Pikmin 4 review: "The most approachable Pikmin entry ever"

It's incredible how quickly things can go wrong in Pikmin 4. I'm deep in a cave and some mega bug just shook off my Pikmin like a wet dog, sending them plummeting to their deaths over the edge of the railings into endless darkness. But, one quick series of button presses through the menu has me rewinding time to replay just the last few minutes – or jumping back to the start of the level if I so wish – to save all my little leafy guys from their sudden demise. 

The ability to hit rewind is just one of the many new features introduced to make Pikmin 4 more streamlined and approachable. For a start, as you explore, you can move your base and the Onion containing all your collected Pikmin around to new positions. Suddenly your Pik'crew isn't having to haul collected treasures – which are still beautifully rendered home items like fruit, a Game Boy Advance, or a Joy-Con – and the corpses of your slain foes all the way across the map, but instead means you can make more of each day you play. 

Somewhat controversially, some of the normal time constraints you find in a Pikmin title have also been stripped away. You still have to ensure you've gathered up all your Pikmin before the sun goes down, but you're no longer on a ticking overall timer to get all your goals completed in a set number of days. It means I've really enjoyed completing each of the game's areas and gathering all the scattered castaways, all without feeling the pressure to take shortcuts. I know there's going to be an option to come back later and have enjoyed the exploration a lot more because of it. 

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(Space)man's best friend

Exploration is also a lot easier thanks to another new addition – Oatchi. This unusual 'dog' is a two-legged Pikmin bus with some attack power of his own. The Pikmin cling to his butt as you travel around on his back, letting you get a quick peek at which of your Pikmin could do with a nectar boost, but also move around so much faster than you can on your spaceperson legs. Oatchi's got some moves too, initially offering up a jump that allows you to traverse the maps a lot easier, and a dash that headbutts enemies and catapults all Pikmin straight at an enemy for instant damage. He can also swim, and safely carry your water-averse Pikmin types across bodies of water. 

All of these abilities can be upgraded too, making Oatchi more powerful and unlocking new abilities as you progress. Oatchi's a valuable new tool, and works well with the new Ice Pikmin. They, as the name probably suggests, are capable of freezing bodies of water, but also enemies too, which gives you a fantastic window to unleash other damage while they can't hurt you. It's a marvel for the big chomping sorts that like to make a quick snack out of your Pikmin. It's a good combo, particularly as the game has evolved alongside your own arsenal. 

Not only are we going inside the house for the first time ever in a Pikmin game, but we're also being allowed to see what dangers the night hosts for tiny little leaf creatures and a space mutt. Night Expeditions take a different approach to the classic Pikmin formula with you instead having to defend termite mound-like Lumiknoll from frenzied enemy attacks in order to collect the sap within. For these missions, you enlist the help of the new Glow Pikmin, which are handily impervious to all elemental attacks. Like Oatchi, they have a charge attack that collects them all up into a glowing ball that stuns enemies, which is super handy in the later maps that'll really test your Dandori – aka the game's fixation on being good at planning. 

Fine and dandy

Although it's purely a Pikmin invention, the theory or practice of Dandori really comes into its own in Pikmin 4 with the aptly named Dandori Battles. These both appear as part of the campaign and from the title screen where you can play vs the CPU, a pal, or cooperatively against the CPU. Each team works against the clock to collect as many points as possible, either through collectibles or enemies, with certain items worth double or even triple the points at certain points throughout the match. You can steal objects from other players, use items to impact their play, or start attacking their version of Oatchi if you so wish. They're chaos in the best way, and easily replayable. They do specifically highlight that there are still some issues with aiming Pikmin though, particularly when it comes to trying to fling Pikmin at objects on platforms or in any way elevated. 

Through all this, I've not even mentioned that you don't actually play as Olimar in Pikmin 4. Instead, you're attempting to rescue the usual, slightly clumsy hero as a custom character of your own creation. The customization options aren't extensive but play well to the whimsical puppet-esque character design that we've come to expect from the series. It does mean that you can choose your suit colors and accompanying ship theme, and this decision also opens Pikmin up to include upgrade options for your equipment and new tools to play with, from protection against fire or ice, to weapons like bombs or electric strikes to shock enemies. 

It all combines to create the most approachable Pikmin entry ever. It's not removing the challenge entirely though, as there are plenty of moments that force you to make quick decisions or make small Pikmin sacrifices in the name of the greater good – or greater Dandori. The later stages of Pikmin 4 are formidable if you're looking for 100% completion, and with my current play time now sitting at almost 50 hours, there's plenty here to see and do and so much fun to be had along the way.

Pikmin 4 was reviewed on the Switch OLED with a code provided by the publisher.