Gaming in Pikmin. Reviews, Walkthroughs, News

Nintendo Switch Game Vouchers vanished from the eShop in 2019, but they’ve since made a triumphant return. Though they won’t be perfect for everyone, these vouchers are ideal for folks interested in playing multiple Switch games throughout the year and looking to save a few bucks on their purchase. After buying a voucher, you’ll be able to browse an ever-growing selection of digital Switch games — including Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Tears of the Kingdom — and snag them at a discount.

I caught up with Pikmin 4 over the holidays — Nintendo had a good 2023, didn’t it? — and it’s been a joy to slip back into the unique rhythms of this oddball strategy series. But it took me a minute to get comfortable with them.

A decade ago, I wrote a story for the USgamer calling Pikmin 3 "the greatest war game I've ever played."

It used to be that the adventures of Captain Olimar and the Pikmin were incredibly niche. The franchise first came out on the Nintendo Gamecube, and while the first two entries on the system made a mark, it had hardly the same impact as games with Mario, Link, or even Samus Aran and Donkey Kong. That’s why when Shigeru Miyamoto and the Pikmin 4 team came together to finally finish the 4th entry, they put everything they could think of into it so everyone would feel a draw to the game. Fast forward to now, and its success has gotten lots of attention from fans and Nintendo.

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Nintendo has revealed Pikmin 4 has sold 2.61 million copies, meaning it's outsold every title in the series.

The Switch continues to inch closer to becoming Nintendo's best-selling hardware ever, as it has now surpassed 132 million units sold. It did so thanks to great software sales for new first-party games released this year like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Pikmin 4. 

Nintendo Switch has sold 132.46 million units worldwide as of September 30, 2023, Nintendo announced in its latest earnings release.

Despite 2023 likely being the last full year before the Nintendo Switch is replaced, there's a strong argument to be made that the console is having its best year yet. Tears of the Kingdom and Super Mario Bros. Wonder will go down as two of the biggest games in series that have both been around for more than 35 years, and that really is just the tip of the iceberg. There's also more to come from Nintendo before the end of 2023, including a double pack that includes copies of Mario Wonder and Pikmin 4.

Nintendo has revealed its financials for the six months ending September 30th, 2023, with updated sales numbers for the Nintendo Switch. While sales for Super Mario Bros. Wonder, which launched on October 20th, are unknown, Pikmin 4 is confirmed to have sold 2.61 million units.

Pikmin 4 is now the best-selling game in the Pikmin series.

This is the best price yet for this delightful pair of remastered strategy games.

New sales data from Japanese publication Famitsu has revealed that Pikmin 4 has maintained its position as the best-selling game in Japan for September. According to Famitsu, the game has sold 111,636 copies throughout September, bringing the game’s total sales figures up to 864,229 copies.

Pikmin 4 was the best-selling game in Japan in September, for the third month running.

In video game development, there is almost always an “overlord” person in the dev cycle that most other developers try to “please” with their hard work and the quality of the title itself. After all, if the company’s higher-ups are happy with a dev team and their games’ success, they’ll get asked to do more things in the future. For the Pikmin 4 team, that “overlord” was none other than Shigeru Miyamoto, who is widely credited with the creation of the franchise, even though it’s a little more complicated than that. However, despite his star power, the team wasn’t “afraid” of him or seeking his approval.

A decade after Pikmin 3, the franchise finally received a follow-up this year in the form of Pikmin 4. Serving as a soft reboot for the series, Pikmin 4 brings back the franchise’s classic gameplay with a few new twists, such as the inclusion of Oatchi the pup.

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Pikmin 4 had been consistently topping weekly Japanese physical software sales charts since its launch in July, before being dethroned last week courtesy of Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon’s impressive debut. This week, however, the Switch title has once again retaken the top spot, as per data released by Famitsu, with over 34,000 units sold.

Pikmin 4 is far from a difficult game. There's no time limit you need to worry about, most resources can be perpetually collected, and the game is extremely forgiving about your ever-growing Pikmin death toll.

A new AR game from Nintendo and just dropped without warning, and you can try it out for yourself right now, no download required. Pikmin Finder features the beloved little plant aliens from the series and brings them right to your house, office, or wherever you’re playing.

By Wes Davis, a weekend editor who covers the latest in tech and entertainment. He has written news, reviews, and more as a tech journalist since 2020.

