As has already happened with many other games that have made their debut on the Wii U, Nintendo has decided to publish Pikmin 3 Deluxe. This is a re-edition of the title based on colorful little creatures that can be used to carry out jobs of various kinds and fight monstrous alien creatures. If you are about to play this Nintendo Switch exclusive for the first time or simply want to replay it years later, here is my complete Pikmin 3 Deluxe tips and tricks guide that could help you explore the mysterious planet PNF-404.
SWITCH CONTROLS
Like most of the games available on Nintendo’s hybrid console, Pikmin 3 Deluxe can also be played with either Joy-Con (single or in pairs) or the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. Below you will see all the available controls in the game.
Basic Controls
- Reset camera: ZL
- Select to throw Pikmin/crew: L
- Open KopPad: Minus
- Move: Left control stick
- See hints: Up on d-pad
- Dodge left: Left on d-pad
- Dodge right: Right on d-pad
- Lock on: ZR
- Select to throw Pikmin/crew: R
- Pause Menu: Plus
- Charge: X
- Switch leader/Use item: Y
- Throw: A
- Blow whistle: B
- Look around: Right control stick
Single/Sideways Joy-Con Controls
- Select to throw Pikmin/crew: SL
- Open KopPad/Options: Minus/Plus
- Move: Control Stick
- Reset Camera: Press down on control stick
- Lock on: SR
- Charge: The up arrow/Y
- Switch leader/Use item: left arrow/B
- Throw: Right arrow/X
- Blow whistle: Down arrow/A
Take note that it is not possible to make any type of change to the controls listed above, but it is possible to change some options related to the command system. By accessing the settings menu and selecting Gyroscope, you are given the opportunity to change how to manage the way you command your Pikmin. By setting the Gyroscope to “No”, you can control the cursor with the analog stick, however, when selecting “Yes”, you can move the cursor independently using the motion sensor.
THE PIKMIN FAMILY
During the adventures, the leader can be accompanied by a maximum of one hundred Pikmin, and it is therefore necessary to think carefully about how to compose the team and deal with the various puzzles that populate the game areas. Below you will see a list of all the different types of Pikmin available in Pikmin 3 Deluxe and their characteristics.
- Red Pikmin: These small red creatures are fire resistant and have great strength, making them perfect for fighting.
- Yellow Pikmin: These are the first creatures you encounter, and they can dismantle electrical walls. Their great agility allows them to reach places inaccessible to other Pikmin and collect hidden treasures.
- Blue Pikmin: Unlike all other Pikmin, the blue ones are the only ones who do not panic when they come into contact with water, and this feature allows them to move much more easily in aquatic regions.
- Rock Pikmin: The Pikmin of this category are incredibly resistant, and their robustness makes them capable of destroying quartz and glass walls, which are shattered by the impact of their body. Another peculiarity of rock Pikmin is their resistance to some enemy attacks, since indigenous creatures can not crush them.
- Winged Pikmin: These are the only Pikmin with wings and therefore able to fly. Despite their lack of strength, the winged Pikmin are really useful when you need to fight with a flying enemy.
- Purple Pikmin: These Pikmin make up for their slowness with a powerful force (about ten times stronger than other types of Pikmin). Unlike other creatures, they can only use their abilities in Missions and Bingo modes.
- White Pikmin: The last Pikmin in the list are the white ones, also usable only in Missions and Bingo modes. These beings are small and poison flows in their blood, thanks to which they can harm the creatures that try to eat them.
NO MAN LEFT BEHIND
Besides knowing the Pikmin and their unique characteristics, their management in Pikmin 3 Deluxe is also important. Throughout the game’s course, you will repeatedly lose or sacrifice some Pikmin due to a distraction or a fight gone bad.
While there is nothing to worry about when a Pikmin dies, care must still be taken to manage these little creatures wisely and make sure that they constantly reproduce by performing specific in-game actions. It is also very important not to lose some Pikmin on the road.
The whistle is a very important tool for recovering Pikmin in need, since those who suffer trauma due to contact with water or an electrified wall can be saved by playing the magical instrument. Between one action and another it happens very often that someone can finish a minor task and remain motionless, waiting for the leader to come back to take it. Just don’t forget about them, please!
LEVELING UP
All the little creatures present in Pikmin 3 Deluxe have three different “experience levels”. You can enhance some characteristics of the Pikmin and make them more effective in battle and beyond. Although there is no screen that tells the player the status of the Pikmin, it is possible to understand which of the three levels each creature belongs to simply by looking at the antenna on their head. On the first level you see a leaf, on the second a bud, and on the last a flower.
To make the Pikmin level up, all you need to do is make them fight or perform tasks of various kinds, but there is also another much faster method. You can do this by making them come into contact with the Nectar. Around the game world you may come across these large drops of orange liquid and you just need to get the Pikmin in contact with them to make them immediately “evolve”.
Was my Pikmin 3 Deluxe tips and tricks guide useful, or is something missing? Please let me know in the comments below, or make sure you read my Pikmin 3 Deluxe review.