Having just finished Pikmin 3 this past week, I thought I’d give some tips for those that will be playing the new release for the Nintendo Wii U.
• On the first day, unlike all the others, there is no time limit, so take advantage of this and get control of your bearings.
• Continue to play until the first day is over. The game will automatically save once the day concludes.
• The best control scheme to use for precision is the Wii Remote and Nunchuk with the GamePad.
• Make sure to get a grip on how to use the camera early so you will be ready for the bigger fights and areas later in the game.
• Don’t hesitate to use the KopPad for the map or to re-read hints you find throughout the game.
• Rock Pikmin are your best friend when you are trying to take down an enemy the fastest way.
• Typically the boss of each area’s weakness is the Pikmin that you acquired in that stage, akin to Legend of Zelda dungeon items.
• Make great use of the charge attack. This is when you lock onto an enemy or obstacle and can send all Pikmin in your party to attack said enemy or obstacle.
• Keep an eye on the time limit. It will be a big difference for you, especially early when you haven’t gotten a ton of fruit yet.
• Once you’ve stocked a good supply of juice, don’t push yourself with the time limit. You don’t want to lose your Pikmin, especially if you are low on any one type.
• Don’t accidentally leave the game unpaused when you stop for a minute or anything. That time may be much needed time on the time of day before you have to end the day.
• Don’t be afraid to restart a day if you feel you were too slow or lost too many Pikmin.
• Make a point to split up your team between the three playable characters to get more tasks done each day.
• Boss battles can tend to get long, but health doesn’t regenerate on the next day like most games, so it is a good idea to retreat when the day is nearly over and come back fully stocked with more Pikmin and a reset time clock.
• Keep a good balance of each Pikmin in your Onion. The last level requires a good balance of all five to complete.
• Don’t think you are getting too many Pikmin and will be fine if you stop obtaining more. The final bosses and levels will likely lose you a lot of Pikmin.
Make sure to also check out my review of Pikmin 3, the game of which will be available on August 4 for the Nintendo Wii U in the US.
