Review of Pikmin 4: Well-executed shenanigans that surpass expectations

Our Verdict

After what seems like forever, we've finally got Pikmin 4 and it does not disappoint. Head into the undergrowth armed with a planty platoon and your trusty dog Oatchi to uncover mystery and treasures in a delightful adventure.

It was on a fateful day at CeX, many, many moons ago, that I first laid eyes on the mushroomy-bulborb cover of Pikmin 1 on GameCube. I've been a devoted follower of the pick 'em and plant 'em series ever since, and I've been eagerly awaiting Pikmin 4 for years now. I won't give away the review, but I'm not disappointed at all.

I've played Hey Pikmin, Pikmin 3, Bloom, and Pikmin 1 (not Pikmin 2 yet since it was so expensive until recently). These games have become a little bit of a blur in the past, but Pikmin 4 is like running into an old buddy and instantly getting back on track. Pikmin 4 has a ton of innovative gameplay elements to make it even larger and better even if it has a lot of similarities to the earlier games.

You can certainly play this one if you're new to the Pikmin series and considering doing so. Regardless of your level of fandom, this game is a fantastic place to start, return to, or carry on from prior experiences, so you don't need to have played any of the others to enjoy it.

Allow me to briefly introduce (or refresh) you on the Pikminverse. In Pikmin 4, you play as a recently enlisted cadet sent to assist in rescuing the Rescue Corps, who, ironically, had crashed landed on an enigmatic planet after detecting a distress signal. Be kind and pick up other castaways who are picking up the same signals all across this world. You get there, pick yourself up, and explore until you come upon some odd, vibrant objects sprouting from the earth. The Pikmin are these.

You take them out of the earth like an adventurous explorer, and because the small men follow you, you may presume they want to assist. They may be sent to remove barriers, gather items and bring them back to your base, among many other tasks. As you strive to repair your broken spaceship, you gather more and more over time in various colors and sorts that may help address numerous issues that come up.

Oatchi, the rescued dog, is another essential companion who goes with you in Pikmin 4 nevertheless! He's cute and the nicest addition to the game. He can push, smash, and gather objects while securely transporting you and all of your Pikmin across the area. Please only swear that you will arm him with armor as quickly as possible; otherwise, he will sustain injury and we will all be unhappy.

Armor? Yes, in the new hub region surrounding the Rescue Corps' ship, you may trade the materials you gather for very useful equipment. There are things that can prevent you from, among other things, being burned, electrocuted, and blasted away. And plenty of protective gear for Oatchi. As you save more cadets, this center area also fills up very rapidly. When you want a second chance, the castaways who are stranded on the planet may provide you knowledge, more assignments, or even the ability to alter your name and look.

Now that you are up to date on the fundamentals, let's explore the surface and find out what's happening. I'll start at the beginning of Pikmin 4 since there is a lot to accomplish. First mission: locate enough supplies to repair and refuel the ship and collect enough Pikmin to aid you adequately. This fuel is called Sparklium, and it's made from gems like fruits, playing cards, and an odd square-shaped game console from the early 2000s (it's a Game Boy Advance). To get these goodies returned to the ship, locate them and launch your Pikmin at them.

During your explorations, you could also find some strange tunnels that resemble drainpipes; don't be scared to explore them as they are home to many hidden riches and castaways. Additionally, you may usually find new kinds of Pikmin to pluck in these tunnels, such as the resilient gray and water-resistant blue Pikmin.

This brings me to my next point: new Pikmin kinds exist! In addition to the reappearance of red, yellow, blue, purple, gray, and white Pikmin, there are now ghostly glow Pikmin and frosty Pikmin. The ability to freeze opponents and water makes the ice guys very useful as it makes battles simpler and ensures safety. The glow Pikmin can only be discovered in the recently added evening bouts.

You read correctly: nighttime exploring is now possible in Pikmin. In these stand-alone missions, you and Oatchi explore gloomy, terrifying nighttime versions of the stages you play during the day, where glow Pikmin assist you. What do you receive for going on these trips at night? Of course, a remedy for the unfortunate castaways covered in leaves.

Unfortunately, a few of the planet's lost souls perished from a leafy sickness that covered them with a material that resembled fur and confused their minds to the point that they were fixated on something named "Dandori." To heal and restore their humanity, you must use a remedy developed from glow Pikmin.

What, however, is Dandori? This kind of warfare with a resource management element is very entertaining. With only a few Pikmin, you take on foes in a level where your main objective is to gather riches in a certain amount of time. Some of these fights are alone or pitted against other Dandori-ers. With the introduction of this new fight type to Pikmin 4, you may now use your army of Pikmin to devise new strategies.

I should also bring up another recent addition: the capacity to turn time backward. Reloading a prior save is all that is required to make this seem like a game feature rather than cheating. You may choose whether to return to or restart a level, and the game lets you know which Pikmin and prizes you have available at any one moment so you can choose which to load first. This ability is my lifesaver since it allows me to erase any terrifying incidents when a large number of my red Pikmin drown or when a powerful attacker steamrolls half of my party. Here are no more heartbreaking defeats!

mates, Pikmin 4 offers a ton of information and activities, making it difficult to cover everything in a review. For this reason, I've selected a few of my favorite things to talk about. There's lots of room to explore, with distinct regions like a beach and a back yard each having its own set of "dungeon" puzzles, opponents to defeat, and Sparklium to acquire. There are also some environmental hazards, such as enormous sprinklers and a functioning tidal system at the beach.

Nothing very difficult, however you may find certain stages to be a little challenging. This is undoubtedly consistent with Pikmin 4 being a game for both new and returning players. As you go, more challenging stages become available for certain tasks, giving you and your Pikmin a competition to rival.

You shouldn't be concerned about any performance problems since Pikmin 4 looks amazing on the Switch and the developers have put a lot of love and care into the game. Better than certain other first-party releases from recently, such as a particular Legend of a Princess. Apart from our spacecraft, I had no problems, crashes, or anything that might be construed negatively. Even while I still find it hard to believe that after all these years, the small green pals don't mind being practically tossed about, I adore Pikmin and am so happy to be among them again.

Pikmin 4 is a wonderful game. Naturally, I didn't anticipate anything unusual, but after all this time in development—especially considering that the previous version was purportedly abandoned and reworked—you never know. Whether you're a casual player or someone aiming for 100% completion, there's much here for both new and returning fans. There are endless hours of material. Even though I tried to think of any for the purpose of equity, I have no complaints or comments at all since this game is so beautiful. Is this version of Pikmin the greatest so far? In my opinion, yes. Please pardon me as I strive for a 100% completion rate.

If you were considering adding to your collection, check out our brief review of Pikmin 1 and 2 on Switch, or check out these more wildlife games.