Rewind Time is a feature in Pikmin 4 that allows the player to return to a previous point in gameplay. It can be accessed from the pause menu, and presents the player with options for how far back in time to go. It is usable in both above-ground areas and in cave sublevels, and can also be used in Olimar's Shipwreck Tale. However, it cannot be used in Dandori Challenges (including the sublevels of the Trial of the Sage Leaf) nor Dandori Battles, which instead have an option to restart the challenge or battle from the beginning.
It partially replaces the "Restart Day" feature in previous games, as well as the ability to go back to previous days in Pikmin and Pikmin 3.
Mechanics
Rewind Time removes from the player's possession all collected treasures, castaways, enemies, and other items that the player has collected or discoveries that the player has made in the time that is being rewound, and puts them back into the exact location they were before time was rewound. After time has been rewound, the player character, Oatchi and any stray Pikmin will be teleported to the current base and all tasks will be called off.
Points that can be rewound to
- Start of a day or sublevel
- Exiting of a cave into the overworld
- Minute intervals
Minute intervals cannot normally be rewound to in caves. The lone exception to this rule is sublevel 20 of the Cavern for a King.
Specifics
- If the player was riding Oatchi at the point where time is being rewound to, the player will spawn back still mounting him.
- If the Pikmin and Oatchi were under the effects of Ultra-Spicy Spray, Oatchi and the Pikmin will not be affected by the spray when time is rewound, and the spray will be considered used. This is solely if time was rewound to the time where the spray was actively in effect (or after its use, for that matter); the spray is not considered used if time is rewound to before it was used.
- If a fire starter was being held by a Red Pikmin at the time which the player is rewinding to, it will not be in the hands of the Pikmin carrying it when time is rewound.
- If an enemy was discovered and time was rewound to a point where that was not the case, the enemy will not count as discovered and therefore not show up in the Piklopedia until being encountered again. When discovered on subsequent instances, the same notification will appear as the first time it was found.
Trivia
- Some specific endgame screens show the total time played, and the Rewind Time feature does not subtract it. The time that was played before the rewind still counts.