Poll: What Review Score Would You Give Pikmin 4?

I haven't finished it yet but the running animation is a 10/10

So far it's an average of 9.41/10. Looks about right to me, great game, peak of the series.

Easily my favourite of the series. Finished it up at 100% today, and was genuinely surprised at the amount of gameplay (35-40 hours for me). It's a game that's polished to ridiculous levels, and just keeps on giving.

Just finishing off 2 before I start it. Can’t wait.

I’ve tried the other 3 pikmin and just can’t get more than 2-3 hours into any of them. Why is this one different in the opinion of others who have played?
Thanks in advance!!!

I haven't had much experience with Pikmin before besides Pikmin 2 and I'm loving 4 so far. It's just a fun game to play and something I needed after putting in so many hours into ToTK since it's a more chill game I find. Plus the doggo is cute. 9 out of 10 so far for me

This is now my favorite game of all time. I will replay this game til the day I die.

@Vertigoat Its ok if you dont like Pikmin its pretty niche. Pikmin 4 is the most similar to Pikmin 2 out of the other games. So if you dont like 2 then you probably wont like this one. Although I will say this is easily the most polished Pikmin game out of the whole series so maybe you would like it. IDk

I love it, it’s definitely the best Pikmin to date however my only problem with it is that there’s waaaaaay too much text that I often skip to get right to the gameplay and also load times are quite long even for a Switch game.

Omg, nice score! Haven't picked it up yet, so much to play. And I've never played Pikmin 2 so I should do that first I guess.

After that I'm sure I'll pick up Pikmin 4, can't leave it hanging apparently.

It's easily the best in the series I think, and part of that is because of the extra challenges the game presents which require you to play more aggressively, being the Dandori Challenges and Battles and the Tower Defense-styled Night Missions. I'm giving it a 9/10 though, because I don't agree with limiting the players in ways that previous titles never did, like not allowing you to take as many different types of Pikmin with you wherever you go, no matter how many Flarlics you pick up.

@Vertigoat When people bring up polish, they're not just referring to the game running smoothly and looking great. Talent trees and progression systems have been added as well.

I have never been a huge fan of the Pikmin games, I played through 1 and 2 back when they released, but barely even touched 3. But, I went back to play them all before this release...and was kind of ho hum about playing yet another one. However, I completely changed my mind - this makes the last three seem like tech demos. It is fully fleshed out, with multiple modes of play in the campaign alone. Now, I really want this franchise to keep going.

Haven't ever owned a Pikmin game, but the demo was a blast! Might use my sister's copy of 3Deluxe before i decide investing in the full game

Pikmin sucks

8.5/10

9 out of 10 my son and I are loving it

Hopefully I will play it soon. Still have to finish totk

I’m still in the middle of playing the game, at the moment I would give it a 9. I’m really liking it. It’s not my favorite in the series but it’s well polished and you can see that they put more work into this one than others in the series.

Played and finished all 4 and yes this has to be the best one.
I do have a few personal issues with it but those are strictly nostalgic from the first 2 (the 3rd one sucks) it just feels too full of characters but I guess it's just the natural development of the series.
I also don't like they put all the pikmin in one onion... I loved seeing the 3 onions when I came back to "base" and putting the extra ones in the ship (like the 2nd game) or something similar.
But the game itself is outstanding and the one thing bugging me is that Oatchi is not charging with all the pikmin when you whistle them all to attack/grab something but that is just a minor inconvenience.
I give it a 9/10

@Vertigoat I would agree with what the others have told you about Pikmin 4 being different from the others. One other thing I would add is this one seems to be easier than the others. Not that you’re going to rush through it all without a challenge. There are some challenging parts especially if you’re playing without trying to lose any Pikmin, but as a whole, the game is easier and feels more laid back. The other ones especially the first one, you were more pressed for time. You can take as many days as you like and the controls are much more user friendly. Try the demo out and see what you think, but I think the game really starts where the demo left off.

This is an easy 11/10!

Based on completing the demo, and then restarting with a new character, it’s a 10/10 for me. Such a joyful game, relaxing but also challenging in just the right way. Performance is great, new graphics look awesome, just a fantastic game all around. Special shout-out to the folks naming the treasures…
skateboard = “personal injury device” lol amazing!! 🥰

Edit: This was before I learned that this game is a reboot. It's now my most disliked game in the series and I give it a 2/10.

