Highlights
- Pikmin 4 is beginner-friendly with a relaxed timer and no limit to the days that pass. Players can experiment with various Pikmin types to create their own unique squad.
- The game could benefit from improvements, such as a better solution for commanding Pikmin and faster movement speed for the player character. A photo mode would also be a nice addition to capture the game's beautiful settings.
- The co-op mode in Pikmin 4 is lacking, as it only allows players to manipulate the environment. A true campaign co-op option and online multiplayer support should be added in future patches.
Pikmin 4 is the game in the series that newcomers can easily pick up and play. There is a relaxed timer during missions and there is no limit to the days that pass. There are tons of Pikmin types that players can tinker around with to create their own unique squad. The addition of other creatures like Oatchi is also big.
The list of additions could go on and on but Pikmin 4 overall is a vast improvement for the series but that doesn’t mean it is perfect. Nintendo could patch a few things in to make it feel more like a complete package. Here are a few fixes the game still needs.
8 Commanding Pikmin
There has to be a better solution to commanding the Pikmin than just throwing them. New gadgets from Russ do help with some finicky gameplay elements in Pikmin 4. For example, there is a radar that will call Pikmin back to the player if they are idle at the base or somewhere else.
That’s a good first step, but more natural gameplay choices should be implemented in a patch. What if players could group Pikmin by color and then send them somewhere on the map simply by clicking it?
7 Faster Movement
The movement speed could use some work. The environments are not that big in the game where players have to trek miles back and forth between locations. Still, with enough repetition, the speed should start to become irritating.
Oatchi eventually gets a speed boost permanently in Pikmin 4 and there are potions to increase his speed temporarily. It would be nice if players could increase their speed manually through his upgrade tree though. Also, the player character never gets a good speed bump and that’s the real problem.
6 Add A Photo Mode
Nintendo has implemented some great photo modes in its games. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate comes to mind as one of their best examples. It’s a shame players can’t do the same in Pikmin 4 although they technically can if they use the drone.
It’s a bit clunky to manipulate the camera for photos that way though which is why a proper photo mode should be added. This is a great-looking game with some unique settings from dingy caves to sun-soaked beaches, so favs should be able to capture it with a nice framed photo.
5 Needs True Co-Op
The co-op in Pikmin 4 is more like a glorified helper mode. Players do not get to control another explorer if they hop in. All they get to do is manipulate a few things in the environment to stop monsters from eating Pikmin, as one example.
It’s nice the option is in the game, but compared to past entries, it is a letdown. A true campaign co-op option should get added to a future patch. Players could control another explorer or a more refined version of Oatchi in co-op.
4 Speed Up Dialogue
The dialogue is probably not the favorite thing for most fans in the game. Thankfully most conversations can be skipped with a button but not all conversations can be quickly bypassed. Some have to be sifted through like whenever players want to talk to a vendor like Russ.
Getting to the shop options faster would be a miracle to speed up the upgrade process which is admittedly substantial. If players want to hear Russ or anyone else jabber on about whatever, they can with a dialogue option.
3 Expand The Game Online
A new mode in this game is called Dandori Battle. Players can challenge a friend for a versus match on the couch. They have to build an army of Pikmin quickly to then gather as much treasure as possible. Whoever has the best score at the end wins.
It’s a fun distraction but the local-only aspect is disappointing. There is no big online component to Pikmin 4 and that should change. Put Dandori Battle online and add support for at least four players. Also, if true co-op does get added, that should go online too.
2 Easy Pikmin Gathering
The classic Pikmin types in Pikmin 4 can be gathered easily via flowers. Red, Yellow, and Blue Pikmin are easy to gather once their types get unlocked in the story but it is much harder to build reserves of Purple or Rock Pikmin, for example.
It would be nice if these more rare types could be gathered easier like if more conversion flowers were around. Alternatively, an option at camp could be added to command other survivors to go out on Pikmin gathering missions sort of like the trainees in Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood. That would give players more reasons to talk to NPCs.
1 Add A Boss Rush
The bosses in the game can truly be challenging. There is one version of a Bulborb, called an Empress Bulblax which basically looks like a Bulborb with a giant worm body. It can crush an entire troop of Pikmin in an instant which can be devastating for morale.
There is an easy way to defeat it, but the point is encounters like this are exciting. It would be fun to have the ability to replay these epic boss battles from the main menu in a boss rush equivalent. Adding multiplayer to these replayable boss battles would be a blast too.
Pikmin 4 was released on July 21, 2023, and is available on Switch.