Pikmin 4

Pikmin 4
North American game cover.
Japanese name	ピクミン 4?
Rating
Console	Nintendo Switch
Developer	TBA
Publisher	Nintendo
Genre	TBA
Players	1-2 players
Worldwide release date	July 21st, 2023

This article or section is about an upcoming or recently released game. The content here is subject to change as more information is discovered. All information added here must be verifiable and not speculative.

Pikmin 4 is the upcoming fourth mainline installment in the Pikmin series, planned for release on July 21^st, 2023 for the Nintendo Switch. Many details of the game are currently unknown, but it is known that it introduces Ice Pikmin and Glow Pikmin, a companion character called Oatchi, customizable player characters, and night expeditions to the series.

Plot

Having once again crash-landed on a distant planet, Captain Olimar sends out a distress signal to the Rescue Corps for aid. However, the Rescue Corps also crash-land on the planet. It is now up to their newest recruit to save Olimar and the castaway members of the Rescue Corps, and repair the Rescue Corps' ship, the S.S. Shepherd. The S.S. Shepherd is based off the famous dog breed, the German Shorthaired Pointer.

Gameplay

Combat with a Bulborb.

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 with them, which they can command in different ways than the Pikmin.

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 "dandori" (段取り^?) as the developers refer to it. The word "Dandori" appears multiple times in the game proper.

Game modes

Currently, the only game modes known to be in the game are the main Story Mode, where the player must find and rescue members of the Rescue Corps, and a 2-player battle mode known as Dandori Battle.

Dandori Battle

Dandori Battles are a new challenge in Pikmin 4, serving as a successor to 2-Player Battle and Bingo Battle from previous games. In Dandori Battles, you and an unknown Olimar-looking creature compete against each other to collect as much treasure as possible. Collecting treasures earns a player points; the player with the most points when the timer runs out is declared the winner. Dandori Battles may be available as a 2 player challenge mode, similar to 2-player battle and Bingo Battle from the previous games.

When playing Dandori Battles, Player 1 plays as the main leader, while an Olimar-like creature competes with you.In this context, they are known as "Dandori Challenges".

Night expeditions

A new type of gameplay in Pikmin 4 are "night expeditions". This marks the first time in the Pikmin series that areas can be explored at nighttime. At the end of each day, the player has the option to either end the day like normal, or choose to remain on the planet for the night. Night expeditions feature tower defense-like gameplay. The goal of night expeditions is to protect "Lumiknolls", tall mounds of dirt with holes in them, revealing a glowing interior. Lumiknolls contain a substance known as "glow sap", which is described as being very valuable.

At nighttime, standard enemies will become frenzied, which is indicated by their eyes glowing a bright red. In this state, these enemies will seek out and attack Lumiknolls. The Lumiknolls' health is indicated by a health bar at the top of the screen, but each hit it takes will also cause one of the glowing holes to darken. At night, the only Pikmin type available are a new type of Pikmin called Glow Pikmin. Completing night expeditions rewards the player with glow seeds, used to summon Glow Pikmin in caves, and glow sap, used to cure Leaflings.

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  A group of Glow Pikmin standing in front of a Lumiknoll.

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  The player traveling the planet at night, showing enemies with glowing red eyes.

Content

Pikmin types

All Pikmin types except for Bulbmin are known to return in Pikmin 4. In addition there will be two new types, Ice Pikmin and Glow Pikmin.

Returning types

The following Pikmin types introduced in previous Pikmin games are in Pikmin 4:

• Red Pikmin
• Yellow Pikmin
• Blue Pikmin
• White Pikmin
• Purple Pikmin
• Rock Pikmin
• Winged Pikmin

Ice Pikmin

An Ice Pikmin.

Main article: Ice Pikmin.

Ice Pikmin are a new type of 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 are also inmune to ice itself.

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. After a few seconds, the enemy will begin shaking and eventually become unfrozen.

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.

Ice Pikmin are first discovered in a cave called "Last-Frost Cavern", where they are seen fighting a Blowhog that shoots ice. In their introduction cutscene, they spin around and slide on their lower bodies, meaning they are at least slightly slippery. They don't appear to have an Onion, as when carrying enemy corpses or Pellets, the carrying number changes colors to one of the Pikmin colors available in the Onion, similar to Purple and White Pikmin in Pikmin 2.

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  Ice Pikmin fighting against a Bulborb.

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  A successfully frozen Bulborb.

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  Introduction cutscene.

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  Ice Pikmin being thrown at a body of water to freeze it.

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  The same body of water in the process of freezing.

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  A leader and their Pikmin walking on top of the now-frozen water.

• Ice Pikmin.jpg

  Artwork of an Ice Pikmin.

Glow Pikmin

A Glow Pikmin.

Glow Pikmin are a new type of Pikmin that can only be used at night, during night expeditions. Glow Pikmin have bright green, bioluminescent bodies. They have no legs, and their bodies instead end in a tapered, ghost-like tail. Because of this, they have the ability to float. They have blue eyes, though one of them appears to be larger than the other and has a light blue pupil. Their flowers are also slightly differently shaped, with pointed petals instead of the normal rounded ones. They also appear to be slightly smaller than other Pikmin types.

Glow Pikmin are the only Pikmin that can be used during night expeditions. They can be thrown and commanded like other Pikmin; however, they have a unique "charge" mechanic. The player is able to charge up their squad of Glow Pikmin, causing them to coalesce into a single, glowing ball, which then charges forward when the charge is released. If this glowing ball comes into contact with an enemy, it will burst and the enemy will be stunned; this also causes the Glow Pikmin to de-merge from the glowing ball and float to the enemy, attacking it.

Glow Pikmin are not plucked from the ground; instead, they appear to be created by the Luminols the player is tasked with protecting. Glow Pikmin do not have Onions or Candypop Buds like most Pikmin; instead, to produce more Glow Pikmin, the player must collect glowing rocks that resemble konpeitō. The Glow Pikmin will bring these to Luminols, generating more Glow Pikmin. Glow seeds can be used to summon Glow Pikmin in caves. It should also be noted they are immune to fire, water, ice, electricity, and poison.

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  A group of Glow Pikmin merging together.

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  The merged Glow Pikmin bursting into a flash of light.

