It’s been a long road, butPikmin 4has finally been shown. ThePikminseries has not been fully dormant sincePikmin 3, but after an initial 2015 tease by Shigeru Miyamoto, it was beginning to feel likePikmin 4was never coming out.Pikminwas stuck in the same boat asMetroidand a few other Nintendo franchises, with occasional re-releases and spin-offs being the only new content fans got.Pikmin 3 DeluxeandPikmin Bloomhinted that Nintendo was paying attention toPikminonce again, but it took the recentPikmin 4teaser to confirm it.
Years of painful waiting were cast off in an instant, and it’s not hard to see why.Pikminreceived its ownequivalent toMetroid Prime: Federation Forcein the 2017 spin-offHey! Pikmin, and it was received about the same way. Being a 2D puzzle-platformer,Hey! Pikminwas a radical departure from the series norm. Branching out isn’t bad, but with a realPikmin 4having been teased for two years by that point, fans weren’t happy. It didn’t help that the game itself was deemed average and easy. Even so, it isn’t a bad game, and there are some elements fromHey! PikminthatPikmin 4should consider using.
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Pikmin 4 Could Borrow Some Gameplay Elements From Hey! Pikmin
While the gameplay inHey! Pikmindid not turn many heads, it was a respectable adaptation ofPikmin. The controls were snappy, and the core concept of using the Pikmin to solve various puzzles was still present. AlthoughHey! Pikmin’s Olimar can only bring 20 Pikmin along with him, all Pikmin used in levels are procured within them. Everything Olimar faces is tuned to be solved with a specific group of Pikmin, made up of particular breeds. While this is normally the realm of challenge modes inPikmingames, this stricter format could add morevariety toPikmin 4’s puzzles. There could be a specific playable character that the action occasionally shifts to embarking on short, linear levels, while the main game takes place in the usual large environments.
There are also a few interesting moments inHey! Pikminwhere Olimar begins swimming, using a jetpack, or flying with the help of Winged Pikmin. These segments change up the gameplay, and needing to swim between different elevations with Blue Pikmin in tow could serve for some interesting challenges. The notion offorcing Blue Pikmin to complete a specific taskis not new to the series, but showing them swimming and not just breathing water would be new. Similarly, an entire section suspended in the air would make for an interesting set piece, and could adapt the shoot-’em-up qualities ofHey! Pikmin’s Troop Commander boss.
Hey! Pikmin Could Help Pikmin 4 Boost Its Presentation
One of the main compliments thatHey! Pikminfans mention is its charm, even in comparison to the otherPikmintitles. A sense of lightheartedness pervades most of the game, but there’s also some key presentation choices that enhance it. The best one may be how Pikmin are portrayed in the environmentwhen Olimar isn’t around. While regularPikmingames do show this a little,Hey! Pikminsees roaming bands of Pikmin interacting with or fleeing from other creatures. Any moment to show off the Pikmin’s antics is appreciated.
The final big detailPikmin 4should inherit fromHey! Pikminis subtle, but potentially game-changing. Much of thePikminfranchise takes place on a planet called PNF-404 that is all but stated to be an abandoned Earth. While its place in canon is debatable,Hey! Pikmintakes place on a completely different planet that still has evidence of human occupation. The whimsical visuals from the new planet are appreciated, but it also givesPikmin 4the chance to expand its horizonsand explore other worlds that may hint about humanity’s fate.Hey! Pikminhas opened up a surprisingly promising path for thePikminfranchise, and hopefullyPikmin 4starts to pursue them, even if it starts off small.
