Pikmin 4 is the fourth game in Nintendo’s long-running strategy series, but it might as well be the first. That’s because the Switch sequel reinvents a 22-plus year old formula of the franchise, turning it into a more relaxed exploration adventure with more emphasis on puzzles.
That makes it the perfect starting point for those who never grew up with the series on GameCube (although the three predecessors to Pikmin 4 are already available on Nintendo Switch).
If you’re completely new to Pikmin, however, you’ll have to learn the basics of the quirky strategy game. And if you’re already a veteran, you’ll have to get used to some of the new gameplay-altering features. Follow our tips.
Choose the right Pikmin
Pikmin 4 has more types of creatures than ever before, and each has its own strength. Red Pikmin can withstand fire with no problem, while purple Pikmin can withstand 10 times their weight.
A big part of the core loop is learning what the function of each creature is and choosing the right squad for the job. However, you don’t have to guess.
Every time you land in an area or a dungeon, the game will suggest a piece of equipment. At first, you should take heed, as that recommendation gives you clues as to what kind of obstacles are in the area.
Naturally, you can choose to ignore it if you want, and there are good reasons to do so. Purple Pikmin can help you move more treasure at once, winged pink Pikmin can speed up resource collection, and ice Pikmin can freeze enemies to make combat easier.
Nectar is life
Every now and then, you’ll find a drop of nectar lying around. These orange liquids are incredibly important, as they can power up your Pikmin.
If you move the Pikmin on top of one, they will automatically slurp up the puddle until it disappears. That will turn the leaf on their head into a flower, which is not just a nice aesthetic change.
This will power up your Pikmin and make them more resistant in battles. Instead of dying when hit, they will return to their leaf form. It’s basically a 1-up for each squadmate.
Whenever you find one, be sure to boost as many Pikmin as you can to save yourself some deaths in the long run.
Learn how to disband your squadron
Once you’re running around with 100 tiny creatures, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Pikmin 4 tries to simplify the experience as much as possible by allowing players to have only three types of Pikmin at a time, but it can still be tricky to direct traffic effectively.
If you want to make your life a lot easier, you’ll have to get used to two key functions. Disband All will put all the Pikmin following you into an idle state, dividing them into types.
This will allow you to only catch the blue Pikmin if you need to cross the water safely. More useful, however, is the Disband function, which renders all Pikmin inactive except the type that is currently highlighted in the Pikmin selection interface at the bottom right of the screen.
This will make it much easier for you to choose the right Pikmin for each task and avoid accidental deaths.
Shortcuts
Speaking of functions, there are a lot of them in Pikmin 4. You’ll gain a lot of tools and abilities that you normally have to select from a menu.
It’s a bit cumbersome, but there’s an easy way to quickly access your favorites. Press the minus button on the left Joy-con and select Shortcut Settings. Here you can set up quick actions for three D-pad buttons and one that is activated by pressing the left joystick.
You can choose whatever you want, but we recommend that you set up at least one of these Disband functions, as well as the Switch action, which allows you to control Oatchi independently. Other useful functions that deserve a shortcut are the Recon Drone, the Gather Oatchi Pikmin command and the Go to Base tool.
Don’t be afraid to rewind
Does the thought of accidentally killing a bunch of Pikmin keep you awake at night? Don’t stress too much. Pikmin 4 makes it much easier than ever to reverse crashes without losing too much progress.
Press the minus button and you will see a Rewind option that will rewind time. This is especially useful in dungeons, as using it will only take you back to the beginning of the floor you are on and not to the beginning.
If you get into a tough underground boss fight and end up losing too many Pikmin, don’t be afraid to try again to minimize casualties once you’ve found the winning strategy.
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