Pikmon is a 3D strategy-based game developed by Odd Spores Studios, Nintendo, and Game Freak to be released on the Nintendo Switch system. The player takes control of Captain Meltan and must use various Pokémon to solve puzzles and defeat enemies and bosses.
Story[]
The story begins with our protagonist Captain Meltan simply enjoying his day with his wife. Both of them seem to be enjoying themselves as they speak to each other. However, a terrifying Talonflame swoops in on the two, landing just behind them. Captain Meltan stands before his wife in an attempt to protect her. The Talonflame screeches and grabs the two by each of it's talons. Being rushed through the sky and blinding speeds, the two pass out from the power of the wind.
Captain Meltan wakes up inside of a nest of Fletchling eggs, looking around and calling for help. Nobody seems to be nearby. Captain Meltan attempts to get to higher ground when he suddenly falls down to the ground. On his way down, his head lands inside of a glass bowl of sorts. Upon standing up, Captain Meltan attempts to pull the bowl off, crying loudly. During his cries, he realizes that the bowl amplifies his cry, attracting a single Litwick from an ash-covered pile of scrap wood. Fascinated by this, Captain Meltan calls again, and two more Pokémon come towards him; a Wishiwashi from a nearby water bank and a Tynamo from an electrified stream. Captain Meltan motions the Pokémon to follow as he goes looking for his wife.
Upon adventuring further, Captain Meltan finds a single wire tail, that of his wife. He predicts that the other pieces have been scattered all throughout the mysterious place they are in now. Captain Meltan realizes that there is not much time left to rebuild, as night might fall onto the island, opening it up for much larger and scarier Pokémon, so Captain Meltan starts his journey back at where he started with the three Pokémon shortly following behind. From now on, the main game begins!
After this point forward, there are three different endings. Similarly to Pikmin 3, there are three endings labeled Bad, Good, and Best.
Bad Ending[]
Not all of the pieces are collected before night falls. Captain Meltan scurries into Tutori Way collecting random objects he assumes will rebuild his wife. Upon getting to the altar at Tutori Way, he attempts to rebuild, but to no avail. Night eventually falls onto the island and cries over stronger Pokémon are heard. Scared and insane, Captain Meltan begins to get dizzy and passes out.
Upon passing out, several Litwick, Wishiwashi, and Tynamo lift him and attempt to carry him. They eventually make it to a small underground tunnel with what appears to be a Pokémon Center Healing Station ahead covered in dirt and ruin. The Pokémon place Captain Meltan atop the Healing Station in hopes that it will work. The station begins to glow and play a corrupted but familiar tune before short-circuiting and shutting off.
The camera pans out, showing the full island at night. The text Bad Ending is displayed on the screen.
Good Ending[]
All of the necessary pieces are collected before night falls. Captain Meltan places the final object on his wife before splashing her with the Healing Ointment. The construction starts to twitch and look around before it sees Captain Meltan. She rushes forward and hugs Captain Meltan greatly. Many Litwick, Wishiwashi, and Tynamo are shown cheering in the background.
Suddenly, a Covisquire is seen swooping down. All of the Pokémon prepare themselves to fight, but the Corvisquire shakes it's head and lends down it's wing. Captain Meltan and his wife go forward and board Corvisquire. Captain Meltan gives one last goodbye to all of the Pokémon that helped him before Covisquite flies off, the leftover Pokémon cheering.
Corvisquire is seen leaving the island and flying into the sunset. The text Good Ending is displayed on the screen.
Best Ending[]
All of the extra items are collected (the Pretty Bow, Miniature Clothing, and Excellent Flower). Captain Meltan rushes with all of the objects to Tutori Way. He reconstructs his wife, but before putting on the final piece, he decorates her with the three extra items he collected along the way. He then places the final item on her and splashes her with the Healing Ointment, bringing her to life. She begins to twitch and look around. She looks at Captain Meltan with surprise and goes in to hug him. She then goes to a shard of glass to use as a mirror, looking at everything her husband has given her. She thanks him greatly as the Litwick, Wishiwashi, and Tynamo in the back all cheer!
