ThePikminfranchise is among Nintendo’s most beloved, which is a testament to the lovable absurdity of the company’s first-party outings. The series stands out from most best-selling AAA games in that it’s not overly reliant on combat, open-world traversal, or a dramatic, save-the-world narrative. Rather,Pikminencourages players to micromanage small creatures for the purposes of collecting “treasures,” which are often simply mundane items that appear remarkable to its alien protagonists.
It’s this irreverence that makesPikminso special, which is why it’s all the more painful when years go by without a proper release. A whopping ten years separatesPikmin 3fromPikmin 4, with the series' fanbase subsisting on little more than re-releases and remasters during that decade, and while many would argue thatPikmin 4was well worth the wait, ten years seems like a bit much. Of course, games should only ever be released when they’re ready, but Nintendo might have additional incentive to put the pedal to the metal withPikmin 5, as it would be especially suitable for theSwitch 2’s unique features.
Hopefully, Pikmin 5 Comes To the Nintendo Switch 2 Sooner Rather Than Later
The Switch 2’s Mouse Functionality Would Be a Boon for the Pikmin Formula
Pikmin’s basic mechanics boil down to aiming and throwing the titular creatures at a variety of different targets, though the practicalities of this gameplay loop can change depending on hardware. Specifically,PikminandPikmin 2, which were initially released on the Nintendo GameCube, launched with a fairly standard, predictable control scheme, but their gameplay was vastly elevated by Nintendo Wii ports years later. On the Wii, players have the option to use the Wiimote to aim and throw Pikmin, which is both more immersive and more intuitive than the standard gamepad controls.
Come the Nintendo Switch 2, thePikminfranchise could once again offer a fresh, smooth way to engage with its mechanics courtesy of the Joy-Con 2’s mouse controls. Scrubbing and clicking with the Joy-Con 2s could allow for more granular and specific maneuvers, reducing or outright removing the need for locking on; locking on gets the job done, but it feels like a concession made for the imprecision of a gamepad. The nextPikmincould be one of the best exhibitions of theJoy-Con 2’s mouse features, at least within Nintendo’s first-party lineup, so the series should make its debut on the platform before too long.
Pikmin 5 Could Have Elevated Co-Op on the Switch 2
Mouse functionality would probably have the biggest impact onPikmin 5’s moment-to-moment gameplay, but other features of the new console could influence the game as well. A somewhat obvious area to highlight is cooperative play: thanks to theSwitch 2’s long-overdue voice chat features, hopping online with another player could allow for a much smoother multiplayer experience in the nextPikminentry. Perhaps there could even be proximity-based voice chat, which would have the potential to vastly change how teamwork and coordination functions in co-op. Other unique Switch 2 additions, like the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera, could also be leveraged for fun, appropriately quirky multiplayer enhancements.
Naturally, many of these features could be applied to older entries in the series, and Nintendo could very well choose to simply remaster, say,Pikmin 3for the Switch 2 with such features in mind. However, the fact that theSwitch 2 is backwards-compatiblemay reduce the appeal of these re-releases. And besides, it would be much better to experience aPikmingame that is purpose-built for the Switch 2’s new features, thereby milking them for all they’re worth.