I've only just watched the credits and started the post-game, but so far, I'd easily give this game a 9/10 (I'd give a 9.5, but Nintendo Life doesn't do decimals). This game is now up there on my list of all-time favourites, and while I've still got a lot of the game left to play, I'd say it easily has a chance of dethroning Pikmin 2 as my favourite title in the entire series. It's certainly my favourite Switch game, that's for sure.

I don't mind the 3 Pikmin type limit too much, since there's only so much you could do with 11-13 of each type on the field at once. I was also sceptical about Oatchi going into the game, but he's grown on me now.

However, I agree with others that there can be far too much text and tutorialisation at times. I also find the automatic lock-on feature to sometimes be a hindrance, since if there is a cluster of enemy corpses and items and you want to carry something specific, you'll most likely throw your Pikmin at the wrong object. I also wish you could go back to previous days, or at least go back to the hub if you accidentally start a mission in the wrong area.

Lastly, I find the music to be lacking in certain areas, namely Sun-Speckled Terrace and the Piklopedia/Treasure Catalog. It's almost like they knew the Pikmin 2 Piklopedia music couldn't be topped so they didn't even bother trying.

Everything else, though? Pretty much perfect. This is everything I've ever wanted from a Pikmin sequel all this time. I could gush on and on about what I love about this game so far, but this comment is getting long enough.

I almost never give games a 10/10, since they would have to be practically perfect in my eyes to score that high, so 9/10 is usually as high as my personal ratings go. For this game to score that highly though, that's all I could ask for.

tl;dr: This game blows Pikmin 3 out of the water.

It's really really good! I'm happy to give it 10/10 based on enjoyment.

I think a large part of the game can be a little bit on the easy side of things but it's better then making it too difficult at the same time.

There's a lot of enjoyment. And they did a really good job on the enemies!

I think there can be some improvements but I'm still happy to give it 10/10. They did a lot to make this a great Pikmin game and even though there are some differences, overall I think they achieved it.

A 10. It’s just that good.
This is what a game should be: fun, not so long you have to aside months of your life for it, and just filled to the brim with love in every aspect of its design. Even better than TOTK tbh.

I gave it an 8. It's really, like, super fun, and I'm having a fantastic time so far. But despite all that, I'm not finding it to be an addictive experience. I have to make an effort to boot it up and play, and once I'm in, I have an absolute blast. But I'm missing that itch that keeps me coming back. I'm not completely obsessed with it the way I am with Fire Emblem, Kirby, and Pokémon, so hopefully I'll stick it with it until I clear it! The game is incredibly polished and well designed, my brain is just being stupid.

Like so many other Nintendo games incl. Zelda and Splatoon it fails a 10 for me, because of all the small an stupid things.

You cannot skip stuff properly. No you always have a watch the first seconds and last seconds or instead of skipping everything you get the pass port shown. So you have to press A again, which is not possible for at least a second.

Also these tons of useless texts are annoying. They ask something, you say yes or no, just to be shown another useless text. Why Nintendo?

The "+" key is easy the most used key beyond the A and B button, because you often have to press +, then plus again, then A and plus again just to seek the last seconds of the video. Collin is annoying and telling you ***** while playing and there is no way to shut him up. YES I know the light tower needs to be protected. The comments are just taking screen space. ALL THE TIME! In the center of a Splitscreen!

Same is for Zelda. You can skip the jump from a tower, but just a bit, as the last 4 Seconds need to be shown. You can skip the news in Splatoon, but just not when you want it (Splatfest, updates, ...). it is impossible to silence Sheldon . Instead of waiting partly Minutes, while Sheldon is explaining everything about all the weapons you will never use, You can just accelerate the ***** and wait around 30-40 seconds instead of a few minutes.

What is it with skipping and Japanese games? When I press skip, I want to skip all. Not +, wait (loading stuff to skip next), +, wait (loading stuff to skip next), A (and wait just because you must wait after text bubbles for a second anyway), + wait again."

Sorry, sometimes you need to raise the bar and recent Nintendo games do not meet the "user friendliness" I would expect. Everything is polished, beside the stuff beside the game play, which also matters.

My score is an 8. It consists of the best part of Pikmin 3 and the absolute worst parts of Pikmin 2. If they removed the dungeons and added even more areas, I would be tripping over myself to give it a 10.