Areas

Pikmin 4 has several distinct areas. It's possible to separate the overworld scenes seen in footage into five distinct locations: one that takes place in a playground near a house, one that takes place in a worksite near a different house, one that takes place in a vegetable garden, one that takes place in a desert, and one that takes place inside of a house. The first area has been confirmed as "Sun-Speckled Terrace", and the second as "Blossoming Arcadia".

The following notable features can be seen in each of the five locations:

• Playground:
  • As part of the playable terrain:
    • Various sandy and dirt terrain.
    • Blue fences, some of them with drawings of colored fish and algae.
    • Azure tubes or a hose along the floor.
    • An upturned yellow bucket.
    • A small wooden model house.
    • A landing spot identified as "Fragrant Ravine".
  • As part of the background:
    • A very large house, with a pink roof and a front porch awning.
    • Large car tires, in red, yellow, and blue colors.
    • A cyan playground slide styled like an elephant.
    • Playground castles.
    • Cherry blossom trees.
• Sun-Speckled Terrace:
  • 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.
    • A landing spot identified as "Rugged Scaffold".
    • A landing spot identified as "Ancient Arches".
  • 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.
• Rescue Command Post:
  • 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.
• Desert:
  • Sandy and rocky terrain.
  • Low-lying vegetation.
  • Palm trees in the distance.
• House:
  • A kitchen countertop with pots, a sink, and a burning stovetop.
  • A living room with a loveseat and armchair.
  • Wooden building blocks.
  • A large wooden table.
  • A staircase with potted plants on it.
  • Childish crayon drawings.
  • A safe with three knobs.
  • A structure made up of various books.
  • A kitchen area with barstools.

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  The playground area.

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  Sun-Speckled Terrace

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  Rescue Command Post

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  The desert area.

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  The house area.

Caves

Caves are shown to return in Pikmin 4. But they aren't randomly generated like in Pikmin 2. Caves are accessed via black tubes with blue lids on the surface. On footage from the Japanese website, one can be seen with a red flag attached to it, presumably meaning that it's been completed, similar to Pikmin 2. Some cave units originally from Pikmin 2 such as room_hitode4x4_3_metal and room_dan4x4i_3_conc are known to return with an updated design. Currently, we know of Six caves: "Burrow of Beginnings", the first cave entered, "Last-Frost Cavern", where Ice Pikmin are discovered, "Industrial Maze", "Crackling Cauldron", “Aquiferous Summit” and “Hectic Hollows”.

These caves have large puzzle-oriented floors. They can be seen with a myriad of hazards, including fans, rails, Bouncy Mushrooms, conveyor belts, floating platforms, and more.

Four distinct types of cave floors can be seen in the February and June trailers: one that looks like a standard dirt cave, another that's themed around metal and seems to take place inside of a shed, one with a muddy floor and brick walls, one taking place over metal platforms in a dark void, one taking place in an enclosed area with blue tiles on the walls and floor, and one that appears to take place inside what is presumably either a display terrarium in an aquarium/a pet store or a science museum's water table. Notable content that can be seen includes:

• Dirt cave:
  • Muddy floors.
  • Dirt walls.
  • Tiny fungi.
  • Dead leaves scattered about.
• Shed:
  • Metal rings and dirt on the floor.
  • An LED 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 fluorescent lamps that are on.
  • Support beams in the background, possibly made of wood.
• Brick cave:
  • Muddy floor.
  • Brick walls.
  • Green mold.
• Display area:
  • Sandy floors.
  • Rocks and fake plants.
  • Lit up by lamps.
  • A wall with an ocean painted on it.
  • Glass walls.
  • Fake logs with what appears to be astroturf on top of them.
  • In the background, cylindrical aquariums built into pillars can be seen, along with blurry visages of soda fountains behind them. What appears to be a blurry exit sign and a vending machine can also be briefly seen.

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  Dirt cave.

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  Shed.

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  Brick cave.

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  Display area.

Treasures

Treasures 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. Like in Hey! Pikmin, treasures in this game are filled with Sparklium, which is used to power the S.S. Shepherd.

Treasures seen in prerelease footage include:

• A pair of binoculars.
• A strawberry.
• A pumpkin.
• A toy boat.
• A golden analog clock.
• A castanet.
• Something resembling the S.S. Dolphin.
• A baseball.
• The top and bottom halves of a matryoshka doll. The bottom half is called "Mama Doll Head," and the bottom half is called "Empty Vase".
• A kendama.
• Another kendama without the ball, called the "Aspiration-Ritual Pole".
• A beach ball.
• A fidget spinner.
• Origami cranes.
• A craft resembling a flatfish.
• A dragonfruit.
• A Game Boy Advance SP.
• A tako sausage.
• A persimmon.
• Tomatoes.
• Purple grapes.
• A mechanism for a music box.
• A chalkboard eraser.
• Macaroons.
• An apple.
• A red ball.
• A round green object, possibly a lime.
• A horned object that resembles a screw.
• A calculator.
• A kitchen sponge.
• A Ring Pop.
• A compass (confirmed to be the Director of Destiny).
• A tube of acrylic paint, called the "Refreshing Goo".
• A puzzle piece.
• A magnifying glass.
• Weights of different sizes.
• A button.
• A wooden toy train.
• An emblem with the design of a planet and a satellite.
• 2 watches.
• A banana. Unlike the Slapstick Crescent, this one has a sticker on it.
• A peach.
• A wedding ring in a ring box. Only the ring sparkles, which may mean that the box itself is not part of the treasure.
• A starfruit.
• A jar of jam.
• A waffle.
• An éclair.
• A kabuki mask.
• An industrial remote of some kind.
• A pair of 3D glasses.
• A watermelon.
• Nigiri sushi.
• Dice of several different types: four-sided, six-sided, ten-sided, and twenty-sided.
• Hanafuda cards.
• Nuggets.

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  Pikmin retrieving a pair of binoculars.

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  Pikmin carrying a pair of binoculars.

• Pikmin 4 baseball treasure.png

  Pikmin carrying a baseball.

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  Pikmin and Oatchi carrying a toy boat.

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  A pumpkin seen in the February 2023 trailer.

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  A castanet seen in the February 2023 trailer.

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  A matryoshka doll seen in the June 2023 trailer.

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  Several different treasures from the Japanese download card.

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  Pikmin carrying purple grapes.

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  A Ring Pop treasure.

