Pikmin

It's hard to nail down exactly what genre Pikmin fits into. On the one hand, it bears more than passing similarity to real-time and turn-based strategy games, in that the Pikmin which Captain Olimar order around must be strategically managed in order to accomplish tasks in a timely manner, to effectively deal with certain hazards, to preserve numbers, et cetera. On the other hand, unlike a proper strategy title, Olimar isn't fighting a comparably-equipped opponent - he's fighting nature.

In this facet, Pikmin takes on aspects of many other genres. Fighting bug monsters becomes an action affair, as Olimar hurls Pikmin onto the thing and tosses in little punches; clearing the way to a goal (typically, ship part) and getting the Pikmin to carry it back is often a sort of puzzle.

One of the more interesting things about the strategic nature of the game is that, while the Captain must be moved around the field to give orders and direct confrontations, he himself is unable to participate (unlike games like Battalion Wars where the commander is a unit as well). While this distills the danger element of the game, it also reinforces the responsibility of being in command of the tiny little guys, which is a feeling not often captured in games.

Progress: 6/30 ship parts