Pikmin 4 Oatchi: Your Loyal Rescue Pup Companion Guide

Pikmin 4 introduces players to Oatchi, a dependable partner who quickly becomes essential to your adventure on this mysterious planet. As a member of the Rescue Corps, this lovable Rescue Pup works alongside you and your Pikmin squad to rescue your crew, collect treasure, and overcome challenges that would be impossible to face alone.

Meet Oatchi: The Rescue Corps’ Good Boy

Oatchi is described as the “resident good boy and dependable partner” who can help get the job done throughout your adventure in Pikmin 4. Unlike the tiny plantlike Pikmin creatures, Oatchi is a Rescue Pup with substantial size and strength, making him a unique and powerful addition to your team.

The Rescue Pup’s role goes far beyond simple companionship. Oatchi is strong enough to carry a squad of Pikmin and an Explorer on his back, transforming how you navigate the game’s explorable areas. This carrying capacity opens up new strategic possibilities that weren’t available in previous Pikmin games, allowing you to traverse water, reach distant locations quickly, and transport your entire squad as a unit.

What makes Oatchi particularly valuable is his trainable nature. Throughout your adventure, you can train this Rescue Pup to become more helpful, expanding his capabilities and making him even more essential to completing your mission. With the Pikmin and a powerful pup at your side, no challenge is too big.

Oatchi’s Capabilities and Gameplay Functions

One of Oatchi’s most practical functions is his ability to transport your Explorer and Pikmin squad simultaneously. This transportation capability proves especially useful when navigating challenging terrain or crossing bodies of water. Oatchi gives the Explorer and Pikmin a ride on his back across water, eliminating the need to rely solely on Blue Pikmin for aquatic traversal.

This mobility advantage allows you to open up new paths more efficiently. When you lead Oatchi and your squad of Pikmin through the big explorable areas, you can discover paths, reach treasures, and complete objectives faster than you would on foot. The game encourages players to use the right Pikmin to clear spaces, and Oatchi complements this strategic element by providing reliable transport between these cleared areas.

Oatchi’s strength also contributes to your treasure-hunting efforts. As you lead Oatchi and the Pikmin across what looks like kitchen countertops and through mysterious caves, his carrying capacity means you can bring more Pikmin to tackle larger treasures or transport collected materials back to your base more efficiently.

Training Your Rescue Pup

The ability to train Oatchi is a central feature of Pikmin 4’s progression system. The game explicitly states that you can train this Rescue Pup to become more helpful, though the specific training mechanics and skill trees require hands-on gameplay to discover.

Training Oatchi likely ties into the broader resource management systems in Pikmin 4. You collect treasures as a great source of Sparklium, the mysterious element that powers the S.S. Shepherd. You can also collect materials to construct things like bridges and build new equipment back at your base that might make your mission easier. This construction and upgrade system probably extends to Oatchi’s training as well.

As you progress through each in-game day and rescue more crew members, you’ll have opportunities to invest in Oatchi’s development. The game’s emphasis on efficiency and “dandori” (planning things out in advance and working efficiently) suggests that choosing which aspects of Oatchi to train will involve strategic decision-making based on your playstyle and the challenges ahead.

Using Oatchi in Story Mode and Missions

In the main Story mode, you can customize your own explorer and lead the charge each day to find your crew and fix the Rescue Corps ship, the S.S. Shepherd. Oatchi accompanies you throughout this journey, serving as a constant companion alongside your growing Pikmin squad.

Every in-game day brings different adventures, and Oatchi adapts to various situations. There’s only so much you can do before you must return to the safety of your ship, so Oatchi’s efficiency in transportation and support becomes crucial for maximizing each day’s progress. If you can’t get everything done that you wanted, there’s always tomorrow—but bringing Oatchi along ensures you accomplish more per expedition.

Night Missions with Oatchi

Night missions represent a special challenge where Oatchi’s role shifts. If you head out after dark, you and the Glow Pikmin will be tasked with fighting off crazed creatures. An Explorer leads Oatchi and the Glow Pikmin in battle against creepy Bulborbs with glowing red eyes that attack lit-up mud-like structures called Lumiknolls.

