Strangely, the typical Switch 2 data, namely a 60fps boost and mouse mode, are not included this time around. If the first is disappointing, the second completely baffles me. Nintendo has implemented this control system everywhere, but it’s missing from a game with a pointer controlled by a stick? Even in Pebble Pitcher cooperative mode? Madness!
There’s also a new Howl-Out feature that lets you shout commands at Oatchi through the Switch 2 microphone. It’s a sweet, if sometimes incoherent, little bonus that I quickly turned off after realizing my real-world dog was upset with me by shouting “Good puppy!” without hitting him on the head.
The big newcomer is the titular Dandori Academy, where you’re tasked with clearing out a stage’s treasure as quickly as possible. You train during the week, then take an “exam” on the weekend, unlocking various in-game medals and rewards. The Dandori stages were a highlight of the base game, and it’s great to have even more to play here. The three difficulty options provide a welcome challenge in later stages, and with 72 of them arriving over the next year, it’s a wonderful excuse to return to one of my favorite Switch 1 games.
Deploying the mode is a bit confusing, however. 72 new stages sound good on paper, but that means only six new challenges are available each month. If you pass most of them on the first exam weekend, you end up with three weeks of nothing new. Sure, this gives me a primary reason to return to Pikmin 4 regularly in 2027, but it leaves things pretty light at launch.
Overall, £8/$10 is a small price to pay for a few minor new features and a fun little mode that will keep me entertained over the coming year, but it’s more of a fledgling shoot at the moment than the full upgrade I’d been dreaming of.
Gn tech
