Earlier this month, Nintendo got the internet buzzing with the release of an animated short titled “Close to You.” It was centered around a baby and a pacifier, leaving everyone baffled as to its true meaning. Guesses ranged from baby Rosalina and a teaser for the Super Mario Galaxy Movie to Samus Aran. Those who guessed Pikmin were correct, as the second short revealed all the Pikmin that were invisible in the first. Still, there was no game announcement accompanying the videos, only confirmation that they came from Nintendo Shorts and that the company would continue looking at ways to deliver new video content.
Today, Nintendo announced that Pikmin 4 will get a free update on Switch this November. When it goes live, players can look forward to the addition of Decor Pikmin, originally seen in the Pikmin Bloom mobile game. Decor Pikmin feature some form of decoration found in the world, ranging from a wind-up toy to a donut. If you play Pikmin Bloom, you’ll be happy to hear that the Decor Pikmin you gather in the new Pikmin 4 update can be transferred to your squad in the mobile app.
The game will also get a photo mode, letting players take stylish photos of their character, squad, and whatever else they like in the Pikmin 4 world. Nintendo also teased that the camera may be the key to adding Decor Pikmin to their crew, so you’ll definitely want to experiment with it. Lastly, the update will bring new creature activity levels with two modes. The first is relaxed mode, where creatures won’t attack unless they’re attacked. On the other end of the spectrum is Fierce mode, where things get kicked up a notch. As for Pikmin Bloom, it will welcome Ice Pikmin to the app to celebrate its fourth anniversary.
Nintendo also shared the second Close to You short on YouTube, which was previously only available in the Nintendo Today! app. If you didn’t want to download the app to see the full reveal, you can finally watch it on YouTube.
Interestingly, Nintendo didn’t announce any kind of Switch 2 update for Pikmin 4. With the free update arriving in November, it’s possible Nintendo is also preparing sizable DLC for a Pikmin 4 Switch 2 Edition, similar to what it did for Kirby and the Forgotten Land. As a newcomer to the series, I really enjoyed my time with Pikmin 4 in 2023. In my review, I said the game not only captured my interest but also inspired me to revisit its predecessors.
