is a 2004 real-time strategy puzzle video game developed and published by Nintendo for the GameCube home video game console. It is the direct sequel to the 2001 game Pikmin and the second game in the Pikmin series. In the game, Olimar returns to the Pikmin planet to collect valuable treasure after learning that the company he works for—Hocotate Freight—is on the verge of bankruptcy.
Like its predecessor, Pikmin 2 focuses on exploring an unknown planet's surface from a microscopic perspective, where the player directs the Pikmin to perform various tasks, such as destroying obstacles, defeating enemies, and retrieving objects. It introduces new gameplay mechanics, including the ability to control two different leaders at once and the addition of new Pikmin types.
The game received critical acclaim, gaining aggregate scores of 89.60% and 90 on GameRankings and Metacritic, respectively. Many critics praised the additions to the gameplay, such as the removal of the 30-day time limit imposed in the original game. Pikmin and Pikmin 2 were re-released as part of the New Play Control! series for the Wii in 2008 and 2009, respectively. On March 30, 2017, the Wii version of Pikmin 2 was digitally re-released worldwide for the Wii U. HD remasters of the first two Pikmin games were released for Nintendo Switch in June 2023. A sequel to the game, Pikmin 3, was released in 2013 for the Wii U.
Pikmin 2 expands on the gameplay introduced in its predecessor, Pikmin. The player controls both Captain Olimar and Louie from a third-person microscopic perspective to retrieve treasures (which consist of human waste such as scrap metal and broken toys) from the surface of an unknown planet (called the "distant planet"). The gameplay focuses on leading and directing a horde of plant-like creatures called Pikmin to accomplish this mission. The Pikmin follow behind Olimar and/or Louie as they move around the field. The player can quickly throw individual Pikmin at enemies and obstacles, where they automatically engage in combat, destroying obstacles, or building bridges.