Howl-Out

The following contains spoilers about a recently released game.

A Howl-Out being recognized, as signaled by the blue speech bubble.

Howl-Outs (わんコマンド^?) are a feature in Pikmin 4 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy that allow the player to give orders to a playable character using voice commands. These voice commands are recognized by the microphone built into the Nintendo Switch 2, and they can be used regardless of whether the console is in handheld/tabletop or TV modes.

There are a total of 9 Howl-Outs in the game, consisting of a mix between commands, skills, and other mechanics that are mostly related to the player's space dog. All 9 of these Howl-Outs are listed in the Gameplay Guide, under the Howl-Outs section. Notably, they are absent in the game's demo version, which can be seen by the lack of a Gameplay Guide section for it in the demo.

How to use

Howl-Outs are first unlocked either in Story Mode, or when entering Dandori Academy for the first time. In Story Mode, if the player does not skip to day 2, then they will unlock during the tutorial when the Rush skill is first introduced with Olimar and Moss. If the player does skip to day 2, they instead unlock after Collin introduces the Field Camera. In Dandori Academy, they unlock after the Sage Leaf advises the player to try out the Training stages first, and they are disabled by default in the mode. They are also disabled in Dandori Battle mode, possibly so that unrelated chatter does not make a character perform actions accidentally during high-stakes moments.

When Howl-Outs are unlocked, a submenu appears explaining how to use them, alongside an option to open the corresponding section of the Gameplay Guide when in Story Mode. The submenu in Story Mode says the following:

“Face the microphone and say a command, like "Rush," aloud to direct your Pupspace dog using your own voice.
See Howl-Outs in the Gameplay Guide for details.”

In Dandori Academy, a different message is displayed:

“Use Howl-Outs to command PupOatchi with your voice! In Dandori Academy, Howl-Outs are disabled by default. To update this setting, press Options and select Settings.”

Howl-Outs can be used whilst the Nintendo Switch 2 is either in handheld/tabletop or TV mode. When docked, the microphone can recognize commands even when the player is some distance from the console. However, not all Howl-Outs are available at the start of Story Mode, as some are unlocked through game progression. For example, the "Ride" command is unavailable until Oatchi grows up.

Once a command has been successfully recognized, a small blue speech bubble with an exclamation mark (!) inside will appear above the relevant character. If a command is spoken and no bubble appears, it either means that the game didn't pick up the player's voice, misheard them, or the player gave a command in a situation where the command was unavailable.

List of Howl-Outs

The following is a list of all Howl-Outs in the order displayed in-game. Each section's title matches what the player must say, in English.

Go to Work

"Go to Work" sends Oatchi or Moss forward to complete a nearby task and carry it out. These tasks can include attacking an enemy or obstacle, transporting a treasure, or interacting with other objects. Its equivalent outside of Howl-Outs is pressing to send the space dog forward. Like its equivalent, once the task is complete the space dog will return back to the rookie or Olimar, and if no tasks are available, then they will sniff around before returning.

Unlike its equivalent however, using this Howl-Out while the leader is riding the space dog causes them to bite if there are no nearby objects to interact with, even if Pikmin are available to throw. If an object is present, the space dog will work on interacting with it without using any Pikmin – additionally, this causes the rookie or Olimar to jump off the dog's back, which does not happen when is pressed normally.

Rush

"Rush" functions much like the Rush skill Oatchi can learn. When the Howl-Out command is given, Oatchi or Moss will charge forward exactly the same as when the Rush skill is used normally. However, unlike manual usage, the Howl-Out does not need charging up and can be given instantly. This means that player does not need to spend a few seconds waiting for the Rush to charge up, and it also means that the space dog will not stand in front of the rookie or Olimar when not being ridden, or needing to jump when riding or being controlled singularly. Instead, the space dog will charge directly to where the cursor is located regardless of what direction they were originally facing. Additionally, the Howl-Out command can be given regardless of whether the space dog is selected in the squad, or even in the squad to begin with, though they will need to be near the rookie or Olimar. The Rush cooldown after the move still applies however.

Come Back

"Come Back" works for both the space dogs and for the rookie and Olimar. If the player is controlling the rookie or Olimar, then using this command will call their space dog over, in a similar fashion to how the Idler's Alert works for Pikmin, and vice versa if the player is controlling the space dog instead. Unlike the Idler's Alert, the character on their way to the player's character will go directly to the player's character, not where they were when the command was issued. The command does not work if the rookie or Olimar are riding their space dog. If the called character is in the middle of a task, such as carrying an object, attacking, or plucking Pikmin, then they will stop the task and make their way over to the player's character.

Ride

"Ride" is the first command that is not unlocked at the start of Story Mode, as Oatchi is not grown up. It only activates when the rookie or Olimar is in close proximity to their space dog. When near enough, the "ride" button prompt will appear like usual, signalling that the Howl-Out can be activated; though this prompt only appears if the player is controlling the rookie or Olimar, as it does not appear when playing as a space dog. Regardless, when the command is given, the character will jump onto their dog's back. And like one would expect, saying this command whilst already riding the space dog does nothing.

