My Pikmin 4 Ideas

The plot would revolve around Olimar, Charlie, Alph, and Brittany returning to PNF-404. During this quest, they would need to collect items that act as new energy sources to solve an energy crisis and also slowly uncover the whereabouts of Louie. I like the idea of collecting real world objects again and it would entail the same funny misinterpretation as Pikmin 2 (i.e. maybe a pinwheel could be seen as like a wind turbine). A sense of urgency would also be nice which could be done by the dark implications of failure: if new energy is not found: Hocotate is in serious trouble. You’d get end-day mail complaining about blackouts and the locals being scared about the existing state of affairs.


All previous Pikmin types return! Most are unchanged with a few exceptions.

• White Pikmin, like in the short films, will spit poison when faced with metal obstacles. This means that they can whittle down metal barriers and shells like that of the Man-At-Legs.

• Winged Pikmin, when in dark locations, emit a feint glow from their rears like lightning bugs.


First is Spiny Pikmin. These Pikmin are round and barrel cactus-like. Their pink flowers do not have stems, so they can’t attack in a traditional away. Found in the Parched Valley, they cling to enemies when thrown due to their spines. It takes longer for enemies to shake them off, and enemy fur (ie the Wooly Bulborb) is especially vulnerable. Damage is also done when they are eaten. These Pikmin are also necessary for clinging to vertical conveyor belts which drop the Spiny Pikmin off in other locations. They are also useful for popping the balloons of Dirigibugs as well as the massive balloon of the Zeppelinsect. When they come into contact with floating Blowhogs, they do much more damage.


Second is Frost Pikmin: these Pikmin are fuzzy and a pale-blue color. The Frost Pikmin are found in the Glassy Grove and are immune to ice-related hazards like frost and can also walk on ice with their snow-shoe like feet. This snowshoes also help the Frost Pikmin withstand strong gusts of wind from Blowhogs and also electronic fans found in places like the Somber Citadel. Think of Iron Boots from The Legend of Zelda.


In cold environments, they work faster and are as stronger fighters. The downside is that they die immediately from being on fire and also become clunky and slow in hot areas like the Parched Valley.


Bulbmin return and are found in caves! They are still immune to all hazards and are restrained to caves.


Phosmin: another incarnation of parasitic Pikmin! This time, they inhabit the form of baby Phosbats. Found in dark caves, they are produced by pods similar to those that spit out infant Phosbats. However, these are a bit smaller and have stems sprouting from their heads. They can fly like Winged Pikmin and are immune to all elemental hazards. However, they are incredibly sensitive to light and if exposed directly to it, will run around frantically before dying. The Phosmin are also restricted to caverns as they wouldn’t survive well in the light.


In my ideal Pikmin 4, the overworld is separated into many different areas that possess the compact and contained aspects of previous overworlds. However, the game is less linear than previous ones.


Imagine that the overworld map is a radius that sort of expands as the game is completed. The center hub is the Explorer’s Garden where you find the Red Pikmin. But after the first day, the exploration radius expands and the Parched Valley, Glassy Grove, Stoic Ruins, and the Scarlet Wood become available. After special machines are recovered from those areas, the Somber Citadel, Mycelial Forest, Plastic Pond, and Shimmering Cove open up. Each area also has multiple landing sites that enable you to explore distant corners of the area and save time carrying items.


Also, there is an ecosystem in place throughout each area. This means that enemies interact with each other outside of Pikmin interactions. There are food chains in place and this also means many enemies are a bit more mobile than in previous games.


Explorer’s Garden: the central hub of the continent. Here is where you learn the basics of the game. It’s a peaceful flower garden littered with things like watering pails, gardening gloves, etc, with petals drifting out of the sky. It’s full of classic enemies like Sheargrubs and Red Bulborbs and the occasional Creeping Chrysanthemum. Here you find the Red Pikmin! The Emperor Bulblax is the secret boss of this region which you return to with Blues and Winged Pikmin.


