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{{page title|''Pikmin 4''}}{{game icons|p4=y}}
{{page title|''Pikmin 4''}}
{{game icons|p4=y}}
{{infobox game
{{infobox game
|name        = Pikmin 4
|name        = Pikmin 4
|image      = Pikmin 4 Box Art.jpg
|image      = Pikmin4boxart.png
|size        = 250px
|size        = 250px
|caption    = North American game cover.
|caption    = North American game cover.
|jname      = {{j|ピクミン 4|Pikumin 4}}
|jname      = {{j|ピクミン 4|Pikumin 4}}
|rating      = TBA
|esrb        = E 10+
|pegi        = 3
|console    = Nintendo Switch
|console    = Nintendo Switch
|developer  = TBA
|developer  = {{w|Nintendo EPD}}
|publisher  = Nintendo
|publisher  = [[Nintendo]]
|genre      = TBA
|genre      = Action/Adventure/Strategy
|players    = 1-2 players
|players    = 1-2 players
|jp          = {{date|21|July|2023}}
|release    = {{date|21|July|2023}}
|na          = {{date|21|July|2023}}
|predecessor = [[Pikmin 3]]
|eu          = {{date|21|July|2023}}
|au          = {{date|21|July|2023}}
|ko          = {{date|21|July|2023}}
}}
}}
{{futuregame}}
'''''Pikmin 4''''' is the fourth main-series game in the {{ps}}, released in 2023 for the [[Nintendo Switch]]. The game sees the [[Pikmin 4 player character|newest recruit]] of the [[Rescue Corps]] exploring the planet [[PNF-404]], with the goal of rescuing [[Captain Olimar]], the rest of the Rescue Corps, and other civilian [[castaway]]s, while also collecting [[treasure]]s. Elements new to the series include [[night expedition]]s, a companion character called [[Oatchi]], and building structures with [[raw material]]s.
'''''Pikmin 4''''' is the upcoming fourth mainline installment in the {{ps}}, planned for release in {{date|21|July|2023}} for the [[Nintendo Switch]]. Many details of the game are currently unknown, but it is known that it introduces [[#Ice Pikmin|Ice Pikmin]], a companion character called [[#Oatchi|Oatchi]], and some kind of [[#Others|night gameplay]] to the series.


== Gameplay ==
== Plot ==
[[File:Pikmin 4 Reveal Fight.png|thumb|250px|Combat against a [[Bulborb]].]]
{{spoiler}}
So far, the gameplay seems to be the same as in the previous main titles of the franchise, though with some subtle changes. The [[cursor]] looks less like something to point towards an exact spot with, and more like a simple indicator of the general direction the aim is. This can be in part due to the lower [[camera]] angle. On top of standard Pikmin management and ordering, the player also has [[#Oatchi|Oatchi]] with them, which they can command in different ways than the Pikmin.
In the prologue, [[Captain Olimar]], captain of the [[S.S. Dolphin]], crash-lands on planet [[PNF-404]]. He discovers the [[Pikmin family|Pikmin]], and also the space dog [[Moss]], who help him to recover the [[Ship part|missing parts]] of his ship. In a playable section of the prologue, he finds the [[Interstellar Radio]], which allows him to send out an {{w|SOS}} signal, in the hope that people on other planets receive the signal and are able to help.


In the game's reveal trailer, ''Pikmin'' series creator Shigeru Miyamoto said after the trailer that the [[Nintendo Switch]]'s controls have made controlling the game simpler, allowing the player to focus more on strategic planning (or "{{j|段取り|dandori}}" as the developers refer to it).{{cite youtube|UJ9Iz7HhU-I|h=0|m=30|s=28|of Miyamoto talking a bit about the game's new features|published={{date|13|September|2022}}|retrieved={{date|13|September|2022}}}}
The [[Rescue Corps]], an organization dedicated to rescuing people, receives the signal, but their ship, the [[S.S. Shepherd]], also crashes, scattering the 7 members of the mission in different locations. As a result, their newest recruit, a [[Pikmin 4 player character|customizable player character]], is sent in the [[S.S. Beagle]] to rescue the Rescue Corps, and doesn't crash. They find the space dog [[Oatchi]] and the communications operator [[Collin]], then go into the [[Burrow of Beginnings]] to rescue the captain [[Shepherd]]. After this, they find the Pikmin and repair the S.S. Shepherd by collecting 3 nearby [[treasure]]s, completing the first day on the planet.


{{clear}}
After the first day, the player character visits various [[area]]s of the planet to collect treasures and find [[castaway]]s, finding that there are civilian castaways as well as members of the Rescue Corps. They also encounter [[leafling]]s, strange creatures with leaves on their heads who always talk about [[Dandori]], and who challenge the player with [[Dandori Challenge]]s. One particular leafling with red leaves challenges the player to [[Dandori Battle]]s. Collecting treasures gives the player [[Sparklium]], and collecting enough of it allows access to more areas. After rescuing the Rescue Corps doctor [[Yonny]], the player unlocks [[night expedition]]s, where they can get [[glow sap]] which has the ability to cure leaflings. After collecting enough Sparklium and rescuing the entire Rescue Corps, the player gains access to the [[Hero's Hideaway]], where the red leafling waits in a bunker for a final battle. Defeating it reveals that the leafing is in fact Olimar, and after curing him, the Rescue Corps completes their mission and is able to leave the planet, reaching the game's first ending.


== Content ==
Upon trying to leave the planet, they find that Oatchi does not like being in space, because of the leaf that sprouted on his tail halfway through the first part of the story. They return to the planet with the new goal of curing Oatchi, and hear that a veterinarian from the planet [[Koppai]] called [[Nelle]] is stranded on the planet. Upon landing in a new area, they see [[Louie]] and Moss run away with another Koppaite, [[Yorke]]. After rescuing Yorke by defeating Louie in a Dandori Battle, and rescuing [[Don Bergman]] elsewhere in the area, the player can visit the final area, where after defeating Louie in a final Dandori Battle and rescuing Nelle, they can access the final cave, the [[Cavern for a King]], where Louie can be found riding the final [[boss]], the [[Ancient Sirehound]]. When defeated, the boss drops its collar, the [[Gift of Friendship]], which contains enough hair on it to create a cure for Oatchi, reaching the game's second ending.
=== Pikmin types ===
All Pikmin types except for [[Bulbmin]] are known to return in ''Pikmin 4''. In addition there will be at least one new type, [[#Ice Pikmin|Ice Pikmin]].


==== Returning types ====
== Gameplay ==
The following Pikmin types return, though it is not known which types will feature in which game modes. Some types can be seen in trailers, while others can only be spotted in the game's key art.
''Pikmin 4'' is a 3D real-time strategy game, with gameplay divided into blocks of time called [[day]]s. Each day is 15 minutes long and allows the player to explore 1 [[area]]. Within each area there are several [[cave]]s, which are divided into multiple sublevels which are explored sequentially. While in a cave, the time of in-game day progresses at 1/6th the normal speed. Caves contain the majority of collectibles in the game. The player directly controls 2 characters, the [[Pikmin 4 player character|player character]] and [[Oatchi]], and can use these characters to indirectly control [[Pikmin family|Pikmin]]. The player character and Oatchi have slightly different abilities. Both of them can have a [[squad]] of Pikmin, and can [[throw]] and [[whistle]] the Pikmin. The player character also has the ability to [[charge]] Pikmin (after a certain point), while Oatchi has the ability to [[rush]] at objects and [[jump]] over small ledges (after a certain point). The player character can also ride Oatchi, or have Oatchi in their squad. The Pikmin have the ability to [[carry]] collectibles and to [[Combat|fight]] hostile [[Enemy|enemies]]. Pikmin can be killed by enemies, and the player character and Oatchi have a [[health]] bar which can be depleted by enemy attacks.


* [[Red Pikmin]]
There are 3 primary types of collectibles:
* [[Yellow Pikmin]]
* [[Treasure]]s are common real-world objects, and are worth some amount of [[Sparklium]]. To unlock additional areas, a certain amount of Sparklium must be collected.
* [[Blue Pikmin]]
* Rescues are alien characters, some of which are found as [[castaway]]s and some of which are found as [[leafling]]s. Rescuing a castaway or curing a leafling will reveal who that character is and give some biographical information about them. While castaways and leaflings are found in specific locations, the character assigned to each one is not fixed, such that the order castaways are found and leaflings are cured will always be the same. Finding certain characters is necessary to advance the story to beat the game, so a certain number of castaways and leaflings must be found and cured.
* [[White Pikmin]] (key art only)
* [[Onion]]s allow the player to grow Pikmin more easily. They include Onions for different Pikmin types, as well as [[Flarlic]] which increases the amount of Pikmin that can be outside at a time.
* [[Purple Pikmin]] (key art only)
* [[Rock Pikmin]] (key art only)
* [[Winged Pikmin]] (key art only)


==== Ice Pikmin ====
Structurally, ''Pikmin 4'' is mostly non-linear, letting the player visit caves and collect treasures in any order. While the order of areas is fixed, the things a player does in an area to unlock the next one are mostly not fixed. Uniquely for a ''Pikmin'' game, there is no set order of unlocking Pikmin types, as they can be unlocked in multiple orders. Wild Pikmin can be found in caves, allowing a player to unlock a type before finding its Onion. However, the player cannot grow more of a type using the Onion until they have found that type's Onion. Areas and caves have various [[obstacle]]s in them, some of which require a specific Pikmin type to clear, but the Pikmin type needed to destroy an obstacle can always be found somewhere in that area. Only 3 Pikmin types can be outside in an area at a time, and only 3 can be brought into a cave, though finding Wild Pikmin can increase the number of types the player can use in a cave. Each area and cave has a set of recommended types for the player to use.
[[File:Ice Pikmin.png|thumb|An Ice Pikmin.]]
Ice Pikmin are a new type of [[Pikmin family|Pikmin]]. They are cyan, with bodies that look like they are composed of two chunks of ice. They leave small snow and water vapor particles around them as they move, and they have yellow flowers. They have the ability to freeze [[enemies]] and bodies of [[water]].


They freeze enemies by filling up a circular gauge around the enemy's [[health wheel]] via attacks or being consumed. While attacks only increment the gauge slightly, when an Ice Pikmin is swallowed the gauge increases by a lot – around 40% when fighting a Bulborb. Once the gauge is full, the enemy freezes entirely, can no longer act, and gains an ice-coated look. Defeating a frozen enemy will make it shatter into chunks of ice without leaving a corpse, but it will drop [[nectar]], similar to how [[ultra-bitter spray]] functions. The Red Bulborb in the clip can be seen shaking after a few seconds, also similarly to how petrified enemies start shaking before breaking free, but it could also be due to it being nearly dead, or simply just an animation that plays for frozen enemies.
In between days, the player visits the [[Rescue Command Post]], a special hub area with no enemies. Here the characters rescued over the story appear, and can be talked to. Most characters can give the player [[Mission (Pikmin 4)|missions]], which challenge the player to do a specific task, and upon completing the mission, they get a reward. These rewards are usually [[raw material]]s, which are a special collectible. Primarily found in areas and caves, raw materials can be used to build [[clay]] structures, and can be used to buy [[gear]] to upgrade the player's abilities. The player character has a [[tablet]], which displays various information about the story and the current state of the game.


Ice Pikmin can be thrown into bodies of water to freeze them, making them the second type next to [[Blue Pikmin]] to be able to physically interact with water without suffering any harm; however, they lack the gills that Blue Pikmin possess and appear to only be able to float in the water, meaning they can neither breathe under or swim/explore the water as Blue Pikmin can. The place they are thrown onto makes the cursor take on the lock-on shape, indicating these Pikmin need to be thrown at a specific spot. When around 18 are thrown, the entire body of water instantly turns to ice after a second. This transformation instantly makes the water flash white and then quickly return to normal gradually as a puff of water vapor appears near the Pikmin. Any enemies in the water at that moment receive the same animation, sound, effects, and status as enemies frozen with Ice Pikmin attacks. With the water frozen, the Ice Pikmin that were thrown in get stuck with their upper bodies poking out of the ice's surface. Afterwards, leaders and Pikmin can safely walk on top of the ice.  
''Pikmin 4'' is primarily a single-player game, but a second player can assist the main player in [[Co-op Mode]], where they can throw items into areas using a reticle called the Pebble Pitcher.


