Pikmin 2 multiplayer finally coming out for Wii in North America

[shammack]

http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2012/04/pikmin_2_finally_reaches_north_american_wiis_soon

Hope you didn't spend $200 on a copy of the Gamecube version yet!

[Gormongous]

Nah, just $60. That's good news, though. Pikmin 2 is a blast.

[Raff]

Didn't realise it had already been reissued in Europe years ago. Nintendo is so weird.

[pabosher]

Didn't realise it had already been reissued in Europe years ago. Nintendo is so weird.

I'm still waiting for an Excitebots UK launch.

[syntheticgerbil]

Ah I have the Euro version but was waiting for the Wii to get to the end of it's life cycle so that I could do the system unlock and play all region games.

Buying this is much less work. Also I wonder if this will still release at the $30 price tag of the other New Play Control rereleases?

[miffy495]

Hell yes! I've been waiting for this for 3 years!

[Chris]

Can any Europeans explain the differences between this and the GameCube version? What specifically is the remote used for? Is it possible to play it with a GameCube controller?

[Jaraknarn]

As far as I can remember from my last playthrough, you use the Wii-mote to move and direct the little interaction circle, while using the nun-chuck analogue stick to move little olimar. Its quite intuitive actually, I had no problems going from 1 to 2.

[syntheticgerbil]

Can any Europeans explain the differences between this and the GameCube version? What specifically is the remote used for? Is it possible to play it with a GameCube controller?

I was under the impression somehow that the NPC version of Pikmin 2 was going to have extra levels, but it appears google searching this that I was wrong.

It would be awesome if they reinstated the e-reader interaction somehow that only the Japanese version had. I like fucking around with e-reader cards even though no one else did. I even printed out working cards of all of the unreleased Mario 3 levels.

[Aussie Ben]

Yeah, the only real difference is that you can use the Wii pointer to aim the circle that tells your Pikmin where to go. Some SFX play from the Wii Remote speaker, too. Nothing much else, I'm afraid.

[Chris]

Yeah, the only real difference is that you can use the Wii pointer to aim the circle that tells your Pikmin where to go. Some SFX play from the Wii Remote speaker, too. Nothing much else, I'm afraid.

I'd actually prefer fewer changes--I'd love if there were a pure GameCube control mode but I don't expect it. The reason I say that is because we want to try and do a few goofy Pikmin 2 videos with commentary, in the vein of StarCraft 2 pro competition, and I'm less convinced of the appropriateness of remote/pointer-based controls for competitive play than I am about a typical controller. Obviously I'll just play it and see, but pretty much every game I've played with a pointer requires really finely controlled pointing without the grounding you get with a mouse on a table or a firmly grasped controller--it gets tougher over time to maintain precision. Pikmin 2 is pretty goofy and we're more interested in this because it's hilarious than for any other reason, but we do also entirely honestly play it pretty competitively.

[Aussie Ben]

Ah, I see. Yeah, it's been a while since I popped the disc in, but it seemed to be okay to control the Pikmin with the pointer.

Taking a look at the manual now, and the controls page specifically states "You cannot use a Nintendo GameCube controller with Pikmin 2.". Which is a bit odd. =/

[Jaraknarn]

Chris, with the way the whistle mechanic works, precision isn't too much of a problem, there's not a lot of cases where ur living Pikmin behind or what not, you can just hold down whistle and swipe up a whole group. Unless ur trying to pick out indiviual Pikmin out of a large group precision shouldn't be an issue.

Also seeing as its the Wii version, and there's already a GC version out there, why would they put compatibility in?

[dium]

Because the statement "there's already a gamecube version out there" is only true if you already own it, or are willing to pay huge amounts of money on a secondary market.

[Jaraknarn]

Haha, fair one, didn't realise it was at a premium. I picked mine up reduced in asda for no discernable reason to like 15 quid. I suppose backwards compatibility is always good, but I was more saying I could understand why the developers wouldn't see it as neccessary on a system that already supports the other software, that make sense? Anyway

PIKMIN!!!!

