If Pikmin 1-3 is exploring the unknown, in a planet filled with new creatures and locals. Than Pikmin 4 is exploring a nature park. Still unknown and mysterious, sure. But also familiar, welcome, and shockingly bustling with people and sources of the known. Thats my biggest takeaway here, I kept getting hung up on how little this world felt "alien". PNF-404 is not an unknown planet here, its a tourist attraction through and through, and it really made it lose a lot of the impact, melancholy, and beauty the original three games had. And when you did reach a level of tranquility in the game, you can be sure your crew is chatting up a storm, making sure to break that atmosphere. At least in mine opinion.

Gameplay wise its good! I think? If Pikmin 1-3 is commanding a small army of little guys. Pikmin 4 is commanding a commander of an army. To be honest I knew from the jump that Oatchi, (the lovable little dog guy) was the most brain-dead broken thing in the world and only upgraded his mobility. Even then not to max, and it still was far to overcentralizing! Hes just to strong, too important. I cannot imagine how this game plays with the dog at max power. His charge basically sure-fire killed anything that wasn't a boss. The autolock on normally was not an issue, but when it was? Wow was it.

I feel like two paragraphs of issues sounds like I hate it, but I really do not. Its a very fun, solid entry in this little series, that seems to have done its job in skyrocketing pikmin's profile in the popular culture. And I did like it! It was fun! But it losses at lot of what I enjoyed about the artistry of the first few games.