August 19, 2004 - In an interview with Play Magazine, outspoken Team Ninja head Tomonobu Itagaki said that while he played and liked Pikmin 2, he could make a better sequel than Nintendo.

"Of course, there are other games I like to play, but I would not say I could not do a better job, because I know I could do a better job of making any game that is out there," he told the magazine. "I like Pikmin 2. Again, if I were asked to do a Pikmin 3, I could do a better job than Nintendo. But then if I do that, I can't just play for my personal enjoyment."

Team Ninja is best known for its Xbox fighter Dead or Alive 3, and Ninja Gaiden, both of which earned high scores by our sister site. The developer also created the initially popular sports game Dead or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball, which was panned by most critics.

The Nintendo-developed Pikmin 2 released for GameCube in Japan to critical acclaim. The title, a sequel to the lovable real-time strategy/puzzle game of the same franchise, features more environmental-based challenges, new characters, new cave exploration, and a multiplayer mode to boot. A US release is scheduled for the end of the month.