they add to the game's charm.
 
59970c7b13aeb_HeyPikminred.jpg.5b30172b71c13ad8fe367471dee1c02d.jpgMuch like Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash from a couple years ago Hey! Pikmin takes the 3DS as an opportunity to try something a little different, something more linear and platformer based. The change may disappoint long-time fans but as a puzzle/platformer Hey! Pikmin does a decent job. Within each stage you can find Pikmin and recruit them to help you progress. The Pikmin variety is the same as Pikmin 3, and each is used for specific tasks. Since you aren't selecting which Pikmin to bring into each stage there's no sense of planning or preparation in this game–if there's a fire hazard, the game gives you red Pikmin. You're also limited to at most twenty Pikmin in a level so Hey! Pikmin doesn't have the same sense of miniature army that the main series does.
 
What the game does have is fairly typical platformer challenges, tailored to Pikmin abilities. If you need to climb a ledge you might need to use Pikmin to move a nearby platform, or if there is treasure in an out-of-reach spot you can toss Pikmin up to grab it and bring it down to you. Hey! Pikmin does make use of both 3DS screens which isn't seen often enough on the 3DS, but that still doesn't distinguish the game from many DS platformers. You do need specific types of Pikmin to overcome certain obstacles, but since the game gives you those Pikmin throughout the level–and will give you more if you happen to get your Pikmin killed–a lot of the exploration and treasure hunting feels a little simple.

59970c7ac98aa_HeyPikminpink.jpg.ffb788fa6c1750d69a0e77099899f849.jpgIf Hey! Pikmin has one main fault it's that there isn't a lot that jumps out as particularly unique and exciting. The game is enjoyable enough for what it is, but it doesn't have the same depth of other Pikmin games or even other platformers. If you try to collect every treasure the game can be a tiny bit more challenging, and if you try to keep all twenty Pikmin alive throughout each level the game does have some tough parts, but the only incentive for no-death playthroughs is personal satisfaction. Hey! Pikmin is a fun but uninspired adventure.
 
It doesn't help that there are a couple of small but annoying aspects of the game. Compared to their console counterparts the Pikmin in this game can be pretty dumb. The pathfinding system isn't quite as efficient as Pikmin can easily get stranded, plus you can't tell them to halt so sometimes they'll try to follow you to their own demise. What's more obnoxious is that Pikmin can't fight for themselves. You toss Pikmin in order to attack predators but if you miss the Pikmin will just walk into damage and get itself killed. This is mostly an annoyance with small enemies that can be hard to hit with the game's touch controls. Thankfully though, since the game gives you Pikmin if you ever fall too low, losing one or two is only a problem for completionists that insist on finishing a level with all twenty Pikmin alive.
 
The controls require both the circle pad and the stylus, which means lefties are stuck using the ABXY buttons to move around. On the bright side though the game doesn't require highly accurate or quick controls so lefties can even get by using the stylus in their right hand. It's still a missed opportunity not to use the N3DS c-stick or Circle Pad Pro as an option, though.
 
59970c7b5d975_HeyPikminyellow.jpg.2bf90d740b5e99c57c1cd1549150be64.jpgSince it's on the 3DS Hey! Pikmin isn't going to have the same beautiful scenery as Pikmin 3 on the Wii U, but the game's graphics are decent enough. Between the returning predator creatures and the new ones there are some good designs, and while the jagged edges of the models are unfortunate they're somewhat unavoidable on the 3DS. The music is in the same boat: it's decent, it gets the job done, but there's nothing particularly notable about it.
 
You can finish Hey! Pikmin in around ten hours, which isn't bad compared to the other Pikmin games, especially for a spin-off. It's a shame there aren't any bonuses for collecting all treasures, but the log entries are reward enough most of the time. Additionally, Hey! Pikmin supports amiibo, including a brand new Pikmin amiibo. Once scanned you can collect amiibo as treasures in special stages, which is handy for bonus Sparklium but the real draw is having more log entries to enjoy. The Pikmin amiibo can also be used to summon extra Pikmin in a level (still twenty max) if for some reason you desperately need a few extra hands to help.
 
Hey! Pikmin is a charming spin-off but don't expect the same depth as the main series. Outside of the cute Pikmin humor there isn't much to truly distinguish the game against other platformers, and the lack of real-time strategy gameplay makes the sense of Pikmin collection and selection moot. Hey! Pikmin is enjoyable as a somewhat easy, somewhat slow-paced platformer, but it doesn't leave much of a lasting impression beyond that.
 

Rating: 7 out of 10 Sparklium

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