@Vertigoat

Only pikmin I ever finished was first one back on gamecube. But as for the rest same, started them then gave up after few hours.
I downloaded demo of 4, and, did the same, didn't even finish that!
I think it's one of those type of games you either invested in or not.

I played the demo, and missed having multiple captains.

8 for me so far, about a dozen hours in, 16 days, though those really short night levels counting as a whole day seems weird. Nothing wrong really, it is better, but it’s the 4th game in a series they’ve been making for 20 years, so it better be better. I do miss the Gamepad map, and taking out multiplayer after it was in 3 is a step back. I mean why put in a pebble pusher when you can swap between you and the dog, just let player 2 be the dog.

Nothing wrong with an 8 tho.

Bizarre decision not to utilise Oatchi for true co-op really drags it down.

@AhabSpampurse Glad I read your comment, was concerned I'd beat it too quickly. 👍

I’m have around 7 hours clocked on my save file. Pikmin 4 is the first title I am playing in the series (excluding demo of 3).

I am really enjoying it. The game is definitely very polished, easy to jump in, has a lot of character, in a very comfortable but sometimes disturbing world.

I would just say that it’s just a bit too easy. Im about 10-12 days in so many it’s too early to say but it feels like the main gameplay hook is wearing thin. I don’t feel the need to divide and conquer. I’m not really losing pikmin. There doesn’t seem to be any urgency because there are endless days as far as I can tell.

Don’t get me wrong, I am having a very comforting time. It’s all I am really playing and it’s very zen, especially before bed.

I won’t vote but initial impressions lead me to a 8. Great game but feels lacking in some areas that’s preventing it from reaching a perfect score.

Hopefully there is a bit more depth as time goes on and I hear from reviewers that there is excellent postgame content. I don’t want to spoil it for myself so I haven’t dug further.

The only piece I feel will remain lacking is co-op. I vividly remember when Pikmin 2 was announced and I know Pikmin 3 also supported full campaign co-op. Seems odd they stripped co-op to a mario odyssey style feature. Why not let players play as Oatchi? Oatchi is essentially a secondary character.

Regardless of all the above, I have fallen in love with the series. I will plan to play the series backwards, with 3 next.

Once I get through 3, the retail version of 2 & 1 will be out on shelves and I pivot to 2 and then the original. Seems like the best way to play the series for someone like me.

So far, I'd give it an 8 or a 9. It's beautiful, the Pikmin are adorable and very characterful, and the gameplay is addictive as ever for me. But the little things annoy me perhaps more than I thought they would. The likes of Collin and Captain Shepherd desperately need to can it- their constant, patronising dialogue grates on me, especially as it's to tell me what I already know. The auto aim ought to have been optional- without needing to bother aiming, it doesn't feel very satisfying or interactive to use the curser now. Also it gets in the way sometimes, like when there's a lot of objects/enemies in one space. Finally, only three Pikmin types at a time is a shame. Imagine the mayhem of having em all out 👿 they could up it to four or five at least if that's a bit much.

That's a lot of gripes for an 8 or 9 but I can't deny that I'm having a blast with the game regardless. It's just I'm leaning towards preferring Pikmin 3. On the bright side though, it's never been easier to do a no-death run (so far!)- just get Oachi with a bunch of items to do most of the damage 😜

Haven’t gotten far enough into it to give it a score but it looks, sounds, and runs amazing. Really puts to shame these other games that other developers can’t seem to have look good and run well ok Switch.

8/10

Docked points for no Co-op and getting rid of time management appeal.

Haven't played it so I don't feel remotely qualified to pass judgment on it score-wise, but I loved Pikmin 1 and 2 back in the day and it's amazing to see the hype there is for this series after twenty years of it just quietly existing as its own Pik-thing.

I haven’t been able to play the game yet, but based on the demo it’s probably a 9 or 10.

I hated when Pikmin 4 had a lot screentime in directs calling the game boring or a flop. Out of boredom I tried the demo, and then the Pikmin 3 demo, and I was sold. This game should be way more popular. I just bought both games and waiting for the physical 1+2.

-1 point for not having the co-op of 3 deluxe. The first like 4 days of the game are very obnoxious with all of the interruptions, but after that it hits its stride and never looks back. Love it 9/10.

About 10 hours in and I think it is safe to say this is the best Pikmin game. Would say it is a 9 but could easily be a personal 10 at the end.

I haven't finished it just yet, taking my time, but honestly I did not expect it to be this good. It feels like an almost perfect distillation of everything Pikmin.

