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Pikmin 4 is the fourth installment of the Pikmin series, released on July 21, 2023. The player has a new canine companion by the name of Oatchi who acts like a secondary Leader and a Pikmin at the same time. The game entails a customizable captain going on an adventure to find stranded Castaways, treasure to make Sparklium Fuel, and most importantly, to save Captain Olimar.
Plot
Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.
Captain Olimar crash-lands on a mysterious planet called PNF-404, finding the Pikmin as well as a strange dog-like creature which he names Moss. He tries to collect all the ship parts needed for him to return home, but as he leaves the atmosphere, he realizes Moss has stowed away with him and appears to be fatally ill. Out of fear for her life, he returns to the planet's surface. However, upon this attempted landing, something goes horribly wrong, and his ship crashes again, this time killing him in the process (where the Pikmin then carry him into an Onion to make him a Leafling). Due to the SOS Signal, he had previously sent out upon the first landing, the Rescue Corps are able to receive his signal and go to investigate. However, they also crash, meaning that the player must then go to rescue the Rescue Corps alongside Captain Olimar and other Castaways.
After the player saves every member of the Rescue Corps, they go to find Olimar, and defeat his Leafling form in a battle of Dandori. After purifying him using Glow Sap, they attempt to take off and return home, but, similarly to Moss, Oatchi finds himself ill, and they must return to the planet to investigate what the cause may be. As it turns out, Oatchi's exposure to PNF-404's intense oxygen turned him into something of a Leafling-pup, and he must be cured to safely exit PNF-404's atmosphere. The Rescue Corps realize that there is a crew of Koppaites on the planet with them that could help. After rescuing the veterinarian Nelle, one of the Koppaites, she identifies that the player must find another non-Leafling pup so she can use its DNA to form a cure. She then leads the player to the Ancient Sirehound, the final boss of the game, and take DNA from its collar, allowing Oatchi to be cured and the characters to finally leave PNF-404. However, some mysteries remain, such as why the Ancient Sirehound's DNA was valid for a cure, even though it had been living on PNF-404 for its entire life.
Once the Sirehound is defeated, the game can still be played to collect the remaining treasures and Castaways, as well as finish the many Dandori events throughout the game.
Gameplay
Features
The Sun-Speckled Terrace, the first area discovered in the game.
Pikmin 4, in the beginning of the game, introduces a new feature never seen in the Pikmin series before; Character customization. Players now have the ability to create their own characters using the game's character creator. The elements the player character can customize are the characters' skin color, body type, face style, hairstyle, hair color, suit color, and name. And, after 10 Leaflings are found, Puddle, a Castaway hair stylist, will offer to make the player character look like one.
Pikmin
Two new Pikmin types are introduced in Pikmin 4. Ice Pikmin are able to freeze enemies and water. Glow Pikmin, on the other hand, are encountered during Night Expeditions, and can be summoned in caves using Glow Seeds. This game also reintroduces Purple Pikmin, White Pikmin, Rock Pikmin, and Winged Pikmin, meaning that every Pikmin type (aside from Bulbmin and Mushroom Pikmin) appears in Pikmin 4.
When the player character's Pikmin leave the Onion to explore with the player character, they assemble in an orderly fashion, just like in Pikmin 1 and 2, as opposed to the tight mass in Pikmin 3.
The Pikmin throw mechanic is the same as Pikmin 3's, and keeps the lock-on function, and the charge can be obtained through an upgrade.
the player character's Pikmin are able to break down Obstacles like Dirt Walls and pull on a new type of obstacle – roots. They are also able to build structures with a new system involving Raw Material. the player character collects the material in piles found around the area, and when a structure is available to be built, the Pikmin go back to the S.S. Beagle to collect it and use it as a clay-like building substance.
Treasure is back and can be picked up by the Pikmin to take back to the player character's small ship, the S.S. Beagle.
Oatchi, the player character's new companion
A space dog named Oatchi joins the player character's adventure and helps the player character with their ability to break things and drag items. Oatchi has an original carry strength of 3, and this can be upgraded to 5, 10, 20, 30, and, eventually, 100.
Oatchi can handle the player character and all of the player character's Pikmin sitting on him, allowing the player character to move around easily and for Pikmin to traverse past water. Oatchi can also sniff out for Castaways, Flarlic, Leaflings, and more. The Castaways are the missing members of the Rescue Corps, people from other planets and, of course, Captain Olimar and his companion, Louie.
Returning Caves
Caves make a return, however they are not randomly generated like in Pikmin 2. Geysers used to escape a cave have been replaced with large fans in the ground, blowing upward.
New Game mode
Night Mode is a new game mode in Pikmin 4. In this mode, Glow Pellets are used to produce more Glow Pikmin, just like regular Pellets do with regular Pikmin. When night falls, the eyes of all enemies' eyes will become red, turning them into a more rogue version of themselves. Enemies are attracted to Luminknolls – mounds that produce valuable Glow Sap. the player character is aiming to protect the Lumiknoll by defeating the enemies using the player character's new, spooky friends – Glow Pikmin. This game mode has a very different play style to regular day missions, as it is less focused on exploration and collecting and plays more like a tower defense game, with much more rambunctious gameplay as opposed to the casual-esque fun of the usual game.
Gallery
Main Article: PIkmin 4/Gallery