Parched Valley: this place is a desert! It’s full of cacti and desert-dwelling creatures like Snagrets. It’s also riddled with caves. We find the Spiny Pikmin here! The Sandbelching Meerslug returns as the boss of this region!


Glassy Grove: This place is a forest that has been covered in thick snow and ice. It’s home to Wooly Bulborbs, Amprats, Arctic Cannon Beetles, and more. Here we find the Frost Pikmin! The Frost-winged Woolmoth is the boss of this region.


Scarlet Wood: This place is a beautiful expanse of autumnal forest. Many Orange Bulborbs have adapted to live here. We find the Yellow Pikmin here. The Vehemoth Phosbat is the boss here with its many infants as well.


Mycelial Forest: A dark, rainy forest covered by strange, animate tendrils of bioluminescent fungus. At the heart of this jungle, you’ll find the Toadcap Fungistool that has its mycelium spread across the jungle. We find the Winged Pikmin here. The Toadcap Fungistool is the boss here.


Stoic Ruins: This place is basically a junkyard littered with shattered pots, bomb rocks, machinery, gravel, etc. It’s full of Cannon Beetles, Gattling Groinks, etc. We find the Rock Pikmin here. The Gargantuan Golossus is boss here.


Shimmering Cove: A beautiful lake shore in which we find the Blue Pikmin! However, it’s dark watery depths can be explored as well, though it’s much more dangerous and filled with strange, bioluminescent enemies like Jellyfloats, and Bioluminescent Blinnows. The shore is full of aquatic enemies like Aristocrabs, Skeeterskates, Bloysters, Wollywogs, etc. The boss here is the Empress Water Dumple.


Plastic Pond: the bank of a highly polluted river/swamp. This place is full of water and acid and is a sort of garbage vortex: six-pack plastic rings, crushed cans, abandoned dolls, etc. Creatures like Shy-shell Aristocrabs have adapted to living in the garbage. Lilypads can be used to traverse the acid and water, but look out for Lurking Lilypads. We find the Purple Pikmin here. The Bog-backed Snappa is boss here.


Somber Citadel: this place is an abandoned factory. It’s full of machinery overrun with foliage. It’s also full of lightbulbs and conveyor belts that can be altered. Many mechanical and electrical enemies live here such as the Careening Dirigibug, Anode Beetle, and Bearded Amprat. We find the White Pikmin here which is useful because there’s also pools of acid all around the place. The Gliding Zeppelinsect is boss here.


There would be a final level that is only accessible after all bosses have been completed. I’m not sure exactly what this boss would be like but I think it would be an incarnation of a wraith and answer a lot of questions about the lineage of wraiths.


Returning mechanics:

Swarming returns meaning you can control entire army with the control stick.


The Piklopedia returns! However, it’s not as simple. There are three levels to gaining a full Piklopedia entry where information is revealed in layers. The first step is defeating a creature. Second is defeating a creature and then bringing it back to your base. Third is taking a picture of the creature with the in-game camera which rewards you with a full Piklopedia entry. Across these levels, layers of info are slowly revealed.




New mechanics:

Super Sour Spray: found in lemon-like berry plants. When this gaseous spray is expelled on your Pikmin army, enemies will avoid the affected Pikmin for a period of time.

Aside from the “Go here” function, you can also assign Pikmin to “Go here” with the objects they carry to avoid dangerous routes. Along with this, you could also command Pikmin groups to return to you once they have completed certain tasks.


Energy Pods: much like the treasure Pod from Pikmin 2 and Sparrows from Pikmin 3, these pods can be dispatched to various additional landing sites to be closer to you given that the maps are larger. You have a finite amount, but this means you can explore distant corners of areas without taking too much time hauling your treasures back to base. Pikmin can be assigned to go to different pods.


Multiple landing sites: there are multiple in each area. You get to choose where the ship and onion go for the day. From there you can explore the area and not waste time dragging treasures from one corner of the map to the next.


Acid: like water, but an opaque violet color. It damages captains who walk in it and automatically kills Pikmin who walk into it except whites. Found heavily in the Somber Citadel and Plastic Pond.