@stevenw45 how many levels have you unlocked?

An 11. But why not make 10 the greatness that is 11? But ours goes to 11.

My youngest is playing it and is having a blast. He has played 2 & 3 before and says he prefers this one. Also, trusted Pikminite I know say it's the best in the series. I'm looking fwd to my turn

Pikmin is love. Pikmin is life. Pikmin is eternal….

I'd say a solid 8/10, but I have some issues with it.

Personally over 44hrs in and I think wrapping up the final area (I'm at least trying to 100% areas, not sure about challenge medals). While the bulk of the game is fairly straightforward, and some might say easy (I don't think Pikmin combat has ever been particularly difficult though), there are difficulty spikes typically in the form of the timed 'Dandori' caves. While there is "Get help" option, essentially "skip this", there are a few that are fairly harsh and perhaps could have a lower Bronze/pass threshold. There are unskippable (I think) main mission battles that are also fairly harsh. Also the late game content with Olimar seems fairly punishing time wise.

I think though my main issue is with the sheer amount of characters and the hub world. You load into the hub before the start of each day, which feels pretty overboard. It should be an option on the area selection screen and/or only load when necessary for story.
The load times are fairly lengthy, which can make the above hub world daily visit fairly tedious. Also given the sheer number of injured characters, the way to cure them becomes repetitive given the number involved.

The game's rewind feature may annoy some, especially those that think it's "too easy" but it's optional. Also given the above mentioned 'Dandori' caves, being able to quickly restart can help, especially on the tougher ones.

I think nearing the end of 'Pikmin 4', my favourite of the series is probably still 'Pikmin 2' as I think it got the balance right, then 3 which was short but sweet and the original game. The original 'Pikmin' holds up well gameplay wise, but I've never been a fan of timed missions in games and so the 30 parts in 30 days aspect has always put, what I'd consider an unnecessary pressure on trying to make the most of each day.

I haven't made it very far because I'm STILL trying to finish Xenoblade 3 (and then Metroid Prime, and then... well, you get the idea), but so far I love it. What I don't love is the 2-player mode... I bought it for my son so we could play it together like we did with Pikmin 3, but since he won't let me be first player I find it's more entertaining to check the weather on my phone.

I haven’t really played it enough to give a score. But after 6 hrs or so of play, I’m finding it too simplistic and easy.. and not really wanting to play on - not like I did with earlier games in series.

So I don’t know if I’ll bother playing enough to give it a score. Which I guess means I’d review it badly…

Also, while I love the overground visuals, the underground visuals are very basic and repetitive…

I’m gonna give it a 6/10. That may change as I play it more.. but right now, too easy, too repetitive, too much talking, too much underground bits. And I’m just not finding it much fun.

I keep playing, because I liked the earlier games so much and I’m hoping it’ll get to point where I start having fun. But if this was my first Pikmin game, I would’ve stopped playing by now.

Easily a solid 9/10 for me, and I really love Pikmin 1 and 2.

Honestly the dandori battle is the only negative for me but that's it.

@LikeWhoa theres a little something for everyone

@Clammy dandori issue (this is a joke)

@Deadlyblack : lol.. the battles are the only part I’m finding challenging and fun.. funny how people differ isn’t it?

@Clammy I personally prefer the challenges more but that's just me.

The battles aren't even hard either, you just have to have good dandori.

Really loving it so far! Dandori battles are so fun!

I do really enjoy the game but it's definitely my least favorite in the series. I've gotten used to the controls but they're still far from ideal and I'm not a fan of the new characters and excessive dialogue. Still at least an 8/10 for me because the core Pikmin gameplay is so much fun.

I've been a fan of the pikmin games since the first came out. 2 is still easily the best one for me, but this is probably pretty close. Definitely better than 3 thankfully, which I thought was a letdown. The plot seems good, I like the controls, great visuals, etc.

That being said it still isn't a perfect 10. I'm not a fan of the dog...seems like an unnecessary element that just makes the game way easier. Definitely a lack of interesting puzzles so far, and I've already found all the crew except the pilot. Maybe the puzzles will get more interesting. Also as others have mentioned, the first few days are super annoying. Way too much dialog and interruptions. The dialysis visit to the hub seems unnecessary as well, and just takes up time. The only other issue I have is minimal, but I wish they hadn't changed the onions from the first 2 games.