Pikmin 3 is one of the most anticipated Wii U games to come out this year, and gamers who have been waiting since the last game came out on the Gamecube in 2004 are counting down the days until they get a chance to play the game. Well, Nintendo has partnered with retailer Gamestop to give diehard fans of the series a chance to play the game one day early, on August 3, giving those gamers a chance to explore the wonderful world of Pikmin quicker.

The special deal, announced by Nintendo executive Reggie Fils-Aime in a video hosted by Gamespot, will take place in special Gamestop's around the country on July 21-22. During these two days, the selected Gamestop locations will have a special hands-on demo of the game for fans to partake in. Then, if these gamers preorder the game during this event, they will be able to download the full game from the Nintendo eShop a full 24 hours before the game will hit the shelves for everyone else.

This deal with only last during these two games, so gamers will have to act quickly in order to get the game early. However, one flaw in this strategy is that those who would be most interested in getting the game early are the ones who have most likely already preordered the game. This means that diehard Pikmin fans will be left out of this special deal, which must be disappointed to those who have waited through the Wii's entire lifespan to get a new Pikmin game.

More than 250 Gamestop locations will be hosting these special events, so interest Wii U owners should check in at the company's official website to see if their nearest location will be able to support their Pikmin 3 needs. No word if international gamers will be able to take advantage of this deal as well.

Pikmin 3 is set for a wide release of August 4, and those who will not be able to play the game's demo July 21-22 can take solace in this gameplay videoshowing off the game and the variety of new areas to explore with their pikmin companions.

While he may not be appearing in Pikmin 3, the original protagonist of the series, Captain Olimar, has been confirmed to be returning to the Super Smash Bros series for both the Wii U and 3DS.