Now this is a really interesting find. Reader ToadT found that his local EB Games has a listing for New Play Control: Pikmin 2 that puts the game out on June 10th. Even more interesting, the SKU classifies the game as a Nintendo Selects title for $20.
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There isn't any boxart yet; I just can't imagine seeing the Pikmin 2 boxart with both the Nintendo Selects border and the NPC border.
God, I hope not. I just want a normal boxart.
I don‘t see why they can‘t, it would actally make it cheaper, and after all, in South Korea they sell NPC: Pikmin without branding it as a NPC title.
For imagining only:
I think it's important to understand that the purpose of Nintendo Selects is to make games that are already available on Wii being enjoyed by millions worldwide become reprinted under a new and low MSRP. Not only would having New Play Control! Pikmin 2 be inappropriate and nonsensical from every perspective, it just seems more likely that there is some sort of misunderstanding with the retailer(s) and the game is only meant to be a regular title under the New Play Control! line.
$30 is already cheap enough as a New Play Control! title. As a business, Nintendo really has little reason to go down even further.
How the game is branded elsewhere makes no difference to the fact that it being a Nintendo Selects title would simply make no sense.
If this doesn't have a reversible cover I will be so disappointed. But that's to be expected with NoA nowadays
20$ would be an insta-buy for me. 30$ is pushing it a little, as I already have the original, and the only thing I'd get out of it personally is 16x9 support. Wii controls are just ok in my taste, GC controls work just as fine IMO.
The other NPC titles were reversible. But this being a select title, I'm not sure what that'll mean.
Well, we don't know if this rumor is even true yet. I'm still betting on NPC, 30$. Maybe it won't even have branding... NPC series is pretty much dead at this point.
Oh the things today's gamers will find to complain about. Forget the fact that the game is finally coming out and might in fact be cheaper than originally thought. Priorities...all i'm sayin'.
I'm not complaining at all! I'm happy that it's finally coming out!
It's just, IMO, this may not be of much use to me - I bought NPC Pikmin 1 when that came out as the first time I played it - and it was cool! I got Pikmin 2 for GC afterwards and found the controls just fine in that one also. I just may see no need for me to get this. The only plus I see for me is 16x9, which is BIG in my eyes. I probably will get it, though... not really complaining too much.
@Waluigi
Have you played the Wii version of the first Pikmin? The pointer controls are soooo much better than the Gamecube controller.
Yes I have - that was the first way I played it, actually! I got tired of waiting for a Wii Pikmin 2, though, and just ended up getting Pikmin 2 on GC. The controls there were just as good for me as they were on Wii. Both control styles work, IMO - I don't really prefer one over the other.
Ah, I see. I was the other way around. I had both on GC, then got the first again on Wii and loved it. 16x9 is pretty sweet too.
But...maybe I shouldn't fall too in love with the pointer controls. We'll probably be using the little tablet to move our Pikmin herds before the end of the year! (hope, hope)
If Nintendo was smart, they'd have three control styles - traditional, touch, and wiimote. Something for everyone!
Yeah. This is fugly. Let's hope Nintendo picks one over the other here.
Moving along, if this is true, let's think about what this means for the Nintendo Selects line. I would venture to guess that Nintendo wouldn't release just 1 NS game w/o releasing at least 3-5 more. If I had to guess, the following games are itching for a Nintendo Selects release:
ExciteTruck
WarioWare: Smooth Moves
Wii Sports Resort
ExciteBots: Trick Racing
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Wii Party (If Nintendo had the gall to sell Wii Sports as a Nintendo Select, why not this one?)
Sure, there are others that could easily be added to the Nintendo Select line, but let's be honest... Who's going to buy Sin & Punishment 2, Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn, or Metroid Prime 3 that doesn't already own it?
^I saw Excite Truck (lots of people think this is one word, but unlike the rest of the series it's two) still selling for $50 what had to be two years into the Wii's life.
Still worth every damn penny at that price.
The whole point of Nintendo Selects is to reprint Wii games by Nintendo that have already been released and have sold millions of copies in order to have them sell even more. Are you not aware of the current titles under Nintendo Selects? They consist of games like Super Mario Galaxy, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, and Animal Crossing: City Folk.
These are the kinds of games that get into Nintendo Selects, not New Play Control! Pikmin 2.
The boxart...ugh.
Please change it Nintendo.
I don't care at all for what the boxart looks like. It could be completely black with the words "Pikmin 2" written on it somewhere in bright pink bubbly letters and I would still buy it for the game.
I'd be all over ExciteTruck, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed for both "Return" games - Kirby and DKC.
I really wanted to see someone do this and you did. Thank you.
If it's indeed a Nintendo Selects title, hopefully it means another batch of Nintendo Selects is inbound.
I just thought of something. Do you really think NoA is gonna brand it as a New Play Control! title? Cosidering that it's an old brand that hasn't been used in nearly 3 years, and using it now would be like...odd (many people could assume that they will still remake GC games for Wii).
The age of the brand really doesn't matter. Having North American consumers believe that more New Play Control! titles may come is not necessarily a problem when it's still within the realm of possibility that Nintendo can develop more (and localize them) in the future, as well as the fact that Nintendo of America could still bring over New Play Control! Chibi-Robo! too, since they never have.
Normally, I'd agree with you. Hence why the list of games I mentioned were more in-line with the spirit of the program. However, looking at the Gamecube Player's Choice lineup compared to the SNES/N64 lineup and it's well documented that Nintendo will repackage anything if it would help it sell a few more copies. A title like NPC Pikmin 2 seems like the perfect title to throw out to the market at $20. Especially with a new iteration just around the corner.
Unfortunately, I am unable to link to my source at this time, but I'll have you know that Nintendo (the North American branch, at least) has explicitly stated that the games that become a part of their Nintendo Selects series aren't just any games they feel like re-releasing, all of the games meet up with the criteria that I have already mentioned (local Nintendo-published million sellers on Wii, basically).
New Play Control! Pikmin 2 does not fit in with this prerequisite in order to become a Nintendo Selects title.
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