The colorful world of Pikmin 4 will see players embark on yet another unique adventure to rescue the stranded Captain Olimar and all the other Castaways that can be found. With enough puzzles and light platforming to keep players busy for quite some time, it won't be a surprise that the combat-heavy endgame gauntlet will catch some players off guard.
Indeed, the 20-sublevel deep Cavern for a King cave in Pikmin 4 is not for the fainthearted, tasking players with masterfully managing their army of Pikmin to eliminate all sorts of threats while grabbing various treasures along the way. And at the end of it all will be an extended boss fight with the Giant Dog that is guarding Louie. For those hoping to go in prepared, this guide will provide all the necessary tips and tricks.
Preparing For The Giant Dog Boss in Pikmin 4
To go into the fight woefully unprepared is a recipe for disaster, which is why it is smart to make use of sublevel 19 of Cavern for a King to replenish Pikmin numbers and items. The various Candypop buds will allow players to reconfigure their Pikmin army, which is hopefully at the maximum capacity of 100.
Be sure to have a healthy variety of each kind of Pikmin, as the Giant Dog will bring all sorts of tricks to the table that will require the right Pikmin to counter. A pretty sufficient configuration will be having 20 of each colored Pikmin to do the job.
How to Beat The Giant Dog Boss in Pikmin 4
With all preparations done, descend to the final sublevel of the Cavern for a King to face off against the Giant Dog. This combat encounter will take place over several phases, and each new phase will bring different threats to look out for, so be prepared for some losses before victory can be attained.
Phase 1
At the start, the Giant Dog will jump and knock down stalactites from the roof of the cavern. Avoid the shadows to prevent any damage to Oatchi and the Pikmin. Now, get to the front of one of those stalactites and lure the boss to rush in that direction.
Dodge out of the way, and while the beast is stunned, aim and throw Pikmin onto its tail. With enough numbers, this will cause the Giant Dog to topple. Now use Oatchi's Rush and aim for the belly, throwing all the remaining Pikmin onto the boss to do damage. This sequence will need to be repeated several times to deplete its health.
Phase 2
Once the Giant Dog has lost all of its health for the first time, it will recover and become more aggressive, this time with icy powers. Instead of using the cave, it will charge up and unleash several rolling snowballs around the arena that can ricochet off the walls.
Wait till the coast is relatively clear, before approaching from its back and target the tail once more. Bring it down and attack its belly, repeating the process until it is done.
Phase 3
Up next will require players to deal with electricity. The Giant Dog will now turn bright yellow, signaling the coming of volts. It will begin this phase by throwing out fuzzy balls that will shoot out electricity within a certain radius. Use Yellow Pikmin to clear these obstacles as soon as possible to prevent being locked in.
Next, watch as the Giant Dog rears up to roar and unleash persistent electricity attacks on several areas around it. Avoid them by jumping and circling back to its rear, where the same process applies. Aim for its tail and unleash hell when it's toppled on the ground.
Phase 4
Now, the Giant Dog will turn fiery red and start using flames to help its cause. Use the Red Pikmin to get rid of any red fuzzy balls it throws out, all the while avoiding its gaze and fireball attacks. The most dangerous of its new arsenal is an attack that shoots out an arc of flames in front of it.
While players can jump over it using Oatchi to avoid damage, the right strategy is to use this period to get to the rear of the Giant Dog, where the attack does not extend to. Target the tail and repeat the process to damage it.
Phase 5
This will be the final phase of the Giant Dog boss fight in Pikmin 4, and it is also the most precarious as the boss now uses fatal poison. This might be a good time to replenish any lost numbers with Glow Pikmin.
Now taking to the air, the entire arena is full of space for the boss to utilize its poison. Avoid the red areas on the ground as they can instantly kill Pikmin. Instead, follow the boss cautiously and look for opportunities to throw Pikmin onto its tail. With enough patience and good aiming, the boss will drop to the ground and allow for sustained damage.
Defeating this boss will make it possible to rescue Louie, who will likely be the last Castaway for many players in the endgame of Pikmin 4. This will also allow for a medicine to be made for Oatchi, and allow the entire team to return home once and for all.
Pikmin 4 is available for the Nintendo Switch.