Pikmin: Echoes of Eternity

Pikmin: Echoes of Eternity is the upcoming sequel to Pikmin: Ultimate Doom, and the latest entry in the Doom Saga. The gameplay is a blend of the usual Pikmin strategy elements with RPG and RTS elements. The game consists of several modes, including the Campaign mode and diverse Multiplayer modes. In the Campaign mode, which takes place fifteen years after Pikmin: Ultimate Doom, Olimar and the Joker Squadron are tasked with finding Louie, discovering what happened to the Distant Planet, and collecting artifacts in order to progress. Each area has artifacts to discover and take back to the Super Onion or Rift Pod for processing. These artifacts can serve a variety of functions, such as upgrading your abilities, unlocking new areas, and many more to be revealed. Artifacts differ from Treasure in that they are more ancient and mystical in nature. This entry in the Doom Saga differs in that you can have a maximum of 200 Pikmin in the field, as well as 5 Combat Drones and 5 Onion Golems. Resource gathering, base building, upgrades, character progression, captain abilities, armor, weapons, and Pikmin abilities are what set this game apart from past iterations, providing a fresh and complex gameplay experience.

=Campaign= This mode is the bulk of the game, featuring a continuing story throughout. There are three save files available, and the player can choose to rewind up to five days before the current one.

Main Plot
''Fifteen years after Pikmin: Ultimate Doom, Captain Olimar was enjoying his retirement. He sipped on a mug full of pikpik carrot juice when he received a transmission from the President of Hocotate Freight. The President informed Olimar that the Distant Planet vanished from their sensors, which is inconvenient because the company was about to send a squadron to recover valuable loot. Stunned, Olimar was determined to end his retirement and go with the squad to investigate the disappearance of the Distant Planet. The President informed Olimar that Louie was the leader of the squadron, and Olimar chortled. Olimar and the Joker Squadron met up in the Hocotate Freight Hangar Bay, and decided to discuss their plans. Meanwhile, Louie wandered off to the shiny new freighter ship, the S.S. Pegasus. He got in, and began to search for food. He found a crate of pikpik carrots on the dashboard, and reached over to eat some, and accidentally turned on the ship's auto-pilot! The freighter ship took off and bursted through the hangar shields. It rocketed away, leaving a trail of dust and smoke in its wake. Olimar sighed, and looked to the cadets for answers. A stocky man with green hair stood at attention, and said his name was Abbad. He said that they could borrow the President's corvette, claiming he did it all the time. Olimar shrugged, and the group entered the S.S. Adromeda. They took off after foolish Louie, and tracked the Pegasus' drive signature, which was locked into a course towards the Distant Planet.''

Truths and Illusions
''Olimar and the Joker Squadron blasted off in the S.S. Andromeda towards the Distant Planet, and broke through the lightspeed barrier. Quickly with a boom the stars trailed into black and then a flash of light obscured the whole ship. Now in full view is where the Distant Planet should've been - but instead there was a supermassive black hole! The crew were astonished as Abbad nervously checked the ship's engineering panels. He informed Olimar that the gravitational pull of the black hole had overloaded the ship's engines. They had no means of escape. Most sporting corvettes had no escape pods installed. Olimar swallowed hard and the team prepared for the worst. As the ship approached the event horizon, suddenly space began to stretch into infinity. The background of stars shifted into red, then blue, then green, trailing off like a ghost. The ship then becomes elongated, and stretched like dough towards the black hole. A pulsating light of rainbow colors flashed in everyone's minds, and then they all lose consciousness...''

''Olimar woke up. He was on the Distant Planet lying on the ground, and he grunted. He looked up to see Louie crying. Olimar realized suddenly where he was, it was fifteen years ago, just after he defeated Doom, and he was dying! He gasped as suddenly a burst of rainbow colors melted the entire world into a thick washed-out soup. Olimar became pixellated and shrunk down into nothingness. He saw a flash of light and visions of his family. Each of their heads floated by, which caused a great deal of comfort. Dust began to fly off of their faces, as they crumbled into particles of nothingness. Olimar was extremely panic-stricken at this point, and fainted. A burst of rainbows twisted in fractal patterns which encapsulated the entire world, and flash of light absorbed everything into darkness.''

''A distant echo bounced across a still lake. A spectral apparition floated above the waters. It wielded a lantern with Olimar's ghostly head on it. The spirit chuckled, and leapt into the lake, which turned it from a pale grey into a rainbow of static electricity.''

