Nintendo’s most recent announcement came in the form of aNintendo TreehousecoveringHyrule Warriors: Age of CalamityandPikmin 3 Deluxe. WhileAge of Calamitycertainly has many excited,Pikminfans have as much to go on.
WhileHyrule Warriorsis a relatively new franchise, it is still a combination of two older franchises:Legend of ZeldaandDynasty Warriors. Both of these are old franchises notable for many entries. However, a remake ofPikmin 3is a rare event. The unique troop management mechanics and colorful world ofPikmincan only be experienced fresh every few years. There’s a reason people love these games, even though they release less frequently than other Nintendo IPs.
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In its most recent Nintendo Treehouse, Nintendo showed off some gameplay fromPikmin 3 Deluxe. This was accompanied by the news that the game’s free demo is available for download today. Players whoplay the demo will unlock content for the main gameby carrying over their data from demo to game. Also discussed was how to unlock co-op mode, since it’s not available by default. The method is simple: find and rescue Brittany.
The player beginsPikmin 3 Deluxecrashed on the Pikmin’s planet playing as Alph. Brittany is nearby, and players need to go find her. This constitutes the first part of the game’s tutorial. Players will not yet have access toall the Pikmin and their different abilities, but the red are sufficient for this task. After finding Brittany and making sure she is safe, players can drop in and out of the singleplayer campaign at any time. In this way, multiple players can take the roles of Alph and his crew.
While it will be great for players to have distinct characters for co-op, it is uncertain how or if this will tie in with the story. Whether things will change if one character is chosen vs. another may have new effects, but likely not. After all,Pikminis more about puzzle solving than story choices.Side stories feature Olimar and Louie, and it seems they will be playable once unlocked.
If the gameplay shown is any indication,Pikmin 3 Deluxepromises to be as cute and stressful when it comes to the Pikmin’s safety as its predecessors. There’s a very real chance thatPikmin 3 Deluxecould be Nintendo’s most important release this year. Only time will tell.
Pikmin 3 Deluxereleases for the Nintendo Switch on July 04, 2025.
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