'Pikmin 4' Release Date: Story, Gameplay, and More

Captain Olimar makes his return here, but not in a main playable protagonist role. This time around, he crash lands on a mysterious unnamed planet during his travels and ends up being stranded. As a member of the "Rescue Corps," you're sent out to that same planet to rescue him. But in the process, your organization and you end up crashing onto that very same planet and ending up in the same troublesome predicament. Now your central mission entails several goals - find & retrieve Olimar, rescue the rest of your group, and then find a way to bring everyone back to the Rescue Corps' headquarters.

Like past Pikmin games, you'll be venturing around a vast planet during a single day as you utilize various species of Pikmin to aid you during your adventure. Some of the Pikmin types you'll come across here include Red (which is fireproof and have 1.5 times the attack power of an average Pikmin), Blue (which is water-resistant and survive on both land & sea), and Yellow (which is lighter than your average Pikmin, can be thrown further & higher, and is immune to electricity). The brand new Pikmin types that'll pop up in Pikmin 4 are an Ice Pikmin (which can freeze enemies during combat sequences and also turn bodies of water solid) and a Glow Pikmin (which are capable of illuminating themselves at night to keep enemies away). Your loyal space dog Oatchi also comes in handy as it can smash obstacles and carry you & your Pikmin across rivers. Pikmin 4 will also provide multiplayer in the form of an optional two-player co-op mode.

It's worth noting that the first two Pikmin games have been digitally released (as of June 21, 2023) on the Switch with HD (high definition) visuals. You can digitally purchase either game individually or in a bundle. If you're looking to pick up the physical version of both games, a special bundle will become available on September 22, 2023.