Since the surprise debut of the original Pikmin on the GameCube, this quirky puzzle-strategy series has held a special place in my heart. However, with Pikmin 4, that place expanded significantly. While the initial hours were slower than expected, it was akin to peeling back layers of an onion, revealing more depth and evolving into the ultimate realization of its core concept. Although not all of it posed the challenge I desired, it compensated with a wealth of new enemy types, an abundance of hidden treasures, a delightful musical score, enhanced graphics, and unparalleled post-game content. I couldn't tear myself away until I had experienced all it had to offer.
From the very beginning, Pikmin 4 introduces a series-first feature: character customization. While previous games featured fan-favorite heroes like Olimar and Louie, now you can personalize your character's appearance with options for hair, body type, and suit color. While it may not rival the depth of character creators in games like Street Fighter 6, it's a welcomed addition, especially since your chosen colors extend to your ship and the entire space crew.
However, my focus in Pikmin 4 leaned more towards immersing myself in its stunningly crafted worlds rather than scrutinizing my own character. The game upholds the series' classic premise of embodying an ant-sized alien traversing a planet reminiscent of Earth. Its enduring charm is reflected in the names of the collected treasures, which often mirror their real-world counterparts, turning 'Space Spinners' into fidget spinners and 'the Stone of Advancement' into a Game Boy Advance SP.
Every element of the game world, from the earthy soil underfoot to the lush foliage that blankets the maps, exudes vibrant life. Each location boasts its own unique character, offering a diverse range of environments to explore. Whether it's a quaint garden teeming with larger-than-life insects and towering flowers, presenting challenges like a barricading potted plant and a dirt puddle turned miniature lake, or a sandy beach that unveils fresh pathways and adversaries when the tide recedes, Pikmin 4's world brims with dynamic discoveries. Even a seemingly ordinary house, complete with multiple staircases, transforms into a mountainous obstacle course until you engineer ramps to grant your diminutive followers access to its concealed treasures.
Much of the fun and strategy of Pikmin games comes from collecting and commanding different types of obedient little plant creatures to do your bidding, all while avoiding sending them to their doom. It’s not a full-on real-time strategy game like StarCraft, as there’s no base-building, and outside of the newly added night missions, you don’t have to worry about an enemy army attacking you back. Still, there’s always a lot happening on the screen when you have dozens of these multicolored minions doing things like digging tunnels, carrying treasures, and engaging in combat, all while you're literally hurling them into action.
For newcomers venturing into the Pikmin universe, the initial experience might appear daunting, especially given the nine distinct types of endearing creatures to wrangle, the need to juggle multiple objectives, and the art of resource management. To its credit, Pikmin 4 takes a gentle approach to introduce new Pikmin varieties, items, and abilities, ensuring you won't be inundated with an overwhelming array of options right from the start. Your initial foray into this captivating world is accompanied by numerous tutorials and explanations, although seasoned players like myself, with 22 years of Pikmin adventures under our belts, may find ourselves hastily skipping through the dialogues, as they rarely unveil anything unfamiliar.
Pikmin 4 won't overwhelm you with too many options too soon.
One of the most immediately noticeable distinctions between Pikmin 4 and its predecessors is the absence of a time limit to complete the story, akin to the original game, or the threat of dwindling supplies, as seen in Pikmin 3. This design choice transforms the experience into a more relaxed rescue mission rather than a frantic race against the clock. This alteration is particularly welcoming for newcomers, alleviating the pressure and apprehension associated with making mistakes that could haunt your entire playthrough. However, I, too, found it appealing, as it granted me the freedom to approach objectives in any sequence I preferred, satisfying my inner drive for achieving 100% completion on each stage. It's reminiscent of Dead Rising's fourth installment, which abolished its time limit, acknowledging that games often serve as an escape from the pressures of impending deadlines that loom over us in our academic and professional lives.