Other collectibles

Outside of treasures, the player can also collect "raw materials"; these appear as light blue pebbles. They can be found in piles around the world, and they also drop from broken walls and jars, and some enemies when they are killed. These materials are used to craft upgrades for the spacesuit or Oatchi's collar. They can also be turned into lumps of clay, which can be used to build things like bridges and climbable walls.

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  Pikmin carrying raw materials back to the S.S. Beagle.

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  Pikmin bringing lumps of clay from the S.S. Beagle.

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  The same lumps of clay being used to build a clay bridge.

Characters

Various leaders discussing Oatchi.

Pikmin 4 features several characters. Most of these are members of the Rescue Corps (referred to as Rescue Officers), a group of 6 humanoid characters and 1 dog who are sent to the planet to rescue Captain Olimar, the only confirmed returning character. There is another character who is customizable and appears to be the only playable character. Of the five members of the Rescue Corps currently named, Collin, Shepherd, Russ, Dingo, Yonny, and Bernard, all appear to be named after a dog breed, likely thematic in reference to Oatchi, who is described as a space dog and is introduced as a main mechanic in this game.

Player character

The main character of the game is a customizable character, referred to in promotional material as "You". Promotional gameplay screenshots feature the names "Lisa" and "Emma". Their name and appearance can be customized in a character creator. They are the only one seen being controlled in gameplay, which could imply they are the only leader. They are the newest recruit to the Rescue Corps, sent to rescue them from a crash landing after trying to rescue Captain Olimar for the same reason.

The default design of this character (shown in trailers and promotion art) 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. Their ID card on the Japanese website states they are from the planet Karut.

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  Close-up of the character's front in their default appearance.

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  Close-up of the character's back in their default appearance.

Collin

Collin has a square head with a pointy nose, large green eyes, and large rosy cheeks. His mouth is similar to that of the President. He has close-cut gray hair with a spiraling tuft at the top. He has the same pointy ears as the player character. His name may be a reference to Collies and Michael Collins. He is from the planet Giya.

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  Collin talking about the castaway.

Shepherd

Shepherd has a pear-shaped head, long ears, dark skin, and blonde hair styled in a bun with a long curl on the side. She also wears a red bandana and has white grease paint under her eyes. She has the same pointy ears as the main leader. She is the captain of the S.S. Shepherd. Her name may allude to German Shepherds and Alan Shepard. She is also from the planet Giya. Shepherd is able to upgrade Oatchi by training him. Training Oatchi subtracts from Oatchi's "Pup Drive" which increases from rescuing castaways.

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  Shepherd talking about Oatchi.

Russ

Russ can be seen conversing with the others. He appears to be bald and have a pear-shaped head, a long nose, and appear to wear glasses. He has the same pointy ears as the main leader. His head shape bears a resemblance to the spammer that advertises Hocotate Whiz in Pikmin 2. Russ runs "The Lab", a shop where the player is able to spend materials they've collected on upgrades for themselves or Oatchi. His name may allude to Jack Russell Terriers. Like Collin and Shepherd, he is from the planet Giya.

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  Russ, top-left, admiring Oatchi.

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  Russ's name being revealed in the IGN preview video.

Dingo

Dingo has a triangle-shaped head, light skin, pointy ears, a large pinkish nose, and red hair spiking upwards. He wears a dark blue headband. His name may allude to dingoes. He is from the planet Ohri. He is a ranger who excels at solo missions.

Yonny

Yonny has a pear-shaped head, long ears, dark skin, and a green bowl cut. They wear a headlamp and have beady eyes, a red spacesuit and the same pointy ears as the main leader. Their name may allude to Papillons. In the June 21^st, 2023 Nintendo Direct trailer, they can be seen talking with the player about night expeditions, meaning that the player may have to talk to them to begin one.

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  The player talking with Yonny.

Bernard

As-of-yet, not much is known about Bernard. They appear to look similar to Alph and has a oval-shaped head, a slicked-back spiked hair, and having pointy ears as well. Their name may allude to St. Bernard.

Oatchi

Oatchi.

Oatchi (オッチン^?) is a dog-like creature that assists the Rescue Corps. He has yellow fur, 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 some promotional material. He has long served the Shepherd family and he was obeying only Shepherd, the captain of the Rescue Corps, until the protagonist appears. Like his owner Shepherd, he is from the planet Giya.

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 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. The charge can also be used to affect the environment somewhat; for example, Oatchi can charge into a wall to knock down a treasure attached to it.

Oatchi can also be ordered carry objects, after which he will bark, grab onto the object, and apply the carrying strength of several Pikmin. The way he carries objects resembles a Breadbug. He can also carry objects being carried by other Pikmin.

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.

Oatchi has the ability to sniff out certain scents. He can sniff out castaways, as seen in the February 2022 trailer, or he can be commanded to sniff out treasure, functioning as a Treasure Gauge. If the player gets stuck, they can also command Oatchi to "Pick Up a Scent", which will guide the player towards where they should go next. This is highlighted in the game world as blue clouds of smoke, as seen in the June 2023 trailer. Other options in the command menu have icons for an Onion, a pile of raw materials, or an Ice Pikmin. It's unknown what these commands do.

Oatchi can be controlled independently, as if he was a separate leader. While being controlled, Oatchi can jump and throw Pikmin. He also has his own health bar, meaning he can be damaged and incapacitated. Unlike leaders, however, Oatchi is affected by hazards in much the same way Pikmin are; for example, when hit by fire, his tail will catch on fire and he will run around in a panic. He will also take damage from these hazards.

Oatchi's abilities can be enhanced at the Rescue Command Post in exchange for a resource called "Pup Drive". Enhancements that have been seen include increasing his carrying strength to 10 (like a Purple Pikmin), as well as what appears to be an attack power increase. Some of the upgrades available at the Lab can be applied to Oatchi as well.

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  The player and their group of Pikmin approaching a puddle, alongside Oatchi.

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  The group jumping on Oatchi to get ready to board.

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  The group crossing the lake on Oatchi's back.

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  Another angle of the lake being crossed.

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  Oatchi sniffing the ground.

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  Oatchi thinking about a castaway.

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  Oatchi dragging a Bulborb corpse.

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  Oatchi charging through some jars.

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  Some characters discussing Oatchi in the Japanese version.

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  Artwork of Oatchi staring.

