Pikmin 4 is the type of game only Nintendo could create

Pikmin is a long-running video game franchise that could only come from a company like Nintendo.

I’ve always been a fan of Pikmin games (especially Pikmin 3 Deluxe), but it’s an undeniably strange series and has never been a real blockbuster for the Japanese gaming giant. After all, it’s a console real-time strategy game, a genre that, with a few exceptions, has never really worked that well.

And yet, against the odds, and following a lengthy seven years since its initial reveal, the fourth entry in arguably one of Nintendo’s most consistently solid video games has finally arrived.

The premise of the Pikmin remains unchanged with Pikmin 4. You still control dozens of little coloured creatures called Pikmin, navigating them across a strangely hyper-realistic world with striking similarities to Earth, all while collecting items, taking down enemies and protecting or sacrificing your cute companions, depending on the task at hand.

What Pikmin 4 does best is build on the series’ established formula in several ways, including a new lower camera angle that gets you closer to the action, making the game feel far more dynamic.

First, there’s Oatchi, your trusty (and very weird-looking) space dog. Oatchi can be controlled independently and has its own move set, including the ability to smash through objects, jump, chomp on enemies and carry tons of Pikmin and your explorer, allowing you to move around slightly more quickly (I found myself doing this often and rarely used my space dog for other tasks).

Of course, there are also new types of Pikmin, including Ice Pikmin, which can freeze water to create new paths for players. Past Pikmin types return like Yellow Pikmin, which can be thrown higher, Red Pikmin, which are resistant to fire, Rock Pikmin, creatures that are great for bludgeoning enemies/objects, and several others. Each Pikmin has its own purpose, and understanding the creatures’ strengths and weaknesses is key to solving Pikmin 4’s various puzzles, especially when it comes to the game’s inventive boss fights.

There’s also an interesting spin on the typical Pikmin formula in the form of new bright green Glow Pikmin and ‘Night Expeditions.’ These mysterious creatures have no legs and float eerily through the air, lighting up their surroundings. You only encounter Glow Pikmin during the game’s tower defense-like night stages that task you with protecting glowing green towers full of goo for a specific period from enraged, red-eyed enemies. These levels often become frantic very quickly, as foes approach from all sides, and offer a welcome change of pace from Pikmin 4‘s more laidback gameplay.

Speaking of the title’s time structure, in Pikmin 4, there’s no overarching day limit like in past entries in the series, with your tasks only confined to the span of as many days as you need to explore and accomplish goals. This still adds a sense of urgency, as you need to carefully select what you want to try to accomplish within the time frame.

“Pikmin 4 is the best entry in the series yet and the culmination of what the franchise has built towards for the past 20-plus years.”

Maybe you should send your army to pick up those several strawberries or that Game Boy Advance SP? Perhaps your Yellow Pikmin should break through that electric gate instead? Maybe that clay bridge needs to be finished so you can get across that river the next day? You decide how the day plays out, all while managing your overly cute army, but make sure you collect your creatures before the end of the day and bring them back to your base, or they’ll all perish.

You can also upgrade your Rescue Corps recruits with new abilities and items, like increasing your health or buying a space suit that features more fire resistance, or purchasing items like the ‘Scrummy Bone’ that refills Oatachi’s health. You can also just buy a bomb and blow up everything around you (this is the most fun option, obviously).

Pikmin‘s gameplay loop of surveying your surroundings, deciding your plan of action, and then directing your army to accomplish whatever goal you have in mind has always worked well, and Pikmin 4 is a refinement of this formula in every way. There are often several ways to solve the game’s various puzzles, and it’s up to you to decide the best way to make that happen.

Sticking with this theme, missions are also more open this time. One task has you hunting down stranded crew members across several levels, while another asks you to collect a specific amount of Sparklium. You accomplish these goals across Pikmin 4‘s various stages at your own pace and can work on one at a time or several simultaneously.

It’s worth noting that Caverns return in Pikmin 4, bringing back Pikmin 2‘s multi-layered dungeons that were mostly absent from Pikmin 3. Some of these subterranean stages have multiple levels, adding another layer of exploration and treasure hunting to the experience. Time also moves slower underground, expanding the number of things you can get done in a day.

Speaking of changes to the Pikmin formula, a welcome new rewind mechanic makes the overall game feel more forgiving and accessible compared to earlier titles in the series. If you make a major mistake and kill off half your Pikmin, return to the cave’s start instead of redoing the entire day. To some extent, this feels like cheating and lowers the stakes when you take a risk with your Pikmin army, but you can also just not use the feature if you don’t want to.

Visually, Pikmin 4 is a bit more of a mixed bag. At times the game looks stunning and is graphically one of the best-looking games on the Switch, and then in other situations, its muddy, photo-realistic textures look like something pulled right out of the GameCube era. But Pikmin has never been about jaw-dropping graphics. It’s the franchise’s unique mechanics that make it special, and thankfully, Pikmin 4 delivers in the gameplay department.

Pikmin 4 is the best entry in the series yet and the culmination of what the franchise has built towards for the past 20-plus years. I’d describe the game as still offering the same classic Pikmin gameplay many of us are familiar with, but with additional layers of depth that make commanding your colourful army far more entertaining than in Pikmin, Pikmin 2 or even Pikmin 3.

With the Switch entering its twilight years and only a few noteworthy titles on the horizon in the wake of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Pikmin 4 is a must-play for most owners of Nintendo’s console.

Pikmin 4 releases on the Switch on July 21st, 2024 and is available on Amazon for $79.99.

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Image credit: Nintendo