Suddenly, a Swanna lands nearby the commotion, looking at all of the Pokémon. The Litwick, Wishiwashi, and Tynamo are prepared to fight, but the Swanna shakes its head and lowers its wing. Captain Meltan and his wife realize that the Swanna wants to take them away from the island. Captain Meltan looks at his wife and then at all of the Pokémon that had helped him. He then comes to a conclusion...everyone is coming!
All of the Pokémon board atop Swanna as it begins to take off, soaring through the sky above the island and flying out into the sunset.
A painting of Captain Meltan and his wife getting married is shown with the many Litwick, Wishiwashi, and Tynamo watching. The text Best Ending is displayed on the screen shortly followed by The End.
Gameplay[]
The gameplay of Pikmon is very similar to other Pikmin games, though there are some different mechanics.
While each piece of Captain Meltan's Wife is collected, the pieces are reconstructed at Tutori Way. You can go back there any time to visit your progress or to save the game.
Each hour of the day passes depending on how much time you spend in each level. The day will run through three phases; day, sunset, and night, with the Bad Ending automatically starting if night hits. The day runs on 24 "hours" (with each hour being a full 20 minutes in real time), leaving so that the game can be completed in at least 8 hours in real time.
Collecting Pokémon to use is much different than collecting Pikmin. At the beginning of each area, there are three miniature areas that will spawn Pokémon to be used. These three areas are the Ashy Wood, Watery Bank, and the Electrical Current. Pellets are still used and they will spawn atop Pellet Posies, albeit they are used to attract the Pokémon rather than create them. They can be carried depending on the numerical symbol they display atop them.
Once Pokémon are obtained, they can be commanded to do certain actions such as to hit objects down, carry objects, destroy obstacles, or attack enemies. Depending on the kind of Pokémon you use, they will have a different effect on what happens.
Useable Pokémon[]
| Appearance | Description |
|---|---|
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Captain Meltan The playable protagonist of the game. Through crying out, his cry echoes through his glass helmet, allowing him to command smaller Pokémon to carry out actions. He is looking for the parts to assemble his wife. |
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Litwick This games equivalent of the Red Pikmin. They carry out the move Ember in order to attack enemies that are weak to the Fire-type or to solve certain puzzles. |
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Wishiwashi This games equivalent of the Blue Pikmin. They carry out the move Water Gun in order to attack enemies that are weak to the Water-type or to solve certain puzzles. |
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Tynamo This games equivalent of the Yellow Pikmin. They carry out the move Charge Beam in order to attack enemies that are weak to the Electric-type or to solve certain puzzles. |
Enemy Pokémon[]
Normal Enemies[]
| Appearance | Description |
|---|---|
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Quick enemies that skitter around. They are fast to react and will usually run away if they are approached up close. Main Weakness: Litwick Resists: Tynamo |
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Flying enemies that swoop by to pick up your Pokémon. How rude! They can be attacked while trying to sneak from behind the player. Main Weakness: Litwick Resists: None |
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Slow enemies that usually hop around and shake to release spores, putting your Pokémon to sleep. You can use the cry function to automatically wake them up. Main Weakness: Litwick Resists: Wishiwashi and Tynamo |
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Slow enemies that inch around and attempt to crush your Pokémon by rolling. Their horned heads and backsides are tricky to get around, so attacking from it's sides should help. Main Weakness: Litwick Resists: None |
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Very slow enemies that inch forward and are found in groups. Their tough but squishy skin allows for Pokémon to bounce right off, so you should attack the head for the most damage. Main Weakness: Litwick Resists: None |
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Enemies that pop up from the ground to attack. Their head must be attacked in order to defeat them, though they can seek refuge by simply dipping underground again, ridding them of any pesky Pokémon attached to them. Main Weakness: Wishiwashi Resists: Tynamo |
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Shelled enemies that hide away inside of their rock shells. They may occasionally pop out to attack or simply to walk away. If they are found sleeping, they hide inside of their rock shells, making them good platforms if you stay quiet. Main Weakness: Wishiwashi Resists: None |
