Canon: Difference between revisions

Pikmin 4 is the fourth game in the mainline Pikmin series, and the most recent installment in the Pikmin franchise. At this moment, it is unclear where Pikmin 4 fits into the prior games' timeline, if at all. Evidence within the game seemingly contradict events from the original ''Pikmin'', while seemingly implying ''Pikmin 2'' to be either in the past or future, and ''Pikmin 3'' is heavily implied to be future events. In regards to the game's placement, Yutaka Hiramuki (one of ''Pikmin 4'''s planning directors) says "(he'll) leave that to the players' imaginations".{{Cite quote|This game begins with Captain Olimar once again crash-landing on an unknown planet. However, what makes the game different from the previous ones is that he sends out a distress signal, and the Rescue Corps comes to his rescue, but they also crash-land. As the newest recruit, the player embarks on an adventure to rescue the castaways. To make it easier for newcomers to get emotionally invested in the world of Pikmin, we designed the game so that players themselves would become the Rescue Corps' new recruit. So, even if you're not familiar with past titles, you'll be fine. Of course, we've put thought into developing features that add to the fun for players of the previous titles, so they've got plenty to look forward to. As for the story's timeline, I'll leave that to players' imaginations. (Laughs)|Yutaka Hiramuki|Ask the Developer Vol. 10, Pikmin 4-part 2 ([[https://www.nintendo.com/whatsnew/ask-the-developer-vol-10-pikmin-4-part-2/]])}} Hiramuki states that Olimar has "once again" crashed on PNF-404, however it isn't clear what he means. In a Pikmin Bloom interview with Nintendo Life, Senior Product Manager Rika Nakajima stated that "We have our own universe, and Pikmin 4 and the main series has their own too". It is unclear whether this means they are part of the same universe or not.  

Schnauz references treasures and sales pitches from Pikmin 2, reciting the sales pitch for the [[Cupid's Grenade]] and stating he has heard it before, which would be impossible unless the events of Pikmin 2 occurred. However, a voyage log from Louie implies that the golden pikpik incident was premeditated and will occur in the future, though it is possible that this is an old voyage log written before the events of Pikmin 2. This is also possible for the rest of Olimar's voyage log, as it could be a compilation of logs from Pikmin 1, Pikmin 2 and Pikmin 4, however this is unconfirmed. It is implied that Olimar’s log is out of order as Olimar is inside the house in the Untitled log, but first mentions the house in the very next log and only enters it later.

Olimar's Shipwreck Tale is a mode in Pikmin 4 where Olimar recounts his adventure before the events of Pikmin 4. This mode is a "tale" or "retelling" of these events. In Shipwreck Tale, Olimar acts like he hasn't encountered Yellow or Blue Pikmin or their Onions before. However, it is possible he is instead bewildered by the new type of Onion he is encountering, and his dialog about Yellow Pikmin might just be a jab at how they gain or lose abilities every game in the first three Pikmin games. It is also possible Shipwreck Tale is unreliably narrated and after transforming into a Leafling Olimar forgot the events of Pikmin 1 and Pikmin 2, since he lost his memories of what happened during his mission to recover ship parts in Pikmin 4.

Koppai's food crisis is not mentioned, however many characters speak of how Koppai is on the verge of a food crisis. Three Koppaites, [[Yorke]], [[Nelle]] and [[Don Bergman]] are castaways in Pikmin 4, and are on the planet to find treasure to save their planet from poverty and starvation. While this would mean Koppai did not discover PNF-404 in Pikmin 3, this does not actively contradict anything in Pikmin 3. In fact, Olimar's entry for the [[Mechanical Harp (Memory Song)]], a treasure that plays a music box rendition of Pikmin 3's main theme, he states that despite it's calm melody, the music worries him, and he thinks it could be a warning for "unexpected troubles in the future". This is, of course, refering to Olimar's capture and attempted escapes from the Plasm Wraith in Pikmin 3, heavily implying that Pikmin 3 is still canon and takes place after Pikmin 3.

Pikmin Garden is the Pikmin home site for the franchise in Japan. It has multiple sections, one of them being a series of reports from [[Chet]], a researcher in Pikmin 4. These reports include screenshots and details from Pikmin 4 as well as the first three games, including the old Onion designs, Mushroom Pikmin and Bulbmin. In the first report Chet says that Charlie, Brittany and Alph have gone to PNF-404 to solve a food crisis, once again implying Pikmin 3 is still canon. In his third report, he shows "rare footage of Olimar's first encounter with Pikmin", which is footage of Olimar encountering the Red Onion in Pikmin 1. It is unclear if Chet's reports are even canon, however they don’t seem to contradict information from Pikmin 4 or the original trilogy. In fact, the reports, as well as the rest of the website, uses special models and renders of Pikmin, new treasures, and other creatures throughout the website, meaning that the developers of Pikmin 4 had some part in the site's development.