Pikmin 4, originally released in 2023, has received a new iteration on the Nintendo Switch 2.
Officially titled Pikmin 4 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy, the release launched on Thursday. Developed by Nintendo, the title offers updated features and content for the game.
Switch 2 Edition Supports 4K Resolution and Voice Commands
The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition offers a significant visual boost, supporting native 4K resolution when docked in TV mode. While the resolution has been increased, the framerate remains at the same cap as the original version. The update also introduces support for the console’s internal, room-scale microphone, allowing players to issue voice commands to Oatchi, the game’s canine companion.
Reviewers said that finding the correct sensitivity settings is necessary, as ambient noise can lead to erratic behavior from the dog. Some critics observed that the game notably lacks mouse controls, a feature that has appeared in other recent Switch 2 releases like Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave.
Dandori Academy Mode Tests Planning Through Challenge Stages
The headline feature of this new edition is the Dandori Academy mode. The term Dandori refers to the Japanese concept of forward planning and organizational efficiency. The mode consists of 72 challenge stages designed to test these skills through timed collection tasks. The content is released in a monthly drip-feed format, with six new stages—two for each of the Elementary, Advanced, and Graduate difficulty tiers—added periodically.
Players can practice these stages as often as they like before attempting to record a ranked score. While the practice sessions allow players to earn medals, some users have expressed frustration that the mode does not provide a strong incentive for those who have already completed the base campaign to return, particularly due to the staggered release schedule.
The base game remains unchanged in terms of story, collectibles, and enemy placement. Players can transfer their save data from the original 2023 version to the Switch 2 Edition. Beyond the Academy, the game supports local multiplayer for Dandori Battles, which function similarly to the Bingo Battles found in Pikmin 3. However, online PvP matchmaking remains unavailable, a limitation that some critics described as a missed opportunity given the hardware’s capabilities.
Upgraded Version Costs $10 for Existing Owners
The upgrade is available to existing owners of the original Pikmin 4 for a price of $10 (£7.99 in the UK). Critics have generally described this as an appropriate price point, though perspectives on the necessity of the upgrade are mixed.
As part of the broader Nintendo Switch Online ecosystem, players on the new console also have access to a vast library of retro titles, ranging from NES and SNES to GameCube and Game Boy Advance, which some reviewers noted has helped revitalize their interest in older Nintendo software alongside these Switch 2 Edition upgrades.