The Most Stressful Relaxing Game I Have Ever Played

Pikmin wastes no time. Within seconds, Captain Olimar crash lands on an unfamiliar earth-like planet after his ship breaks apart in orbit. Stranded and alone, he quickly learns that if he cannot recover his ship parts within 30 days, he will run out of oxygen and never make it home to his wife and kids.

Each day in Pikmin is a ticking clock. Every day only last 15 real-world minutes and with only a month of oxygen so every single day requires some strategizing to ensure that you are on track to fix up your ship before Olimar is no more. Early on, you discover Pikmin: tiny sprout-like creatures that remind Olimar of carrots from his home planet called Pik-Pik. They are more than charming-looking plants - they are also Olimar's unpaid workforce. Pikmin can break walls, fight enemies, and haul ship parts back across the hostile surface. Olimar is useless with these benevolent souls.

Each type of Pikmin specializes in doing specific tasks

• Red Pikmin: Tough little tanks that are immune to fire
• Blue Pikmin: Nimble swimmers, the only Pikmin that don't instantly drown in the water.
• Yellow Pikmin: Are light enough to be tossed much higher than other Pikmin but also are not susceptible to the multiple live electrical wires on the surface

Choosing the right Pikmin for the task is essential. Every day is a high-stakes puzzle — show up to a puzzle wihtout a required Pikmin, and you'll waste precious daylight. What is even worse, when a Pikmin dies, it’s gone for good. Their tiny souls float into the sky, a haunting reminder that these aren’t just resources — they’re your companions. To rebuild your numbers, you must send survivors to collect enemy carcasses and colorful medallions, returning them to the ship for conversion into new sprouts.

Why Pikmin 1 is Worth Playing in 2025

The length of Pikmin 1 is possibly its greatest strength, long enough to get invested in the world and your army of Pikmin but not too long to discourage a second playthrough. It is filled to the brim with creatively cute-looking enemies that can wipe out your team within a few attacks and a lighthearted tone that makes each in-game day breeze by. Pikmin has aged like fine cheese.

While the time limit and threat of losing Pikmin may sound stressful, the game has a flawless difficulty curve for a first-time playthrough. I found myself stressed out about 2 weeks into my month-long stay wondering if there would be enough time to get all of the parts required to take off. While I was able to piece the ship back together with only 2 days left, I am confident a second playthrough would see that number be much higher. I think the GameCube visuals held up astonishingly well on the Switch despite being locked to 30 FPS, I did not notice a single frame drop during my time with the game.

Pikmin is Nintendo's answer to a Real-Time-Stratgy (RTS) and while that is quite far from the main genre of game that I enjoy, I found myself excited to play the rest of the games in the series the second that the credits rolled on Pikmin 1.

Favorite Place in The Game World

In Pikmin 1, that place is the beaches of the Distant Spring. Despite it being one of the scariest places to exist as a Pikmin. But the serene music, reflective water, and large expanse made it feel oddly peaceful — even with large devestating frogs looming around every body of water.

Favorite Enemy - Wollyhop

There’s something hilariously deceptive about the Wollyhop. With its comically round body and stubby legs, it looks like the most docile creature you have encountered yet — until it crushes half your squad in a single jump. That stark contrast is what makes it my favorite enemy in the game. It’s devastating, yes, but also fair. If you're careless, it'll punish you. But if you pay attention to its rhythm and commit to the fight, taking it down feels incredibly satisfying. It's the perfect mix of charm and challenge. Seeing your Pikmin hauling a frog that killed half of their cohort is quite satisfying as well.

Pikmin 1 Score

9/10