Highlights
- Co-op in Pikmin 4 is not online, which may disappoint fans hoping for online compatibility.
- In the co-op Story Mode, both players control parts of the same character, which some may find disappointing.
- The Dandori Battle Mode in Pikmin 4 allows for competitive multiplayer, providing a break from the story mode and offering a unique gameplay experience.
Multiplayer in the Pikmin games has always been somewhat of a strange subject, especially when it comes to co-op as while it did technically make an appearance in the deluxe version of Pikmin 3, it was a lot more limited than many fans would have expected from such a well-loved Nintendo title.
While fans had expected that a co-op mode of some kind was going to feature in Pikmin 4 considering how much effort Nintendo put into making it work in the previous game, the lack of trailers leading up to the release of Pikmin 4, and the fact that Nintendo has remained fairly tight-lipped on many of the game's details and mechanics, had made it unclear of how different this mode was really going to be this time around.
Now that the game's finally released though, we now have a good idea of how exactly this system plays out, and while it might not be what a lot of fans wanted, it's still a lot of fun to play around with nonetheless.
6 Co-Op Still Isn't Online
Nintendo has always been known for lagging behind its competitors when it comes to network features in their games, and despite online co-op being a plea from many Pikmin fans since the days of Pikmin 3 on the Wii-U, it unfortunately still isn't here on Pikmin 4 which is a bit of a missed opportunity considering how downright-fun and addictive the core gameplay is.
This could definitely be another attempt by Nintendo to encourage local couch co-op which has always been a huge part of its games, and this certainly isn't a bad thing considering how much of a rarity that is nowadays in gaming, but many fans are still hoping for online compatibility to be introduced as part of a future update somewhere down the line.
5 Limited Story Features
Unfortunately, players won't be able to control their own pilots in Pikmin 4 as part of the co-op Story Mode as they will instead both control certain parts of the same character. While Player 1 will be physically controlling the main character and dictating where they go in the world, Player 2 will take the role of the assistant who controls the cursor.
Luckily though, since players will be required to throw items at enemies and damage them, while also needing to grab any puzzle items, it still keeps both players engaged without the experience becoming too repetitive or boring. Still, though, this is fairly disappointing considering that a more standard and modern co-op mode was eventually introduced into Pikmin 3 Deluxe and even made an appearance in Pikmin 2, but maybe it also means Nintendo is saving a much more improved and fleshed-out Story Mode co-op experience for an updated version of the most recent title.
4 Online Modes Will Be Limited To Two Players
In terms of the multiplayer Dandori Battle mode, only two players will be able to compete against one another, and while players will technically control a single character in co-op for the Story Mode, there will only be room for two players in this mode too.
This is exactly the same as Pikmin 3 where players could compete in the two-player Bingo Mode, so there unfortunately hasn't been any attempt by Nintendo to allow groups of friends to experience the game together this time around. Considering how frantic Pikmin 4 can already be on one screen though, it makes sense that four players might have been a bit too much to handle at once, similarly to Kirby Forgotten Lands which also was restricted to two players.
3 Save Files Can Be Accessed From The Menu
When players first boot up Pikmin 4, they will be asked whether they would like to begin the experience in single-player or in co-op mode, and once they decide this and the first cutscene begins to play, they will then be able to switch between both modes by simply pressing the Minus button and then selecting the option in the top right of the screen.
However, players can also load an existing save in co-op by clicking on the "Options" menu and selecting it from there. It's a good thing Nintendo has made it very easy to access the co-op features in this game since in many of its other titles, a lot of it can be hidden away behind multiple menus and tabs.
2 The Power Of Pebbles
As Player 2 controls the cursor as part of the co-op Story Mode, they will also be able to throw pebbles which most people are probably going to use to damage enemies, and while they're certainly very handy for this, they have a few other uses too which can help their partner out in some massive ways.
Not only can a pebble distract an enemy, making it much easier to evade detection during the night expeditions, but they can also speed up Pikmin who are transporting an item by shooting pebbles directly at them. Additionally, as Player 2 fires more pebbles to help out their partner, they will also be filling up the co-op gauge which can earn them a few rewards that they can drop for Player 1 to use along their journey.
1 Dandori Battle Mode Provides A More Competitive Experience
While there is technically a co-op mode in Pikmin 4, players also shouldn't miss the opportunity to try out the game's multiplayer mode which is a little more competitive, this being the Dandori Battle Mode. Not only does this provide a nice break from the lengthy Story Mode, but it's also an incredibly fun mode in its own right, and undoubtedly a huge step in the right direction for Pikmin multiplayer, demonstrating some incredibly unique ways it can be incorporated into the standard gameplay loop.
Dandori Battle pits one player against either another player or the CPU in a kind of resource-management mode where players must collect all the treasures scattered around the map within a certain time limit and while using a limited number of Pikmin. Out of the six levels that players can compete on, the last three are far more difficult than those found before them, so they're definitely the ones that veteran Pikmin players should be directing most of their attention to.
Pikmin 4 is available now on Nintendo Switch.