[Chris]

Haha, fair one, didn't realise it was at a premium. I picked mine up reduced in asda for no discernable reason to like 15 quid. I suppose backwards compatibility is always good, but I was more saying I could understand why the developers wouldn't see it as neccessary on a system that already supports the other software, that make sense? Anyway

PIKMIN!!!!

Yeah, I mean that's true in theory, but as DIUM says, it's just nearly impossible to actually acquire the GameCube game at this point. Nintendo games seem particularly susceptible to this kind of thing.

[Jaraknarn]

Its so that exactly 2 generations of hardware later they can release the emulated version and we'll all be forced to buy it because its a million times cheaper than the physical copy.

They'll re-release they GC control version on the WiiU, you just watch, lol.

Also, that Pikmin commetary thing sounds awesome, I really wish this had online play so I could play against one of you guys, ill jusst have to start my own E-sports league I guess……

[lobotomy42]

What about the graphics? Does NPC Pikmin offer a widescreen mode, or is it a strictly faithful port? (4:3 only)

[syntheticgerbil]

I think all the new play control games have been made widescreen from what I've seen, as everything in the Metroid Trilogy is now widescreen. Wikipedia says so at least.

[shammack]

NPC Pikmin 1 definitely supports widescreen. I would assume Pikmin 2 does also, but only a European would know for sure.

[HPopper]

I honestly cannot understand why this game was not more popular. Sure, it is a bizarre and unfamiliar game concept, but it was developed and marketed by a gigantic video game company and polished within an inch of its life. A quick search online claims Pikmin 2 sold only 1.2 million copies worldwide, whereas Wind Waker and Super Mario Sunshine - both also Nintendo games of the same era - sold 4.6 and 6.31 million, respectively. Sure, you could say, because those are major brands. But Nintendo made them major. This is a company that got everyone to waggle their arms at their TVs and trade imaginary digital creatures, and those weird ideas are weird as hell. Why does the Pikmin series seem relegated to "cult" status? It's mystifying.

I'm really excited about this re-release because it means that I can finally convince my friends to buy a copy and play it, and then maybe they will play Co-Op and Vs with me. I've tried on several occasions to get them interested in picking up that second controller, but I've found that everyone has found it too daunting to jump into this world with its kooky rules and mechanics without playing through single player. Since I play through the entire Single Player Campaign about once a year and they don't even know what the fuck a Windy Blowhog is, the skill differential between us makes it no fun for them to play.

Single Player Side note: Everyone else reset it when they lost too many Pikmin during a mission, right? It wasn't just me, was it?

[lobotomy42]

Single Player Side note: Everyone else reset it when they lost too many Pikmin during a mission, right? It wasn't just me, was it?

Oh, yeah, definitely. Just like in Fire Emblem when someone dies - IMMEDIATE REBOOT.

[Sno]

Fire Emblem, oh man. I really love those games, but i gradually came to realize that i kind of can't play them. I get into this weird perfectionist/completionist mindset, and i end up never making progress because i always get hung up trying to ace each mission without any losses.

There's a lot to love and respect about a game that will deeply characterize a bunch of very unique individual units all with their own stories and dialogue, and then be willing to take them from you permanently for messing up.

That's some ballsy action and consequence design, and i can't really deal with it.

I mean, those games are generally built around expecting you to take some losses. They're scripted to introduce new characters if you've lost certain other ones, things like that. You really only want to restart a mission if you majorly fuck up, like losing a special-role unit such as a healer or a thief or if you generally just got totally stomped.

But, you know...

Yeah, and Pikmin 2 was kind of the same way for me, just for the raw gameplay concerns though, it being easy to back yourself into a corner with no way out.

[Sno]

http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/13/pikmin-3-lacking-online-multiplayer-because-there-are-a-bunc/

Fuck, goddammit Nintendo, seriously?

You just had to screw this up, didn't you?

Somebody needs to show those guys Starcraft 2 or something, it'll blow their minds.

[Murdoc]

http://www.joystiq.c...ere-are-a-bunc/

Fuck, goddammit Nintendo, seriously?

Yeah thats just insane.