Standard Edition
StandardIn the box
- Wii U disc
- Case with cover art
Wii U
Pikmin 3
Pikmin 3 is a 2013 real-time strategy and puzzle video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U video game console. It is the sequel to the GameCube games Pikmin (2001) and Pikmin 2 (2004), and it was released in Japan on July 13, 2013, and in all other regions the next month.
Real Time Strategy (RTS)Adventure
- Time to beat
- about 12.9 hours
- Plays offline
- Yes
Overview
Pikmin 3 is a 2013 real-time strategy and puzzle video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U video game console. It is the sequel to the GameCube games Pikmin (2001) and Pikmin 2 (2004), and it was released in Japan on July 13, 2013, and in all other regions the next month. Shigeru Miyamoto announced Pikmin 3 on July 16, 2008, for the Wii console, later stating at E3 2011 that it had transitioned to the Wii U.
The game builds upon existing elements of the Pikmin series, adding more player characters, Pikmin types, and support for Off-TV Play and downloadable content. In the single-player campaign, the player controls three alien captains: Alph, Brittany, and Charlie, who explore the surface of a planet they name PNF-404 in search of cultivable fruit seeds to save their home planet, Koppai, from famine. They befriend the Pikmin, who assist them in combat, solving puzzles, and gathering resources.
Pikmin 3 received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for the gameplay, graphics and level design. Pikmin 3 Deluxe, an enhanced port with new content for the Nintendo Switch, was released on October 30, 2020. A stand-alone sequel, Hey! Pikmin, was released in 2017 for the Nintendo 3DS, while a direct sequel, Pikmin 4, was released on July 21, 2023, on the Nintendo Switch.
Official trailer
Trailer. Watch on YouTube
Gameplay
Pikmin 3 longplay Wii U, 8 Bitty LP Committee. Watch on YouTube
Screenshots
Game details
- Genres
- Real Time Strategy (RTS), Adventure
- Developer
- Nintendo EAD Software Development Group No.4
- Publisher
- Nintendo
- Series
- Pikmin
- Platforms
- Wii U
- Age rating
- ESRB E10+
- Modes
- Single player
- Yes
- Local multiplayer
- Yes
- Online multiplayer
- No
- Co op
- Yes
- Age ratings
- PEGI
- 3
- USK
- 6
- CERO
- A
- ACB
- G
- CLASS IND
- L
- ESRB
- E10+
Release dates
| Platform | Region | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Wii U | Japan | 2013-07-13 |
| Wii U | Europe / PAL | 2013-07-26 |
| Wii U | North America | 2013-08-04 |
| Wii U | Brazil | 2013-11-26 |
Editions
DLC
Three paid Mission Mode stage packs, US$8.97 in all. No longer sold; bought packs can still be downloaded.
- Items
Name Date Adds Obtainable today Price Collect Treasure! stage pack 2013-10-01 Four remixed Mission Mode stages No US$1.99 Battle Enemies! stage pack 2013-11-06 Four remixed Mission Mode stages No US$1.99 New stages pack 2013-12-02 Four new stages for Collect Treasure! and Battle Enemies! No US$4.99
Playable today
Playable offline todayYes
The whole game, its two-player modes and any bought DLC still play.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Ever released on disc | Yes, on Wii U disc |
| Ever released in the store | Yes, 4 August 2013 Briefly delisted in August 2020 when Pikmin 3 Deluxe was announced. |
| In the store to buy today | No The Wii U eShop closed on 27 March 2023. |
| Can be downloaded again if you already bought it | Yes Bought DLC packs can be downloaded again too. |
| Disc runs with no patch | Yes |
| Disc runs with the final patch | Yes The last update is still on Nintendo's update server. |
| Has online features | Yes Photo posting to Miiverse |
| Online servers running today | Shut down Miiverse closed on 8 November 2017. |
| Playable offline today: campaign | Yes |
| Playable offline today: local multiplayer | Yes Two players in Bingo Battle and Mission Mode. |
| Playable offline today: online multiplayer | Does not exist No online play. |
| Playable offline today: DLC | Yes Only if the packs were bought before 27 March 2023. |
Online
Plays offlineYes
Reception
- Aggregates
Outlet Platform Score Scale Metacritic Wii U 87 100 - Critics
Outlet Score Scale IGN 8.8 10 GameSpot 8 10 Game Informer 9 10 Nintendo Life 9 10 Destructoid 9.5 10 Eurogamer 9 10 Edge 8 10 Polygon 8 10 Famitsu 37 40 Electronic Gaming Monthly 5 5 Official Nintendo Magazine 90 100
Staff and cast
- Staff
Role Name Developer Nintendo EAD Publisher Nintendo Directors Shigefumi Hino, Yuji Kando Producer Hiroyuki Kimura Designers Atsushi Miyagi, Takafumi Kiuchi, Takuro Shimizu Programmer Yuji Kando Artist Keisuke Nishimori Writers Kunio Watanabe, Makoto Wada Composers Asuka Hayazaki, Atsuko Asahi, Hajime Wakai
Notes for collectors
- Three captains, Alph, Brittany and Charlie, explore PNF-404 to find food for their home planet Koppai.
- Plays with the GamePad, a Wii U Pro Controller, or a Wii Remote and Nunchuk.
- A 30 May 2014 update added stylus control on the GamePad.
- Bingo Battle is a split-screen two-player mode; Mission Mode can be played in two-player co-op.
- In-game photos could be posted to Miiverse until it closed in 2017.
- Pikmin 3 Deluxe on Switch (2020) includes all the Wii U DLC.
Credits
- Publisher
- Nintendo
- Developer
- Nintendo EAD Software Development Group No.4
- Director
- Shigefumi Hino, Yuji Kando
- Released
- 2013-08-04
- Age rating
- ESRB E10+
- Disc ID
- WUP-P-AC3E
- Region
- US
- Time to beat
- about 12.9 hours
Spotted something that's wrong? Tell me and I'll check it.