Pikmin

Pikmin (Japanese: ピクミン, Hepburn: Pikumin) is a real-time strategy video game developed and published by Nintendo for the GameCube in 2001. It was created and produced by Shigeru Miyamoto, and is the first game in the Pikmin series. The player controls Captain Olimar, an astronaut who crash-lands on a mysterious planet. Olimar befriends creatures he calls "pikmin", and utilizes their abilities to collect the missing parts of his spaceship he lost during the crash. The player has 30 days to recover the pieces and repair the ship.

The game was both a critical and commercial success. The game has spawned two sequels, Pikmin 2 (2004) for the GameCube and Pikmin 3 (2013) for the Wii U. In 2009, Pikmin was re-released for the Wii as part of the New Play Control! series.

Gameplay

The main goal in Pikmin is to retrieve ship parts by using the three varieties of Pikmin available in different combinations. Olimar discovers multi-colored plant-animal hybrids that willingly follow his orders and help him recover ship parts. All three of the Pikmin colors that Captain Olimar discovers must be used in order to overcome various obstacles and complete the game. The Pikmin creatures come in three different varieties - red, yellow, and blue. Red Pikmin are the first type found in the game, and more powerful than the other two varieties and resistant to fire. Yellow Pikmin can be thrown higher than the other two and can carry explosives called "bomb rocks", while blue Pikmin are the only ones that can survive in water. They are utilized in various tasks, including carrying objects and enemies, breaking down walls, and defeating enemies. Objects that can be carried vary between ship parts, enemy corpses, and pellets. Only 100 Pikmin can be on the ground at a time.

Chaenostoma cordatum

Chaenostoma cordatum, also known by the names bacopa or ornamental bacopa (not to be confused with the genus Bacopa), is one of 52 species in the genus Chaenostoma (Scrophulariaceae), and is best known in its cultivated forms. It originated in southern Africa, and is a tender perennial forming a ground cover, but often used in hanging baskets. Small dark green heart shaped leaves and small round five-petaled white flowers at the branch tips can be found year round, but at its prime in spring.

Cultivation

Sutera 'Cabana', is a short-lived evergreen perennial for zones 9-ll. It grows annually in colder climates, but requires full sun to flower profusely.

The Pikmin Flower

It is notable as the source of a breed marketed as "The Pikmin Flower", after the GameCube game Pikmin. The plant is noted to have a similar appearance as the Pikmin's flowers. Other cultivars include 'Bridal Showers', 'Snowflake', 'Giant Snowflake' and 'Pink Domino'.

See also

References

Pikmin (series)

Pikmin (ピクミン, Pikumin) is a real-time strategy video game series created by Shigeru Miyamoto and developed by Nintendo. The games focus on directing a horde of plant-like creatures called Pikmin, which are used to collect items, destroy obstacles, and fight giant monsters.

The series currently features three entries. Pikmin and Pikmin 2 were both released for the Nintendo GameCube and later ported to the Wii as New Play Control! titles and Pikmin 2 as a "Nintendo Selects" game. A third installment, Pikmin 3, was released for Wii U. A fourth title, Pikmin 4, has been confirmed to be in development, but it has not been announced which console it will be released on.

Gameplay

The Pikmin games all focus on exploring an unknown planet (which is heavily implied to be Earth), controlling a crowd of Pikmin creatures. Pikmin are intelligent multi-colored plant-animal hybrids that willingly follow the orders of their leader, Captain Olimar, a tiny alien from the planet Hocotate. Pikmin are directed to perform a number of tasks, such as fighting monsters and retrieving objects. Because individual Pikmin are small and weak against most predators, it is the responsibility of the player to direct the Pikmin away from hazards and launch attacks that quickly put enemies into submission. Game time is divided into single days, in which the player is encouraged to accomplish as much as possible before sunset.