Game Informer praises Pikmin 4 Switch 2 Edition but pans Dandori Academy

Game Informer called Dandori Academy underwhelming in its November 10, 2026 review of Pikmin 4 for Nintendo Switch 2, while praising the base game and Oatchi.

The reviewer said Pikmin 4 remains excellent. Oatchi makes managing Pikmin smoother, the reviewer found. The reviewer enjoys building a Pikmin army and exploring, discovering and retrieving items, but dislikes the ticking clock above all else. Crew members meander toward the spaceship including a Game Boy Advance SP, and the reviewer brought a save file over from the original Switch release to consider a new-game-plus save.

Game Informer said the mode does not give returning players a strong reason to buy again. Dandori Academy is an expanded time-trial feature awarding medals for practicing specific levels, and high scores count only on designated days. At the Advanced B level Rockaway Cellars, players can practice freely, but only one try counts on November 12, and players can unlock retry tickets. The practice platinum medal mainly points to a possible result on the correct day, and practice success receives little recognition from the mode.

Anime News Network says Dandori Academy offers weekend challenges and puzzles across three difficulty levels. The mode also includes a global leaderboard for ranking players against others. Players can practice for free, but only one attempt counts on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

The Switch 2 edition has improved performance and visuals. Players can speak to Oatchi using the console microphone. Game Informer said players can say “Rush” or tell Oatchi, the Rescue Corps’ dog, to work.

A free demo comes to the eShop on November 2, 2026. It covers Sunspeckled Terrace and two Dandori Academy stages, and save data carries over to the full game. Pre-orders are open. The edition launches in physical and digital form.

An upgrade pack is available on the Nintendo Store and eShop. Pikmin 4 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy comes out on November 12, 2026. The original Switch version of Pikmin 4 shipped in July 2023.

Pikmin 1+2 is an HD release of the first two games. Digital release came in June 2023, and physical release came in September 2023. Pikmin started on GameCube in 2001. Pikmin 3 arrived on Wii U in 2013, Hey!

In July 2017, Pikmin arrived on 3DS, Pikmin 3 Deluxe arrived on Switch in 2020 and Pikmin Bloom launched worldwide in October 2021.

Passing exams unlocks cave maps for the Secret Caves update in Pikmin Bloom during Winter 2026. The maps come attached to postcards. Players send Pikmin to battle creatures and win treasure.

The Direct made November 1 an annual Pikmin Day tied to the original GameCube game from 2001. Red, blue and yellow Pikmin debuted in that first game. Miyamoto said, “If you imagine those three Pikmin as the number one, that makes November 1st, Pikmin Day!”

A Treehouse presentation of the Switch 2 Edition will stream on Nintendo’s official YouTube channel. Nintendo Pictures and Miyamoto unveiled Hello! Pikmin. The first short aired during the Direct event.

Two more arrive this month. One releases monthly starting in December on Nintendo Today and other channels.

Actress Fuka Koshiba introduced the first short, which features a Pikmin interacting with a toad. She voiced Kiki in Kiki’s Delivery Service and knits Pikmin hats shared on social media. Nintendo announced no plan for Pikmin 1 and 2 to join the GameCube library on Switch 2 through Nintendo Switch Online, though Nintendo sells both individually on the eShop. Game Informer said the Direct reminded viewers of the full Pikmin catalog on Switch and Switch 2.