Pikmin Bloom may not have the widespread appeal of Niantic's other Nintendo-themed mobile game, but its breadth of content has greatly expanded leading up to its first anniversary in October. Players can group together for Weekly Challenges to reach collective step or flower-growing goals, and there is a far more diverse range of locales to receive Seedlings from. However, at its core the augmented reality title is still more of a simple exercise tool compared to its sibling Pokemon GO.
The primary goal in Pikmin Bloom is to collect rare Pikmin wearing different costumes. Each of the seven primary Pikmin types - Red, Blue, Yellow, White, Purple, Rock, and Flying - can be grown relatively early into one's journey, but almost all of them will have a corresponding piece of decor if found at specific places. For example, beaches provide Seedlings for Pikmin wearing shells, and airport Seedlings have little toy planes. There are also limited-time decors, with the current "Fingerboard" event highlighting the fact that decor should reap more rewards in different aspects of the game's loop.
Pikmin Bloom's Golden Seedlings Changed Events
An event featuring Chess-themed decor hit Pikmin Bloom last month, and with it came the introduction of Golden Seedlings. While typical decor like the aforementioned Beach Pikmin can be discovered in select locations at any time, the limited event Seedlings have typically been found anywhere - with the caveat that players could hold just one at a time. Golden Seedlings, which act as faster-blooming event Pikmin, were a reward for completing Weekly Challenges and could be held alongside the more strenuous Big Seedlings that require 10,000 steps to pluck.
It's good to see Golden Seedlings return for the current Fingerboard decor event, which runs until August 28, as being able to grow multiple Pikmin at once increases the odds of completing a set before time runs out. However, with players able to more easily complete a set like the Fingerboard Pikmin than prior limited-time events such as Pikmin Bloom's 2022 Lunar New Year celebration, it begs the question of what makes them particularly special.
Having unique cosmetics that are no longer available can be great for bragging rights, as seen with other live-service titles like Fortnite, and there's undeniable appeal with Niantic's efforts in this department. Between recent permanent additions such as Train Ticket decor that reflects the time and place it was received, as well as stand-out event decor such as Flying Pikmin riding a Tech Deck in midair, one could continue collecting for the aesthetics alone. Yet there's plenty of potential to tie this aspect of the game into elements like Expeditions so Pikmin have more of an identity.
Pikmin Bloom's Decor Could Affect Stats, Too
There are two primary types of Expeditions in Pikmin Bloom: gathering items and destroying Mushrooms. With regard to items, as a player walks around their neighborhood, new Seedlings and fruit will appear that needs to be collected by their Pikmin. Each requires a different number of Pikmin; for example, Red Seedlings need a minimum of one (two maximum) while Pink Seedlings need a minimum of five (ten maximum); and more can be discovered using the Detector. Inherent differences between Pikmin impact these Expeditions, as Purple Pikmin can carry more of the item's weight while White Pikmin move faster.
Sending Pikmin on Expeditions is one way to raise their friendship level, which leads to them gaining a decor type, but Pikmin with their cosmetics do not get extra benefits when gathering items. Decor-wearing Pikmin do get bonuses for destroying Mushrooms, as do Pikmin with flowers and higher friendship levels, but these affect squads across the board. One could easily imagine a system where Pikmin with a "vehicle" decor archetype such as airplanes, trains, or skateboards would move faster regardless of color. After all, most of them are on wheels.
Adding this calculation for how much time an Expedition takes doesn't have to be huge, but it would give players a reason to go after certain decor types and potentially specialize their army. It doesn't have to stop at faster vehicle-styled decor either, as any Pikmin with a food archetype could replicate the Purple Pikmin's strength by having extra energy. The weather-dependent Leaf Hat decor could similarly make those Blue Pikmin more effective whenever a rainy condition is active. Strength buffs could also impact a Pikmin's ability to destroy Mushrooms, and there are a lot of possibilities from there.
Pikmin Bloom is available now on iOS and Android devices.