While finding all 200 items is a long, but very enjoyable task, there's also a monster and plant gallery that features 81 different lifeforms, including 12 plants and 12 bosses. Once added, you can check them out from various angles, zoom in, throw some carrots at them to see them eat, or turn them to stone.
But even without all these little "collection" side-quests, Pikmin 2 can proudly stand among the best GameCube games released thus far. Everything about the game, from the opening screen to the "final" credits is polished to perfection. The attention to detail is evident everywhere. The character animations are particularly impressive. Blow hogs chuckle after they cause your Pikmin to lose their flowers, egg maggots make your Pikmin run around screaming in digust, and if a jellyfish manages to suck up some of your Pikmin, you can see the poor sods inside the creature's translucent body.
And once it all ends, there's still a full-fledged challenge mode that puts the original's to shame. It's no longer just about getting the high score. Pikmin 2 actually features 30 different puzzle challenges, each with a set time limit and a predetermined set of Pikmin. You can play these challenges alone or in split-screen co-op with a friend (once you unlock this feature). Clear them all with a perfect rating (=no Pikmin lost) and you unlock a bonus video sequence, which, as everything in this game, looks and sounds great.
