When you ride trains in Tokyo, there are television screens in most carriages that show a range of advertisements, comedy skits, and interactive activities designed to inform just as much as they entertain. You might watch as a housewife cooks an easy-to-make meal, laugh at what I presumed was a comedy troupe competing in an absurd game show, or work with an army of recognisable Pikmin to figure out the identity of a random household object.
That last one is a game I played constantly during my trip, watching as the Pikmin offered an assortment of clues as to the identity of each object before coming to the realisation on their own terms. I figured out they were slowly unveiling flip-flops, hats, sweets, and myriad other objects to me, and whenever I solved a puzzle before the timer ran down to zero I felt like a genius. Then I got off the train with a spring in my step ready to take on the day. Thanks for that, Pikmin.
Pikmin Is Everywhere In Japan
As I stepped off the train and into a random shop in Akihabara, I was met by the alien creatures yet again, this time in the form of marketable plushies, pencil cases, and several other knick-knacks. Pikmin was everywhere, and it seemed other big Nintendo properties, like Mario, Animal Crossing, Fire Emblem, or most others, played second fiddle to the extraterrestrial strategy game. It took me by surprise, as for years it felt like Pikmin has existed in the periphery while struggling to go mainstream.
All of that has changed largely thanks to the release of Pikmin 4 which, at the time of writing, has sold almost two million copies in Japan alone. It has ascended to the cultural heights attained by juggernauts like Splatoon and Animal Crossing, even as they outsell Pikmin still, where it has become part of wider society instead of just a popular video game.
Step onto the train? Pikmin. Going to the local 7/11 to pick up some milk? Pikmin. Buying a new phone? Pikmin. These adorable alien creatures are everywhere, and the back-to-basics approach of Pikmin 4 that aimed to capture as large an audience as possible was likely a big reason for that success.
And This Success Has Big Ramifications For The Future
Japan loves mascots, which is why the likes of Pikmin, Animal Crossing, and Splatoon have broken out of their video game origins so consistently over the years. You also don’t need to look far to find products covered in characters like Snoopy, Hello Kitty, or Paddington, which all have their own shops waiting to be explored. Pikmin isn’t too different, featuring a cast of cute, bug-eyed aliens whose simplistic designs are still capable of expressing their personalities through the simplest of expressions and gestures. If you see that on the train and find it cute, chances are you’ll pick up the game next time you see it.
When Splatoon experienced similar levels of success we saw it arrive in Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, while fully-fledged sequels were in development and released in a steady and confident cadence. I won’t be shocked if Pikmin receives similar treatment in the years to come as Pikmin 5 enters production or the funky aliens begin showing up in the new Mario Kart or as fundamental parts of the Nintendo Switch 2 experience. In the West, at the very least, Pikmin has always felt like one of those series you’d recommend to friends as they went on to ignore you, but now, that picture is changing for the better.
I’d love to see the Pikmin make a return to the system transfer feature. Back on the 3DS, if you were transferring your data from one console to another, they would carry all of your belongings from one screen for however long it took.
As a new console generation rears its head for Nintendo, Pikmin is poised to play a big part in its identity, whether it be the inevitable sequels and spin-offs we wind up experiencing on the console or the visual ways in which it expresses itself. The strategy gem has gone from an underappreciated series of classics to a major player, and I can’t wait to see this shake out. If you need me I’ll be on a train in Tokyo staring at Pikmin dancing on flip-flops.
- Released
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July 21, 2023
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