Pikmin IV | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
Pikmin IV is an upcoming real-time strategy action video game developed by Studio Lillie (t∣b∣c) and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DSGo and Nintendo Switch in late 2022. It is the second portable game in the Pikmin series and the first main series title, continuing the story from the two previous games: Pikmin 2 and Pikmin 3.
The game features the return of Captain Olimar alongside a new captain, the Hocotatian Eli, the two of whom make one last voyage to PNF-404 despite it having been abandonded decades prior. It is the first game in the series to be semi-open world, with Metroidvania elements present in terms of open exploration and new abilities allowing new options across the map, as well as a change in the day system to allow gameplay during the night rather than being forced to return to orbit.
Alongside new gameplay elements, Pikmin IV features two completely new Pikmin species, the Clawed Pikmin and Bell Pikmin, as well as the return of every Pikmin species from previous games in the story mode. The game also contains a return of Mission Mode and Bingo Battle, with all of the stages from Pikmin 3 returning alongside dozens of new battle arenas and challenges based off of the completely new Story Mode content.
Gameplay[]
The gameplay in Pikmin IV is similar to past Pikmin games, mostly being inspired by Pikmin 3.
The day and night system from previous games has been completely changed; rather than being forced back to the ship at night time, there is now no time limit at all, and the player may choose to stay on the surface of PNF-404 constantly without ever returning to orbit. Doing so, however, has inherent risks, as many enemies are only active at night, burrowing out of the ground or coming out of hibernation, often putting Pikmin outside of direct sight at risk of being killed and making exploration harder. For this reason, it is often advantageous to return to the ship and go into orbit once the sun begins to set. Heading into orbit causes all Pikmin not in the safe zone or in the squad of a Captain to be eaten just like leaving the surface in previous games, but the player has unlimited time to round up their Pikmin beforehand so it is less punishing overall.
The other benefit of going into orbit is that the ship and Master Onion can be moved to a new location; unlike past titles, the entire game takes place on a single large map, bigger than all of the areas from previous titles combined. In order to more effectively perform tasks, the ship and Onion may be moved when returning to the surface or remotely to another discovered location; however, they can only be placed in designated areas, which are encountered spuriously across the landscape. Pikmin still return items they are bringing home to the current location of the ship and Onion, meaning that they might have to travel a long distance if they are not relocated appropriately.
Like in Pikmin 3, all of the varying Pikmin types are stored in the Master Onion, rather than separate Onions; however, rather than finding Onions that merge with the Master at the end of the day, Pikmin must instead carry back dormant Onions to be absorbed by the Master before they eject a single seed of the new type. This is because the player could conceivably never return to orbit and thus may never have the opportunity to merge Onions. The only exception to this are the odd occasions where a Pikmin type is received that does not have the appropriate Onion absorbed, most notably the White Pikmin and Purple Pikmin which at first are only acquired from Candypop Buds and do not receive an Onion outside of two extremely challenging secrets; in this case, Pikmin without Onions can still be put into the Master, but they will not grow any more of their type, instead counting for the Pikmin type with the lowest numbers.
Commands[]
In order to faciliate more complex actions, a new Command feature has been added; to use a complicated Command, simply hold down on the d-pad and then use the right stick to choose an action. These allow much desired commands such as ordering only the currently selected Pikmin type to charge, rather than the whole group, as well as ordering Pikmin to not return to the source of fragments such as bridge pieces of piles of gold nuggets.
Another big change comes in the forms of Bomb Rocks, which again have been changed; rather than being small enough for a single Pikmin, they must instead be held by three Pikmin at once. They have be ordered to Throw it using the new Command feature by selecting “Throw Bomb Rock”; the Pikmin will then move closer to a selected target and throw the Bomb Rock at it. A similar action can be done with Drop Bomb Rock, but it will not be activated. Additional functionality is present for fighting enemies; if Pikmin with Bomb Rocks are ordered to swarm a target, they will begin to move around its perimeter avoiding attacks until they are ordered to Throw; if the target is still selected, they will attempt to move directly in between the Captain and the target, allowing a Captain to maneuver such that the Pikmin are aiming for a specific section of the target.
Sprays[]
As in previous games, special sprays can be collected in one of two ways: either the current captain can find and consume "spray nectars," or berries from the Burgeoning Spiderwort can be collected by Pikmin and returned to the ship. Either of these two methods will add spray juice to the current total, and once that total reaches 100, another spray will be synthesized. Some berries are larger and give more juice, as do larger collections of nectar. Spray can only be synthesized once the appropriate Ship Part is collected, but nectar and berries can be collected before then.
Each spray has a unique effect, but there are two types: some sprays are sprayed backwards and affect all the Pikmin in the party as well as any Pikmin that are within the area of effect, while the other type is sprayed ahead of the captain and affect any enemies or objects touched by it. The effects of the sprays, as well as the ship part that allow them to be synthesized as well as the colour of the associated berry, are described below:
- Ultra Spicy Spray : All Pikmin in the current captain's squad as well as nearby Pikmin become empowered and their flowers start to glow red, tripling in attack power for the duration of the spray. Their AI also becomes more irratic, sometimes leading to dangerous behaviour, and their resistance to hazards decreases. Retrived from Ultra Spicy Nectar .
- Ultra Bitter Spray : Any enemies or bomb rocks in front of the current captain are petrified; in this state, their defense is increased, but they cannot move, and any Pikmin captured by them or in the process of being eaten may escape. Defeated petrified enemies have a chance of dropping a spray but do not leave behind a body. Retrived from Ultra Bitter Nectar .
- Ultra Dry Spray All Pikmin in the current captain's squad as well as nearby Pikmin become empowered and their flowers start to glow blue, being more resistant to damage in general as well as most hazards. Their attack power, however, decreases minorly, as does their ability to destroy obstacles. Retrived from Ultra Spicy Nectar .
- Ultra Sweet Spray : All Pikmin in the current captain's squad as well as nearby Pikmin become empowered and their flowers start to glow yellow, moving at 150% the speed that their type moves at when flowered, affecting both their normal speed, their carrying speed, and their speed when breaking down obstacles. Their damage output, however, is majorly decreased. Retrived from Ultra Dry Nectar .