Given their introduction cutscene takes place in an underground location with a simple layout and low walls, much like what can be seen in the footage of [[cave]]s of the same trailer, it's possible that these Pikmin are discovered inside of caves and produced via similarly colored [[Candypop Buds]]. In their introduction cutscene, they spin around and slide on their lower bodies, meaning they are at least slightly slippery.
===Dandori Challenge===
{{main|Dandori Challenge}}
Dandori Challenges are a special type of cave that feature a standalone treasure-collecting mission, with the goal being to collect all the treasures in the stage by the end of the time limit. They function similarly to [[Challenge Mode (Pikmin 2)|Challenge Mode]] from {{p2}} and [[Mission Mode]] from {{p3}}, but are incorporated into the main story.


<gallery>
===Dandori Battle===
Pikmin 4 ice pikmin vs bulborb.jpg|Ice Pikmin fighting against a [[Bulborb]].
{{main|Dandori Battle}}
Pikmin 4 Bulborb Frozen.png|A successfully frozen Bulborb.
Dandori Battles are a special type of cave that feature a 1-on-1 battle between the player character and a computer-controlled opponent, with the goal being to score more Dandori points than the opponent by the end of the time limit. They are incorporated into the main story and completing them is required to beat the game, but there is also a standalone Dandori Battle mode accessed from the title screen, which allows battles between 2 players.
Pikmin 4 ice pikmin introduction.jpg|Introduction [[cutscene]].
Pikmin 4 ice pikmin freezing water 1.jpg|Ice Pikmin being thrown at a body of water to freeze it.
Pikmin 4 ice pikmin freezing water 2.jpg|The same body of water in the process of freezing.
Pikmin 4 frozen water.jpg|A leader and their Pikmin walking on top of the now-frozen water.
Icepikminrender.png|Artwork of an Ice Pikmin.|alt=A cyan coloured, crystaline humanoid creature (pikmin) with a stem on its head featuring a single leaf.
</gallery>


{{clear}}
===Night expedition===
{{main|Night expedition}}
Night expeditions are a special activity the player can do, where they visit an area at night instead of during the day. During the night, there are different enemies and they are more aggressive. These expeditions have a tower-defense style of gameplay, where the player must use [[Glow Pikmin]] to defend a [[Lumiknoll]] from the enemies. There are multiple night expeditions that can be attempted in each area.


=== Areas ===
===Olimar's Shipwreck Tale===
No distinct [[area]]s have been confirmed so far, but from what can be seen in the various clips, it's possible to separate the overworld scenes into three distinct locations: one that takes place in the backyard of a house, one that takes place in a worksite near a house, and one that takes place in a vegetable garden. The following notable features can be seen in each of the two locations:
{{main|Olimar's Shipwreck Tale}}
Olimar's Shipwreck Tale is an alternate story mode that is unlocked after the player rescues [[Captain Olimar]]. In this mode, the player controls Olimar and the space dog [[Moss]] to collect the 30 [[ship part]]s of the [[S.S. Dolphin]] within a 15-day limit, where each day is 11 minutes long. The mode is a reference to {{p1}}, and only the original 3 Pikmin types from that game appear.


* Backyard:
== Content ==
** As part of the playable terrain:
=== Pikmin ===
*** Various sandy and dirt terrain.
''Pikmin 4'' has 9 [[Pikmin family|Pikmin]] types, including 7 returning types from previous games, and 2 new types: [[Ice Pikmin]] and [[Glow Pikmin]].
*** Blue fences, some of them with drawings of colored fish and algae.
* [[Red Pikmin]] are the first type obtained and are resistant to [[fire]] and have a higher attack power.
*** Azure tubes or a hose along the floor.
* [[Yellow Pikmin]] are resistant to [[electricity]] and can be thrown higher.
*** An upturned yellow bucket.
* [[Blue Pikmin]] can survive in [[water]], which other types cannot.
*** A small wooden model house.
* [[Ice Pikmin]], one of the new types, are resistant to [[ice]] and are able to freeze enemies and water bodies.
** As part of the background:
* [[Rock Pikmin]] can break [[crystal]] obstacles and have a powerful attack when thrown directly at an enemy.
*** A very large house, with a pink roof and a front porch awning.
* [[Winged Pikmin]] can fly over gaps and reach high-up items.
*** Large car tires, in red, yellow, and blue colors.
* [[Purple Pikmin]] can carry the strength of 10 Pikmin and are powerful in combat, but are slow.
*** A cyan playground slide styled like an elephant.
* [[White Pikmin]] are resistant to [[poison]] and are faster than other types.
*** Playground castles.
* [[Glow Pikmin]], one of the new types, can only be used in night expeditions or caves, and are resistant to all elemental hazards.
*** Cherry blossom trees.
* Worksite:
** As part of the playable terrain:
*** Various grassy and dirt terrain.
*** A wooden park bench with metal legs and armrests, though the top of the armrests have a wood slab attached.
*** A gray stepladder with a beige toolbox on top.
*** A slab of wood with a water tap coming out of it.
*** Various walls made of piled-up bricks.
*** Various colored planks of wood poking up from the ground, arranged together to form walls.
*** Pool tiles, alternating in a checkerboard pattern between white and blue.
** As part of the background:
*** A large iron gate.
*** Surrounding the large gate are decorated stone walls with brick tops.
*** Stairs leading from the gate to the playable area.
*** Shelves with vases and potted plants on them.
*** A wheelbarrow wheel.
*** A tall house in the distance with a grey roof.
* Garden:
** Various grassy and dirt terrain.
** Large-leafed vegetation in the out-of-bounds area.
** Tipped broken vases with rooted plants coming out.
** Plantations with a sign indicating what plant it is, although with no text.


<gallery>
=== Areas ===
Pikmin 4 house area.jpg|The backyard area.
''Pikmin 4'' has 6 main [[area]]s, plus a special tutorial and hub area, the [[Rescue Command Post]]. Within each area, there are multiple [[cave]]s.
Pikmin 4 area screenshot.jpg|The worksite area.
* '''[[Sun-Speckled Terrace]]''': A small garden with scattered equipment.
P4 Reveal Garden 1.jpg|The garden area.
* '''[[Blossoming Arcadia]]''': A lush playground.
</gallery>
* '''[[Serene Shores]]''': A beach area with tidal pools and a large sandcastle.
 
* '''[[Hero's Hideaway]]''': The interior of a house.
=== Caves ===
* '''[[Giant's Hearth]]''': A campsite with a barbecue in the center.
[[Cave]]s are shown to return in ''Pikmin 4''. Their layout is simplistic, but it is not currently known if they are [[random]]ly generated like in {{p2}}.
* '''[[Primordial Thicket]]''': An autumnal forest.
 
Three distinct types of cave floors can be seen in the trailer: one that looks like a standard dirt cave, another that's themed around metal and seems to take place inside of a shed, and one with a muddy floor and brick walls. Notable content that can be seen includes:
 
* Dirt cave:
** Muddy floors.
** Dirt walls.
** Tiny fungi.
** Dead leaves scattered about.
** A metal fan, screwed onto the floor. In the [[cutscene]], this opens up, shoots a gust of air upward, and allows the leader, Oatchi, and the Pikmin to ride up. While they are traveling up, the pod flies around and follows them.
* Shed:
** Metal rings and dirt on the floor.
** An LED {{w|dot matrix}} display, showing a number. All trailer footage just shows the number "01".
** In the cave's background, what is either the sunlight shining from the slits on the door of the shed, or some {{w|fluorescent lamps}} that are on.
** Support beams in the background, possibly made of wood.
* Brick cave:
** Muddy floor.
** Brick walls.
** Green mold.
 
<gallery>
Pikmin 4 oatchi sniffing 2.jpg|Dirt cave.
Pikmin 4 arachnorb.jpg|Shed.
Pikmin 4 Empress Bulblax Behind.png|Brick cave.
</gallery>


=== Treasures ===
=== Treasures ===
{{image}}
{{see|List of Pikmin 4 treasures}}
[[Treasure]]s appear to be the main collectible item in ''Pikmin 4''. Treasures have sparkle effects around them. When collected, a simple notification appears on-screen saying "New treasure collected!", with the icon of the corresponding treasure appearing above it. In this game, when a treasure is being carried, it rotates as the Pikmin change direction in their path.
''Pikmin 4'' has a large number of treasures, forming most of the collectibles in the game. There is a [[Treasure Catalog]] which lists all the treasures and has notes on them from multiple characters. Unlike in {{p2}}, there can be multiple instances of a single type of treasure.


Treasures seen in prerelease footage include a pair of binoculars, a [[Sunseed Berry|strawberry]], a pumpkin, a toy boat, a golden analog clock, a [[Harmonic Synthesizer|castanet]], something resembling the [[S.S. Dolphin]], and an unknown thimble-shaped saturated red object.
=== Enemies ===
{{see|Enemy#In Pikmin 4|t1=Enemies in Pikmin 4}}
''Pikmin 4'' has more types of enemies than any other Pikmin game. There is a [[Piklopedia (Pikmin 4)|Piklopedia]] that has notes on all the enemy species from multiple characters. Every type of enemy has a unique musical layer that is played on top of the area music when the player is close to it, a feature unique to this game.


<gallery>
=== Plants and fungi ===
Pikmin 4 binoculars treasure.jpg|Pikmin retrieving the binoculars.
{{see|Vegetation#Pikmin 4|t1=Vegetation in Pikmin 4}}
Pikmin 4 binoculars treasure 2.jpg|Pikmin carrying the binoculars.
''Pikmin 4'' features a wide variety of decorative vegetation.
</gallery>
 
{{clear}}


=== Characters ===
=== Characters ===
[[File:Pikmin 4 oatchi cutscene english.jpg|thumb|Various leaders discussing Oatchi.]]
{{see|Castaway}}
''Pikmin 4'' features several new characters. The two known names are Collin and Shepherd. Four of these characters share similar red outfits and are seen conversing with one another. This seems consistent to how the amount of characters corresponds to the game's numbered entry (i.e. {{p2}} having two leaders or {{p3}} having three leaders). Of the two currently named, both appear to be named after a dog breed, likely thematic in reference to Oatchi, who is described as a dog and is introduced as a main mechanic in this installment.
{{see|Leafling}}
''Pikmin 4'' features a large number of characters, more than any other game in the series. Almost all of the characters are non-playable. The [[Pikmin 4 player character|main character]], which is the only one the player controls in the main story (along with [[Oatchi]]), is a customizable character.


{{clear}}
== Controls ==
{{see|Controls#Pikmin 4|t1=Controls in Pikmin 4}}
In single-player mode, the player can either use a pair of Joy-Con, or a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. In 2-player mode, either player can use a pair of Joy-Con or a Pro Controller, or player 1 can use a single horizontal Joy-Con and player 2 can use a single vertical Joy-Con.


