Prologue

Welcome to IGN's Pikmin 4 Wiki Guide! When the game is released, you'll find a step-by-step Walkthrough here taking you through each day to 100% completion. For now, this walkthrough covers the demo version of Pikmin 4, which is currently available to download. On this page, we'll cover the key information needed to complete the Prologue and get to grips with the basic mechanics of the game.

The game begins with Captain Olimar of the S.S. Dolphin recounting the story of how he crashed his ship and was ultimately rescued. It begins with him encountering a strange species, which he names Pikmin, as well as a dog, who will become a valuable companion.

With the Pikmin having the desire to carry objects, Olimar is able to use them to help carry crucial missing parts back to his ship. The ship is almost entirely restored, with just one more part left to be found. This leads Olimar to the final area of exploration, but upon landing there, the Pikmin run away and hide.

This is when you'll take control of Captain Olimar. Not only will you need to search the area for the final ship part but also find and collect all the Pikmin that traveled with him.

Find the Ship Parts

As you take control of Olimar, he'll hop up onto his pup. You'll then want to go towards the green fence and broken pots to find your first few Pikmin. Here you'll be given a short tutorial on how to use the pup to Rush and break objects.

Using the Rush and Whistle Abilities

Hold X down to charge up Rush, then release it and send the pup flying into objects. This can be performed on more than just breakable objects, to knock items or Pikmin down from things such as cushions or walls.
Hold down B to whistle. This will create a circle that will expand, allowing you to recall any Pikmin within it.

With the first few Pikmin found and collected, you'll be able to record the information in the voyage log. You'll have the option to record it now or later, but it's worth noting it down before you continue on.

Using the Voyage Log

Throughout the game, key information will be stored in the Voyage Log. This will range from when and how to use certain colors of Pikmin, to basic abilities such as Whistle

Now the pots are broken, you can continue on to the next area. But before you head off towards the notice board against the wall, and another set of breakable pots, turn left and look for the wooden block.

Make your way over to this section of the room, and tucked away behind the block you'll be able to pick up a few more Pikmin that are next to the weaved basket.

Now turn back around and go over to the notice board and the next stack of pots on the far side of the room. Use the Rush ability here again to break the pots and release even more Pikmin.

Olimar will prompt you here, saying that you should search the area below, so turn to the right and go over to the ramp. You'll see a spiky creature on a table to the right, but we'll ignore that for now, and concentrate on collecting Pikmin. Drop down from the ramp, and as you land below, you'll see a lot of different colored Pikmin in a line.

Note: If you look to the left here as you drop down, you'll see a fan. You can jump into these and use the gusts of wind to propel you up in the direction the fan is blowing. This can be used to reach higher ledges or to return to places you've dropped down from.

Use Whistle here to pick up the Pikmin as you go along the path of drawings, but be sure to look left almost immediately as you drop down and collect the Pikmin that sit on top of the cushion. You can either get close to the cushion and press Whistle here, or you can simply use Rush and knock them down.

Surveying Your Surroundings

Olimar will say that he can hear noises at this point, prompting you to scan your surroundings using Aerial View. With the Right Stick, you can change your camera angle to give you an advantage and better view of your surroundings at any point.

Continue along the carpet picking up Pikmin as you go, past the legs of the table, to reach the stack of books at the end. Use the Rush ability on the metal grate to knock it down and release the Pikmin trapped inside the stack.

Note: If you look off to the left, just before the stack of books, you'll see a fan underneath some shelves, and Pikmin riding a rail down to the fan and being blown back up again. You don't actually need to collect these Pikmin to complete the Prologue, but if you want to get as many as you can, you'll find Pikmin by the fan, as well as some under the table on the left side of the room, and by the steps.

At this point, you'll be able to use the pup's scent-tracking skills to show you where you need to go to collect the final part of Olimar's ship. Puffs of blue cloud will emerge, creating a path for you to follow.

However, you'll need to collect enough Pikmin before you can take on the spiky creature that awaits you at the top of the table, so let's go back to finding them. Go to the stairs behind the stack of books to find some more Pikmin. Turn right from here to find more breakable pots that can be destroyed with Rush, and Pikmin on top of a set of wooden blocks.

Follow the scent to backtrack on yourself, and go towards the cushion. Olimar will tell you to use Rush here to get the Pikmin down.

Now go left of the cushion, and check underneath the yellow suitcase to find a group of Pikmin hiding below. Just to the right, near the green bag, you'll see wooden blocks with Pikmin standing on them.

Note: If you visited the left side of the room and picked up all the Pikmin playing by the fan, under the table, and near the steps, Olimar will tell you that you have enough Pikmin at this stage. If you skipped that side of the room, read on so you can gather Pikmin in this area to give you enough to continue.

Go behind the blocks, towards the cabinet to find smaller, circular blocks you can use to climb up. You'll be prompted here to press X to jump and climb up. Do this to reach the top of the green bag and Whistle to collect the rest of the Pikmin.

Drop back down and head towards the cabinet to collect the groups of Pikmin you may have spotted before you climbed up the blocks. Continue following this cabinet until you reach a shelving unit with grass on the bottom. As you approach the grass, Olimar will say it moves, so use Whistle to get the Pikmin that are hiding inside of it to join you.

Now spin back around and head towards the green bag and wooden blocks again. Turn left to see a bag that's open, creating a ramp for you to climb up to the table. Pick up the Pikmin hiding underneath and on the ramp, then use Rush to knock down the metal and climb up to the top of the table and meet the spiky creature.

Defeating the Creature

As soon as you step on top of the table, a video tutorial will play showing you the best way to approach the creature and beat it. With two well-timed and charged-up Rush attacks, it can be defeated in just two hits. But, if you collected all of the Pikmin on this level, it will take just one!

The key in this fight is to find the right opening to unleash an attack. The creature will attack by shooting spikes from its body. As each set of spikes is shot out, you'll want to dodge them, so keep an eye on the direction they're flying towards.

When the spikes have been used, that part of the creature's body will become soft and vulnerable. This is where you want to aim the attacks. Rushing at these vulnerable parts will send your Pikmin onto the creature, taking down its health quickly. It will attack four times, exposing a quarter of its body with each attack, before it needs to rest and recharge.

Don't forget to whistle and call your Pikmin back after they've attacked. When you've defeated the creature, it will spit out the Interstellar Radio—the final piece needed to repair the damaged ship!

After the Interstellar Radio is Returned

Olimar will pick up his story once you've obtained the Interstellar Radio, which shows him sending out an SOS signal. After a month, the signal reached the Rescue Corps and they set out to rescue Olimar.

Unfortunately, it wasn't to be and the Rescue Corps also crashed their spaceship. That leaves the rescue of Olimar and the Rescue Corps in the fate of one person's hands—you, the Rescue Corps rookie.

This will wrap up the Prologue and begin the first Emergency Mission: Rescue the Rescue Corps and take you into Exploration Day 1.