- Ultra Sour Spray : The area directly in front of the current captain is coated green and is suddenly repulsive to most enemies for a significant amount of time, allowing Pikmin to move around without fear of damage. Pikmin that enter the area have a small chance of being going into panic due to the smell, however, unless they are immune. Retrived from Ultra Sour Nectar .
Pikmin maturity[]
As in previous games, Pikmin have various maturity levels indicated by the end of their stem, either having a leaf, bloom, bud, blossom, or flower; a higher maturity Pikmin will move faster, deal more damage, dig faster, have better intelligence, and be more likely to survive attacks. Some Pikmin types also gain additional attributes; for example, flowered White Pikmin cause enemies to chew longer while dealing more poison damage, further increasing their usefullness.
Ultra Spicy Spray will no longer increase the maturity stage of Pikmin, and completing electrode circuits now only increases maturity by one stage. Unlike previous titles, Pikmin will no longer increase in maturity level by staying in the ground; instead, Pikmin with higher levels are now more likely to be produced when the amount of that Pikmin type in the Onion reaches a sufficient level; this, combined with the new increased rarity of nectar, means that there is a higher incentive to grow Pikmin much past 100, whereas previous games had no such incentive unless Pikmin died.
The limits for producing higher levels are as follows:
- 0 - 50 Pikmin: they will always be leaves
- 50 - 100 Pikmin: small chance of a bloom
- 100 - 250 Pikmin: small chance of buds, and higher chance of a bloom
- 250 - 500 Pikmin: small chance of a blossom, and a higher chance of buds
- 500 - 750 Pikmin: small chance of flowers, and a higher chance of a blossom
- 750+ Pikmin: higher chance of producing flowers
Pikmin types[]
One of the two new Pikmin types is the Clawed Pikmin, a Pikmin coloured brown with two darker stripes across its stomach, although its more notable characteristic are the long, sharp claws it has at the ends of its two arms. These claws can be used to great effect by Clawed Pikmin in demolishing many obstacles, most notably those composed of dirt, sand, or other particles. It can thus take down Dirt Walls, uncover buried treasures, and defeat sandy enemies with greater efficiency. Additionally, it cling onto enemies more easily with its claws, and deals almost as much damage as a Red Pikmin. Lastly, it is immune to the new freezing hazard, being invulnerable to freezing and in fact being able to burst its fellow Pikmin out of ice blocks; it can also use its claws to dig into ice, therefore not slipping on icey surfaces.
The other new Pikmin type is the Bell Pikmin, which is covered almost completely by a bell flower-like growth, with only its arms and legs sticking out at key points. This serves to protect the Bell Pikmin from almost any hazards delivered from above, such as rain drops, lightning, and icicles; unfortunately, it is not immune to these hazards in other scenarios, such as when falling into bodies of water or being shocked by electrodes. It is also immune to explosions always, a product of its natural body rather than its protective flower. Its main ability is that it can absorb various objects such as bomb rocks and take in their properties for a short or long amount of time, depending on the object. A few of the objects include:
- Bomb Rocks: After eating a Bomb Rock, their skin begins to glow an ambient orange, and they walk slightly faster. If thrown they will stick in place to wherever they are thrown for a few seconds before releasing an explosion that only affects what they are sticking to, as the explosion is blocked otherwise by the flower. For example, if thrown at a Bulborb, they will stick to its body and explode soon after, only hurting it. This makes them incredibly effective as they are not weighed down by the Bomb Rocks and can easily damage enemies and obstacles without hurting nearby allies
- Amber: Their flower itself begins to glow and they speed up more than before. In this state, they are as fast as White Pikmin and as strong as Red Pikmin; however, using a Spray on them has no effect.
- Shockrock: Their flowers begin to crackle with electricity, and any enemies they latch onto are shocked, stunning them slightly. They are also completely immune to electricity in this form.
- Gasrock: Their flowers begin to glow purple as gas is emitted, seeping around them. Enemies in a certain radius are hurt slightly, but with enough at once it will do high amounts of ambient damage.
The seven main Pikmin types from Pikmin 3 also return, being the Red Pikmin , Yellow Pikmin , Blue Pikmin , Purple Pikmin , White Pikmin , Rock Pikmin , and Winged Pikmin , although Bulbmin do not return as in Pikmin 3.
Minor Changes[]
A number of small changes have been made to make gameplay more enjoyable, consistent, or interesting.
- Pikmin again have a random chance of spawning a seed after dying, similar to Pikmin 1, with a higher chance based on their maturity level; unlike in Pikmin 1, the seed is dropped as soon as they die, and the sprout will appear within a few minutes of being emitted
- Swarming returns from Pikmin 1 and Pikmin 2 after being omitted in the third game, although in most cases it is disadvantageous compared to Charging
- Winged Pikmin are no longer immune to most sources of crushing damage
Controls[]
Pikmin IV is designed to be played using either the Nintendo DSGo itself, the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, or a pair of two Joy-Cons. If the player is using the Nintendo Switch in handheld mode or is playing on the Nintendo DSGo they can use the touchscreen of the device to aim as well, much like the Pikmin 3 touchscreen update. If the two Joy-Cons are detached from one another, the right Joy-Con can be used to aim the cursor, albeit in a different way from previous titles; essentially, moving the controller offsets the cursor from its current position, rather than matching where the player is pointing. This provides more accurate control than the right stick but also has a chance to desync.
