Nintendo is best known for franchises likeSuper MarioandThe Legend of Zelda, but fans the world over have fallen for any number of its endeavors. One smaller name with a cult following isPikmin, a real-time strategy (RTS) series created by Shigeru Miyamoto that sees miniature extraterrestrial explorers try to survive on Earth with an army of adorable plant-like creatures. Only three main entries have been released sincePikminon GameCube in 2001, but the announcement thatNiantic is working on aPikminmobile titlecould be a game-changer.
Though thePikminseries has never been a break-out hit for Nintendo, its characters have become a big part of the developer’s pantheon. On top of threePikmingames - with the enhancedPikmin 3 Deluxecoming to Switch last year, there has also been a 3DS spin-off calledHey! Pikminalongside a number of animated short movies, meanwhile protagonists Olimar and Alph have been included inSuper Smash Bros.Hidden Pikmin can even be spotted at Super Nintendo World, despite the Universal Studios theme park primarily centering around Mario.
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The idea of handing this particular Nintendo property to Niantic is really smart in a lot of ways. Niantic is known for augmented reality games in which players physically travel around their community to complete tasks and collect resources. While the company began withIngress, it became a household name thanks toPokemon GOin 2016. That game offers a window into whatPikminfans may be able to expect with this upcoming mobile game, though its full scope is unclear as of this writing.
It’s hard to overstate how successfulPokemon GOwas when it first released. The summer of 2016 had many people out and about catching Pokemon including fans of the series, older gamers nostalgic for the original Game Boy titles, and even non-gamers who wanted to get in on the exercise-heavy fun with their family and friends. News stories came out talking aboutPokemon GOplayers who discovered dead bodiesor got hurt not watching where they were going, and then-US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton referenced the game as an infamous voting slogan: “Pokemon GOto the polls.”
Perhaps the most miraculous part of the game’s success is that it did not dissipate like other fads. It remains popular, in-part thanks to frequent updates adding in new collectible monsters and other unique events. Even after the widespread outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020 put much of the world into lockdown, Niantic changed its systems to facilitate playing from home. DuringPokemon GOFest 2020,Pokemon GOplayer spending reached its highest peak since 2016.
It’s hard to say a game based on thePikminfranchise will match this enthusiasm. Niantic’sfollow-up toPokemon GO,Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, was never a phenomenon in the same way.Pikminalso doesn’t carry the same cultural recognition asPokemon, with fewer non-gaming folks likely able to recognize a red Pikmin compared to something like a Pikachu. Even so, the wayPokemon GObuilt upon its source material is something the upcomingPikmingame can no doubt replicate.
The core gameplay of thePikminseries is simple: Players use their Pikmin to collect resources so they can sprout additional Pikmin, and those armies are used to collect prizes from puzzle-like restrictions - for instance, an underwater piece of fruit needing water-breathing bluePikmin. Gathering Pikmin at Onions seemingly maps perfectly onto the PokeStop system wherePokemon GOplayers visit landmarks to gain more Poke Balls. From there, group activities like Pokemon Gyms could be swapped out for tasks requiring huge sums of Pikmin, like moving massive boulders to uncover treasure.
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One reason whyPokemon GOplayers keep coming back is because Niantic iterates beyond the boundaries set by mainline games. It has its own unique version of Team Rocket that utilizes shadow Pokemon, for example, andcostumed Pokemon have appeared during holidays. MainlinePikmingames have relatively smaller amounts of lore to build out by comparison, so while fans will come to Niantic’s game to see how it incorporates treasure or fruit collecting, they may stay to see what original ideas the developer injects. However, a three-team system may already be apparent thanks toPikmin 3’s protagonists Alph, Brittany, and Charlie.
Perhaps the biggest reason for fans of the smaller Nintendo franchise to rejoice is that thePikminmobile game thriving could be a test for future projects.Pokemon GO’s success stands on its own, but the formula also proved to be so huge that Game Freak developedGeneration 1 remakes calledLet’s Go, PikachuandEeveein which players caught all wild Pokemon using mechanics popularized byPokemon GO.
It’s difficult to tell exactly what the bar for success will be for this newPikminventure in the aftermath ofPokemon GO, but the RTS series has been on a hot streak as of late. On top of the aforementioned appearance at Super Nintendo World,Pikmin 3 Deluxebecame the fastest-selling installment for the seriesin Japan despite being a port. Granted, some of this success may be because many missed out on the game when it was stuck on the failing Wii U, but its return means a larger audience is primed to pick up Niantic’s upcoming game.
If Niantic’sPikmingame is a success, the long-awaitedPikmin 4may have a better shot at getting fast-tracked through Nintendo’s development pipeline. For all its individual successes,Pokemon GOhas also been excellent for marketing purposes, as it adds new monsters based on releases likePokemon SwordandShieldor evenevents based on media likePokemon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle. Having that avenue to hype up futurePikminprojects could be another boon for the series.
Whether or not this upcoming game kickstarts a newPikminrenaissance will have to be seen. After all, only the game releasing sometime in 2021 is confirmed as of this writing. However, even if it doesn’t, fans of the franchise should no doubt have something interesting to look forward to ifPokemon GOis any indication.
APikminmobile game is in development, set to release in 2021.
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