[Thanks to Will Thompson from theVGTribunefor hanging out]
Nintendo Land: Pikmin Adventurewas surprising. As a huge fan of the two main seriesPikmingames, I thought I knew what to expect out of this arcade-style romp. Boy was I wrong.Pikmin Advenutureis pretty much non-stop violence. Waves of enemies are broken up by a few environmental hazards, puzzles, and pick-ups, but for the most part, this is a game about breaking stuff and absolutelydemolishingthose carnivorous bastards who would dare to treat you like foodstuff.
The players using Wii remotes can jump and attack, not unlike in beat ’em ups likeFinal FightorDouble Dragon. The player with GamePad uses as Olimar. He’s got two moves — toss mini-Pikmin as a short range projectile attack, and blowing the whistle, which forces the other players to fly onto his head. Once you’ve got grip on your pals, you may toss them at enemies for bigger damage, or just carry them around. Pikmin can reach areas that Olimar cannot thanks to their ability to jump, and they can defend themselves with melee attacks if enemies get too close. As nice as that is, the whistle is where the real power is. If you need to evacuate a friend from a bad situation, or if you just want to mess with them, all it takes is just one toot.
Like withMetroid Blast,Pikmin Adventurereportedly has a relatively lengthy campaign mode, complete with multiple types of enemies and bosses. As much as I enjoyedMetroid Blast,Pikmin Adventurewas faster paced and more exciting overall. It also has poops. Those kinds of surprises do a lot to keep things fresh. It’s sure to be a favorite among fans of classic beat ’em ups and action RPGs whenNintendo Landis released on Nov. 18th.
