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Pikmin 4

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Pikmin 4
Developer(s)Nintendo EPD[a]
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Director(s)Yuji Kando
Tetsushi Tsunoda
Producer(s)Takashi Tezuka
Designer(s)Yutaka Hiramuki
Taku Matoba
Programmer(s)Yuji Kando
Artist(s)Michiho Ito
Hiromu Takemura
Writer(s)Yutaka Hiramuki
Shinya Kubota
Composer(s)Kenta Nagata
Asuka Hayazaki
Soshi Abe
SeriesPikmin
EngineUnreal Engine 4
Platform(s)Nintendo Switch
ReleaseJuly 21, 2023
Genre(s)Real-time strategy
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Pikmin 4 is a real-time strategy video game developed by Nintendo EPD and published by Nintendo. It is the fourth main installment of the Pikmin series, following Pikmin 3 (2013), and sixth installment overall. It was released on the Nintendo Switch on July 21, 2023.[1]

The game is the first in the series to feature a custom playable character, and other features include a new night expedition system in which players defend against waves of nocturnal enemies. The player assumes the role of a recently recruited member of the Rescue Corps, a group in need of rescuing following an unsuccessful attempt to save Captain Olimar.

Pikmin 4 received positive reviews from critics, who praised its level design, visuals, score, amount of content, and accessibility to newcomers, but criticized the limited multiplayer options and low difficulty.[2]

Gameplay

See also: Pikmin § Gameplay
A group of Pikmin fighting a Bulborb.

The player controls a minuscule character who takes command of squads of Pikmin to explore various areas, combat enemies, secure treasures, and solve puzzles.[3] Pikmin can be directed to conduct various tasks, including being tossed onto objects and enemies, and have varying weaknesses and strengths. For example, Red Pikmin are invulnerable to fire, Blue Pikmin can walk underwater, and Winged Pikmin can lift up objects and float over hazards. The player can switch between different species of Pikmin in order to select the right ones for dealing with enemies and hazards. The camera options provide full freedom to view the area around the player's character more easily, including the perspective being much closer to the ground than in previous games.[4]

Pikmin 4 retains the various types from previous games, and introduces two new species: Ice Pikmin, which can freeze enemies and bodies of water, and are invulnerable to being frozen;[5] and Glow Pikmin, which operate at night and use their glowing effect to light the way on Night Time maps as a first in the series. The player can command a new dog-like creature, called Oatchi, to help with exploration.[6][5] Like the Pikmin, Oatchi can be commanded to attack enemies and carry objects, but can also help bash breakable objects, sniff out objectives such as treasure, and transport both the player's character and Pikmin around the map and over bodies of water; in some places, the player can directly control Oatchi to solve different puzzles.

The game's single-player mode offers new features to the series. Players can customize their own character with different facial features and uniform colors, and gain access to a hub base that provides different activities to undertake - such as the ability to make improvements to Oatchi, after it gains experience during exploration, as well as upgrades to their character's equipment. Treasures collected in different areas contribute a resource known as Sparklium, which is needed to expand the number of maps the player can explore. The player can choose a mission. The several main missions include finding Captain Olimar,[7] and side missions come from castaways brought back to the hub base. Practice Mode trains the player to defeat enemies.

While exploring an area for the day, the player is limited in the number of Pikmin (regardless of species) they can deploy for exploration, but can increase the limit by upgrading the Pikmin's Onion craft with special bulbs found in various locations. In addition, players can redeploy their transport craft and the Onion to different landing sites to deploy Pikmin quickly and speed up the acquisitions of treasures and combat spoils, upon finding sites for the first time beyond the initial landing area. Underground caves, a feature introduced in Pikmin 2, return with the ability to change a Pikmin squad before entering, with time moving much slower while exploring a cave's sublevels; like in Pikmin 2, the spoils of combat can be recovered, but contribute a low amount of Sparklium compared to treasure. A rewind feature allows the player to undo mistakes or play in a different way.

Specific maps allow players to explore areas at night, known as Night Time Expeditions. In this mode, which functions similar to tower defense games, players make use of Glow Pikmin, the only species of Pikmin they can use, to explore a map and recover resources with, all while using them to deal with enemies, especially those drawn to the nest of the Glow Pikmin.

The player can select single-player mode, or two two-player multiplayer modes: cooperative for the main story; and a competitive multiplayer mode known as Dandori Battles[8] Dandori is a Japanese word for efficient planning. In Dandori Battles, which can be encountered in single-player, the aim is for the player to secure as much spoils and treasures in an arena before their opponent can; both sides can collect Pikmin to help them and have their own Oatchi partner. Two players can partake in Dandori Battles together, either working together against the computer, or against each other.

Plot

Diverging from the events of the prior instalments[b], Captain Olimar travels to PNF-404, an Earth-like planet from the previous games, with his ship the SS Dolphin. A freak accident causes his ship to crash land, whereupon he is forced to recruit Pikmin to help him find the ship's missing parts. During his search, Olimar bonds with a dog-like creature that he names Moss. After finding his ship's missing radio within the interior of a large house, Olimar transmit an SOS call, along with his voyage logs, but disappears after continuing his search for the missing parts.

