Pikmin Bloom, the new game developed in collaboration between Niantic and Nintendo, released in Australia and Singapore earlier today on iOS and Android mobile devices.
The game will become available in more countries over the next days to become a global release in the future. The players were able to test it out for the first time in March, when beta tests were conducted in both countries.
Instead of picking things such as creatures in Pokémon Go and Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, players in Pikmin Bloom can plant flowers while walking outside their home. Despite a different universe and aesthetic, many core gameplay elements from Niantic games can be found in Pikmin Bloom such as the AR mode with a camera, and the focus put on walking and exploring new places.
In this game, the iconic plant creatures from the Nintendo games, Pikmins, can be gathered and planted by walking. The more distance the players walk, the more plants will grow.
The player’s avatar are in the form of recognizable Miis, and they can interact with other players by spreading the petals earned by making the plants grow on their path. These will be visible to other players.
Similar to Pokémon Go‘s Gym badges and weekly recaps, the game also offers multiple ways to keep track of the player’s moves, visits, and walking distance.