==== Unknown main leader ====
== Lists ==
One [[leader]] can be seen in almost all footage, more than any other character, suggesting they are the main leader of the game. They are the only one seen being controlled in gameplay, which could imply they are the only playable character, unlike previous entries which allow swapping between multiple characters.
=== Quotes ===
{{see|Rescue Journal}}
{{see|Pikmin 4 voyage log|t1=Voyage Log}}
{{see|Piklopedia (Pikmin 4)|t1=Piklopedia}}
{{see|Treasure Catalog}}


This leader has a full head of unkempt red hair, one long eyelash atop each eye, rosy cheeks, a small spherical nose, a small circular open mouth, an orange antenna light, as well as a full red [[spacesuit]] with white gloves and boots. They have pointy ears, suggesting that they may be a [[Hocotatian]].
=== Soundtrack ===
{{see|Music in Pikmin 4}}


<gallery>
=== References to other series ===
Pikmin 4 oatchi in puddle.jpg|Close-up of the character's front.
{{see|Reference#Pikmin 4|t1=References to other series in Pikmin 4}}
Pikmin 4 new leader.jpg|Close-up of the character's back.
</gallery>


==== Collin ====
=== Easter eggs and secrets ===
Collin has a square head with a pointy nose, large green eyes, and large rosy cheeks. Their mouth is similar to that of [[the President]]. They have close-cut gray hair with a spiraling tuft at the top. They have the same spacesuit and pointy ears as the main leader, suggesting they are part of the same group. Their name may be a reference to {{w|Collie}}s and {{w|Michael Collins (astronaut)|Michael Collins}}.
{{see|Easter egg#Pikmin 4|t1=Easter eggs in Pikmin 4}}


<gallery>
=== Mistakes ===
Pikmin 4 unknown character 2.jpg|Collin talking about the castaway.
{{see|Mistake#Pikmin 4|t1=Mistakes in Pikmin 4}}
</gallery>


==== Shepherd ====
=== Glitches ===
Shepherd has a pear-shaped head, long ears, dark skin, and blonde hair styled in a bun with a long curl on the side. They also wear a red bandana and have white grease paint under their eyes. They have the same spacesuit and pointy ears as the main leader, suggesting they are part of the same group. Their name may allude to {{w|German Shepherd}}s and {{w|Alan Shepard}}.
{{see|Glitches in Pikmin 4}}


<gallery>
=== Unused content ===
Pikmin 4 oatchi cutscene english.jpg|Shepherd talking about Oatchi.
{{see|Unused content in Pikmin 4}}
</gallery>


==== Unknown bald character ====
== Other information ==
A currently unnamed character can be seen conversing with the others. They appear to be bald and have a pear-shaped head, a long nose, and appear to wear glasses. They have the same spacesuit and pointy ears as the main leader, suggesting they are part of the same group. Their head shape bears a resemblance to [[Mail#After Louie is found, before all treasures are collected|the spammer that advertises Hocotate Wiz]] in ''Pikmin 2''.
* Game size: 10.36 GB.
* Supported play modes: TV (1 or 2 players), tabletop (1 or 2 players), and handheld (1 player).
* Supported controllers: two Joy-Cons, single Joy-Con (only when playing in multiplayer), and Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. When playing in multiplayer with single Joy-Cons, player 1 holds the controller horizontally and player 2 holds the controller vertically.{{cite web|https://www.nintendo.co.jp/switch/ampya/products/soft.html|Product information for ''Pikmin 4''|the Japanese ''Pikmin 4'' website|retrieved={{date|11|April|2023}}}}
* Supported languages: Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Traditional Chinese.{{cite web|https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/pikmin-4-switch/|Pikmin 4 for Nintendo Switch|Nintendo Official Site|published={{date|8|February|2023}}|retrieved={{date|9|February|2023}}}}


<gallery>
== History ==
Pikmin 4 oatchi cutscene english.jpg|The unknown character, top-left, admiring Oatchi.
[[File:Pikmin 4 Reveal Fight.png|thumb|The first released image of the game, shown in the September 2022 Nintendo Direct.]]
</gallery>
=== Pre-announcement ===
Before ''Pikmin 4''{{'s}} official announcement in 2022, various pieces of information about the game were shared by ''Pikmin'' series creator [[Shigeru Miyamoto]]. This information was sparse and sometimes contradictory, and the lack of official statements by Nintendo made it difficult to work out what was actually happening with ''Pikmin 4''. It is possible that some of these statements were referring to {{hp}}.


==== Oatchi ====
The first of these mentions was on {{date|6|November|2014}}, when Miyamoto was being interviewed on the recently-released {{psm}}, during which he said {{transcript|Continually launching campaigns after the release of software will lay the groundwork for the next iteration of "Pikmin" in the future. And needless to say, we want it to be one of the motivations for potential consumers to purchase Wii U. We are making a variety of different efforts.}}, indicating the possibility of another ''Pikmin'' game on the [[Wii U]].{{cite web|https://mynintendonews.com/2014/11/06/miyamoto-hints-that-pikmin-4-could-be-in-development/|Miyamoto Hints That Pikmin 4 Could Be In Development|My Nintendo News|published={{date|6|November|2014}}}} Not long after, Miyamoto also mentioned wanting to make more ''Pikmin'' games in an interview with Smosh Games.{{cite youtube|untLD6z6aqI|of the interview with Smosh Games in which Shigeru Miyamoto talks about developing ''Pikmin'' games|m=4|s=35|published={{date|6|January|2015}}}}
[[File:Pikmin 4 oatchi screenshot.jpg|thumb|Oatchi.]]
Oatchi ({{j|オッチン|Otchin}}) is a new dog-like character that assists the leaders. He's yellow, with orange spots on his back, a thin tail that ends in a white tuft, two legs in total, two floppy ears, a red collar, blue eyes, and no nose. Despite his alien look, he barks like a dog in the trailer, and is referred to as a Space Dog in the official UK & Ireland website.


The player can order Oatchi to perform something like a [[charge]]. An icon appears on-screen near the leader with Oatchi's face, and a circular gauge around it that fills with time. A large arrow pointing to the direction of the charge also appears, much like the one used in ''Pikmin 3'''s charge. When the gauge is full, the icon and arrow flash, and when the charge starts, Oatchi barks, runs in the direction of the order as the leader points their finger there with a hop. In the trailer, this charge is used to destroy some [[#Unknown jar obstacle|jars]] that block the way. After the charge, the gauge turns gray and starts decreasing instead, presumably indicating a cooldown before the charge can be used again.
On {{date|7|September|2015}}, Eurogamer unveiled that, in an exclusive interview, Miyamoto had confirmed the development of ''Pikmin 4'', and claimed that {{transcript|it's actually very close to completion. Pikmin teams are always working on the next one.}}{{cite web|http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-07-20-pikmin-4-in-development-and-very-close-to-completion|Pikmin 4 in development and "very close to completion"|Eurogamer|published={{date|7|September|2015}}}} In the same article, Eurogamer also revealed a separate statement from a Nintendo representative, which said {{transcript|We can confirm that Pikmin 4 is in development but that is all we can confirm at present.}} It is not known if the "''Pikmin 4''" mentioned in that quote is the actual name for the game that Nintendo used, whether it's a placeholder name or not, or if it's just the result of the quote's English translation.<ref group="note">Of note is the fact that the URL for the Eurogamer interview's page starts with "2014-07-20". Since the URLs of all news article pages on eurogamer.net begin with the article's publication date, this could possibly mean that the article was meant to be revealed shortly after the interview, but was held until September of 2015. The article for the second Eurogamer interview states that this interview took place in July 2015.</ref><ref group="note">Also of note is that ''Pikmin 4'' uses the game engine Unreal Engine 4. However, in 2015, Nintendo did not have access to Unreal Engine 4 on any of their console hardware, as support for the engine only started in 2017. It's unknown if this indicates a development reset happened during development, ''Pikmin 4'' was ported from a different engine to Unreal Engine 4, or if "''Pikmin 4''" in this context referred to a different game, such as ''Hey! Pikmin'' or a cancelled spinoff.</ref>{{cite web|https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/blog/unreal-engine-4-15-released|Unreal Engine 4.15 Released|the Unreal Engine official website|published={{date|15|February|2017}}}}


Oatchi can also be ordered carry corpses, after which he will bark, grab onto the object, and apply the carrying strength of 10 Pikmin, similar to [[Purple Pikmin]]. The way he carries objects resembles a [[Breadbug]].
In interviews in 2015 and 2016, Miyamoto mentioned wanting to make more ''Pikmin'' and ''Star Fox'' games.{{cite youtube|9B1nyq-5i6g|of an interview of Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka by YOGSCAST Kim|m=11|s=55|published={{date|8|September|2015}}}} When asked about characters he wanted to develop further at an Apple Store event, he said {{transcript|Yeah, I always wanted Fox McCloud to be a bit more popular than he is. But I think one more would be Pikmin. So I think these two, I'll need to put some more energy into.}}{{cite web|https://gamersplash.com/2016/12/11/miyamoto-confirms-star-fox-and-pikmin-will-continue/|Miyamoto Confirms Star Fox and Pikmin Will Continue|Gamer Splash!|published={{date|11|December|2016}}}}


The player can order their leader and Pikmin to all hop on top of Oatchi, after which the player can move Oatchi around. While the leader jumps on Oatchi's back, the Pikmin grab onto his hips. When directed towards a body of water in this state, Oatchi hops in, and starts swimming around, keeping the leader and Pikmin afloat. When brought out of the water, the same hop happens. Both hops seem to increase the same gauge seen when ordering a charge. While riding Oatchi, the leader can still grab Pikmin and throw them.
On {{date|7|July|2016}}, Gamerant interviewed Miyamoto and asked him about the status of the game's development and why there hadn't been any news in the past few months. To this, he replied {{transcript|Yes, you are right, and we're working on [''Pikmin 4'']. So, you know, when we're in development we have to create a list of priorities and it has been hard to kind of fit that into that list, but we're hopefully starting to see that on the list now.}}{{cite web|http://gamerant.com/pikmin-4-update-miyamoto/|Miyamoto Updates Fans On Status of Pikmin 4|Gamerant|published={{date|6|July|2016}}}}


Oatchi has the ability to sniff out certain scents. One cutscene shows [[#Shepherd|Shepherd]] congratulating Oatchi on finding a castaway. The trailer then shows Oatchi sniffing the ground left and right with the leader and some Pikmin on his back, only to suddenly prop up and show a thought bubble with the icon of a helmeted person's head silhouette. Finally, the video cuts to elsewhere where the crew find the castaway on the floor.
A second Eurogamer interview with Miyamoto about ''Pikmin 4'' was conducted at E3 2017, during which he stated {{transcript|I've been told not to share anything about this from PR, but I can tell you it is progressing.}}{{cite web|http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-06-14-miyamoto-pikmin-4-still-progressing|Miyamoto: Pikmin 4 still "progressing"|Eurogamer|published={{date|14|June|2017}}|retrieved={{date|14|June|2017}}}} This was the last time ''Pikmin 4'' was mentioned before its official announcement.


It is currently not known how Oatchi is controlled, but at times the [[cursor]] can be seen with Oatchi's icon on it instead of a typical Pikmin type icon, indicating the player may be able to select Oatchi as a standby type like how they select Pikmin types. Additionally, when Oatchi prepares to carry an object, the camera is centered on him. In the February 2023 trailer, the red-haired leader who is in control for the rest of the gameplay footage can be seen performing [[idle]] animations while this happens, indicating that Oatchi may be able to be controlled directly.
=== Pre-release ===
''Pikmin 4'' was officially announced in a Nintendo Direct presentation on {{date|13|September|2022}}.{{cite youtube|UJ9Iz7HhU-I|of the Nintendo Direct on {{date|13|September|2022}}|published={{date|13|September|2022}}|retrieved={{date|14|September|2022}}}} This announcement was in a section presented by Shigeru Miyamoto, which also promoted {{pb}} and the [[mariowiki:The Super Mario Bros. Movie|upcoming ''Mario'' movie]]. A short trailer was shown, featuring a few scenes in a garden-like area and announcing a release window of 2023. Miyamoto provided some more basic details of the game after the trailer, and also showed off a new Pikmin T-shirt design based on the game's logo, which was made available to buy shortly afterwards.


