Pikmin 3 Deluxe – How to Play Co-op and Multiplayer

The Pikmin series has been no stranger to co-op and multiplayer options going all the way back to the very beginning on Gamecube. However, it’s always had a tenuous relationship with the features, mostly remaining a single player affair for the vast majority of players. That could change with Pikmin 3 Deluxe though as it adds to and enhances the cooperative and multiplayer modes throughout the game. To help break them down, here’s how to play co-op and multiplayer in Pikmin 3 Deluxe.

How to Play Co-op

Co-op is definitely a favorite not just for Pikmin 3 Deluxe but for gaming as a whole, especially lately. Sure it’s nice to sit back and play a game all by yourself, but having a friend tag along really adds something in this time of social distancing. Unfortunately, while Pikmin 3 Deluxe does add a lot to the co-op experience of the Wii U original it doesn’t add the one feature many might have been expecting, and the feature that would avoid the issues with trying to remain safe during the pandemic.

Pikmin 3 Deluxe does not support online co-op or multiplayer, remaining a local affair only. However, if you do have someone nearby who wants to join the game then playing co-op is simple and easy. Jumping into the story mode or any of the side missions will give you the option to launch in either one player or two player mode. The story, the Side Stories, and all Mission Modes (“Collect Treasure!”, “Battle Enemies!”, and “Defeat Bosses!”) are all open to co-op play, featuring a vertically split screen with one player on each side.

When starting just choose Two Players to load into co-op and you’ll be all set. If you’ve already started playing you can enter the game menu and select Start Co-op to change to it. You’ll need to sync up another controller and then you’ll be good to go.

How to Play Multiplayer

Multiplayer, meaning versus style gameplay, is also supported as part of the Bingo Battle mode on the main menu. This is also limited to just two players though, so don’t go in expecting to have a big Pikmin party. There’s also no direct competition mode where you’re Pikmin are doing battle, instead focusing on who can accomplish tasks the quickest. Bingo Battle each player is presented with a 4×4 grid of items to collect on the stage. The winner is the first to complete a column or row of the items.

So that’s how to play co-op and multiplayer in Pikmin 3 Deluxe. A lot more options are open this time around, though some that were expected have been left out. Hopefully more are added later on via DLC so check back for updates.