Pikmin 1 & 2 HD Review

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Fast Facts

This might not be the Pikmin review you are all waiting for, but trust me, that one is on the way, and I’m sure it will be a doozy! 

However, there was a small Pikmin release last month that many may have forgotten about or overlooked in favour of something shiny and new. Pikmin 1 & 2 hit the Nintendo Switch, and I was lucky enough to be able to dive in and check them out. I think it’s also important to make it clear early on that Pikmin 1 & 2 is not being marketed as a remaster or a remake. It is simply an HD offering a highly popular series. 

Not Your Normal Review

Before we start, I want to point out that this is not your normal rapid review. Pikmin 1 was released almost 22 years ago, while Pikmin 2 is slightly younger at 19. Buy, hey, that’s still old enough to drink in this part of the world.

How can you review a game that is older than my neighbour and do so in a way that makes it sound new and fancy? You can’t. However, we can take a look at the games and how they hold up on a modern console. We can also pause to think about the timing of this release and what it really means. 

A  Strange but Strategic Success

I only ever really dabbled with Pikmin as a younger man. I didn’t own a game cube (to my continued disappointment) and never owned a Pikmin game outright. My experience was a few short bursts while gaming with some buddies. So I came into these HD releases with enough understanding to know what’s going on but without the taint of nostalgia. 

Pikmin is a strange game. It’s a strange series that manages to be childish and fun but requires a degree of strategic thinking and a challenge that many modern games for this age range bypass in the name of pandering to modern audiences.  I constantly found myself ending a day in Pikmin 1 exploring and planning my moves for the next day. Which Pikmin would perform each task and how many I would need to use and sprout each day. It was amazing, and I found the game didn’t necessarily feel out of place on a modern console.

The game might not have aged wonderfully, but it has done so far more in line with a bottle of wine than a bottle of milk. The controls mapped well, and while a little finicky to start with, I soon had it mastered. Flinging my Pikmin around with furious abandon and a near-pinpoint accuracy. The main problems I encountered were when manoeuvring larger groups of Pikmin. Stragglers would just stop following or get stuck on gentle curves or subtle steps that all of their colourful brethren managed with ease. This didn’t ruin the experience or cause anything more than a gentle annoyance come the end of the day. 

A Well-Time and Strategic Relaunch

Many may wonder why Pikmin 1 & 2 got an HD touch-up at a time like the present. The series doesn’t crack the top ten of Nintendo franchises in either popularity or success, according to the different sources I managed to find. However, it is a consistent game, with a strong popularity certainly helped by the Pikmin 3 port a few years ago. 

Additionally, with Pikmin 4 released just the other day, bringing out an updated version of the lead-off games in the series just before makes perfect sense. Pikmin 1 & 2 were originally released on the Game Cube, which didn’t have an online store, and they’re less likely to be still played by younger gamers. Then the games made it over to the Wii, another system that a lot of folks won’t be playing much anymore. 

Having all four games available on the same console makes tremendous sense and offers younger gamers, those who missed the original or even the Wii release, the chance to get on board at the ground level.

Is the Pikmin 1 & 2 HD release worth buying?

Yes, Pikmin 1 & 2 are worth buying on the Nintendo Switch. They are amazingly fun and intricate games that bring a challenge even now, two decades after their launch. Having not spent too much time playing them previously, I can’t comment too much on how the HD graphics have changed the game. But, to me, they look good. They look like older games, but you know that going into it, and really, their release is all about getting everything onto that same system and giving people access to all four games. When looking at things from that perspective, it’s a case of a job done well. 

I really enjoyed my time with the games. I enjoyed the time pressure offered by Pikmin 1 and the stress of seeing the sun cross the sky, knowing you still need to take out three obstacles before you even reach the component you need. The thrill of the setup and eventual multiple-part haul. It just works. 

Then, for  Pikmin 2, I liked the changes, the inclusion of a colleague and the exploration. The removal of the time pressure and the free-ranging exploration took a familiar game and made it something else.  I won’t say better, as I really enjoyed my time with Pikmin 1 & 2 equally. It’s only natural that 2 offers more as it is a continuation of an existing title. 

Final Thoughts on Pikmin 1 & 2

I enjoyed my time with Pikmin 1 & 2. Being able to play them on the Switch introduced me to a series I’ve always somehow missed, and I am now more interested in Pikmin 3 and the new Pikmin 4 titles. 

Were they games we needed to be re-released? Possibly not, but I applaud the logic behind the move and would be eager for more games to have this treatment. It’s fine as long as it doesn’t become an excuse not to develop new titles or be looked at as a quick way to make extra cash on the back of gamers and their passion for certain series.

There is no real need to play these games in order, but if you’re excited by Pikmin 4 and have already moved into the triple digits on Pikmin 3, then you could do a lot worse than grabbing this double pack.

Rapid Reviews Rating

4.5 out of 5

4.5

You can get your copy of Pikmin 1 & 2 HD re-release from the Nintendo eShop today.