Pikmin 2 (2004)

Ok so I was emulating this on dolphin as one does, and after 100% the game and finally, after 4 hours, beating the final boss, the game just crashed on me...

Not dolphin... Not my desktop... Not even the game considering it still showed me the fps and the sound... But... The game just stopped... And I had to fight that miserable final boss again...

That's the best way I can sum up my experience with pikmin 2...

Unlike Pikmin 1, I actually did beat the main story of Pikmin 2 before. When I first beat it, I enjoyed it more than Pikmin 1, but looking back on it in hindsight, I was wondering if I would still feel that way during my replay. Overall, I did enjoy Pikmin 2 more than Pikmin 1, thankfully.

Pros

• Subtle improvements to the AI. The Pikmin have a bit more autonomy. Occasionally they would ruin my planning, but I found it more helpful than harmful.
• I'm a casual player, so I could be completely wrong, but I felt like the different Pikmin seemed more balanced. The exception to this would be the purple Pikmin, which are super strong.
• Controlling two characters at once makes multi-tasking even easier. It feels great to be able to switch between leaders while working on separate objectives.
• The inclusion of multiplayer is fun. Whether it's vs or co-op in challenge mode, the multiplayer mode is a good time.
• More variety. There are a lot more varied environments and enemy types.
• The addition of sprays is welcome. Having new tools and options add more decision making.

• I prefer the tone, presentation, and story of the first game more. 2 leans more into comedy, while the first game was more serious. Reading Olimar's journal enhanced the experience and added to the immersion. Seeing Olimar's unfiltered inner thoughts was a great reminder of his isolation. Some of the entries got sentimental as he reflected on how badly he wanted to return home and reminisces about his family. Each entry was soaked in emotion. I could feel his anxiety, uncertainty, and desperation, which slowly turns into hope and optimism as the game progresses. 2 on the other hand lacks this story telling and emotional weight. The objective isn't to survive, so the stakes are inherently not as high. The ship talks and is made to be super sassy, which takes away from any sense of gravity. The emails at the end of the day add to world building in the sense of showcasing the personality of the people that interact with the characters, but they do not progress the story like Olimar's journal did in the first game
• It's harder to restart a day/level. This seems a bit silly to criticize the game for, but it's something the first game let you do easily so taking it away makes it more annoying to play if you're the type to restart for whatever reason
• Camera cuts after collecting treasures actively hurts you. It slows the pacing down by making you stop to read the prompts and it doesn't even stop time, so you could see your Pikmin struggling while you're busy reading.
• The main reason I was a bit skeptical if I would still like 2 more than 1: the caverns. This game has a heavy reliance on the caverns. They're dark. bland, claustrophobic, and not very memorable. It doesn't help that 90% of the treasures are found in caverns. The caverns are the least enjoyable part of the experience, and they make up a majority of the game.
• There's 1 less level than the first game. 1 level is just a reused level from the first game and the 1 post-game level is a combination of 2 levels from the first game. This felt pretty lazy.