It’s not often that a developer shares the existence of a game in production seven years before it ’s first officially revealed, but that’s exactly what happened with the latest Pikmin game. The following year after the 2013 release of Pikmin 3, series creator Shigeru Miyamoto stated that a series of short Pikmin movies were serving asa precursor to Pikmin 4, and confirmed in aninterview with Eurogamerin 2015 that a fourth entry was not only in development, but also “very close to completion,” seemingly indicating that the Wii U might receive two proper Pikmin games much like the GameCube did. But despite reconfirming the game as in-development in several interviews over the following years, Pikmin 4 was never directly acknowledged by Nintendo, even as spin-off titles likeHey! Pikminon the 3DS andPikmin Bloomon mobile devices ended up launching in 2017 and 2021, respectively. This led to many longtime fans wondering if a fourth entry had been quietly canceled or ended up being repurposed for a different Nintendo property, much like the original Pikmin utilized mechanics that were originally in development for a Super Mario 64 sequel.
Fortunately, Miyamoto himself appeared in aNintendo Direct in Septemberof last year to share with fans the first teaser for the long-awaited Pikmin 4. The teaser only featured some in-game environments and creatures, with little in the way of new mechanics to justify a fourth entry, but we got ourfirst look at proper gameplayback in February. Captain Olimar, the unlucky hero of the first two Pikmin games, has crash landed once again on a mysterious planet, but this time a team of Rescue Corps members is sent out to save him, only for them to end up stranded on the same planet themselves. As the newest recruit of the Rescue Corps, the fully-customizable player character must brave the dangerous wilds and enlist the help of familiar and new Pikmin creatures to save Olimar and the other members of the Rescue Corps.
From what’s been shown so far, the core gameplay loop seems to be similar to that of the first three entries. Players must set out during the day, recruit Pikmin to defeat enemies and overcome obstacles, and return with their team and findings before nighttime comes, as the planet gets far more dangerous to explore when it is dark out. This time around, the camera is closer to the player character at ground level, allowing them to explore their surroundings in much greater detail. Of course, there are new Pikmin types to encounter, such as the ice Pikmin that can freeze enemies or bodies of water to help players traverse them. Plus, players will also enlist the help of a space dog named Oatchi, who can not only carry large objects, but also the player character and their crew over long distances or across bodies of water. Two player co-op will also return for those looking to bring a friend along with them on their adventure.
Perhaps the most intriguing part of the first Pikmin 4 gameplay trailer comes at the very end, as we get a glimpse at the wildlife of the planet with glowing red eyes during the nighttime. In previous entries, players would see little of the planet during the night, as they would escape to orbit by the time the sun sets, and bring as many Pikmin as they can in their nest-like Onions along with them. It seems unlikely, however, that Nintendo would put that aspect at the end of a trailer for a new entry if it was going to remain exactly the same as the first three games, leading many fans to wonder if Pikmin 4 would be the first game in the series with a day and night cycle, encouraging the player character to be even more prepared as they venture deeper from their base. Or perhaps there will be a dedicated mode for nighttime, separating the base experience of the game and offering a secondary challenge with greater difficulty for those who want to seek it out.
But with just over a month until release and anew trailer that dropped last weekthat still does not acknowledge the aforementioned tease, Nintendo is running out of time to show off this potential feature. This seems like a strange choice if the new mechanic does actually exist, as it could entice fans of other survival games to try out Nintendo’s own take on the genre. Regardless of whether or not the tease pans out, Pikmin 4 is shaping up to be a more customizable and down-to-earth version of the familiar sci-fi survival experience that should satiate veteran players who have waited a decade for this next chapter. Pikmin 4 is set to launch on July 21 for Switch.