Nintendo surprised everyone this week by releasing an augmented reality Pikmin game for mobile devices.

Nintendo has teamed up with Niantic for a new Pikmin mobile game that's mostly good for passing time than serious gaming. It's called Pikmin Finder, and as Nintendo Life notes, the companies have released it in time for the Nintendo Live event in Seattle. You can access the augmented reality game from any browser on your mobile, whether it's an iPhone or an Android device. We've tried it on several browsers, including Chrome and Opera, and we can verify that it works, as long as you allow it to access your camera. 

Developer Niantic has teamed up with Nintendo to release a new browser-based AR game based on the Pikmin franchise. Titled Pikmin Finder, the game revolves around players making use of their device’s camera to find nearby Pikmin in their surroundings.

Nintendo and Niantic have released a simple browser-based AR game called Pikmin Finder.

Nintendo has launched Pikmin Finder, a charming but simple mobile browser-based AR game.

The Pikmin franchise is easily one of the more “curious” entries in the Nintendo library. The series was brought to life thanks partly to legend Shigeru Miyamoto and had two entries on the Nintendo Gamecube. It was so popular in certain circles that its main character, Captain Olimar, was put into Super Smash Bros. It eventually got a third game on the Wii U. Heck, it even got a smaller game on the Nintendo 3DS! But despite that, the franchise has never been what you would call a “blockbuster success.” That is, not until the fourth game came out on the Switch.

It was all the way back in 2015 that Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto revealed that Pikmin 4 was not only in development, but close to completion, but it wasn’t until a couple of months ago that the game actually came out. Of course, Pikmin 4 turned out to be well worth in the end, and has clearly had a successful start where both critical reception and sales are concerned- but is the wait to the next mainline game in the series going to be similarly long?

When I first saw the “dog” mechanic in Pikmin 4, I was skeptical that it would even work. After playing Pikmin 4, I want the dog modded into every game before it. Yes, that dog, adorably named “Oatchi,” is arguably the start of the game. Not only does it look cute: it also heavily factors into the storyline of the fourth main iteration, and it’s one of the most useful game mechanics I’ve experienced in a long while.

How far have you ever gone to show your love of a video game? Many have gone to great lengths to show their passion for gaming titles over the years. Some love to purchase the “Collector’s Editions” of AAA titles to say they have the “premiere goodies” outside of the game. For artists, they love to draw fanart and show off their favorite characters, moments, etc. Nintendo fans are known for buying lots of merch from their favorite franchises, but one Pikmin 4 fan decided to go on a treasure hunt. One that directly reflects the “treasures” you get in the game.

When playing through Pikmin 4, I generally didn’t want to stop. The joy of treasure hunting, discovering new areas, and taking breaks to hang out at the home base (or go on Castle Defense-esque night missions) was too enticing: and now its existence has spawned a real-life treasure hunter.

I stood at the doorway looking at the giant worm-like Empress Bulblax.  It had birthed a whole litter of bulblax larvae and didn’t look like she was planning to stop any time soon.  I sent all 100 Pikmin I had into battle. They easily took down the larvae, but now it was time to go after Momma.  The Pikmin attacked, and for a moment, her HP was going down fast.  I can win this! The thing about Empress Bulblax, though is that her worm-like body makes her very capable of rolling.  She rolled right over my Pikmin and nearly 100 little Pikmin ghosts rose from the corpses of my now deceased companions.  I had to retry that fight almost 10 times before we won. Pikmin 4 is full of charm but doesn’t pull any punches on the action.  

Upon its launch a couple of weeks ago, Pikmin 4 dominated the weekly Japan physical sales charts with over 400,000 units sold at retail, and followed that up with over 115,000 units sold in its second week. As per the newest data released by Famitsu, it has topped those charts yet again, making it three weeks in a row for the strategy title, selling over 78,000 units during the week (with lifetime physical sales in Japan climbing to nearly 600,000 units).

Pikmin 4 has topped the Japanese physical game charts for the third week running.

Pikmin 4 saw a stellar debut in Japan upon its launch last week with over 400,000 physical copies sold, and it has continued to enjoy strong sales in its second week. As per the latest weekly hardware and physical software sales charts released by Famitsu, Nintendo’s strategy title topped software charts for a second week running, with over 115,000 physical copies sold in Japan in its second week (taking its total physical sales in the region to over 517,000 units).