Even when there isn't a pressing time constraint, errors can still occur. Perhaps you misjudge an enemy's attack range, resulting in your freezing and your nearby Pikmin getting crushed or devoured before you react. Alternatively, you might accidentally toss a few Pikmin off the map while attempting to dislodge a piece of treasure hanging from a spiderweb to break it free for transport back to your ship. In previous games, such inadvertent mistakes would entail dedicating precious time to replenishing Pikmin before progressing. However, Pikmin Even when there isn't a pressing time constraint, errors can still occur. Perhaps you misjudge an enemy's attack range, resulting in your freezing and your nearby Pikmin getting crushed or devoured before you react. Alternatively, you might accidentally toss a few Pikmin off the map while attempting to dislodge a piece of treasure hanging from a spiderweb to break it free for transport back to your ship. In previous games, such inadvertent mistakes would entail dedicating precious time to replenishing Pikmin before progressing. However, Pikmin 4 introduces a useful feature that comes to your aid: Until the day's end, you have the option to rewind and replay segments of a level to enhance your efficiency. Essentially, it functions as a means to swiftly revert to a checkpoint save, and as a perfectionist by nature, I frequently found myself utilizing this system to optimize my performance or safeguard my rare purple and white Pikmin during the early stages. It's a more sensible approach than spending a substantial portion of the following day replacing lost Pikmin.
4 introduces a useful feature that comes to your aid: Until the day's end, you have the option to rewind and replay segments of a level to enhance your efficiency. Essentially, it functions as a means to swiftly revert to a checkpoint save, and as a perfectionist by nature, I frequently found myself utilizing this system to optimize my performance or safeguard my rare purple and white Pikmin during the early stages. It's a more sensible approach than spending a substantial portion of the following day replacing lost Pikmin.
You have the option to rewind and replay parts of a level to improve your efficiency.
The ability to rewind extends right up to the end of your expedition, which is a huge relief. If you have played Pikmin before, you are aware of how stressful it can be when that 10-second warning appears, signaling the end of the day while you still have 60+ Pikmin carrying multiple objects from different locations. In Pikmin 4, if you are unable to gather them all before nightfall, it will tell you how many you stand to lose if you choose to continue, but it also gives you the option to rewind time to one of the checkpoints to try again instead. This was a huge time-saver and kept me from having to replay entire levels when I'd only messed up the home stretc
Among the many things to keep track of in Pikmin 4 is a wonderful new companion: the two-legged lil’ pup Oatchi. He can carry you and your entire army of Pikmin on his back across obstacles like water, sniff out hidden items, and grant you the ability to jump to help you reach shortcuts and items like never before. His upgradable abilities gave me another reason to seek out crew members lost on the planet because the reward for finding them is ability points that let you increase everything from his ability to carry heavy objects to improving his dig speeds. Those upgrades all felt impactful, though some, like having him fetch Pikmin for me, became obsolete once I unlocked the ability to summon them myself with the press of a button.
Oatchi's charge attack became my favorite among his abilities.
Out of all of them, Oatchi’s charge attack became my favorite among his abilities. As I reached higher levels, it granted him the ability to stun enemies for longer periods, all while directing my entire horde of Pikmin to swarm a target and defeat it swiftly. This strategy proved to be one of the most effective in combat, and, barring boss encounters, it typically resulted in the swift defeat of most enemies – provided I had enough or the right types of Pikmin accompanying us.
That’s the real trick to Pikmin 4’s combat because the 110 unique enemies (including new elemental variants of returning creatures like Bulborbs and Dweevils) increase the need to adjust the composition of your army to counter them. For instance, if you try to battle a Fiery Bulblax with anything other than red Pikmin, they’ll ignite and run off screaming to their doom. Meanwhile, the Horned Cannon Beetle kept its backside weak point hidden unless I tossed one of the larger Purple, Ice, or Rock Pikmin into its blowhole above its head. Discovering my Oatchi strategy early was great because it allowed me to spend less time replacing Pikmin lost in combat and more time collecting the 239 treasures across the six locations and 22 cave sub-levels I explored. Though once I fully leveled Oatchi’s Rush ability, it never got old being able to charge through a line of enemies and see the souls of my enemies ascend into the sky.
It never got old charging through a line of enemies and witnessing their souls ascend into the sky.
