Pikmin 3 Deluxe Reviews

When it comes to Wii U ports that have made their way over to the Nintendo Switch, Pikmin 3 has probably received the most love, care and new content of any of them. The game is much more accessible than it was before, making it perfect for newcomers to the series with enough new content to give fans of the series a reason to come back.

With the recent release of Super Mario 3D All-Stars and the announcement of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury coming out in February 2021, Nintendo has been on a roll porting older games onto their flagship system. Pikmin 3 Deluxe is Nintendo’s latest port in a long line of Wii U ports (not like there’s many games left to port). The only question I have to ask is: why did it take me almost twenty years to discover this amazing franchise?

Pikmin 3 Deluxe is truly the definitive version of Pikmin 3 with plenty of additions and quality-of-life changes that will make it difficult to go back to the original Wii U version. The side stories provide creative level design that was missing from the base game, all of the DLC missions are present, and the story can finally be played entirely with two players. Even if this doesn’t lead to a Pikmin 4, it would be a great high point to end the series on.

While this is clearly a bare-bones port, simply making Pikmin 3 work on the Switch, it offers an unbeatable experience for first-time players and anyone who really enjoyed it the first time around. Despite having thoroughly beaten Pikmin 3 on the Wii-U (seriously, I spent way too much time playing that game,)

Pikmin 3 Deluxe is the best the series has to offer, a showcase of creative design and smart strategy. It's one of the most enjoyable experiences on the Switch.

The Pikmin franchise attempts something that many games have tried and failed to do: make a fun real-time strategy game playable on a console. With the release of Pikmin 3 Deluxe for the Nintendo Switch, a new generation of gamers are discovering a game that manages to do it right, but it’s not without its flaws.

Pikmin 3 Deluxe improves what was already a great game in small but smart ways.

Pikmin 3 Deluxe is a wonderful adventure, and even if you’ve fond memories of the game on Wii U, the new content makes it well worth returning to. While some issues that have shown up in previous titles are still present here, there’s nothing that ruins the fun of commanding your little army of Pikmin. Whether you’re a fan of the series or picking it up for the first time, there’s a lot to love here. With its extra content, co-op play and some truly excellent boss encounters, Pikmin 3 Deluxe might just be the best in the series.

Any Switch owners that have never played the Wii U version of Pikmin 3 should definitely pick up Pikmin 3 Deluxe. The game has aged incredibly well, with an engrossing story mode that's an absolute blast (while it lasts) and is greatly enhanced by the addition of local co-op. And even those that have already played Pikmin 3 extensively on the Wii U may want to consider double-dipping for the Switch version, as the new side story missions with Captain Olimar and Louie are a great deal of fun and definitely worth checking out.

Pikmin 3 Deluxe is another successful upgrade of an already enjoyable Wii U release. If this were a trilogy release or even just the first two games it'd be a home run. But it's a solid hit anyway.

Pikmin 3 Deluxe is another re-release that isn’t going to blow some people away, but provides another means with which to play a potentially forgotten Wii U classic. For me, it still holds up, and then some.

Words like “cute,” “adorable,” and “tiny” are conversational touchstones when it comes to Pikmin, but I offer an alternative: “Overwhelming.” The entire point of the series comes down to that concept. You defeat enemies by commanding swarms of the titular creatures who pummel giant bugs and other pests with their tiny fists until the foes are vanquished. You face multiple (and often competing) tasks, which must be prioritized and managed as the daylight relentlessly fades. Pikmin 3 added another juggling element when it first released on Wii U in 2013, giving players alternating control of three different diminutive astronauts. Leave one idle, and you’re wasting precious time and resources. Moving between all of these things competing for your attention can make you feel like every plate is just a few spins away from crashing to the floor – but it’s a good kind of overwhelming, to be clear. Pikmin 3 Deluxe doesn’t overhaul objectives or streamline tasks, but it gives you the opportunity to add a co-pilot along for the campaign, which lets you focus more on coordination and less on fussy micromanagement.

Nintendo sure loves porting their previous generation games to Switch and their latest is a new version of the delightful Pikmin 3.

Pikmin 3 Deluxe is a RTS for all kinds of gamers. It’s a complete package with new background stories, co-op and a literal small army of adorable Pikmin that you'll love to meet and hate to lose

Nintendo continues to revive what some might call their lost generation of games. Pikmin 3 Deluxe is yet another Wii U transplant though one that slots seamlessly into Switch’s first party line-up. Although unwieldy and slow to start, Nintendo’s charming inventiveness has produced an intriguing, if not excellent, entry in the strategy genre.

Visually, Pikmin 3 Deluxe doesn't push the boat out much further than the original Wii U version did. Where its changes lie are in its revamped control system and the addition of a new Side Stories mode. Neither are necessarily transformative enough to warrant double dipping if you're perfectly happy with your Wii U copy, but if you're one of the vast majority who don't have a Wii U copy, this Switch update is unquestionably the best way to play it.

It's a leisurely, slow-paced experience that is fantastic for just kicking back and chilling after a long hard day on the job. Of course, you can raise the difficulty if you want a challenge, but Pikmin 3 is laidback as ever, and because of the changes here, it's more streamlined and accessible for everyone. It may not have enough new features for revisiting players to sink their teeth into, but there's enough content here that'll make it worth your while.

After years out of the limelight Pikmin 3 has resprouted, with its mellow take on real-time strategy more enjoyable than ever, especially thanks to the expanded co-op options.

Like its many buried riches, Nintendo's Pikmin series remains a treasure ready to be rediscovered.

In any good strategy game, there's an enormous sense of risk. Victory is never assured, no matter how dense your army may be, and watching the units you have carefully cultivated over hours of play die by the hands of an overwhelming enemy is heartbreaking. Add to that a good amount of terror from being on the frontlines yourself, and that's essentially what Pikmin is. Carefully producing a capable force, only to have it all fall when the fight kicks off. Watching Pikmin cry as their ghosts leave their bodies from being crushed or eaten by a giant foe is frightening and sad, but it's only a blip on the radar compared to seeing those monstrous beasties fall from the might of your tactics.

Pikmin 3 Deluxe lands onto the Nintendo Switch with a fresh and sweet update to the original 2013 Wii U release. The real-time strategy and puzzle game follows three astronaut explorers searching for resources with the help of some very colourful creatures. Receiving positive reviews just over seven years ago, does this new edition improve on the experience and does it work on the smaller Nintendo Switch? The short, and absolutely cute, answer is a resounding yes.

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Pikmin 3 Deluxe makes an already excellent game even better and transplants it onto a console where far more people have a chance to see how good it really is. Its Side Stories and difficulty modes aren’t massive additions, but they gave me more of the already clever and fast-paced fun that made me fall in love with the original game seven years ago. And while not as flashy new missions, there are a downright impressive amount of smaller touches and quality-of-life adjustments throughout (including replacing the Wii U’s Gamepad screen with Switch-friendly controls) that make this the best the Pikmin series has ever felt. There’s plenty of reason to come back for returning players, and if you missed Pikmin 3 on the Wii U then you absolutely shouldn’t repeat that mistake here.