Pikmin or Pikmin 2?

This is one of those debates that just doesn't go away, and I was wondering what the consensus was here.

Often, people seem to presume Pikmin 2 is automatically better. It has more levels, more Pikmin types, a multiplayer mode, two commanders and therefore more tactical play. And of course, it does away with the day limit.

And if we were talking about a word processor or a coffee machine then that feature set would obviously make it better. But as a piece of art, as an experience, for my money Pikmin was the better game. One of my all time favourites, in fact.

The first game took me on an emotional journey with Olimar that the second game didn't replicate. Olimar was crashed and stranded, he missed his family and didn't have much time left. It was tense and melancholy- every day counted, every Pikmin death was felt. And when he finally blasted off, it felt great!

In contrast, in Pikmin 2 it just felt like exploiting the Pikmin for monetary gain. It had a sense of humour, and when you came back to rescue Louie, it became a bit more meaningful but it didn't stay with me the way the first one did.

It has to be Pikmin 2 for me. The original, while great, always felt like a game that needed a sequel, and Pikmin 2 delivered just about everything I wanted in spades. If Pikmin 3 is as good as Pikmin 2, it's the best game on Wii U.

I only played the original, and that only briefly, but I hated the time limits. I will always vote for a game that gives you more time over one that gives less. Er, except here, because I don't think an hour's playtime on one and none on the other really qualifies me to vote.

It's the original for me, the second didn't give me much reason to keep playing so I've not finished it. I liked how urgent Pikmin 1 was, a day lost really makes you worry.

andyman949 wrote:

It's the original for me, the second didn't give me much reason to keep playing so I've not finished it. I liked how urgent Pikmin 1 was, a day lost really makes you worry.

Indeed; I was playing it when a friend text me and invited me to the pub. But then I had a day with no ship parts and felt compelled to make up for it before I stopped. I didn't leave my flat for an hour.

Another vote here for timed missions- if not strictly Pikmin over Pikmin 2, the latter of which I haven't played.

Yes, timed missions can be annoying, but that's a matter of telegraphing and balance more than it is the concept itself.

I've never finished either of the Pikmins (though I came extremely close), but of the two, I preferred the structure of the first. Olimar's heartfelt, reflective diary entries about his situation and his family back home really gave the game need to press on. The music that accompanied the diary entries perfectly conveyed the feeling of desperation.

As has been said already: Olimar was using the Pikmin purely for monetary gain in the sequel.

Having never played the second game, it's Pikmin by default. I haven't even finished it - there was a part where I lost all my Pikmin and didn't have the heart/patience to restart.

Why is everybody except me so wrong

Original version nostalgia? You're completely correct, 99.97% of games don't have a time limit, it's not as if Pikmin 2 doesn't have the daily cycle, the same rules still apply and you'll automatically attempt to finish the game in as few days as possible anyway only if you decide you want to take it easy or you're not good enough to finish it in 30 days then you can still see the game through till the end.

So let's assume that Pikmin 2 did have a 30 day limit, it's still the better game, every flaw from the first was fixed, the levels were just as gorgeous and fascinating as the previous ones and the new Pikmin, enemies and caves added some more variation to the gameplay.

I've only ever played Pikmin 2 so for me it's that

Pikmin 2 - As smurf said they just improved on every aspect of the original, though I did like the time limit of the first game which made sense as well due to the narative but for me the second had better enemies & levels to deal with not to mention the vs mode was hilarious when ye had two people who knew what they were doing.

I'm a Pikmin 2 guy.

As I said in my original post, I agree with everyone that Pikmin 2 made some great improvements, I just thought Pikmin held together better as an overall experience. The 30-day limit was worked into the plot- mechanics as storytelling, as Extra Credits always goes on about.

An important factor which leads me to say that Pikmin 2 is better than the first one is it's longevity. I remember getting Pikmin back in summer 2002 when it was brand-new, and finding myself disappointed that I had finished in a week. Thankfully, this was back in the day when GAME would take anything back in ten days, so no harm was done, but still, I couldn't help but feel that Pikmin didn't have enough, well, anything.

I eventually picked up Pikmin 2 in summer 2006, and got an entire summer out of it. I think the improvements were as complete as I've seen in any game before - and I particularly enjoyed the relatively sedate nature of the gameplay in comparsion to the original (with it's time limits and all). Just me, of course.

What I think we can agree on is that Pikmin 3 is going to be amazing.

I'll post Grumpy Cat again, don't think I won't!

Phillips wrote:

What I think we can agree on is that Pikmin 3 is going to be amazing.

Amen to that!

Phillips wrote:

What I think we can agree on is that Pikmin 3 is going to be amazing.

Not if there's a time limit.

If I was a kid, Pikmin 1; but nowadays I don't have the time to replay several hours of game because I didn't do it good enough. So Pikmin 2.

I've astonishingly yet to play either of these, yet another gaming regret I have, though the choice between both games reminds me a lot about how I felt over both Shenmue games, and to a similar extent, 999 and Virtue's Last Reward.

One was a better experience over the other, but the other was better mechanically as a game. I tended to prefer the former over the latter.

I voted Pikmin 1. I love the time limit and the fact you have to do repeat playthroughs of stand a chance of success. It keeps me coming back every now and again and it is my aim to one day, beat the game in the least amount of days possible with as few casualties as possible.....one day.

Pikmin 3

Also Pikmin 3

Copy cat

Pikmin 2. Never finished the first....it irritated me too much. Didn't think i'd like the second but the improvements made it a much more serene and enjoyable experience. I don't do time stress.