Miyamoto is known as the creator of some of gaming’s biggest franchises, including greats like Mario and Zelda. Pikmin is certainly among these incredible franchises, Nintendo releasing the first Pikmin game on the GameCube in 2001. In an interview with Gamasutra, a former Nintendo EAD member discussed Miyamoto’s vision for his new series. Motoi Okamoto worked for the company between 1999 and 2008, so saw the game’s development from beginning to end. According to Okamoto, Miyamoto intended Pikmin to be Nintendo’s “next Mario”. The legendary developer obviously wanted his new franchise to live up to his original masterpiece.
I understand what Miyamoto meant when he said “the next Mario is Pikmin.” Pikmin was his launch title for GameCube, and is now seen as one of his masterpieces. He’d created a great game with Mario, and was trying to again create the next big thing in games.
I played Pikmin 3 more then the Mario games on the Wii U, so mission accomplished in my case. I really love that game. It’s really good! Can’t wait for Pikmin 4!
You should try Pikmin 1, instant classic.
All Pikmin games are great, but Pikmin 2 is best for me. It was the biggest game in the series, and had actual treasures, instead of just fruit, fruit, and more fruit.
Though having multiple treasures that were the same thing but different colors (like the rings) got old. It’s still a classic, must have game.
Well, as much as I love Pikmin, I’d say he was not successful with making them the next big thing. Very niche series. Nowhere near Mario’s level.
I wouldn’t say niche, considering the last 2 games were 9 years apart, but rather, people enjoyed Pikmin enough for it to be a huge success, but nothing can beat the simple upbeat fun of a Mario game.
I don’t know the numbers, but I thought Pikmin was a low seller. Not low as in no one wants it and let’s scrap the series, but where it wasn’t anywhere near system seller status. Don’t get me wrong, I love the series, but I never hear people outside of this website talking about the series.
That is the definition of niche being that far apart. But nonetheless, I still need to play one of these.
In recent years, Mario games haven’t been all that great. So for me, Pikmin is BETTER. I’ll have to wait and see how Super Mario Odyssey turns out later this year.
It may be better for you, but sales-wise and impact on the gaming community, Pikmin isn’t even in Mario’s atmosphere. Even nongamers know who Mario is. He’s a gaming and pop-culture icon. That’s all I’m saying. I definitely enjoy Pikmin games. While 3D World was pretty good, I didn’t think it was amazing. So I see where you are coming from, believe me. My comment is merely about impact of the series, not the quality.
3D Land, 3D World, and all of the New Super Mario Bros. games (that I played) bored me. But I can see what you mean by Mario being recognized much more than Pikmin. I guess Pikmin is destined to remain a hidden gem, so to speak.
I have played almost no handheld Mario games honestly. Not since like the Game Boy Color. So I’ve been spared some of the less renowned entries haha. I think you described Pikmin very well though. It’s definitely a hidden gem.
You are crazy. Mario 3D World was amazing, well designed and clever platform levels. Loved the Mario Kart inspired and the Zelda one.
Pikmin is popular, but not THAT popular.
In fact, Pokémon is the only Nintendo franchise that might as well come close to Mario.
The big 5 are Mario, Zelda, Pokemon, Kirby, and….. uh… Donkey Kong, I guess. Either that or, thought I think the series has gotten too much attention recently, fire emblem.
REPENT! Fire Emblem is GOD… No, really, it’s fantastic since Awakening! :p
On a more serious note, Pikmin was genius. Enough said.
I agree that Fire Emblem has gotten way too much attention. Just look at Smash. Like a third of the roster is from FE, and not for nothing, but that series was largely unheard of in the U.S. before Melee came out. Now it’s getting all kinds of marketing. It went from one extreme to the other in regards to marketing.
Although Smash Wii U/3DS had a spectacular cast of characters, I’m forever scarred for Sakurai’s inclusion of SIX Fire Emblem Characters. SIX! I’ll never forget watching the Smash Ballot and laughing at the fact Corrin was announced.
Tell me about it haha. I was like, who? Oh, another Fire Emblem character? Yeah. No thanks. I don’t get it either. To my knowledge, Sakurai doesn’t work on the Fire Emblem games, so what was his fixation on them?
oh you haven’t heard of Sakurai’s hard-on for Fire Emblem? He loves the series man. Not downing it or people that do just truthfully think another couple series could have deserved the chance.
I may have heard and just forgot. Or I just never heard of it haha. And I agree, I have no issue with people who love the series. Just think it is getting a large amount of love compared to other franchises.