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  Artwork of Oatchi with the player character and Pikmin riding on his back.

Leafling and Moss

A red humanoid creature, who has Captain Olimar's suit and face, but has a head covered with red fur and with the stem of a Pikmin, is seen kidnapping a castaway and is accompanied by Moss, a Rescue Pup. Moss's tail has been replaced by a Pikmin stem and leaf. This look-alike is also used in Dandori Battles for the second player. The red humanoid is simply named "???" in their dialog and talks in a similar manner to Captain Olimar. The duo kidnaps a castaway, and hops into an orange pipe. Inside, the mysterious duo challenges the player to a round of "Dandori", only returning the castaway when they lose. It should be noted that the castaway was put into the onion by Moss, removing their helmet and giving them a Pikmin-like appearance with purple fur and a stem on their head. In this state, they are called a Leafling. When recovering them, their ID is unreadable and they also are dubbed “???”.

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  The Olimar-like character and Moss standing next to a castaway.

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  A close-up of the Olimar-like character.

Other Rescue Corps members

According to a screenshot from the Japanese website, the Rescue Corps is made up of six members, not including the player character. Alongside Shepherd, Collin, Russ, Dingo, Yonny, there is only one as-of-yet unrevealed member named Bernard that must be rescued as well.

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  The Rescue Corps' silhouettes.

Unknown

A group of characters can be seen left behind at night.

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  The group of unidentified characters.

Castaways

"Castaways" are members of the Rescue Corps that need to be recovered and rescued. In this form, 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 Pikmin 3.

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  Approaching the unconscious castaway.

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  Close-up of the castaway.

Captain Olimar

Captain Olimar returns in Pikmin 4. At some unknown point in time relative to the other Pikmin games, he crash-landed on the planet of Pikmin 4. The Rescue Corps set out to rescue him, but also crash-landed. At the time his distress signal reached the Rescue Corps, he had been on the planet for one month. Similar to data files in Pikmin 3, Olimar has left behind a "Voyage Log" containing useful information about the planet.

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  Olimar's profile, as seen on the Japanese website.

Enemies

Various new and returning enemies have been shown in trailers.

Returning enemies

The following returning enemies can be spotted in the trailers, gameplay videos, and screenshots shown so far:

• Armored Cannon Beetle
• Armored Cannon Larva
• Bulborb
• Bulborb Larva
• Dwarf Bulborb
• Empress Bulblax
• Female Sheargrub
• Fiery Blowhog
• Giant Breadbug
• Joustmite
• Male Sheargrub
• Mamuta
• Man-at-Legs
• Mitite
• Pearly Clamclamp
• Peckish Aristocrab
• Puckering Blinnow
• Puffy Blowhog
• Pyroclasmic Slooch
• Shearwig
• Skeeterskate
• Skitter Leaf
• Skutterchuck
• Swooping Snitchbug
• Toady Bloyster
• White Spectralids
• Wogpole
• Yellow Spectralids
• Yellow Wollywog

The following enemies can be seen in the Piklopedia in the overview trailer:

• Anode Beetle
• Bulbear
• Dwarf Bulbear
• Dwarf Orange Bulborb
• Emperor Bulblax
• Orange Bulborb
• Whiptongue Bulborb

In addition, the Japanese "Pikmin Garden" website features artwork and renders of several more enemies:

• Baldy Long Legs
• Bearded Amprat
• Breadbug
• Burrowing Snagret
• Doodlebug
• Greater Spotted Jellyfloat
• Honeywisp
• Iridescent Flint Beetle
• Red Spectralids
• Waddlepus

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  An Empress Bulblax rolling over some Pikmin. Bulborb Larvae can also be seen.

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  The Empress Bulblax under attack.

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  The Empress Bulblax seen from behind.

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  A Fiery Blowhog attacking Red Pikmin.

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  Two Joustmites, buried.

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  Several Mitites, seen underground with the player character.

Downy Snagret

An enemy known as a Downy Snagret resembling an infant Burrowing Snagret can be seen at one point in the February 2023 trailer, and is present in the key art. They hop around on their one leg, and look around and chirp when idling.

• 

  Two Downy Snagrets hopping around.

Unknown arachnorb-like enemy

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An unknown 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.

• 

  The creature stomping around.

Unknown Mockiwi-like enemy

An unknown 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 Hey! Pikmin known only as "Peromakky".

• 

  The creature looking around.

Unknown Chrysanthemum-like enemy

An unknown green creature with eyestalks disguised as flowers, similar to the Creeping Chrysanthemum, is seen in a scrolling ribbon of pictures on the official Japanese website. It has a large mouth and round cheeks. It seems to use its spiked tongue to attack and create significant saliva (possibly being a water hazard). Given its plant-like appearance, it likely will camouflage with its surroundings in an attempt to surprise nearby prey, just as the Creeping Chrysanthemum does.

• 

  The enemy near the player's squad.

Unknown fish-like enemy

An unknown fish-like enemy with small bumps on its head can be seen swimming in an underwater area in the June 2023 Nintendo Direct trailer.

• Unkown brown fish enemy Pikmin 4.png

  The fish-like enemy.

Unknown elephant-like enemy

An unknown enemy covered in a type of armor with a long trunk can be seen in the house area in the June 2023 Nintendo Direct trailer. It somewhat resembles members of the blowhog family.

• Unknown green elephant enemy.png

  The elephant-like enemy.

Unknown Dweevil

A light blue Dweevil can be seen in a kitchen in the June 2023 Nintendo Direct trailer. It has a similar color to Ice Pikmin, suggesting that it may attack with ice.

• 

  The Dweevil.

Dwarf Bulborb-like enemy

An enemy resembling a Dwarf Bulborb, but with the white abdomen of a Bulborb Larva, can be seen at nighttime in the June 2023 Nintendo Direct trailer. According to the Pikmin Garden's Piklopedia, it is a Bulborb in a life stage between the Bulborb Larva and the adult Bulborb, and its Japanese nickname is コチャッピーモドキ^? (lit.: "Pseudo Small Chappy").

• 

  The Dwarf Bulborb-like enemy.

Unknown scorpion-like enemy

A large unknown enemy resembling a scorpion, with a flower-like tail, is seen battling the player character in the June 2023 Nintendo Direct trailer. It may be a boss, as it is fought alone in an arena-like location. Its head somewhat resembles that of a Widemouthed Anode Beetle.

