Coming from Nintendo Power...
I feel absolutely terrible about this. A few days back, a reader sent me an email saying that their computer at work listed Pikmin for a release. I joked with him, saying that we were finally getting NPC: Pikmin 2 in the states. Turns out my joke was spot on! I should have posted while I had the chance! Thanks to all that sent this in.
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I feel absolutely terrible about this. A few days back, a reader sent me an email saying that their computer at work listed Pikmin for a release. I joked with him, saying that we were finally getting NPC: Pikmin 2 in the states. Turns out my joke was spot on! I should have posted while I had the chance! Thanks to all that sent this in.
Link
Categories: Top Stories, Consoles, Media | Tags: Wii, GameCube, Pikmin, Nintendo Power | Rating: 
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Have it on gamecube already, I'm not one of these "oh i'll get it on the Wii, didn't like the gamecube" types, I supported Nintendo in those times, unlike others I'm guessing...
I guess if you have $30 or $20 to spare it would be a good opportunity.
Totes bought.
Just thinking about Pikmin 2 makes me want to smash a gamecube controller. God this game was ....suspenseful. And the agony of your whole platoon going down. Gyah!
But that's not what's being said here. Sure some people are complaining about the wait, which is perfectly fine. Complain away. But there are quite a number who are acting like because of the wait the title is going to bomb or that it's simply stupid and pointless to release it now.
As for the lack of press, hype or fanfare, why do you care? Again, you already know about the title and unless you have some misguided sense of entitlement, that you're now not going to buy it because it wasn't released when you wanted it to be, why does it matter? You already know about the game and already know if you're going to buy it, not going to buy it, or are still on the fence.
None of that concerns you or your purchase at all.
This isn't a big name title that they're releasing to die. It's a NPC title that's going to come out at a budget price. I doubt there would be much of a media push no matter when it was released.
FINALLY! The ONE NPC! game I wanted is finally coming out here!
And personally I don't think the NPC! games were ever "pointless." It was just a convenient way for people who missed these games the first time around (especially if you're one of those "expanded audience" people) to finally get a copy for an affordable price, AND with the addition of a new control scheme to boot.
Admittedly, when it came to the other NPC! games other than Pikmin 2, I already owned all of them (expect Power Tennis, I had other priorities). Even some of the Japan exclusives like Chibi-Robo (still glad I have my Gamecube copy). However, Pikmin 2 has become a rarity in the past few years, and the price of used copies is a bit ridiculous if you ask me ($50 for an 8 year old game? I'd rather use that money on The Last Story [which I just pre-ordered last week]). Sad to say, I missed out on the game when it first came out in 2004. I don't know why, but it happened and it's been one of my few gaming regrets these past few years. I'm just happy to see that I'll finally get to play Pikmin 2 before this generation of systems is over.
Also, for those wondering why it took so long, I'm fairly certain it's because of the product placement within the game. You see, to make it more obvious to the player that the Pikmin world is a post-human Earth they decided to include real world products as the treasures you find. As a nice touch, the products differ from region to region. Japan got products they'd recognize, Europe got products they'd be able to identify, and America naturally had it's own set of items that'd be known to us.
Unfortunately, American copyright laws are a bit too... stringent. Japan and Europe aren't so bad about this stuff so re-releasing the games there first was easy, but in the US, Canada, and Mexico, Nintendo had to deal with the contracts they made with companies like the Dr. Peper Snapple Group for the inclusion of a 7up bottle cap, Kiwi brand shoe polish, and Duracell for the use of a D-cell battery (which can be seen in the above screenshots). Most likely, Nintendo either managed to work out a deal with these companies for the usage of their products in the game, or they had the development team change some of the items to no longer bare the copyrighted materials.
So I can see why we didn't get it earlier, but I'm glad it's finally happening, and much sooner than expected too. I just hope it's $20-$30 like the other NPC! games.