Some of these sub-levels place you inside machine structures with conveyor belts, a kid's room filled with structures made from wooden blocks, and a freezer filled with cold-emitting dry ice that can freeze most Pikmin in their tracks. Navigating these hazards never failed to put a smile on my face, although it's a different kind of smile than the one that creeps in when I hear the cries of my loyal Pikmin that I sometimes tossed to their certain doom in order to reach my objective. There are also some very cool Easter eggs that I won't spoil for you, other than to say you will definitely want to take a close look at the musical items.
Most boss battles are reserved for the lower floors of the various cave sub-levels, and while there are plenty of returning faces, we also encounter a fun handful of new ones, like the Sovereign Bulblax and the Foolix. The latter is a clever evolution of the Goolix from the very first Pikmin game. It initially caught me off guard, appropriately making me look like a fool, thanks to its clever disguise as a drop of nectar. With the introduction of new enemy types with elemental properties and the restriction of only being able to bring out three types of Pikmin at a time in Pikmin 4, I felt encouraged to plan my strategy for each day carefully.
Rock Pikmin are a staple in my strategy, as their sturdy cores deal high damage when flung at bosses and prevent them from being crushed by larger enemies like the Yellow Wollywog. However, I often switched between ice, winged, and white Pikmin when I needed to counter specific threats, such as the airborne Lesser Spotted Jellyfloat or the toxic-based Moldy Slooch. Along with Oatchi's list of skills, these strategic choices usually tipped the scales in my favor.
While you can take direct control of Oatchi, I found him more valuable as Pikmin 4's way of splitting your party to tackle multiple objectives simultaneously. Utilizing the map screen, you can issue commands to Oatchi to search for treasures, locate lost team members, and gather specific Pikmin types, all while you manage tasks on the opposite side of the map. This approach expanded my strategic options significantly. For example, when exploring the Serene Shores level, I would dispatch Oatchi and Blue Pikmin to reach locations only accessible to them. Simultaneously, I led a group of Yellow and Red Pikmin along the beach, engaging enemies and unearthing buried treasure. Mastering this multitasking skill becomes essential for achieving the best rewards in some of the later challenges."
I felt motivated to strategize my day accordingly.
This brings me to a minor concern about how co-op functions in Pikmin 4. In contrast to Pikmin 2 or 3, where a second player could assume control of another character, enabling both players to divide and conquer to expedite the process of completing a stage, Pikmin 4 opts for a different approach. In Pikmin 4, the co-op partner operates as a reticle that hovers on the screen, allowing them to throw pebbles to manipulate objects or engage enemies while your character carries out their usual tasks. This feels more like an assisting mode, reminiscent of what we saw in Super Mario Galaxy, rather than a genuine co-op experience. It may disappoint those who were looking forward to playing alongside a friend or significant other, as was possible in previous games. However, it seems well-suited for allowing children to assist a parent or an older sibling, and vice versa.
Now, let's talk about the two new Pikmin types, with the first being the ice Pikmin. These little frosty fellows bring the ability to freeze bodies of water and enemies into the mix. Personally, I grew quite fond of them because of their freezing effect, which synergizes beautifully with Oatchi's stunning ability. This combo allows you to string together status effects on foes of all sizes. Instead of spending precious time battling enemies conventionally, you can simply freeze them long enough to accomplish your objectives. Ice Pikmin also play a crucial role in dismantling various ice barriers and navigating through caves with freezing temperatures that slow down other Pikmin, making them a versatile choice in most scenarios.
Now, let's dive into the other new addition: the Glow Pikmin. These luminescent little Pikmin are primarily available during the nighttime missions. In these missions, the gameplay takes a different turn, resembling a tower defense format. Your task is to safeguard various anthill-like structures until morning, or until all the enemies have been vanquished, and you'll rely solely on Glow Pikmin to do so.
The early stages of these night missions are relatively straightforward and brief, but as you progress, they evolve into more complex challenges. You'll face multiple points that need defending from hordes of enemies, often necessitating you to leave Oatchi on defense while you explore on foot, planning the optimal routes to protect these crucial points from waves of adversaries. While I wasn't initially enthusiastic about these night missions, around the midway point of the campaign, they introduced some new and formidable creatures along with additional points to defend. This injection of complexity and enemy variety added the depth I had been hoping for.
