Nintendo has designated November 1 as the first annual Pikmin Day and marked the occasion with a Pikmin Day Direct presentation in which Shigeru Miyamoto revealed new details about Pikmin 4 for the Switch 2, an update to the Pikmin Bloom mobile app, and a new series of animated shorts titled Hello! Pikmin. The announcements position the Pikmin franchise at the center of Nintendo's software plans for its Switch 2 console and its mobile lineup.
In Pikmin 4, players will be able to issue voice commands to Oatchi, the space dog, using the Switch 2's built-in microphone. The game will also include a Dandori Academy mode that tests players' skills through specific challenges. Limited tests of that mode are scheduled for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and they will include leaderboards where players can compare their stats.
The Pikmin Bloom update introduces a feature called Secret Caves, in which players can win treasure by battling enemies and exploring the caves. Nintendo did not detail further plans for the app beyond that addition.
Miyamoto also showed the first installment of Hello! Pikmin during the Direct. A second episode is set to premiere tomorrow, November 1, with a third arriving later in November. Beginning in December, the series will release one short per month. The shorts follow Close to You, a Pikmin animation released last year.
The Pikmin Day Direct was held on the morning of October 31, the day before the newly created holiday. Nintendo framed the shorts as building on the reception of last year's Close to You animation, extending the franchise beyond games into regular animated releases.
For US Switch 2 owners, the Pikmin 4 voice controls depend on the console's built-in microphone, and the Dandori Academy weekend tests give players a limited window to try the challenge mode and compare results on leaderboards. Pikmin Bloom players in the US will see the Secret Caves feature added to the mobile app. Nintendo has not said whether Pikmin Day will become a recurring annual event beyond this first one.
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