Nintendo DSGo style | ||
Pick-up/Throw Pikmin Punch |
||
Disband Pikmin/Charge at target | ||
Activate jetpack | ||
Switch active captain | ||
Lock-on to target | ||
Whistle Pikmin | ||
Hold and move to swarm | ||
If locked-on, places the cursor on the object. Hold to move the cursor without moving the captain | ||
Move captain/cursor | ||
Move camera | ||
Hold to choose which Spray is active Use chosen Spray | ||
Choose which Pikmin type is active | ||
Choose a Command to give to the squad | ||
Open the map | ||
Pause the game |
Two Joy-Con style | ||
Pick-up/Throw Pikmin Punch |
||
Disband Pikmin/Charge at target | ||
Activate jetpack | ||
Switch active captain | ||
Lock-on to target | ||
Whistle Pikmin | ||
Hold and move to swarm | ||
If locked-on, places the cursor on the object. Hold to move the cursor without moving the captain | ||
Move captain/cursor | ||
Move camera | ||
Hold to choose which Spray is active Use chosen Spray | ||
Choose which Pikmin type is active | ||
Choose a Command to give to the squad | ||
Open the map | ||
Pause the game |
Story Mode[]
Story Mode is the primary gameplay mode in Pikmin IV and entails Captain Olimar and Captain Eli exploring the planet of PNF-404 across various areas that, for the first time in Pikmin history, all form a singular continuous map. Their main goal is to make their way towards the center of the map, fighting enemies along the way; during their journey, they may collect Ship Upgrades to augment their abilities and treasures to convert into Pokos to unlock further upgrades, although that is optional.
Nintendo Direct summary[]
- "Planetary exploration has never been a challenge for esteemed astronaut Olimar, captain of the S.S. Dolphin and veteran of several successful missions to the faraway - but not so foreign - planet that the residents of planet Hocotate call PNF-404. But when something goes terribly wrong, Olimar and the new captain Eli crash land onto the surface of PNF-404 just like Olimar did so many years prior; and, just like then, they must rely on the help of little creatures called Pikmin to make their way back home."
Plot summary[]
Decades after the story of Pikmin 3, planet PNF-404 has been abandoned by both the Hocotatians and Koppaites. A young Hocotatian named Eli learns about the planet at a local museum and becames enamored with it, eventually joining the first crew to return to PNF-404 in over thirty years following the return of legendary captain Olimar to public life. With Eli manning the craft and Olimar providing veteran strategic support, the ship sets off to the abandoned planet, ready to find more treasure than ever before.
As the ship sets down for the first time on the surface, a strange blast of light hits it and blasts it into pieces, sending the smaller vessel containing Olimar away from the ship and leaving the remainder to fall towards the ground in pieces. Eli barely manages to maintain conciousness and lands safely in a pile of leaves, looking upwards to watch his only way home explode in the atmosphere. Picking himself up off the ground, Eli sets off towards where he saw Olimar fall, determined to survive.
Finding himself walled off on all sides, Eli begins to lose hope until he discovered a small spherical object on the ground. Grazing it with his suit, it begins to flow a faint red and fly upwards and then crash back down; with another try, it finally stays airborn for long enough to detach three long legs and release a single seed that plants itself into the ground. The seed sprouts a long stem with a leaf on the end and Eli plucks it to reveal a slender Red Pikmin that reacts gleefully to his presence. After some prompting, Eli calls the Pikmin to himself with his whistle and then orders it to take down a nearby Pellet Posy, bringing the Pellet back and releasing more seeds.
As Eli begins to realize how Pikmin work and what they can do, the sun sets overhead, but the small area they are in does not contain any harmful enemies, only a few Female Sheargrubs. Eventually Eli and his squadron of Pikmin grow enough in size to push over a large book, opening a way outside of their containment. Venturing outwards, Eli finds the small capsule containing Olimar and opens it, freeing the Hocotatian. At first, Olimar is seemingly infuriated to see the Pikmin as Eli tries to explain them, but he soon calms down and explains himself: he had used Pikmin so many years ago to explore PNF-404, but eventually realized that he was exploiting them and their world for profit. He hid all of the Onions so that no one else could use them, rendering the planet uninhabitable as the foreign people invading it could not take on the wildlife without the help of Pikmin.
Eli tries to get Olimar to explain why he would return, but he refuses; he only states that there might be hope at the top of the huge mountainous mound they are near, and suggests they head towards it or explore further in preparation. The player may either move directly to the final area and finish the story or search the surrounding area, finding a new Pikmin type the Clawed Pikmin
Onion nearby and shocking Olimar who did not know they existed; only with their help do Eli and Olimar find additional Ship Pieces and Minerals, before breaking into the next area. As they continue exploring they find new and old Pikmin types, with Olimar attempting to help explain what they are finding.
When they come across old buildings built by previous explorers, Olimar will sometimes lament about their hubris and their greed, even chastisizing Eli for using them. Eventually he reveals that during one of the huge excavation projects, more than a thousand Pikmin died in a terrible event, which was the catalyst for Olimar leaving the journey and hiding the Onions. He later expands on this, describing terrible machines that they found on the planet that would have disastrous consequences if they returned home with them. As he describes this, an earthquake rocks the scene, and a few Minerals seem to surface from nowhere.
Once they finally make their way to the mound they find a hole at the top and enter a long labyrinth filled with mechanical versions of enemies and metallic traps. Olimar grows sad upon seeing this, realizing that the machines they found have been discovered despite his attempts to hide them. They make their way down to the very bottom of the mound and discover a titan robot that accompanied by artificial versions of Pikmin that they must take out one by one. When they defeat the robot, a small Hocotatian falls out of the top; Olimar runs over to the Hocotation and hugs him, revealing that it is his son.
As he explains, his son grew angry that Olimar would hide such potential useful inventions and aspired to return, having learnt of the Pikmin from him. With that secret knowledge, he made his way back and discovered the secret of the Pikmin: they were seemingly genetically engineered by a higher force than they can comprehend, a mixture of plant and animal made to follow devices and being more powerful than any other force, even Hocotatians and Koppaites. Olimar knew this and sought to cover it up, thinking they might be brought home and used for terrible purposes; his son thought that they might be used to improve the life of everyone. In his search for them, however, he was overcome with power. Knowing his son had gone off to PNF-404, Olimar commissioned one more trip, bringing along only one other crew member to limit the chances of accidental discoveries.
The two of them bring the son along as they find the S.S. Dolphin, which the son had used to return to the planet years prior, and launch off with all of their acquired Minerals, hoping to finally leave PNF-404 behind.
