Nintendo will release a free demo of Pikmin 4's Switch 2 Edition on Monday, November 2, the company announced in its Pikmin Day Direct. According to the video, the demo covers the opening area, Sunspeckled Terrace, along with two stages from Dandori Academy, the time-attack mode added in this version. Nintendo also said your progress will carry over to the full game, which launches Thursday, November 12, a date confirmed on its store page.
Nintendo of America posted the nine-minute video Saturday at 7 a.m. PT. The edition's full name is Pikmin 4 - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy, and we covered everything it adds when Nintendo dated it in September.
What's in the demo
Dandori Academy has you lead your Pikmin, the small plant creatures that follow your orders, to collect treasure against the clock, and your time decides which medal you earn. The demo includes two of those stages, and the full game will build up to 72, which Nintendo says will roll out over time. You can practice any stage during the week, but the exams that count for scoring only open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
If the save transfers as Nintendo announced, anyone who starts the campaign in the demo won't have to replay the first area on November 12. Nintendo hasn't said what time the demo goes live on the eShop or how big the download is. It's a demo of the Switch 2 Edition, so you'll need a Switch 2 to play it.
Already own Pikmin 4 on Switch?
You don't have to buy it again. The Upgrade Pack costs $9.99 and is already up for pre-order on Nintendo's US store, though it requires the original game. It's a 1.2 GB download, compared with 12.8 GB for the full Switch 2 Edition.
The upgrade brings sharper visuals on the TV and in handheld mode, adds Dandori Academy and lets you give voice commands through the console's microphone to Oatchi, the game's space dog. It also supports Dandori Battles over GameShare, so a friend can join even without owning the game. If you already have the original, the demo is mostly a chance to try those two Dandori Academy stages before you pay. Our guide to Switch 2 Editions and Upgrade Packs explains how a paid upgrade differs from a free patch.
The first Pikmin Day
Series creator Shigeru Miyamoto hosted the Direct and announced that November 1 will be Pikmin Day from now on. The date comes from the original red, blue and yellow Pikmin, which look like 11.1 when lined up side by side.
Nintendo Treehouse, the company's live gameplay show, is playing the Switch 2 Edition today at 9 a.m. PT. The Direct's official page also lists the first episode of Hello! Pikmin, a series of animated shorts in the Nintendo Today app, and the Secret Caves coming to the mobile game Pikmin Bloom this winter. In the video, Nintendo added that the shorts will go monthly starting in December and that some cave maps will unlock through Dandori Academy exams.
If the demo is your first Pikmin game, our guide to the series order explains why the fourth entry is the friendliest place to start.
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