| Pico Park | |
| Developer: | TECOPARK |
| Platforms: | Microsoft Windows Nintendo Switch |
| Genre: | Action, Casual, Indie |
| Designer: | Teco |
| Programmer: | Teco |
| Artist: | Teco |
| Released: | Microsoft Windows May 7, 2021 Nintendo Switch June 8, 2019 |
| Composer: | TADOSUKE |
Pico Park is a cooperative multiplayer, action-puzzle independent game developed by TECOPARK. The initial release of Pico Park for Microsoft Windows was in 2016 via video game retailer Steam, featuring local multiplayer game play. It was formerly named Picollecitta but was changed to Pico Park because the former was "hard to remember".[1] On June 8, 2019, Pico Park was released for Nintendo Switch. In 2021, the game was updated to add online multiplayer features to allow game play through an internet connection.
The game offers three game modes: "World", "Endless", and "Battle". In "World" mode, game progression is based on the completion of puzzles; in "Endless" mode, the main goal is to obtain a high score; in "Battle" mode, players compete against each other instead of cooperating.
Pico Park won the "Best Presentation" award in Sense of Wonder Night 2014.
Pico Park is a cooperative local/online multiplayer action puzzle game for 2 to 8 players (2 to 10 players in the classic version). The goal of the game is to get a key and unlock the locked door at the end of the map. Players need to cooperate to reach the objective, but players also have the ability to prevent reaching this goal, for example by blocking other players' movement.
When asked what made him start making Pico Park, the game creator, Teco, answered, "I think it's fun for [friends] to get together and play on one screen," but that he thinks local gameplay has become less common with time.
Teco developed the game by himself and his friend helped to compose sounds in the game. This game was inspired by Saturn Bomberman, in which 10 players are able to play simultaneously, and The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords, which also had cooperative multiplayer mechanics.
Pico Park had its first playtest in Fall 2013.[4]
The game was presented in the Tokyo Game Show 2014 and won the Best Presentation award of the event Sense of Wonder Night 2014 under the name Picolecitta. During the presentation, Teco used an external USB hub with 10 gamepads connected to it to demonstrate the game.[5]
Pico Park was first released on April 26, 2016 for Microsoft Windows via Steam. The game was then released for Nintendo Switch on June 6, 2019, with updated textures and levels. Although the game was originally designed for local multiplayer, players requested the addition of online multiplayer features during the COVID-19 pandemic. On May 7, 2021, a new version of Pico Park was released for PC with online multiplayer and the additional features that came with the Nintendo Switch version. On September 9, 2021, the Nintendo Switch version also received an online multiplayer update.[6]
Pico Park is available on Microsoft Windows and Nintendo Switch, although cross-play between each system is not supported. There is also an official add-on application available on iOS and Android.
Pico Park: Classic Edition was released to steam on April 28, 2016. The classic version allows 2 to 10 players to play simultaneously. With a USB controller or smartphone as a controller, players play while sharing one screen. The game is free and is available on Steam.[7] The all-time peak number of simultaneous players is 419 on August 1, 2021, and the all-time peak of average players played in a month is 218.[8]
Pico Park was released to Steam on May 7, 2021. The version supports 2 to 8 players simultaneously and online multiplayer gameplay. The price of the game is $4.99 on Steam. This update also comes with an updated set of textures. The all-time peak number of simultaneous players is 16,802 on July 1, 2021. The game has 90.82% positive reviews from players on Steam, from a total of 7,115 reviews. The game is estimated to have sold more than 230,000 copies since its release.[9]
The release date of Pico Park for Nintendo Switch is June 8, 2019. The price of the game is $4.99 on the Nintendo eShop. On September 9, 2021, an online mode was introduced. The game also supports cloud storage for game save files. The game can be played in TV mode and tabletop mode, with no support for tablet mode.
TecoGamePad allows players to control characters in Pico Park without the use of a controller by controlling via a smartphone. This application is only supported by the Steam version, and both the computer and the smartphone must be connected to the same local network when in use.
The game received Best Presentation award from Sense of Wonder Night 2014,[10] and received average critic review score of 8 out of 10 from Famitsu.[11]
Hanzomon Arata, in an article on Famitsu, wrote that the game looks enjoyable even when players are three generations apart, and that the gimmicks allow everyone to share the same joy with more experienced players guiding less experienced players.[12]