Pikmin 4 is a 2023 real-time strategy video game developed by Nintendo EPD and Eighting, and published by Nintendo. It is the fourth main game in the Pikmin series, following Pikmin 3 (2013), and the fifth game overall. It was released on the Nintendo Switch on July 21, 2023.
The game is the first in the series to allow players to choose and customize their own playable character. It introduces two new types of Pikmin, called Ice Pikmin and Glow Pikmin, as well as a new feature called Night Expeditions, where players defend against waves of nighttime enemies. In the story, the player takes on the role of a new member of the Rescue Corps, a group that needs help after an attempt to save Captain Olimar failed. The events of Olimar’s crash are shown as a different version of the events from the first Pikmin game (2001). It is not yet clear where Pikmin 4 fits in the timeline of the other main series games.
Pikmin 4 received good reviews, with praise for its level design, visuals, music, lots of content, and being easy for new players to learn. Some critics noted that the game is too easy and has few multiplayer options. The game sold more than three million copies worldwide, becoming the best-selling game in the series.
Gameplay
The player controls a tiny character who leads groups of Pikmin to explore different areas, fight enemies, collect treasures, and solve puzzles. Pikmin can be told to carry items and fight enemies, and each type has special abilities and weaknesses. For example, Red Pikmin can’t be harmed by fire, Blue Pikmin can walk underwater, and Winged Pikmin can lift heavy objects and float over dangers. The player can switch between different Pikmin types to handle challenges and enemies. The camera shows a wide view of the area, with the perspective closer to the ground than in earlier games.
Pikmin 4 includes Pikmin types from earlier games and adds two new types: Ice Pikmin, which can’t be frozen and can freeze enemies and water; and Glow Pikmin, which work at night and are used during Night Expeditions. The player can also control a dog named Oatchi to help with exploration. Like Pikmin, Oatchi can carry items and attack enemies, but it can also break objects, find treasures, and move the player and Pikmin across the map and over water. In some areas, the player can directly control Oatchi to solve puzzles.
The game’s single-player mode adds new features. Players can change their character’s appearance, such as facial features and uniform colors, and access a hub base where they can upgrade equipment, improve Oatchi’s abilities, and complete activities. Treasures collected in different areas help gather a resource called Sparklium, which is needed to unlock more maps. Main missions include finding Captain Olimar, while side missions come from castaways brought to the hub base. A Practice Mode helps players learn how to defeat enemies.
During the day, the player can only use a limited number of Pikmin for exploration. At the start, the player can only use 20 Pikmin, but this number can increase by upgrading the Pikmin’s Onion with an item called Flarlic. When Flarlic is brought to the Onion, it adds 10 Pikmin to the limit, up to a maximum of 100. If the limit is already at 100, collecting Flarlic instead creates Nectar and Ultra-Spicy Nectar. Players can also return to previous landing sites to quickly deploy Pikmin and collect treasures. Caves, first introduced in Pikmin 2, return, but players can now change their Pikmin squad before entering. Unlike Pikmin 2, time moves slowly instead of pausing during cave exploration. Spoils from battles are still collectible but worth less Sparklium than treasures. A rewind feature lets players undo mistakes or try different strategies.
Some maps allow exploration at night, called Night Expeditions. In this mode, players can only use Glow Pikmin to collect resources and fight enemies that are attracted to the Glow Pikmin’s nest.
The main story can be played alone or with a second player in co-op mode. There is also a competitive multiplayer mode called Dandori Battle, inspired by the Japanese word for efficient planning. In Dandori Battles, players collect spoils and treasures in an arena before their opponent does. Both sides can use Pikmin and have their own Oatchi partner. Two players can work together against the computer or compete against each other.
A new side mode called "Olimar's Shipwreck Tale" is unlocked during the story. In this mode, players control Olimar before the main story, helping him collect 30 missing parts of the S.S. Dolphin. Compared to the main game, this mode uses only Red, Blue, and Yellow Pikmin, has a companion named Moss instead of Oatchi, shorter days, no caves or Dandori Challenges/Battles, and a time limit of 15 days before Olimar’s life-support fails. The map layouts are also different, with new enemy placements, hazards, and areas that are not accessible in the main game.
