Pikmin 4

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==== Unknown Chrysanthemum-like enemy ====
==== Unknown Chrysanthemum-like enemy ====
An unknown green creature with eyestalks disguised as flowers, similar to the [[Creeping Chrysanthemum]], is seen in a scrolling ribbon of pictures on the official Japanese website.{{cite web|https://www.nintendo.co.jp/switch/ampya/index.html|official Japanese ''Pikmin 4'' website|Nintendo|retrieved={{date|7|June|2023}}}} It has a large mouth and round cheeks. It seems to use its spiked tongue to attack and create significant saliva (possibly being a water hazard). Given its plant-like appearance, it likely will camouflage with its surroundings in an attempt to surprise nearby prey, just as the Creeping Chrysanthemum does.
An unknown green creature with eyestalks disguised as flowers, similar to the [[Creeping Chrysanthemum]], is seen in a scrolling ribbon of pictures on the official Japanese website.{{cite web|https://www.nintendo.co.jp/switch/ampya/index.html|official Japanese ''Pikmin 4'' website|Nintendo|retrieved={{date|7|June|2023}}}} It has a large mouth and round cheeks. It seems to use its spiked tongue to attack and create significant saliva (possibly being a water hazard). Given its plant-like appearance, it likely will camouflage with its surroundings in an attempt to surprise nearby prey, just as the Creeping Chrysanthemum does. It could also be part of the Quaggled Mireclops’s family given the bright red tongue.


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Revision as of 12:37, July 2, 2023

Pikmin 4
The North American boxart for Pikmin 4.
North American game cover.
Japanese name ピクミン 4?
Rating ESRB rating: E 10+ PEGI rating: 3
Console Nintendo Switch
Developer TBA
Publisher Nintendo
Genre TBA
Players 1-2 players
Worldwide release date July 21st, 2023

This article or section is about an upcoming or recently released game.
The content here is subject to change as more information is discovered.
All information added here must be verifiable and not speculative.

Pikmin 4 is the upcoming fourth mainline installment in the Pikmin series, planned for release on July 21st, 2023 for the Nintendo Switch. Many details of the game are currently unknown, but it is known that it introduces Ice Pikmin and Glow Pikmin, a companion character called Oatchi, customizable player characters, and night expeditions to the series.

Plot

Having once again crash-landed on PNF-404, Captain Olimar sends out a distress signal to the Rescue Corps for aid. However, the Rescue Corps also crash-land on the planet. It is now up to their newest recruit to save Olimar and the castaway members of the Rescue Corps, and repair the Rescue Corps' ship, the S.S. Shepherd.

Gameplay

The image shown after the Pikmin 4 announcement trailer in the 9.13.2022 Nintendo Direct.
Combat with a Bulborb.

So far, the gameplay seems to be the same as in the previous main titles of the franchise, though with some subtle changes. The cursor looks less like something to point towards an exact spot with, and more like a simple indicator of the general direction the aim is. This can be in part due to the lower camera angle. On top of standard Pikmin management and ordering, the player also has Oatchi with them, which they can command in different ways than the Pikmin.

In the game's reveal trailer, Pikmin series creator Shigeru Miyamoto said after the trailer that the Nintendo Switch's controls have made controlling the game simpler, allowing the player to focus more on strategic planning, or "dandori" (段取り?) as the developers refer to it.[1] The word "Dandori" appears multiple times in the game proper.

Game modes

Currently, the only game modes known to be in the game are the main Story Mode, where the player must find and rescue members of the Rescue Corps, a 2-player battle mode known as Dandori Battle, and Olimar's Shipwreck tale, a quest to collect the 30 ship parts of the Dolphin.

Dandori Battle

Dandori Battles are a new challenge in Pikmin 4, serving as a successor to 2-Player Battle from Pikmin 2 and Bingo Battle from Pikmin 3. In Dandori Battles, the player and an unknown Olimar-looking creature compete against each other to collect as much treasure as possible. Collecting treasures earns a player points; the player with the most points when the timer runs out is declared the winner. Dandori Battles may be available as a 2 player challenge mode, similar to 2-player battle and Bingo Battle from the previous games.

When playing Dandori Battles, Player 1 plays as the main leader, while an Olimar-like creature competes with the player. In this context, they are known as "Dandori Challenges".

Night expeditions

A new type of gameplay in Pikmin 4 are "night expeditions". This marks the first time in the Pikmin series that areas can be explored at nighttime. At the end of each day, the player has the option to either end the day like normal, or choose to remain on the planet for the night. Night expeditions feature tower defense-like gameplay. The goal of night expeditions is to protect "Lumiknolls", tall mounds of dirt with holes in them, revealing a glowing interior. Lumiknolls contain a substance known as "glow sap", which is described as being very valuable.

At nighttime, standard enemies will become frenzied, which is indicated by their eyes glowing a bright red. In this state, these enemies will seek out and attack Lumiknolls. The Lumiknolls' health is indicated by a health bar at the top of the screen, but each hit it takes will also cause one of the glowing holes to darken. At night, the only Pikmin type available are a new type of Pikmin called Glow Pikmin. Completing night expeditions rewards the player with glow seeds, used to summon Glow Pikmin in caves, and glow sap, used to cure Leaflings.

Content

Pikmin types

All Pikmin types except for Bulbmin are known to return in Pikmin 4. In addition there will be two new types, Ice Pikmin and Glow Pikmin.

Returning types

The following Pikmin types introduced in previous Pikmin games are in Pikmin 4:

Ice Pikmin

Main article: Ice Pikmin.

Ice Pikmin are a new type of Pikmin. They are cyan, with bodies that look like they are composed of two chunks of ice. They leave small snow and water vapor particles around them as they move, and they have yellow flowers. They have the ability to freeze enemies and bodies of water, they are also inmune to ice itself.

Glow Pikmin

Main article: Glow Pikmin.

Glow Pikmin are a new type of Pikmin that can only be used at night during night expeditions. Glow Pikmin have bright green, bioluminescent bodies. They have no legs, and their bodies instead end in a tapered, ghost-like tail. Because of this, they have the ability to float. They have blue eyes, though one of them appears to be larger than the other and has a light blue pupil. Their flowers are also slightly differently shaped, with pointed petals instead of the normal rounded ones. They also appear to be slightly smaller than other Pikmin types.

An item called the glow seed allows Glow Pikmin to be summoned in caves; like Bulbmin, they are immune to all hazard types but cannot be taken out of the cave.

Areas

Pikmin 4 has several distinct areas, the following of which being known from the demo or from released footage.

Caves

Caves are shown to return in Pikmin 4. But they aren't randomly generated like in Pikmin 2. Caves are accessed via black tubes with blue lids on the surface. On footage from the Japanese website, one can be seen with a red flag attached to it, presumably meaning that it's been completed, similar to Pikmin 2. Some cave units originally from Pikmin 2 such as room_hitode4x4_3_metal and room_dan4x4i_3_conc are known to return with an updated design. Currently, we know of Six caves: "Burrow of Beginnings", the first cave entered, "Last-Frost Cavern", where Ice Pikmin are discovered, "Industrial Maze", "Crackling Cauldron", “Aquiferous Summit” and “Hectic Hollows”.

These caves have large puzzle-oriented floors. They can be seen with a myriad of hazards, including fans, rails, Bouncy Mushrooms, conveyor belts, floating platforms, and more.

Four distinct types of cave floors can be seen in the February and June trailers: one that looks like a standard dirt cave, another that's themed around metal and seems to take place inside of a shed, one with a muddy floor and brick walls, one taking place over metal platforms in a dark void, one taking place in an enclosed area with blue tiles on the walls and floor, and one that appears to take place inside what is presumably either a display terrarium in an aquarium/a pet store or a science museum's water table. Notable content that can be seen includes:

  • Dirt cave:
    • Muddy floors.
    • Dirt walls.
    • Tiny fungi.
    • Dead leaves scattered about.
  • Shed:
    • Metal rings and dirt on the floor.
    • An LED dot matrix display, showing a number. All trailer footage just shows the number "01".
    • In the cave's background, what is either the sunlight shining from the slits on the door of the shed, or some fluorescent lamps that are on.
    • Support beams in the background, possibly made of wood.
  • Brick cave:
    • Muddy floor.
    • Brick walls.
    • Green mold.
  • Display area:
    • Sandy floors.
    • Rocks and fake plants.
    • Lit up by lamps.
    • A wall with an ocean painted on it.
    • Glass walls.
    • Fake logs with what appears to be astroturf on top of them.
    • In the background, cylindrical aquariums built into pillars can be seen, along with blurry visages of soda fountains behind them. What appears to be a blurry exit sign and a vending machine can also be briefly seen.

Treasures

Treasures appear to be the main collectible item in Pikmin 4. Treasures have sparkle effects around them. When collected, a simple notification appears on-screen saying "New treasure collected!", with the icon of the corresponding treasure appearing above it. In this game, when a treasure is being carried, it rotates as the Pikmin change direction in their path. Like in Hey! Pikmin, treasures in this game are filled with Sparklium, which is used to power the S.S. Shepherd.

The treasures that can be found in the demo include:

Other treasures seen in prerelease footage include:

  • A toy boat.
  • A castanet.
  • A kendama.
  • A beach ball.
  • A fidget spinner.
  • Origami cranes.
  • A craft resembling a flatfish.
  • A tako sausage.
  • A persimmon.
  • Tomatoes.
  • Purple grapes.
  • A mechanism for a music box.
  • A chalkboard eraser.
  • Macaroons.
  • An apple.
  • A lime.
  • A horned object that resembles a screw.
  • A calculator.
  • A kitchen sponge.
  • A Ring Pop.
  • A magnifying glass.
  • Weights of different sizes.
  • 2 watches.
  • A banana. Unlike the Slapstick Crescent, this one has a sticker on it.
  • A peach.
  • A wedding ring in a ring box. Only the ring sparkles, which may mean that the box itself is not part of the treasure.
  • A starfruit.
  • A jar of jam.
  • A waffle.
  • An éclair.
  • A kabuki mask.
  • An industrial remote of some kind.
  • A pair of 3D glasses.
  • A watermelon.
  • Nigiri sushi.
  • Dice of several different types: four-sided, six-sided, ten-sided, and twenty-sided.
  • Hanafuda cards.

Other collectibles

Outside of treasures, the player can also collect "raw materials"; these appear as light blue pebbles. They can be found in piles around the world, and they also drop from broken walls and jars, and some enemies when they are killed. These materials are used to craft upgrades for the spacesuit or Oatchi's collar. They can also be turned into lumps of clay, which can be used to build things like bridges and climbable walls.

Characters

A screenshot from Pikmin 4 where Shepherd is discussing Oatchi.
Various leaders discussing Oatchi.

Pikmin 4 features several characters. Most of these are members of the Rescue Corps (referred to as Rescue Officers), a group of 6 humanoid characters and 1 dog who are sent to the planet to rescue Captain Olimar, the only confirmed returning character. There is another character who is customizable and appears to be the only playable character. Of the six members of the Rescue Corps and three civilians currently named, all appear to be named after a dog breed, likely thematic in reference to Oatchi, who is described as a space dog and is introduced as a main mechanic in this game.

Player character

Main article: Pikmin 4 player character.

The main character of the game is a customizable character, referred to in promotional material as "You". Promotional gameplay screenshots feature the names "Lisa" and "Emma". Their name and appearance can be customized in a character creator. They are the only one seen being controlled in gameplay, which could imply they are the only leader. They are the newest recruit to the Rescue Corps, sent to rescue them from a crash landing after trying to rescue Captain Olimar for the same reason.

The default design of this character (shown in trailers and promotion art) has a full head of unkempt red hair, one long eyelash atop each eye, rosy cheeks, a small spherical nose, a small circular open mouth, an orange antenna light, as well as a full red spacesuit with white gloves and boots. Their ID card states they are from the planet Karut.

Collin

Main article: Collin.

Collin is the Comms Operator of the crew. He has a square head with a pointy nose, large green eyes, and large rosy cheeks. His mouth is similar to that of the President. He has close-cut gray hair with a spiraling tuft at the top. He has the same pointy ears as the player character. His name alludes to Collies. He is from the planet Giya.

Shepherd

Main article: Shepherd.

Erma Shepherd is the captain of the crew. She has a pear-shaped head, long ears, dark skin, and blonde hair styled in a bun with a long curl on the side. She also wears a red bandana and has white grease paint under her eyes. She has the same pointy ears as the main leader. She is the captain of the S.S. Shepherd. Her name alludes to German Shepherds. She is also from the planet Giya. Shepherd is able to upgrade Oatchi by training him. Training Oatchi subtracts from Oatchi's "Pup Drive", which increases from rescuing castaways.

Russ

Main article: Russ.

Russ is the Material Engineer and inventor of the crew. He can be seen conversing with the others. He appears to be bald and have a pear-shaped head, a long nose, and appear to wear glasses. He has the same pointy ears as the main leader. His head shape bears a resemblance to the spammer that advertises Hocotate Whiz in Pikmin 2. Russ runs "The Lab", a shop where the player is able to spend materials they've collected on upgrades for themselves or Oatchi, as well as helpful items. His name alludes to Jack Russell Terriers. Like Collin and Shepherd, he is from the planet Giya.

Dingo

Dingo has a triangle-shaped head, light skin, pointy ears, a large pinkish nose, and red hair spiking upwards. He wears a dark blue headband. His name alludes to dingoes. He is from the planet Ohri. He is a ranger who excels at solo missions.

Yonny

Yonny has a pear-shaped head, long ears, dark skin, and a green bowl cut. They wear a headlamp and have beady eyes, a red spacesuit and the same pointy ears as the main leader. Their name alludes to Papillons. In the June 21st, 2023 Nintendo Direct trailer, they can be seen talking with the player about night expeditions, meaning that the player may have to talk to them to begin one.

Bernard

As-of-yet, not much is known about Bernard. They appear to look similar to Alph and has a oval-shaped head, a slicked-back spiked hair, and having pointy ears as well. Their name alludes to St. Bernards.

Oatchi

Main article: Oatchi.

Oatchi is a Rescue Pup that assists the Rescue Corps. In gameplay, he acts as an assistant to the player's character, as well as a secondary leader if separated.

Leafling and Moss

A red humanoid creature, who has Captain Olimar's suit and face, but has a head covered with red fur and with the stem of a Pikmin, is seen kidnapping a castaway and is accompanied by Moss, a Rescue Pup that is initially seen with Olimar (which further suggests that the creature is Olimar after being transformed somehow). Moss's tail has been replaced by a Pikmin stem and leaf. This look-alike is also used in Dandori Battles for the second player. The red humanoid is simply named "???" in their dialog and talks in a similar manner to Captain Olimar. The duo kidnaps a castaway, and hops into an orange pipe. Inside, the mysterious duo challenges the player to a round of "Dandori", only returning the castaway when they lose. It should be noted that the castaway was put into the Onion by Moss, removing their helmet and giving them a Pikmin-like appearance with purple fur and a stem on their head just like that of the unknown figure. In this state, they are called a Leafling. When recovering them, their ID badges are unreadable due to corrupted biometric data, listing their name as "???" and their home planet as PNF-404.

Civilian castaways

Several other travelers that are not associated with the Rescue Corps have also received Olimar's distress signal, and have become stranded as well. They will stay at the Rescue Command Post upon being rescued, and some provide useful functions.

Schnauz

Schnauz is a Treasure Appraiser. Rescuing him unlocks the Treasure Catalog. His name alludes to Schnauzers. He is from the planet Siguray.

Dalmo

Dalmo is an animal researcher. Rescuing him unlocks the Piklopedia. His name alludes to Dalmatians. He is from the planet Sozor.

Kingsly

Kingsly is a flower enthusiast. His name may allude to Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. He is from the planet Ooji.

Captain Olimar

Olimar as seen on the Pikmin 4 website.
Olimar's profile, as seen on the Japanese website.

Captain Olimar returns in Pikmin 4. At some unknown point in time relative to the other Pikmin games, he crash-landed on PNF-404 again. The Rescue Corps set out to rescue him, but also crash-landed. At the time his distress signal reached the Rescue Corps, he had been on the planet for one month.[2] Similar to data files in Pikmin 3, Olimar has left behind a "Voyage Log" containing useful information about the planet.

Enemies

Various new and returning enemies have been shown in trailers.

Returning enemies

The following returning enemies can be spotted in the demo, trailers, gameplay videos, and screenshots shown so far:

The following enemies can be seen in the Piklopedia in the overview trailer:

In addition, the Japanese "Pikmin Garden" website[3] features artwork and renders of several more enemies:

Downy Snagret

An enemy known as a Downy Snagret[4] resembling an infant Burrowing Snagret can be seen at one point in the February 2023 trailer, and is present in the key art. They hop around on their one leg, and look around and chirp when idling.

Unknown arachnorb-like enemy

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You can help Pikipedia by uploading some images.

An unknown arachnorb-like enemy can be seen at one point in the February 2023 trailer. Its head is black and resembles a disco ball, with several circular lights dotted throughout. Its legs appear to be covered by tightly-wrapped strands of a dark unknown material, which dangle from the upper segments of its legs. The bottom half of two of its legs are bare, exposing an ivory bony endoskeleton of some kind underneath. Several holes can be seen on the interior of its bottommost joints.

At the start it appears to be hanging from the ceiling, with the spots on its head glowing a cyan color. After being attacked by several Yellow Pikmin, it drops down onto the floor with a thud that shoves away Pikmin, the leader, and Oatchi. Right afterwards it spins on its head as its legs come down. When attacking, the lights on its body turn yellow and it stomps around, crushing Pikmin with its large feet. Many Pikmin can be seen underneath it when the lights are yellow, unable to do much other than jump in place with some pink smoke coming out of their heads. This status effect is similar in appearance to poison, or the dust that the Vehemoth Phosbat sprays which causes the Pikmin to panic, but it is unknown if this is the result of the arachnorb enemy itself or another hazard.

Unknown Mockiwi-like enemy

An unknown Mockiwi-like enemy with a trumpet-shaped beak can be seen at one point in the February 2023 trailer. The top of its head and back of its body are a dim yellow color, while the bottom of the head and the stomach are white. They have small wings on each side of their body, and two small paws with white legs and red toes. Their sclerae are black, their irises are white, and their pupils are black. Their most prominent feature is the trumpet-shaped magenta beak. The fact that it looks like a Mockiwi, has a yellow torso, a dark-colored face, and a long snout makes it resemble an unused enemy in Hey! Pikmin known only as "Peromakky".

Unknown Chrysanthemum-like enemy

An unknown green creature with eyestalks disguised as flowers, similar to the Creeping Chrysanthemum, is seen in a scrolling ribbon of pictures on the official Japanese website.[5] It has a large mouth and round cheeks. It seems to use its spiked tongue to attack and create significant saliva (possibly being a water hazard). Given its plant-like appearance, it likely will camouflage with its surroundings in an attempt to surprise nearby prey, just as the Creeping Chrysanthemum does. It could also be part of the Quaggled Mireclops’s family given the bright red tongue.

Unknown fish-like enemy

An unknown fish-like enemy with small bumps on its head can be seen swimming in an underwater area in the June 2023 Nintendo Direct trailer.

Unknown elephant-like enemy

An unknown enemy covered in a type of armor with a long trunk can be seen in the house area in the June 2023 Nintendo Direct trailer. It somewhat resembles members of the blowhog family.

Unknown Dweevil

A light blue Dweevil can be seen in a kitchen in the June 2023 Nintendo Direct trailer. It has a similar color to Ice Pikmin, suggesting that it may attack with ice.

Unknown Dwarf Bulborb enemy

An enemy resembling a Dwarf Bulborb, but with the white abdomen of a Bulborb Larva, can be seen at nighttime in the June 2023 Nintendo Direct trailer. According to the Pikmin Garden's Piklopedia,[6] it is a Bulborb in a life stage between the Bulborb Larva and the adult Bulborb, and its Japanese nickname is コチャッピーモドキ? (lit.: "Pseudo Small Chappy").

Unknown scorpion-like enemy

A large unknown enemy resembling a scorpion, with a flower-like tail, is seen battling the player character in the June 2023 Nintendo Direct trailer. It may be a boss, as it is fought alone in an arena-like location. Its head somewhat resembles that of a Widemouthed Anode Beetle.

Unknown icy moth-like enemy

A large moth-like enemy, possessing the ability to shoot out a blast of freezing wind with its wings, is seen battling the player character in the June 2023 Nintendo Direct trailer.

Porquillion

Main article: Porquillion.

The Porquillion is an enemy with a large bulbous back filled with spikes.

Giant Yellow Wollywog

An abnormally large Yellow Wollywog can be briefly seen in what appears to be a water table or a pet shop terrarium. Although it looks identical to the Yellow Wollywog, it is extremely large, being just as 5 times as tall as a Pikmin when members of the species are usually twice as tall as a Pikmin, and this massive size allows it to actually depress sand that it lands on, forming new pools. It is unclear if this size difference makes it of a different species compared to Yellow Wollywogs, or they are still considered the same species.

Snowy Blowhog

The Snowy Blowhog is a grounded Blowhog that can shoot an icy mist that can freeze Pikmin. They are first seen fighting Ice Pikmin, which are invulnerable to the chilling attack.

Unknown slug-like enemy

A pair of slug-like enemies can be seen in the overview trailer.

Unknown icy Bulborb enemy

One of the screenshots at the end of the game's demo appears to show a light blue Bulborb covered in ice crystals. Dwarf variants of said bulborbs also exist.

Tusked Blowhog

The Tusked Blowhog is a species in the new "Tusked Blowhog" family, which resembles a Fiery Blowhog except for its yellow eyes, visible mouth, and prominent tusks. It does not blow out of its snout like other Blowhogs, instead preferring to charge into Pikmin, similar to Oatchi's Rush attack. It will then try to eat any Pikmin it has knocked over.

Scorchcake

Main article: Scorchcake.

The Scorchcake has a short cylindrical rocky body and a pair of blue eyes on stalks. Its main attack is flipping over, crushing Pikmin underneath its hard body, revealing its burning underbelly.

Unknown Goolix-like enemy

An enemy resembling the Goolix appears in footage on the Japanese website. It appears to be fought by pulling on a tongue-like tendril until it bursts.

Gear and items

Like in previous games, the player can obtain upgrades (known in this game as Gear) for their space suit. The same upgrades can also be bought for Oatchi. The player can also purchase items that they can use in the field. Gear and Items require raw meterials and can be purchased from Russ at The Lab.

Returning gear

  • Anti-Electrifier
  • Scorch Guard
  • Rush Boots

Survey Drone

The Survey Drone is an piece of gear that allows the player to freely view their surroundings.

Charging Horn

This gear unlocks the charge ability for the player's Pikmin.

Other new gear

  • Headlamp+
  • Thermal Defense: Protects the leader and Oatchi from being frozen by icy attacks.
  • Lineup Trumpet

Scrummy Bone

This item will completely heal Oatchi. If Oatchi eats it when his health is full, then he will get a boost in health.

Emergency Kit

When the leader takes damage that would incapacitate them, this item will be expended to nullify the damage and automatically restore a portion of their health.

Pikpik carrot

This item can be thrown to distract enemies, similar to the Piklopedia in Pikmin 2. Additionally, it will temporarily paralyze enemies that eat them.

Obstacles

Many obstacles, tools, and hazards can be seen in the trailers.

Returning obstacles

The following obstacles and tools are known to return from previous games:

Potted plants

Large mounds of dirt with roots on them can be seen in the February 2023 trailer. These mounds represent potted plants whose pots fell over and broke, tipping the plant sideways. The plant is just a generic plant ending with a large green leaf, not unlike the leaf seen atop a Pikmin's head. The plant's roots are all around the dirt mound. Pikmin grab onto the plant's stem and start pulling sideways. The dirt pile and plant stretch out more and more until eventually the dirt collapses, the roots are freed, and the Pikmin are knocked onto the floor, slightly throwing the plant with them. The small chunks of dirt the obstacle breaks into simply disappear into the floor as they fall, while the plant smoothly vanishes shortly after being uprooted.

Unknown climbable wall

Walls that can be made climbable through unknown means can be seen at one point in the February 2023 trailer. These walls have a base made of dirt, like a pile of dirt leaning on the wall making a small ramp. Atop the wall is also another base of dirt. Before the wall becomes climbable, Pikmin or Oatchi must drag pieces of **raw material** to the wall. These, along with the bases above and below start glowing, and after a bit transform into the final climbable wall, with a puff of smoke. The wall then resembles a climbing wall, with small pebbles protruding. Both leaders and Pikmin can use these walls. Leaders can move up the wall, but seem to also be able to move sideways diagonally. Oatchi is unable to scale walls.

Clay bridge

Clay bridges are a new type of bridge. When Pikmin are thrown onto this bridge, a number similar to a carrying number appears, showing how many lumps of clay are required to build the bridge. Should enough raw material be available, the Pikmin will then return to the S.S. Beagle and retrieve the clay before bringing it back to the bridge and building onto it, similar to the way fragments are used to build bridges in Pikmin 3.

Unknown jar obstacle

Jars that can be smashed by having Oatchi charge at them can be seen at one point in the February 2023 trailer. They seem to be made of ceramic, and have cracks on their sides, near the base. Some of them appear to contain nectar, as seen in the IGN preview. Others may contain wild Pikmin, as seen in the demo.

Unknown wall obstacle

A wall obstacle made of a crystalline material can be seen at one point in the February 2023 trailer. In the June 2023 trailer it can be seen being destroyed by Rock Pikmin.

Hydro jelly

Hydro jelly is a new type of obstacle. It resembles a glob of translucent blue gelatinous material, and can be found in mounds of different sizes. These obstacles require Ice Pikmin to clear; first, the player must freeze the hydro jelly with Ice Pikmin. Once it is frozen, other Pikmin types will be able to destroy it.

Plants and fungi

The leaf texture used in Pikmin 2's Challenge Mode menu. (Used on Pikipedia in the {{stub}} template.)

This section is a stub. You can help Pikipedia by expanding it.

The areas seen in footage appear to be filled with a high density of plants, most of which are decorative. Various sizes of Pellet Posies and a Burgeoning Spiderwort are present. Other recognizable plants include:

Character creator

Main article: Pikmin 4 character creator.

Others

Some other content can be spotted from the footage. In addition, some of the established content in the franchise suffered changes in Pikmin 4.

  • New content:
    • The player's ship is a small pod called the S.S. Beagle. It somewhat resembles a SPERO.
      • It has a white color with accents that are the same color as the color of the space suit that the player chooses for their character to wear.
      • It has the ability to fly and warp through space.
      • It has some Koppaite text on it, reading 'H' in Koppaite text 'T' in Koppaite text 'C' in Koppaite text 'U' in Koppaite text (HTCU or HTOU).
      • This pod is how the leader and Oatchi travel. They are expelled and sucked in by the beam below the pod.
    • The Rescue Corps' ship, the S.S. Shepherd, can be seen crashed at one of the landing sites.
      • It follows the color scheme of the S.S. Beagle.
      • It also has Koppaite text on it, reading 'H' in Koppaite text 'T' in Koppaite text 'C' in Koppaite text 'U' in Koppaite text 'G' in Koppaite text 'N' in Koppaite text (HTCUGN or HTOUGN).
      • There is a component at the top that can only be seen on the second-to-last scene of the trailer. In the first scene in which it appears, this component is missing.
    • Some pink pebbles surround the Red Onion and the pod. These mark the location of bases; if the player comes across an empty base, they have the option to move the Onion and S.S. Beagle there.
      • Some bases are guarded by enemies; the player will only be able to move to these bases if they defeat these enemies beforehand.
    • Bomb rocks appear in Dandori Battles. They are much larger than the Pikmin, like in Pikmin 2, and appear to be on small platforms, allowing them to be picked up and carried like treasures. The Pikmin will carry them to the opposing player's Onion, where it will be absorbed and explode, causing the Onion to expel some of its treasures.
    • There is a new feature called "Rewind Time", which allows the player to go back a set amount of time if they make a mistake or lose lots of Pikmin. It's currently unknown how to activate this feature.
    • Before starting a new day, the player can check in with members of the Rescue Corps at a location known as the Rescue Command Post. Here, they can purchase upgrades or train Oatchi.
    • Whenever Pikmin accomplish something like breaking down a wall, a notification will appear on the screen informing the player about it.
    • Wild Pikmin can appear in caves. They will stay in the Onion that the player possesses and cannot produce more of its kind until its own Onion is retrieved.
    • When fighting an enemy for the first time, a notification reading "New creature discovered!" will appear. It's unknown what this is for.
    • There are now dialogue options. For example, when Russ is telling the main leader about raw materials, the player has the option of responding with either "Cool." or "Huh?"
  • Changed content:
    • Onions now look more like a fruit with a speckled texture similar to apples. Their petals are smaller and point downwards like the original design. The base of the Onion is now yellow and plastic-like in appearance, and its legs are now green instead of yellow. Like in Pikmin 3, Onions fuse together upon meeting a new type of Pikmin; however, the Onion now becomes segmented like a gourd, with each segment bearing the color of a Pikmin type.
    • Pikmin sound slightly different, as does the plucking and whistle sounds.
    • The cursor changed appearance and behavior.
      • It is now followed by an indicator, which consists of an icon with an optional number below it. The icon is that of the Pikmin type in standby, or Oatchi, and the number is the number of Pikmin in the group of that type. Regardless of how the cursor itself is displayed, the icon and number are always facing the screen as part of the game HUD.
      • When pointing at the floor, the cursor is flush with the floor in the game world's geometry. In this state it looks like a ring with a dot in the center, and the standby indicator appears above it.
      • When pointing at an enemy, the cursor locks on to its center automatically and faces the game screen as part of the HUD. In this state it looks like a ring split into four equal arcs, and the standby indicator appears below it.
      • When fighting the Bulborb, and when fighting the first stage of the arachnorb-like enemy, the cursor faces the game screen as part of the HUD and takes on a unique shape, whilst locked-on to the creatures. It looks like a thick ring split into four equal arcs, with a thinner inner ring close to it that is also segmented in the same way. The intervals between each arc pair each have a triangle facing the center of the cursor. Finally, the center point of the cursor resembles a plus sign with a hole in the middle.
    • The text boxes that pop up when a character is speaking have a different design to the previous games, most notably adding the character's name above their portrait and having the text align left rather than center.
    • Pikmin that get knocked down in combat have a chance of decreasing one level of maturity, like in Pikmin.
    • The camera rotates horizontally as the player moves left and right on the screen.
    • The Sun Meter is now a circular gauge in the top left corner of the screen. The far right side of the gauge is colored red, possibly meaning that this is when the end-of-day period begins.
    • The player can only have three Pikmin types on the field at one time.
    • The player's Pikmin limit starts at 20. The way to increase it is with the new Flarlic, an object resembling a cross between an Onion and garlic. Each Flarlic that the Onion consumes increase the amount of Pikmin allowed outside by 10.
    • The action menu from Pikmin 3 Deluxe returns. The four options are to dismiss (now renamed "disband") the player's Pikmin, switch to Oatchi, command Oatchi to do something, or open the player's Pack.
    • Unlike Pikmin 2, time still passes while in caves, albeit at 1/6 of the usual rate.
    • The Treasure Gauge is now a small bar below the Sun Meter. Instead of being unlocked with a treasure, it is instead a command that can be given to Oatchi.
    • When collecting a treasure, the HUD will show the player how many treasures are left in the current area/sublevel.
    • Some Onions can be discovered in caves.
    • Gates can be different sizes. Some are very long, while others are narrow.
    • When entering a cave, the player has the option to go straight to a specific sublevel if they have reached it before, as well as take out or return Pikmin to the Onion without returning to the base first.
      • Also, when entering a new sublevel, the player's Pikmin will already be in their party and no longer have to be whistled.
  • The Piklopedia now allows the player to engage in practice battles against enemies, allowing them to fight especially troublesome foes without risk of losing Pikmin.

Dandori

Dandori is, as the game puts it, the ability to "organize tasks strategically and working effectively to execute plans". It is a key concept of the Pikmin series as a whole, but is more stressed in Pikmin 4, with characters referring specifically to it, and there being two game modes named after it, Dandori Challenges and Dandori Battles.

Other information

  • Game size: 10.36 GB.
  • Supported play modes: TV (1 or 2 players), tabletop (1 or 2 players), and handheld (1 player).
  • Supported controllers: two Joy-Cons, single Joy-Con (only when playing in multiplayer), and Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. When playing in multiplayer with single Joy-Cons, player 1 holds the controller horizontally and player 2 holds the controller vertically.[7]
  • Supported languages: Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Traditional Chinese.[8]

Demo

On June 28th, a demo for the game was released. In it, players can play part of Story Mode with one or two players. This allows them to explore the Sun-Speckled Terrace and its seven caves (one being a Dandori Challenge and another being a Dandori Battle). Once the player has accumulated 1500 sparklium and the day ends, they are shown a notification telling them of the end of the demo, and then taken to a screen advertising the final game, with a button to return to the title screen, and another to access the eShop. If the player selects their file, they can still explore the Rescue Command Post (and access the Piklopedia and Treasure Hoard if the corresponding castaways are saved), but will be prevented from continuing to the next area or landing in the previous one.

The title screen naturally includes the word "Demo" under the logo, and has an extra option, "Nintendo eShop", that when pressed, prompts the player to open the eShop's page for Pikmin 4. The Dandori Battle option exists, but choosing it will simply inform the player of their availability in the full version.

Any progress made in the demo can carry over to the final game. Collecting 1500 sparklium also gives the player some bonuses: they will obtain 1500 raw materials and a Oatchi-Rider outfit for their Mii in Pikmin Bloom through My Nintendo.

History

Pre-announcement

Before Pikmin 4's official announcement in 2022, various pieces of information about the game were shared by Pikmin series creator Shigeru Miyamoto. This information was sparse and sometimes contradictory, and the lack of official statements by Nintendo made it difficult to work out what was actually happening with Pikmin 4. It is possible that some of these statements were referring to Hey! Pikmin.

The first of these mentions was on November 6th, 2014, when Miyamoto was being interviewed on the recently-released Pikmin Short Movies, during which he said Continually launching campaigns after the release of software will lay the groundwork for the next iteration of "Pikmin" in the future. And needless to say, we want it to be one of the motivations for potential consumers to purchase Wii U. We are making a variety of different efforts., indicating the possibility of another Pikmin game on the Wii U.[9] Not long after, Miyamoto also mentioned wanting to make more Pikmin games in an interview with Smosh Games.[10]

On September 7th, 2015, Eurogamer unveiled that, in an exclusive interview, Miyamoto had confirmed the development of Pikmin 4, and claimed that it's actually very close to completion. Pikmin teams are always working on the next one.[11] In the same article, Eurogamer also revealed a separate statement from a Nintendo representative, which said We can confirm that Pikmin 4 is in development but that is all we can confirm at present. It is not known if the "Pikmin 4" mentioned in that quote is the actual name for the game that Nintendo used, whether it's a placeholder name or not, or if it's just the result of the quote's English translation.[note 1]

In interviews in 2015 and 2016, Miyamoto mentioned wanting to make more Pikmin and Star Fox games.[12] When asked about characters he wanted to develop further at an Apple Store event, he said Yeah, I always wanted Fox McCloud to be a bit more popular than he is. But I think one more would be Pikmin. So I think these two, I'll need to put some more energy into.[13]

On July 7th, 2016, Gamerant interviewed Miyamoto and asked him about the status of the game's development and why there hadn't been any news in the past few months. To this, he replied Yes, you are right, and we're working on [Pikmin 4]. So, you know, when we're in development we have to create a list of priorities and it has been hard to kind of fit that into that list, but we're hopefully starting to see that on the list now.[14]

A second Eurogamer interview with Miyamoto about Pikmin 4 was conducted at E3 2017, during which he stated I've been told not to share anything about this from PR, but I can tell you it is progressing.[15] This was the last time Pikmin 4 was mentioned before its official announcement.

Pre-release

Pikmin 4 was officially announced in a Nintendo Direct presentation on September 13th, 2022.[16] This announcement was in a section presented by Shigeru Miyamoto, which also promoted Pikmin Bloom and the upcoming Mario movie. A short trailer was shown, featuring a few scenes in a garden-like area and announcing a release window of 2023. Miyamoto provided some more basic details of the game after the trailer, and also showed off a new Pikmin T-shirt design based on the game's logo, which was made available to buy shortly afterwards.

On February 8th, 2023, a Nintendo Direct presentation announced the release date for the game in a new trailer.[17] This trailer showed various short clips of gameplay and cutscenes. A new type of Pikmin was revealed, Ice Pikmin, demonstrating the ability to freeze enemies when eaten and freeze small bodies of water when enough are thrown into them. The trailer then revealed Oatchi, a dog-like creature shown assisting the group in a variety of ways, including finding other characters referred to as "castaways", breaking down certain obstacles, dragging a Bulborb corpse, and carrying the leader and a group of Pikmin on its back. The trailer showed treasures to be the main collectible, and hinted at the return of caves from Pikmin 2. The end of the trailer gave a first view of night gameplay.

On June 2nd, 2023, a news article was published on the Nintendo News channel on the Nintendo Switch news application in some regions, which described the plot of the game as "On a distant planet, the Rescue Corps needs a new hero - you!".[source needed]

On June 6th, 2023, a third trailer was published on YouTube that revealed the basic plot of the game: Captain Olimar had crashed once again, and the Rescue Corps sent to retrieve him also crashed, leaving the player to rescue them all. This trailer showed the player character to be customizable, a first for the Pikmin series.[18] Accompanying this trailer was a major update to the game's Japanese website, which included some plot information and new screenshots.

On June 20th, 2023, Pikmin 4 download cards were released in Japan. These cards featured new screenshots, including one that appears to take place inside of a house, and one that seems to show the game's battle mode.[19][20]

On June 21st, 2023, another trailer was released as part of a Nintendo Direct presentation.[21]. This trailer featured a more detailed look at the gameplay, and explained some of the game's new features. The goal of the game was revealed to be to collect treasures to power the Rescue Corps' ship, the S.S. Shepherd. The trailer showed the indoor area first seen on the download card. It also featured a closer look at caves, revealing their larger size and emphasis on puzzles. A new multiplayer mode, known as "Dandori Battle," was revealed. These battles can also occur in the story mode, with the player facing off against a mysterious, Olimar-like humanoid with his own Oatchi-like dog in order to rescue castaways they've kidnapped. It then showed off the hub area, the Rescue Command Post, where the player can obtain upgrades before starting their day. Finally, the night gameplay was revealed to be an tower defense-style challenge using a brand new type of Pikmin, the Glow Pikmin. This trailer was accompanied by the launch of the US and EU websites for the game, the "Pikmin Garden" Japanese website, as well as brand new websites for each region that focus on the series as a whole, which include the Pikmin comic.

On June 26th, 2023, various video game journalists and news sites like IGN[22] and Hobby Consolas[23] published videos showcasing gameplay of the game, giving firsthand accounts of how the game played and its new mechanics. Nintendo also published a short trailer for the game introducing viewers to the Pikmin on the Play Nintendo YouTube channel.[24]

Gallery

See more: Category:Pikmin 4 images.

Videos

Trivia

  • Pikmin 4 is the first mainline Pikmin game to be available in Brazilian Portuguese and Dutch.
  • Pikmin 4 uses the Unreal Engine.[19][20]

Names in other languages

Pikmin 4

Language Name Meaning
Flag of Japan Japanese ピクミン4?
Pikumin 4
Pikmin 4
Flag of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Chinese
(traditional)
皮克敏4
Píkèmǐn 4
Pikmin 4
Flag of the Netherlands Dutch Pikmin 4 -
Flag of France French Pikmin 4 -
Flag of Germany German Pikmin 4 -
Flag of Italy Italian Pikmin 4 -
Flag of South Korea Korean 피크민 4
pikeumin 4
Pikmin 4
Flag of Brazil Portuguese Pikmin 4 -
Flag of Spain Spanish Pikmin 4 -

Lumiknoll

Language Name Meaning
Flag of Japan Japanese ヒカリヅカ?
Hikarizuka
From ヒカリ? (lit.: "light") and アリ塚? (lit.: "anthill")
Flag of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Chinese
(traditional)
發光巢穴
Fāguāng Cháoxué
Glowing Nest
Flag of the Netherlands Dutch Gloeikolonie Glow colony
Flag of France French (NoE) Lumilière From "lumineux" (glowing) and "fourmilière" (anthill)
Flag of Germany German Leuchtbau Glow Burrow
Flag of Italy Italian Luminotana From "luminosa" (glowing) and "tana" (den)
Flag of South Korea Korean 빛둑
bitduk
From「」(light) and「개밋둑」(anthill)
Flag of Brazil Portuguese Lampireiro From "pirilampo" (firefly) and "formigueiro" (anthill)
Flag of Spain Spanish (NoE) Lumiloma From "luminosa" (glowing) and "loma" (hill)

Glow sap

Language Name Meaning
Flag of the Netherlands Dutch Gloeinectar Glow nectar
Flag of France French (NoE) Nectar luisant Glowing nectar
Flag of Germany German Leuchtsaft Glow Sap
Flag of Italy Italian Nettare iridescente Iridescent nectar
Flag of Brazil Portuguese Seiva pirilâmpica Firefly sap
Flag of Spain Spanish (NoE) Néctar luminoso Glowing nectar
Dingo
Language Name Meaning
Flag of Japan Japanese ディンゴ?
Dingo
Dingo
Flag of Brazil Portuguese Din From "Dingo"
Yonny
Language Name Meaning
Flag of Japan Japanese パピヨン?
Papiyon
Papillon
Schnauz
Language Name Meaning
Flag of Japan Japanese シュナウズ?
Shunauzu
Schnauz; from シュナウザー? (lit.: "Schnauzer")
Flag of Brazil Portuguese Nauzer From "Schnauzer"
Kingsly
Language Name Meaning
Flag of Japan Japanese キニーズ?
Kinīzu
Kinguese; from ペキニーズ? (lit.: "Pekinguese")
Flag of Brazil Portuguese Kinês From "Pequinês" (Pekinguese)

Moss

Language Name Meaning
Flag of Japan Japanese モス?
Mosu
Moss
Flag of Brazil Portuguese Moss -
Flag of Mexico Spanish (NoA) Moss -

Castaway

Language Name Meaning
Flag of Japan Japanese 遭難者?
Sōnan-Sha
Castaway
Flag of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Chinese
(traditional)
落難者
Luònàn Zhě
Castaway
Flag of the Netherlands Dutch Schipbreukeling Castaway
Flag of France French Naufragé Castaway
Flag of Germany German Gestrandeter Castaway
Flag of Italy Italian Naufrago Castaway
Flag of South Korea Korean 조난자
jonanja
Castaway
Flag of Brazil Portuguese Sobrevivente Survivor
Flag of Mexico Spanish (NoA) Náufrago Castaway
Flag of Spain Spanish (NoE) Persona desaparecida Missing person

S.S. Shepherd

Language Name Meaning
Flag of Japan Japanese シェパード号?
Shepādo-gō
Shepherd
Flag of Québec French (NoA) Shepherd -
Flag of Brazil Portuguese S.S. Shepherd -
Flag of Mexico Spanish (NoA) Shepherd -

S.S. Beagle

Language Name Meaning
Flag of Japan Japanese ビーグル号?
Bīguru-gō
Beagle
Flag of Québec French (NoA) Beagle -
Flag of Brazil Portuguese S.S. Beagle -
Flag of Mexico Spanish (NoA) Beagle -

Dandori Battle

Language Name Meaning
Flag of Japan Japanese ダンドリバトル?
Dandori Batoru
Dandori Battle
Flag of the Netherlands Dutch Dandori-duel Dandori duel
Flag of France French Duel Dandori Dandori duel
Flag of Germany German Dandori-Duell Dandori Duel
Flag of Italy Italian Battaglia Dandori Dandori battle
Flag of Brazil Portuguese Batalha Dandori Dandori Battle
Flag of Spain Spanish Batalla Dandori Dandori battle

Dandori Challenge

Language Name Meaning
Flag of Québec French (NoA) Défi Dandori Dandori challenge
Flag of Brazil Portuguese Desafio Dandori Dandori challenge
Flag of Mexico Spanish (NoA) Desafío Dandori Dandori challenge

Night expedition

Language Name Meaning
Flag of Japan Japanese 夜の探索?
Yoru no Tansaku
Night Search
Flag of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Chinese
(traditional)
晚上的探索
Wǎnshàng de Tànsuǒ
Night Search
Flag of the Netherlands Dutch Nachtexpeditie Night expedition
Flag of France French Expédition de nuit Night expedition
Flag of Germany German Nachtexpedition Night expedition
Flag of Italy Italian Esplorazione notturna Nocturnal exploration
Flag of South Korea Korean 야간 탐색
yagan tamsaeg
Night Search
Flag of Brazil Portuguese Expedição noturna Nocturnal expedition
Flag of Spain Spanish Expedición nocturna Nocturnal expedition

Raw material

Language Name Meaning
Flag of Japan Japanese シザイ?
Shizai
Raw material
Flag of Brazil Portuguese Matéria-prima Raw material

Clay

Language Name Meaning
Flag of Japan Japanese ネンド?
Nendo
Clay
Flag of Brazil Portuguese Argila Clay

Hydro jelly

Language Name Meaning
Flag of Japan Japanese 水こんにゃく?
Mizu konnyaku
Water konjac
Flag of Brazil Portuguese Hidrogelatina Hydro jelly

See also

External links

Notes

  1. ^ Of note is the fact that the URL for the Eurogamer interview's page starts with "2014-07-20". Since the URLs of all news article pages on eurogamer.net begin with the article's publication date, this could possibly mean that the article was meant to be revealed shortly after the interview, but was held until September of 2015. The article for the second Eurogamer interview states that this interview took place in July 2015.

References

  1. ^ YouTube video of Miyamoto talking a bit about the game's new features (at 0:30:28), published on September 13th, 2022, retrieved on September 13th, 2022
  2. ^ official Japanese Pikmin 4 website on Nintendo, retrieved on June 7th, 2023
  3. ^ Japanese "Pikmin Garden" website on Nintendo, retrieved on June 21st, 2023
  4. ^ Fools for Fuzz on Pikmin comic, retrieved on June 27th, 2023
  5. ^ official Japanese Pikmin 4 website on Nintendo, retrieved on June 7th, 2023
  6. ^ Japanese "Pikmin Garden" website Piklopedia on Nintendo, retrieved on June 22nd, 2023
  7. ^ Product information for Pikmin 4 on the Japanese Pikmin 4 website, retrieved on April 11th, 2023
  8. ^ Pikmin 4 for Nintendo Switch on Nintendo Official Site, published on February 8th, 2023, retrieved on February 9th, 2023
  9. ^ Miyamoto Hints That Pikmin 4 Could Be In Development on My Nintendo News, published on November 6th, 2014
  10. ^ YouTube video of the interview with Smosh Games in which Shigeru Miyamoto talks about developing Pikmin games (at 04:35), published on January 6th, 2015
  11. ^ Pikmin 4 in development and "very close to completion" on Eurogamer, published on September 7th, 2015
  12. ^ YouTube video of an interview of Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka by YOGSCAST Kim (at 11:55), published on September 8th, 2015
  13. ^ Miyamoto Confirms Star Fox and Pikmin Will Continue on Gamer Splash!, published on December 11th, 2016
  14. ^ Miyamoto Updates Fans On Status of Pikmin 4 on Gamerant, published on July 6th, 2016
  15. ^ Miyamoto: Pikmin 4 still "progressing" on Eurogamer, published on June 14th, 2017, retrieved on June 14th, 2017
  16. ^ YouTube video of the Nintendo Direct on September 13th, 2022, published on September 13th, 2022, retrieved on September 14th, 2022
  17. ^ YouTube video of the Nintendo Direct on February 8th, 2023, published on February 8th, 2023, retrieved on February 8th, 2023
  18. ^ YouTube video of the character creator trailer, published on June 6th, 2023, retrieved on June 6th, 2023
  19. ^ a b Tweet by Tokyo Game Life on Twitter, published on June 20th, 2023, retrieved on June 20th, 2023
  20. ^ a b Tweet by Genki✨ on Twitter, published on June 20th, 2023, retrieved on June 20th, 2023
  21. ^ YouTube video of the Nintendo Direct on June 21st, 2023, published on June 21st, 2023
  22. ^ YouTube video of IGN playing a preview build of the game, published on June 26th, 2023
  23. ^ YouTube video of Hobby Consolas playing a preview build of the game, published on June 26th, 2023
  24. ^ YouTube video of the "Pikmin on Nintendo Switch" trailer, published on June 26th, 2023