@TheBigG753
Use the wiimote and nunchuck, with the gamepad sitting on its stand in front of you (on a table, perhaps). This setup gives you maximum control over your character and map control for multitasking.

As Gui said, the game eases you into all the mechanics, it's very newbie friendly. Enjoy one of Wii U 2013's finest.

@Guillaume
@anon_mastermind

Uhhhh, with Wiimote and Nunchuk, don't you lose "Go Here" option? I used that a whole bunch.

@TheBigG753

I vehemently disagree with them on that, GamePad was a great way to play the game. (But I didn't play the other way, so who knows!)

@Mr_Mustache

How can you vehemently disagree on what's better if you haven't even tried the alternative?


And you don't lose the "Go Here" option. The Gamepad can still be used as a map screen without sacrificing WiiChuck controls, and you can still input "Go Here"

@Shadowlink

So then you have to hold something in each hand, and then use ANOTHER controller, too? How is that better??

Wii Remote / Nunchuck controls are probably more for the people who played NPC Pikmin, where I played my Pikmin stuff with the stationary GameCube controller and the Wii U GamePad. I don't want to flick my wrist constantly. No thank you.

Thanks guys for the answers! I think I will go with Wiimote+nunchuk and if I feel like those controls aren't ideal, I'll give the Gamepad a shot.

Good to see that the game is n00b-friendly.

@Mr_Mustache

Because 99% of the time you're only holding the WiiChuck, with the tablet just sitting next to you. Which is far more efficient for aiming Pikmin than the tablet. When you do need to use the tablet to check the map, the action pauses, so you can switch for a few seconds. It isn't hard.


And what 'constant flicking of the wrist'?. You give the Nunchuck a little shake sometimes to dismiss Pikmin. Hardly constant flicking.

And I played the first two games on the GC and never played NPC games so there goes that theory.

@Shadowlink

Or you can tap tap tap A. I'd rather do that then shake the nunchuck for 15 seconds or whatever. How do you unload 60 guys at once? I ask, because thats what I do. I don't throw 3 guys at a time.

Is there Wiimote AIMing? I SUPPOSE that would be good, but they've now allowed you to lock onto a guy to the point where you only have to aim initially, and then you're set. And I didn't even realize it until halfway through the game, I was just playing "old school."


And "a little shake sometimes;" although I haven't experienced it myself, I feel that is probably a tad misrepresentative. (And you shake the nunchuk? Man, I can't do that. My brain is trained to have my right hand dole out the punishment. TAKE IT HOW YOU WANT TO, I DON'T CARE, OH YEAH.)

@Mr_Mustache

15 seconds? What are you talking about?


Look, you should actually give the controls a try, give yourself an idea of what is actually involved instead of just assuming things are bad.

It's easy enough to switch. If you start using the WiiChuck, it switches you, press a button on the tablet you back to the tablet. Pretty cool actually.

@Shadowlink

Have you tried just the GamePad? The screen is RIGHT THERE, why switch away from that?

Take a picture of yourself playing, I'm picturing something INCREDIBLY cumbersome. (Like trying to open up the front door with both hands full of groceries.)

Yeah part of me is having a hard time believing that using both is that functional or comfortable. Can you just disregard the Gamepad entirely? The NPC Pikmin games got along fine without it right? I'd like to jump in on this game at some point and I'm kind of done with waggle controls. I didn't even like the spin attack In Mario Galaxy.

Mr_Mustache said:

@Shadowlink

Have you tried just the GamePad? The screen is RIGHT THERE, why switch away from that?

Yes I have, and I switched because the Wiimote aiming is better.

Take a picture of yourself playing, I'm picturing something INCREDIBLY cumbersome. (Like trying to open up the front door with both hands full of groceries.)

You're wrong. if you actually read what I'm saying (or you know tried it for yourself instead of judging from a position of ignorance), you would understand why

@PogueSquadron

You can, but it's useful for the map and go here function. But Like I said, switching to that pauses it, so having the pad nearby isn't a huge issue.

@Shadowlink

Ugh. I freakin' read EVERYTHING that people write around here. Whats with the belittling?

