Pikmin 4 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy is out today, 12 November, exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2. The enhanced version of Nintendo's strategy adventure adds a new training mode, sharper visuals and voice controls, and it costs $69.99 in the United States and £58.99 in the United Kingdom.

The original Pikmin 4 asked players to guide tiny plant-like creatures through a mysterious world, collecting treasure and solving problems by organising their little workforce efficiently. The Switch 2 Edition keeps that game intact and builds on it with features that use the new console's hardware, from its built-in microphone to its higher-resolution display.

Dandori Academy

The headline addition is Dandori Academy, a new mode built around the game's central idea. Dandori is the art of organising tasks strategically and working through them efficiently, and the Academy turns that into a series of timed challenges in which players practise collecting treasures, such as fruit and vegetables, as quickly and cleanly as possible.

Players can test what they have learned in exams held every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Medals earned in the exams can be used to unlock special rewards, including user icons. A total of 72 Dandori Academy stages will be released over time, with six becoming available each month from launch, so the mode is designed to grow rather than arrive all at once.

The Academy can be played without first working through the main story, which makes it an easy way in for newcomers and a focused challenge for returning players who already know the campaign. It is the clearest sign that Nintendo sees Dandori not just as a mechanic inside Pikmin 4, but as a game in its own right.

Switch 2 upgrades

Visually, the Switch 2 Edition offers enhanced graphics, including up to 4K resolution in TV mode, so the game's gardens and creatures can be explored in greater detail than on the original Switch. The upgrade is about clarity as much as spectacle: in a game where spotting a small Pikmin in tall grass matters, a sharper picture is a practical improvement.

The new edition also adds voice commands for Oatchi, the rescue pup who accompanies the player. Using the Switch 2 system's built-in microphone, players can give Oatchi nine different voice commands, asking him to gather up Pikmin, transport treasures and more. It is a small change that fits the game: talking to a dog feels natural in a way that navigating menus never quite does.

Multiplayer gets a boost too. In Dandori Battles, up to two players can now compete using GameShare, over local wireless or online via GameChat, even if only one of them owns the game. With CameraPlay, each player's face is visible in the game while they compete, adding a social layer to what was a solitary test of efficiency.

Upgrade pack and free demo

Players who already own Pikmin 4 for the original Nintendo Switch do not need to buy the game again. An upgrade pack is available on Nintendo Switch 2, giving existing owners access to all the new features and game modes.

For anyone undecided, a free demo is available on the Nintendo eShop. It includes Sun-Speckled Terrace, the first area of the main story, and two stages of Dandori Academy, offering a fair taste of both the campaign and the new mode before spending anything.

The launch lands on a busy day for Switch 2 owners, and the Switch 2 Edition is a measured rather than radical update: the same beloved game, with a new mode, sharper visuals and a few features that make good use of the new hardware. For players who never tried Pikmin 4, it is the most complete version available. For those returning, Dandori Academy is the reason to come back.