Pikmin 2

The brave little ambulatory root creatures that saved my life the last time I was on this planet haven't changed much, but my motives have changed immensly. No longer am I on mission of basic survival, using these small creatures only because I had no choice - now I am on a mission of commerce. I am only here to increase the profits of my company, and I have unwillingly enslaved my saviors to achieve that end.

The preceding paragraph sums up my appreciation of Pikmin 2 in a nicely oblique fashion. The game hasn't changed much in terms of gameplay (despite the two new, and one altered) pikmin types. You still parade your army around and try to flank the enemy as much as possible, while devising cunning ways to get your soldiers to the treasures you want them to carry. That said, playing the game is as fun as every while on the overworld. The graphics are vibrant and interesting, ambient nature sounds drift around you, and the pikmin sing a cheery song.

It's when you get to the caves that the game begins to suffer. Since the caves are random (a feature whose merit is dubious in the first place), the graphics are boring and repetitive within them. In addition, the puzzles in the caves are extremely simple at best. The suspension of the time limit and the ability to save on every level reduces the tension of the experience (many clamored for this type of thing, but I welcomed the urgency in the original game.)

It is because of the caves and the fact that Olimar and Looie are on a merely commercial trip that takes away much of the charm of this sequel. The caves are dreary and boring, and throughout the game I had a feeling of misdeeds as I marched my pikmin into the jaws of death for such a selfish and shallow goal.

Despite being of generally less fun than the original Pikmin, Pikmin 2 benefits from being significantly longer, and having a multiplayer mode. In the end, it really depends on if you want a fantastic game that may not last very long, or a good game that lasts a very long time. If you find yourself in the latter category, I highly reccomend this game, but if you are in the former category, I would mildly reccomend it.