Burning brush: burning piles of brush that Red Pikmin must put out. There are also unignited piles that can be lit by Fiery Blowhogs accidentally. Some secret treasures in the game can be found by leading Fiery Blowhogs to brush for them to burn, revealing new paths.


Fans: spinning fans appear in places like the Stoic Ruins, Somber Citadel, etc. Frost Pikmin are immune to the gusts of wind and can hold their ground. Winged Pikmin can be tossed at them and can be propelled upwards or blasted horizontally to new areas. These can also take the form of pinwheels in the Explorer’s Garden.


Conveyor Belts: conveyor belts appear like in the Clockwork Chasm. They can also appear vertically which Spiny Pikmin must be used to cling to and jump off on the other side.

Electric trains: in toy room-type areas, there are toy trains that can be powered up to transport your Pikmin to new locations


Ice/frost: ice is a new hazard that takes the form of frozen walls and broken refrigerant pipes; frost is the blue, gaseous substance that is emitted by ice. If Pikmin are exposed to ice or frost, their bodies become entirely frozen. They can be whistled back, but their frozen bodies can also be crushed and shattered in this phase by enemies like Wollywogs or charging Buborbs.


Electric trains: found in the Jigsaw Jungle and Somber Citadel, these toy-like trains can be charged with Yellow Pikmin and can transport your pikmin across the map


Bell Weeds: bronze, bell-like plants that produce a feint chime when you brush across them. Can be harmless, but can also awaken enemies if you touch them within a certain radius.


Honeycombs: sort of an obstacle but can also be an advantage. Basically, they are sticky pads on the walls. This could help transport Pikmin if you throw them and whistle them along until they are across an obstacle such as water. It can leave your Pikmin vulnerable to Sweetsnout Bulbears, however.


Jellyfloat-bouncing: Jellyfloats return but now their tops are bouncy, much like mushrooms. You can throw Pikmin and captains atop them to reach new locations.


Caves return and are scattered throughout the overworld! They are way shorter than they were in Pikmin 2 (maximum of three sublevels) and are more unique and puzzle-oriented, sort of like the levels from the Captain Toad games. Bosses are located at the ends of caves so that boss battles aren’t timed, but there are also secondary caves that have no bosses or contain mini-bosses.


These caves would act sort of as shrines from BotW. There would be treasure to collect and the final floor would yield an upgrade the player. Each cave, however, focuses on a specific sort of puzzle or theme.


Here are some examples:


The Windy Grotto: a place filled with wind and fans that can blow Winged Pikmin to various locations and platforms when timed right. Yellow Pikmin must also be used to power the fans.


The Honeyhive Hollow: this place is a tree riddled with honey puzzles, honeywisps, nectarous Dandyflies, and Sweetsnout Bulbears which pursue you.


The Jigsaw Jungle: this place is like the Glutton’s Kitchen or the Jigsaw Colosseum. There are electric toy trains to power up, Lincoln log forts and dollhouses to explore, etc.


The Acoustic Cavern: this place is chock-full of Bulborbs (Orange Bulborbs especially) and also full of Bell Weeds which means you must navigate your squad very carefully through the plants to avoid waking up all the slumbering creatures.


The Murky Mangrove: this place is a semi-aquatic dungeon, filled with water and acid. You must go underwater with Blue Pikmin to detach lilypads from the bottom of the water and allow them to rise up, making a path for your regular squad. You must also regulate water levels to make platforms float to traverse the area.


The Buried Parchland: this place is fire-oriented. Fiery Bulblaxes, Fiery Blowhogs, and burning brush are everywhere.


The Glowing Kingdom: a dark, watery cave that requires all blues. Here we find Bioluminescent Blinnows and also Jellyfloats which you must throw your captains on top of to bounce and reach new areas. The Empress Water Dumple is found here.


The Blast Zone: one of the most brutally unfair dungeons in the game. This place is full of Gattling Groinks, Cannon Beetles, Diribugs, Volatile Dweevils, falling boulders and bombs. Only veterans of Pikmin 2 caves will survive.