Endings[]
If no Pikmin died during the course of the game, the three Hocotatians make up with one another and return, announcing that there is nothing left of note on PNF-404; no one from there visits the planet again for many, many centuries. If less than 5% of the sprouted Pikmin died, the son refuses to cooperate, stealing another ship and returning to PNF-404 later in his life, but few other Hocotatians make the trip, and Olimar decides to not chase after him again. If more than 5% of the total sprouted Pikmin died, they are unsuccessful in keeping the secret; Hocotate Freight and other space agencies set off towards PNF-404 and reopen it to galactic tourism, finding new technology that eventually leads to interstellar war.
Mission Mode[]
Mission Mode is an alternative gameplay mode for Pikmin IV based on Mission Mode from Pikmin 3 and Challenge Mode from Pikmin 2. There are three different types of missions, each with their own criteria for ranking, and each mission awards points based on how well these criteria are completed, such as giving points based on how many Pikmin are alive at the end of the mission. There are three missions for every area in the main game, with one for every type per area, and all three missions are unlocked as soon as the landing site in each area is unlocked at least once in Story Mode.
Unlike in the Pikmin 3 Mission Mode, missions do not end automatically when a Platinum Medal is earned; instead, players can choose to end the mission as soon as they wish, including as soon as it starts. By doing so they receive points for time remaining, although the amount of points is logarithmic; going from 6 seconds left to 5 seconds left is a much larger change in points than going from 60 seconds left to 59 seconds left. In some cases, players must make the choice between continuing to earn other sources of points like growing Pikmin in Collect Treasure or ending the mission earlier for the time points.
Any of the missions can be completed with an additional player controlling the second captain, either through split screen or by connecting another Nintendo Switch or Nintendo DSGo wirelessly. The 2.00 upgrade added online play for owners of the game with the Nintendo Online service.
Collect Treasure![]
In Collect Treasure missions, captains are tasked with collecting as many pieces of treasure as possible. This treasure includes both the minerals found in the game as well as a few Ship Parts in some missions, which unlock the same abilities as they do normally. Each mission has a list of upgrades that are always present, although the Low-Orbit Engine is never included, as well as what purchaseable upgrades are unlocked when a Ship Part is recovered. In all missions enemy carasses can be recovered and will count for Pokos , although in some cases, if a Master Onion is present, they will also lead to Pikmin seeds being created. Pellets will create Pikmin seeds while not counting for Pokos .
Points are awarded on the basis of collecting Pokos foremost, with additional points awarded for number of Pikmin grown, number of Pikmin present at the end of the day, Pikmin diversity ratios, and time remaining on the clock.
Defeat Enemies![]
In Defeat Enemies missions, the objective is to defeat as many enemies as possible and bring all of them back to the Master Onion to sprout new seeds, reminiscent of the Challenge Mode from Pikmin. A few missions contain Pellets that can be used to grow Pikmin freely, but most require many enemies to be defeated to reach the goal. The amount of Pikmin needed to acquire higher maturity levels has been changed from the main game, being lowered so that players receive flowers earlier within the bounds of the mission, and more importantly the rules have been changed so that the amount of total Pikmin in the Onion counts for maturity, not just the specific Pikmin type. This means that the last Pikmin retrieved on a Platinum Medal run, for example, are always flower Pikmin. Some missions have special enemies like the Shaggy Long Legs that do not drop bodies but give other bonuses, like additional points or Ultra Spicy Nectar .
Points are awarded on the basis of Pikmin grown foremost, with additional points awarded for Pikmin death count, Pikmin diversity ratios, special enemies defeated, and time remaining on the clock.
Race to Finish![]
In Race To Finish , the objective is to collect as many Tokens spread throughout the arena as possible before collecting the Goal Flag at the end of the mission area. Unlike other types of missions, players cannot choose to end the mission from the Ship at the landing site; instead, they must collect the Goal Flag, meaning they must move through the majority of the area of the mission first. Tokens are generally spread along the path from the beginning of the mission to the Goal Flag, although some may be in hard to reach places; some are found lying on the ground like Data Files, while others must be earned by defeating enemies holding them or breaking down barriers. No Pikmin can be grown or Pokos earned as the Ship and Master Onion are not present; enemy bodies will instantly vapourize once defeated, and there are no treasures present.
Points are awarded on the basis of Tokens foremost, with additional points awarded for Pikmin death count, enemies defeated, and time remaining on the clock.
Medals[]
Each stage can give one of five rankings; no medal, Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum. No medal means that the player did not perform well enough for even the bronze ranking.
Rank | Collect Treasure | Defeat Enemies | Race To Finish | Value |
---|---|---|---|---|
No Medal | --- | --- | --- | 0 |
Bronze | 200 | |||
Bronze | 500 | |||
Bronze | 1000 | |||
Bronze | 4000 |
Each type of mission has different criterion for their medals:
- Collect Treasure : Pokos earned
- Bronze: 25%
- Silver: 50%
- Gold: 75%
- Platinum: 100%
- Defeat Enemies : Pikmin grown
- Bronze: 100
- Silver: 150
- Gold: 175
- Platinum: 200
- Race To Finish : Tokens collected
- Bronze: 25%
- Silver: 50%
- Gold: 75%
- Platinum: 100%
Two-Player Versus[]
The two-player versus mode in Pikmin IV is similar to the Bingo Battle mode from Pikmin 3, pitting two players against once another to try and complete a randomly generated bingo card that appears on their screen. It can be played either in splitscreen mode or with two Nintendo Switch or Nintendo DSGo consoles connected wirelessly to one another. The 2.00 update added support for competitive player against two friends or two strangers that own the game and have a Nintendo Online service subscription.
The bingo cards are filled as the items on the card, either pieces of treasure or enemy bodies, are collected. If all of the instances of that item are collected, the item is made unobtainable, and its slot on the card is blacked out. Each player also has a Victory Marker near their base that can be grabed by Pikmin; if one player grabs the their opponent's Victory Marker and returns it all the way to their base, they will win automatically.
