Pikmin 3 Multiplayer First Look

It’s great to know Nintendo will release Pikmin 3 for Wii U August 4th. We initially hoped the game would’ve made the system’s launch window earlier this year, only to receive a surprising delay. Of course, if time was needed to add more content to this stellar-looking title, it’s hard to complain.

This is especially true with multiplayer, an area Nintendo sort of experimented with in Pikmin 2. The publisher appears to have fleshed things out with part three, and those that pick up the game should enjoy strategizing with/against their buddies offline.

The first mode, Bingo Battle, tasks users with completing a 4X4 bingo card by locating specific objects within the environment, creating rows horizontally, vertically or diagonally to win; could be fruit, enemies or objects.  That said, you’re free to go about your business gathering items or sabotage the other player.

You’ll do this by snagging cherries that imbue your character with special abilities.  Since players must utilize the game’s different Pikmin to pick up and then carry things, you can be especially devious by dropping rocks onto the creatures, scrambling a person’s bingo card or zapping adversaries with lightning; you can also gain key advantages, like adding more Pikmin to the group.

On that note, you play Bingo Battle via split screen using the Wii remote and nunchuk. Two-to-four people can play.

Next, we have Mission Mode. One or two people take part in three unique mini games: gathering fruit/items, defeating enemies or boss battles. The fruit game tasks you with ordering Pikmin to carry as much as possible back to the ship, whereupon which the game transforms the delicious-looking treats into points.

Battling enemies, meanwhile, asks you to basically beat up on critters in the desperate hope of collecting their ghosts for points. Finally, the boss mode is exactly that, a mini-game that pits you against the game’s fiercest enemies. You can only use a certain number of Pikmin, and can even set a time limit for added pressure.

Based on what we’ve seen, both of these modes should provide hours of amusement once Pikmin 3 arrives.  We’ll have more on this highly anticipated game in the weeks ahead.