I’ve never understood the argument of “too many characters covering one franchise”. I always thought as long as the character was well liked or represented some sort of hallmark for Nintendo or gaming, the quantity of characters from the same series shouldn’t matter. Now I know Corrin doesn’t meet this criteria, but the other five in the roster are pretty popular. So, i’d even play devil’s advocate here and say i wouldn’t mind an ADDITIONAL Fire Emblem character so long as they have some sort of Nintendo significance. But not Corrin, anyone but Corrin.
But isn’t Fire Emblem kind of niche? I don’t know anyone personally that plays it. I could be wrong. But if I’m not, then wouldn’t that disqualify every Fire Emblem character because they were never popular (at least here in the U.S.A.) until Melee?
I don’t have the numbers, but considering how it’s shot up into main ip status, i’d say it’s amassed a pretty big following. But even if it didn’t, try to think of less about the franchise’s popularity, and more of the individual character’s popularity. That’s how I think it gets done anyways… Unlesa if it’s just a case of pushing sales for a game that hasn’t even come out yet… Like Corrin…
I can see what you’re saying.
Actually, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS was scarred when they took out a single player story mode/campaign. AND when they screwed up the super fun BREAK THE TARGETS mode (whatever the name was) and replaced it with that super bland, boring one. These two fatal mistakes has caused me to hate the latest Smash Bros. games and never play them (anymore).
I agree that there might have been too many FE characters in Smash, but the series itself deserves all the attention it gets. It’s stellar.
Sure has gained a new following. Perhaps I’ll add the series to my backlog.
There was a time when Metroid would be on that list… how I pine for those days….
Id say Zelda is close if not more.
I don’t know if it is, but it sure should be.
I think it is close. Nintendo ignored it for a long time and it looked like Mario was taking over, but now that BotW is out, it’s clear that Zelda pulls a lot of weight.
In a way, it kind of is. Like Mario, the 3rd in the Franchise is considered the best.
galaxy was the third mario?
Im sure he just means that at the time, Super Mario Bros 3 (which really was like the 4th or 5th Mario game but it doesn’t matter) was the gold standard of the series and really all the rest of the 2d platform mario’s followed Super Mario Bros 3’s lead to a degree… although Super Mario World might really be where they stem from in style and scope but whatever, doesn’t really matter.
Just hope Odyssey has co-op
That last sentence. PLEASE let Luigi get some love! Not some lame “here, I found a star for you” or “hey, you beat the game, now you can play as Luigi.” It’s just not the same for me.
amiibo support + co-op… Please get this right Nintendo
Unfortunately, I have a feeling it will be single player only. But until they confirm that… So you’re telling me there’s a chance.
It could be but It needs a lot more marketing and more games to gain more popularity
I need my opinion pikmin are in is the same boat as animal crossing there popular but not Mario popular there kinda behind Mario Zelda Kirby Pokémon
Where is Pikmin 4, Miyamoto?
||Wait for E3, at least that’s where they currently want to reveal it…||
Just don’t mess the game. Pikmin 2 is still the best version. Pikmin 3 was good too. It is just the story mode was too short. Also only file for Pikmin 3. What if someone had a brother or sister and they wanted their own file?
Pikmin is a fantastic franchise. It hasn’t come to the same renown as Mario, but there is no saying that the franchise won’t pick up in importance. We’ve seen Fire Emblem blow up as well as Animal Crossing (one is a strategy RPG and the other is a slice-of-life RPG, AKA complete opposites) so Pikmin has similar potential being a Nintendo franchise.
Also, seeing as Nintendo is already working on a Pikmin 4 whereas previously there were very large gaps in between Pikmin game releases, this could be an indication that Nintendo is intending on making Pikmin a much larger brand.
We should all keep a close eye on the Pikmin franchise. It may drastically evolve before our eyes over the next few years.
Shut up
If he make alot of IPs, then it should get the company ball rolling.
I want to see what Miyamoto has in store for Pikmin 4.
Maybe Pikmin would be on Mario’s level if you actually gave the dev’s the money and man power required to do so… Disregarding the traumatizing commercial they made along with other questionable marketing decisions… The dream is dead and I’m just hoping Pikmin 4 is actually still a thing that is happening. I mean shit, the gap in development time between Pikmin 2 and 3 was 9 years and all they could muster was 8-10 hours worth of gameplay (and that’s if you 100% the game). Even if the game wasn’t officially announced until 2008, 5 years is still a ridiculous amount of development time for a game so short. Pikmin 2 only took 3 years from start to finish and it’s a much longer and more challenging game than Pikmin 3.
Anyway without going on an angry Pikmin 3 rant, this series is GOLD and has mad potential to be so much better, but for some reason they aren’t budging. Here’s hope that Pikmin 4 gets announced this year and it looks cool.