That move feels like a way to make Pikmin look and feel more familiar to new players, and it’s something I immediately notice when learning its controls.

Instead, this version brings Pikmin’s visual style more in line with franchises like Mario or Yoshi. It’s a subtle tonal shift that might not appeal to longtime fans that love the uncanny weirdness of the original. Sun-Speckled Terrace essentially looks like it was pulled out of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, turning a lively suburban backyard into a playground. That is still present, but there’s a little more whimsy to the world. The first three Pikmin games play around with more realistic nature settings, with environments often painted in grounded green and browns. It’s there that I get a strong sense of Pikmin 4’s new art style, which feels a little brighter and more cartoony than in previous games. My overarching goal is to find Captain Olimar, though my first task will be saving a few other lost astronauts scattered around the first explorable area, Sun-Speckled Terrace. I’m already in control of a bite-sized astronaut, I have a ship full of red Pikmin, and my dog companion, Oatchi, is happily bounding alongside me. My demo would begin shortly after the full game’s tutorial introduction. That should plant the seed for a more family-friendly installment that newcomers of all ages can dig into. In that short slice, I’m already finding a visually pleasant return to the series that’s been streamlined in some welcome ways. Following l ast week’s Nintendo Direct, I went hands-on with Pikmin 4, playing an hour of its single-player mode and a few rounds of its multiplayer Dandori battles.

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