Good news for you pikmin fans, but I'll pass, I never was a fan of the series, sorry
not cranky... just.. bemused. look, if this never came out, id understand the anger. but instead of being thrilled, like some of us, they are just bitter and made angrier by the fact that it took so long. none of us work for nintendo. none of us know their plans. could they have deaf to our want of this game? absolutely. but could they have also other plans for it? i think so. i think, since it seems to be the nintendo way, maybe they have always had it tied to the third installment. planning on releasing it here, just prior to pikmin 3. pikmin 3 has been in development purgatory for how long now? i feel like we've been hearing about it for 3 or 4 years now. i think, since pikmin 2 did pretty damn well in the states, theyve always planned on releasing it here.. but they wanted to make it a little more special.
i know i am most likely blindly optimistic and i give nintendo a lot of credit, mainly because they have given me a lot of happiness over the years. so instead of getting my internet unders in a bunch over how late this game is to the party, i am just relieved that we are getting it at all. wheres the fun in always being negative?
i had it... but greed got the best of me.. and i sold it before finishing, due to the fact that the online price, at one point, was $80..
...Does Chuggaaconroy know this?
I don't understand why people are upset that this is coming out so late, it's going to be compatible on the WiiU. Pokemon black and white came out near the release of the 3ds and it didn't matter because you could still play on the 3ds. I'm super excited for pikmin 2 and it makes perfect sense to release
It this late to create buzz for the pikmin wiiU game.
Is the second one better than the first? I never picked up the first NPC.
Most definitely.
@ninjablaze We are still getting it here. Nintendo could have just ignored it but look here, we got now and since i haven't played either of the pikmin games but am interested in 3 i guess i have a few more wii games to play (that plus xenoblade, last story, pandora's tower (if it comes here which i'm sure it will), DKCR, kirby, No more heroes, and MH tri
as mentioned above, oh yes, it is much better. there are really cool power up items that are new to the series. the environments are more varied. the items you find are really neat and there are a ton of little nods to nintendo's past.
YESSSSSS!!!!!! I have waited nearly 3 years for this! Never had Pikmin on the GC! First one was for the Wii. I tried buying Pikmin 2 for GC on ebay for over 2 years, but lost dozens of auctions. Now I will finally be able to play it!
They may as well release all of the english-translated games in North America now, like Another Code: R.
PAL regions should get the ones that were never released there.
Then the Wii will 100% be dead. Well, it kinda already is if it weren't for the ports. At least, it'll be somewhat active again until Wii U.
Now we're getting the New Play Control version of Pikmin 2?! Oh well, better late than never. Its release in the Americas does make sense if its existence is to drum up hype for the upcoming Wii U sequel, but I do wonder if the Wii-based control is also hinted at for Pikmin 3. Imagine a Pikmin game with three control options: traditional dual-circle pad, Circle Pad + Touch Screen, and Wii Remote + Wii U Controller... (Personally, I'd go with the stylus/touch screen.)
Wow, I had lost all hope for this!! There is a God!!
No, really, I was looking forward to playing this after loving the NPC version of the first game, and I was very disappointed when they seemingly killed off the NPC thing (I wasn't going through the hurdles of getting a GCN copy).
Awesome. Now release Mother 3.
(Joking (not really)).
Edit: Did anyone notice that in the article they never refer to the game as NPC? Seems they're not using that branding anymore (I can't blame them).
Must mean Pikmin 3 is ready for this year then.
I am definitely getting it, unless it gets released around Pikmin 3. I'll just skip it then.
Pffffft. Took you guys long enough.
Prepare for Wii U Pikmin 3 !!!
Pikmin is one of the best games ever made, it's full of Nintendo love and detail. Hopefully Pikmin 3 really kicks a$$ with MMO Coop, let's hunt treasures and crazy cute creatures!
McDaniel-77
Cool, maybe this time I will finally beat the game. Having already spent about 50 hours on it + Metroid Prime 2's release + (No death run + The last boss) = sorry Louie, I hope you like being trapped in a well because you are staying that way.
A friend of mine borrowed my GC Pikmin 2 several years ago and I had forgotten all about it until reading about Pikmin 3 recently.
I contacted my friend... who has since moved several states away... about getting my game back and he said he would look for it but doesn't recall seeing it. Sigh.....
At least now, with this news, I can buy an affordable "replacement" version and enjoy the game once again!
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