Pikmin 4’s Creators On Why Development Isn’t Only About Making Miyamoto Happy

Pikmin 4 has been a hit for years, and we were pleasantly surprised by its fun, quality, and creativity. Yuji Kando (chief and programming director) and Yutaka Haramuki (planning director) provided us with some information about the development of Pikmin 4 and their experiences working with Shigeru.

Game Informer: In 2015, Shigeru Miyamoto said in an interview that Pikmin 4 development was “very close to completion.” Was that statement inaccurate at the time?

Kando: As a small development team, after Pikmin 3 was finished we began development on Pikmin 4.

We tried many things and saw the game taking shape. However, because we were prioritizing other projects we couldn’t create the framework for a development team to finish the game. The fruits of that labor led to what Pikmin 4 has become today.

Hiramuki:The fans had been worried about the long wait for Pikmin 4, but their patience allowed us to create a fun game.

Oatchi simplifies the gameplay by placing all the Pikmin onto his back. Oatchi makes it easier to manage Pikmin, so was there any concern that the title would feel like less of a Pikmin game?

Kando: The essence of Pikmin is as described in the Japanese word “Dandori,” which is the ability to “organize tasks strategically and working effectively to execute plans.” With that in mind, the key point of the game is to decide what tasks to assign to the Pikmin to execute your plans effectively. So, we were not at all worried about losing any “Pikmin-ness” by making it easier to manage the Pikmin. Oatchi is still used to assign tasks to Pikmin so that they can achieve Dandori.

Oatchi has two aspects. He is both a super Pikmin and a character that can be played. His presence reduces control barriers, while also expanding the Dandori and decision-making gameplay for advanced players.

Hiramuki:We spent much time making changes to the game throughout the development process in order to maintain the balance of Oatchi’s and Pikmin’s capabilities. Early on, it was very difficult for us to make the other members of the team understand how amazing Oatchi truly is. Once they played it, however, the team understood the value of Oatchi.

Do you think Oatchi from Pikmin 4 and Poochy from Yoshi’s Island would get along? A game featuring the two has already been in development.

Hiramuki: Ha! Poochy was not a consideration when Oatchi was designed, and that’s why I didn’t think of it before you said so. There is nothing more I can share with you about future games.

Nintendo’s Pikmin concept art.

Every Pikmin title feels like it’s taking place in Earth or an Earth-like version. How do you make the games less alien each time?

Hiramuki:While it is true that this planet looks very much like the Earth that we are familiar with, it should be noted that it has never been referred to as the “Earth.”

Kando:This game was designed to give the Pikmin a more lifelike feel. To achieve this, we have added a number of elements familiar to all players. On the other hand I think we have also been able to widen the value gap between the aliens and players.

Also, with the appearance of many aliens other than Hocotatian and Koppaite as well as the depiction of new technology, I think we in fact expanded on the game’s element of “outer space” beyond what players already know and feel about Earth or any similar planet.

Why does Olimar remain loyal to his boss when he is forced to work in dangerous situations away from his loved ones to fix their mess?

Kando:Although I am not certain about his loyalty, Olimar always seems to be in difficult situations. So maybe he is just a trouble maker.

Hiramuki:Olimar is a pilot for a shipping company to provide a stable income and support his family, rather than become an adventurer who makes no money. I’ll also point out that Hey! PIKMIN contains a short story that tells about Olimar, shortly after he joined the company. The President gives him a job as a courier. Olimar finds himself at his wife’s house when the President gives him a delivery assignment. When he receives his bonus, Olimar is delighted. It seems then that Olimar had vowed from now on to follow President.

Pikmin, a fun and light game, has an undercurrent of dark. It is played by defeating your enemies and then dragging them to the ship so you can turn their bodies into fuel. What is your approach to this balance between light and darkness?

Kando:The game’s feel is due to the fact that it depicts realistic creatures and not just fantasy.

Since the first series title, these perspectives have been important to us. We also aim for a design that is both cute and creepy, as well as being ambiguous about the intentions of the Pikmin. From the very first Pikmin title onwards, we have taken these perspectives into consideration. In addition, our goal is to make the Pikmin look both creepy and cute, while also being vague about their intentions.

Hiramuki:Olimar mentions it in the game as well, but the assumption that Pikmin are allies may just be a convenient one, and in reality, we humans (the player) are being played.

In the Ask the Developer interviews for Pikmin 4, Shigeru Miyamoto said, “My words carry a lot of weight, people would get flustered if I said something even remotely random.” Do you have an example a strange or random bit of feedback Miyamoto offered during Pikmin 4’s development? Miyamoto looking at your game to give feedback must be scary. What is it like to work with such a legendary figure as Miyamoto?

Kando:Working with Mr. Miyamoto is an honour. With that said, I hope people don’t take this the wrong way, but we don’t work on a game with the goal of “to make Mr. Miyamoto happy.”

It’s important to have a deep discussion about the game. This is when you can really see the depth of our thought process. We are afraid to talk with Mr. Miyamoto in this sense.

Hiramuki:Here are some of the examples that Mr. Miyamoto has provided for his feedback on the game.

The scene where Captain Shepherd slides down after she’s rescued, and the dialogue between Collin and her in the beginning of the game, both of those incorporate some of Mr. Miyamoto’s ideas.

If you’re a woman, it might be helpful to use phrases like “Collin… I see that your hair has changed since last time.” “Have you changed your hairstyle?” Collin, are you certain we have sufficient emergency rations?” This dialogue came out of a conversation with Mr. Miyamoto.

Miyamoto took a great deal of time and care to create the scene when the GBA drops from the sky and opens.

Follow the link to read Game Informer’s Pikmin 4 Review.