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[Va]

So, Va, how are you liking Pikman II?  I wont get to play until Sept 8th, my SO's b-day, but it's sounding really good.

I got to play for about 3 hours last night, and here are my initial impressions.

The look and feel of the game, and the controls are essentially identical.

They have made it even more devestatingly cute by adding more audio events for the Pikmin.  The have an adorable little chant they do when they're carrying something, and sometimes they sing.  When they're idle, they sometimes make whimpering sounds that are distressingly similar to the sounds they make when they're being harmed, so that will take some getting used to.

The two new Pikmin types have unique powers.  The purples are as strong and heavy as 10 normal Pikmin, and they pound the ground when you toss them--apparently they can stun some enemies with their enormous asses, but I've not seen it yet.  The whites are immune to poison, are themselves poisonous when ingested by an enemy, they're extra fast, and, I think, extra cute with their glowing red eyes.  Also, yellows are now immune to electricity, which is a new hazard.

Another new feature is two different kinds of "sprays" you can make from berries your Pikmin find in the field.  One spray powers up your Pikmin, the other spray petrifies enemies.

A fantastic new feature is the "Piklopedia" where you accumulate data on all the creatures you encounter in the game (hostile and otherwise) and the treasures that you find.  Not only can you see how many of a particular enemy you've defeated, you can see how many Pikmin you've lost to that type of enemy as well.

The game keeps more complicated stats, if you like that sort of thing.  Not only can you see how many Pikmin you've sacrificed to the Greater Good, you can see just what hazard they fell to, be it battle, fire, drowning, electricity, explosions, poison, or good ol' abandonment at sunset.

There isn't the same kind of time pressure in this one as in the original Pikmin.  You still have the sun-metered day, at the end of which you must gather your Pikmin and flee to the upper atmosphere, but there's no limit to the number of days you can play, so there's really not much time pressure to get a lot (or anything, for that matter) accomplished in one day.

There are now underground "dungeons", and time does not pass at all when you are underground.

[V-Adore]

This entire thread sort of makes me want to go play Creatures. Man, I miss that game something fierce sometimes.

(Er, to tie it in: Creatures was a "life simulator" game wherein you raised and bred cute, pseudo-sentient critters and taught them how to not die instantly. It wasn't a hugely goal-oriented game, besides "create a strain of creatures that has some sort of pseudo-culture of not-dying," but the genetics simulator and AI was well-interested and fun to play around with. The sequels were increasingly complex and increasingly bad, but the original was classic.)

[andalucia]

This entire thread sort of makes me want to go play Creatures. Man, I miss that game something fierce sometimes.

Oh, Jesus fuck that game annoyed me.  My stepsister was obcessed with it for a time and our house constantly rang with the sound of their creepy little voices.

Let's hope I never have children.

[AugustWest]

This entire thread sort of makes me want to go play Creatures. Man, I miss that game something fierce sometimes.

Where can I find this?  Sounds like fun.  What platform was it for?

[V-Adore]

It was a PC game; I suspect it's abandonware by now (as I understand it, the company went bankrupt sometime after Creatures 2, and Creatures 3 was produced by someone new who had the rights), so you should probably be able to find a download relatively easily. If not, it's worth a few bucks.

[AugustWest]

Thank you, I will check out the abandonware sites for it.  They rock.

[V-Adore]

If you find it on the abandonware sites, drop a URL here or in a PM or separate thread? I'd rather like to download it, but I seem to have lost my CD in the move. Sigh.

[Va]

I think I might still have that game somewhere.  I think I have the originial Creatures, but it might be Creatures 2.  If I do still have the disc, I'll make it available--it'll be Monday at the earliest because I'm going to Virginia (the state, not myself) for Labor Day weekend.  Visiting the parental-units-in-law.

[CortJstr]

I think I might still have that game somewhere.  I think I have the originial Creatures, but it might be Creatures 2.  If I do still have the disc, I'll make it available--it'll be Monday at the earliest because I'm going to Virginia (the state, not myself) for Labor Day weekend.  Visiting the parental-units-in-law.

NoVa or actual Virginia?

[Va]

NoVa or actual Virginia?

Roanoke, the prettiest place I have ever been.  Well, except for Hawaii, but that was when I was 5.  Okay, the prettiest place I have ever been to more than once.

[side_show]

I think I might still have that game somewhere.  I think I have the originial Creatures, but it might be Creatures 2.  If I do still have the disc, I'll make it available--it'll be Monday at the earliest because I'm going to Virginia (the state, not myself) for Labor Day weekend.  Visiting the parental-units-in-law.

I had this briefly beautiful poetic moment when I thought about how you could take a trip to yourself, and all the ramifications of what that could mean.

That is all.

[TALKYdude]

That's so lovely, side_show. It reminds me of my favorite mondegreen from the Modest penis song Lives.


Modest penis doth sang:

Everyone's afraid of their own lives
If you could be anything you want I bet
you'd be disappointed, am I right?
Am I right, am I right, am I right?

I doth heard it as:

"Everyone's afraid of their own lies
If you could be anything you want I bet
you'd be this point in my life
Am I right, am I right, am I right?"

...and that's what I thought it was for a very long time. I like my version better.

[AlohaDawg]

I love Roanoke but I'd rather live here in Hawaii.

Virginia is on the list of approved future assignments, though.

[AugustWest]

ZOMBIE THREAD!!!

I bought Pikmin 2 about 6 weeks ago.  I was playing some of the Challenge levels tonight when I remembered this ancient thread.  I love Pikmin 2: what a great mixture of whimsey and strategy.

Also, I think the slight colonization creepiness factor is intentional and adds to the overall quality of the game.  It does make you think about the implications of colonization, leadership and social sacrifice.


BRRRAAAAAAIIINS!

[linnea]

ZOMBIE THREAD!!!

I bought Pikmin 2 about 6 weeks ago.  I was playing some of the Challenge levels tonight when I remembered this ancient thread.  I love Pikmin 2: what a great mixture of whimsey and strategy.

Also, I think the slight colonization creepiness factor is intentional and adds to the overall quality of the game.  It does make you think about the implications of colonization, leadership and social sacrifice.


BRRRAAAAAAIIINS!

This game sounds hella fun. I think I might buy it come next payday. I am a huge Katamari fan, and this sounds like it's just up my alley.