Pikmin 4 is finally here, and we couldn’t be happier. Pikmin has always existed as this niche Nintendo IP that flies under the radar, yet consistently delivers top-notch experiences. From Gamecube to Switch, Pikmin has never ceased to put a smile on our face, and a knife in our back.
That last bit is of course due to the soul-crushing pain that’s caused whenever one of your Pikmin dies. Your failures will forever haunt you, and their death screams will never end. But that’s ok because unlike us, you can prepare for the worst and keep your little dudes alive and kicking thanks to this guide.
More Pikmin 4 content:
Every Pikmin Type | Shortcuts | Oatchi Upgrades
Ride Oatchi As Much As You Can
One of the biggest additions to Pikmin 4 is the inclusion of Oatchi, a bi-pedal dog that can help you with your day-to-day adventures. This happy-chap can fight enemies, break pottery, knock down ornaments, and even drag the corpses of your fallen enemies to a nearby Onion.
Oatchi also acts as a very handy mount that not only carries your avatar but also any Pikmin in your Squad. This allows you to keep your forces consolidated on long journeys in addition to giving you a staggering amount of combat power. More importantly, riding Oatchi allows you to move faster and jump, thus opening up new areas for your perusal.
Buy Charge Horn ASAP
Veterans of the Pikmin series may be a bit confused at the lack of a ‘Charge’ function when they boot up Pikmin 4. This is because it has been removed and locked away behind upgrades. Thankfully, you can unlock this iconic upgrade early on in your play experience.
Once you have unlocked Rus, you can purchase the Charge Horn for a few scraps of Raw Material. With it equipped, simply press ‘X’ to have all the Pikmin of a given colour charge. This allows you to get your lads into battle quicker, pick up items easier, and more. Get it early and use it often.
Multi-Task Constantly
Pikmin has always been a game about doing as much as you can whilst under a tight time limit. Pikmin 4 loosens that grip slightly, but that doesn’t mean you can lackadaisical dilly dally. If you want to make the most of your day, you are going to have to multi-task.
This might seem daunting at first, but all you need to do is not waste time running back to the Onion – or limit how many times you do. Whilst Pikmin are carrying a Bulborb, consider taking another squad to break a wall, fight more monsters, or simply explore. The more things you can safely do at once, the better.
This is made even easier once you upgrade Oatchi, as he can run back to the Onion and grab idle Pikmin who have finished their job AND return them to you. Once this is unlocked, you could theoretically never return to your Onion during your daily travels.
Move Your Base To Save Time
Each level in Pikmin 4 is pretty large and filled with various puzzles. These could be tied to unlocking new areas, items, or Sparkly Objects. Even with multi-tasking, you are eventually going to find yourself waiting for Pikmin as the journey from Onion to Squad gets larger and larger.
To get around this, you can find new Base Locations. These are marked with pink stones and are often defended. Clear the landing zone and move your base whenever you need to. There is never a reason for you to be traipsing the entire map when there’s a potential drop-off point a few steps away.
Create A Variety Of Pikmin
There are five varieties of Pikmin in Pikmin 4, and each of them comes with different quirks. Your first carrot person is the wonderfully versatile Red Pikmin. These are numerous, excellent in combat, and easy to fall back on when filling your Squad.
You don’t want to find yourself hurting your other Pikmin populations, however. Whenever possible, you want to try and build up your other types so you always have access to reinforcements should the worst come to pass (death). This is especially true for rarer or more fragile Pikmin.
Don’t Hoard Your Consumables
There are a fair few consumables in Pikmin 4, and hoarding them does nobody any good. Most gamers have a bit of a hoarding issue, but as a community, we need to break that trend – we might as well start now.
Consumables in Pikmin are very powerful and can make the difference between life and death. Everything from your basic Spice to HP-boosting bones does nothing when they are gathering dust, so when in doubt, throw one out. You’ll have a far easier time when the game starts to ramp up in challenge.
Don’t Over Use Ice Pikmin In Combat
Ice Pikmin are the second variety of Pikmin you will find, and they are very powerful. Not only are they immune to Ice attacks, but they can freeze bodies of water and even enemies. That last part is a bit of an issue though.
When you Freeze an enemy, they shatter on death. This is a massive issue when it comes to harvesting corpses at your Onion. Without a body, you can’t create more Pikmin. This leaves you in a bit of a pickle – do you freeze an enemy to save Pikmin, or do you risk losing Pikmin to make more? In general, we found that not relying on Ice Pikmin was the best way to go since more Pikmin is always a good thing.
Look For Shortcuts
There are shortcuts everywhere in Pikmin 4, and you want to track them down, unlock them, and use them. Time is constantly ticking, and you want to make the most of every second. Spending a few seconds to break a wall or push a ramp will save you countless minutes throughout the game.
Your Pikmin aren’t stupid either, so once you unlock a shortcut, they will start to use them automatically when they start transporting cargo to and from the Onion. Find, unlock, and use.
Bring The Right Pikmin For The Job
Bringing a variety of Pikmin with you on your journeys might seem like a good idea – heck, there is some logic to it. However, it is often better to bring a Squad that is tailored to the task you have in mind. There’s very little reason to bring Ice Pikmin to an area infested with fiery enemies, for example.
You might think bringing tailored squads will slow you down since you won’t have the key to every problem in your Squad, but considering how frequent Base Relocation Spots are, you won’t run into this problem very often – if at all.
Delve Into Sublevels
If you are not sure what to do because you’ve exhausted everything on the surface, you should probably start delving into dungeons, otherwise known as Sublevels. These subterranean cave networks are filled to the brim with collectables, enemies, and refugees.
Not only that, they are full of rare and useful Pikmin. Early on, you won’t be able to progress without these little guys, so get delving and enjoy the fruits of your labours.
That’s all we have on Pikmin 4 for now. Be sure to check out our other Guides and Lists for more Pikmin content.
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