@xyzygy said:
Can someone try to sell me on Pikmin 1+2? I don't really have any idea what they are or what they're about.
Pikmin 1 and 2 are probably the only two console RTS games that have done right to the genre. I know that's not necessarily saying much given the extremely dubious history of that particular subset of games, but Nintendo figured out how to combine very fundamental genre principles like resource gathering and mass unit management with more action-adventure elements in such a way you don't feel constrained by the controls like you normally would in more literal conversion of RTS gameplay to a console format. A lot of it probably has to do with how the Pikmins' AI is somewhat context sensitive (ie: they're smart enough to know what you want them to do if you just throw/lead them in a certain direction), but it's also just a generally mellow game to play in execution.
Pikmin 1 is therefore about taking all of that and contextualizing it in a sort of survival scenario where you've crash-landed on the Pikmins' planet and need to retrieve at least a sufficient number of parts within 30 days of game time with their help. If you don't, your life support systems will give out and you'll just die stranded on the planet. Since each day has an actual time limit (I think it's 15 to 20 minutes), the game quickly becomes a matter of how effectively you can utilize the different Pikmin types and break them off into groups so that they can work independently and achieve various goals simultaneously. A lot of people contend that the clock added unnecessary tension, but since you don't need all of the parts to complete the game, I'd argue that's kind of a moot point; the mechanics aren't all that complex and unless your time management skills are completely terrible, you should have a decent amount of time to spare, even on your first run. I actually really like the daily time limit (the idea is that the monsters will otherwise overrun you and your Pikmin at night) precisely because you're forced to make the most of your limited resources. When you get really good at that aspect of the game, it's a really gratifying feeling.
Pikmin 2 features largely the same gameplay, albeit without the clock and with the addition of a second character with whom you can switch control at any given time to make group management easier. Instead of collecting rocket parts to escape the planet, you're instead collecting objects strewn about the world in an effort to sell them and pay off your company's debt. There are some setting changes and a few new Pikmin types that change up how the gameplay operates in a few places, but it largely plays in a matter similar to the first, which is hardly a bad thing. The lack of a clock is reason enough for many people to like 2 more than the original game, but I think it just results in a different sense of pacing than an outright better game (which isn't to say that the new pacing is bad), although some people would probably argue with me on that.
2 tends to be a pretty difficult game to track down in brick-and-mortar stores given the really low print run it got, but the original game can be found for pretty easily and cheaply for both the Wii and GameCube. I personally really enjoy the games, but I don't know if I've done a good job of explaining their appeal. Given how often the series is put on the sidelines in terms of prominence as a Nintendo franchise, it's probably not really for everyone, but I'd still personally suggest at least giving the first game a shot.
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