Published , by TJ Denzer
Published , by TJ Denzer
Pikmin 3 was a pretty good game in the series that had the misfortune of being relegated to the Wii U era of Nintendo, but it’s about to get new life. In a surprise announcement, Nintendo revealed Pikmin 3 Deluxe for the Nintendo Switch, which will bring the game to the newer console with the entirety of the original game plus a wealth of bonus content. What’s more, it’s coming this October 2020.
Nintendo announced Pikmin 3 Deluxe via the Nintendo of America Twitter, alongside a new trailer on Nintendo’s YouTube on August 5, 2020. On October 30, 2020, Pikmin 3 Deluxe will roll out on the Nintendo Switch, bringing players back to the adventures of Olimar, Louis, Alph, Brittany, and Charlie as they utilize the colorful Pikmin to defeat massive creatures and save the planet Koppai. Not only will the whole original game be returning, but a host of new features will be added, including new difficulty levels, new side missions with Olimar and Louis, a new Piklopedia that reveals interesting information about all the things in the game, and all of the DLC previously released after Pikmin 3’s original launch.
Pikmin 3 Deluxe is certainly a delightful surprise and a confirmation of rumors from back in May 2020. The original game was good, but it also made odd decisions regarding utilization of the Wii U’s gamepad (learn more in our Shacknews review). Although it did decent, Pikmin 3 also had the misfortune of being confined to one of Nintendo’s less successful eras. With this launch, it’s Nintendo’s chance to give Pikmin 3 a new and better life on the Switch, and the extra content that will come with it seems like a pretty lush cherry on top for those who have already played before.
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced a lot of the game industry to pivot in one way or another and Nintendo has been pretty curious in its efforts. The previous Nintendo Directs have been hit or miss, there has been caution with announcing replacement E3 plans, and this latest announcement came outside of a Direct without any build-up whatsoever despite sounding like an E3 caliber announcement.
Regardless, portable Pikmin sounds great to us and we’re interested to return to Koppai and engage with all of its curious creatures when Pikmin 3 Deluxe launches this October.