I think most if not all enemies should return from Pikmin 1 and 2! Breadbugs, Beady Long-Legs, Dweevils, Mamutas, the Giant Breadbug, Emperor Bulblax, Jellyfloats, Anode Beetles, Gatling Groinks, etc. are all back. Also, here are a few new enemy ideas I had…


Sweetsnout Bulbear: a large Bulbear with a big overbite with brown fur and purple spots. Despite its scary appearance, it only seeks egg nectar and berry plants. It will compete for these items and ingest Pikmin accidentally using its large, purple-pink tongue. Pikmin carrying berries back to your base are especially vulnerable. They also target Pikmin stuck in honey and Pikmin who are empowered by spicy spray. It’s based on sort of omnivorous bears that eat berries and honey.


Noxious Wollywog: basically, a poison dart frog-wollywog. Just touching them will cause Pikmin to choke as if exposed to poison. They are smaller and hop much quicker than other Wollywogs.


Charging Peccaraid: an aggressive and hairy Blowhog with tusks that will charge your team and crush Pikmin by stomping them. This is based on a peccary. Because of its hair, Spiny Pikmin are a good option to defeat it.


Scaly Bulborb: desert-dwelling Bulborbs that have reptilian spines on their backs, meaning their faces must be attacked. Their eyes can also discharge poison, like how certain lizards shoot blood from their eyes. They do not take damage if they ingest white Pikmin.


Wooly Bulborb: basically the Hairy Bulborb returning though it’s hair is a brown and a bit more wiry. This means that Spiny Pikmin are great to use because they cling to it like burrs.


Shelled Bulborb: a bulborb with a light-blue glassy shell on its rear and a black face. Rock Pikmin must be used to destroy its carapace. This bulborb can also crush Pikmin by stomping in the middle of battle.


Fuming Gaskunk: a toxic version of an Amprat with a big bushy tail it uses to exude toxic gas!


Venomous Toxigrub: a glowing purple sheargrub that can generate poison clouds when attacked; basically a Sporegrub from Hey! Pikmin.


Chilly Woolgrub: a white, fuzzy sheargrub that’s a bit bigger than other sheargrubs. Much like Snom from Pokémon. Releases burst of icy wind that freezes Pikmin. Spiny Pikmin can dispatch it quite well as they stick to it and Frost Pikmin are also a good option.


Shy-shelled Aristocrab: an orange-red aristocrab that acts like a hermit crab, using various items to hide itself. In the Stoic Ruins, it uses stones and crystal to hide. In the Somber Citadel, it uses metal cans that must be melted with whites. In the Shimmering Cove, it uses actual seashells that can be broken with bombs/Rock Pikmin. It rarely attacks but sometimes holds machines.


Swaddled Chrysalurk: cocoon enemies that descend from the ceiling attached to silk strings. They use dagger like arms to grab Pikmin and then fly upwards and off screen to devour them. Sort of like Kakuna from Pokemon. They can be defeated when weighed down by Pikmin.


Seismic Whiskercarp: a catfish-like mini-boss that emerges from the ground. It can produce an electrical charge across its body and also slam into the ground, causing boulders to fall from the cavern ceiling.


Bejeweled Pharoach: a scarab-beetle enemy that is decked out with crystals and gems that Rock Pikmin can smash. These Pharoaches also create balls of dirt and gems like dung beetles and roll them at your squad.


Bioluminescent Blinnow: these guys are like blinnows but have little light-bulb like appendages on their bodies. Together, they work to compose large shapes that scare Pikmin and send them into frenzies where they are then taken out one by one.


Flattened Floundish: an aquatic, flounder-like enemy that, when stepped on, throws your Pikmin all over the place. It’s sort of the Skitterleaf/Skutterchuck of the water. It can also flatten and bury Pikmin with its body.


Lurking Lilypad: It might seem like a regular lilypad, however, two yellow eye-stalks are visible. If you jump onto it, vine-like legs sprout out and the pad clamps up around you like a big mouth. You can escape by shaking the controller, but if you’re not careful your Pikmin can be consumed!