An update released on November 11, 2025, added multiple difficulty modes. "Relaxed" mode makes enemies not attack the player first, while "Fierce" limits Pikmin to 60 at once and increases enemy health, similar to Pikmin 3’s "Ultra-Spicy" difficulty. The update also introduced "Decor Pikmin," which are Pikmin wearing costumes found in the game. This was added to better connect with Pikmin Bloom, which also received an update around the same time. A "roll over" feature allows players to transfer gears, Oachi Pup Drive, Swallow ability, and Onions from another save file, and skip the first day and tutorials.
Plot
Captain Olimar travels to PNF-404, an Earth-like planet, aboard his ship, the SS Dolphin. An unexpected accident causes his ship to crash land, and he must recruit Pikmin to help find the ship's missing parts. While searching, Olimar forms a bond with a dog-like creature he names Moss. After finding the ship's missing radio inside the Hero's Hideaway, Olimar sends an SOS call and his voyage logs but disappears after continuing his search for the missing parts.
The Rescue Corps, a space rescue group, receives his emergency call and sends a team led by Captain Shepherd to find and rescue Olimar. However, the ship breaks down upon reaching the planet, forcing the crew to eject before it crash lands. The Rescue Corps assigns its newest recruit, the player character, to find the missing team members and complete the mission. Upon arriving, the recruit meets Shepherd's rescue pup, a dog-like creature named Oatchi, who becomes their companion. After rescuing Shepherd and the team's communication officer, Collin, the recruit learns the Rescue Corps' ship has run out of power. With help from Pikmin near the crash site, the recruit finds objects containing a resource called Sparklium, which can fuel the ship.
The recruit, along with the Pikmin and Oatchi, explores the area to locate the other Rescue Corps members. During the search, they discover that treasure hunters and explorers who followed Olimar's signal also became stranded. Shepherd instructs the recruit to rescue these castaways while completing their mission.
During further exploration, the Rescue Corps encounters a mysterious figure with Moss. The figure, called a "leafling," has an unknown condition that causes them to grow hair and leaves on their head and allows them to breathe oxygen, which is usually toxic on the planet. The leafling infected several castaways through the Onions. After rescuing the Rescue Corps' chief medic, Yonny, he works to create a cure. Meanwhile, the Rescue Corps finds the repaired SS Dolphin, which crashed after taking off. They realize the mysterious figure is Olimar, who became infected during a failed escape attempt and was taken to an Onion by the Pikmin. Using Yonny's cure, the recruit treats the infected individuals and defeats Olimar in a Dandori battle, restoring him to normal.
After completing their mission, the Rescue Corps tries to leave PNF-404, but Shepherd notices Oatchi has an illness with leaf-like growths on his tail, preventing departure. Yonny's cure does not help Oatchi, so Olimar suggests returning to the planet's surface, where he reveals Moss has the same condition. Moss became infected after sneaking into Olimar's cargo hold during his failed escape. On the surface, the Rescue Corps searches for ingredients to make a new cure and looks for more castaways, including the veterinarian Nelle from Koppai.
During exploration, the Rescue Corps finds a giant dog, the Ancient Sirehound, which is similar to Oatchi and Moss. Yonny believes the dog may provide a key ingredient for the cure. While searching for the dog, the recruit finds it hiding in a cave where Olimar's partner, Louie, had been hiding after arriving to search for food. After defeating Louie and the dog, the recruit retrieves Louie and DNA from the dog's collar, which completes the cure for Oatchi. Olimar learns Moss cannot be cured and decides to leave her behind with the Pikmin. The Rescue Corps agrees and departs with the others, while Olimar leaves with the Dolphin. Moss continues exploring with the Pikmin, followed by the now-tamed Ancient Sirehound.
Development
In September 2015, Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Pikmin, told Eurogamer that Pikmin 4 was being made and was almost finished. In July 2016, Miyamoto said during an E3 interview with Game Rant that the game was still in development but had a lower priority. In June 2017, Miyamoto assured Eurogamer that the game was still being worked on. For many years after, the game was not officially released and was often thought of as not being made. It was finally announced officially on September 13, 2022.
