"A shining example of why Nintendo is the best, and most innovative, developer in the industry today."

There is little doubt in my mind that Shigeru Miyamoto (creator of Donkey Kong, Mario, and Zelda) is the best game designer the videogame industry has seen. So it's no surprise that I, along with many others, would be excited to see his take on a brand-new franchise for the GameCube, right? Well, of course! Miyamoto has always had wacky, crazy characters and environments that have been inspired from his childhood, but there isn't one previous title that quite has as much inspiration behind it as Pikmin. Believe it or not, the entire premise for this game came from...Miyamoto's backyard and his garden. Yes, folks, this game is based almost entirely off of Miyamoto's love of his natural surroundings. But by no means is that a bad thing; in fact, it's very, very good.

Feeling that he needed a vacation from his family and his hard work the main character of the game, Captain Olimar, decides to take a trip one day. It's nothing more than an innocent venture through the large, never-ending mass known as space. We all do it from time to time and it's certainly justified. However, all is not as it seems for our quarter-sized hero, because while there are luxuries like space noodles and hot cups of tea, there are also dangerous meteorites out there plaguing the far reaches of space. In a twist of unfortunate events, one of these very meteorites happens to smack Olimar's ship, the Dolphin, head on. He sent it into a spiraling crash into an unknown planet at an unknown location. Even worse, the atmosphere has a poisonous gas that is deadly to his people -- oxygen. His life-support system in his suit, which is miraculously undamaged, can only hold out for 30 more days. What this all boils down to is that Olimar has 30 days to find the 30 missing ship parts in order to return safely to his family on the planet Hocotate. It all seems hopeless until he runs across unknown, yet familiar creatures that he dubs...Pikmin.

As the first day begins, Olimar is immediately thrust into this new world with his newly discovered companions -- he named them after his favorite brand of carrot back on his home planet. The Pikmin, he discovers, sprout from an Onion and manage to work together perfectly. They are the epitome of teamwork. What's more, by collecting dead creatures or pellets, they can increase their ranks to a near limitless amount. But while only 100 of them are able to be on the field at one time, the others continue to grow and rest in the Onion back at the landing zone. Olimar's discovery and observation of these Pikmin is the key to his success.

While it may not seem like it on the surface, the storytelling in Pikmin is absolutely incredible. This is apart of the strategy genre and while there have been good stories to come from those games, this just isn't the game that screams to have a good story and in reality it's more unique than really good. But it is the way that you are presented the story that makes is so endearing. At the end of each day, Olimar will log in the observations and discoveries he came across for that day. He even starts questioning why the Pikmin follow him around without question or why they work together in groups so well. It's really a unique and certainly charming way to present the storyline to the game. We get an in-depth look into what Olimar is thinking, and because of this, Olimar is easily one of the best Nintendo characters to come from the company. You feel attached to him and want to really see him pull through in the end. It is a real rarity to come across a character like Olimar.

But when you're not listening to the encouraging, and sometimes discouraging, words of Captain Olimar, then you'll be commanding your Pikmin on the field of battle! In Pikmin, you will have three different colors to choose from. To give a brief covering of each, the Red Pikmin tend to be something of the "fighters" as I noticed -- that's what I always associated them with, anyway. They are immune to fire, so it doesn't affect them at all to go through a stream of flame and come out unharmed. The Yellow Pikmin have really big ears and can be thrown farther and higher than the other two, which comes in handy during many of the small puzzles that need to be solved. The final set, and my personal favorite, are the Blue Pikmin. These amphibious critters have gills in their faces, so they can travel across both land and water. The other two drown if they even step a little pint-sized toe nail into the watery deeps. But these dudes can conquer water like it's nothing!

Another unique trait of the Pikmin is that each one of them possesses a leaf on the top of their head. This is standard that all Pikmin will start off with, but as they find nectar (a special substance that increases their power) and grow in battle they'll sprout a bud on top of their head. They will become faster and stronger due to this. The next step is the bud sprouting into a flower. At this stage, they're at their strongest and quickest. Ideally, you want to have all Flower Pikmin to create the strongest set of little soldiers out there. With a number of Flower Pikmin at your disposal, you'll be able to roam the environments without worry of the predatory wildlife!

The greatest pull to this game is definitely the use of teamwork that is involved. You'll end up using each of the three different Pikmin found throughout the game to solve different puzzles and acquire each and every part of Olimar's spaceship. It only helps that the control you have over these Pikmin is absolutely flawless in every aspect imaginable. The controls remain simple and precise, which only makes the game that much more enjoyable to play. But as you continue through your trek across the planet, you'll grow something of an attachment to the Pikmin. Due to their cutesy look, you really don't want to see any of them get killed in battle or left behind at the end of the day. Despite all of them are near carbon copies of each other within their color group, the attachment you get to them makes it feel like you know every one of them individually. Here you are growing Pikmin, plucking them from the ground, and then taking them into the environments to overcome creatures and gather spaceship parts. It may not seem like it immediately, but there's just something there that grabs you about the Pikmin.

One of the neat aspects of the game, and really a rather minor one, is the use of the data screen at the end of each day. After you've completed your day -- and it's on a time limit -- you'll receive a screen that allows you to see how much the population of your Pikmin increased, how many were sprouted on that day, how many died in battle and then if you left any behind. It's a nice stat tracking system to take a look at. There's even a chart that goes over how the population of the Pikmin changed over the course of that particular day. Again, it's really minor in the grand scheme of things, but it's a nice touch that I liked nonetheless.

The actual environments in Pikmin are easily some of the best to see, too. Remember the whole deal about it being based off of Miyamoto's backyard? Yeah. This is where that comes into play. Each of the "levels," or areas, in the game is based off of a different part of Miyamoto's backyard. This allows for an incredibly real feeling of being thrust right into this gorgeous natural world. You really feel immersed into this planet and get a real sense that you're in the natural environment. Due to being based off of a real-life area, nothing feels forced or out of place at all. It allows the game to be a shining example of good graphics that goes beyond just how many polygons are in the character. Visually, this is undoubtedly one of the most aesthetically pleasing games out there. It also helps that the soundtrack in the game compliments it extremely well. For the most part, the game features a variety of different calm and soothing tunes. Nothing too over the top and nothing so low and unimaginative that you forget there's even music there. It helps give that game an indescribable charm. There isn't one track that will leave your brain feeling like it has been flattened by horrible sounds or any type of annoyance. The whole audio/visual bits of the game as a whole are done masterfully.

Overall, Pikmin is a perfect example that Shigeru Miyamoto still has what it takes to create a brand-new, innovative franchise and have it be an incredibly enjoyable experience. He shows time and time again that it doesn't take much more than to look in your own backyard to find inspiration that may lead to a phenomenal game -- and Pikmin is just that: phenomenal. From the time you pick the game up, its irresistible charm will have you hooked for days. While the game is more or less on a time limit, meaning that you can't just explore everything freely, you're going to be restricted to a rather short game. But the Challenge Mode offers up something for those looking for some replay value and its short and enjoyable enough that a second play through is certainly in the cards. Any gamer owes it to themselves to check out this masterpiece, because it isn't often you run across a new franchise that is a gem like this one.

Final Score: 9/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/05/05, Updated 09/04/07

Game Release: Pikmin (US, 12/02/01)