The Rescue Corps, an intergalactic rescue organization, receives the emergency call and sends a team to PNF-404 led by Captain Sheperd, to find and rescue Olimar. However, the ship malfunctions when it reaches the planet, forcing the crew to eject from it before it crash lands on the surface. Concerned for their safety, the Rescue Corps assigns its newest recruit, the player character, to find the missing Rescue Corps members and to help them complete the mission.[10] Reaching the planet, the recruit encounters Shepherd's rescue pup, a dog-like creature called Oatchi, which bonds with them. Rescuing Shepherd and the team's communication officer Collin, the recruit finds that the Rescue Corps ship has run out of power. Through the help of Pikmin near the ship's crash site, the recruit recovers several objects found to contain a resource known as Sparklium, which can help refuel the ship.

The recruit, accompanied by the Pikmin and Oatchi, begins exploring the area to find the other Rescue Corps members, along the way discovering that a number of treasure hunters and explorers have come to the planet after picking up Olimar's signal, where they became castaways themselves in the process. Shepherd instructs the recruit to locate and rescue castaways, along their primary objectives.

During further exploration, the Rescue Corps come across a mysterious figure, accompanied by Moss, exhibiting an unknown condition that has left them hairy and spouting a leaf from their head; alongside the ability to breathe oxygen which is poisonous to those stuck on the planet. Finding a number of castaway have become infected with the same condition thanks to the unknown stranger, the Rescue Corps chief medic Yonny, after being rescued, works to produce a cure. In the meantime, the Rescue Corps come across the Dolphin, finding it was repaired but crashed after taking off. The group soon realize the mysterious figure is Olimar, who somehow became infected for unknown reasons. Through Yonny's cure for the condition, the recruit treats the infected, curing their condition. After battling Olimar, the recruit successfully cures him, bringing him back to normal.

With their mission complete, the Rescue Corps attempt to leave PNF-404, only for Shepherd to discover that Oatchi had come down with an unknown illness that makes it impossible to leave the planet. When Yonny finds his cure doesn't work on the pup, Olimar advises the group to return to the planet's surface, revealing Moss has the same condition. On the surface, the Rescue Corps work to find ingredients for a new cure, while searching for more castaways, particularly the vetinarian Nelle from Koppai.

Exploration soon turns up a giant dog, similar in species to Oatchi and Moss, which Yonny thinks can provide a key ingredient. Searching for it, the recruit finds it hiding in a cave where Olimar's partner, Louie, had been hiding in after coming to the planet to search for food. Forced to defeat him and the dog, the recruit recovers both him and DNA from the dog's collar, providing the final ingredient for curing Oatchi. Discovering Moss cannot be cured, Olimar determines his dog was born on the planet and decides to leave it behind with the Pikmin. The Rescue Corps agree and depart with the others, while Olimar leaves with the Dolphin, as Moss goes exploring with the Pikmin, pursued eagerly by the large dog which has now become tame.

Development

On September 7, 2015, Pikmin creator Shigeru Miyamoto confirmed to Eurogamer that Pikmin 4 was in development, and "very close to completion".[11][12] On July 7, 2016, Miyamoto said in an E3 interview with Game Rant that Pikmin 4 was still in development, though at a lower priority.[13] On June 19, 2017, Miyamoto reassured Eurogamer that the game was still "progressing".[14] In the years to follow, the game was widely considered vaporware[15][16] until it was officially unveiled on September 13, 2022.

Pikmin 4 was developed using Unreal Engine, its first use in an internally developed Nintendo EPD game.[17]

Lead staff include veteran Pikmin developer Yuji Kando, who was one of the two directors of Pikmin 3 and returned as Chief director and Programming director; Yutaka Hiramuki as game design and lead writer, responsible for the level design and story similarly to his responsibilities on Pikmin 3; Takashi Tezuka returned as mainline series producer since Pikmin 2, and Shigeru Miyamoto returned as General producer, same position he had in Pikmin 3.[18]

Release

Pikmin 4 was announced by Shigeru Miyamoto in a Nintendo Direct on September 13, 2022.[3] The teaser trailer gives a brief glimpse of the game's environment, without any gameplay or story details.[19] Nintendo announced that the Pikmin T-shirt worn by Miyamoto during the announcement would be released at the Nintendo New York store and Nintendo's website.[4][20] In the February 8, 2023, Nintendo Direct, Pikmin 4 was revealed to launch on July 21, 2023.[1] A demo was released on June 28, 2023.[21]

Reception

Pikmin 4 received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[2] Nintendo Life scored the game nine out of ten points, praising its level design, graphics, and performance in both handheld and docked mode.[30]

In Japan, the game sold over 400,000 physical copies in three days, surpassing the lifetime sales of Final Fantasy XVI which had been out for four weeks at that point. It was the series' best debut by a significant margin.

