Following the massive success of Pokemon GO (Free) through the years, it isn’t surprising to see Nintendo announce a new series of apps being developed with Niantic. Today, Nintendo and Niantic jointly revealed a new Pikmin app aimed to make walking more fun. This is the first in a series of apps being developed together by aiming to combine Niantic’s AR technology with Nintendo characters. It is interesting that the first app is based on Nintendo’s Pikmin franchise. Ever since Pikmin was given a new life through a successful Nintendo Switch port of Pikmin 3 Deluxe, it looks like the company wants to push the brand and while details are scarce right now, an AR experience based on Pikmin makes a ton of sense. If you’re not familiar with the franchise, the Pikmin games are real-time strategy puzzle hybrids where you direct a horde of Pikmin to collect items and destroy obstacles. Pikmin 3 in particular, is a game I’m glad to see rescued from being stuck on Nintendo Wii U. Check out Shaun’s review of Pikmin 3 Deluxe here. Watch the Pikmin 3 Deluxe Nintendo Switch trailer below:

The upcoming Pikmin app is set to launch later in the year with pre-registrations available on the official website here. This app is also the first one developed by Niantic’s Niantic Tokyo Studio that was established back in 2018. The gameplay has been designed to encourage walking and this app is set for a global launch when it does arrive. If you’ve not checked out Pokemon GO yet for a taste of what Niantic can do, it is available on the App Store and Google Play for free. Head over to our forum thread for more discussion around Pokémon GO. What Nintendo brands would you like to see come to mobile through this Niantic and Nintendo series of apps?