In Pikmin, players will encounter three different varieties of the titular creatures during their journey. Each variety offers different benefits to Olimar in their quest to repair the ship and return home. Players will need to learn the capabilities of every variety of Pikmin in order to unearth all the game's secrets and retrieve every piece of the Dolphin.
Pikmin features three varieties of Pikmin: Red, Blue, and Yellow. Each of these three performs differently in different situations, and has unique capabilities to allow for problem-solving and combat utility. These varieties become available gradually as players progress further into the game, and unlocking all three is essential to opening up new areas and also secrets hidden in previous levels.
Red Pikmin
The first Pikmin variety Olimar finds after crashing down on the planet, the Red Pikmin boast resistance to fire and great strength as their greatest assets. This makes them the best at dishing out damage during combat, and a valuable ally when fire is present. These Pikmin are unlocked at the Crash Site and will quickly become a staple of any player's loadout.
As previously mentioned, Red Pikmin deal more damage than other varieties. This makes them the preferable option for dealing damage directly during combat encounters, unless circumstances in the environment render them difficult or impossible to use.
Yellow Pikmin
The Yellow Pikmin, found at The Forest of Hope, are lighter than Red Pikmin and thus can be thrown higher than the other varieties. They also have the unique ability to pick up explosive rocks, which can be used to break through stone walls. This will make them very useful when exploring the game's levels, and equipping them with bomb rocks before entering combat can be a very effective method of taking out stronger foes.
Blue Pikmin
The Blue Pikmin, found at The Forest Navel, are the final variety of Pikmin unlocked in this game. They are uniquely capable of traversing water safely, making them essential for any sort of aquatic excursion. They can even rescue other Pikmin that fall into water and risk drowning, so keeping them around is always a good idea.
In combat encounters where vast amounts of water are present, Blue Pikmin will prove crucial to success as they can deal with enemies in positions other Pikmin cannot reach without drowning, and they'll also rescue any other Pikmin that are unfortunate enough to fall into water.
Pikmin is available for Gamecube, Wii, Wii U, and Nintendo Switch.
