Pikmin 4

The player controls a minuscule character who takes command of squads of Pikmin to explore various areas, fight enemies, secure treasures, and solve puzzles. Pikmin can be directed to perform various tasks, such as carrying objects and fighting enemies, and have individual weaknesses and strengths. For example, Red Pikmin are invulnerable to fire, Blue Pikmin can walk underwater, and Winged Pikmin can lift up objects and float over hazards. The player can switch between different species of Pikmin to adapt to the situation and deal with enemies and hazards. The camera allows for a full view of the area around the player character, with the perspective being able to be much closer to the ground than in previous games.

Pikmin 4 retains all Pikmin types from previous games besides Bulbmin and Mushroom Pikmin, and introduces two new species: Ice Pikmin, which are invulnerable to being frozen and can freeze enemies and bodies of water; and Glow Pikmin, which operate at night and are usable during the Night Expeditions. The player can also command a canine creature called Oatchi to help with exploration. Like the Pikmin, Oatchi can be directed to carry objects and attack enemies, but can also help bash breakable objects, sniff out objectives such as treasure, and transport both the player character and Pikmin around the map and over bodies of water; in some places, the player can directly control Oatchi to solve puzzles.

Seemingly diverging from the events of the prior installments, Captain Olimar travels to PNF-404, an Earth-like planet, aboard his ship the SS Dolphin. A freak accident causes his ship to crash-land, and he is forced to recruit Pikmin to help him find the ship's missing parts. During his search, Olimar bonds with a dog-like creature that he names Moss. After finding his ship's missing radio within the interior of the Hero's Hideaway, Olimar transmits an SOS call along with his voyage logs, but mysteriously disappears after continuing his search for the missing parts.

The Rescue Corps, an intergalactic rescue organization, receives his emergency call and sends a team to PNF-404 led by Captain Shepherd to find and rescue Olimar. However, the ship malfunctions upon reaching the planet, forcing the crew to eject before it crash lands on the surface. The Rescue Corps assigns its newest recruit, the player character, to find the missing Rescue Corps members and complete the mission. Upon reaching the planet, the recruit encounters Shepherd's rescue pup, a dog-like creature called Oatchi, who bonds with them.

On September 7, 2015, Pikmin creator Shigeru Miyamoto confirmed to Eurogamer that Pikmin 4 was in development, and "very close to completion". On July 7, 2016, Miyamoto said in an E3 interview with Game Rant that Pikmin 4 was still in development, though at a lower priority. On June 19, 2017, Miyamoto reassured Eurogamer that the game was still "progressing". In the years to follow, the game was widely considered vaporware until it was officially unveiled on September 13, 2022.

Pikmin 4 was developed using Unreal Engine 4, its first use in an internally developed Nintendo EPD game, although the game was co-developed with Eighting. Lead staff include veteran Pikmin developer Yuji Kando, who was one of the two directors of Pikmin 3 and returned as chief director and programming director; Yutaka Hiramuki as game design and lead writer, responsible for the level design and story similarly to his responsibilities on Pikmin 3; Takashi Tezuka, who returned as the mainline series producer, a role he has held since Pikmin 2, and Shigeru Miyamoto, who returned as the general producer, the same position he held in Pikmin 3.

Pikmin 4 received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator website Metacritic, where it has a score of 87/100 based on 122 reviews. Fellow review aggregator OpenCritic assessed that the game received "mighty" support, being recommended by 96% of critics.

Writing for Nintendo Life, PJ O'Reilly praised the game's level design, graphics, and performance in both handheld and docked mode. Andrew Webster of The Verge enjoyed the nighttime excursions and puzzles present in Pikmin 4, writing "With the clock ticking down, these more focused challenges are a nice change of pace from the laid-back standard gameplay, even if I don't quite understand why they exist narratively".