The Pikmin series has always been a fan favorite, but despite receiving excellent reviews for all three mainline games, sales have never been particularly high. As a result, Pikmin 4 has always hung in the balance as Nintendo considers whether to continue the series.
Shigeru Miyamoto, the series creator, was quoted in 2015 as saying Pikmin 4 was “very close to completion,” leading fans to believe a new game was on the way. It’s possible that Miyamoto was referring to Hey! Pikmin, is a launch title for the New Nintendo 2DS XL that debuted in 2017. When asked about the development of Pikmin 4 two years later, Miyamoto responded, “I’ve been told not to share anything about this from PR, but I can tell you it is progressing.”
We haven’t heard anything about a Pikmin 4 release date since 2017, but there is a glimmer of hope for fans. In 2020, Pikmin 3 Deluxe, an improved port of the Wii U version, was released on the Nintendo Switch. Given the game’s moderate success, this could be a deciding factor in Nintendo’s decision to create a fourth game in the series.
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RELEASE DATE SPECULATION FOR PIKMIN 4
There’s no telling when Nintendo will release Pikmin 4, but the publisher has kept fans guessing by announcing games unexpectedly. If we look at the release patterns of each of the games, we might be able to guess when the next Pikmin game will be released.
Pikmin was released as a GameCube launch title in 2001. Three years later, Nintendo released Pikmin 2, which was well-received by critics and sold slightly more than one million copies. The series’ next mainline game would not be released until 2013, nine years after Pikmin 2. Despite being released on Nintendo’s worst-selling console, Pikmin 3 sold over one million copies.
Except any re-releases and the 2DS standalone sequel, we should see another Pikmin game in the coming years. Interestingly, Pikmin 3 was supposed to be the Wii U’s launch title, but it was delayed. If the rumors of a Nintendo Switch Pro are true, Nintendo may be saving Pikmin 4 for the new console’s release.
DOES PIKMIN 3 DELUXE SELL ENOUGH?
Fans have speculated whether Pikmin 3 Deluxe’s success will determine the fate of Pikmin 4. If this turns out to be the case, it appears that things are going downhill. Pikmin 3 Deluxe’s physical sales in the United Kingdom are down 18.5 percent from the Wii U version’s first week of sales. This isn’t the whole picture, as digital sales now account for a much higher percentage of total sales than when Pikmin 3 was released in 2013.
Nintendo refuses to share digital sales figures, so we won’t know how much better the game sold on the eShop. The Pikmin series has only sold five million units overall, so Nintendo isn’t expecting Pikmin 3 Deluxe to top the charts in the United Kingdom. Having said that, given the Nintendo Switch’s install base, most people would have expected Pikmin 3 Deluxe to sell more than the Wii U version.
WERE THERE ANY PIKMIN 4 LEAKS?
And that’s all we know about Pikmin 4. If you liked this guide, you should read our Pikmin 3 Deluxe review. Jon Mundy rated the game an eight out of ten. “Pikmin 3 Deluxe is another thorough re-release with a welcome multiplayer component,” Mundy says. “It’s a shame Nintendo didn’t give it the sheen it deserved.”
Pikmin 4 Storyline
Arriving and Departing
Following the events of Pikmin 3, Olimar, Alph, and company all return to their respective planets. Hocotate Freight is finally debt-free, allowing Olimar to return home and see his family. He spends the next year with them, convinced that his days of exploration are finally over. After a lot of therapy, Louie recovered from the previous events and became one of Hocotate Freight’s best employees.
Alph returns as a hero, and with the help of Britanny and Charlie, they grow all kinds of new food on their planet, saving their people. They all spend the next year happily enjoying their new, fearless lives.
One year has passed. Olimar’s children are a few years away from attending college, and he and his wife are worried about the cost. Olimar discovers that sending both of his children to college will cost more than repaying his company’s debt! He does, however, devise a plan to return to the Pikmin Planet, where he recalls there are riches to be found. He sneaks into Hocotate Freight in the middle of the night, boards a familiar-looking ship, and returns to the planet.
Alph is summoned to the planet for research purposes. Now that their people are safe, the leaders of the space exploration program want to know what the planet PNF-404 is all about. Alph volunteers to return and is given a ship loaded with supplies for research and exploration.
Arrival
Olimar lands in the densely forested area known as the Shady Woods. Olimar encounters some Red Pikmin and their onion shortly after landing, and remarks on how they appear to be everywhere. Olimar agrees to let the Pikmin accompany him. Olimar is attacked by a Hundlegs and taken to its den after a brief exploration of the area.
Alph happens to land not far from where Olimar landed. Alph stumbles upon an enormous tree and lands near the bottom of an outcrop. He names the tree the Guiding Tree because it guided him to a landing spot and is so large that it can be seen from a long distance and can be used to tell where one is. Alph starts exploring the tree and comes across an onion and a new species of Pikmin. They are green and can absorb spores. Alph recruits them, and they assist him in repelling some monsters. The Pikmin follow Alph off the surface for the night, and the next day Alph lands in the Shady Woods.
Alph discovers some of Olimar’s Pikmin, who directs him to the Hundlegs hole where Olimar was taken. Olimar thanks Alph after fending off the creature with the help of the newly discovered green Pikmin, and the two decide to work together to achieve each other’s goals faster.
The story isn’t set from here on because the rest of the game can be played in a non-linear order. Players can explore wherever they want at their own pace after joining forces with Olimar and Alph. There are, however, story events in each area.
Multiplayer
While there is no multiplayer mode in this game, the Story Mode can be played entirely in two-player mode, with one player playing as Alph and the other as Olimar. The players can only have up to 50 Pikmin (though the Pikmin ratio can be adjusted via the options, for example, P1 has 70-P2 has 30, 90 Pikmin-10 Pikmin, or a “free” option where Pikmin will follow whoever calls them while they are idle), and they must stay in the same environment, but it still allows for easy multitasking. At any time, players can switch between one and two players.