There are four main ways to win a game against an oponent:
- Scoring a bingo: If a row, column, or diagonal line is completed on the bingo card, that player wins
- Pikmin extinction: If one player loses all of their Pikmin, their opponent automatically wins
- Captain down: If both captains on one side loses all of their health, that player loses
- Stealing a Victory Marker: If a player steals their opponents Victory Marker, they win
Items[]
The Golden Grenade treasure will never appear on a bingo card but it is present commonly throughout the various two-player maps; retrieving it will unlock a random item that must be used before another can be unlocked. If a Pikmin is attempting to return a Golden Grenade while an item is waiting to be used, they will drop it underneath the Onion; once the item is used, they will pick it back up and bring it to the Onion, unlocking another item. The item that is unlocked can only be used once and is randomly selected from the following list:
Creatures[]
The world of Pikmin IV is filled with numerous creatures which provide the main challenge as well as main gameplay elements of the game. Defeating them requires skill, effective use and knowledge of Pikmin mechanics, and possibly luck, and it rewards players with an opportunity to grow more Pikmin much more effectively than with Pellets as well as the possibility of new treasures to collect. On the flip side, however, enemies that are not dealt with properly can kill entire squads of Pikmin, disturb Pikmin carrying back objects, and even lay waste to the current landing site; some may even rebuild obstacles or be a nuisance in other ways.
Each enemy has a unique appearance, behaviour, name, and scientific name; these scientific names, along with the familial description, give a connection with other enemies genetically and hint at its evolutionary history. Each creature also has a "weight," indicating how many Pikmin are needed to carry it; a "max," indicating how many Pikmin can hold onto it at once before more will refuse to carry it; and a "seeds" value, which shows how many seeds will be given when returned to the Master Onion in the type of the Pikmin that retrived it.
Ship Parts[]
Name | Information | Upgrades | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rocket Fist | Originally the Brute Knuckles, this upgrades increases the captain's ability to punch to deal damage, allowing them to perform two successive punch combos that deal much more damage and have a wider hitbox.
|
× 500 50%+ Damage × 750 More Range × 1400 Additional Attack | ||||
“We were able to integrate this large statue of a knuckle into our suits' defensive capabilities, giving us a much longer range with our melee attacks. It frankly seems a bit distasteful to destroy so much of the local fauna with our own bodies, at least compared to the Pikmin; after all, we are only leading them to do what they would do anyways, right? Certainly they are not invasive organisms....” | ||||||
Rush Boots | Originally the Repugnant Appendage, this upgrades increases the speed of captains and their squad of Pikmin by 40%. Because Pikmin's speeds are also increased, they will not fall behind due to the captain's heightened velocity.
|
× 500 10%+ Speed × 750 10%+ Pikmin Speed × 1000 Wind Resistance | ||||
“The Pikmin were not enthused with the smell of the treasure we used to craft this upgrade. Regardless, we brought it back to base and used it to augment our own, much smaller boots, allowing us to walk briskly like a sort of marathon runner despite our lack of... advanced physical training. It brings to mind images of whatever giants must have worn this shoe and how they must have looked, grazing across the planet with long, heavy steps.” | ||||||
Mega Speaker | Originally the Mega Tweeter, this upgrade allows captain's whistles to spread much quicker and to a radius more than 20% larger and higher than before, letting them call back Pikmin at a much more efficient rate.
|
× 400 +10% Growth Speed × 550 +10% Range × 2000 Plucks Pikmin | ||||
“The dreaded noise made by this contraption does not lay any softer now on my ears than it did when I was with Louie, but it at least allows us to call back the Pikmin at incredible rates. I often wonder if they do not always hear us regardless of where we sound off our whistles, and somehow have a greater knowledge of our intentions, only coming to our sides when we try to command it. Thus, what does this invention truly do?” | ||||||
Dodge Whistle | The Dodge Whistle allows captains to call for their entire squad to dodge directionally either straight left or right or, if targetting an enemy, around it in a circular fashion. This lets captains make quick dodges versus enemy attacks and move into areas they normally could not enter.
|
× 400 10%+ Dodge Speed × 550 10%+ Dodge Distance × 1200 Dodging Stuns Enemies | ||||
“I was worried we would have to somehow hold this from within our suits, but it was luckily integrated into our main whistle framework. Why do we have that, anyways? Do explorers usually find small creatures that respond only to whistle noises? The further I think, the most confused I get! At least we can now dodge to the left and right, bringing back the sense of young age where I was quite the athletic young Hocotatian.” | ||||||
Metal Suit Z | Originally the Justice Alloy, this upgrade increases the integrity of captain's suits, allowing them to withstand more damage from all sorts of enemy attacks.
|
× 450 10% Less Damage × 750 10% Less Damage × 1200 Less Stun Time | ||||
“This rather uncomfortable getup provides us acute protection from biological attacks such as biting, scratching, kicking, impaling, stabbing, flailing, bumping, too-enthusiastic-hugging, punching, thumping, squashing, crushing, scrubbing, stubbing, clubbing, etc..” | ||||||
Anti-Electrifier | Originally the Dream Material, this upgrades makes captains immune to electricity and electrified attacks. It is important as, during certain bouts of weather, bolts of lightning can come from the sky; at first, this only makes captains immune, but eventually it stops them for being hit at all, protecting nearby Pikmin.
|
× 400 10% Pikmin Electricity Protection × 550 Heal Health From Electricity × 1200 Don't Attract Lightning | ||||
“I was tired of being zapped by the odd contraptions around the planet, and would have nearly invented this myself if we hadn't stumbled upon it first. It protects us from various electric attacks, which are bizarrely common here on PNF-404. Perhaps when I return home I shall outfit my abode with an electrical defense system, and hope that I do not zap myself more often with it than any hypothetical home invaders.” | ||||||
Scorch Guard | Originally the Forged Courage, this upgrades increases captain's resistance to fire hazards and flame-based attacks, as well as hot areas. Although it is optional, many of the later areas have latent heat that can cause slow damage to captains that do not have this upgrade, making it very important. Later upgrades unlock its ability to protect Pikmin from this latent heat as well.
|
× 200 10% Pikmin Fire Protection × 300 Heal Health From Fire × 500 Immunity To Heat | ||||
“Luckily, this piece of equipment defends both the insides and outsides of our suits from exposure to high temperature. I believe that, with enough Sparklium, we could further upgrade our suits to withstand greater flames than can already be deflected by the Scorch Guard. We will have to experiment with that...” | ||||||
Radar | Originally the Whimsical Radar, this upgrade unlocks the Radar ability that has been present in every game. By opening up the map, the player can see every Pikmin on the map, as well as recently seen enemies, certain treasures and Ship Parts, and key areas. Markers can also be placed down on the map to denote important locations for later use.
