Monolith Soft’sPikmin 3 Deluxedebuted on the Nintendo Switch in October 2020. In the week of its launch, the game came out of the gate as thetop-selling title on Famitsu’s Japanese sales charts. That momentum hasn’t slowed down in the months since its release.
According to the latest reports byWeekly Famitsumagazine,Pikmin 3 Deluxehas already sold 499,000 retail units in Japan. To put that number in perspective, the originalPikminsold just over 500,000 units over its lifetime in Japan, andPikmin 2sold roughly 480,000. This makesPikmin 3 Deluxenot only the fastest-selling game in the franchise in Japan thus far, but it will soon also become the best selling. ConsideringPikmin 3on the Wii U only sold approximately 200,000 units total in Japan, these numbers are even more noteworthy.
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The additions and improvements introduced inPikmin 3 Deluxelikely explain much of the game’s success.Reviews of the updated version of the gamehave been predominantly positive, with many gamers citing the addition of split-screen cooperative play as one of the greatest changes to the Switch port. Although the game doesn’t allow for online play, exploring planet PNF-404 with a friend adds a new dimension to the gameplay ofPikmin 3 Deluxe. This means that even players who already ownPikmin 3for the Wii U can still find value in purchasing the new game.
BesidesPikmin 3 Deluxe’snew co-op story mode, there are additional side stories to play through that weren’t available in the original version of the game. These will be of particular interest to fans of the series who have played the first two games because they starCaptain Olimarand Louie, the main and secondary protagonists ofPikminandPikmin 2.Both characters are playable in these additional side missions, in either single player or co-op mode.
Pikmin 3 Deluxealso features a number of control tweaks to accommodate for the differences between the Wii U controller and theSwitch’s Joy-Consor Pro Controller. The lock-on system now locks the cursor rather than the camera, which allows players to maneuver more easily while locked onto an object or enemy. Carrying numbers also appear above some items that the Pikmin can move or interact with, enabling players to better gauge how many of the little critters to allocate to tasks.
The success ofPikmin 3 Deluxein Japan gives fans of the franchise reason to hope for more news aboutPikmin 4, which was first mentioned back in 2014 in aninterview with Shigeru Miyamotobut was never officially announced. Although Miyamoto again confirmed that the game was in development at E3 2017, there have been no updates about a new entry in the series since.
Pikmin 3 Deluxeis available on Nintendo Switch.
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