I came across the first Pikmin in 2001. At the time, it was the newest video game created by celebrated videogame designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Responsible for some of the most successful gaming franchises of all time, Miyamoto is famous for drawing inspiration from his everyday life to create universally accessible gaming experiences. The Legend of Zelda franchise was inspired by his childhood exploration of the natural environments that surrounded his home. Nintendogs was dreamt up during interactions with his Shetland sheepdog. Wii Fit stemmed from his obsession to weigh himself daily. The Pikmin games have their roots in his fondness for gardening.
The main plot of the first game has Olimar, a tiny alien astronaut, crash-landing on an alien planet that is very reminiscent of Earth. Being the size of a thimble, Olimar is in desperate need of assistance to recover the scattered engine parts of his damaged spaceship. He finds allies in indigenous creatures called “Pikmin”, cute plant-animal hybrids that behave like swarms of ants and come to regard Olimar as their leader. It proves to be a mutually beneficial relationship; the Pikmin are able to multiply quickly by being able to acquire more food, and Olimar accomplishes his objectives and eventually succeeds in returning to his home.
The sequel, Pikmin 2, was released in 2004. This time, Olimar returns to the planet with his co-worker Louie to salvage treasure in order to pay down the debt of their employer back on their home planet. The game fleshes out the world of Pikmin more significantly, introducing new vistas and a host of exotic creatures. There is more of a focus on collecting items and exploring underground subterranean levels, but the tiny explorers still rely exclusively on the help of Pikmin swarms to accomplish their objectives.
I found myself utterly charmed by the setting and characters of the Pikmin universe. The narrative devices employed in the Pikmin games coupled with its exploration of natural environments make them unique experiences that convey surprising connections to ecology, biology, and science.
