Review calls Pikmin 4 Switch 2 upgrade pleasant but piecemeal

Nintendo Life published its review of Pikmin 4 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy on Nov. 10, 2026, calling the Switch 2 upgrade pleasant but piecemeal ahead of the game’s Nov. 12, 2026 launch on Switch 2.

The review says the upgrade does not do much new with the game and leaves the reviewer wanting more, though it calls Pikmin 4 one of Nintendo’s finest games from the last generation. Nintendo Life says the resolution bump does not feel transformative because Pikmin 4 was already one of the best-looking titles on Switch 1.

My Nintendo News scored Pikmin 4 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy 8 out of 10. The outlet said the $10 Upgrade Pack price is appropriate for what the game offers, even though the edition is not as extravagant as some other Switch 2 Editions.

Wccftech described its coverage as an opinion piece rather than a full scored review. It said the new content does not justify the $10 price tag, calling Dandori Academy bite-sized but threadbare, and added that newcomers should get this version while veterans will not find too much more.

Mashable reporter Alex Perry played a few hours of the new upgrade and now considers Pikmin 4 one of the coolest games Nintendo has made in the past five or six years. He called the Switch 2 the best current console platform for catching up on old games and clearing out backlogs, noting limited backward compatibility on PS5 and Xbox.

The Switch 2 Edition runs at native 4K resolution in docked TV mode, up from 900p on Switch 1, and at 1080p in handheld mode, up from 720p.

The frame rate remains locked at 30 frames per second and was not upgraded from the Switch 1 version. Pikmin games have always run at 30 frames per second, and Pikmin 4 manages up to 100 Pikmin character models on screen at once, which is why no Pikmin game has reached 60 frames per second.

Existing owners of the Switch 1 version can upgrade for £7.99 or $9.99, while buying the original game and the upgrade together costs $70. A free demo is available on the Nintendo eShop, and save data carries over to the full version. In Japan, the demo has been available since November 2, 2026.

Dandori Academy is a new mode featuring timed arcade-like challenge stages where players collect treasure within a time limit to earn high scores and medals. Dandori is the Japanese term for multitasking and organizing a Pikmin army efficiently. It launches with six stages in simple field or underground cave settings that reuse enemies and objects from the main game, and Nintendo plans to release six new exam stages each month for an eventual total of 72 stages. Players can practice anytime, but official exam runs occur once per weekend from Friday to Sunday, and players need an internet connection to take exams and receive certification stages.

GameShare lets players take part in local and online Dandori Battles with friends via GameChat, even if they do not own a copy of the game. Nintendo Life frames this as cross-console Dandori Battles with a friend.

The mode begins with three training stages that teach treasure transport, Pikmin abilities, and shortcuts. Six exam stages follow in two unique environments, with Elementary, Advanced, and Graduate variations. Difficulty changes by adjusting the time limit, usable Pikmin types, Oatchi’s maximum strength, enemies and treasures, and medal point thresholds.

Final scores determine medals stamped to a player’s stamp card, and an online scoreboard shows how players compare. Dandori Points accumulate based on the medal, and players use them to reach in-game reward milestones. Players earn a Redo Pass for every five practice exams, with up to five passes each month. Earning a Platinum medal in the Graduate exam requires serious Dandori skills.

The Switch 2’s built-in microphone lets players issue voice commands to Oatchi, with nine types of vocal cues available. Players can tell Oatchi to rush or go to work, though the jump command has a slight delay that makes it impractical. Players can turn off voice commands in the settings.

Mashable’s Alex Perry turned off the Oatchi voice commands almost immediately because it is impossible to hold a conversation while playing that way. He also noted that Pikmin 4 has no overall time limit, which may be a detriment to series die-hards but is a boon to players who stress easily.

Pikmin 4 originally launched on Switch 1 in 2023. It won the best sim/strategy game category at The Game Awards 2023 and scored 87/100 on Metacritic, tied with Pikmin 3 and a few points below the original GameCube duology. Series creator Shigeru Miyamoto first teased the game in a 2015 interview, and Nintendo formally announced it after a nearly decade-long wait.

Nintendo announced the dedicated Switch 2 version on September 9, 2026, with a November 12 launch, and current owners could pre-order the Upgrade Pack that same day. Pikmin 3 Deluxe received a surprise free Switch 2 update in August, while Nintendo set a paid upgrade precedent with Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Kirby and the Forgotten Land.

In Japan, the game carries the title Pikmin 4 Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Everyone’s Challenge! Dandori Certification. The download version costs 7,500 yen and the physical version costs 7,578 yen including tax, while existing Switch owners can use a 1,000 yen upgrade pass. CERO, Japan’s age-rating body, rates the game A.

On November 12, players can take the Dandori Academy exam as a special event.

The enhanced re-release launches the week between The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Grand Theft Auto 6. Nintendo UK provided a copy of Pikmin 4 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy to My Nintendo News for review purposes.