''With a loud thunderbolt, Olimar woke up. He saw nothing but white. He was disoriented and confused. "Did I die? Where am I? How did I live on after dying fifteen years ago?" he thought to himself as he looked into the horizon. He saw a glimmer of green light. He decided to make the trek towards it. He got up and dusted himself off, and pinched himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. Pain. He definitely was awake. He sighed and headed towards the light.''

Barren Expanse; Glimmering Green Portal
''Olimar had been walking for days. He was exhausted. He wiped sweat off of his forehead, having taken off his helmet. Strangely enough, his gear’s sensors indicated a breathable atmosphere. He still had no idea where he was. The entire expanse was white, with the floor being an off-white, so at the very least he could make out where he needed to go. The green light had grown many times bigger, and he was almost there. It seemed to be a forest green circular orb with the brightest green emanating from the edges. It almost looked liquid. It was the only thing in sight and, as Olimar was desperate for some answers, he had no choice but to investigate.

''Finally he reached the orb. It was like a spinning ball of deep green liquid, with a fiery lime green aura at the center. Olimar reminisced about his adventures through the Distant Planet and dimensions beyond. Nothing he’d ever experienced could explain the predicament he was in now. He had no recourse but to get closer. As he approached, the stark white world began to slowly turn green. He stopped walking, but was still being pulled in! Olimar sighed, as he was tired of being pulled into black holes. A flash of green enveloped his eyes and he was sucked into the void.''

On the Other Side
''A Red Pikmin leapt around and around the captain’s unconscious body. It tilted its head, and then decided to smack Olimar on the face with it’s leaf! Olimar leapt up, reflexively grasping his face in pain. The Red Pikmin made a sound of contentment, and Olimar gasped! He couldn’t find his helmet anywhere. And being in a grassy plain, he must have been on the Distant Planet! However, as he held his breath, his suit’s sensors indicated a breathable atmosphere. He took a deep breath in relief. He finally recalled what had happened in the hours before this moment. He was very confused. Life had been very strange 15 years ago, and it had settled down in his retirement. But recently reality had torn itself apart multiple times. “Visions, black holes, a white expanse… What does it all mean?”

''The lone Red Pikmin whined, vying for a dazed Olimar’s attention. He looked up, puzzled as ever. Around him was a magenta grassland. He saw roaming creatures the likes of which he had never seen. In the immediate area was a lone Pikmin, and a partially buried object. The Red Pikmin made a noise of relief and ran over to the object. Olimar inspected it, finding it was a plant/metal hybrid material. He began to speculate on what it could be when a large creature appeared through the clearing.''

''It was a large creature, about the size of a Red Bulborb, but had a hunchback. It had a tail that whipped around, and large fangs. It made a hissing noise, and Olimar gulped. The Red Pikmin hid behind the buried object. Suddenly, a plasma torpedo blasts off into the creature’s head, killing it. It collapses, and Olimar turns around to find the source of the blast. It was Abbad and one other squad member! They clamber down the cliff and greet Olimar.''

''“That was a close one, Captain!”, Abbad said.

''“Thanks, I would have been lunch for that thing! Where have you two been? And where are the other squad members?” Olimar responded.

''“We woke up in this infinite white void, and saw a green light in the distance. We wandered towards it and got sucked in! Then we woke up here. Planet unknown.”, said Abbad. “The others didn’t emerge from the portal where we did. We have no idea where they could be, and our suit’s sensors are damaged.”

''Olimar sighed. “Typical.”, he thought.

''“Let’s try to find our way off this planet, shall we? I have no idea where the S.S. Andromeda could be. Or if there is a ship left… By the way, how did we survive entering a black hole?” Olimar said.

''Abbad shrugged, and started, “We had some strange sensor readings coming from it. Not the typical readouts from a black hole. My guess as the physicist is that we are dealing with a new kind of black hole.”

''The other squad member pointed towards the semi-buried object and spoke up. “Abbad, could this be some kind of Onion?” Olimar and Abbad looked over.

''“Oh, wow. Good work, Imani! Olimar, meet Imani. We were so frantic about following Louie, I forgot to introduce the other squad members to you. She’s the team’s botanist.”, said Abbad.

''“Nice to meet you.” Olimar said.

''“Abbad, is the excavator tool still functional?” Imani asked.