|
× 500 More Treasure Hints × 550 Longer Enemy Shown Range × 1200 Unlocks "Go Here" | ||||
“One of the first upgrades we recovered from our crashed ship, and lucky that. Ever since my first adventure, radar technology has improved technology. Not only does it allow us to locate Pikmin and obstacles across the map, it even gives us hints to wherever treasures and other Ship Parts may lie! Lets just hope its more accurate than my GPS at home.” | ||||||
Low Orbit Engine | Also known as the Main Engine in Pikmin, this Ship Part unlocks the ability to enter low orbit with the Ship and Onions and thus relocated to another area. It is one of the most important upgrades in the game and can be unlocked almost immediately, although it is technically optional. It unlocks the "Return To Ship" option in the pause menu as well as the ability to enter orbit while at the ship, as well as the counter at the top right listing how many Pikmin are currently in danger of being lost when orbit is entered.
|
× 100 Move To New Position When Returning | ||||
“Ah, memories of recovering this important engine on my first excursion to PNF-404. Just like back then, we found this almost as soon as we landed, allowing us to reenter orbit and avoid the terrifying night of this planet. I shudder to think of the horrible things I made have encountered if I hadn't found the Main Engine so soon on that fateful day that I first encountered the Pikmin!” | ||||||
Lift-Off Gear | Although originally the Eternal Fuel Dynamo and used on the S.S. Dolphin, this ship part is now used to unlock the ability to use the jetpack while exploring by pressing . Any Pikmin are left on the ground and attempt to follow beneath the captain while they are using the jetpack.
|
× 400 10%+ Jetpack Speed × 550 10%+ Jetpack Height × 1700 Pikmin Latch Onto Jetpack | ||||
“Jetpacks have become an invaluable part of every explorer's kit, and so we brought alongside Lift-Off Gear for our trip to PNF-404. Unfortunately it was dislodged in our crash landing, but our swift recovery of it has enabled us to regain our ability to fly close to the ground. No longer am I jealous of the birds in the sky, taunting us with their beautiful wings and lack of groundedness.” | ||||||
Touchdown Protector | Originally the Nova Blaster, this upgrade enables the Ship to shoot at any enemies present in the nearby area when touching down from low-orbit, dealing large amounts of damage, possibly killing them, and leaving their body behind to be retrieved easily by Pikmin. It is most useful at night, where enemies are likely already present near the ship, as it will sizably reduce the amount of enemies that must be fought.
|
× 500 Additional Shots × 750 Additional Damage × 1300 Leaves Behind Bodies | ||||
“Light Raygun technology has seen stunning developments in the past years; prior to recent growths in the field, the concept of a massive spacegun was untenable. Still, that didn't stop lying salesmen from peddling spaceguns has the ship part of the future. Soon, you will need these to fend off space pirates from across the galaxy; the modern space trader will soon become the intergalactic bounty hunter! Needless to say, these guns didn't actually work. Luckily, ours does, and it will protect us as we touch down from dangerous creatures nearby.” | ||||||
Unending Protection | Originally the Guard Satellite, this upgrade is the counterpart to the Touchdown Protector, automatically shooting at enemies that approach the Ship and Master Onion regardless of the current time. This protects the current landing site from enemies and ensures that Pikmin cannot be attacked while idleing back at base.
|
× 500 Additional Shots Before Recharge × 750 Additional Damage × 1400 Greater Ship Safety Area | ||||
“I had a terrible dream last night... three Pikmin carrying a Pellet back to base, standing still under their Onion, when a Spotty Bulbear approaches... Eli and I far away, unable to stop the catastrophe. No! I must do something... well, now I have. I led the squad to recover the treasure allowing us to install the Unending Protection protocol, stopping any creature that dares enter our peaceful base.” |
Minerals[]
Name | Information | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Petrified Heart |
| ||||||||
“I am reminded of my family as I peer into the beautiful colour and refracted light of this small crystal; its heart shape like the love I hold for them, the colour like the burning passion for which I work to keep them safe... soon this last trip will be over and I can return to them one last time.” | |||||||||
Eternal Emerald Eye |
| ||||||||
“Routine sample analysis returns a 99% probability that the mineral found within the "eye" of this treasure is emerald, a gem that seems to form much more commonly on PNF-404 than on Hocotate. Current hypotheses show that the increased release of gas in hydrothermal vents near the more prevalent oceans of PNF-404 are the cause of this difference. As one without much of an eye for these precious gems, it doesn't make much difference to me.” | |||||||||
Regal Diamond |
| ||||||||
“Although the density of diamond seems to be quite similar between PNF-404 and our origin planet, they are nonetheless valuable as treasures and, despite all odds, seemingly rather common on the surface here. Just as everything else does, this oddity appears to point towards some sort of higher consiousness present around us that has the same vested interest in unearthing diamonds, perhaps motivated by their beautiful shine or rarity just as we are. How interesting that every sentient lifeform across the galaxy shares the same lingering for shiny objects.” | |||||||||
Azure Regal Diamond |
| ||||||||
“I've read studies that seem to suggest that the odd colouring on certain diamonds, such as this sample, come from higher concentrations of different elements; a blue diamond simply contains more boron that expected, giving it a slight tint. Given the higher value back on Hocotate for these miscoloured rarities, I have begun to wonder if we could artificially alter their colour through injection of boron...” | |||||||||
Ivory Regal Diamond |
| ||||||||
“There is a cruel irony everywhere here on this dreaded planet, and the Ivory Regal Diamond we have found only expounds on them. I have grown tired of treasure hunting and jaded by greed, but my one hope was to find a perfect red diamond to sneak home to my wife. It would justify this entire experience, just to see the look on her face... and yet, from everything we've found, there is no sign of it. Green, yellow, blue, but no red. It is as if the planet is mocking me...” | |||||||||
Verdant Regal Diamond |
| ||||||||