For us, Bosses are the highlight of Pikmin 4. They offer just enough challenge to test our combat skills, whilst also being large and imposing setpieces. They are visually outstanding, and every boss has to be tackled in a different way if you want to make it out on top. 

Pikmin 4 adds a whole bunch of new features and modes to an already content-rich series and game. Dandori Battles allow players to go head-to-head against the AI and other players in epic scraps. You will need to complete several of these over the course of the campaign, but you can also access them from your home base and the main menu.

Pikmin 4 has you exploring a gorgeous series of zones that stretch across a mysterious – yet familiar – planet. It’s a joy to get out and about and discover every treasure – defeat every enemy. Pottering around the surface is just the beginning though, and if you want to make the most of your time, you are going to have to delve into the deep.

Pikmin 4 has catapulted itself into the hearts of newcomers and long-time veterans alike. Despite taking 10 years to materialise, the general consensus is that it was well worth the wait. There is something undeniably moreish about running around gathering bits-and-bobs using teeny-tiny carrot people.

On its surface, Pikmin is a cute strategy game about growing little plant people and gathering treasure. Delve deeper into its lore, however, and you'll find fans debating the series' apparent commentary on human extinction, and all sorts of timey-wimey shenanigans going on to make its many story elements match up.

Nintendo has released a new accolades trailer, this time for Pikmin 4. Its long-awaited sequel in the Pikmin series was recently released for Nintendo Switch and garnered exceptional praise from critics. Check out some of it below.

Pikmin always seemed like one of those Nintendo franchises destined to be little more than a historical curiosity, consigned to the same dusty IP warehouse where the company has stuffed the likes of other beloved cult classics like Earthbound and Golden Sun. Yet despite regularly disappointing sales, Pikmin keeps getting second chances. As a fan since the launch of the original game 22 years ago, I couldn't be happier about that fact, and with Pikmin 4 the series has finally gotten the sequel it truly deserves.

It may be hard to picture it, but it’s already been a week since the release of Pikmin 4. Yeah, where does the time go? We honestly don’t know, but the truth is that the game has been in the works for a long time, so it’s a relief to finally see it out in the wild. Despite the game being the fourth in a series, many people are hoping that this would be the game to “breakthrough” the wall that has been labeling it a “niche franchise” for some time and open it up to all manner of players.

After a decade-long hiatus, we finally have a new mainline Pikmin mainline entry in our hands. The adorable plant creatures are back, and this time they are joined by Oatchi the lovable rescue pup. Though the series has struggled a bit in the past, Pikmin 4 has made quite a splash since its launch, managing to reach the top of the Japan sales charts.

Pikmin 4 has introduced a small hub world for players to explore, gather Pikmin, take on Side Quests and even power up. Not only that, but you can also go shopping once you rescue Russ – something that happens very early on. Once unlocked, you should head over to Russ regularly for a small shopping spree. 

Pikmin 4 has quite an impressive bestiary. It is full to the brim with interesting enemies, bosses, and hurdles to overcome. What makes it even better is how each enemy has to be tackled in a slightly different way if you want to be successful. Bum rushing isn’t always the course of action, and sometimes, it doesn’t work at all.

Pikmin 4 has launched with a strong start in Japan, with sales of 401k boxed copies over its first week on sale.

The UK's bestselling physical games usually don't move much beyond the usual suspects, but this year's steady stream of big new releases has seen it jump around a fair bit. The latest chart is a good example, which sees another Nintendo exclusive debut at number one with Pikmin 4, while EA has made an impact with The Sims 4: Horse Ranch in third place. It's rare to see a PC game in the physical games charts, so it seems this is a much sought after expansion.

Pikmin 4, as is the case with the entire series, is deeply rooted in nature. You spend most of your time exploring the wilds of the world, fighting all manner of nature-based enemies and avoiding all-natural traps. It’s one of the reasons the games are so warm and cosy, and it’s a vibe we absolutely want to continue.

Pikmin 4‘s first week sales in Japan were more than those of the first three Pikmin games combined.

Pikmin 4 isn’t short of enemies who shoot projectiles. These are often some of the most dangerous foes you can face – especially when they are assailing you from positions unknown. To add a bit of challenge, the game also gives some bosses projectile-based attacks, and these fights can end disastrously if you aren’t careful.