• Unknown red scorpion enemy Pikmin 4.png

  The scorpion-like enemy.

Unknown ice moth enemy

A large moth-like enemy, possessing the ability to shoot out a blast of freezing wind with its wings, is seen battling the player character in the June 2023 Nintendo Direct trailer.

• 

  The ice moth enemy.

Porquillion

The Porquillion is an enemy that appears in the beginning sequence and atop a hill in the Sun-Speckled Terrace. In both fights, it serves the role of a mini-boss and the music correspondingly changes. It attacks by shooting out the spikes on its body, though this leaves it vulnerable until it grows them back. The spikes have a chance to stun or outright kill Pikmin. After its defeat, it drops the Interstellar Radio.

• 

  The enemy as seen in the demo.

• 

  The enemy with no spikes.

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  The enemy's corpse.

• 

  The enemy as seen on the website.

• 

  The enemy as seen in the trailer.

Giant Yellow Wollywog

An abnormally large Yellow Wollywog can be briefly seen in what appears to be a water table or a pet shop terrarium. Although it looks identical to the Yellow Wollywog, it is extremely large, being just as 5 times as tall as a Pikmin when members of the species are usually twice as tall as a Pikmin, and this massive size allows it to actually depress sand that it lands on, forming new pools. It is unclear if this size difference makes it of a different species compared to Yellow Wollywogs, or they are still considered the same species.

• 

  The giant Wollywog.

Snowy Blowhog

The Snowy Blowhog is a grounded Blowhog that can shoot an icy mist that can freeze Pikmin. They are first seen fighting Ice Pikmin, which are invulnerable to the chilling attack.

• 

  The blowhog shooting its mist.

• 

  The blowhog from the front.

Unknown Slug-like Enemy

A pair of slug-like enemies can be seen in the overview trailer.

• 

  The slug-like enemy.

Unknown Icy Bulborb Enemy

One of the screenshots at the end of the game's demo appears to show a light blue Bulborb covered in ice crystals. Dwarf variants of said bulborbs also exist.

Tusked Blowhog

The Tusked Blowhog is a species in the new "Tusked Blowhog" family. It does not blow out of its snout like other Blowhogs, instead preferring to charge into Pikmin, similar to Oatchi's Rush attack.

Scorchcake

The Scorchcake is a species in the Pikmin 4 demo that belongs to the Shellcake family. It has a short cylindrical rocky body and a pair of blue eyes on stalks. Its main attack is flipping over, crushing Pikmin underneath its hard body, revealing its burning underbelly.

• 

  A Scorchcake seen in the demo.

• 

  A dead Scorchcake.

Unknown Goolix-like Enemy

An enemy resembling the Goolix appears in footage on the Japanese website. It appears to be fought by pulling on a tongue-like tendril until it bursts.

• P4 Goolix Enemy.png

  The Goolix-like enemy.

• P4 Goolix Burst.png

  The enemy after bursting.

Gear and Items

Like in previous games, the player can obtain upgrades (known in this game as Gear) for their space suit. The same upgrades can also be bought for Oatchi. The player can also purchase items that they can use in the field. Gear and Items require raw meterials and can be purchased from Russ at The Lab.

Returning gear

• Anti-Electrifier
• Scorch Guard
• Rush Boots

Survey Drone

The Survey Drone is an piece of gear that allows the player to freely view their surroundings.

Charging Horn

This gear unlocks the charge ability for your Pikmin.

Other new gear

• Headlamp+
• Thermal Defense
• Lineup Trumpet

Scrummy Bone

This item will completely heal Oatchi. If Oatchi eats it when his health is full, then he will get a boost in health.

Pikpik Carrots

This item can be thrown to distract enemies, similar to the Piklopedia in Pikmin 2.

Obstacles

Many obstacles, tools, and hazards can be seen in the trailers.

Returning obstacles

The following obstacles and tools are known to return from previous games:

• Water
• Geyser (shooting wind)
• Dirt wall
• Electric gate
• Bridge (made of clay fragments)
• Paper bag – 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.
• Crystal wall
• Boulder – Unlike in Pikmin 2, these roll down hills and can crush Pikmin.
• Cardboard box
• Bouncy Mushroom
• Conveyor belt

• 

  Pikmin taking down a dirt wall.

• 

  The dirt wall breaking.

Potted plants

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.

• 

  The potted plant being pulled.

• 

  The potted plant, now destroyed after being pulled.

Unknown climbable wall

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, Pikmin or Oatchi must drag pieces of **raw material** to the wall. 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 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. Oatchi is unable to scale walls.

• 

  A wall before being made climbable.

• 

  A wall's covering being broken by unknown means.

• 

  The player and their Pikmin climbing up the wall.

Clay bridge

Clay bridges are a new type of bridge. When Pikmin are thrown onto this bridge, a number similar to a carrying number appears, showing how many lumps of clay are required to build the bridge. The Pikmin will then return to the S.S. Beagle and retrieve the clay before bringing it back to the bridge and building onto it, similar to the way fragments are used to build bridges in Pikmin 3.

• 

  An unfinished clay bridge.

• 

  Pikmin building the clay bridge.

Unknown jar obstacle

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. Some of them appear to contain nectar, as seen in the IGN preview. Others may contain wild Pikmin.

• 

  The jar obstacle.

• 

  The jar obstacle while getting destroyed by Oatchi.

• 

  The jar obstacle after it's destroyed.

Unknown wall obstacle

A wall obstacle made of a crystalline material can be seen at one point in the February 2023 trailer. In the June 2023 trailer it can be seen being destroyed by Rock Pikmin.

• 

  The unknown wall obstacle.

Hydro jelly

Hydro jelly is a new type of obstacle. It resembles a glob of translucent blue gelatinous material, and can be found in mounds of different sizes. These obstacles require Ice Pikmin to clear; first, the player must freeze the hydro jelly with Ice Pikmin. Once it is frozen, other Pikmin types will be able to destroy it.

• 

  Hydro jelly.

• 

  Hydro jelly after being frozen.

