Pikmin 2 Hitting Wii In North America

Nintendo Power revealed yesterday that GameCube cult classic Pikmin 2 will come to the Wii in North America, albeit three years after its prequel. This is a strong move by Nintendo, given that there is already hype online about Pikmin 3 being revealed at E3 this year. As Pikmin 2 is exceedingly hard to get a hold of on the GameCube - its cheapest eBay "Buy It Now" price sits at $50 as we write this - making it available under the "New Play Control!" label will bring potential fans back in to the fold just in time to be entranced by Pikmin 3 at E3.

Nintendo is trying to keep the Wii's head above water long enough to build hype and acceptance for its struggling Wii U brand. With consumer confusion over the nature of the Wii U and the specter of the powerful next-gen Sony and Microsoft consoles looming overhead, Nintendo is fighting hard to get some traction for its own next-gen offering. However, if they continue to keep their fingers on the pulse of the players and offer titles like Pikmin 2 in accessible forms, we believe they will find success in the next round of the console wars.