Gallery: Here's Another Look At Pikmin 4, Out On Nintendo Switch This July

Am I the first finally? Pikmin 4 looks great. Can’t help but wish it was coming out on a higher powered switch, but that’s only a small complaint.

I'm already in love with this game.

I don't know about everyone else, but I loved the caves in Pikmin 2, so glad those are back.

This game looks great. Love the new dog character already.

@Joeynator3000 I just hope the caves aren't randomly generated in this game. Sometimes the random nature of the Pikmin 2 caves led to some jank.

I am really curious about the number of captains and/or "castaways" seeing as the ship seemed really big. Reminds me a bit of Subnautica in some ways.

@sketchturner I guess some of the randomly generated caves weren't the best, yeah...

It would be awesome if we got a cave creator, though. xp

I still don't understand the objection of this game and other Pikmin clones.
What am I supposed to do in Pikmin games ?
Does it feel like RPG or 3D platformer or 3D action games or Tactic ?

@Anti-Matter
The real objective is wondering how this franchise has managed to survive so long, I think the only reason it exists past 2 is because Miyamoto kept being asked about it in E3 interviews.

Actually looking forward to this more than Tears of the kingdom (please don't hit me)

@Anti-Matter It's Nintendo's take on the RTS (real time strategy) genre. It's wholesome, but a little dark. It has a very specific feel to it, very magical, like a studio Ghibli film. And for my money Pikmin 3 has the best Nintendo OST of all time.

I really hope that they won't forget the Piklopedia this time.

@SalvorHardin whaaaat? Pikmin is one of Nintendo’s greatest IPs.
It cemented Nintendo’s exploration and discovery for new IP after the 64 era.
If it wasn’t for this game you would still be playing only Marios and Zeldas.

Also, Pikmin 3 is a beast of creative video game design. It’s a really fun game.

Alien dog is my new best friend.

Also, I'm so happy that everyone who said Hey! Pikmin was actually Pikmin 4 were wrong.

I'm petty as hell, let me have this win!!!

That looks mighty impressive for a Switch game. Just goes to show it can do the graphics thing too when games are given TLC and not rushed for a cheap buck.

That said, I've never played a Pikmin game and don't see this one changing that.

"Pikmin doggie" is what I'm calling Oatchi.

Just like Metroid and Kirby, this won't be acquired at launch, but it will be shortly after.

Can’t wait for this! I love Pikmin 3 deluxe. Wonder if this can raise the bar? One can hope. Cheers!

@sketchturner yup. Usually happens with procedural stuff.

@Midna
it has a purple pikmin (which I feel like regularly) so yeah instantly better than 3.

I'm surprised the dog wasn't announced as a new Amiibo too.

@WaffleBoat
Purples are the most durable of all the Pikmin. I think they first appeared in Pikmin 2. They have a knock back ability to stop enemies in their tracks.

I just hope it has multiplayer like 3 Deluxe. It's a great game to play with family and I loved all the side mission games with 2 players too.

Hopefully it's better than Pikmin 3. I really enjoyed 1 and 2, but 3 felt really short. Just when I thought the game was picking up and going somewhere, it ended, and I was left feeling disappointed

Am I the only one kinda split on the whole "behind the back" camera they're using this time around? I agree that it helps sell the scale of being really tiny in an oversized world, but I also think it could limit viewability; since the overhead camera of the previous games made it easier to monitor whatever tasks your Pikmin were doing.

I suppose I'd best start 3 at some point then...

Like I imagine plenty of Pikmin fans did I jump one the bandwagon with 3 deluxe and loved it- especially the challenge maps. Hopefully 4 has plenty of those!
Got a online voucher ready for this one!

Beautiful. Am I more excited for this, my physical copy of MP remastered or TotK? I just can’t decide. What a year and it’s barely started

@N00BiSH I’m concerned about that too. I wonder if the classic camera is an option and they’re just not showing it to focus on what’s new

@Sequel
I know what you mean Pikmin 4 looks great and Zelda we know little about, apart from making trucks 🛻 😂

@N00BiSH of two minds. It might be a problem if the camera is the only change.

I think a Miyamoto lead series like Pikmin wouldn't make a change to the perspective like this unless it was accounting for the change in terms of level design or gameplay style.

The camera reminds me a bit of Batallion Wars but a bit further back from the player character with a wider field of view.

Oh I need that likmin doggy as an amiibo... my daughter would be so over it...

And for the game, really looking forward too it, Pikmin 3 on the wiiU was nice, but couldn't get myself to double dip, so first proper Pikmin experience in quite a few years (and to be fair pikmin 3 wasn't as good as 2...)

I'll definitely get it but not sure if it's going to be at launch. Was never into Pikmin in the past but I tried out 3 again last year after having quickly shelved it previously and wound up really digging it; kind of leaves me where I pretty much just HAD a fresh Pikmin experience, and also want to make time for 1 and 2 at some point, so I'm not really in the moment dying for this one.