Plants and fungi

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The areas seen in footage appear to be filled with a high density of plants, most of which are decorative. Various sizes of Pellet Posies and a Burgeoning Spiderwort are present. Other recognizable plants include:

•  Clover
•  Figwort (blue)
•  Horsetail
•  Dandelion
•  Common Glowcap
•  Lapis Lazuli Candypop Bud
•  Violet Candypop Bud (Pikmin Garden)
•  Ivory Candypop Bud (Pikmin Garden)
• Common ivy
• Fern
• Tulip
• Duckweed
• Yellow woodsorrel
• Morning-glory (2:00)
• Anemone blue poppy (box art)
• Giant butterbur
• Caladium bicolor
• Mock strawberry (1:04)
• Cranesbill (close-up in reveal trailer)
• Perennial sunflower (close-up in reveal trailer)
• False dandelion (key art)
• Crocus
• Lythrum (2:42)

Character creator

The character creator menu shown in its reveal trailer consists of a series of options on the left side, and a preview of the final character on the right side. In the list of options there is a breadcrumb list detailing the pages that exist and which page the player is on. As the player highlights an option in the current page, the character preview on the right updates accordingly. confirms an option, and cancels. A disclaimer also exists on the bottom informing that it is possible to change the look and name later.

The following pages exist:

Skin color

• Icon: A featureless head.
• Options:

Body and head shape

• Icon: A body.
• Options:
  1. Small body, horizontally elliptical head.
  2. Normal body, triangle-shaped head.
  3. Tall body, pear-shaped head.
  4. Bulky body, rectangular head.

Face

• Icon: A face with noticeable eyes and mouth.
• Options:
  1. Eyes with a singular eyelash each, small elliptical nose, very rosy cheeks.
  2. Eyes with no sclera and a shine, small eyebrows above them, large elliptical nose, slightly rosy cheeks.
  3. Eyes with no sclera and only the top eyelid visible, small circular nose.
  4. Pupil-only eyes, glasses, rectangular nose, freckles.
  5. Frowning eyes, a few bottom eyelashes, small elliptical nose, slightly rosy cheeks.
  6. Eyes looking to the middle, rosy eyelids, small protruding nose.
  7. Eyes with no sclera and a long eyelash on the corner each, triangular nose, slightly rosy cheeks.
  8. Half-closed eyes with pink eyelids, teardrop nose, slightly rosy cheeks.
  9. Eyes with no sclera, small elliptical nose, slightly rosy cheeks.
  10. Star-shaped eyes with no sclera, elliptical nose, very rosy cheeks.

Hair style

• Icon: A head with the outline of hair.
• Options:
  1. Normal hairdo with a tuft of hair in front of the forehead.
  2. Hair up, swaying to the side.
  3. Bowl cut.
  4. Twin buns.
  5. Three tufts of hair spiking upward on the forehead.
  6. Long layer swaying to the side.

Hair color

• Icon: A head with the hair filled in.
• Options:
  1. Red
  2. Yellow
  3. Green
  4. Blue
  5. Purple
  6. Pink

Suit color

• Icon: A spacesuit without a helmet.
• Options:
  1. Red
  2. Orange
  3. Green
  4. Blue
  5. Purple
  6. Pink

Name

• Icon: A pencil.
• Options: The naming of the leader is automatically filled in from the creator's Nintendo account name, but changing the name is optional.

• 

  The character creator's menu for skin tone selection.

• 

  The character creator's menu for body type selection.

• 

  The character creator's menu for face selection.

• 

  The character creator's menu for hairstyle selection.

• 

  Some possible combinations from the character creator, revealing options for hairstyles and faces not seen in the 6/6/23 story trailer.

• 

  More combinations from the character creator, revealing even more options for hairstyles and faces not seen in the 6/6/23 story trailer.

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 player's ship is a small pod called the S.S. Beagle. It somewhat resembles a SPERO.
    • It has a white color with accents that are the same color as the color of the space suit that the player chooses for their character to wear.
    • It has the ability to fly and warp through space.
    • It has some Koppaite text on it, reading (HTCU or HTOU).
    • This pod is how the leader and Oatchi travel. They are expelled and sucked in by the beam below the pod.
  • The Rescue Corps' ship, the S.S. Shepherd, can be seen crashed at one of the landing sites.
    • It follows the color scheme of the S.S. Beagle.
    • It also has Koppaite text on it, reading (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.
  • Some pink pebbles surround the Red Onion and the pod. These bases; if the player comes across an empty base, they have the option to move the Onion and S.S. Beagle there.
    • Some bases are guarded by enemies; the player will only be able to move to these bases if they defeat these enemies beforehand.
  • Bomb rocks appear in Dandori Battles. They are much larger than the Pikmin, like in Pikmin 2, and appear to be on small platforms, allowing them to be picked up and carried like treasures. The Pikmin will carry them to the opposing player's Onion, where it will be absorbed and explode, causing the Onion to expel some of its treasures.
  • There is a new feature called "Rewind Time", which allows the player to go back a set amount of time if they make a mistake or lose lots of Pikmin. It's currently unknown how to activate this feature.
  • Before starting a new day, the player can check in with members of the Rescue Corps at a location known as the Rescue Command Post. Here, they can purchase upgrades or train Oatchi.
  • Whenever Pikmin accomplish something like breaking down a wall, a notification will appear on the screen informing the player about it.
  • Wild Pikmin can appear in caves. They will stay in the Onion that the player possesses and cannot produce more of its kind until its own Onion is retrieved.
  • When fighting an enemy for the first time, a notification reading "New creature discovered!" will appear. It's unknown what this is for.
  • There are now dialogue options. For example, when Russ is telling the main leader about raw materials, the player has the option of responding with either "Cool." or "Huh?"
• Changed content:
  • Onions 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 and whistle sounds.
  • 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 Pikmin.
  • The camera rotates horizontally as the player moves left and right on the screen.
  • The Sun Meter is now a circular gauge in the top left corner of the screen. The far right side of the gauge is colored red, possibly meaning that this is when the end-of-day period begins.
  • The player can only have three Pikmin types on the field at one time.
  • The player's Pikmin limit starts at 20. The way to increase it is with the new Flarlic, an object resembling a cross between an Onion and garlic. Each Flarlic that the Onion consumes increase the amount of Pikmin allowed outside by 10.
  • The action menu from Pikmin 3 Deluxe returns. The four options are to dismiss (now renamed "disband") the player's Pikmin, switch to Oatchi, command Oatchi to do something, or open the player's Pack.
  • Unlike Pikmin 2, time still passes while in caves, albeit at a slower rate.
  • The Treasure Gauge is now a small bar below the Sun Meter. Instead of being unlocked with a treasure, it is instead a command that can be given to Oatchi.
  • When collecting a treasure, the HUD will show the player how many treasures are left in the current area/sublevel.
  • Some Onions can be discovered in caves.
  • Gates can be different sizes. Some are very long, while others are narrow.
  • When entering a cave, the player has the option to go straight to a specific sublevel if they have reached it before, as well as take out or return Pikmin to the Onion without returning to the base first.
    • Also, when entering a new sublevel, the player's Pikmin will already be in their party and no longer have to be whistled.

