Nintendo has a history of re-releasing Wii U games like New Super Mario Bros. U and Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE for the Switch with new features and enhancements, and the next game in line for that treatment is Pikmin 3 Deluxe. The enhanced Pikmin 3 port was announced on Twitter this August, and Nintendo offered an extensive look at the game during today's Treehouse Live event before it launches at the end of October.
Pikmin 3 Deluxe's portion of the livestream showed off numerous experiences in the game, including its co-op story mode, its competitive Bingo Battle mode, and its Side Stories featuring Captain Olimar and Louie. When the game was announced, Nintendo confirmed it would include all the original DLC as well as multiple difficulty modes, which were revealed to be Normal, Hard, and Ultra-Spicy today.
The Ultra-Spicy difficulty has caught many fans' attentions considering Nintendo games are typically developed with younger audiences in mind, and its name serves as a reference to the spray introduced in Pikmin 2 that lets players charge their Pikmin so they move and attack faster. Ultra-Spicy mode will limit players to having 60 Pikmin on the field at a time and add "additional challenging elements," according to the presenters.
Though these challenges were not described before event moved into discussing Side Stories, other features that may help players ease into Pikmin 3 Deluxe were shown off. For example, there is an option to switch Pikmin throwing from the analog stick to gyro controls, and there are hints that show users exactly where they need to go through glowing paths. Other new features in the game include a Piklopedia with entries from five playable characters and a ground-level camera.
While everything shown off during today's Treehouse Live suggests Pikmin 3 Deluxe will likely be a worthwhile upgrade from the original, its announcement has been met by some controversy. Nintendo was criticized for utilizing bad consumer practices by removing Pikmin 3 from the Wii U eShop soon after Deluxe was announced, but last month Pikmin 3 returned to the Wii U without much fanfare.
After the Pikmin 3 Deluxe showcase was over, Nintendo discussed Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, releasing on November 20. New gameplay from Koei Tecmo's hack-and-slash prequel for Breath of the Wild, a spin-off in its Dynasty Warriors franchise, gave fans their first look at live combat as Champion Urbosa in Gerudo Town.
Pikmin 3 Deluxe releases October 30, 2020, exclusively for Nintendo Switch.