<gallery>
On {{date|8|February|2023}}, a Nintendo Direct presentation announced the release date for the game in a new trailer.{{cite youtube|UJ9Iz7HhU-I|of the Nintendo Direct on {{date|8|February|2023}}|published={{date|8|February|2023}}|retrieved={{date|8|February|2023}}}} This trailer showed various short clips of gameplay and cutscenes. A new type of Pikmin was revealed, [[Ice Pikmin]], demonstrating the ability to freeze enemies when eaten and freeze small bodies of water when enough are thrown into them. The trailer then revealed [[Oatchi]], showed [[treasure]]s to be the main collectible, and hinted at the return of [[cave]]s from {{p2}}. The end of the trailer gave a first view of night gameplay.
Pikmin 4 puddle.jpg|The player and their group of Pikmin approaching a puddle, alongside Oatchi.
Pikmin 4 riding oatchi near pond.jpg|The group jumping on Oatchi to get ready to board.
Pikmin 4 riding oatchi.jpg|The group crossing the lake on Oatchi's back.
Pikmin 4 oatchi in puddle.jpg|Another angle of the lake being crossed.
Pikmin 4 oatchi sniffing 1.jpg|Oatchi sniffing the ground.
Pikmin 4 oatchi sniffing 2.jpg|Oatchi thinking about a castaway.
Pikmin 4 dead bulborb.jpg|Oatchi dragging a Bulborb corpse.
Pikmin 4 oatchi charge.jpg|Oatchi charging through some jars.
Pikmin 4 oatchi cutscene japanese.jpg|Some characters discussing Oatchi in the Japanese version.
Oatchirender.png|Artwork of Oatchi staring.|alt=A staring, yellow-orange dog-like alien creature with a rotund body, 2 legs, bulging eyes and a fluffy tail that resembles a seeding dandelion flower. It also features a red collar and brown spots on its torso along with a lack of a nose on its snout.
</gallery>


{{clear}}
On {{date|2|June|2023}}, a news article was published on the Nintendo News channel on the Nintendo Switch news application in some regions, which described the plot of the game as "On a distant planet, the Rescue Corps needs a new hero - you!".{{source needed}}


==== Unknown castaway ====
On {{date|6|June|2023}}, a third trailer was published that revealed the basic plot of the game: [[Captain Olimar]] had crashed once again, and the Rescue Corps sent to retrieve him also crashed, leaving the player to rescue them all. This trailer showed the player character to be customizable, a first for the ''Pikmin'' series.{{cite youtube|6ixnXjtQ7f8|of the character creator trailer|published={{date|6|June|2023}}|retrieved={{date|6|June|2023}}}} Accompanying this trailer was a major update to the game's Japanese website, which included some plot information and new screenshots.
In the February 2023 trailer, Oatchi leads the player's group to an unconscious character that they then refer to as a "castaway". It is not possible to get a clear look at them, other than the fact their [[spacesuit]] is monochrome and their antenna light is cyan. The position is very similar to when leaders [[lie down]] or the multiple times [[Olimar]] and [[Louie]] can be carried in {{p3}}.


<gallery>
On {{date|20|June|2023}}, ''Pikmin 4'' download cards were released in Japan. These cards featured new screenshots, including one that took place inside a house, and one that seemed to show the game's battle mode.{{cite web|https://twitter.com/TokyoGameLife/status/1670999728098803713|Tweet by Tokyo Game Life|Twitter|published={{date|20|June|2023}}|retrieved={{date|20|June|2023}}|rname=japanesedownloadcard}}{{cite web|https://twitter.com/Genki_JPN/status/1671010320679071745|Tweet by Genki✨|Twitter|published={{date|20|June|2023}}|retrieved={{date|20|June|2023}}|rname=japanesedownloadcard2}}
Pikmin 4 unknown character 1.jpg|Approaching the unconscious castaway.
Pikmin 4 unknown character 2.jpg|Close-up of the castaway.
</gallery>


{{clear}}
On {{date|21|June|2023}}, another trailer was released as part of a Nintendo Direct presentation.{{cite youtube|WtY29lvEup8|of the Nintendo Direct on {{date|21|June|2023}}|published={{date|21|June|2023}}}} This trailer featured a more detailed look at the gameplay, and explained some of the game's new features. The goal of the game was revealed to be to collect treasures to power the Rescue Corps' ship, the S.S. Shepherd. The trailer showed the indoor area first seen on the download card. It also featured a closer look at caves, revealing their larger size and emphasis on puzzles. Dandori Battle mode was shown, as well as the Rescue Command Post. Finally, the night gameplay was revealed to be a tower defense-style challenge using a brand new type of Pikmin, the [[Glow Pikmin]]. This trailer was accompanied by the launch of the US and EU websites for the game, the "Pikmin Garden" Japanese website, as well as brand new websites for each region that focus on the series as a whole, which include the [[Pikmin comic]].


=== Enemies ===
On {{date|26|June|2023}}, various video game journalists and news sites like IGN{{cite youtube|fwDXHpKaEgY|of IGN playing a preview build of the game|published={{date|26|June|2023}}}} and Hobby Consolas{{cite youtube|nj4R2nDXZ8o|of Hobby Consolas playing a preview build of the game|published={{date|26|June|2023}}}} published videos showcasing gameplay of the game, giving firsthand accounts of how the game played and its new mechanics. Nintendo also published a short trailer for the game introducing viewers to the Pikmin on the Play Nintendo YouTube channel.{{cite youtube|yR_LngjVIjM|of the "Pikmin on Nintendo Switch" trailer|published={{date|26|June|2023}}}}
Various new and returning enemies have been shown in trailers.


==== Returning enemies ====
Just before the game's release, some of the developers of ''Pikmin 4'' gave a series of 3 interviews about the development of the game and the series.{{cite web|https://www.nintendo.com/us/whatsnew/ask-the-developer-vol-10-pikmin-4-part-1/|Ask the Developer Vol. 10, Pikmin 4—Part 1|Nintendo News|published={{date|18|July|2023}}}}{{cite web|https://www.nintendo.com/us/whatsnew/ask-the-developer-vol-10-pikmin-4-part-2/|Ask the Developer Vol. 10, Pikmin 4—Part 2|Nintendo News|published={{date|19|July|2023}}}}{{cite web|https://www.nintendo.com/us/whatsnew/ask-the-developer-vol-10-pikmin-4-part-3/|Ask the Developer Vol. 10, Pikmin 4—Part 3|Nintendo News|published={{date|20|July|2023}}}} In these interviews, they talked about how they attempted to combine elements of {{p1}} and {{p2}} to create a better ''Pikmin'' game. Initially they experimented with the idea of controlling a [[Bulborb]], or being able to ride various creatures, but it became difficult to make a coherent game from that idea. Instead, [[Oatchi]] was added, as a character the player could ride that had the abilities of a leader and a Pikmin. The concept of [[Dandori]] was a major focus of development, with the game being designed to allow for different playstyles, and the [[Rewind Time]] feature was added to make it easier to retry after making mistakes. They decided to incorporate the [[Mission Mode]] and versus modes from previous games into the main story, in the form of [[Dandori Challenge]]s and [[Dandori Battle]]s, to let the player clear these as they progress. Another change from previous games was bringing the [[camera]] closer to the ground, to create a better sense of scale for the world.
The following returning enemies can be spotted in the trailers shown so far:
* [[Bulborb]]
* [[Dwarf Bulborb]]
* [[Empress Bulblax]]
* [[Bulborb Larva]]
* [[Fiery Blowhog]]
* [[Wogpole]]
* [[Yellow Wollywog]]
* [[White Spectralids]]
* [[Yellow Spectralids]]
* [[Joustmite]]
* [[Female Sheargrub]]


<gallery>
=== Demo ===
Pikmin 4 empress bulblax.jpg|An Empress Bulblax rolling over some Pikmin. Bulborb Larvae can also be seen.
On {{date|28|June|2023}}, a demo for the game was released. In it, players can play the first part of Story Mode with one or two players. The demo contains the tutorial and the first area, the [[Sun-Speckled Terrace]]. Once the player has accumulated {{sparklium|p4|1500}} and the day ends, they are shown a notification telling them of the end of the demo, and then taken to a screen advertising the final game, with a button to return to the title screen, and another to access the eShop. If the player selects their saved game file again, they can still explore the [[Rescue Command Post]] and use its features, but will be prevented from continuing to the next area or landing in the previous one. It is still possible to select a different saved game file or even delete that demo-end file.
Pikmin 4 empress bulblax 2.jpg|The Empress Bulblax under attack.
Pikmin 4 Empress Bulblax Behind.png|The Empress Bulblax seen from behind.
Pikmin 4 fiery blowhog.jpg|A Fiery Blowhog attacking Red Pikmin.
Pikmin 4 Joustmites Buried.png|Two Joustmites, buried.
</gallery>
 
==== Unknown snavian-like enemy ====
An unknown [[Snavian family|snavian]]-like enemy resembling an infant [[Burrowing Snagret]] can be seen at one point in the February 2023 trailer. They hop around on their one leg, and look around and chirp when idling.


<gallery>
The title screen naturally includes the word "Demo" under the logo, and has an extra option, "Nintendo eShop", that when pressed, prompts the player to open the eShop's page for ''Pikmin 4''. The Dandori Battle option exists, but choosing it will simply inform the player of their availability in the full version.
Pikmin 4 house area.jpg|The creatures hopping around.
</gallery>


==== Unknown arachnorb-like enemy ====
Any progress made in the demo can carry over to the final game. Collecting {{sparklium|1500}} also gives the player some bonuses: they will obtain 5 Bomb Rocks in the full game and an [[Mii#Mii apparel|Oatchi-Rider outfit for their Mii]] in {{pb}} through [[My Nintendo]]. For the latter, a "Send Confirmation" button will appear on the title screen.
{{image}}
An unknown [[Arachnorb family|arachnorb]]-like enemy can be seen at one point in the February 2023 trailer. Its head is black and resembles a disco ball, with several circular lights dotted throughout. Its legs appear to be covered by tightly-wrapped strands of a dark unknown material, which dangle from the upper segments of its legs. The bottom half of two of its legs are bare, exposing an ivory bony endoskeleton of some kind underneath. Several holes can be seen on the interior of its bottommost joints.


At the start it appears to be hanging from the ceiling, with the spots on its head glowing a cyan color. After being attacked by several Yellow Pikmin, it drops down onto the floor with a thud that shoves away Pikmin, the leader, and Oatchi. Right afterwards it spins on its head as its legs come down. When attacking, the lights on its body turn yellow and it stomps around, crushing Pikmin with its large feet. Many Pikmin can be seen underneath it when the lights are yellow, unable to do much other than jump in place with some pink smoke coming out of their heads. This status effect is similar in appearance to [[poison]], or the dust that the [[Vehemoth Phosbat]] sprays which causes the Pikmin to [[panic]], but it is unknown if this is the result of the arachnorb enemy itself or another hazard.
Due to it being a demo, a lot of the final content is absent from the game's files entirely. With some Sparklium-farming techniques, it is possible to see the game react to some of the missing content, since the developers never expected a player to be able to reach it from within the demo's limits. This applies to the demonstration video for the [[Rush Boots]] in [[Russ]]'s lab.{{cite youtube|wVsDTc6H7kY|of a player completing the demo with over {{sparklium|p4|5000}}|published={{date|8|July|2023}}|retrieved={{date|8|July|2023}}}}


<gallery>
=== Post-release ===
Pikmin 4 arachnorb.jpg|The creature stomping around.
A minor [[update]] to the game was released on {{date|27|September|2023}}, which fixed some bugs and added a [[loading screen]] progress bar.
</gallery>


==== Unknown Mockiwi-like enemy ====
At {{w|The Game Awards 2023}}, ''Pikmin 4'' was nominated for the "Best Family" award,{{cite web|https://thegameawards.com/nominees/best-family|Best Family 2023|The Game Awards|retrieved={{date|12|December|2023}}}} and won the "Best Sim / Strategy" award.{{cite web|https://thegameawards.com/nominees/best-sim-strategy|Best Sim / Strategy 2023|The Game Awards|retrieved={{date|12|December|2023}}}}
An unknown [[Mockiwi family|Mockiwi]]-like enemy with a trumpet-shaped beak can be seen at one point in the February 2023 trailer. The top of its head and back of its body are a dim yellow color, while the bottom of the head and the stomach are white. They have small wings on each side of their body, and two small paws with white legs and red toes. Their sclerae are black, their irises are white, and their pupils are black. Their most prominent feature is the trumpet-shaped magenta beak. The fact that it looks like a Mockiwi, has a yellow torso, a dark-colored face, and a long snout makes it resemble an unused enemy in {{hp}} known only as "[[Unused content in Hey! Pikmin#Peromakky|Peromakky]]".


