Pikmin (series) - Gameplay

Gameplay

The Pikmin games all focus on exploring an unknown planet (stated in an interview with Miyamoto to be Earth after the extinction of the human race), controlling a crowd of Pikmin creatures. Pikmin are intelligent multi-colored plant-animal hybrids that willingly follow the orders of their leader, Captain Olimar (オリマー, Orimā?), a tiny alien from the planet Hocotate. Pikmin are directed to perform a number of tasks, such as fighting monsters and retrieving objects. Because individual Pikmin are small and weak against most predators, it is the responsibility of the player to direct the Pikmin away from hazards and launch attacks that quickly put enemies into submission. Game time is divided into single days, in which the player is encouraged to accomplish as much as possible before sunset.

Pikmin appear in a variety of colors, which signify the Pikmin's abilities and resistance to environmental hazards. The original game in the series features only three colors: Red, Yellow, and Blue. Reds can resist fire, Blues, which sport gills, can move underwater, and Yellows may be thrown higher than other Pikmin. In the original Pikmin game, Yellows had the unique ability to carry bomb rocks. In Pikmin 2, Yellow Pikmin are immune to electric-based hazards and introduces two new colors: White Pikmin, which are resistant to poisonous gases and capable of spotting objects buried underground; and Purple Pikmin, which are significantly stronger and heavier than all other types. The strength and swiftness of individual Pikmin is indicated by the stalk atop their heads, appearing as a leaf, bud, or flower, which develops when Pikmin are fed nectar or left planted in the ground for an amount of time.

Pikmin are stored in their respective motherships, called "Onions," for safety as they are vulnerable to nocturnal predators. The Onions play a vital role in Pikmin reproduction: When any food, such as prey or pellets, is delivered to an Onion, it propagates seeds, which grow and are then plucked from the ground as fully developed Pikmin. An Onion also serves as an incubator for all Pikmin of its color, housing potentially hundreds of Pikmin. The Onions travel alongside Olimar as he flies to different locations on the planet.