Like Pogue, I've "kinda had it" with the waggling. If the option is "shake your wrist" vs. "press A a bunch," I'm going to press A a bunch. Thats essentially a case closed for me right there. Add in "ok, how would you like to have ANOTHER controller in front of you that you don't actively touch, but you can pause and change to it to do one thing and change back when you want to," I'm not going to do that either.


WEIRD: DIFFERENT SETUPS IN GAMES BECAUSE DIFFERENT PEOPLE LIKE DIFFERENT THINGS. WOW.

It's a little clunky to have all those controllers around, but it's really the only way to play if you want to nail the Platinums in some of the tougher stages. The amount of control the IR aiming affords the player is invaluable when you want to throw 3 Pikmin here, 2 there, 5 on that wall, 1 on that cherry, etc within a short time. It's miles ahead of analogue aiming! All must try the Nunchuk with this game.

@PogueSquadron

There's not really "waggle controls". You do have "dismissed" assigned to shaking the Nunchuk, but that's a fairly uncommonly-used move, at least compared to Mario's spin in Galaxy. The idea is that you hold the Wiimote/Nunchuk and have the GamePad in your lap or set on a table or something near you. It's a little clunky but it works for the ideal Pikmin 3 experience. The Pad is very useful for the Go Here function.

Mr_Mustache said:

@Shadowlink

Ugh. I freakin' read EVERYTHING that people write around here. Whats with the belittling?

I dunno, what's with the disparaging of control style you won't even try?

It's ok to like different things. It's a little silly to claim you like one way better than another if you don't even know what the other way entails (which you clearly don't)

@Shadowlink

..Because I played Wii Remote + Nunchuck for an entire generation, and used the Classic Controller or CCCPro (COMMUNIST STYLE) whenever I could. Wii made me yearn for the days of the GameCube controller. Yeah, Remote and Nunchuck is ok for the Wii (for some games), but I DON'T think it is a coincidence that Twilight Princess is my least favorite Zelda. Would I have liked it better had I played on GameCube? Quite possibly.

--For someone who is telling us (or rather, "telling me") how foolish it is to like something way better without even experiencing anything else, I do believe you need to re-examine your views on Australian Pizza, et al.

@Mr_Mustache

You mean the pizza you haven't tried and spent a week dumping on because you took a joke between me and Zero way too seriously?

Yeah you're right, you do need to reexamine your views.

@Shadowlink

I've eaten pizza from all corners of the US (except for the Pacific Northwest), the stuff in between and above as well. No, I haven't eaten Australian Pizza, and I probably won't.

You seem to suffer from this..hypernationalism. I don't know if that runs in the veins of every Australian (Lord knows you'd dump on anything "Adelaide," as I've learned), but its a few steps above "Patriotism." Its not necessarily a good thing.


This all stems (today) from Greg (a BRAND NEW PIKMIN PLAYER) asking which setup would suit him best. You're saddling him with THREE things to keep track of in addition to the on-screen action. You've played the 1st and 2nd games, he hasn't. Gui and T-Bun mention how that setup is almost mandatory if you're going for Platinum on the Challenges, and I have to believe that they might be two of the best Pikmin Challenge players in the world. I'm sure they're better than me, and I like to think that I'm not too shabby myself.

What they're doing is definitely not "entry level" stuff.

Mr_Mustache said:

You seem to suffer from this..hypernationalism. .

BWAHAHAHAHAHA.

Coming from you of all people, that is hilarious.

As for the control issue, Wiimote is the best, no question. You can prefer your sub-par setup if you like, but don't try to argue that it's better. You're wrong.

@Shadowlink

I cheer for Germany in the Winter Olympics, and I was born and live in America. Wrong already.

There is nothing "sub-par" about it; just because you aren't good at it doesn't mean that its wrong.

Guys, I'm sure both control schemes have their merits. I'm not for or against either, that's why I asked to begin with. And it's not like Gui is the first person I've seen prefer those controls, IIRC Nintendo first demoed the game at E3 a few years back with those controls instead of the Game pad.

And then, I can always switch if I'm not feeling those. Options are good!