Genre: Real-time Strategy
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo

Games like Pikmin 3 make it abundantly clear that, in modern times, Nintendo have some of the best artists in the industry; the texture and lighting work make for a world so organic and natural looking that it borders on the photo-realistic. The title has the same aesthetic that LittleBigPlanet was going for; real texture that one feels like one could reach out and touch, but juxtaposed against obviously fantastical elements. Except unlike Media Molecule, Nintendo's artists can actually pull the trick off tastefully.

The soundtrack is a mix of science fiction elements and the same kinds of super simple melodies that other Nintendo series, such as the Zelda titles, are known for-- in other words, there is nothing particularly notable about the game's music. The sound effects-- from the whistle noise to the sounds the pikmin themselves make-- are definitely distinctive, and lend the game a certain charm.

To play Pikmin 3, the player has his left hand on the gamepad, using the analog stick for movement, and left trigger buttons for various actions. The player's right hand is manning the stylus, and tapping on the screen to aim and throw pikmin. The scheme is very clever and works excellently. Level design is strong, and the game's somewhat stress-inducing "you need to continue collecting fruit to avoid a game over-- mechanic is so forgiving that it might as well not be there.

Pikmin 3 is a title full of the trademark Nintendo charm, and like all of the company's products, has excellent level design, tons of polish, and an interesting set of core mechanics. Like all real-time strategy games, the title can be a little stressful as it asks the player to juggle multiple character actions simultaneously-- but the game makes it exceedingly easy to restart the current level, and even to "rewind" to previous stages if the player paints themselves into a corner. All-in-all, the game is hardly a classic-- but it is a solid little title with a fantastic visual aesthetic and some cleverly crafted gameplay.