Pikmin Short Films Coming Soon To Nintendo 3DS

Those Pikmin short films that legendary video game developer Shigeru Miyamoto is working on will soon be heading to the Nintendo 3DS. The short films were showcased today at the International Tokyo Film Festival and Miyamoto and Kawakami had a press conference talking about how the concept came about.

The three Pikmin shorts are titled “The Night Juicer,” “Treasures in a Bottle,” “Occupational Hazards.” Thankfully, Nintendo 3DS owners will be able to watch them via their console at a later date through the eShop. Interestingly Miyamoto revealed that he drafted the concepts on Flipnote Studio 3D, and send them to the production company who made the shorts. Here’s some details.

They’d considered doing something like this, but avoided it because of the difference between games and films.
Another reason is that a film requires much more ‘setting in stone’ about the characters and world that could be limiting for the company when it comes to future games.
However, with Pikmin they’re very small in game and you can’t see them well without zooming in. So he thought it’d be a good idea with this series, as it’d give more focus to the actual Pikmin.
Storyboards for the shorts were made by Miyamoto using Flipnote 3DS.
Made by an external CGI company. They also produced the opening of the 2012 E3 Presentation, where Miyamoto was followed by CGI Pikmin.
They originally intended to make 10 3-minute short films, but after making the first one they decided on making longer ones. The 2nd is 8 minutes and the 3rd is 13 minutes long.
The 3rd film features 500 Pikmin on screen at once and Pikmin covered in mud. Things they can’t do in-game.
The models are based on the game’s models, but the CGI required about 10 times the fidelity of that in the latest game, so the 3D models themselves are mostly new.
Miyamoto says the live-action Super Mario Brothers film was an interesting interpretation of the universe. When he first read the script, it was a heart-warming tale, like a Disney movie from his childhood, but it gradually evolved into the movie we know today. He thinks it’s interesting what a different interpretation can bring.
Release timing for the Pikmin shorts unannounced; may be compiled together with the logo-movie for Toho Cinemas (which features Pikmin, too) when released on 3DS.
Plans on releasing world-wide; no language to localize.
Pikmin 3 demo is in the works.
Miyamoto wants the short films to be a gateway for some to play the Pikmin games.