The upcomingPikmin 4marks an exciting time for its fanbase. The beloved real-time strategy puzzle franchise is returning from its latest absence, and many are excited for what this new game will bring.Pikmin 4presents a new take on thePikminworld, this time emphasizing its massive scale with a low default camera angle. A new captain may be gracing this entry, and the short teaser trailer and screenshot could hold other surprises. There’s a lot that fans don’t know yet, like how Purple and White Pikmin variants factor in, but they are eager to find out in the coming months.
There are many directions thatPikmin 4could take with the two decade-old franchise. The possibility of an open world is available, and many other classic franchises have already made the jump. The prominent appearance of a clock in the trailer could suggest that nighttime exploration is being added, likely with significant risk if players opt in.Pikmin 2’s caves could return, andPikmin 3 Deluxe’s campaign co-opcould also be brought back. What can be said for certain is that new Pikmin types are coming, althoughPikmin 4may also want to spruce up a couple old varieties that have fallen out of focus.
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White and Purple Pikmin Used To Play Major Roles
Pikmin 2experimented with lots of changes from the first title’s formula. Its heavy use of caves is the most prominent instance of this, but it also introduced several new types of Pikmin. The first two were the cave-dwelling White and Purple Pikmin, withthe even rarer Bulbminserving as a hidden third. White Pikmin are based around speed and poison, able to keep up with captains when flowered. The poison running through their veins allows them to brave poison gas and deal damage when enemies eat them. Their red eyes allow them to see treasures completely buried underground and that other Pikmin are unable to begin digging up.
Purples, meanwhile, are the strongest and heaviest Pikmin in the franchise. While their only resistances are to wind and panic effects, they are able to kill most enemies through throwing damage and continual stuns alone and count for 10 Pikmin when carrying an object. Their few weaknesses are their low speed and shared scarcity with White Pikmin, only produced through appropriately colored Candypop Buds.Found inPikmin 2’s cavesand stored in the player’s spaceship instead of an Onion, these Pikmin broke the mold. The only real problem with them was how monstrously strong Purple Pikmin ended up being.
Pikmin 4 Will Need to Make up for Pikmin 3’s White and Purple Nerfs
Unfortunately, the Whites and Purples were upstaged inPikmin 3by Winged and Rock Pikmin. They did return in Mission Mode and Bingo Battle, but were nerfed beyond recognition.Pikmin 4should bring these two back alongside the rest, sprucing them up in the process. White Pikmin filled a very circumstantial niche, while Purples steamrolled everything that didn’t need another Pikmin’s powers. They both need reworking, andPikmin 4is the time for it.Nintendo’s shortPikminmoviesproposed that White Pikmin could spit acid, and a ranged Pikmin fighter has yet to be explored. Their speed and excavation abilities could also be used in certain environmental puzzles that require both.
Purples, meanwhile, should be refocused around their weight. While their attack would still be lowered and their stun ability removed, nearly erasing their throw arcs could let them serve as close-rangeequivalents to the projectile-like Rock Pikmin. After slamming into an enemy, they could roll away in a prone state until they’re whistled back. White and Purple Pikmin being kept apart from other types should stay, but they will need to be finely tuned to make it feel deserved. These Pikmin would be a great addition toPikmin 4, and Nintendo should make their return the next priority after the newest Pikmin types are implemented.
