Give it a quick watch before you play the new entry
While the late summer/early fall of 2023 has some pretty killer releases lined up; when it comes to near-future releases, I’m arguably most excited for Pikmin 4. It looks like Nintendo is shaking up the formula quite a bit, and a new brief video tutorial showcases just how that’s going to play out in the main fourth entry.
Said video tutorial covers the following game mechanics:
- Gathering up your Pikmin (which is still done through an area-of-effect whistle)
- Ordering Pikmin to build (chucking them at stuff)
- Fighting enemies with Pikmin (chucking them at enemies)
- What different types of Pikmin do, as well as the Oatchi
The latter bit is arguably the most important! It reminds everyone that the red Pikmin type is “strong and resistant to fire,” blue Pikmin can breathe underwater, yellow Pikmin can conduct electricity [and can be thrown farther], and so on. Rock, ice, and winged Pikmin are also briefly shown off at the tail-end, with no details. But we know that rock-type Pikmin can deal crucial damage in combat (and can break certain walls), ice Pikmin can freeze enemies and bodies of water, and winged Pikmin can fly/carry objects places some Pikmin can’t reach.
Of course, the Nintendo would be remiss to not mention the new Oatchi (dog) mechanic, which is briefly shown at the end. This is arguably the biggest mixup the series has offered to date, and the demo alone offers a ton of strategic possibilities for the concept. You can put this video training to good use when Pikmin 4 launches on July 21, 2023 on Switch.
