Last week, Nintendo revealed that it had partnered with Niantic – the developer of Pokémon GO – to create another augmented reality mobile game based on Pikmin. Now, some lucky players have had some hands-on time with the new project.
The game, tentatively known as 'Pikmin App', is currently being played by select fans in Singapore as part of a new test, and the first details on how the game works and the content included has started to appear online. As reported by VGC, the app has players walking, just like in Pokémon GO, in order to "grow their Pikmin squad and send them on expeditions."
According to VGC's notes, the app provides players with several Pikmin Seedlings to begin with. These Seedings can grow and eventually be plucked to reveal a fully grown Pikmin once the player has generated enough 'Step Energy' through walking.
All the usual suspects are present – you'll be able to grow Red, Blue Yellow, Rock, Winged, Purple, and White Pikmin – but 'Decor Pikmin', a new type of Pikmin that wear attire associated with the place you found them, are also included.
Aside from walking to grow and pluck Pikmin (which can be individually named by the player), one of the app's other main features is 'Expeditions'. Here, players can choose an Expedition to tackle, then choose the Pikmin they want to adventure with, before setting off to earn items. Sometimes, your Pikmin will pick up a Postcard – a digital image of Pikmin out and about on their adventure which uses real-world photos shared by Pokémon GO and Ingress players. You can read VGC's full report here to learn more.
Are you liking the sound of this? Think you'll be downloaded it when it eventually launches? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
[source videogameschronicle.com]
Comments 38
This looks cool. Good incentive to go for walks after the lockdown period
That sounds like a pretty good idea.
"Step Energy through walking"
Well, that's me out.
Enjoy, everyone.
Sounds almost as the same basic concept of Pokémon Go.
So I’m out.
This had potential to be more of a hybrid between PokeGo and a real game.
Seems it won’t be.
You can name your Pikmin? The subreddit is gonna be all over this
Rereading this, the plucking seems like something interesting, I'm wondering if you can pluck them anyway, or if you put seeds in a particular location, then have to return to get them. Might encourage returning to where you walked previously? Especially if there's some risk-reward incentive to place them outside your house, and not just camp at home planting them.
@Donnerkebab I don't think anyone is, or should be, going into this thinking it a replacement for Pikmin 4. PoGo didn't stop Sword and Shield, New Horizons proceeded Pocket Camp, and 8Dx and Tour happily coexist. If anything, this will be a nice compliment to the series, and a potential 4 coming soon? We can hope
So, is this a kind of step counter?
In lockdown here, we have a 5k limit, I use a step counter each day for my walks, its a nice feature to my long walks, nothing more really.
With added Pikmin to seed and pluck, Yup, I'm into this (with kinda no end in sight of lockdowns in Ireland rn).
@readyletsgo Wait, they limit how many steps that you can walk everyday?
guys we already got pinkmin4. remember? HEY! Pikmin is canon.
First they only test Unite in Canada, now "Pikmin GO" in SIGNAPORE?
When will us US players get some fun betas?
I still play pokemon go.
If I had stopped, maybe. But two AR “walking-non-simulator” games would be too much.
This sounds pretty decent.
Sound about as expected. You'll be able to grow Pikmin who will then follow you around and can do activities with all of which requires walking.
What stickes out to me are the 'Decor Pikmin'. I can't help but think that's one (of the) way(s) that Niantic will monetize this game. Special events in which you can find a specific 'Decor Pikmin' for which you need to buy a 'ticket' to participate and/or other items that will help you get it.
We'll just have to wait and see how the monetization turns out (because you can be sure there will be monetization).
@bobzbulder lol no no, its just a limit from your house, 5k in each direction. Its been going on since End of Dec. Its (fingers crossed)being lifted next week.
Apparently we have the worst restrictions in Europe. Brother lives in Barcelona, sounds bad there, but they have little bars and cafes open at 8am to 11am and 4pm to 7pm, we dont even have that, just take away coffees and Pints, which is expensive and very useless. Walking around with a messy festival pints, just buy cans instead.
TBH, its been hell. Haven't left my little town in nearly a year. I have everything here I need, but I miss working in city center and meeting city friends etc.
@fafonio How is Pokemon Go not a 'real game'? It has the largest open world out of the whole franchise (planet earth), the core goal of catching them all is present and correct and it has the friendliest community in gaming, largely because it is out there in the real world instead of hiding behind a keyboard.
Its F2P mechanics are pretty generous and I'll happily spend money knowing it does actually cost it to make games and creators should be rewarded.
It may not have the nerdy strategy of the core franchise but doing so would miss the point of the game.
Can you name them and have them die during an expedition
This sounds pretty good, my dog will love the extra walkies
So thankful that i’m living in Singapore!!🎉🎉🎉
@Roam85 Same - that's why I stopped playing the Harry Potter game from Niantic. I don't want more than one GPS game to keep up with. I'll download the Pikmin game and try it out, but I'm not expecting to play it alongside Pokemon Go for very long.
@readyletsgo Oh, ok that makes more sense. That sounds like it sucks. I live in Florida so it’s pretty lax here (for better or for worse) and I’ve heard about people not being able to go into their backyards in some U.S. states so I wasn’t sure if you were talking about something like that. Hope it gets better for y’all.
@stinky_t given that Nintendo’s production has slowed to a trickle, I am not optimistic that we see a Pikmin.4 anytime soon.
I honestly don't know if there's a market for this. Most people interested in this will probably be more interested in pokémon go and will likely choose that over the pikmin variant if only because they will otherwise 'lose progression' from pokémon go (as in, essentially starting the same game over again in a new coat of paint, not literally losing progression of course).
@bobzbulder Seriously? Their own back gardens? Thats a bit much. But I see your first vaccines are going very well so far, same for the UK. But my god, in Ireland, they are SO slow with the roll out of the vaccines for the over 70s here. We have something like 700,000 first jabs done so far and even less second jab done. Like, we are only a nation on 5million. IDK
We are getting an announcement from our Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) in 3 hours of what restrictions are going to be lifted next week. Sounds like the 5km distance rule is staying for a bit longer though.
Anyway, the Switch is selling amazingly well here over the year so, thats good
Does Pikmin have a big enough fanbase yet for this to take off?
I have zero interest in Pokémon Go but love Pikmin, consider me intrigued!
I sure hope this catapults Pikmin into the mainstream, so maybe we can finally get a Pikmin 4!
But like, what are the incentives? Do we have goals besides amassing an army for world domination
@Franklin yeah I feel like Harry Potter didn’t take off (recent author controversy aside because the game was out for like a year before that) Pikmin is gonna have a hard road.
Honestly? This is a great idea.
Im a fat f**k since covid lockdowns (35+ lbs added) and need to start walking more. But in too lazy. This might motivate me to go out more.
@pepepopo I'm with you. I barely know what a Pikmin is but I'm going to need something to help me walk off this lockdown belly.
Can my Pikmin get run over by cars? 🤔
@stinky_t steve
I'm really burned out on PoGo since the last year or so. I might give pikmin a go although it sounds even more shallow than PoGo is.
"Think you'll be downloaded it ..."
huh?!
i would prefer a touch pikmin game on ios and android devices. Not sure if the pokemon go formula will work here
@Donnerkebab Starting to think pikmin 4 is just folklore from days of old...
I got it today and im in Australia?
Its fun but has a big banner saying confidential across the whole thing because its beta and the game is very empty at the moment but I can't wait untill release
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