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Nintendo opened its E3 press conference with one of its most anticipated titles: Pikmin 3. And being someone who has eagerly waited nearly eight years for this moment, I am very happy indeed.

Via footage revealed today, we now know that the game will retain the classic gameplay of the previous entries in the series, albeit with the Wii U’s HD graphics giving the natural settings a nice boost. New features will also be included, such as new ways for your Pikmin to interact with the environment, like building bridges from pieces of what look like a broken pot.

A new type of Pikmin was also revealed: Rock Pikmin, big, round, stone-shaped little creatures that can be used to break hard objects. And I could swear that the pink flying creature that appeared near the beginning was a Pikmin. However, Nintendo has yet to say anything regarding that, so for now I’m just speculating on what I saw.

While Pikmin 3 uses the Wii Remote and Nunchuck primarily, it will also include support for the Wii U GamePad, which will display a map at all times, making it easier to get a good view of where your Pikmin are and what they’re doing at all times. In addition, those playing with the GamePad can play the game entirely on the touch screen, should they choose to forgo the TV screen.

Also of note is the fact that the game will include four leaders with which to command your Pikmin legion. What’s surprising, though, is that series regular Captain Olimar is not among them. At the moment, Nintendo is being mum about why this is so.

And last, a new challenge mode will appear, featuring challenges that will push players to complete various tasks (like gathering as many objects as possible) in a limited amount of time.

We’re still without a release date for Pikmin 3, unfortunately. Hopefully, though, it won’t be long now before I can mark the date on my calendar. And hopefully it won’t be long before Nintendo answers my question regarding the flying pink thing. Are we going to have flying Pikmin? Answer me, Nintendo! Answer me!

Source: Nintendo All-Access Presentation E3 2012

Peter Grimm A writer, journalist, and aspiring storyteller, Peter Grimm has been gaming since the days of the Nintendo 64, and reporting on the goings-on in the World of Gaming since late 2011. His base of writing operations is located within the void between Here and There, or so he would have you think.

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