In a gesture reminiscent of Shigeru Miyamoto's most famous surprises, Nintendo has made November 1st Pikmin Day. The choice stems from a visual play on words: three Pikmin side by side resemble the words 11.1. To mark the anniversary of the dead, an exclusive nine-minute Direct was broadcast, during which the legendary creator revealed the franchise's upcoming news.
At the heart of the announcement is Pikmin 4 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy, coming November 12th. In addition to the updated version for the new console, a free demo will be available tomorrow that includes the Sunlit Garden starting area and two Dandori Academy environments, the additional mode with time trials and scoring systems. Owners of the original version will be able to purchase a $9.99 upgrade package to unlock Switch 2 features. Technical improvements include higher resolution, voice commands for Oatchi via the built-in microphone, and local and online GameShare for Dandori Battles. Meanwhile, Pikmin Bloom will receive Secret Caverns this winter, new areas with treasures to recover and creatures to battle. A third main game remains unconfirmed.