“Another example of the strange colouration arising during the natural formation of these diamonds: radiation causes electrons tbe trapped within the surface, reflecting green light more effectively and giving this treasure its distinctive tint. All of the factors, both geological and organic, that have arisen to allow us to come to this planet, explore it, and find such beauties are too grand to comprehend for a small Hocotatian such as I; perhaps I shall leave it for the philosophers to ponder.” | |||||||||
Tear Stone |
| ||||||||
“I saw a large raindrop fall onto a Pikmin's head yesterday, sending it into a panic. Rather than assist their companion, all of the Pikmin around it simply stood there, unbothered by its panic. Given the Pikmin's pack strategy proclivities, I wonder if there was not some cosmic meaning to it; perhaps, if one's life is taken by a tear drop from the heavens, they were destined to go? No, I doubt the Pikmin hold some deep and metaphorical sensibilities.” | |||||||||
Blood Stone |
| ||||||||
“The striking similarities between this stone and the "Tear Stone" identified by Captain Olimar led me to give this its otherwise peculiar title.” | |||||||||
Princess Pearl |
| ||||||||
“I only remember seeing one of these pearls on my original trip with Louie so long ago, failing to imbue me with any deep sense of appreciation like the other precious stones we found did. For me, it was just another treasure to grab, losing so many Pikmin lives in the process. Now that Eli and I have found so many strewn across the surface, I feel that my feelings then were justified.” | |||||||||
Crystal Clover |
| ||||||||
“We debated separating the brooch and the emerald within, hoping that the two would be more valuable apart than together, but Captain Olimar decided against it in the end. It makes me wonder if he wasn't painfully reminder of him and his old exploration partner being ripped apart over and over in their adventures...” | |||||||||
Essence of Rage |
| ||||||||
“Despite sales claims, this hardly serves to make me warmer, nor to make me any more angry. I have suggested we begin giving more serious and literal names to what we find; since then, Captain Olimar's names have only grown more sentimental.” | |||||||||
Essence of Despair |
| ||||||||
“After seeing this treasure up close, I am reminded of the gems I once held dear, the Sagittarius and Libra that my children gave to me before I left on my doomed vacation. To remember those times again... now, it feels like it was all worth it. But then? I was scared for my life. Would I ever get home to my family? Eventually I did, but eventually, adventure called it. It seems I never learned...” | |||||||||
Essence of True Love |
| ||||||||
“Reminiscent of some sort of rectangular cookie or butter biscuit. Please do not attempt to eat the treasure; you might lose your teeth, our most important mineral.” | |||||||||
Essence of Desire |
| ||||||||
“The sign of galactic dreams, interstellar ambitions, a neverending search for discoveries and treasure... a symbol of everything we ever have and ever will aspire to be or do. The Essence of Desire represents all of my expeditions and, above all, each and every one of my mistakes. But at least the amethyst within is rather pretty.” | |||||||||
Joyful Jewel |
| ||||||||
“I hesitated to collect this, remembering a time in the past where my companion and I wasted hours filled with pain just to bring back a similar looking but worthless plastic ring. Captain Eli, however, convinced me otherwise, and our hopeful quest rewarded us with this truly genuine beauty. In honour of this, I have named it after the original sham, albeit with a more... positive spin.” | |||||||||
Pink Companion |
| ||||||||
“Captain Olimar was adamant that we neglect to pick up this interesting piece of jewelry, convined that it would be made out of some sort of oil synthite. Of course, I convinced him to bring it back regardless, and it turned out to be made of perfectly real gold and ruby. I wish he was not so superstitious!” | |||||||||
Frosty Bauble |
| ||||||||
“These circular designs are so troublesome to return to the ship with; I struggle to watch the Pikmin try and huddle around, grabbing onto the thin air in the middle. It only makes me imagine what sort of giants would need such a behemoth ring, and where they would possibly wear it...” | |||||||||
Lustrous Element |
| ||||||||
“Contrary to previous opinions, this large object is merely made of gold, not a more interesting composition of elements as previously thought. Although this is disappointing to me, it seems that many would rather have a large plate of gold than an incredible scientific discovery.” | |||||||||
Mirrored Element |
| ||||||||
“Captain Eli is entertaining a hypothesis that this is supposed to be some sort of large coin, much like the Pokos back home, but I cannot fathom why someone would imprint such art on a coin that is meant to be traded over and over. Surely, at some point, the design would wear away? Or does it represent the eternal entropy of the world, the loss of creativity to the void of forever? Or maybe it makes people feel better about selling away their possessions for money? So many questions remain!” | |||||||||
Quartz King |
| ||||||||
“The Rock Pikmin we have found are very skilled are excavating treasures and other objects from within large hunks of crystal, but their shells did nothing against this item. Early analysis shows no differences between it and the other crystals on the surface of PNF-404, leaving yet another mystery. For now, we have recovered it for further study.” | |||||||||
Unknown Merit |
| ||||||||
“Possibly a wheel for some sort of large vehicle.” | |||||||||
Golden Sunseed |
| ||||||||
“I was ready to sink my teeth into what seemed a scumptious, fruity treat, before realizing it was coated in not-so-tasty gold. At any moment, any of my ambitions may be torn away from me yet again on this dreaded planet. Curse the gilding gods!” | |||||||||
Golden Grenade |
| ||||||||
“Its only explosive property is the alleged taste of the similar Cupid's Grenade that we have yet to encounter on our current trip. According to Captain Olimar, it was 'like a bomb on the taste buds.' I would prefer to use a more objective descriptor to describe this treasure, such as this: 'inedible.'” | |||||||||
Attitude Adjuster |
| ||||||||
“Despite appearances, the ratio of size between the diamond and the ring provokes no structural problems. If only we knew of the enngineering required to produce such a feat...” | |||||||||
Metal Bagel |
| ||||||||
“My clever naming of this sizable object does not betray the fact that I, really, know that nuts are. My ship is made completely with nuts! Of course I knew that they weren't found only on PNF-404! And I definitely am not only writing this after Captain Eli has enlightened me on some key facts...” | |||||||||
Metal Vine |
| ||||||||
“A large screw of little value.” | |||||||||
Conducting Bar |
