"Pikman 3 Deluxe": This Plucky Adventure in the Post-Apocalypse World Deserves More Hype

Gosh, I’ve been waiting for this. Nintendo’s “Pikmin” series is one of my favorite media franchises of all time. It’s very hard to recommend, as most of the gameplay isn’t about actually doing things yourself. It’s about getting your army of plant-people to do stuff for you, which is the opposite of how most games work. But, with its emphasis on efficiency and multitasking in a serene post-human earth teeming with weird creature designs, it is a very zen experience for me to dive into and get lost in. The third entry is finally out on the Switch, and although I’m not the biggest fan of its progression structure, I still consider this a very satisfying must-play.

The new types of Pikmin (Rock and Winged) add a lot of depth to the strategy, and new tasks, such as building bridges, make the gameplay even more engaging than in previous releases. There is a new “mission mode,” which has tinier stages that you can master to get a perfect ranking. That, combined with a new friendship-testing “bingo battle” mode, gives you the best Pikmin package yet. It’s the best looking one too! Every stage felt like a real lush corner of nature.

My only complaint is the emphasis on story this time. This game’s narrative dictates a lot of where you get to explore this time around, and since you progress so quickly by defeating bosses, it felt like it ended sooner than I wanted. Despite that, it still has so much to enjoy, and with all the side content, my time with this game is far from over! If it sounds like something interesting to you, please check it out. This game and the series as a whole are seriously underrated.

This semester has been a weird one. Everyone has been unsure about how to go about even the most basic everyday tasks. Social tensions have never been higher and classloads have never felt heavier. But, we made it, and we’re all safe. Regardless of what entertainment you consume over the break, I hope it helps relieve some of the stress we’ve all been stuffing down. That’s what it’s made for, after all.

Drew Hickman is a Junior

Communication Major from

Shawnee, Kansas