@KryptoniteKrunch i hope we can pet this dog

it seen that Pikimin 4 will feature all Pikimin types, plus this this new ice Pikimin and the dog that seen to act like a expanded form of Bulbmin, giving Nintendo designers more oportunities for far more intereting puzzles/enemies enconters, making Pikimin 4 the most feature depth game of the franchise.

@Anti-Matter 3D strategic exploration wanderlust, with some action n environmental puzzles.

In the first pikmin game, the objective was to get olimar off the alien planet that he crash landed on and find his spaceship parts. You don't start with Pikmin, he encounters them and then befriends them, all one species at a time. In the 2nd Pikmin game, the objective was to find earthly/alien artifacts that each were worth $$ to help pay off his bosses massive debt. i do not remember the objective of Pikmin 3.

It's also worth noting everything you find in the game has to be brought back to the ship to be used or considered obtained. That is what the Pikmin are for, however they will and do run into hostile creatures along the way.

The first two games plot and objectives however felt more enjoyable to me. I didn't get into Pikmin 3 as much. i also may just not like snow level as much. It starts off there, at least in the demo. Pikmin 1 is actually pretty difficult due to its time limit. Pikmin 2 was a more enjoyable walk in the park. I did not finish either game, but I did sink more playtime into Pikmin 2.

Pikmin 2s multiplayer mode also imo is alot of fun and superior to Pikmin 3s.

In all honesty, everyone who has tried playing Pikmin 2 with me has enjoyed it. I'd say it's worth a try if you get the chance. It's a very unique gameplay expierence.

I actually sold my n64 and super Nintendo as a kid to get money to buy a GameCube specifically to play Pikmin and smash Bros melee. After discovering n trying both at a friend's house.

4 looks interesting. Never played 1 or 2 back in the day but picked up 3 Deluxe on the cheap a little while back. I was having a lot of fun with it until I got to the part with the gold goo. I attempted that part like 5x and couldn’t get past it. I put it down for something else and never picked it up again. I’m sure a seasoned Pikmin player got through it fine but I just couldn’t manage. If I’m gonna ever play 4, guess I gotta pick it back up. 😂

I’m not sure why, but Pikmin is one of those franchises that I forget about when suggesting Nintendo games. Pikmin 3 is such a joy to play on Switch. I’m looking forward to playing later this year, but I might still be heavily invested in TOTK when Pikmin releases.

@Joeynator3000 As long as they keep the time limit in the caves as well. That ruined 2 for me. It just felt like a completely different game when playing through the caves, and it felt like your were in the caves 80% of the game; boring floating platforms in an endless void. No thanks.

Looking at what that dog adds to the gameplay, I at the same time feel like it detracts from what I expect from pikmin, but it might also add onto it in an unique way... I'll see how I feel when I play it.

I loved Pikmin 3 on the Wii U. This game looks lovely as well. I do wonder what this game will do to elevate the series to the next level but if it’s more of the same than that’s just as good.

@Sequel it’s okay and I understand.

Those sure are some stills from the trailer. I wouldn’t call them “additional” screenshots.

I played through Pikmin 3 with my son recently, and when I told him that they announced 4 he kept asking if there were going to be green or orange Pikmin. I mean, it seems like a logical progression, right? He's going to be so disappointed.

@N00BiSH I’m not too worried because of how it seems to work in other shots in the trailer.

Some of the shots actually were more down-facing. And in shots where we see the cursor, the cursor seems to move with the player’s movement, similar to the GameCube games. There are some shots too where the camera is moving as though being controlled independent of the player’s aim or movement.

What it looks like to me right now is this: we will control aiming and movement together with the left stick, and we will freely control the camera with the right stick. I think that’s probably a good way to do things, but I guess we still have to wait and see to be sure.

@N00BiSH
The overhead camera also was responsible for control issues, which are a much bigger hindrance to enjoying the game than this new viewpoint.

With a more behind the back view, right stick + gyro aiming no longer needs to mimic pointer controls and can instead be used similar to Metroid Prime Remastered or Splatoon.

That said, this new view actually lets you see more as there are objects in the distance you'd have to get much closer to see with an overhead view.

I think the controls were the number one obstacle this game needed to overcome, and I see the view shift as being synergistic with overhauling controls.

@Sam_TSM
I'd actually argue those games you claim to be iterative, still offer a new mechanic or hook.

Super Mario 3D World was a return to 2D style design but in a 3D environment, with co-op. 3D Land used 3D and integrated it a gameplay mechanic. Odyssey then went open world and added Cappy. Zelda Windwaker was all about water, Twilight Princess was about transforming into a wolf, Skyward Sword was about motion controlling the sword, etc.

Those games may have been "iterative" in some respects, but they always have at least one new gameplay mechanic or hook. Even New Super Mario Bros 2 focused on coins, and New Super Mario Bros U used the gamepad.

So I think what they're getting at is, the creators haven't come up with a new hook. And when fans force creators to make a new entry in a series they haven't naturally come up with a new hook for, we end up with stuff like Star Fox Zero, regurgitating the same remagined game for the 3rd time, shoehorning in a bad hook.

Which leads to the lesson: never pressure devs to make a new game in a series they don't want to make and for which their creative juices aren't flowing.

I still can’t believe this is running on Switch