Pikmin 4 Review (Nintendo Switch OLED)

For this Pikmin 4 Review, where we are on a peculiar faraway planet, a group of space travelers are stranded and awaiting rescue. Are you the right rescuer for the job? Pick up their SOS signals and explore an uncharted world inhabited by a curious crop of creatures. Thankfully, some of them are friends, not foes! Meet the Pikmin – these spirited helpers might be small in stature, but boast strength in numbers. Grow, gather, and guide them to tackle tasks big and small. Explore, hunt for treasure in vast open areas, battle wild critters, solve puzzles, and rescue stranded travelers together.

Pikmin 4 Review Pros:

• Decent graphics.
• 10.5GB download size.
• Can Invert the vertical and horizontal axis for the camera, and the survey drone individually.
• Motion control support including the ability to Invert the axis.
• Radar maps can be set to fixed or camera angles.
• The gameplay guide is the manual for the game.
• Local co-op play support.
• Two game modes – story, and Dandori battle.
• The Co-op partner supports player 1 with simple target controls for the pebble pitcher.
• Action adventure gameplay.
• The game uses its own spoken language.
• Cutscenes are hand-drawn animations like simple cartoons with in-game sequences.
• Tutorial pop-ups as you play with a video screen display.
• Auto saves regularly.
• The opening tutorial section teaches you combat and general movement and Pikmin management.
• Character creator – name, preset choice, hair, face, hair color, and suit color.
• You play as the rescue corps’ newest officer.
• Full 3D with full 360-degree camera control.
• Oatchi is your canine companion. You can use your whistle to give him commands.
• Control prompts show as you play.
• You have a handheld that has apps like the map, profiles, story data, etc.
• The map is visible from the app but you fill it in as you explore.
• You get main and optional side missions.
• The d-pad is used as a shortcut to menus and this can be customized.
• Cheerful upbeat soundtrack.
• Uses familiar controls to the series but is accessible enough for new players to learn.
• Drop in and out Co-op.
• On the radar map menu, you can see something and click a button so when you go back to the game you are facing that way.
• Sparkly objects in the world are used for energy.
• Has some classic Nintendo hardware in the game.
• You can speed up the game text interactions.
• Pikmin – little leaf-like creatures you can throw around and command to collect, and break items within the game world.
• Uses an incubator/onion to put flowers in and get Pikmin out of them.
• Shows the amount of Pikmin needed and how many are doing it on the Interactive parts.
• Different Pikmin colors represent different things they can do.
• Clear Hud showing how many Pikmin you have etc like how many are busy or inactive.
• Watch as the Pikmin grab items and walk over to the incubator without you needing to tell them.
• You can instantly swap between the different kinds of Pikmin and Oatchi.
• The message log lets you scroll back through conversations.
• Pin a mission to have it and the criteria on the Hud at all times.
• On a planet, you have a hub setup next to your ship where you can talk with the other officers, choose the next exploration location, and practice.
• Combat is all about getting the Pikmin or Oatchi to attack, sometimes you have to time your attacks but either way, you can see the enemy bar.
• Location selection screen showing completion percentage, and progress of onions, treasures, and rescues found/grabbed.
• Oatchi can auto-attack smaller enemies in the world and then carry on with what he is doing.
• Pellets taken from plants, return to the onion to grow more Pikmin. Match the Pikmin and pellet colors for more.
• Zoom in and out button, you have three to use.
• Pikmin will do as commanded and do the task over and over until complete, you can grow more and swap between the different kinds.
• Throw Pikmin at enemies to knock them out, and return them to the onion for bonus Pikmin.
• The Onion creates a safe area for Pikmin and this is also where you drop pellets, fruits, and items and grow/pluck more Pikmin.
• Find materials and resources within the world and you can grab them like treasures and pellets to store them.
• Oatchi can sniff out treasure and castaways or find a scent that helps you get the mission down.
• Nectar in the world can age the Pikmin which makes them move faster.
• If Oatchi dies he actually doesn’t, he passes out and goes back to the base for a while.
• Uses a day and night cycle with a warning and a final countdown to nighttime as the enemies get more aggressive.
• End-of-day breakdown.
• When you have a load of Pikmin waiting to be pulled up out of the ground you can hold the button down and Olimar goes faster and does all the Pikmin without you moving him.
• Different sizes, ages of Pikmin, and weights of objects determine how fast the Pikmin will carry the item to the base.
• Unlock new locations by getting X amount of energy from treasures/sparkly objects.
• Full underground sections.
• You can at times pick and auto-choose a load of Pikmin at once, usually when going underground and back up top.
• Ice pikmin freeze water and enemies, they can also float in water.
• Locations are a lot bigger and varied and house more secrets.
• Unlock shortcuts through the locations.
• The day/night timer stops when you are underground.
• Over time Oatchi will grow and you can ride him and unlock the ability to jump. By the way, even Pikmin jump on Oatchi.
• It does a good job of introducing new mechanics/Pikmin over time.
• Gets very moreish.
• Your base can be moved to new locations.
• Satisfying end-of-day screens to keep you coming back.
• Pikmin feels a lot more unique as they affect how interactions in the world happen and which ones are best for throwing and collecting.
• You can break up the Pikmin and leave a set pack at the base.
• Pup drive is earned from rescuing civilians, with these you can upgrade and add new skills to your friend.
• The lab is where you spend collected diamonds on new abilities on tools like a drone to see further, make yourself fireproof, etc.
• The treasure catalog keeps info on all your collected treasure, you can look at them in full 3D and you earn rewards for filling the catalog.
• Rescue civilians and unlock new mechanics/rewards etc.
• Play how you want in terms of the order of completion in a location.
• Slight puzzle elements.
• Any underground and location markers will tick to show you have finished it all.
• With the drone, you can then make your own markers on the map/location.
• Switch between yourself and Oatchi.
• Rewind lets you go back a certain amount of time.

Pikmin 4 Review Cons:

• Cannot rebind controls.
• It gets tiring to see the same cutscenes over and over like going underground.
• No touchscreen support.
• The camera is still not ideal and can make seeing objectives hard.
• A lot to take in initially.
• Takes some getting used to controlling the Pikmin.
• Pikmin seem to die very easily and it’s not always clear when it happened.
• The Co-op is very simplified and local only.
• Doesn’t boast the best loading times.
• No way to have the text auto-scroll.
• Doesn’t offer a lot of voice work outside of the animated cutscenes.
• Calling back Pikmin is not always as easy as it should be.
• Lock-on button for everything you can interact with or throw Pikmin at which is really handy.
• Hold down the call button to a bigger radius.
• Numbers will pop up to show how many Pikmin are needed to smash something or to carry fruit and items.
• Oatchi feels like a powerful Pikmin that can also show you the way.
• Takes a long time to get used to the cursor as it’s very twitchy and unpredictable.
• Slow starter.
• Feels very hand holdy.
• Levels take too long for this to be a game that’s safe to play on short commutes.
• All the menus are not as smooth as you would like, an example is giving commands for scent, and searching TO Oatchi is one too many button presses.
• Not a fan of this day/night cycle.

Related Post: Remnant II Review (Steam)

Pikmin 4:

Official website.

Developer: Nintendo

Publisher: Nintendo

Store Links –

Nintendo