<gallery>
== Connections to other games ==
Pikmin 4 Trumpet Bird Enemy.png|The creature looking around.
{{see|Canon}}
</gallery>
''Pikmin 4'' does not fit neatly into the timeline established by the previous 3 games, as its story contradicts several major details from {{p1}}, {{p2}}, and {{p3}}. [[Olimar's Shipwreck Tale]] is a retelling of the story of ''Pikmin'', though with many details changed. Events from ''Pikmin 2'' and ''Pikmin 3'' are referenced as if they are hypothetical future events.


{{clear}}
== Credits ==
 
{{see|Credits#Pikmin 4|t1=Pikmin 4 credits}}
=== Obstacles ===
Many [[obstacles]] and [[hazards]] can be seen in the trailers.
 
==== Returning obstacles ====
The following obstacles are known to return from previous games:
* [[Water]]
* [[Dirt wall]]
* [[Electric gate]]
* [[Bridge]] (seemingly made of [[fragment]]s)
* [[Paper bag]] &ndash; Some seem to have golden handles, a golden seal, and some golden logo on them. Others are blue and have the word "puppies" written on them.
 
<gallery>
Pikmin 4 dirt wall.jpg|Pikmin taking down a dirt wall.
Pikmin 4 dirt wall breaking.jpg|The dirt wall breaking.
</gallery>
 
==== Unknown root obstacle ====
Large mounds of dirt with roots on them can be seen in the February 2023 trailer. These mounds represent potted plants whose pots fell over and broke, tipping the plant sideways. The plant is just a generic plant ending with a large green leaf, not unlike the leaf seen atop a Pikmin's head. The plant's roots are all around the dirt mound. Pikmin grab onto the plant's stem and start pulling sideways. The dirt pile and plant stretch out more and more until eventually the dirt collapses, the roots are freed, and the Pikmin are knocked onto the floor, slightly throwing the plant with them. The small chunks of dirt the obstacle breaks into simply disappear into the floor as they fall, while the plant smoothly vanishes shortly after being uprooted.
 
<gallery>
Pikmin 4 pulling roots 1.jpg|The lump of dirt being pulled.
Pikmin 4 pulling roots 2.jpg|The lump of dirt, now destroyed after being pulled.
</gallery>
 
==== Unknown climbable wall obstacle ====
Walls that can be made climbable through unknown means can be seen at one point in the February 2023 trailer. These walls have a base made of dirt, like a pile of dirt leaning on the wall making a small ramp. Atop the wall is also another base of dirt. Before the wall becomes climbable, there are a series of cubes made of some unknown material, possibly dirt, placed on the wall in a grid pattern. These, along with the bases above and below start glowing, and after a bit transform into the final climbable wall, with a puff of smoke. The wall then resembles a {{w|climbing wall}}, with small pebbles protruding. Both leaders and Pikmin can use these walls. Leaders can move up the wall, but seem to also be able to move sideways diagonally. It should be noted only Red Pikmin are seen making the wall climbable.
 
<gallery>
Pikmin 4 Climbing Wall Unbroken.png|A wall before being made climbable.
Pikmin 4 Climbing Wall Breaking.png|A wall's covering being broken by unknown means.
Pikmin 4 Climbing Wall.png|An unnamed leader and their Pikmin climbing up the wall.
</gallery>
 
==== Unknown dirt bridge ====
An unfinished dirt [[bridge]] can be seen at multiple points in the February 2023 trailer.
 
<gallery>
Pikmin 4 dirt bridge.png|The bridge made of dirt.
</gallery>
 
==== Unknown jar obstacle ====
{{image}}
Jars that can be smashed by having Oatchi [[charge]] at them can be seen at one point in the February 2023 trailer. They seem to be made of ceramic, and have cracks on their sides, near the base.
 
==== Unknown wall obstacle ====
A wall obstacle made of a crystalline material can be seen at one point in the February 2023 trailer.
 
<gallery>
Pikmin 4 Unknown Obstacle.png|The unknown wall obstacle.
</gallery>
 
=== Plants and fungi ===
{{stub|section=y}}
The areas seen in trailer footage appear to be filled with a high density of plants, most of which are decorative. Various sizes of [[Pellet Posy|Pellet Posies]] and a [[Burgeoning Spiderwort]] are present. Other recognizable plants include:
 
* {{icon|Clover|y}}
* {{icon|Figwort|y}} (blue)
* {{icon|Horsetail|y}}
* {{icon|Dandelion|y}}
* [[Vegetation#Common ivy|Common ivy]]
* [[Vegetation#Fern|Fern]]
* [[Vegetation#Tulip|Tulip]]
* [[Vegetation#Duckweed|Duckweed]]
* [[Vegetation#Yellow wood sorrel|Yellow woodsorrel]]
* [[Vegetation#Morning-glory|Morning-glory]] (2:00)
* {{w|Anemone coronaria|Anemone blue poppy}} (box art)
* {{w|Petasites japonicus|Giant butterbur}}
* {{w|Caladium bicolor}}
* {{w|Potentilla indica|Mock strawberry}} (1:04)
* {{w|Geranium|Cranesbill}} (close-up in reveal trailer)
* {{w|Helianthus angustifolius|Perennial sunflower}} (close-up in reveal trailer)
* {{w|Crepis|False dandelion}} (key art)
* {{w|Crocus}}
* {{w|Lythrum salicaria|Lythrum}} (2:42)
{{clear}}
 
=== Others ===
Some other content can be spotted from the footage. In addition, some of the established content in the franchise suffered changes in ''Pikmin 4''.
 
* New content:
** The main pod that items are retrieved to resembles a [[SPERO]].
*** It has a white color with red and blue accents.
*** This pod has the ability to fly and warp through space.
*** It has some [[Koppaite text]] on it, reading {{kt|H|T|C|U}} (HTCU or HTOU).
*** This pod is where the unnamed main leader and Oatchi travel. They are expelled and sucked in by the beam below the pod.
** There is a massive ship in the landing site.
*** It follows the color scheme of the pod.
*** It also has Koppaite text on it, reading {{kt|H|T|C|U|G|N}} (HTCUGN or HTOUGN).
*** There is a component at the top that can only be seen on the second-to-last scene of the trailer. In the first scene in which it appears, this component is missing.
** After the end of the main February 2023 trailer footage, there is a teaser that takes place during the night.
*** In it, an otherwise regular Bulborb's eyes suddenly become glowing red.
*** Piles of colorful crystals resembling {{w|konpeitō}} can also be seen scattered around the area.
*** A small cone-shaped structure can be seen with a hole on its side.
** Some cyan-colored pebbles can be found in piles. Two also come out of a destroyed dirt wall.
** Some pink pebbles surround the Red Onion and the pod.
** Other circles are present without an Onion or a pod. A ring of these pebbles also surrounds the pod's location in caves. As such, these appear to indicate landing sites.
** Black tubes with cyan lids can be seen coming out from the ground. They emanate some light, and their purpose is unknown.
* Changed content:
** [[Onion]]s now look more like a fruit with a speckled texture similar to apples. Their petals are smaller and point downwards like the original design. The base of the Onion is now yellow and plastic-like in appearance, and its legs are now green instead of yellow. Like in ''Pikmin 3'', Onions fuse together upon meeting a new type of Pikmin; however, the Onion now becomes segmented like a gourd, with each segment bearing the color of a Pikmin type.
** Pikmin sound slightly different, as does the plucking sound.
** The [[cursor]] changed appearance and behavior.
*** It is now followed by an indicator, which consists of an icon with an optional number below it. The icon is that of the Pikmin type in standby, or Oatchi, and the number is the number of Pikmin in the group of that type. Regardless of how the cursor itself is displayed, the icon and number are always facing the screen as part of the game [[HUD]].
*** When pointing at the floor, the cursor is flush with the floor in the game world's geometry. In this state it looks like a ring with a dot in the center, and the standby indicator appears above it.
*** When pointing at an enemy, the cursor locks on to its center automatically and faces the game screen as part of the HUD. In this state it looks like a ring split into four equal arcs, and the standby indicator appears below it.
*** When fighting the Bulborb, and when fighting the first stage of the arachnorb-like enemy, the cursor faces the game screen as part of the HUD and takes on a unique shape, whilst locked-on to the creatures. It looks like a thick ring split into four equal arcs, with a thinner inner ring close to it that is also segmented in the same way. The intervals between each arc pair each have a triangle facing the center of the cursor. Finally, the center point of the cursor resembles a plus sign with a hole in the middle.
** The text boxes that pop up when a character is speaking have a different design to the previous games, most notably adding the character's name above their portrait and having the text align left rather than center.
** Pikmin that get knocked down in combat have a chance of decreasing one level of [[maturity]], like in {{p1}}.
** The [[camera]] rotates horizontally as the player moves left and right on the screen.
 
<gallery>
Pikmin 4 intro 1.jpg|Intro [[cutscene]] with the ship pod.
Pikmin 4 intro 2.jpg|The ship pod heading towards the planet.
Pikmin 4 onion.jpg|The landing site.
Pikmin 4 new ship.jpg|Close-up of the ship.
Pikmin 4 Multicolored Onion.png|Close-up of the Master Onion with Red Pikmin, Yellow Pikmin, and Blue Pikmin inside.
Pikmin 4 Multicolored Onion Flying.png|The Master Onion's top, as seen when it is flying away.
Pikmin 4 pluck.jpg|[[Pluck]]ing a [[Red Pikmin]] near the Red Onion.
Pikmin 4 Red Onion.png|Close-up of the Red Onion.
Pikmin 4 bulborb at night.jpg|A regular Bulborb at night, before its eyes turn red. The crystals can be seen to its left.
Pikmin 4 bulborb with red eyes.jpg|The same Bulborb, but with its eyes now glowing red.
Pikmin 4 Red Eyed Bulborb.png|Close-up of the red-eyed Bulborb.
</gallery>
 
== Other information ==
* Game size: 12 GB.
* Supported play modes: TV (1 or 2 players), tabletop (1 or 2 players), and handheld (1 player).
* Supported controllers: two Joy-Cons, single Joy-Con (only when playing in multiplayer), and Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. When playing in multiplayer with single Joy-Cons, player 1 holds the controller horizontally and player 2 holds the controller vertically.{{cite web|https://www.nintendo.co.jp/switch/ampya/products/soft.html|Product information for ''Pikmin 4''|the Japanese ''Pikmin 4'' website|retrieved={{date|11|April|2023}}}}
* Supported languages: Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Traditional Chinese.{{cite web|https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/pikmin-4-switch/|Pikmin 4 for Nintendo Switch|Nintendo Official Site|published={{date|8|February|2023}}|retrieved={{date|9|February|2023}}}}
 
== History ==
=== Pre-announcement ===
Before ''Pikmin 4''{{'s}} official announcement in 2022, various pieces of information about the game were shared by ''Pikmin'' series creator [[Shigeru Miyamoto]]. This information was sparse and sometimes contradictory, and the lack of official statements by Nintendo made it difficult to work out what was actually happening with ''Pikmin 4''. It is possible that some of these statements were referring to {{hp}}.
 