''“Yes, it is, indeed!”, said Abbad. He produced a hand-held tool that shot a plasma beam at the buried Onion, and plasma tendrils grasped at the soil and dug it up very quickly. The Onion sprouted its legs and stood up, proud as ever. It shone a stark grey against the strong sunlight. The Hocotatians and the Red Pikmin celebrated. Just then, a beep interrupted them.

''“Oh, my sensors are partially working again. Looks like a signal from the rest of the squad. They’re due north! I say we use the Pikmin to help us make the trek towards them. We only have so much ammunition, you know. But Pikmin are practically endless!”, Abbad triumphantly said. Olimar and the others nodded in agreement, and got to work.''


 * Continue Story: Placid Plains

=Gameplay Elements= In Echoes of Eternity there are more complex game mechanics than the rest of the saga. Captains' suits are outfitted with Suit Tech that serve as weapons and tools. Also, there is character progression, with captains leveling up and learning abilities Also, in the field materials can be collected to build bases and traps. Weapons and armor can be built or found to beef up your Captains.

Areas, Caves, and Dungeons
Areas operate the same as they always have in the Pikmin series and Doom Saga thus far. Caves are again standard, semi-randomized underground areas that only allow for the Rift Pod to enter. Dungeons in this game are different - as they are fixed "caves" with a distinctly different theme compared to the caves. Dungeons are constructed, and serve a purpose for whatever civilization built it. They are more puzzle-oriented, allow for the Super Onion and Rift Pod to enter them, and are more difficult as such.


 * 1) Placid Plains (Area)
 * 2) Beevorb Tunnel (Cave)
 * 3) Kansa Basilica (Dungeon)

Captains
There are ten captains to play as, with a total of three that can be deployed at once. Each captain has their own abilities and tools.

Pikmin Variants

 * Red Pikmin
 * Yellow Pikmin
 * Blue Pikmin
 * Purple Pikmin
 * White Pikmin
 * Black Pikmin
 * Green Pikmin
 * Tan Pikmin
 * Grey Pikmin
 * Crystal Pikmin
 * Bomb-Rock Pikmin
 * Ice Pikmin
 * Verdigris Pikmin
 * Ascended Pikmin
 * Mushroom Pikmin

Hazards

 * Fire
 * Electricity
 * Water
 * Poison
 * Adhesive
 * Acid
 * Sand
 * Smoke
 * Crystal
 * Ice
 * Explosion
 * Eternitus

Notes, encyclopedias, and info
The team provide a unique look into the game's content through the lenses of their scientific backgrounds.

Encyclopaedia Animerros
Akira, the Joker Squadron's biologist, compiles data on the creatures seen throughout the game. He is keen on figuring out taxonomy, diet, biome range, prey and predator relationships, psychology, and morphology. Olimar provides helpful notes, but Akira tends to forge his own way.

Encyclopaedia Planterros
Imani, the Joker Squadron's botanist, compiles data on the plant life seen throughout the game. She has a particularly precise method of analysis, and strives to figure out the taxonomy and role in the ecosystem. Olimar provides helpful notes which Imani gladly accepts, considering Olimar's vast experience with organisms throughout the sector.

Encyclopaedia Artifactum
Houston, the Joker Squadron's archaeologist, compiles data on the Artifacts found throughout the game. He has an interest in figuring out what ancient life was like in the regions he collects the items from.

=Multiplayer= Multiplayer features three game types. Battle, Co-op, and Speedrun. All of the modes are 4-player, except Speedrun which is 2.

Battle
The battle game type has two modes and four maps. The modes are Capture the Marble and War. CTM is a standard CTF game mode, and features RTS elements, such as base building and resource collecting. War is the same as CTM but the objective is to eliminate all of the enemy's Pikmin. Players can choose to play as Olimar, Louie, President, or any of the Joker Squadron members.

Co-op
The co-op game type is split into two modes, Treasure Run and Survival. In Treasure Run players must work together to collect all of the treasures in a given map before time runs out. There are ten Treasure Run maps to play on, each increasing in difficulty. In Survival, the players must work together to defeat wave after wave of enemies, with four maps to choose from, taken from previous Buildup Saga games. There is Endless and Standard modes. In Endless there is a limited number of lives (4 between all players) and the objective is to survive as long as possible. In Standard there are unlimited lives and bosses included at the end of each wave.

Speedrun
The speedrun game type has two modes, Hunt and Challenge. In Hunt, the players must kill a certain number of enemies and collect a certain number of treasures as fast as possible. In Challenge, the players must grow a certain number of Pikmin as fast as possible. There are four speedrun maps, taken from previous Doom Saga games.