As someone who relishes a challenge, I must admit that I wasn't particularly fond of one of the new additions in Pikmin 4: a collection of remarkably potent single-use items. In addition to the tried-and-true ultra-spicy spray, which provides a temporary boost to Pikmin performance, and the reliable bomb rocks that can demolish concrete barriers, Pikmin 4 introduces single-use items like the Lightning Shock, capable of paralyzing everything on the screen with a surge of electricity.
These single-use items, especially those with homing or proximity effects, tend to strip away the inherent tension in battles that traditionally have me frantically darting around and expertly directing Pikmin to vanquish foes while ensuring the safety of my diminutive allies, preventing them from being devoured or crushed. After experimenting with these items, I found myself deliberately restraining their use in most scenarios because they eliminated the need for strategic planning.
To be fair, these items could prove to be a welcome crutch for younger players who are still acquainting themselves with the intricacies of Pikmin. Undoubtedly, they'll find these items quite helpful. However, it's worth noting that Pikmin 4 lacks any adjustable difficulty settings, a feature present in some of the series' earlier titles. Consequently, these overpowered items may come across as an overly simplistic solution for players seeking a more challenging Pikmin experience.
Items are beneficial for younger players who are still getting the hang of Pikmin.
The one limitation of these special items is that the raw materials used to purchase them are also necessary for building bridges that provide shortcuts through levels and for permanent upgrades for both yourself and Oatchi. Even without using many items, there were instances when I found myself lacking sufficient raw materials to construct a bridge because I had spent too many on upgrades. This situation forced me to backtrack and gather additional resources from deeper within the level in order to complete the bridges.
Upgrades were my favorite way to utilize raw materials, as they encompassed a wide range of enhancements, from boots that boosted your movement speed to suits that provided elemental immunities and armor to increase your HP and Defense. While most upgrades aren't essential to complete the story, certain locations, such as the entrance to one of Pikmin 4's numerous sub-levels concealed within the center of a stove's burner, necessitate having elemental immunity for both yourself and Oatchi to gain access. Acquiring these upgrades early on significantly reduced obstacles during my exploration of the levels, motivating me to hunt for more raw materials and other items while eagerly anticipating the next available upgrade.
The story took me approximately 20 hours to complete, but in classic Pikmin tradition, that's merely a prelude to what comes next. Without revealing too much, I can confidently state that the post-credits content in Pikmin 4 might just be the best the Pikmin series has ever delivered. However, Pikmin 4's most significant drawback is that it reserves the best of its new features until after you've finished the main campaign and viewed the credits. Personally, I would have preferred to immediately explore all these imaginative locations, encounter their peculiar inhabitants, and unlock its tributes to previous Pikmin games.
Beyond the story and its post-credits content, Pikmin 4 introduces two modes aimed at challenging your proficiency in the art of Dandori, a Japanese term that revolves around organizing tasks strategically and executing plans effectively. In the Dandori Challenges, your objective is to collect all the treasures within a specified area with a restricted number of Pikmin. The final couple of courses break from Pikmin's typical kid-friendly vibe and are bound to test even the most skilled Pikmin players, especially if they aim to secure the coveted Platinum medal. I must admit that some of these challenges took me more than a handful of attempts to conquer!
And then there's the Dandori Battle mode, which offers a chaotic blend of combat and gathering. It provides an enjoyable way to put my multitasking skills to the test against an opponent who's equally determined to win. You can engage in matches against AI opponents or challenge a friend in local multiplayer, which is a nice feature. However, it's a bit disappointing that there's no online capability available.
The Verdict
Like the three wonderfully weird mainline games before it, Pikmin 4 has once again captured my heart with its charming creatures that fearlessly follow commands regardless of their own well-being. While the difficulty leans a bit too much toward the easy side, all-new features like ability upgradesa, a pair of new Pikmin, and our loyal sidekick Oatchi add some variety to the traditional gameplay, offering options other than the grab-and-throw Pikmin formula of the past. Coupled with the largest number of enemies to battle, treasures to collect, and awesome post-game content that incorporates some great callbacks to the earlier games, I’m left with not just a positive outlook on Pikmin 4, but the direction the series is heading as a whole.