Fans have waited for years but thankfully Pikmin 3 is finally on its way. The first two titles were released on the GameCube and the third has skipped a generation, looking set to be part of the Wii U 'launch period' line up.

The spirit of the originals remains but now the graphics have improved and two new breeds of Pikmin have joint the lineup - the rock Pikmin and flying pink Pikmin.

Pikmin 3's controls are similar to the ported Wii versions of the original games, primarily using the Wii Remote and Nunchuck to move and control your Pikmin army. The Wii U GamePad is currently only used to view the map and move around it.

One aspect that is notably absent is the ability to swarm your Pikmin around an item, rather than throwing them all at it. You can target an enemy using the Wii Remote and flick your Pikmin at it, but it is certainly no replacement for the absent swarming ability.

In terms of gameplay, the demo we played is certainly very similar to its predecessors. We were given the option to play two levels; a Challenge Mode level and another that saw you battle a boss.

Playing the Challenge Mode level requires you to use only the Pikmin given to you. Each item you can collect is worth points and at the end of the time limit, which in this case was seven minutes, you are scored. Your movements throughout the level are also shown back to you on a map at high speed, in the hopes that it will help you reconsider your actions when you play it again.

The boss battle required you to use rock Pikmin to smash the armoured shell of your foe, before then frantically flinging your Pikmin at its exposed body. We can imagine a lot of similar challenges will exist in the full game, requiring you to carefully figure out which Pikmin to use.

Many details about Pikmin 3 still remain hidden, with Nintendo keeping a tight lid on information. Four new characters were shown during E3, although Nintendo did hint that Olimer would be featured in the game somewhere.

Unfortunately, Pikmin 3 won't feature online multiplayer due to technical issues, but local co-operative multiplayer is still available. While fans will be disappointed by this Pikmin 3 still remains enjoyable, whether you are playing alone or with someone else.

We still have a lot to learn about Pikmin 3 but from what we've seen and played so far it promises to be a fantastic game. Fans of the original have a lot to look forward to and anyone who hasn't played it before will soon pick it up.