Pikmin 4 Team Discusses Mortality, Controls & Oatchi, the Space Dog

In a continuation of an interview with key team members from the Pikmin 4 team, they talked about why the Pikmin series isn’t more popular despite its appeal.

• Interview Part 1 Coverage

The staff spent a long time trying to convey the appeal of the controls and the player’s relationship to mortality via the Pikmin creatures’ fates. This was initially done by experimenting with more straightforward controls. Still, they also wanted to incorporate Dandori, having players learn and get more efficient as they progress.

Dandori is a Japanese word meaning  “to think about planning and efficiency in advance to get things done smoothly.”

So, they figured they could mix the ideas of making the controls easier to approach while keeping the concept of Dandori as a focal point of the game. Oatchi was added not only to give players an option when fighting but to increase their efficiency further and add more depth to player choice. They were marking an instance of attempting to increase sales by focusing on the core appeal while improving surrounding functionality.

In Pikmin 4, you customize your explorer and lead the charge daily to find your crew and fix the Rescue Corps ship, the S.S. Shepherd. Lead your squad through vast explorable areas to find treasures, discover new paths, and battle enemies of all sizes.

You can also direct the Pikmin to collect and carry helpful resources for your mission. Furthermore, you can also get help from a second player in the Story mode. Using an on-screen pointer, your co-op buddy can throw pebbles at enemies to stun them and unleash valuable items in your inventory.

Pikmin 4 releases on July 21 for Nintendo Switch.