| ||||||||
“In physics class on Hocotate, we would learn for hours about conducting bars being moved through magnetic forces. Never did I imagine that I would see such hypotheticals come to life the way I am now. I wonder if I can perform experiments on it while we have downtime?” | |||||||||
Immeasurable Ingot |
| ||||||||
“The Pikmin surprised us yet again by carrying these incredibly heavy ingots of what seem to be gold or some other valuable material. It is surely worth a great deal of Pokos, although I doubt the Pikmin care about that, if they could even fathom such a concept as currency. To them, is a Pellet not more valuable than a useless ingot?” | |||||||||
Reflective Carpet |
| ||||||||
“Staring into this stone makes me think of my first nights in space, learning to travel the cosmos as a young pilot. I had no idea the course my life would take, and how my traversing the galaxies would lead to such incredible discoveries. Now, my last expeditions have led me here, to see yet again that destined starry night...” | |||||||||
Heart of Darkness |
| ||||||||
“Captain Olimar claims that this stone resembles a heart shape, but I can barely see it. Frankly, I am embarassed to say what I believe it looks like most.” | |||||||||
Conducting Bar Lookalike |
| ||||||||
“I could have sworn this was yet another Conducting Bar when we returned it to the ship, but it claimed it was something else entirely. Apparently, its an interesting element: platinum. I am more of a biologist myself, but all of the different types of minerals we have seen so far have thoroughly interested me.” | |||||||||
Worthless Gem |
| ||||||||
“By all means, this gemstone is almost completely worthless, and the ship's appraiser application seems to agree. Its ugly tint, odd shape, and uninteresting physical make-up give no reason to value it any higher than a clod of dirt. Frankly, I am disappointed we even stopped to retrieve it.” | |||||||||
Incredible Device |
| ||||||||
“We believed this to, at first, be some sort of intricate ring, but its design is so complex and detailed that I refuse to ascribe it such a lowly purpose. It MUST be something greater - a cultural artifact inscribed with an ancient language, or a doomsday macine of sorts. I have ordered the ship to treat it with the greatest carefulness.” | |||||||||
Chaos Embodiment |
| ||||||||
“Sometimes, I find disorder in the universe to be empowering. Looking at this stone, I see all of the random forces that could have destroyed life so long ago, but instead seemed to create beauty. Why does life continue going on around PNF-404 while such dangers are always present; flame jets, poisonous gas, even electricity, all seem at odds with existence. Yet, the living push on.” | |||||||||
Obstacle Course |
| ||||||||
“A beautiful image came to my mind as we retrieved this - Pikmin hopping and skipping across its surface, like a game of parkour, avoiding the spikes coming out. Then I remembered the incredible tasks they accomplish every day and decided that they have had enough thrills for now.” | |||||||||
Nature's Architect |
| ||||||||
“The low heating point of bismuth causes it to cool slowly, meaning much larger crystals are created. As a result, it gains an oddly orderly structure, composed of many 'stairs.' Like in so many other ways, heat ends up being nature's architect.” | |||||||||
Deceitful Chip |
| ||||||||
“At first, this gem appeared how I remembered small slices of watermelon did, the delicious slices of fruit present on PNF-404. Much to my disatisfaction, biting down on this chip did not yield great results...” | |||||||||
Glittering Moss |
| ||||||||
“The living world often times mimicks the more inorganic one. Many plants, for examples, take on the shape of small rocks, perhaps to avoid detection by herbivorous predators. This specimen is a beautiful example of how minerals, in just the right shape, can resemble the plant life we take for granted. Another example is... uh... Okay, maybe that idea isn't as universal as I'd like to think...” | |||||||||
Rock of Horrors |
| ||||||||
“This mineral has disturbed me for quite a while now. Perhaps it is its odd contours or spiky protrusions, but something about it simply isn't right, isn't natural. Captain Eli has assured me that this can form, albeit much smaller, even on Hocotate, but... it just doesn't sit right with me.” | |||||||||
Doting Companion |
| ||||||||
“Whenever I stare into this gem I can't help but see an eye stare back at me, perhaps judging me for everything I'm doing, or maybe appreciating all the work I've put into it. You know you've been away from civilization too long when you start seeing things that aren't there!” | |||||||||
Azure Gem |
| ||||||||
“With every precious gem I see, each one seems less and less valuable. Now, what would have been a priceless treasure for me years ago is nothing but another gemstone to grab and store in the ship. I suppose its good to get rid of one of our many weaknesses, a seemingly senseless desire for shiny objects. Although I must say, this one is still a bit breathtaking...” | |||||||||
Tangerine Spearhead |
| ||||||||
“Named as such because it reminded me of a spearhead. This isn't empirical, but I do not presume it would be particularly effective, given the weakness some precious gems have.” |
Gallery[]
Thanks to Qyzxf (t∣b∣c) for the awesome pixel art for the two new Pikmin species, please go consider commissioning him!
Trivia[]
- Various easter eggs are present on the game's title screen, similar to past Pikmin titles
- The game can be hacked to enter Mission Mode without entering Story Mode, where the Fields of Return missions will not be unlocked; this is normally impossible, as the player cannot access the main menu and thus open Mission Mode without first completing the tutorial of Story Mode and automatically unlocking the landing site for the Fields of Return
- The total value of every treasure is × 25740, while the cost of every upgrade totals to × 25750. This means at least one Pikmin type must be maxed out at 999 in order for a carcass to be brought back to the Ship for × 10 or more, even if every treasure is collected.
- Every Ship Part has the same weight and carrying maximum as in the game it originated in, other than the three ship parts present in both Pikmin 2 and Pikmin 3 (the Scorch Guard, Anti-Electrifier, and Metal Suit Z) which use their Pikmin 3 carrying values
- Some names for the game's minerals are humorous or ironic
- The blue diamond and zircon are called the Azure Regal Diamond and Auzre Gem respectively, while the actual azurite is simply called the Chaos Embodiment
- The painite, one of the most valuable gems in the modern real world, is called the Worthless Gem
- The peridot is called the Doting Companion, referencing the "dot" in peridot
Pokémon New World (258,897) |