There's really nothing quite like a child's imagination, is there? Before the dire reality of adulthood robs them of any shred of innocence, children are able to completely alter almost every facet of their lives, including their personality, their surroundings, and the people around them. It's really quite remarkable.
Parents in Japan have clearly cottoned on to this and have decided to utilise the Pikmin franchise to keep their children from misbehaving. As spotted by the folks over at Automaton, parents essentially allow their children to pretend to be Pikmin, thus ensuring that they remain close when out and about.
Translated, the above tweet reads:
"My 4-year-old son always tries to wander off when we go shopping, so I told him, “you’re a Pikmin, and mommy is that one that the Pikmin follow around.” It worked so well. He follows my steps perfectly while squeaking like a Pikmin. Thank you, Nintendo, this one’s going to work for a while."
Other parents are getting in on the action too, with another stating that they will imitate blowing a whistle while shopping to gather their children around:
"Same here. My son in middle school and daughter in grade school love Pikmin, so when I imitate blowing a whistle while shopping, they come to me and gather round. They also want to carry toilet paper and other stuff like little Pikmin. I’m so thankful to Nintendo."
It's a genuinely wholesome way of tapping into children's imaginations to keep them from potentially misbehaving. It's also an excellent demonstration of how the PIkmin franchise has resonated so well with audiences; something that is sure to only grow exponentially with the release of Pikmin 4.
We recently reviewed Pikmin 4 and said that it's a "sumptuous strategy adventure that serves up tons of fun for returning fans of the franchise whilst also adding lots to entice new players into giving it a try". If you've recently bought Pikmin 4 and feel you need a bit of assistance, then be sure to also check out our Pikmin guide hub.