Happy Pikmin Day! No, we didn't make that up. As of today, 1 November is an official holiday, at least in the world of Nintendo.
A holiday, announced by the boss himself
On Saturday, Nintendo put out a special Pikmin presentation. The star wasn't a new character. It was Shigeru Miyamoto, the 70-something legend who created Mario, Zelda and, back in 2001, the Pikmin. According to Game Informer, Miyamoto declared that 1 November is now Pikmin Day, "today and forever".
If you've never met them: Pikmin are tiny plant creatures with a leaf or a flower on their head. You pluck them out of the ground, and they follow you around, carrying stuff, fighting bugs and building bridges. Think of a very small, very loyal workforce that never asks for a raise.
The presentation also featured Japanese actress Fuka Koshiba and a short film, so Nintendo clearly treated the day as a party, not just an ad.
The free demo arrives tomorrow
The real gift is practical. On 2 November, Nintendo releases a free demo of Pikmin 4 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy. Game Informer says it includes one standard level and two levels from the new Dandori Academy mode.
The full game follows on 12 November, in shops and as a download. If you already own Pikmin 4 on the original Switch, Nintendo Life reports you can buy an upgrade pack instead of the whole game. In the UK it costs £7.99.
What's actually new?
Two things stand out. First, voice commands. The Switch 2 has a microphone, and now Oatchi, the space puppy who helps you in Pikmin 4, listens to you. Game Informer mentions commands like "Rush" and "Go to work". Nintendo Life says you can even call him a "good boy". Yes, you'll be talking to a cartoon dog. No, nobody will judge you. Well, maybe your cat.
Second, Dandori Academy. "Dandori" is a Japanese word for planning things well. In this mode you race to collect treasure as fast as possible. According to the official announcement quoted by VGC, there are exams every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, online leaderboards, medals and three difficulty levels. In total there will be 72 stages, released over time. Game Informer describes them as time trials you can practise, with one shot per weekend day at your best score.
Game Informer also mentions improved visuals, and Shacknews talks about technical improvements, but Nintendo hasn't put exact numbers on that.
Why Nintendo bothers
Pikmin used to be the quiet cousin in Nintendo's family. That changed with Pikmin 4 in 2023. VGC notes it became the best-selling game in the whole series, outselling all the earlier ones in a little more than two months.
So a holiday, a demo and a Switch 2 version make sense. And for parents: Pikmin is gentle, colourful and has no blood or swearing. The worst thing that happens is a tiny plant gets eaten by a big bug. Kids cry, kids learn, kids plant another one.
There's also news for phones. Game Informer says Pikmin Bloom, the walking game that grows flowers as you step, gets caves later this year.
So, how do you celebrate?
There are no official rules yet. Our suggestion: water a plant, pick up someone else's rubbish, and do one small job you've been putting off. That's the Pikmin spirit. Then download the demo tomorrow.
Fans did notice one thing missing: no word on remakes of the first two games. Maybe next Pikmin Day. We have plenty of them now.