Nintendo released Pikmin 4 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy on Thursday.
The updated release hits the market just a week after the debut of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and ahead of Grand Theft Auto 6. Critics said that the base game retains its charm, while the physical and digital upgrade package carries distinct divides among reviewers regarding its new content.
Owners of the original 2023 release can buy the upgrade for $10. The full package is available for new buyers.
The upgrade bumps dock resolution to native 4K. It provides sharper environments and expressive lighting across the board.
Frame rates remain capped at 30 frames per second. This mirrors the performance of the original release on the first Nintendo Switch.
The central draw of the updated version is Dandori Academy. It is a time-trial mode focusing on forward planning and effective organization.
Players complete timed exams across Elementary, Advanced, and Graduate tiers. They climb leaderboards through these exams.
Reviewers expressed mixed reactions to how the new mode is scheduled. Exams take place between Friday and Sunday. This limits official score submissions to weekends unless players use Redo Passes earned through practice sessions.
“Overall, £8/$10 is a small price to pay for some minor new features and a fun little mode that’ll keep me entertained over the coming year, but it’s more of a budding shoot right now than the full-bloom upgrade,” said Nintendo Life in a 7/10 review.
Nintendo Insider awarded the release a 6/10. It cited frustration with the gradual distribution of stages over multiple months.
The updated release incorporates new hardware features. Room-scale microphone support allows players to issue voice commands to the space pup Oatchi.
Reviewers found the microphone feature functional once adjusted for background noise. Traditional button inputs remained more reliable.
Vooks said that the release includes GameShare support. Users play Dandori Battles locally over wireless or online via GameChat with friends.
Alongside the launch, Nintendo deployed Version 2.0.0 to add support for the new release. The patch fixed issues intended to “improve the gameplay experience.”
The update introduced a temporary limitation to motion control cursor ranges. Nintendo said that it is working to patch this issue.