• 

  Intro cutscene with the S.S. Beagle.

• 

  The S.S. Beagle heading towards the planet.

• 

  The landing site.

• 

  Close-up of the S.S. Beagle.

• 

  Close-up of the Master Onion with Red Pikmin, Yellow Pikmin, and Blue Pikmin inside.

• 

  The Master Onion's top, as seen when it is flying away.

• 

  Plucking a Red Pikmin near the Red Onion.

• 

  Close-up of the Red Onion.

• 

  The new Sun Meter.

• 

  The Rewind Time menu.

• 

  The new Treasure Gauge.

Other information

• 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.
• Supported languages: Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Traditional Chinese.

Demo

On June 28th, a demo for the game was released. In it, players can play part of Story Mode with one or two players. This allows them to explore the Sun-Speckled Terrace and its seven caves (one being a Dandori Challenge and another being a Dandori Battle). Once the player has accumulated 1500 sparklium 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 file, they can still explore the Rescue Command Post (and access the Piklopedia and Treasure Hoard if the corresponding castaways are saved), but will be prevented from continuing to the next area or landing in the previous one.

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 exist, 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 1500 sparklium also gives the player some bonuses: they will obtain 1500 raw materials and a Oatchi-Rider outfit for their Mii in Pikmin Bloom through My Nintendo.

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 Hey! Pikmin.

The first of these mentions was on November 6^th, 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. Not long after, Miyamoto also mentioned wanting to make more Pikmin games in an interview with Smosh Games.

On September 7^th, 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.” 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.

In interviews in 2015 and 2016, Miyamoto mentioned wanting to make more Pikmin and Star Fox games. 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.”

On July 7^th, 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.”

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.” 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 September 13^th, 2022. 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 8^th, 2023, a Nintendo Direct presentation announced the release date for the game in a new trailer. 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, a dog-like creature shown assisting the group in a variety of ways, including finding other characters referred to as "castaways", breaking down certain obstacles, dragging a Bulborb corpse, and carrying the leader and a group of Pikmin on its back. The trailer 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 2^nd, 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 6^th, 2023, a third trailer was published on YouTube 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. Accompanying this trailer was a major update to the game's Japanese website, which included some plot information and new screenshots.

On June 20^th, 2023, Pikmin 4 download cards were released in Japan. These cards featured new screenshots, including one that appears to take place inside of a house, and one that seems to show the game's battle mode.

On June 21^st, 2023, another trailer was released as part of a Nintendo Direct presentation.. 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. A new multiplayer mode, known as "Dandori Battle," was revealed. These battles can also occur in the story mode, with the player facing off against a mysterious, Olimar-like humanoid with his own Oatchi-like dog in order to rescue castaways they've kidnapped. It then showed off the hub area, the Rescue Command Post, where the player can obtain upgrades before starting their day. Finally, the night gameplay was revealed to be an 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 26^th, 2023, various video game journalists and news sites like IGN and Hobby Consolas 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.

Gallery

• 

  Pikmin 4's logo.

• 

  Pikmin 4's logo with transparent background.

• 

  Key art.

• 

  Japanese key art.

• 

  Vertical arrangement of the key art.

• 

  Square arrangement of the key art.

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  Full key art without text.

See more: Category:Pikmin 4 images.

Videos

• September 2022 reveal trailer
  • September 2022 Nintendo Direct (Contains one screenshot not present in the trailer at 30:40)
• February 2023 trailer
  • February 2023 Nintendo Direct
• June 2023 trailer
  • June 2023 Nintendo Direct

Trivia

• Pikmin 4 is the first mainline Pikmin game to be available in Brazilian Portuguese and Dutch.
• Pikmin 4 uses the Unreal Engine.

Names in other languages

Pikmin 4

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ピクミン４? Pikumin 4	Pikmin 4
Chinese (traditional)	皮克敏４ Píkèmǐn 4	Pikmin 4
Dutch	Pikmin 4	-
French	Pikmin 4	-
German	Pikmin 4	-
Italian	Pikmin 4	-
Korean	피크민 4 pikeumin 4	Pikmin 4
Portuguese	Pikmin 4	-
Spanish	Pikmin 4	-

Ice Pikmin

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	氷ピクミン? Kōri Pikumin	Ice Pikmin
Chinese (traditional)	冰凍皮克敏 Bīngdòng Píkèmǐn	Ice Pikmin
Dutch	IJs-Pikmin	Ice Pikmin
French	Pikmin glace	Ice Pikmin
German	Eis-Pikmin	Ice Pikmin
Italian	Pikmin gelato	Ice Pikmin
Korean	얼음피크민 eol-eum pikeumin	Ice Pikmin
Portuguese	Pikmin gelo	Ice Pikmin
Spanish	Pikmin gélido	Icy Pikmin

Glow Pikmin

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ヒカリピクミン? Hikari Pikumin	Light Pikmin
Chinese (traditional)	發光皮克敏 Fāguāng Píkèmǐn	Glowing Pikmin
Dutch	Gloei-Pikmin	Glow Pikmin
French	Pikmin luisant	Glowing Pikmin
German	Leucht-Pikmin	Glowing Pikmin
Italian	Pikmin iridescente	Iridescent Pikmin
Korean	반짝피크민 banjjag pikeumin	Glowing Pikmin
Portuguese	Pikmin pirilampo	Firefly Pikmin
Spanish	Pikmin luminoso	Glowing Pikmin

