However, based on recent developments, it seems the game won’t be available until next year. Shigeru Miyamoto, a game producer and director at Nintendo, revealed during the recently held Nintendo Direct that Pikmin 4 is still in development and will be released in 2023 for the Nintendo Switch. Miyamoto created the first Pikmin game in 2001. Following its success, Nintendo published two other installments, with the latest one, Pikmin 3, released in 2013. In 2015, Miyamoto announced that Pikmin 4 was in development. He even went as far as saying that the game was close to completion. Unfortunately for fans of the franchise, it has taken the company almost a decade to provide any definitive news on its release, even though it has released several spin-offs along the way. The announcement did not reveal much about the highly anticipated game. Fans who attended the event were only treated to the view of a serene park, the Bulborb – the Pikmin’s most recognizable enemy, and a screenshot of the player’s perspective and point of view. In Miyamoto’s words, “We won’t be showing any gameplay today, you’ll be able to play like this, from the Pikmin’s perspective near the ground. Nintendo Switch has made controlling the game simpler, meaning you can further concentrate on the core essence of Pikmin gameplay. We call it ‘Dandori’ in Japanese, or strategically planning, deploying, and commanding the Pikmin. I hope you’re all looking forward to Pikmin 4.” Miyamoto is one of the world’s most renowned game designers. He is responsible for many successful classic video games including The Legend of Zelda, Mario, Donkey Kong, and Star Fox. He was also influential in the creation of popular games like Pokemon Red and Blue and Metroid Prime. Alongside the Pikmin 4 announcement, Nintendo also revealed information on other highly anticipated titles like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Kirby’s Return to Dreamland Deluxe, and Fire Emblem Engage. The video game company also presented Xenoblade Chronicles 3 updates, an upcoming Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DLC, and several ongoing projects by third parties.
