Pikmin 2

Overview

Pikmin 2 is a 2004 real-time strategy puzzle video game developed and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. It is the direct sequel to the 2001 game Pikmin and the second game in the Pikmin series. In the game, Captain Olimar returns to the Pikmin planet to collect valuable treasure after learning that the company he works for, Hocotate Freight, is on the verge of bankruptcy.

Like its predecessor, Pikmin 2 focuses on exploring an unknown planet's surface from a microscopic perspective, where the player directs the Pikmin to perform various tasks, such as destroying obstacles, defeating enemies, and retrieving objects. It introduces new gameplay mechanics, including the ability to control two different leaders at once and the addition of new Pikmin types.

Pikmin 2 received critical acclaim, gaining aggregate scores of 89.60% and 90% on GameRankings and Metacritic, respectively. Many critics praised the various additions and changes, such as the new Pikmin types, longer length of the story mode, new multiplayer modes, and the removal of the 30-day time limit imposed in the original game. Pikmin 2 was re-released as part of the New Play Control! series for the Wii in 2009 in Japan, Europe and Australia and it received a North American release three years later in 2012. An HD remaster of the game was released for the Nintendo Switch in June 2023. A sequel to the game, Pikmin 3, was released in 2013 for the Wii U.

Official trailer

Trailer. Watch on YouTube

Gameplay

Pikmin 2 for Gamecube ᴴᴰ Full Playthrough, Nintendo Utopia. Watch on YouTube

Screenshots

Game details

Genres

Real Time Strategy (RTS), Adventure

Developer

Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development

Publisher

Nintendo

Series

Pikmin

Platforms

Nintendo GameCube

Age rating

ESRB E

Modes

Single player

Yes

Local multiplayer

Yes

Online multiplayer

No

Co op

Yes

Age ratings

CLASS IND

L

PEGI

3

ESRB

E

CERO

A

Release dates

Editions

Check out the store

Space and patches

Update patchNo patch

DLC

No DLC. GameCube games had no downloadable content.

Playable today

Playable offline todayYes

No online features; every mode works today. The disc runs on a GameCube or a Wii with GameCube ports.

Online

Plays offlineYes

Reception

Aggregates

Outlet	Platform	Score	Scale
Metacritic	GameCube	90	100

Critics

Outlet	Score	Scale
Famitsu	36	40
GamePro	5	5
GameZone	9.4	10
IGN	9.3	10
GameSpot	9.2	10
Eurogamer	9	10
Nintendo World Report	9	10
Game Informer	8.75	10
X-Play	4	5

Staff and cast

Staff

Role	Name
Developer	Nintendo EAD
Publisher	Nintendo
Directors	Shigefumi Hino, Masamichi Abe
Producers	Shigeru Miyamoto, Takashi Tezuka
Designer	Hiroaki Takenaka
Writers	Motoi Okamoto, Kazumi Yamaguchi
Composers	Hajime Wakai, Kazumi Totaka

Notes for collectors

• Olimar returns with Louie, and the first game's 30-day limit is gone, so players explore at their own pace.
• Many treasures are real branded products, such as Duracell batteries. The 2023 Switch version swapped them for made-up brands.
• Nintendo e-Reader cards with extra minigames were sold in Japan only.
• Sold 483,000 copies in Japan, and became a Player's Choice title in North America in 2006.
• Re-released on Wii as New Play Control! Pikmin 2, which reached North America only in 2012 as a Nintendo Selects title.

Credits

Publisher

Nintendo

Developer

Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development

Director

Shigefumi Hino, Masamichi Abe

Released

2004-08-30

Age rating

ESRB E

Region

US

Time to beat

about 11.4 hours