PIKMIN 4: SMALL HANDS, BIG TROOP
8.5 of 10 bananas. The friendliest and fullest Pikmin yet, with a rescue dog named Oatchi who changes everything. Gentle early hours, but a deep, charming garden adventure underneath.
By the Alpha. Switch game listing. Updated Oct 20 2026.
Honest note: This is not a fresh hands-on playtest. I built this verdict from launch reviews, critic consensus, update history, and what is known about the game today. If I put real hours in on stream, I will update the score and say so.
Platforms: The Amazon button is the US Nintendo Switch game card (Nintendo, released July 21 2023). At my Oct 20 check the offer came from a third-party seller, shipped by Amazon, at 54.79 dollars, so check the seller and price before you pay. No PC, PlayStation, or Xbox version.
Get Pikmin 4 for Switch on AmazonSit with me a moment. A silverback learns early that a troop is only as strong as its smallest member. Pikmin has been teaching that lesson for twenty years: a tiny captain, a hundred tiny helpers, and a backyard that looks like a jungle when you are an inch tall.
What It Wants To Be
Pikmin 4 puts you in the boots of a rookie in a rescue corps, sent to a strange planet that looks a lot like our world from ground level. You lead squads of Pikmin, plantlike creatures with different powers, to carry treasure, fight wildlife, and rescue lost explorers, including series hero Olimar. New this time are Ice Pikmin, Glow Pikmin for night missions, and Oatchi, a space dog you can ride, train, and send to work.
What Works
Oatchi is the best new idea the series has had. He carries your squad across water, sniffs out treasure, and grows into a real partner. The game is also far kinder than older entries: there is no hard day limit on the whole adventure, and a rewind button lets you undo a bad fight. The levels are packed with little household treasures that make you smile, Dandori Challenges reward tight planning, and Night Expeditions add a light tower defense twist. It won Best Sim and Strategy Game at The Game Awards 2023, and critics landed in the high eighties.
What Breaks
Listen well. The opening hours hold your hand for a long time, and veterans will itch to be let loose. Some caves drag on, and the camera can still lose a Pikmin or two behind the scenery. Two-player co-op is limited: the second player helps by throwing things, not by leading their own squad. And the physical card is often sold by third parties now, so the price moves.
Who Should Play
Play it if you like planning, collecting, and gentle puzzles, or if you want a game a kid and a parent can enjoy on the same couch. Skip it if you want fast action. This is a game about order, patience, and many little hands.
STRENGTHS
- Oatchi changes the whole series
- Kind, flexible difficulty
- Charming treasure hunting
- Lots to do after the credits
HONEST COSTS
- Slow, hand-holding opening
- Some caves drag
- Thin two-player co-op
- Third-party seller at my check
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