Notes

  1. ^ Additional work by Eighting
  2. ^ It is currently unknown where Pikmin 4 fits into the timelines of the other main series games.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b Good, Owen (September 13, 2022). "Pikmin 4 release date for Nintendo Switch announced". Polygon. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "Pikmin 4 for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Peters, Jay (September 13, 2022). "Pikmin 4 is coming in 2023". The Verge. Archived from the original on September 13, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2022. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; January 23, 2023 suggested (help)
  4. ^ a b Liang, Lu-Hai (September 13, 2022). "Pikmin 4 Launches 2023". TheGamer. Archived from the original on September 13, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  5. ^ a b Phillips, Tom (February 8, 2023). "Pikmin 4 introduces Ice Pikmin and dog-like ally". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  6. ^ "Pikmin 4 for Nintendo Switch". Nintendo Official Site. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  7. ^ Gould, Elie (February 20, 2023). "Pikmin 4 on Switch: release date, trailers, gameplay and more". TechRadar. Archived from the original on February 20, 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  8. ^ Cooper, Dalton (February 10, 2023). "Pikmin 4 Confirms Multiplayer Support". Game Rant. Archived from the original on April 26, 2023. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  9. ^ Longman, Jack (July 19, 2023). "Pikmin 4 will rise to the occasion in brand new trailer". Miketendo64. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  10. ^ Hagues, Alana (June 6, 2023). "Pikmin 4 will rise to the occasion in brand new trailer". Nintendo Life. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  11. ^ Phillips, Tom (September 7, 2015). "Pikmin 4 in development and 'very close to completion'". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2022. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; April 9, 2022 suggested (help)
  12. ^ Carter, Chris (September 7, 2015). "Pikmin 4 is happening, 'very close to completion'". Destructoid. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved November 16, 2022. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; November 16, 2022 suggested (help)
  13. ^ "Miyamoto Updates Fans On Status of Pikmin 4". Game Rant. July 6, 2016. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2022. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; March 14, 2023 suggested (help)
  14. ^ Phillips, Tom (June 14, 2017). "Miyamoto: Pikmin 4 still 'progressing'". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2022. {{cite news}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; March 15, 2023 suggested (help)
  15. ^ Anderson, Matt (August 29, 2022). "7 Games That Are Definitely Vaporware in 2022". Twinfinite. Archived from the original on May 25, 2023. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  16. ^ Daud Briggs, Alex (September 22, 2022). "Pikmin 4 Confrimed For Nintendo Switch in 2023". GamerBraves. Archived from the original on May 25, 2023. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  17. ^ Gutierrez, Luis Joshua (June 20, 2023). "A Rare Move For Nintendo, Pikmin 4 Reportedly Uses Unreal Engine". GameSpot. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  18. ^ "Ask the Developer Vol. 10, Pikmin 4—Part 2 - News - Nintendo Official Site". www.nintendo.com. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  19. ^ Dinsdale, Ryan (September 13, 2022). "Pikmin 4 Has Finally Been Revealed". IGN. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2022. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; February 9, 2023 suggested (help)
  20. ^ Doolan, Liam (September 15, 2022). "You Can Now Purchase Shigeru Miyamoto's Pikmin T-Shirt". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2022. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; September 23, 2022 suggested (help)
  21. ^ Doolan, Liam (June 28, 2023). "Nintendo's Pikmin 4 Demo Is Now Available On The Switch eShop". Nintendo Life. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  22. ^ Carter, Chris (July 19, 2023). "Review: Pikmin 4". Destructoid. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  23. ^ Colantonio, Giovanni (July 19, 2023). "Pikmin 4 review: Switch exclusive is a master of multitasking". Digital Trends. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  24. ^ Phillips, Tom (July 19, 2023). "Pikmin 4 review - Nintendo's strategy series reaches near-perfect evolution". Eurogamer. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  25. ^ Romano, Sal (July 19, 2023). "Famitsu Review Scores: Issue 1807". Gematsu. Archived from the original on July 19, 2023. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  26. ^ Hilliard, Kyle (July 19, 2023). "Pikmin 4 Review - Man's Best Friend(s)". Game Informer. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  27. ^ Watts, Steve (July 19, 2023). "Pikmin 4 Review - Veggie Might". GameSpot. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  28. ^ Loveridge, Sam (July 19, 2023). "Pikmin 4 review: 'The most approachable Pikmin entry ever'". GamesRadar+. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  29. ^ Griffin, Jada (July 19, 2023). "Pikmin 4 Review". IGN. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  30. ^ a b O'Reilly, PJ (July 19, 2023). "Pikmin 4 Review (Switch)". Nintendo Life. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  31. ^ Minor, Jordan (July 19, 2023). "Pikmin 4 Review". PCMag. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  32. ^ Robinson, Andy (July 19, 2023). "Review: Pikmin 4 is a brilliant entry point for new players, but takes a while to bloom". Video Games Chronicle. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  33. ^ Donaldson, Alex (July 19, 2023). "Pikmin 4 review: charming, well-rounded, cosy - and the best in the series". VG247. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  34. ^ Lada, Jenni (July 19, 2023). "Review: Pikmin 4 Offers so Much to Do". Siliconera. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
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