Pikmin Deflowered

Pikmin is now available in the UK. I see you already have a copy there. This is good. But you might not understand quite how far Nintendo is going to promote this peculiar piece of botanical beauty. Enlisting the services of Mother Nature herself, late last year the company renamed an actual flower in commemoration of the Shigeru Miyamoto-designed videogame, and today, what should the postman be hauling up to our door? The very same flower: The Pikmin Flower, née Bacopa Cabana. Described as an agricultural masterpiece by the accompanying literature, we were impressed by how little soil has managed to wriggle free of its potted prison in transit. To be sure, it's not a Donkey Kong Daisy, nor a Mario Marigold - not even a Zelda Azalea - but it's a handy little plant, rugged in all conditions (although a bit needier during hot spells), and it flowers during the spring, summer and autumn. We have no idea where you can buy them, and we reckon you won't, either, but we've got one, and hope to bring you updates on its progress in the garden later in the month. Unfortunately, attempts to make it follow us around and build bridges, break down doors and crush our enemies have so far proved fruitless. Much like the plant itself. Related Feature - Pikmin review