My thoughts on Pikmin 3:
Nintendo released the first Pikmin game nearly twelve years ago for the GameCube. Back then, the game showed that real time strategy games are possible on consoles. Unfortunately the game was quite short. Roughly three years later Nintendo released Pikmin 2 which introduced two new Pikmin types. Well received by press and players, there was no sequel for almost a decade. However, the development of Pikmin 3 was confirmed to be in development for Wii at E3 2008 in Nintendo's developer roundtable (thanks to the fellow GAFer who asked Miyamoto the right question and saved E3, lol). Unfortunately, the development seemed to be super slow. The game was moved from Wii to its successor Wii U. Planned to be one of the launch-window games Nintendo had trouble with developing AAA HD games which resulted in further delays.
Just a very few weeks back, the waiting time was finally over: Pikmin 3 was released for Nintendo's Wii U. The wait was well worth the time because Nintendo delivered big time. I have rarely seen a game as polished as Pikmin 3. The game is great from the title screen to credits. Let me start with the controls: I played the game with a Wiimote and a Nunchuck which felt perfect and extremely precise. However, there is also the option to play with the GamePad which also works well according to other players. You can play off-screen with both, the GamePad and Wiimote & Nunchuck. If you are not playing off-screen there is a map on the GamePad's screen which is extremely useful for scouting fruits and treasures as well as giving orders to one of your three crew members which really enables multi-tasking. With all those well-working options, there is more or less nothing to complain about regarding controls.
The gameplay itself is known from previous the Pikmin games: You control up to five different types of little Pikmin which will help you to achieve your goal: solving puzzles and collecting fruits, upgrades and other things. Beside the red (resistant against fire), blue (resistant against water) and yellow (resistant against electricity) Pikmin types there are two new types of Pikmin: pink (flying) and rock (can smash glass). Those new types work very well and feel more unique than Pikmin 2's white (fast) and purple (strong) Pikmins. In order to achieve your goals, you need to use the right Pikmin type in the right situation. You will not just fight lightly dangerous creatures like giant beetles, you will also face huge bosses which are very well designed, requiring a unique strategy.
The gameplay itself is very rewarding and addictive. The sound as well as the graphics add to this. The game is stunningly beautiful right from the beginning until the very last second. There are five different areas which offer tons of variety (ice, caves, desserts, tropical surroundings, water, etc.). There is the option to take photos with the GamePad which is almost like a game in a game. I found myself playing around with this function quite a lot because the game is so beautiful. There are also plenty of great effects like rain and water effects as well as great lightning and a fantastic depth-of-field effect.
I almost never finish games with collecting everything. In Pikmin 3, I actually collected each and every fruit because it is just so addictive and fun. Even hours into the game I was still discovering new things like great puzzles and huge creatures. Even now, after finishing the game's story with 100% after almost 15 hours there is still a mission and a two player multiplayer mode left to be discovered.
All those elements make Pikmin 3 a near-to-perfect adventure which is - in my opinion - a absolute must-have for the Wii U. Now go and buy the game, you will love it.
Please find below some screenshots I took throughout my playthrough of the campaign: