Pikmin 4

Pikmin 4
North American game cover.
Japanese name	ピクミン 4?
Rating
Console	Nintendo Switch
Developer	TBA
Publisher	Nintendo
Genre	TBA
Players	1-2 players
Worldwide release date	July 7th, 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 21^st, 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, a customizable player character, and night expeditions to the series.

Plot

The following article or section is in need of assistance from someone who plays Pikmin 4.

Captain Olimar became stranded on PNF-404, but finds the Interstellar Radio with the help of Pikmin and the Rescue Pup Moss and uses it to send a distress signal. One month later, the signal is intercepted by the Rescue Corps, who set off to retrieve him before becoming in need of rescue themselves, leaving their newest recruit to rescue both Olimar and the Rescue Corps.

During the mission, the recruit encounters a mysterious individual who had Olimar's facial features and space suit, but was covered in red fur and had the stem of a Pikmin. His relationship with Olimar was unclear.

Gameplay

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. 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 Battles

Main article: Dandori Battle.

Main article: Dandori Challenge.

Dandori Battles and Dandori Challenges are new challenges in Pikmin 4, serving as successors to 2-Player Battle from Pikmin 2 and Bingo Battle from Pikmin 3.

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.

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  A group of Glow Pikmin standing in front of a Lumiknoll.

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  The player traveling the planet at night, showing enemies with glowing red eyes.

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:

• Red Pikmin
• Yellow Pikmin
• Blue Pikmin
• Purple Pikmin
• White Pikmin
• Rock Pikmin
• Winged Pikmin

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.

• Rescue Command Post: The S.S. Shepherd's base, which takes place in a small plantation garden.
• Sun-Speckled Terrace: The first area, which takes place in a small public park.
• Blossoming Arcadia: The second area, which takes place in a children's playground.
• An unnamed desert area.
• An unnamed house area.

• P4 Reveal Garden 1.jpg

  Rescue Command Post.

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  Sun-Speckled Terrace.

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  Blossoming Arcadia.

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  The desert area.

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  The house area.

Caves

Main article: 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, six caves are known: "Burrow of Beginnings", the first cave entered, "Last-Frost Cavern", where Ice Pikmin are discovered, "Industrial Maze", "Crackling Cauldron", “Aquiferous Summit” and “Hectic Hollows”.

Treasures

Main article: List of Pikmin 4 treasures.

Treasures are the main collectible item in Pikmin 4. Each treasure is worth some amount of Sparklium when collected, and collecting enough Sparklium can power up the S.S. Shepherd and unlock the next area. Treasures in this game 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 and some dots below indicating where the treasure fits in its series. In this game, when a treasure is being carried, it rotates as the Pikmin change direction in their path. Collected treasures can be viewed in the Treasure Catalog.

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.

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  Pikmin carrying raw materials back to the S.S. Beagle.

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  Pikmin bringing lumps of clay from the S.S. Beagle.

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  The same lumps of clay being used to build a clay bridge.

Characters

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 main 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 a ranger from the planet Ohri who excels at solo missions.

Yonny

Yonny is the doctor of the crew. They have 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 21^st, 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.

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  The player talking with Yonny.

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.

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  The Olimar-like character and Moss standing next to a castaway.

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  A close-up of the Olimar-like character.

Captain Olimar

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. Similar to data files in Pikmin 3, Olimar has left behind a "Voyage Log" containing useful information about the planet.

Enemies

Main article: List of enemies.

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:

• Water
• Geyser (shooting wind)
• Dirt wall
• Electric gate
• Bridge (made of clay fragments)
• Paper bag – Some seem to have golden handles, a golden seal, and some golden logo on them. Others are blue and have the word "puppies" written on them.
• Crystal wall
• Boulder – Unlike in Pikmin 2, these roll down hills and can crush Pikmin.
• Cardboard box
• Bouncy Mushroom
• Conveyor belt

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  Pikmin taking down a dirt wall.

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  The dirt wall breaking.

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.

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  The potted plant being pulled.

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  The potted plant, now destroyed after being pulled.

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.

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  A wall before being made climbable.

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  A wall's covering being broken by unknown means.

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  The player and their Pikmin climbing up the wall.

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.

• Pikmin 4 dirt bridge.png

  An unfinished clay bridge.

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  Pikmin building the clay bridge.

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.

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  The jar obstacle.

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  The jar obstacle while getting destroyed by Oatchi.

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  The jar obstacle after it's destroyed.

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.

• Pikmin 4 Unknown Obstacle.png

  The unknown wall obstacle.

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 and Oatchi will be able to destroy it.

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  Hydro jelly.

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  Hydro jelly after being frozen.

Plants and fungi

Main article: Vegetation.

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 (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 (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.

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  Intro cutscene with the S.S. Beagle.

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  The S.S. Beagle heading towards the planet.

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  The landing site.

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  Close-up of the S.S. Beagle.

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  Close-up of the Master Onion with Red Pikmin, Yellow Pikmin, and Blue Pikmin inside.

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  The Master Onion's top, as seen when it is flying away.

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  Plucking a Red Pikmin near the Red Onion.

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  Close-up of the Red Onion.

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  The new Sun Meter.

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  The Rewind Time menu.

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  The new Treasure Gauge.

Dandori

Main article: 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.
• Supported languages: Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Traditional Chinese.

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 6^th, 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. Not long after, Miyamoto also mentioned wanting to make more Pikmin games in an interview with Smosh Games.

On September 7^th, 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.” 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.

In interviews in 2015 and 2016, Miyamoto mentioned wanting to make more Pikmin and Star Fox games. 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.”

On July 7^th, 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.”

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.” 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 13^th, 2022. 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 8^th, 2023, a Nintendo Direct presentation announced the release date for the game in a new trailer. 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 2^nd, 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 6^th, 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. Accompanying this trailer was a major update to the game's Japanese website, which included some plot information and new screenshots.

On June 20^th, 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.

On June 21^st, 2023, another trailer was released as part of a Nintendo Direct presentation.. 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 26^th, 2023, various video game journalists and news sites like IGN and Hobby Consolas 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.

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. After completing the demo, a "Send Confirmation" button will also appear on the title screen, which will allow the player to obtain the Oatchi-Rider outfit in Pikmin Bloom if their Nintendo Account is linked.

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 in the full game and a Oatchi-Rider outfit for their Mii in Pikmin Bloom through My Nintendo.

Gallery

• Pikmin 4 Logo.jpg

  Pikmin 4's logo.

• Pikmin 4 Direct Logo.png

  Pikmin 4's logo with transparent background.

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  Key art.

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  Japanese key art.

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  Vertical arrangement of the key art.

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  Square arrangement of the key art.

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  Full key art without text.

See more: Category:Pikmin 4 images.

Videos

• September 2022 reveal trailer
  • September 2022 Nintendo Direct (Contains one screenshot not present in the trailer at 30:40)
• February 2023 trailer
  • February 2023 Nintendo Direct
• June 2023 trailer
  • June 2023 Nintendo Direct

Trivia

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

Names in other languages

Pikmin 4

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ピクミン４? Pikumin 4	Pikmin 4
Chinese (traditional)	皮克敏４ Píkèmǐn 4	Pikmin 4
Dutch	Pikmin 4	-
French	Pikmin 4	-
German	Pikmin 4	-
Italian	Pikmin 4	-
Korean	피크민 4 pikeumin 4	Pikmin 4
Portuguese	Pikmin 4	-
Spanish	Pikmin 4	-

Lumiknoll

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

Glow sap

Language	Name	Meaning
Dutch	Gloeinectar	Glow nectar
French (NoE)	Nectar luisant	Glowing nectar
German	Leuchtsaft	Glow Sap
Italian	Nettare iridescente	Iridescent nectar
Portuguese	Seiva pirilâmpica	Firefly sap
Spanish (NoE)	Néctar luminoso	Glowing nectar

Dingo

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ディンゴ? Dingo	Dingo
French	Wally	-
Portuguese	Din	From "Dingo"

Yonny

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	パピヨン? Papiyon	Papillon
Portuguese	Pion	From "Papillon"

Bernard

Language	Name	Meaning
French	Bernard	From St. Bernard
Portuguese	Bersam	From "são-bernardo" (St. Bernard)

Moss

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	モス? Mosu	Moss
French	Moss	-
Portuguese	Moss	-
Spanish (NoA)	Moss	-

Leafling

Language	Name	Meaning
French	Feuillus	From "Feuille" (leaf)
Portuguese	Folhano	From "folha" (leaf) and "fulano" (guy)

Raw material

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	シザイ? Shizai	Raw material
Portuguese	Matéria-prima	Raw material

Clay

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ネンド? Nendo	Clay
Portuguese	Argila	Clay

Hydro jelly

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

Night expedition

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	夜の探索? Yoru no Tansaku	Night Search
Chinese (traditional)	晚上的探索 Wǎnshàng de Tànsuǒ	Night Search
Dutch	Nachtexpeditie	Night expedition
French	Expédition de nuit	Night expedition
German	Nachtexpedition	Night expedition
Italian	Esplorazione notturna	Nocturnal exploration
Korean	야간 탐색 yagan tamsaeg	Night Search
Portuguese	Expedição noturna	Nocturnal expedition
Spanish	Expedición nocturna	Nocturnal expedition

See also

• Pikmin 3
• Hey! Pikmin

External links

• Official English product page
• Official Japanese website
• Official Singaporean website
• Official Taiwanese website