The first of these mentions was on {{date|6|November|2014}}, when Miyamoto was being interviewed on the recently-released {{psm}}, during which he said {{transcript|Continually launching campaigns after the release of software will lay the groundwork for the next iteration of "Pikmin" in the future. And needless to say, we want it to be one of the motivations for potential consumers to purchase Wii U. We are making a variety of different efforts.}}, indicating the possibility of another ''Pikmin'' game on the [[Wii U]].{{cite web|https://mynintendonews.com/2014/11/06/miyamoto-hints-that-pikmin-4-could-be-in-development/|Miyamoto Hints That Pikmin 4 Could Be In Development|My Nintendo News|published={{date|6|November|2014}}}} Not long after, Miyamoto also mentioned wanting to make more ''Pikmin'' games in an interview with Smosh Games.{{cite youtube|untLD6z6aqI|of the interview with Smosh Games in which Shigeru Miyamoto talks about developing ''Pikmin'' games|m=4|s=35|published={{date|6|January|2015}}}}
 
On {{date|7|September|2015}}, Eurogamer unveiled that, in an exclusive interview, Miyamoto had confirmed the development of ''Pikmin 4'', and claimed that {{transcript|it's actually very close to completion. Pikmin teams are always working on the next one.}}{{cite web|http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-07-20-pikmin-4-in-development-and-very-close-to-completion|Pikmin 4 in development and "very close to completion"|Eurogamer|published={{date|7|September|2015}}}} In the same article, Eurogamer also revealed a separate statement from a Nintendo representative, which said {{transcript|We can confirm that Pikmin 4 is in development but that is all we can confirm at present.}} It is not known if the "Pikmin 4" mentioned in that quote is the actual name for the game that Nintendo used, whether it's a placeholder name or not, or if it's just the result of the quote's English translation.<ref group="note">Of note is the fact that the URL for the Eurogamer interview's page starts with "2014-07-20". Since the URLs of all news article pages on eurogamer.net begin with the article's publication date, this could possibly mean that the article was meant to be revealed shortly after the interview, but was held until September of 2015. The article for the second Eurogamer interview states that this interview took place in July 2015.</ref>
 
In interviews in 2015 and 2016, Miyamoto mentioned wanting to make more ''Pikmin'' and ''Star Fox'' games.{{cite youtube|9B1nyq-5i6g|of an interview of Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka by YOGSCAST Kim|m=11|s=55|published={{date|8|September|2015}}}} When asked about characters he wanted to develop further at an Apple Store event, he said {{transcript|Yeah, I always wanted Fox McCloud to be a bit more popular than he is. But I think one more would be Pikmin. So I think these two, I'll need to put some more energy into.}}{{cite web|https://gamersplash.com/2016/12/11/miyamoto-confirms-star-fox-and-pikmin-will-continue/|Miyamoto Confirms Star Fox and Pikmin Will Continue|Gamer Splash!|published={{date|11|December|2016}}}}
 
On {{date|7|July|2016}}, Gamerant interviewed Miyamoto and asked him about the status of the game's development and why there hadn't been any news in the past few months. To this, he replied {{transcript|Yes, you are right, and we're working on [''Pikmin 4'']. So, you know, when we're in development we have to create a list of priorities and it has been hard to kind of fit that into that list, but we're hopefully starting to see that on the list now.}}{{cite web|http://gamerant.com/pikmin-4-update-miyamoto/|Miyamoto Updates Fans On Status of Pikmin 4|Gamerant|published={{date|6|July|2016}}}}
 
A second Eurogamer interview with Miyamoto about ''Pikmin 4'' was conducted at E3 2017, during which he stated {{transcript|I've been told not to share anything about this from PR, but I can tell you it is progressing.}}{{cite web|http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-06-14-miyamoto-pikmin-4-still-progressing|Miyamoto: Pikmin 4 still "progressing"|Eurogamer|published={{date|14|June|2017}}|retrieved={{date|14|June|2017}}}} This was the last time ''Pikmin 4'' was mentioned before its official announcement.
 
=== Pre-release ===
''Pikmin 4'' was officially announced in a Nintendo Direct presentation on {{date|13|September|2022}}.{{cite youtube|UJ9Iz7HhU-I|of the Nintendo Direct on {{date|13|September|2022}}|published={{date|13|September|2022}}|retrieved={{date|14|September|2022}}}} This announcement was in a section presented by Shigeru Miyamoto, which also promoted {{pb}} and the [[mariowiki:The Super Mario Bros. Movie|upcoming ''Mario'' movie]]. A short trailer was shown, featuring a few scenes in a garden-like area and announcing a release window of 2023. Miyamoto provided some more basic details of the game after the trailer, and also showed off a new Pikmin T-shirt design based on the game's logo, which was made available to buy shortly afterwards.
 
On {{date|8|February|2023}}, a Nintendo Direct presentation announced the release date for the game and a new trailer, which provided a lot of information regarding the game.{{cite youtube|UJ9Iz7HhU-I|of the Nintendo Direct on {{date|8|February|2023}}|published={{date|8|February|2023}}|retrieved={{date|8|February|2023}}}} The trailer comprises of several short gameplay snippets of a group of four new characters (including the unidentified leader in the screenshot released with the reveal trailer) exploring a large area. The trailer showcases some new and returning enemies and environmental obstacles, and seemingly the return of the [[cave]] mechanic from {{p2}}. A new type of Pikmin was revealed, [[Ice Pikmin]], demonstrating the ability to freeze enemies when eaten and a small body of water when enough are thrown into it. The trailer also reveals [[Oatchi]], a dog-like creature shown assisting the group in a variety of ways, including finding others referred to as "castaways", breaking down certain obstacles, dragging a Bulborb corpse, and swimming a leader with a group of Pikmin across water. Collecting [[treasure]] also returns as a gameplay element, though the treasures' purpose in this game was not revealed. The trailer ends with a suspenseful nighttime scene of an idle Bulborb suddenly taking on glowing red eyes, with the music changing to take on a more desperate tone.


== Gallery ==
== Gallery ==
<gallery>
<gallery>
Pikmin 4 Logo.jpg|''Pikmin 4'''s logo.
Pikmin 4 Logo.jpg|''Pikmin 4'''s logo.
Pikmin 4 Direct Logo.png|''Pikmin 4'''s logo with transparent background.
Pikmin 4 Key Art.png|Key art.
Pikmin 4 Key Art.png|Key art.
Pikmin 4 key art jp.jpg|Japanese key art.
Pikmin 4 key art jp.jpg|Japanese key art.
Pikmin 4 Key Art Vertical.png|Vertical arrangement of the key art.
Pikmin 4 Key Art Vertical.png|Vertical arrangement of the key art.
Pikmin 4 Key Art Square.png|Square arrangement of the key art.
Pikmin 4 Key Art Square.png|Square arrangement of the key art.
Pikmin 4 Key Art No Logo.png|Full key art without text.
</gallery>
</gallery>
{{see more|Category:Pikmin 4 images}}
{{see more|Category:Pikmin 4 images}}
Line 440: Line 203:
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwOUuC8Y5N0 February 2023 trailer]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwOUuC8Y5N0 February 2023 trailer]
**[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMdUSVSEp7U?t=22 February 2023 Nintendo Direct]
**[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMdUSVSEp7U?t=22 February 2023 Nintendo Direct]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ixnXjtQ7f8 June 2023 trailer]
**[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrZtzGRAKrM June 2023 Nintendo Direct]
== Trivia ==
* ''Pikmin 4'' is the first main-series ''Pikmin'' game to be available in Brazilian Portuguese and Dutch.
* ''Pikmin 4'' uses the {{w|Unreal Engine}}.{{cite web|rname=japanesedownloadcard}}{{cite web|rname=japanesedownloadcard2}}
* The gap between the releases of {{p3}} and ''Pikmin 4'' was 10 years, the longest gap between release dates of any consecutive main-series ''Pikmin'' games.


== Names in other languages ==
== Names in other languages ==
''' ''Pikmin 4'' '''
{{foreignname
{{foreignname
|Jap=ピクミン４
|Jap=ピクミン４
Line 459: Line 228:
|ItaM=-
|ItaM=-
|Kor=피크민 4
|Kor=피크민 4
|KorR=Pikeumin 4
|KorR=pikeumin 4
|KorM=Pikmin 4
|KorM=Pikmin 4
|Por=Pikmin 4
|Por=Pikmin 4
Line 465: Line 234:
|Spa=Pikmin 4
|Spa=Pikmin 4
|SpaM=-
|SpaM=-
}}
'''Ice Pikmin'''
{{foreignname
|Jap=氷ピクミン
|JapR=Kōri Pikumin
|JapM=Ice Pikmin
|ChiTrad=冰凍皮克敏
|ChiTradR=Bīngdòng Píkèmǐn
|ChiTradM=
|Dut=IJs-Pikmin
|DutM=Ice Pikmin
|Fra=Pikmin glace
|FraM=Ice Pikmin
|Ger=Eis-Pikmin
|GerM=Ice Pikmin
|Ita=Pikmin gelato
|ItaM=Ice Pikmin
|Kor=얼음피크민
|KorR=Eol-eum Pikeumin
|KorM=Ice Pikmin
|Por=Pikmin gelo
|PorM=Ice Pikmin
|Spa=Pikmin gélido
|SpaM=Icy Pikmin
}}
;Collin
{{foreignname
|Jap  = コリー
|JapR = Corī
|JapM = Collie
}}
;Shepherd
{{foreignname
|Jap  = シェパード
|JapR = Shepādo
|JapM = Shepherd
}}
'''Oatchi'''
{{foreignname
|Jap=オッチン
|JapR=Otchin
|JapM=
|ChiTrad=歐慶
|ChiTradR=Ōuqìng
|ChiTradM=From Japanese name.
|Dut=Otsjin
|DutM=From Japanese name.
|Fra=Otchin
|FraM=From Japanese name.
|Ger=Otschin
|GerM=From Japanese name.
|Ita=Occin
|ItaM=From Japanese name.
|Kor=와치
|KorR=Wachi
|KorM=
|Por=Otchin
|PorM=From Japanese name.
|Spa=Ochin
|SpaM=From Japanese name.
}}
'''Castaway'''
{{needs translation}}
{{foreignname
|Jap=遭難者
|JapR=Sōnan-sha
|JapM=
}}
}}


Line 547: Line 244:
* [https://www.nintendo.co.jp/switch/ampya/ Official Japanese website]
* [https://www.nintendo.co.jp/switch/ampya/ Official Japanese website]
* [https://www.nintendo.com/sg/switch/ampy/ Official Singaporean website]
* [https://www.nintendo.com/sg/switch/ampy/ Official Singaporean website]
* [https://www.nintendo.tw/switch/ampya/ Official Taiwanese website]


== Notes ==
== Notes ==
Line 555: Line 253:


{{games}}
{{games}}
[[Category:Prerelease]]
[[Category:Main series]]
[[Category:Main series]]

Latest revision as of 07:48, May 4, 2024

Pikmin 4
The E 10+ box art.
North American game cover.
Japanese name ピクミン 4?
Rating ESRB rating: E 10+ PEGI rating: 3
Console Nintendo Switch
Developer Nintendo EPD
Publisher Nintendo
Genre Action/Adventure/Strategy
Players 1-2 players
Worldwide release date July 21st, 2023
Related games
Predecessor Pikmin 3

Pikmin 4 is the fourth main-series game in the Pikmin series, released in 2023 for the Nintendo Switch. The game sees the newest recruit of the Rescue Corps exploring the planet PNF-404, with the goal of rescuing Captain Olimar, the rest of the Rescue Corps, and other civilian castaways, while also collecting treasures. Elements new to the series include night expeditions, a companion character called Oatchi, and building structures with raw materials.

Plot[edit]

Warning: the following article or section contains major spoilers.

In the prologue, Captain Olimar, captain of the S.S. Dolphin, crash-lands on planet PNF-404. He discovers the Pikmin, and also the space dog Moss, who help him to recover the missing parts of his ship. In a playable section of the prologue, he finds the Interstellar Radio, which allows him to send out an SOS signal, in the hope that people on other planets receive the signal and are able to help.

The Rescue Corps, an organization dedicated to rescuing people, receives the signal, but their ship, the S.S. Shepherd, also crashes, scattering the 7 members of the mission in different locations. As a result, their newest recruit, a customizable player character, is sent in the S.S. Beagle to rescue the Rescue Corps, and doesn't crash. They find the space dog Oatchi and the communications operator Collin, then go into the Burrow of Beginnings to rescue the captain Shepherd. After this, they find the Pikmin and repair the S.S. Shepherd by collecting 3 nearby treasures, completing the first day on the planet.