Pikmin 4 has enjoyed a bumper debut in Japan. The long-awaited real-time strategy sequel released for the Nintendo Switch last week, and with three days on the market, topped the latest weekly charts for physical sales in Japan, as per data released by Famitsu. It’s also the biggest ever launch for a Pikmin game in Japan to date, exceeding what Pikmin 3 Deluxe managed upon its release for the Switch in 2020 (over 171,000 physical units sold upon release).

With a whopping nine varieties of Pikmin that can be found and used in Pikmin 4, there is almost always a Pikmin for the job. The further you get into the game, however, the more niche they become. None are quite as niche as the Winged Pikmin, however. Even after landing 100% in the base game, you only encounter these pink wonders once.

Pikmin 4 introduced arguably the most powerful variety of Pikmin – the Glow Pikmin. These green ghosts make every other Pikmin seem pointless because they do just about everything, and they do it very well. The catch with these little critters is that you can only use them at night during Night Expeditions. 

We now have a huge rumor about the last man standing of the toys-to-life product line.

Kingdom Of The Beasts is one of the more difficult Caves to venture through in Pikmin 4. It is far larger than most up until this point, and it has multiple bosses guarding its highly sought-after treasure. Halfway through you fought the dreaded Empress Bulblax, but here, at the end, you face the true leader of the Bulborbs.

Pikmin might not be the most well-known series produced by Nintendo, but that doesn’t stop its charming array of characters from reaching cult super-stardom. Of course, the Pikmin themselves are front and centre, but following close behind are the adorable Bulborbs. Pikmin 4 continues this trend of Bulborb love, which should come to the surprise of no one.

Pikmin 4 is littered with subterranean caves that house all manner of monsters and treasures. Venturing into the depths of the earth is always dangerous, but early on, the dark doesn’t put up that much of a fight. Things change very quickly once you dare delve into the Engulfed Castle, however.

When Pikmin first graced our consoles back in 2001 we only had access to three types of Pikmin, Red, Blue, and Yellow. With each new game, more Pikmin varieties were added, and Pikmin 4 is no exception to that rule. In fact, Pikmin 4 brings back just about every type of Pikmin the series has had so far. That includes our personal favourite, the chunky Purple Pikmin. 

As reported earlier, Pikmin 4 topped Gfk’s UK physical sales charts on its debut. The sequel has sold 45 percent more than Pikmin 3: Deluxe (per GamesIndustry), but perhaps more interesting is the other new debut: The Sims 4 Horse Ranch.

Pikmin 4 has taken the top spot in the weekly UK physical charts.

Pikmin 4 launched for the Nintendo Switch last week, and though Pikmin hasn’t necessarily been a historically big seller for Nintendo, it has, nonetheless, kept its dedicated fanbase waiting for its next mainline entry for quite some time. That, it seems, has resulted in a solid debut for the game where UK retail is concerned.

Pikmin 4 adds a lot of new twists to the long-running series, with perhaps the biggest (and cutest) one being Oatchi, your new canine buddy. Oatchi isn’t just there for companionship though – properly upgraded, he can be as useful as a full squad of Pikmin. Oatchi’s various abilities can be upgraded by spending “Pup Drive” points gained by rescuing castaways as well as curing “Leaflings” by completing a nighttime mission and making a dose of medicine from the Glow Sap you collect. But what should you spend your Pup Drive points on? They’re relatively hard to come by and you can’t revert your choices once you’ve made them, after all. So, here are the Oatchi abilities to focus on first…

There’s no other series quite like Pikmin. The series' unique combination of strategy, time management, and exploration can be tough to get your head around, and Pikmin 4 in particular gives players lots to think about. Spawning lots of Pikmin is key to success, which means you’ll want to collect all the “Onions” in the game. Once you’ve collected one of these veggie-shaped pods, you’ll be able to sprout all the Pikmin of the associated color your want by feeding it pellets and enemy corpses.

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When you’re not out collecting treasures and finding new Pikmin, you can participate in Dandori Battles which have you racing against an opponent to gather the most items. You can play them solo or with a friend. The battles are more challenging than they may initially seem, and it’ll take a fair deal of strategizing to come out on top.

Pikmin 4 has just been released on Nintendo Switch, but as it has been for most Nintendo Switch releases of the past few months, it is already possible to enjoy a superior experience on PC thanks to a mod and the Yuzu Nintendo Switch emulator.

