Pikmin 4is due out in barely over a month, so Nintendo decided to keep the hype coming with a new feature reveal. Whileplenty ofPikmin 4’s new ideashave been shown off already, it’s nice to know the developers haven’t overplayed their hand in terms of reveals.
Pikmin 4is almost upon us, as the fourth main installment (and the sixth game overall) of one of Nintendo’s more niche franchises.Pikminfirst launched on the underperforming GameCube back in 2001 to critical and financial success, and garnered a sequel just three years later. Both installments would later get re-released on the Wii via theNew Play Controlinitiative, also garnering representation inNintendo Landand evenSuper Smash Bros.to grow the series' audience even more.
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In a short trailer released to Nintendo’s official YouTube channel, the latest new feature forPikmin 4is shown off: character customization. Against a tan background with shadow art, a cheesy narrator recaps the basic premise of the game, in which a rescue team crash-lands on a new planet to rescue Captain Olimar, who also crash-landed. Now it’s up to the player’s avatar to reach this new world and rescue everyone. As shown in the footage, players can choose their character’s skin and hair color, facial structure, hairstyle, head shape, and body-type, alongside the color of their spacesuit. Combine thiswithPikmin 4’s three other main protagonistsand mandated swapping, and there looks to be a lot of variety this time around.
Nintendo has been an advocate for player representation for pretty much as long as it has been in the video game business. Concepts for a custom avatar feature were discussed even as far back as the NES days, and the company has even developedentire games and seriesthat are built around player choice. ThePikminseries has always been about exploration to some degree, but adding even a little more room for the player’s personal touch to the experience can certainly go a long way.
Indeed, a lot of signs point toPikmin 4being the most open installment yet. In addition to four main protagonists, the game includes loosened restrictions on nighttime gameplay, the addition of Oatchi to further expand the sense of exploration, anda whopping eight types of Pikminconfirmed so far for use in gameplay. It really should be interesting to see what players will be able to pull off once they get their hands on this long-awaited sequel.
Pikmin 4will land on the Nintendo Switch on Jun 29, 2025.
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