Lumiknoll

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ヒカリヅカ? Hikarizuka	From ヒカリ? (lit.: "light") and アリ塚? (lit.: "anthill")
Chinese (traditional)	發光巢穴 Fāguāng Cháoxué	Glowing Nest
Dutch	Gloeikolonie	Glow colony
French (NoE)	Lumilière	From "lumineux" (glowing) and "fourmilière" (anthill)
German	Leuchtbau	Glowing building
Italian	Luminotana	From "luminosa" (glowing) and "tana" (den)
Korean	빛둑 bitduk	From「빛」(light) and「개밋둑」(anthill)
Portuguese	Lampireiro	From "pirilampo" (firefly) and "formigueiro" (anthill)
Spanish (NoE)	Lumiloma	From "luminosa" (glowing) and "loma" (hill)

Glow sap

Language	Name	Meaning
Dutch	Gloeinectar	Glow nectar
French (NoE)	Nectar luisant	Glowing nectar
German	Leuchtsaft	Glowing sap
Italian	Nettare iridescente	Iridescent nectar
Portuguese	Seiva pirilâmpica	Firefly sap
Spanish (NoE)	Néctar luminoso	Glowing nectar

"You"

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	あなた? Anata	You
Chinese (traditional)	你 Nǐ	You
Dutch	Jij	You
French	Vous	You
German	Du	You
Italian	Tu	You
Korean	당신 dangsin	You
Portuguese	Você	You
Spanish	Tú	You

Collin

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	コリー? Corī	Collie
French (NoA)	Collin	-
Portuguese	Collin	-
Spanish	Collin	-

Shepherd

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	シェパード? Shepādo	Shepherd
French (NoA)	Shepherd	-
Portuguese	Shepherd	-
Spanish	Shepherd	-

Russ

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ラッセル? Rasseru	Russel
French (NoA)	Russ	-
Portuguese	Jakirrucel	From "Jack Russel"
Spanish (NoA)	Russell	-

Dingo

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ディンゴ? Dingo	Dingo
Portuguese	Din	From "Dingo"

Yonny

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	パピヨン? Papiyon	Papillon

Schnauz

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	シュナウズ? Shunauzu	Schnauz; from シュナウザー? (lit.: "Schnauzer")
Portuguese	Nauzer	From "Schnauzer"

Kingsly

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	キニーズ? Kinīzu	Kinguese; from ペキニーズ? (lit.: "Pekinguese")
Portuguese	Kinês	From "Pequinês" (Pekinguese)

Oatchi

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	オッチン? Otchin	-
Chinese (traditional)	歐慶 Ōuqìng	From Japanese name
Dutch	Otsjin	From Japanese name
French	Otchin	From Japanese name
German	Otschin	From Japanese name
Italian	Occin	From Japanese name
Korean	와치 wachi	-
Portuguese	Otchin	From Japanese name
Spanish	Ochin	From Japanese name

Moss

Language	Name	Meaning
Spanish (NoA)	Moss	-

Castaway

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	遭難者? Sōnan-Sha	Castaway
Chinese (traditional)	落難者 Luònàn Zhě	Castaway
Dutch	Schipbreukeling	Castaway
French	Naufragé	Castaway
German	Gestrandeter	Castaway
Italian	Naufrago	Castaway
Korean	조난자 jonanja	Castaway
Portuguese	Sobrevivente	Survivor
Spanish (NoA)	Náufrago	Castaway
Spanish (NoE)	Persona desaparecida	Missing person

Rescue Corps

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	レスキュー隊? Resukyū-Tai	Rescue Team
Chinese (traditional)	救援隊 Jiùyuán Duì	Rescue Team
Dutch	Reddingsteam	Rescue team
French	Équipe de secours	Rescue team
German	Rettungscrew	Rescue crew
Italian	Squadra di soccorso	Rescue team
Korean	구조대 gujodae	Rescue Team
Portuguese	Brigada de Resgate	Rescue Brigade
Spanish	Brigada de Rescate	Rescue Brigade

S.S. Shepherd

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	シェパード号? Shepādo-gō	Shepherd
French (NoA)	Shepherd	-
Portuguese	S.S. Shepherd	-
Spanish (NoA)	Shepherd	-

S.S. Beagle

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ビーグル号? Bīguru-gō	Beagle
French (NoA)	Beagle	-
Portuguese	S.S. Beagle	-
Spanish (NoA)	Beagle	-

Karut

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	カルタ? Karuta	Karuta

Giya

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	カギヤ? Kagiya	Kagiya
Portuguese	Giya	-
Spanish (NoA)	Giya	-

Dandori Battle

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ダンドリバトル? Dandori Batoru	Dandori Battle
Dutch	Dandori-duel	Dandori duel
French	Duel Dandori	Dandori duel
German	Dandori-Duell	Dandori Duel
Italian	Battaglia Dandori	Dandori battle
Portuguese	Batalha Dandori	Dandori Battle
Spanish	Batalla Dandori	Dandori battle

Dandori Challenge

Language	Name	Meaning
French (NoA)	Défi Dandori	Dandori challenge
Portuguese	Desafio Dandori	Dandori challenge
Spanish (NoA)	Desafío Dandori	Dandori challenge

Night expedition

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	夜の探索? Yoru no Tansaku	Night Search
Chinese (traditional)	晚上的探索 Wǎnshàng de Tànsuǒ	Night Search
Dutch	Nachtexpeditie	Night expedition
French	Expédition de nuit	Night expedition
German	Nachtexpedition	Night expedition
Italian	Esplorazione notturna	Nocturnal exploration
Korean	야간 탐색 yagan tamsaeg	Night Search
Portuguese	Expedição noturna	Nocturnal expedition
Spanish	Expedición nocturna	Nocturnal expedition

Raw material

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	シザイ? Shizai	Raw material
Portuguese	Matéria-prima	Raw material

Clay

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ネンド? Nendo	Clay
Portuguese	Argila	Clay

Hydro jelly

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	水こんにゃく? Mizu konnyaku	Water konjac

Burrow of Beginnings

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	はじまりの抜け道? Hajimari no Nukemichi	Byway of Beginnings
Portuguese	Primeira toca	First burrow

Last-Frost Cavern

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	なごりの氷穴? Nagori no Hyōketsu	Remnant Ice Cave
Portuguese	Caverna gélida	Icy cave

See also

• Pikmin 3
• Hey! Pikmin

External links

• Official English product page
• Official Japanese website
• Official Singaporean website
• Official Taiwanese website