After the first day, the player character visits various areas of the planet to collect treasures and find castaways, finding that there are civilian castaways as well as members of the Rescue Corps. They also encounter leaflings, strange creatures with leaves on their heads who always talk about Dandori, and who challenge the player with Dandori Challenges. One particular leafling with red leaves challenges the player to Dandori Battles. Collecting treasures gives the player Sparklium, and collecting enough of it allows access to more areas. After rescuing the Rescue Corps doctor Yonny, the player unlocks night expeditions, where they can get glow sap which has the ability to cure leaflings. After collecting enough Sparklium and rescuing the entire Rescue Corps, the player gains access to the Hero's Hideaway, where the red leafling waits in a bunker for a final battle. Defeating it reveals that the leafing is in fact Olimar, and after curing him, the Rescue Corps completes their mission and is able to leave the planet, reaching the game's first ending.

Upon trying to leave the planet, they find that Oatchi does not like being in space, because of the leaf that sprouted on his tail halfway through the first part of the story. They return to the planet with the new goal of curing Oatchi, and hear that a veterinarian from the planet Koppai called Nelle is stranded on the planet. Upon landing in a new area, they see Louie and Moss run away with another Koppaite, Yorke. After rescuing Yorke by defeating Louie in a Dandori Battle, and rescuing Don Bergman elsewhere in the area, the player can visit the final area, where after defeating Louie in a final Dandori Battle and rescuing Nelle, they can access the final cave, the Cavern for a King, where Louie can be found riding the final boss, the Ancient Sirehound. When defeated, the boss drops its collar, the Gift of Friendship, which contains enough hair on it to create a cure for Oatchi, reaching the game's second ending.

Gameplay[edit]

Pikmin 4 is a 3D real-time strategy game, with gameplay divided into blocks of time called days. Each day is 15 minutes long and allows the player to explore 1 area. Within each area there are several caves, which are divided into multiple sublevels which are explored sequentially. While in a cave, the time of in-game day progresses at 1/6th the normal speed. Caves contain the majority of collectibles in the game. The player directly controls 2 characters, the player character and Oatchi, and can use these characters to indirectly control Pikmin. The player character and Oatchi have slightly different abilities. Both of them can have a squad of Pikmin, and can throw and whistle the Pikmin. The player character also has the ability to charge Pikmin (after a certain point), while Oatchi has the ability to rush at objects and jump over small ledges (after a certain point). The player character can also ride Oatchi, or have Oatchi in their squad. The Pikmin have the ability to carry collectibles and to fight hostile enemies. Pikmin can be killed by enemies, and the player character and Oatchi have a health bar which can be depleted by enemy attacks.

There are 3 primary types of collectibles:

  • Treasures are common real-world objects, and are worth some amount of Sparklium. To unlock additional areas, a certain amount of Sparklium must be collected.
  • Rescues are alien characters, some of which are found as castaways and some of which are found as leaflings. Rescuing a castaway or curing a leafling will reveal who that character is and give some biographical information about them. While castaways and leaflings are found in specific locations, the character assigned to each one is not fixed, such that the order castaways are found and leaflings are cured will always be the same. Finding certain characters is necessary to advance the story to beat the game, so a certain number of castaways and leaflings must be found and cured.
  • Onions allow the player to grow Pikmin more easily. They include Onions for different Pikmin types, as well as Flarlic which increases the amount of Pikmin that can be outside at a time.

Structurally, Pikmin 4 is mostly non-linear, letting the player visit caves and collect treasures in any order. While the order of areas is fixed, the things a player does in an area to unlock the next one are mostly not fixed. Uniquely for a Pikmin game, there is no set order of unlocking Pikmin types, as they can be unlocked in multiple orders. Wild Pikmin can be found in caves, allowing a player to unlock a type before finding its Onion. However, the player cannot grow more of a type using the Onion until they have found that type's Onion. Areas and caves have various obstacles in them, some of which require a specific Pikmin type to clear, but the Pikmin type needed to destroy an obstacle can always be found somewhere in that area. Only 3 Pikmin types can be outside in an area at a time, and only 3 can be brought into a cave, though finding Wild Pikmin can increase the number of types the player can use in a cave. Each area and cave has a set of recommended types for the player to use.

In between days, the player visits the Rescue Command Post, a special hub area with no enemies. Here the characters rescued over the story appear, and can be talked to. Most characters can give the player missions, which challenge the player to do a specific task, and upon completing the mission, they get a reward. These rewards are usually raw materials, which are a special collectible. Primarily found in areas and caves, raw materials can be used to build clay structures, and can be used to buy gear to upgrade the player's abilities. The player character has a tablet, which displays various information about the story and the current state of the game.

Pikmin 4 is primarily a single-player game, but a second player can assist the main player in Co-op Mode, where they can throw items into areas using a reticle called the Pebble Pitcher.

Dandori Challenge[edit]

Main article: Dandori Challenge.

Dandori Challenges are a special type of cave that feature a standalone treasure-collecting mission, with the goal being to collect all the treasures in the stage by the end of the time limit. They function similarly to Challenge Mode from Pikmin 2 and Mission Mode from Pikmin 3, but are incorporated into the main story.

Dandori Battle[edit]

Main article: Dandori Battle.

Dandori Battles are a special type of cave that feature a 1-on-1 battle between the player character and a computer-controlled opponent, with the goal being to score more Dandori points than the opponent by the end of the time limit. They are incorporated into the main story and completing them is required to beat the game, but there is also a standalone Dandori Battle mode accessed from the title screen, which allows battles between 2 players.

Night expedition[edit]

Main article: Night expedition.

Night expeditions are a special activity the player can do, where they visit an area at night instead of during the day. During the night, there are different enemies and they are more aggressive. These expeditions have a tower-defense style of gameplay, where the player must use Glow Pikmin to defend a Lumiknoll from the enemies. There are multiple night expeditions that can be attempted in each area.

Olimar's Shipwreck Tale[edit]

Main article: Olimar's Shipwreck Tale.

Olimar's Shipwreck Tale is an alternate story mode that is unlocked after the player rescues Captain Olimar. In this mode, the player controls Olimar and the space dog Moss to collect the 30 ship parts of the S.S. Dolphin within a 15-day limit, where each day is 11 minutes long. The mode is a reference to Pikmin, and only the original 3 Pikmin types from that game appear.

Content[edit]

Pikmin[edit]

Pikmin 4 has 9 Pikmin types, including 7 returning types from previous games, and 2 new types: Ice Pikmin and Glow Pikmin.

  • Red Pikmin are the first type obtained and are resistant to fire and have a higher attack power.
  • Yellow Pikmin are resistant to electricity and can be thrown higher.
  • Blue Pikmin can survive in water, which other types cannot.
  • Ice Pikmin, one of the new types, are resistant to ice and are able to freeze enemies and water bodies.
  • Rock Pikmin can break crystal obstacles and have a powerful attack when thrown directly at an enemy.
  • Winged Pikmin can fly over gaps and reach high-up items.
  • Purple Pikmin can carry the strength of 10 Pikmin and are powerful in combat, but are slow.
  • White Pikmin are resistant to poison and are faster than other types.
  • Glow Pikmin, one of the new types, can only be used in night expeditions or caves, and are resistant to all elemental hazards.

Areas[edit]

Pikmin 4 has 6 main areas, plus a special tutorial and hub area, the Rescue Command Post. Within each area, there are multiple caves.

Treasures[edit]

See: List of Pikmin 4 treasures

Pikmin 4 has a large number of treasures, forming most of the collectibles in the game. There is a Treasure Catalog which lists all the treasures and has notes on them from multiple characters. Unlike in Pikmin 2, there can be multiple instances of a single type of treasure.

Enemies[edit]

See: Enemies in Pikmin 4

Pikmin 4 has more types of enemies than any other Pikmin game. There is a Piklopedia that has notes on all the enemy species from multiple characters. Every type of enemy has a unique musical layer that is played on top of the area music when the player is close to it, a feature unique to this game.

Plants and fungi[edit]

See: Vegetation in Pikmin 4

Pikmin 4 features a wide variety of decorative vegetation.

Characters[edit]

See: Castaway
See: Leafling

Pikmin 4 features a large number of characters, more than any other game in the series. Almost all of the characters are non-playable. The main character, which is the only one the player controls in the main story (along with Oatchi), is a customizable character.

Controls[edit]

See: Controls in Pikmin 4

In single-player mode, the player can either use a pair of Joy-Con, or a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. In 2-player mode, either player can use a pair of Joy-Con or a Pro Controller, or player 1 can use a single horizontal Joy-Con and player 2 can use a single vertical Joy-Con.

Lists[edit]

Quotes[edit]

See: Rescue Journal
See: Voyage Log
See: Piklopedia
See: Treasure Catalog

Soundtrack[edit]

See: Music in Pikmin 4

References to other series[edit]

See: References to other series in Pikmin 4

Easter eggs and secrets[edit]

See: Easter eggs in Pikmin 4

Mistakes[edit]

See: Mistakes in Pikmin 4

Glitches[edit]

See: Glitches in Pikmin 4

Unused content[edit]

See: Unused content in Pikmin 4

Other information[edit]

  • Game size: 10.36 GB.
  • Supported play modes: TV (1 or 2 players), tabletop (1 or 2 players), and handheld (1 player).
  • Supported controllers: two Joy-Cons, single Joy-Con (only when playing in multiplayer), and Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. When playing in multiplayer with single Joy-Cons, player 1 holds the controller horizontally and player 2 holds the controller vertically.[1]
  • Supported languages: Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Traditional Chinese.[2]

History[edit]

The image shown after the Pikmin 4 announcement trailer in the 9.13.2022 Nintendo Direct.
The first released image of the game, shown in the September 2022 Nintendo Direct.

Pre-announcement[edit]

Before Pikmin 4's official announcement in 2022, various pieces of information about the game were shared by Pikmin series creator Shigeru Miyamoto. This information was sparse and sometimes contradictory, and the lack of official statements by Nintendo made it difficult to work out what was actually happening with Pikmin 4. It is possible that some of these statements were referring to Hey! Pikmin.

The first of these mentions was on November 6th, 2014, when Miyamoto was being interviewed on the recently-released Pikmin Short Movies, during which he said “Continually launching campaigns after the release of software will lay the groundwork for the next iteration of "Pikmin" in the future. And needless to say, we want it to be one of the motivations for potential consumers to purchase Wii U. We are making a variety of different efforts.”, indicating the possibility of another Pikmin game on the Wii U.[3] Not long after, Miyamoto also mentioned wanting to make more Pikmin games in an interview with Smosh Games.[4]

On September 7th, 2015, Eurogamer unveiled that, in an exclusive interview, Miyamoto had confirmed the development of Pikmin 4, and claimed that “it's actually very close to completion. Pikmin teams are always working on the next one.”[5] In the same article, Eurogamer also revealed a separate statement from a Nintendo representative, which said “We can confirm that Pikmin 4 is in development but that is all we can confirm at present.” It is not known if the "Pikmin 4" mentioned in that quote is the actual name for the game that Nintendo used, whether it's a placeholder name or not, or if it's just the result of the quote's English translation.[note 1][note 2][6]

In interviews in 2015 and 2016, Miyamoto mentioned wanting to make more Pikmin and Star Fox games.[7] When asked about characters he wanted to develop further at an Apple Store event, he said “Yeah, I always wanted Fox McCloud to be a bit more popular than he is. But I think one more would be Pikmin. So I think these two, I'll need to put some more energy into.”[8]

On July 7th, 2016, Gamerant interviewed Miyamoto and asked him about the status of the game's development and why there hadn't been any news in the past few months. To this, he replied “Yes, you are right, and we're working on [Pikmin 4]. So, you know, when we're in development we have to create a list of priorities and it has been hard to kind of fit that into that list, but we're hopefully starting to see that on the list now.”[9]

A second Eurogamer interview with Miyamoto about Pikmin 4 was conducted at E3 2017, during which he stated “I've been told not to share anything about this from PR, but I can tell you it is progressing.”[10] This was the last time Pikmin 4 was mentioned before its official announcement.

