Review: With ‘Pikmin 4,’ Nintendo finally nails the right controls for a strategy game

Whenever anyone says you can’t do a real-time strategy game on consoles, the obvious answer to that is “Pikmin.” Nintendo’s series about Lilliputian spacefarers who crash land on an Earth-like planet has been captivating fans since the GameCube.

The plots are generally the same. Explorers end up as castaways on a mysterious planet dubbed PNF-404, and they have to find a way to return home. That’s easier said than done, though, because the environment is hostile from the fauna all the way to the environment, with oxygen levels toxic to the space travelers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPiT-s4i0rwPIKMIN SOLVE A LOT OF PROBLEMSThe solution for the explorers is Pikmin, diminutive creatures that are a cross between a sprout and an ant. Spacefarers can control them and they quickly find out that alone they’re weak, but under a leader, they become a formidable swarm capable of taking down bigger creatures and lifting heavy objects.

The original “Pikmin” laid a solid foundation and each iteration has offered improvements. Developers adapted the RTS gameplay elegantly on consoles by simplifying the controls and giving players direct control of the action. Instead of a mouse cursor commanding units on the screen, they controlled the explorer who had a whistlel-ike gadget attached to the suit. Holding a button would call Pikmin in a radius, and using the analog stick to aim, players would send them on the attack, toss them at foes or ask them to lift trinkets.

For the most part, it sufficed but “Pikmin” always had a problem with controls never felt perfect. With “Pikmin 4,” that changed. Nintendo has broadened the scope, adding new types of Pikmin, offering bigger maps and new wrinkles to the gameplay, but at the same time, the developers refined the mechanics so that commanding Pikmin now feels both effortless and more precise.

FIXING THE CONTROLSPlayers can click on a clump of Pikmin and they won’t accidentally stop their comrades from jobs they’ve been assigned. The X button sends Pikmin on an all-or-nothing charge against foes while players can toss specific types at enemies with quick presses of the shoulder buttons.

Nintendo added customizable shortcuts on the D-pad allowing players to instantly disband all Pikmin so they can select the types they want. They can activate a survey drone to see scout what’s ahead or give their Pikmin a boost with Ultra-Spicy Spray.

Combine all of this with smarter artificial intelligence and “Pikmin 4” has responsive controls that are superior to past games while also giving players more on-the-fly granularity for command. The creatures move better and are less likely to be trapped or end up idle. It leads to a level of management that’s just perfect.

THE STORY SO FARIn “Pikmin 4,” players will need it as they explore six maps as the rookie member of the Rescue Corps. The organization has received Capt. Olimar’s distress call and have come to planet PNF-404 to save him, but in the process, they’ve crash landed and scattered. As the lone remaining rescuer, the protagonist, who is player-created, heads off to be the hero.

They’ll have to save the Rescue Corps crew, Olimar and other castaways who have also crash landed. The must also powerup the spaceship by gathering Sparklium contained in treasure. The valuables look like everyday objects including old Nintendo machines.

Thankfully, the rookie has help in the form Oatchi, a space dog that the hero can ride. It lets players speed across the enormous maps and gives players that extra bit of zip when they need to outmaneuver foes. The good boy serves as a Pikmin carrier, and as a deployable second character that can access out-of-the-way areas. Oatchi can even lift heavy objects or attack foes. The only thing he can’t do is climb ropes or walls.

Knowing how to deploy him is key to solving puzzles and improving the survivability of players’ Pikmin. For much of the campaign, they have to constantly maintain their supply of normal red, yellow and blue Pikmin while also rationing the rarer ones such as ice, rock, white, purple and winged versions. They’re harder to come by until the last few levels.

NEW TYPES OF PIKMINPart of the magic of “Pikmin 4” is that each species have unique properties that make them suited to defeating certain foes or overcoming an obstacle. Ice Pikmin can freeze water so that other Pikmin can cross without drowning. They can also freeze enemies. Red ones are immune to fire and are perfect for attacking fire slugs or venturing in hotter zones. Purple Pikmin are heavy and strong. They can damage enemies that are seemingly immune while Rock Pikmin can break glass and are nearly invulnerable.

Nintendo does a beautiful job of layering the enormous maps so that players will have to think how each Pikmin can access different areas. Because Pikmin and the explorers are small, the worlds they explore look like backyards, parks and even human homes. It lends the design a bit of the familiar and the fantastic, creating a world that’s like “Honey I Shrunk the Kids” or Obsidian’s “Grounded.”

NEW FORMS OF PLAYThe developers play around with the format and have crafted new types of scenarios. Players come across Leaflings who test a player’s Dandori, that is how they best organize tasks and execute plans. These opponents essentially test how well players can micromanage Pikmin to squeeze the most out of the swarm. A success means they rescue Leaflings who need Glow Sap to be healed.

To acquire the substance, players will have to tackle night missions, a first for the series. They’re a form of zombie-defense missions. Players use Oatchi and the new Glow Pikmin to fend off wave after wave of amped-up foes. If they survive the night, players earn the vital sap.

With limited resources in these stages, upgrading the rookie and Oatchi is a must. Players do that buy picking up Raw Materials, which can be cashed in for upgrades. Players can even buy one-time items such as bombs or mines to help with the defense. Meanwhile, Oatchi can also be trained to be stronger, but players will need to rescue castaways.

Lastly, players will find Caves that are essentially multilevel dungeons. These are areas that will test players’ puzzle-solving skills as well as their command of Pikmin. These tend to be long and at times difficult but Nintendo offers a rewind option if players make a disastrous mistake or they can exit the Cave and continue on later if they want to do something else.

It’s just another layer of thoughtful convenience for a game that does everything right.

‘Pikmin 4’

4 stars out of 4Platform: Nintendo SwitchRating: Everyone 10 and up