How to Play the Pikmin Games in Order

After years of waiting, Pikmin 4’s release is just around the corner. A recent Nintendo Direct shared news that game would launch on July 21, 2023. While you wait for that, this is a good time to check out some of the previous Pikmin games. For those unfamiliar, Pikmin is a game series where you interact with adorable plant-like aliens called Pikmin. Players raise and use the Pikmin to complete various activities. Fans of games like Slime Rancher will find they enjoy this series. The gameplay is downright adorable, with just the right medium of difficulty. If you are wanting to check out the franchise in depth, this is how to play the Pikmin games in order.

Pikmin (2001)

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Each Pikmin game has a different main character. In the first one, you play Captain Olimar, who crashes on a mysterious planet where he meets the Pikimin creatures. He has to collect all the parts of his spaceship by a certain time window, or he will die from the planet’s oxygen. Players can get different endings depending on if they get all the parts in time. Some enemies of the Pikmin include the Bulborb. Pikmin can help you do things like fight enemies and collect things. The original Pikimin is only on Gamecube and the Nintendo Wii, so you’ll need either of those to play it, as well as the game itself.

Pikmin 2 (2004)

The game following this is Pikmin 2. In the sequel, Olimar returns to the planet after finding out the company he works for is in financial trouble. He and his partner Louie are sent back to the land of the Pikmin in order to collect a valuable resource that may just save the company. Pikmin 2 was also exclusive to the Gamecube and Wii.

Pikmin 3 (2013)

Pikmin 3 has a different group of protagonists this time around. We say goodbye to Olimar, who is replaced by characters Charlie, Alph, and Brittany. Their home planet is in the middle of a severe famine and the three are sent off to find a solution. They crash on the Pikmin’s planet and discover a fruit with a seed that can be cultivated, leading to the possibility of saving their homeland. You must collect this resource and find a way to return back to your home planet.

Pikmin 3 Deluxe (2020)

If you want to play Pikmin 3 but do not have a Wii U, there’s good news. In 2020, the game was ported to the Nintendo Switch as a port called Pikmin 3 Deluxe. The port is an updated version of the original game and is readily available.

Hey! Pikmin (2017)

While Hey! Pikimin is technically a sequel to 3, it doesn’t carry a lot over from 3 in terms of storyline, so it can be seen as more of a spinoff than a sequel and can be played in any order. If you have a Nintendo 3DS, Hey! Pikmin is still available for purchase.

Pikmin Bloom (2021)

In 2021, Niantic released Pikmin Bloom, a mobile game where you raise species of Pikmin by walking. It isn’t related to any of the plots of the main game and can be played as a leisurely idle activity.

Hopefully, this cleared up the chronological structure of the Pikmin games for you. While there is some story involved, the lore doesn’t go too deep, and as such, you can play the games in almost any order you like.