Pikmin 4 Hands-On Preview: Oatchi Takes Over
It's been nearly eight years since Shigeru Miyamoto announced development on Pikmin 4, and there were a few points where fans thought the game might have been quietly cancelled. Thankfully, an end is nearly in sight, as the game will finally release on Nintendo Switch on July 21st. The next series entry is promising some interesting new additions, including new Pikmin types, a competitive mode, and a dog-like creature named Oatchi. ComicBook.com recently had the opportunity to go hands-on with the game, where we got to experience several of these new additions. So far, these changes seem to offer a promising upgrade from Pikmin 3.
The majority of our preview took place in a location called Sun-Speckled Terrace. While Pikmin 4 offers players the opportunity to create their own explorer, Nintendo opted to skip this part of the game for our preview event; given how much time some gamers like to spend on customization, it made more sense to focus instead on the actual gameplay. As such, we were given a pre-made character to use. The story this time revolves around two separate crash landings: one involving Captain Olimar, and another involving the Rescue Team sent to save him. Your mission in the game is to save everyone, and find the Sparklium needed to repair the S.S. Shepherd.
At the point our preview began, our explorer had already begun searching out the stranded members of the Rescue Team. To help with this endeavor, players have a new Rescue Pup partner named Oatchi. Oatchi can sniff out members of the team, helping players decipher the best path to take. In Sun-Speckled Terrace, Oatchi and I found several new Pikmin to recruit, including the new ice-type variety. After exploring a bit, I was able to discover a new landing point for my ship, the S.S. Beagle. This represents a nice quality-of-life improvment from past games, as my Pikmin needed to travel less distance to bring Treasures and Raw Material back to the ship. After some exploration, Oatchi led us to a cave, where he sniffed out the Rescue Corps scientist, Russ. While previous Pikmin games have had cave locations, the ones in Pikmin 4 are different, featuring multiple levels to explore. Time also works differently when in caves now, allowing players to do more before nightfall than they could previously.
After rescuing Russ, the scientist revealed how different treasures found in the field could be converted into Sparklium, which is used to power the Rescue Corps' ship. The Raw Material we'd recovered could also be used to build equipment, including a suit that made my explorer as fire-proof as a Red Pikmin. Prior to setting out on a new mission, we discovered that Oatchi went through a growth spurt overnight, giving the pup more abilities to take advantage of. Notably, my explorer and Pikmin could now ride on Oatchi's back. Oatchi's Pup Drive had also been built up, allowing him to be trained by a Resue Team member known as Shepherd. Training translates to learning new and improved skills; for example, I had the option of making his Chomp, Buff, or Rush stronger. Instead, I opted for Heal Level 1, which allowed Oatchi's health bar to recover "as long as he takes it easy."
Oatchi seems to represent the biggest change from previous Pikmin games. The loyal doggo follows you around just as your Pikmin do, while offering unique abilities that must be used to complete your in-game tasks. I didn't know what to make of Oatchi before the preview session, but I quickly found myself attached to the Rescue Pup, and eager to see how much more he could learn and change over the course of the game. Some fans might be disappointed to learn that Oatchi can't be pet, but he can be given Scrummy Bones to replenish his energy, which are obtained after training. Since Oatchi has his own life bar separate from the explorer, players will have to keep an eye on this throughout the game.
While Pikmin 4 maintains the relaxing nature of the series, the game's new Dandori Battles offer something a little more intense. These battles task players with using Oatchi and their Pikmin to collect more items than their opponent before time runs out. Battles can be fast and frantic, and Oatchi's Charge can be used to stop Pikmin from carrying an item over to the team's respective Onion. A device called a Sneak Bomb can also quickly turn the tide of battle; the weapon is brought to the opponent's Onion, causing an explosion that sends collected items back on to the field where they become back up for grabs.
From what I had the chance to play, Pikmin 4 seems like a positive step forward for the series. At its core, the game still feels like Pikmin, with the same basic gameplay that's been around since the first game in the series. However, new additions like Oatchi and Dandori Battles feel like they'll make the game well-worth checking out for those that have been eagerly awaiting this new entry. It's also pretty exciting that there's a lot Nintendo did not feature in our session, including the aforementioned character creation system, as well as the game's new Night Expeditions. All of these additions feel like they could make Pikmin 4 a new high-point for the franchise. As I booted up Pikmin 3 on the flight back from the preview session, I already found myself missing Oatchi, at the very least.
Pikmin has never been a franchise on the scale of Mario or Zelda, but the Nintendo series maintains a passionate following that has allowed it to grow and thrive over the last two decades. It will be interesting to see if the game proves worth the wait, but fans won't have to wait long to try things out for themselves, as a demo for Pikmin 4 is set to release June 28th on the Nintendo Switch eShop.
Are you looking forward to Pikmin 4? Are you excited to try any of these new additions to the series? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!
Pikmin 4 was played during a hands-on preview event hosted by Nintendo with travel expenses paid for by the publisher.