Oh, to be a tiny astronaut running around the earth of some alien planet where you become the leader of an even smaller alien race of creatures. That’s the dream, right? Nintendo’sPikmin 4, at least in some contexts, can satisfy that dream for you.

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The fourth main entry in the series sees you return to an alien planet that contains the plant-like creatures first named Pikmin by Captain Olimar in the original game. Whether you are asking yourself, “what even are Pikmin?” or you have some familiarity with the series, here are some points to keep in mind when starting Pikmin 4.

What To Expect In Pikmin 4

In Pikmin 4, Captain Olimar has returned to PNF-404, the planet containing Pikmin. Once again,he crash lands and ends up stranded. A team of Rescue Corps members head off to answer Captain Olimar’s SOS call but also end up stranded on PNF-404.You are a rookie of the Rescue Corp, but now you have to save the day.

There is a mix ofreal-time strategy, puzzle-solving, and RPG elementsin Pikmin 4 as you go about your rescue mission. You’ll need toexplore new environments day by day, and you will usually head back to your base camp once night falls. All the while, you’ll be seeking special materials to helpfix and restore power to your team’s spaceship.

You are a Rescue Corp rookie in Pikmin 4 and have to rescue other members of your team.

This time, you are joined byOatchi, a dog-like creature you can command to help you in your rescue efforts.Commanding a legion of Pikmin, gathering treasures for your ship, and searching for Olimar will be the main way you progress through the world.

Learn What Different Pikmin Do

There are several different kinds of Pikmin that you will encounter as you explore the planet. Thedifferent Pikmin each have different abilities and other benefits. For example,Red Pikminare the first type you will encounter in the game, and they haveimmunity to fire. New Pikmin introduced in Pikmin 4, such as theIce Pikmin, which can freeze enemies and bodies of water, will also help you in unique circumstances.

To help you start, here is a list ofall Pikmin types and what they can do.

A Red Pikmin looks around, and an Ice Pikmin dances around.

As you are introduced to each new Pikmin in the game,you will get an overview of what they can do,thanks to prior research by Captain Olimar. You’ll need to keep that information in mind, though. You’ll only be able toprogress through certain areas thanks to certain Pikmin’s immunities. Solving puzzles quickly can only be done byknowing which Pikmin would be best usedin the scenario. Which brings us to the next point:

Live And Breathe The Art Of Dandori

You are taught aboutthe concept of Dandori, or the process ofefficiently planning and executing your tasks and actions. It is best to take this philosophy to heart as you go about your rescue mission. You have alimited amount of time each day to exploredifferent environments, and you don’t want to waste time making the wrong choices.

You will also need to efficiently manage your squad of Pikmin bychoosing the best type for each job. One thing you learn aboutYellow Pikminis that they can bethrown higher and farther. If an item is on a bit of higher ground, you wouldn’t want to waste time throwing a Pikmin that can’t reach it. If you anticipate combat, stronger Pikmin like the Red and Purple types will be more valuable.

You hear what is Dandori, which is the art of efficiently planning your tasks.

While your Pikmin are carrying out tasks, you’re able to also try to be a step ahead. Plan out your next move, explore an area a bit more, or command Oatchi to help do a certain task.

Come To Grips With (Your Pikmin’s) Mortality

There is no shame in going into Pikmin 4 unaware of the downright torture that your Pikmin might be subject to from time to time. Pikmin are cute tiny creatures, butthey aren’t invincible.

Many Pikmin cannot swimand willdrownif you lead them into a body of water.

A Red Pikmin is electrocuted after touching an electric fence.

There will be numerous occasions where afight with a tough enemyor an environmental hazardleads to the demise of some of your allies. You can have somebackup Pikmin on standbyat your base in case this happens.

If the losses from a tough encounter are too much, you’re able to use the Rewind ability from the pause menu to revert to a pre-battle phase.

The shortcut setting screen in Pikmin 4, where you can assign commands to certain buttons.

At the end of each day, you will also need tomake sure all your Pikmin get back to your base campalong with you. Ifone is stranded somewhereout in the wilderness, there will be anon-screen iconto let you know they are about to become a Pikmin ghost.

Use Pikmin 4’s Features To Your Advantage

Pikmin 4 has a feature thatlets you Rewind time. This will generallystart your day over again. If you ever make a gargantuan mistake that you simply can’t live with, then this feature might just come in handy.

You can alsomanually assign certain actions and commands to the D-padon your Switch. This button mapping can be a great asset as you go about your rescue mission and aperfect way to employ the concept of Dandoriin your gameplay.