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One of the larger enemies, they will unexpectedly rise up from the ground if they sense something coming close. They will then proceed to attack with slams and punches. They have the most HP out of all non-boss characters. Main Weakness: Wishiwashi Resists: Litwick and Tynamo |
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They will usually appear as crystals sticking from the ground, though they may raise their heads from the ground to attack by slamming their ears. If the crystal atop their head is broken, it will leave several pellets. Main Weakness: Wishiwashi Resists: Litwick |
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Enemies that are usually found walking around. When they spot the player, they will dash forward and attack with slashes. If they take enough damage, they may dig underground and appear somewhere else just to get away from battle. Main Weakness: Wishiwashi Resists: Tynamo |
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These enemies will drop down from trees using silk and will try to snatch away your Pokémon! They will pick them up one-by-one and will begin to eat them. They can be dropped from their tree by attacking their silk thread. Main Weakness: Tynamo Resists: Wishiwashi |
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Flying enemies that will fly down and peck at your Pokémon. If they take a lot of damage, then they will attempt to fly away. If you attack their wings, they will be unable to retreat. Main Weakness: Tynamo Resists: None |
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An enemy that acts similarly to Fletchling, but is more likely to retreat. However, they also drop more pellets when defeated. Main Weakness: Tynamo Resists: None |
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Large enemies that emerge from streams. They will attack with stomps and snaps. Their backside is their weak spot, so try attacking there. Main Weakness: Tynamo Resists: Litwick |
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Large but slow enemies that simply wait in streams and attack by spitting water. If they are found asleep in streams, they can be used as bridges to get across to different areas. Main Weakness: Tynamo Resists: Litwick |
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Floating enemies that are difficult to attack due to being high in the air. They attack by sending out small spirits that burn the ground. Main Weakness: None Resists: None |
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Spiny enemies that wait in streams. Their spines make it difficult to attack, though their face can be attacked for the most damage. If they are in water and they take enough damage, they will discharge electricity to damage all nearby characters. Main Weakness: None Resists: Tynamo |
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Floating enemies that are difficult to attack due to the membrane surrounding them. Pokémon just bounce right off when commanded to attack! Sometimes, not all enemies are worth defeating. Main Weakness: None Resists: None |
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Strong enemies that will attack with hypnosis waves that make your Pokémon attack their allies! Going for it's head will disable these psychic abilities. If they lose their psychic powers, they will attack with ink that blinds the screen with splotches of black. Main Weakness: None Resists: None |
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Tough enemies that resist all Pokémon you throw at them. Their gooey bodies make it so there is a chance your commanded Pokémon will bounce off. They attack by wiggling their bodies, shaking off commanded Pokémon and damaging anything in the way. Main Weakness: None Resists: Litwick, Wishiwashi, and Tynamo |
Boss Characters[]
| Appearance | Description |
|---|---|
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The boss of Funeci Brook. Paras will attack by skittering around the battlefield and occasionally releasing spores from its mushrooms to put your Pokémon to sleep. It may also rapidly strike with its claws and will also pick up your Pokémon and eat them alive! Their main weakness is their mushrooms. Try commanding Pokémon to attack them. The mushrooms grow darker when they take more damage, if the mushrooms turn fully black, one of them will be disabled and Paras will sit there dazed, making it open for attack. Litwick are the most effective, as Paras is weak to the Fire-type. |