Extreme Mode
After completing the first game, players can progress to Hard Mode. It’s essentially the same game, but with the roles of Olimar and Louie reversed. A new location has been added, as well as an additional dungeon. Enemies have also been toughened, their locations have been slightly shifted, and many have gained new abilities. Not only that but some new enemies appear only in Hard Mode. Wheather becomes more violent and unpredictable, and there are no longer any prizes for completing dungeons, so Captain upgrades are no longer available. The layouts of the dungeons vary greatly, but the themes remain consistent, and the number of Floors and Treasure remains constant. To compensate for all of these more difficult tasks, Bulbmin, a versatile but rare Pikmin type, is exclusive to this mode, making the task easier.
DLC Pikmin 4 includes downloadable content in the form of a Challenge Mode, which contains specific, often difficult missions, a brand new dungeon, and a new Pikmin Type. All downloadable content is available as a $9.99 bundle.
Controls There are a total of five different control schemes in Pikmin 4: Beneath the Surface. (Many thanks to the Pikmin Wiki for this information.) In two-player mode, players can choose between split-screen play or having one player on the TV and the other using the Gamepad.
Wii U Gamepad and TV
With this control scheme, the player can use the gamepad as a controller while viewing the game on the TV. This control scheme allows the player to play the game like the original Gamecube port of the first game. The Gamepad’s screen will display the HUD.
Gamecube Controller/Wii U Pro Controlle
Controlling the game will be more “traditional” with the Wii U Pro Controller. It will function similarly to the Gamepad + TV scheme, except that the HUD will be displayed on the TV. It will function in the same way as the GameCube controller from the GCN versions of Pikmin and Pikmin 2. The adapter allows you to use the GameCube controller directly.
Nintendo Wii Remote Plus+Nunchuk+Gamepad
The Wii Remote Plus and Nunchuck are used for motion controls, while the HUD and overhead map are displayed on the Gamepad’s screen. The gamepad acts as a monitor in this scheme, which the player can configure and use to better accommodate themselves with the game’s areas.
Wii Remote Plus with Nunchuck
The Wii Remote Plus and Nunchuck are used for the game’s primary controls. The Wii U Gamepad will always show a full overhead map as well as a HUD, resulting in a less cluttered screen. The cursor can be targeted specifically at the weak points of the enemy by using the precise movements of the Wii Remote Plus.
Nintendo Wii U Gamepad
The game can also be played completely off-screen with the Wii U GamePad. The game can be played in a more mobile, wireless format with this control scheme. The left analog stick is used to walk, while the right is used to move the cursor, making the gameplay similarly to the original Gamecube ports of the first two games.
Captain Olimar
Captain Olimar returns from previous games to play one of Pikmin 4’s two protagonists. He has returned to the planet for financial reasons, not to pay off his company’s debts, but to establish a college fund for his children. Shortly after landing, he is attacked and abducted by a large Centipede monster. Fortunately, Alph finds Olimar soon after landing and saves him. Olimar, remembering Alph from his previous journey, invites him to join him on his quest for riches. Olimar eventually becomes involved in preventing Hocotate Freight from destroying the planet, and he even fights the President for the sake of the planet’s safety. In Hard Mode, Olimar was named Project SUPPLY’s leader, and he leaves notes for Louie to find.
Captain Alph returns as the second of two protagonists from Pikmin 3. Alph has returned to the planet to conduct research to learn more about the enigmatic Pikmin planet. He meets Olimar soon after landing and, after saving him from a large monster, tags along with him in the hope that he will lead Alph to the evidence he requires. He, too, becomes entangled in Hocotate Freight’s plot to deplete the Pikmin Planet’s natural resources. He stays by Olimar’s side the entire time, assisting him in overcoming the tragedy of his company’s dark turn.
Captain Louie was appointed head of the SUPPLY and TITAN projects by the President after recovering from his last trip to the Pikmin Planet, and oversaw them personally, relaying orders to the planet and the group. However, after the appearance of the Spore Spawn and learning the true nature of Project TITAN, Louie began to doubt the President’s intentions. Louie persuaded the President to pursue Olimar after he stole a ship and arrived on the Pikmin Planet. He intended to arrive on the planet and find a way to assist Olimar in stopping what was happening to Hocotate Freight and did so by scattering messages for him to find all over the world that gradually unfolded the events of 8 months ago. He has since vanished… In Hard Mode, Louie and Olimar swap roles, making him playable.
Since Pikmin 2, the President of Hocotate Freight has changed. Power and money have corrupted him into a corrupt leader. He wishes to establish a monopoly for his company and dominate the business world on Hocotate. He starts the SUPPLY and TITAN projects and delegates authority to Louie. He sets out to personally drain the planet of its valuables and resources after arriving on the planet. He even confronts his former employee, Olimar, and uses one of his TITAN mechs to destroy him.
Pikmin 4 Trailer
Some FAQs about Pikmin 4
Is a Pikmin 4 on the way?
Pikmin 4 Release Date:
Both the sport and the new machine mannequin, as well as bundled sets, will be released on October 8, 2022. Important reading: This year’s Locke and Key Season 2 premieres on October 22nd!
Is Pikmin 4 a cancelled game?
Nonetheless, because Nintendo hasn’t publicly cancelled Pikmin 4, we can only assume that the game is still in development for the Switch. If that’s the case, Pikmin 4 could thrive in the Switch’s final years.
Pikmin 3 has how many endings?
There are four possible endings.
The game has four possible endings, and which one you see depends on how much fruit you collect.
