Back in March, we learned that Nintendo had teamed up with Niantic to create a new augmented reality game for mobile, Niantic's bread and butter. Pikmin was chosen as the skin for this Niantic game (though there was no offical title at the time), and at the end of March the first public test was launched in Singapore. This AR game is now known as Pikmin Bloom, and its global release has already started rolling out in Australia and Singapore, with a wider rollout planned for the coming days. Despite the fact those of us in the West still can't play, it's clear that Pikmin Bloom's design revolves around the act of walking (much like a step counter) in order to grow Pikmin by making flowers bloom as you walk. In classic Niantic fashion, the company has created a free-to-play game with in-app purchases that range up to $99.99 per item, all without ever describing what these purchases are for.

The cinematic trailer above does little to explain what to expect from Pikmin Bloom, but luckily the Play Store's screenshots provide a few pertinent details. You'll walk around a real-world map in an effort to grow Pikimin by making flowers bloom, with some sort of battle mechanic where you'll take down mushrooms in order to obtain fruit. More or less, Pikmin Bloom sounds like a glorified step counter (where Google Fit is a requirement to play), which explains why Niantic opted for a cinematic trailer instead of a gameplay trailer. There seemingly isn't much to show.

What's troubling is that Pikmin Bloom is a free-to-play game, and not even once has Niantic or Nintendo bothered to explain how the game is monetized. What we do know is that the title contains in-app purchases that reach up to $100, which sure puts a damper on a game designed around the act of walking and general health.

So there it is. At first blush, it almost looks like Nintendo and Niantic created something for fun and health to encourage walking, but clearly, money is the primary concern when the game contains IAPs that range so high. Still, if you'd like to take a look for yourself to see what Pikmin Bloom is all about, those who live in Australia and Singapore can play right now, and the rest of us will have to wait until our specific regions join the launch in the next few days. So at least the curious won't have long to wait.

UPDATE: 2021/10/28 10:20 EST BY MATTHEW SHOLTZ

Pikmin Bloom has reached the US

Yesterday we learned Pikmin Bloom was rolling out in Australia and Singapore, with a wider rollout planned for the coming days. Well, it would seem the Americas didn’t have long to wait as the casual augmented reality walking game is now available in the US, Canada, and the rest of the Americas.

As expected, the game is free-to-play, and it contains in-app purchases that range up to $99.99 per item. Keep in mind this is a casual release, something more akin to a fancy pedometer. Still, Pikmin is a fan-favorite Nintendo franchise, so if you’ve been eager to take a look at Pikmin Bloom, today’s the day.

Pikmin Bloom Developer: Niantic, Inc.
Price: Free
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