Pre-release[edit]

Pikmin 4 was officially announced in a Nintendo Direct presentation on September 13th, 2022.[11] This announcement was in a section presented by Shigeru Miyamoto, which also promoted Pikmin Bloom and the upcoming Mario movie. A short trailer was shown, featuring a few scenes in a garden-like area and announcing a release window of 2023. Miyamoto provided some more basic details of the game after the trailer, and also showed off a new Pikmin T-shirt design based on the game's logo, which was made available to buy shortly afterwards.

On February 8th, 2023, a Nintendo Direct presentation announced the release date for the game in a new trailer.[12] This trailer showed various short clips of gameplay and cutscenes. A new type of Pikmin was revealed, Ice Pikmin, demonstrating the ability to freeze enemies when eaten and freeze small bodies of water when enough are thrown into them. The trailer then revealed Oatchi, showed treasures to be the main collectible, and hinted at the return of caves from Pikmin 2. The end of the trailer gave a first view of night gameplay.

On June 2nd, 2023, a news article was published on the Nintendo News channel on the Nintendo Switch news application in some regions, which described the plot of the game as "On a distant planet, the Rescue Corps needs a new hero - you!".[source needed]

On June 6th, 2023, a third trailer was published that revealed the basic plot of the game: Captain Olimar had crashed once again, and the Rescue Corps sent to retrieve him also crashed, leaving the player to rescue them all. This trailer showed the player character to be customizable, a first for the Pikmin series.[13] Accompanying this trailer was a major update to the game's Japanese website, which included some plot information and new screenshots.

On June 20th, 2023, Pikmin 4 download cards were released in Japan. These cards featured new screenshots, including one that took place inside a house, and one that seemed to show the game's battle mode.[14][15]

On June 21st, 2023, another trailer was released as part of a Nintendo Direct presentation.[16] This trailer featured a more detailed look at the gameplay, and explained some of the game's new features. The goal of the game was revealed to be to collect treasures to power the Rescue Corps' ship, the S.S. Shepherd. The trailer showed the indoor area first seen on the download card. It also featured a closer look at caves, revealing their larger size and emphasis on puzzles. Dandori Battle mode was shown, as well as the Rescue Command Post. Finally, the night gameplay was revealed to be a tower defense-style challenge using a brand new type of Pikmin, the Glow Pikmin. This trailer was accompanied by the launch of the US and EU websites for the game, the "Pikmin Garden" Japanese website, as well as brand new websites for each region that focus on the series as a whole, which include the Pikmin comic.

On June 26th, 2023, various video game journalists and news sites like IGN[17] and Hobby Consolas[18] published videos showcasing gameplay of the game, giving firsthand accounts of how the game played and its new mechanics. Nintendo also published a short trailer for the game introducing viewers to the Pikmin on the Play Nintendo YouTube channel.[19]

Just before the game's release, some of the developers of Pikmin 4 gave a series of 3 interviews about the development of the game and the series.[20][21][22] In these interviews, they talked about how they attempted to combine elements of Pikmin and Pikmin 2 to create a better Pikmin game. Initially they experimented with the idea of controlling a Bulborb, or being able to ride various creatures, but it became difficult to make a coherent game from that idea. Instead, Oatchi was added, as a character the player could ride that had the abilities of a leader and a Pikmin. The concept of Dandori was a major focus of development, with the game being designed to allow for different playstyles, and the Rewind Time feature was added to make it easier to retry after making mistakes. They decided to incorporate the Mission Mode and versus modes from previous games into the main story, in the form of Dandori Challenges and Dandori Battles, to let the player clear these as they progress. Another change from previous games was bringing the camera closer to the ground, to create a better sense of scale for the world.

Demo[edit]

On June 28th, 2023, a demo for the game was released. In it, players can play the first part of Story Mode with one or two players. The demo contains the tutorial and the first area, the Sun-Speckled Terrace. Once the player has accumulated Icon that represents Sparklium on the wiki, based on the icon found in Pikmin 4. × 1500 and the day ends, they are shown a notification telling them of the end of the demo, and then taken to a screen advertising the final game, with a button to return to the title screen, and another to access the eShop. If the player selects their saved game file again, they can still explore the Rescue Command Post and use its features, but will be prevented from continuing to the next area or landing in the previous one. It is still possible to select a different saved game file or even delete that demo-end file.

The title screen naturally includes the word "Demo" under the logo, and has an extra option, "Nintendo eShop", that when pressed, prompts the player to open the eShop's page for Pikmin 4. The Dandori Battle option exists, but choosing it will simply inform the player of their availability in the full version.

Any progress made in the demo can carry over to the final game. Collecting also gives the player some bonuses: they will obtain 5 Bomb Rocks in the full game and an Oatchi-Rider outfit for their Mii in Pikmin Bloom through My Nintendo. For the latter, a "Send Confirmation" button will appear on the title screen.

Due to it being a demo, a lot of the final content is absent from the game's files entirely. With some Sparklium-farming techniques, it is possible to see the game react to some of the missing content, since the developers never expected a player to be able to reach it from within the demo's limits. This applies to the demonstration video for the Rush Boots in Russ's lab.[23]

Post-release[edit]

A minor update to the game was released on September 27th, 2023, which fixed some bugs and added a loading screen progress bar.

At The Game Awards 2023, Pikmin 4 was nominated for the "Best Family" award,[24] and won the "Best Sim / Strategy" award.[25]

Connections to other games[edit]

See: Canon

Pikmin 4 does not fit neatly into the timeline established by the previous 3 games, as its story contradicts several major details from Pikmin, Pikmin 2, and Pikmin 3. Olimar's Shipwreck Tale is a retelling of the story of Pikmin, though with many details changed. Events from Pikmin 2 and Pikmin 3 are referenced as if they are hypothetical future events.

Credits[edit]

See: Pikmin 4 credits

Gallery[edit]

  • Pikmin 4's logo.

    Pikmin 4's logo.

  • Pikmin 4's logo with transparent background.

    Pikmin 4's logo with transparent background.

  • Key art.

    Key art.

  • Japanese key art.

    Japanese key art.

  • Vertical arrangement of the key art.

    Vertical arrangement of the key art.

  • Square arrangement of the key art.

    Square arrangement of the key art.

  • Full key art without text.

    Full key art without text.

See more: Category:Pikmin 4 images.

Videos[edit]

Trivia[edit]

  • Pikmin 4 is the first main-series Pikmin game to be available in Brazilian Portuguese and Dutch.
  • Pikmin 4 uses the Unreal Engine.[14][15]
  • The gap between the releases of Pikmin 3 and Pikmin 4 was 10 years, the longest gap between release dates of any consecutive main-series Pikmin games.

Names in other languages[edit]

Language Name Meaning
Flag of Japan Japanese ピクミン４?
Pikumin 4		 Pikmin 4
Flag of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Chinese
(traditional)		 皮克敏４
Píkèmǐn 4		 Pikmin 4
Flag of the Netherlands Dutch Pikmin 4 -
Flag of France French Pikmin 4 -
Flag of Germany German Pikmin 4 -
Flag of Italy Italian Pikmin 4 -
Flag of South Korea Korean 피크민 4
pikeumin 4		 Pikmin 4
Flag of Brazil Portuguese Pikmin 4 -
Flag of Spain Spanish Pikmin 4 -

See also[edit]

External links[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Of note is the fact that the URL for the Eurogamer interview's page starts with "2014-07-20". Since the URLs of all news article pages on eurogamer.net begin with the article's publication date, this could possibly mean that the article was meant to be revealed shortly after the interview, but was held until September of 2015. The article for the second Eurogamer interview states that this interview took place in July 2015.
  2. ^ Also of note is that Pikmin 4 uses the game engine Unreal Engine 4. However, in 2015, Nintendo did not have access to Unreal Engine 4 on any of their console hardware, as support for the engine only started in 2017. It's unknown if this indicates a development reset happened during development, Pikmin 4 was ported from a different engine to Unreal Engine 4, or if "Pikmin 4" in this context referred to a different game, such as Hey! Pikmin or a cancelled spinoff.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Product information for Pikmin 4 on the Japanese Pikmin 4 website, retrieved on April 11th, 2023
  2. ^ Pikmin 4 for Nintendo Switch on Nintendo Official Site, published on February 8th, 2023, retrieved on February 9th, 2023
  3. ^ Miyamoto Hints That Pikmin 4 Could Be In Development on My Nintendo News, published on November 6th, 2014
  4. ^ YouTube video of the interview with Smosh Games in which Shigeru Miyamoto talks about developing Pikmin games (at 04:35), published on January 6th, 2015
  5. ^ Pikmin 4 in development and "very close to completion" on Eurogamer, published on September 7th, 2015
  6. ^ Unreal Engine 4.15 Released on the Unreal Engine official website, published on February 15th, 2017
  7. ^ YouTube video of an interview of Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka by YOGSCAST Kim (at 11:55), published on September 8th, 2015
  8. ^ Miyamoto Confirms Star Fox and Pikmin Will Continue on Gamer Splash!, published on December 11th, 2016
  9. ^ Miyamoto Updates Fans On Status of Pikmin 4 on Gamerant, published on July 6th, 2016
  10. ^ Miyamoto: Pikmin 4 still "progressing" on Eurogamer, published on June 14th, 2017, retrieved on June 14th, 2017
  11. ^ YouTube video of the Nintendo Direct on September 13th, 2022, published on September 13th, 2022, retrieved on September 14th, 2022
  12. ^ YouTube video of the Nintendo Direct on February 8th, 2023, published on February 8th, 2023, retrieved on February 8th, 2023
  13. ^ YouTube video of the character creator trailer, published on June 6th, 2023, retrieved on June 6th, 2023
  14. ^ a b Tweet by Tokyo Game Life on Twitter, published on June 20th, 2023, retrieved on June 20th, 2023
  15. ^ a b Tweet by Genki✨ on Twitter, published on June 20th, 2023, retrieved on June 20th, 2023
  16. ^ YouTube video of the Nintendo Direct on June 21st, 2023, published on June 21st, 2023
  17. ^ YouTube video of IGN playing a preview build of the game, published on June 26th, 2023
  18. ^ YouTube video of Hobby Consolas playing a preview build of the game, published on June 26th, 2023
  19. ^ YouTube video of the "Pikmin on Nintendo Switch" trailer, published on June 26th, 2023
  20. ^ Ask the Developer Vol. 10, Pikmin 4—Part 1 on Nintendo News, published on July 18th, 2023
  21. ^ Ask the Developer Vol. 10, Pikmin 4—Part 2 on Nintendo News, published on July 19th, 2023
  22. ^ Ask the Developer Vol. 10, Pikmin 4—Part 3 on Nintendo News, published on July 20th, 2023
  23. ^ YouTube video of a player completing the demo with over Icon that represents Sparklium on the wiki, based on the icon found in Pikmin 4. × 5000, published on July 8th, 2023, retrieved on July 8th, 2023
  24. ^ Best Family 2023 on The Game Awards, retrieved on December 12th, 2023
  25. ^ Best Sim / Strategy 2023 on The Game Awards, retrieved on December 12th, 2023
Games
Main games Pikmin • Pikmin 2 • Pikmin 3 • Pikmin 4
Spin-off games Hey! Pikmin • Pikmin Bloom
Re-releases New Play Control! Pikmin • New Play Control! Pikmin 2
Pikmin 3 Deluxe • Pikmin 1 (Nintendo Switch) • Pikmin 2 (Nintendo Switch)
Web games Pikmin.com SpaceForce • Pikmin Treasure Hunt • Pikmin Finder
Super Smash Bros. series Brawl • for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U • Ultimate
Others Pikmin Adventure (Nintendo Land) • Stage Debut
Retrieved from "https://www.pikminwiki.com/index.php?title=Pikmin_4&oldid=297825"