With its peaceful aesthetic and adorable creatures to interact with, Pikmin 4 presents itself as a rather soothing experience. And for experienced players, there are a lot of moments of this game that can seem rather breezy, especially with all the quality-of-life updates since the franchise's previous installment.
That said, Pikmin 4 is not without its challenge points. There will be times when players will have to overcome difficult enemies or unique challenges that must be completed. However, those who want even more challenge will have plenty of ways to play the game and plenty of optional challenges to choose from.
7 Don't Use Rewind
One of the newest options that players have in Pikmin 4 is the ability to rewind time. This can be accessed on the game's menu, with players able to select specific checkpoints to go back to before they made a mistake or lost a lot of Pikmin. It is perfect for those that are just getting started with the series.
A very simple challenge to take on is to refrain from using the button at any time. Try to live with the consequences of every action, even if it means needing to pick up the pieces of something catastrophic. Beating the story mode without rewinding once may not be the most rewarding, but it shows that the player can fix mistakes in other ways.
6 Refuse As Many Upgrades Or Items As Possible
There is a wide variety of upgrades and items that are offered to the player during their journey through various beautiful locations on the planet. This includes the ability to give the dog Oatchi more skills with a wide variety of neat tools, armor, and throwable objects that are perfect when exploring.
While there are some items that are required to be equipped to beat certain challenges or access specific caves, a way to attempt a much more difficult experience is to refuse to interact with Oatchi's skill tree or buy any unneeded items. It will force the player to be more creative while living life on the edge without a strong Oatchi to rely on.
5 Attempt The Hardest Night Expeditions First
Night Expeditions are a completely new feature in Pikmin 4 as previous entries had players avoiding the night at all costs. Now, players are going out and attempting to get a serum that would help cure the Leaflings, humans that have been turned into strange creatures obsessed with Dandori.
The night expeditions involve playing tower defense for the hill that has the substance stored. The goal is for players to prevent enemies from destroying it. Pretty early on, players will have access to increasingly difficult expeditions. If players want to put their tower defense skills to the test, they should go for the hardest expeditions immediately.
4 Play With A Small Pikmin Squad
Players will start with having 20 Pikmin to roam around with on adventures. Over the course of the game, players can collect Flarlic. These increase the amount of Pikmin the player can control at once by 10 with each one collected. But gathering this Flarlic isn't particularly necessary, at least on the surface.
Instead of having a massive army of Pikmin, players could attempt to roll with a much smaller group for an extended period of time. The only difficulties come with completing areas 100 percent, as objects that are so huge will be unable to be picked up by the entire squad. Luckily, Oatchi's skill tree does allow him to pull with the strength of 100 Pikmin.
3 Go For Gold In Dandori Challenges
One of the new optional tests presented to players in the story mode of Pikmin 4 is the Dandori Challenges. These are timed sequences that require the player to collect as much treasure and creatures as they possibly can before time runs out. Successful attempts at this earn the player a Leafling.
There is a grading system involved with this as well as players will need to reach a bronze medal minimum to get the Leafling. However, players can attempt to get silver or gold, which requires a lot of practice to get exactly right. Going for Gold is part of an optional side quest in the game, which is great for those seeking challenges.
2 Take On Olimar's Shipwreck Tale
In many ways, Pikmin 4 is a departure from the older games. However, it does offer players the ability to experience Olimar's Shipwreck Tale, which is perfect for those who like the old-school gameplay of the original game. It is with these levels that players can learn about Olimar's journey to this point in the story.
Armed with only the basic-colored Pikmin, Olimar travels through altered versions of the areas in the game. Players will only have a short time period to explore areas each day and will have only 15 days in all to explore the entire thing. It is a call back to the difficulty of the franchise's past, but it's perfect for longtime fans and people who want a harder experience.
1 Pull Off A Gold Victory In Dandori Battles
In a similar vein that there are Dandori Challenges, there are also Dandori Battles. Instead of being alone and gathering treasure, players will compete against someone else and attempt to get a higher score than them once time runs out. There is also a medal system with this mode, as well as an assist feature that allows a computer beat the battle instead of playing a second time.
Dandori Battles can be incredibly difficult as no match is ever the same, offering new bonuses each time that it is played. And unlike reaching a specific number to get Gold, players need to have a wide enough gap compared to their opponent to medal. It takes a lot of strategizing and a bit of luck to get Gold in all Dandori Battles, making it the biggest challenge in the game.
Pikmin 4 is available now on Nintendo Switch.