Whilst many bosses in Pikmin 4 appear deep underground – nestled safely within the many Sublevels that make up the world – some can be found on the surface. These enemies are just waiting to ambush you once your guard is down, and this makes them rather dangerous. 

Pikmin 4 has you doing a lot of things over the course of its runtime. Maybe you need to conduct research on Pikmin biology or gather treasure to repair your ship. Your primary goal, however, is to find and rescue any Castaways that have found themself in a bit of mischief after crash landing on the planet.

Pikmin 4 is filled to the brim with enemies to fight, defeat, and ultimately, harvest. Every enemy felled can be converted into nutrients, and those nutrients are used to make more Pikmin. It’s a vicious cycle and one that is most certainly in your favour once you start to minimise your casualties. 

Pikmin 4 is finally here after a gruelling 10-year wait. It brings all kinds of new and interesting concepts to the series and nails just about everything. This is the gold standard for the series, which is mighty fine praise considering the quality of each entry. Despite all the new gubbins to mess around with, it can be easy to forget the old. 

We all love a good doggo in our games, and whilst Oatchi from Pikmin 4 might be an alien biped, he still manages to be the best boy. The sheer number of things this guy can do is staggering, and the more you play, the more you unlock. There’s one thing Oatchi might struggle early on with, however.

With gorgeous graphics,great level design,good balancing of Pikmin types, excellent soundtrack and variety,Pikmin 4 has become my favoriteWith gorgeous graphics,great level design,good balancing of Pikmin types, excellent soundtrack and variety,Pikmin 4 has become my favorite Pikmin game by far , pop in are an expected issue but with such beautiful backgrounds and objects I don't really carePikmin 4 takes the series to a whole new level! They brought back all the good stuff from old games and made them better! Easily the best gamePikmin 4 takes the series to a whole new level! They brought back all the good stuff from old games and made them better! Easily the best game in the series and one of the best games available on Switch!This game takes the Pikmin series to a whole new level, bringing back all the great concepts from the previous games, invigorating the rest ofThis game takes the Pikmin series to a whole new level, bringing back all the great concepts from the previous games, invigorating the rest of the concepts from the old games with flavor, and reinventing the Pikmin wheel a lot. The visuals are outstanding, and they put this game on a pedestal for what the Switch, despite its dated hardware, is capable of.

Oatchi is the cutest – and best – addition to Pikmin 4, and that simply isn’t up for debate. Our two-legged alien pooch does a lot of work for us during our expedition, but with a bit of training, Oatchi can transcend from invaluable, to god-like. Oatchi is the glue that holds everything together, so treat him right.

Pikmin 4 is a sometimes-relaxing, sometimes-stressful adventure that tasks you with exploring a strangely familiar world with teeny-tiny carrot people. As a genre, Pikmin falls well within the RTS. This is rather unusual as that specific genre rarely works on consoles due to controller limitations.

As someone who loved Terry Pratchett’s Bromeliad Trilogy growing up, I’ve been thoroughly enjoying the return to the Earth-like planet PNF-404 in Pikmin 4. Who knows what has befallen this planet in the Pikmin-verse, but it’s quirkily enjoyable to have our general detritus as collectable treasures for the diminutive Pikmin and Hocotatians. Pikmin 4‘s pretty great, by the way.

My Nintendo is cycling through icons yet again, and this time, it’s Pikmin 4‘s time to shine. Well, the whole Pikmin series really, because while Oatchi (the adorable dog and mascot of the game) and a few Pikmin 4-exclusive art pieces are on full display, several also represent Pikmin in a general sense dating all the way back to the start of the franchise many moons ago.

There is a terrifying, morbid curiosity that envelopes someone when they discover Pikmin gummy candies exist.

Pikmin has come a long way since its inception on the Gamecube back in 2001. Back then we had a fairly sparse selection of rainbow carrot people to run around with – locked at a measly three. Roll on Pikmin 4 and we are sitting at a whopping nine varieties. This boils down to seven returning species and two new kinds on the block. 

Pikmin 4 is finally here, and we couldn’t be happier. Pikmin has always existed as this niche Nintendo IP that flies under the radar, yet consistently delivers top-notch experiences. From Gamecube to Switch, Pikmin has never ceased to put a smile on our face, and a knife in our back.