Pikmin 4 was released for the original Switch in 2023, and it ranks among my favorite games on the platform; I happily award it the honor of being the best Pikmin game. It looks and plays great, and Oatchi the dog makes the sometimes annoying process of managing a collection of little plant creatures willing to do your bidding much smoother.
The over-titled Pikmin 4 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy releases November 12, and much like other comparable Nintendo games that have been ported and improved for Switch 2 (like Kirby and Mario Party), the base game is as good as it was initially and looks even better. If you skipped Pikmin 4 on Switch for whatever reason (probably because it was day one of the Barbenheimer epidemic), I encourage you to play it now. You have about a week to beat it before… something else comes out. Who’s to say.
The “big” addition here for the Switch 2 version of the game, alongside improved performance and visuals and the ability to give Oatchi verbal commands, is Dandori Academy. The Academy is an expanded time trial mode that awards medals for practicing specific levels, which you can then play and upload your high scores on specific days. For example, I can play the Advanced B level, Rockaway Cellars, as much as I want, but it only really counts if I play it on November 12. And you only get one try (though you can unlock retry tickets).
In theory, I like the unique approach to high-score battling, and the limited timeframe adds fun intensity, but this isn’t what I am looking for from Pikmin. I recognize and acknowledge the design decision to place timers on your interactions in Pikmin, but it’s never been my favorite part. I like building my adorable little army and exploring, discovering, and retrieving as many unexpected items as possible. But I mostly get annoyed at the ticking clock, especially when I am watching my crew meander toward my spaceship holding a Game Boy Advance SP (or whatever they manage to find on the never-acknowledged, but potentially post-apocalyptic Earth you are exploring).
I also like having a list of missions to complete, and in Dandori Academy, there isn’t much acknowledgment of your success in practice. You can earn a platinum medal while practicing Rockaway Cellar, but it’s mainly to let you know that this is what you could earn when you play on the right day.
The main takeaway is that Pikmin 4 is still excellent, and I was grateful to transfer my save file from the Switch version (and I was tempted to start a new game + save), but Dandori Academy is not a strong incentive to return if you already played the game. It is a nice bonus and an interesting concept that reimagines the familiar time trial mode featured in plenty of video games, but the original campaign is still the main attraction.
