It’s A Perfect Time To Revisit Nintendo's Most Underrated Strategy Game
No Switch 2 update though.
In the final years of the original Switch, Pikmin 4 represented one of the console’s best games. It took the winning formula of the strategy series and made unbridled fun its number one priority. If, for some reason, you missed it the first time around (and considering how busy 2023 was, no one would blame you), Nintendo is providing the perfect reason to go back and catch up on this modern classic.
In November, Pikmin 4 will get a free title update that adds a host of new features to the game, which lets players enjoy its brand of small-scale exploration in a whole new way. Among them are a new photo mode, new Pikmin to collect, and some new modes of play for cozy players and master Pikmin leaders alike.
The new Field camera can be accessed at any time during gameplay, letting players snap the perfect shots. In the last few years, photo modes have become standard in video games, so it’s nice to see Nintendo retroactively include this beloved feature. The field camera has all of the features you’d expect, including the ability to hide specific characters and add stickers and frames to personalize these creations.
Nintendo teased that the new camera mode could also be used to spot the newly added Decor Pikmin hidden around the game’s levels. These specially dressed creatures, first seen in the mobile game Pikmin Bloom, work like collector’s variants of the basic ranks. The few shown in the trailer were seen wearing ladybug costumes, donuts, and ice cream scoops on their heads. Decor Pikmin are integrated into the main game and can be placed in your group once found. They can also be imported to Niantic’s augmented reality game, Pikmin Bloom.
The most compelling reason to replay Pikmin, however, is the two new difficulty modes. First is the Relaxed difficulty. Selecting Relaxed provided a more mellow experience where enemies won’t attack players unless provoked. When they are attacked, they can be defeated in fewer hits, allowing players to stroll through the game’s environments and take in the sights.
On the other end of the spectrum is the Fierce difficulty, perfect for those who want an extra challenge. Here, enemies are more aggressive and devastating.
Disappointingly, the upcoming title update won’t include a Switch 2 upgrade. The game does still look great two years after release, but it would have been a nice added bonus for those who’ve upgraded to Nintendo’s new console. Still, these additions make it worth loading the game back up. If you haven’t tried Pikmin 4 yet, a free demo is releasing at the same time as this update.
The Pikmin 4 update comes just a couple of weeks after Nintendo Pictures released a short film called Close To You starring the adorably diminutive creatures. The short was originally released with the invisible Pikmin fumbling about, before their presence was revealed in a second version of the short. As noted by Nintendo earlier this year, Pimin are canonically invisible to humans, explaining the befuddling original version of the film.
