Pokémon Go creator Niantic has teamed up with Nintendo on several new augmented reality games. Below that is a Pikmin game, which will be released later this year. Nothing has been announced about the other games yet.
The Pikmin game is made by Niantics studio in Japan, which was founded just under two years ago. It will be the first game that the Japanese division of Niantic makes. Nintendo is involved in the development.
In the announcement , Niantic says the Pikmin game will promote outdoor walking. That points to a similar AR game to Pokémon Go. Actual details about the game have not yet been disclosed and no gameplay footage has yet been released. The game is due to be released later this year and players can sign up for a pre-registration.
The message explicitly mentions a new collaboration with Nintendo that will result in multiple mobile games based on Niantics AR technology. That should bring Nintendo characters ‘to life in new ways’. In the coming months, Niantic will provide more details about the apps.
The Pikmin games are puzzle strategy games and the name refers to the plant-like creatures that assist the player in completing missions. The first game in the franchise was released for the GameCube in late 2001. The latest game is Pikmin 3 Deluxe, which came out for the Nintendo Switch last year. That was a remake of Pikmin 3 from 2013 for the Nintendo Wii U.
