Pikmin 4 returns with 72 Dandori trials and lets you talk to Oatchi

The Academy opens on November 12

Pikmin 4 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy launches on November 12. The official Direct recap says Switch owners can buy an Upgrade Pack instead of purchasing the whole adventure again.

Physical pre-orders opened on September 9. Nintendo has yet to publish regional Upgrade Pack pricing. The download is 12.8 GB on Switch 2 and 11.3 GB on Switch.

Dandori Academy contains 72 trials

The new mode turns efficiency into a school subject. Players race to collect treasure, earn medals and climb online rankings across three difficulty levels. Its 72 stages will roll out over time rather than all being available on launch day.

Exams appear on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. That schedule can keep the competition alive for months, but it also means the advertised mode will not be complete on November 12.

Oatchi follows voice commands

Switch 2's built-in microphone lets players direct Oatchi and praise him by voice. It is an optional feature built around the new hardware, although Nintendo still needs to specify supported languages and commands. The edition also improves visual quality and supports Dandori Battles through GameShare, both locally and online.

Anyone considering the move should read Switch 2 game and controller compatibility and our Switch 2 game selection. The package preserves the original campaign and adds challenges, so it does not replace your adventure or force a restart.

An upgrade built for a return visit

Dandori Academy focuses on Pikmin 4's strongest idea: planning a route and executing it with seconds to spare. Quantity is not the concern. The real test is whether those 72 stages keep changing the decisions players make.