Pikmin 3 Deluxesaw plenty of news during yesterday’s Nintendo Treehouse Live stream, which highlighted the Switch port’s new features like story mode co-op andside story missions featuring Captain Olimar and Louie. But that’s not all Nintendo had to treatPikminfans to this week, because today the company has made the series’ collection of animated short films, known asPikmin Short Movies, available to watch on YouTube.
Originally released not long afterPikmin 3’s Wii U release, these shorts have been exclusive to the Nintendo eShop, where they were available to purchase in a $5 bundle. Starting today, though, that bundle is no longer available, and unlikePikmin 3’s recent delisting from the Wii U eShop, it will likely stay that way. However, Nintendo notes on its website that anyone who purchased the shorts on their Nintendo Account can re-download them if they had deleted them from their device.
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Pikmin Short Moviesoffer fans a more cartoony look at the world ofPikminthan what the games tend to offer. Directed by Shigeru Miyamoto, the three shorts depict Olimar and the Pikmin in various charmingly comedic situations. These include a few Pikmin walking in on Olimar seemingly preparing to eat other Pikmin, and one Pikmin getting trapped in a glass bottle while trying to retrieve a marble. Thankfully, Nintendo notes that “no real Pikmin were harmed during the filming of these movies.”
Some fans may be disappointed to see the Wii U lose another exclusive piece of software, but most will no doubt appreciate being able to watch them officially for free, especially while they wait forPikmin 3 Deluxeto launch at the end of the month.
The shorts aren’t the only thing fans have to bide their time with this week. As of yesterday, ademo forPikmin 3 Deluxeis available to download, allowing players to get a feeling for how the game works on the Switch. On top of that, the demo lets players carry save data over into the full game, which will unlock a number of bonuses like the game’s new Ultra Spicy difficulty.
Pikminis a franchise that tends to go long stretches without any substantial new content. It’s been seven years since the launch ofPikmin 3, a game that came out nine years afterPikmin 2. Meanwhile,Pikmin 4remains officially unannounced despite Shigeru Miyamoto saying it was nearing completion all the way back in 2015. As such, it’s nice that fans have something sort of new to enjoy ahead of a new release.