Pikmin 4 was created using Unreal Engine 4, a powerful game development tool. This was the first time Nintendo EPD used this tool for a game they developed themselves, though the game was also worked on together with Eighting. Key members of the team included Yuji Kando, a longtime Pikmin developer who directed Pikmin 3 and returned as the chief director and programming director. Yutaka Hiramuki was responsible for game design and writing, similar to his role in Pikmin 3. Takashi Tezuka, who has been the mainline series producer since Pikmin 2, returned in the same role. Shigeru Miyamoto also returned as the general producer, as he did for Pikmin 3.
Throughout the series, two main types of gameplay have been used. One style includes shorter, more focused challenges that require managing resources and doing multiple tasks within a time limit, as seen in Pikmin (2001) and Pikmin 3. The other style features longer experiences where players collect treasures in dangerous underground caves, focusing more on managing resources without time limits, as in Pikmin 2. For Pikmin 4, the team aimed to combine both styles into one game. They also wanted to make the game more accessible to a wider audience. To add new features, the team included elements like Oatchi. These changes led to a longer development process, with many discussions among the staff.
Release
Pikmin 4 was announced by Shigeru Miyamoto during a Nintendo Direct on September 13, 2022. A teaser trailer showed a short look at the game's environment but did not include details about gameplay or the story. Nintendo shared that the Pikmin T-shirt Miyamoto wore during the announcement would be sold at the Nintendo New York store and on Nintendo's website. During a Nintendo Direct on February 8, 2023, Pikmin 4 was revealed to release on July 21, 2023. A demo version of the game was made available on June 29, 2023.
Less than two weeks before Pikmin 4's release, fans in New York City purchased 15-second slots on billboards in Times Square to promote the game. Some of the content shared by the Pikmin community included a video of Olimar dancing, a picture of a Bulbmin, and other images related to Pikmin 4.
On June 27, 2023, less than a month before Pikmin 4's release, members of the Pikmin community on Reddit created a fictional character named Fiddlebert. This character was described as a small green version of Captain Olimar who spoke Lithuanian and was said to be a "rushed" second player character in the original Pikmin game. Fans claimed Fiddlebert had appeared in early versions of Pikmin but was removed because Nintendo reportedly disliked the character's personality. This idea was similar to rumors about other fictional characters.
The joke about Fiddlebert included false ways to "unlock" the character in the original Pikmin game for the GameCube, such as using a second controller and finishing the game in six in-game days. Other claims humorously stated that Fiddlebert had appeared in other games on platforms like the Nintendo 3DS, which were said to have sold few copies. The character was also linked to phrases like "Fiddle me this, Olimar" and "Fiddlesticks!"
Reception
Pikmin 4 received "generally favorable" reviews, according to Metacritic, a website that collects reviews. It has a score of 87 out of 100 based on 122 reviews. Another review site, OpenCritic, reported that 96% of critics recommended the game.
PJ O'Reilly of Nintendo Life praised the game's level design, graphics, and performance on both handheld and docked modes. Andrew Webster of The Verge appreciated the nighttime activities and puzzles in Pikmin 4, noting, "These focused challenges offer a different pace than the usual relaxed gameplay, even though I don’t fully understand their story purpose."
Kyle Orland of Ars Technica liked the game’s relaxed style but pointed out the lack of navigation tools, which made multitasking difficult. He wrote, "The most missing feature is a mini-map. Without it, I often had to check the pause menu to locate and manage groups of Pikmin in complex environments." Emily Price of Polygon said the game made the world feel exciting, making ordinary items seem "wonderous."
In Japan, Pikmin 4 had the strongest launch week of the series, selling 401,853 physical copies. This number is higher than the combined first-week sales of the previous three games in the franchise. As of March 31, 2024, Pikmin 4 has sold 3.48 million copies worldwide, with 1.87 million sold in Japan and 1.61 million sold in other regions.