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The boss of Appla Fields. Rolycoly attacks by rolling around the circular battlefield, ramming into walls and occasionally performing wild spins to rid itself of annoying Pokémon attacking it. It may also spin wildly to send chunks of it's coal body flying, which will fall shortly after. Rolycoly's weakness is it's eye. If you attack it enough, Rolycoly will become dazed and will fall on it's side, making it open for attack. It is most weak to Wishiwashi due to being weak to the Water-type. |
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The boss of Yowash Ridge. Chewtle will attack by stomping around angrily, solely relying on it's high defensive shell to take hits. It may also occasionally bend down to grab Pokémon with it's mouth and eat them! It will also perform a charging attack where it prepares it's single horn and then dashes forward. Chewtle's weakness shows when it uses its horn attack. If you move out of the way in time, Chewtle will get its horn stuck inside of the wall, leaving its defenses down and open to attack. It is primarily weak to Tynamo due to being weak to the Electric-type. Be careful, as it can still get its horn unstuck and can continue attacking. |
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The boss of Elta Delta and the final boss in general. Ditto will attack by transforming into previous bosses and may also use new attacks. Ditto can transform into Paras to rapidly strike with its claws, Rolycoly to throw pieces of coal all around the battlefield, and Chewtle to use a large stomp attack. Ditto may also dash around the battlefield by morphing and may also transform into Captain Meltan in order to shrink in size and fight him itself. Ditto doesn't have any elemental weakness. All of your Pokémon will do neutral damage and nobody will do more damage than each other. It's main weakness is when Ditto transforms into Captain Meltan, allowing it to take more damage while also being smaller than its previous size, thus making it hard to aim at. |
Locations[]
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Tutori Way |
A small pathway containing no enemies, but a few obstacles to get the hang of things. It acts as. the tutorial level and main hub of progress. You automatically start the area with a single Pokémon from each class. There are no harmful objects in the way that would require a Pokémon to faint. Obstacles: Small Rock (1) and Glass Wall (2) Material Found: Wire Tail |
| Funeci Brook |
A large area containing miniature streams and lots of small hills to climb. Obstacles: Small Rock (1), Rock Wall (10), Tough Sticks (20) Enemies: Joltik, Cutiefly, Dwebble, Fletchling, and Krabby Material Found: Golden Nut, Pretty Bow |
| Appla Fields |
A grassy area containing more enemies than the last, though less obstacles to break through. Obstacles: Glass Wall (2) and Rock Wall (10) Enemies: Cutiefly, Wurmple, Diglett, Geodude, Carbink, Fletchling, Shellder, Sinistea, and Inkay Material Found: Liquid Metal, Miniature Clothing |
| Yowash Ridge |
A hill-filled area with some streams. Much more enemies appear here. Obstacles: Glass Wall (2), Rock Wall (10), Tough Sticks (20), and Large Bottle (25) Enemies: Joltik, Morelull, Wurmple, Snom, Diglett, Carbink, Rookidee, Krabby, Shellder, Pincurchin, and Solosis Material Found: Strange Eye, Excellent Flower |
| Elta Delta |
A strange aura brings Captain Meltan to this area despite having collected all of the pieces. It is filled with enemies and has all previous obstacles. Obstacles: Small Rock (1), Glass Wall (2), Rock Wall, (10), Tough Sticks (20), and Large Bottle (25) Enemies: Cutiefly, Morelull, Wurmple, Snom, Diglett, Dwebble, Geodude, Drilbur, Dewpider, Rookidee, Krabby, Shellder, Pincurchin, Solosis, Inkay, and Goomy Material Found: Living Ointment |
Trivia[]
- The idea of the game stemmed from the idea of making a Pokémon-themed game where the majority of characters were Pokémon that were 1'00".
- The game is mostly designed around the original Pikmin rather than its predecessors. This can be seen in the lack of a White, Heavy, Winged, or Rock Pikmin equivalent.
- However, there being a Bad, Good, and Best ending stems from Pikmin 3, which has the same mechanic.
- The reason that Litwick was chosen as the Fire Pikmin equivalent was due to the lack of small Pokémon that were pure Fire-type that weren't Starter Pokémon or Mythical Pokémon.
- The smallest Pokémon besides Litwick that met this criteria was Torkoal, though Litwick was chosen over it due to general resizing and the larger size of tortoises in real life.
- All of the area names (besides Tutori Way) reference the usable Pokémon's names in a different language:
- Funeci Brook comes from Litwick's French name Funécire.
- Appla Fields comes from Tynamo's German name Zapplardin.
- Yowash Ridge comes from Wishiwashi's Japanese name Yowashi.
- Elta Delta comes from Meltan, as the name is the same in most languages.
- The game takes inspiration from Exotoro's Pikmin: Ultrahunt to have a goal to finish a game in less than a day. Check out that article, it's really good!
Gallery[]
