As I survey the garden from my miniature spaceship – watching a team of minions breaking down a brick wall over there, another transporting treasure (a discarded rubber duck) back to base, and a third lot building a clay bridge – I feel a sense of peace and mastery, but also nagging annoyance. In real life I am the sort of person who forgets meetings and appointments even when they happen at the same time every week, can't multitask, and I am continually, unpleasantly surprised by how few hours I have at my disposal and how much there always is to cram into them. Why can't I manage myself half as well as I manage this virtual garden? Perhaps what I need is an army of tiny plant people as personal assistants. Pikmin are cheerful, obedient creatures, colourful sprouts with eyes, some with noses and little boulder bodies.