With their heads sporting leaves, buds and flowers, the alien Pikmin might be mistaken for garden plants. But this is one hyperactive garden club. A single whistle mobilizes a multitude of Pikmin to gather treasure, fight enemies and solve puzzles.
The only place these tiny, hard-working creatures can be found is in Pikmin 2, a unique video game made only for Nintendo GameCube that just launched. In this mass-strategy sequel, Captain Olimar and his assistant, Louie, must find valuable objects to save their company from bankruptcy. They enlist hordes of Pikmin to help.
Pikmin 2 improves on the original in every way. Players can switch control between Olimar and Louie to expand the action and find new ways to solve puzzles. They also will encounter two new types of Pikmin: powerful purple and poisonous white.
Unlike the first version, the game has no time limits, so players can fully explore the world of the Pikmin at their own pace. Time even stops when players enter the new cave environments, but the underground areas offer their own tactical challenges: Players can't grow new Pikmin there, so they must marshal their forces strategically to fight the various enemies. Pikmin 2 has a new split-screen battle mode that lets two players compete to see which of the Pikmin armies has the most skillful commander.
Best known for iconic video game characters like Mario and Donkey Kong, legendary Nintendo game developer Shigeru Miyamoto created the engrossing world of the Pikmin. The first installment, which launched in December 2001, won the 2002 award from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences for Innovation in Console Gaming. Pikmin 2 sells at an MSRP of USD 49.99. For further information follow the download tab above.