Carnivorous Candypop Bud: a Candypop Bud with spines and a yellow eye in the center. If you toss in Pikmin, it devours them. They can dawn the color of any type of Candypop Bud. They like to grow in areas where you’ll have to toss Pikmin sporadically. You can throw bomb rocks in there to kill them.


Vehemoth Phosbat: The Vehemoth Phosbat returns with its adorably creepy offspring! This battle is much like Pikmin 3 except White Pikmin are immune to its poison dust! Yellow Pikmin will be able to charge lightbulbs to expose it and cause damage.


Frost-Winged Woolmoth: a metamorphosized form of the Woolgrub. This is a fluffy moth that exudes snowflakes from its wings and flaps its wings to produce blizzard-like gales. These blizzards freeze and bury Pikmin in snow. It will also drop Chilly Woolgrubs off of its body which devour Pikmin below. You must use Frost Pikmin to traverse the blizzards and weigh down the Woolmoth to defeat her.

Sandbelching Meerslug: Living in the Parched Valley, this boss is tackled the same way as in Pikmin 3!

Gargantuan Golossus: The Gargantuan Golossal is a huge, golem-like monster that’s built just like a Mamuta. It’s basically the Mireclops of this game. Think Eox from Phantom Hourglass. Rising from the craggy ruin of the junkyard, you can traverse its body and use Rock Pikmin to break crystal formations and access more vulnerable parts of its body. Bombs will also be useful for blowing this rock-monster to pieces. There are even other enemies that live on the Golossal’s body like Shearwigs, Sheargrubs, and Carnivorous Candypop buds.


Toadcap Fungistool: This fungus creature’s tendrils are spread all throughout the Mycelial Forest. However, you will find the heart of this creature dwelling inside a dungeon inside a rotted tree. Think Kalle Demos from Wind Waker but fused with a puffstool and maybe a bit of Biolumescent Jellyfloat. It will attack you with its tendrils and growths but, when reached by Winged Pikmin, it can be weighed down from the ceiling where it opens up, revealing its weak spot. After one phase it will re-attach itself to the ceiling and also produce harmful spores which only white Pikmin are immune to.


Bog-backed Snappa: a large, turtle-like enemy with vegetation growing on its back. It has an impenetrable shell, however, flukeweeds are sprouting out of its back which Winged Pikmin can pull to flip it over, exposing its softer underbelly. The mud that the Snappa lives in can yield pulls of water and sometimes smash into rusted pipes that unleash poison fumes.


Empress Water Dumple: much like the Long Water Dumple from Hey! Pikmin. Found in the depths of a subterranean lake, this creature requires a squad of all blues. The Empress Water Dumple will circle your crew and spit bubbles which makes your blues rise into the air and trap them before sucks them in via a vortex in her mouth. She will shake off Pikmin via spinning and will also summon Water Dumples with her roar. She will use ink clouds to scatter your Pikmin to the other dumples and also use it to shroud her next attack.


Gliding Zeppelinsect: The Gliding Zeppelinsect is like a Dirigbug on steroids. Instead of a few balloons, it has a massive zeppelin that it uses to sail through the air, dropping bomb rocks and the occasional Volatile Dweevil. It also uses its fan to blast torrents of wind which can knock you Pikmin into the abyss which the Frost Pikmin are immune to. Winged Pikmin/Yellow Pikmin are handy for bringing this enemy down and Spiny Pikmin can be used to deflate its blimp, bringing it to the ground.


Emperor Bulblax: the emperor is back and nowhere near as nerfed as he was in Pikmin 2. The Emperor Bulblax is massive, a bit smaller than the Quaggled Mireclops. While it lumbers around, it also goes into rages where it charges your group, crushing Pikmin or drowning them in the mud. Its tongue reaches further and, as its health depletes, its attack patterns grow more erratic. Bombs rocks are necessary for quelling the beast and knocking down its health. It has a thicket on its back so that when it shakes, Sheargrubs and Shearwigs come onto the field.