Dismount

"Dismount" is the opposite of the ride command. It only works when the rookie or Olimar is riding Oatchi or Moss, and it makes them jump off their dog's back when the command is given, just like how it is in regular gameplay. Whilst this command is faster to activate than going into the action menu and manually dismounting, pressing allows the player to dismount quickly, as well as one of the game's shortcut settings, "Switch", which when used has the rookie or Olimar jump off of their dog.

Jump

"Jump" is another command that requires Oatchi to be grown up in order for it to be used in Story Mode. When the command is given, it causes Oatchi or Moss to jump up on the spot. The command can be given when the space dog is being ridden, in the squad, being controlled, and even from a slight distance. When the dog jumps, the charging bar for the Rush skill appears, which is what happens when the player makes the dog jump normally.

Gather Pikmin

"Gather Pikmin" is like the Rush Howl-Out, in that it is very similar to the Gather Pikmin command, which Oatchi unlocks once the skill is at level 3. When given, it causes Oatchi or Moss to run around and gather all available idle Pikmin before returning back to the rookie or Olimar; or if the space dog gives the command, then the leader will go instead. If the space dog is being ridden, then the two will go Pikmin finding, and once all Pikmin have been gathered, the Howl-Out will end. There are fewer differences compared to the Rush Howl-Out.

Disband

"Disband" is identical to the disband mechanic. When the command is given, then the rookie, Olimar, Oatchi, or Moss will disband the squad aside from the Pikmin type selected; or the space dog if the player has that icon selected. Like the dismount Howl-Out, the player can disband their squad either from the action menu, or by using a shortcut.

Good pup

"Good pup" has the least practical usage. When the command is given, the rookie or Olimar will praise their dog for being a good pup, which has them rub their face or head if being ridden. This also causes the dog's tail to start wagging, which makes them stay in place.

Settings

In the settings, the Howl-Outs can be adjusted to work better with each player's voice. These options are split into two sections near the end, one called "Howl-Outs" and the other called "Adjust Command Recognition". These settings are mostly slider-bars, functioning as minor adjustments.

The "Howl-Outs" section is comprised of three options: Voice Input, Noise Filter, and Voice Booster. Voice Input is the main option, which can be toggled on or off – when toggled off, all other settings are disabled. It is the option that lets the game hear the player's voice in the first place. Noise Filter is used to block out background noise by filtering it out, with any sound quieter than the level selected being ignored. This option has 20 levels to select from, and is at the lowest by default. Voice Booster is a setting that can amplify the player's voice, making it easier for them to give commands for the game to hear. There are 8 levels in this option, with the default option being "off".

The "Adjust Command Recognition" section allows for individual commands to have their recognition sensitivity adjusted, such as making one specific command easier to pick up and another one harder, or for it to be turned off instead. It is essentially a command-specific option for the Voice Boost, though these options have an extra level. By default, each option is on the central level.

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Names in other languages

The following article or section is in need of assistance from someone who plays Pikmin 4 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy. Particularly: Add the remaining languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Dutch	Stemopdrachten	Voice commands
French	Commandes canines	Dog commands
German	Wau-Kommandos	Woof Commands

List of voice commands in other languages

English	Japanese	Chinese (Traditional)	Chinese (Simplified)	Dutch	French (France)	French (Canada)	German	Italian	Korean	Portuguese	Spanish
Go to Work	オシゴト Oshigoto	工作 Gōngzuò	工作 Gōngzuò	Aan de slag	Au travail	Vas-y	An die Arbeit	Al lavoro	일하자 Ilhaja	Vai	Adelante
Rush	トッシンして Tosshin shite	衝撞 Chōngzhuàng		Hondensprint	Charge	Charge	Sprint	Sprint	돌진 Doljin	Corre	A la carga
Come Back				Hier komen	Par ici	Reviens	Hierher
Ride				Rijden	En selle	Monte	Aufsteigen
Dismount				Afstappen	Descends	Descends	Absteigen
Jump	ジャンプ Janpu	跳躍 Tiàoyuè		Springen	Saute	Saute	Hüpfen	Salta		Salta	Salta
Gather Pikmin	集めて Atsumete	收集 Shōují	收集 Shōují	Pikmin verzamelen	Rassemble	Rassemble	Sammle Pikmin	Raccogli i Pikmin		Reúne Pikmin	Y reúne Pikmin
Disband				Opsplitsen	Disperse	Éparpille	Entlassen
Good pup	いいこ Ī ko			Goed gedaan	Bravo	Bon chien	Gut gemacht	Ben fatto	예쁘다 Yeppeuda	Lindo cãozinho	Saluda

See also

• Command
• Action menu
• Dandori Academy
• Options menu

External links

• How to Use Howl-Outs (Pikmin 4 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy) by Nintendo Support