During these night missions, Oatchi’s presence provides stability and strength while the Glow Pikmin handle their specialized nighttime duties. The combination of Oatchi’s carrying capacity and the Glow Pikmin’s ability to thrive in the dark creates a unique gameplay dynamic that differs significantly from daytime exploration.

Dandori Challenges and Battles

Dandori is a practice centered around planning things out in advance and working efficiently, and Pikmin 4 incorporates this concept into specific challenges. In your expedition, you’ll come across Dandori Battles and Challenges that ask you to use your time wisely and efficiently to collect the most items before time runs out.

Oatchi’s role in these time-sensitive challenges is to maximize your squad’s mobility. His ability to quickly transport Pikmin between task sites means you can execute more complex strategies and collect items faster than you could by guiding Pikmin on foot alone.

Oatchi in Multiplayer Modes

Pikmin 4 supports two players on the same system who can work together or battle it out in various modes. Oatchi’s presence affects how multiplayer gameplay unfolds, particularly in Co-Op Mode.

Co-Op Mode

You can get help from a second player in the Story mode. Using an on-screen pointer, your co-op buddy can throw pebbles at enemies to stun them and unleash helpful items in your inventory. While one player controls the Explorer and Oatchi, the second player provides support through their pointer-based actions.

This cooperative dynamic means that one player can focus on directing Oatchi and the Pikmin squad through the environment while the other player handles tactical support like stunning enemies and deploying items. The combination creates a streamlined experience where Oatchi’s transportation and strength complement the second player’s strategic interventions.

Dandori Battle Mode

In Dandori Battle mode, you can take on or team up with a second player to collect the most items before time runs out. Two players playing split-screen on the same system each control an Explorer and a squad of Pikmin to collect items. The competitive or cooperative nature of these battles likely gives each player access to similar resources, potentially including their own Rescue Pup companion.

Additional Game Features That Complement Oatchi

Rewind Time Feature

Something go sideways? No worries. You can give yourself a do-over with the new Rewind Time feature and try a different approach. The Rewind Time menu includes details like a progress percentage, a list of discoveries, and number of Pikmin available at the time. The current state and a previous state are shown side by side for easy comparison.

This feature is particularly valuable when experimenting with how to best utilize Oatchi in challenging situations. If a strategy involving Oatchi’s positioning or timing doesn’t work out, you can rewind and attempt a different approach without losing significant progress.

The Nine Pikmin Types

While Oatchi is your primary companion, understanding the nine Pikmin types helps you maximize his effectiveness:

• Red Pikmin: Fire-resistant and strong attackers
• Blue Pikmin: Can operate on land and in water
• Yellow Pikmin: Effective against electricity, excellent diggers, and get great air when thrown
• Ice Pikmin: Can freeze enemies and bodies of water
• Glow Pikmin: Thrive in darkness and can stun enemies with light
• Purple Pikmin: Have the strength and weight of 10 regular Pikmin
• Rock Pikmin: Heavy and unbreakable, perfect for smashing crystals
• Winged Pikmin: Can carry objects over water and lift obstructions
• White Pikmin: Poisonous, speedy, and resistant to toxic environments

Combining Oatchi’s transportation with the right Pikmin types for each situation creates the strategic depth that defines Pikmin 4’s gameplay.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Oatchi carry all types of Pikmin?

Yes, Oatchi is strong enough to carry a squad of Pikmin and an Explorer on his back, regardless of Pikmin type.

Does Oatchi work in both day and night missions?

Yes, Oatchi accompanies you during both daytime exploration and nighttime defense missions, working alongside different Pikmin types appropriate for each time period.

Can Oatchi be used in multiplayer modes?

Yes, Oatchi appears in both Co-Op Mode and Dandori Battle mode, though specific implementation may vary between modes.

Is training Oatchi required to complete the game?

While the game states you can train Oatchi to become more helpful, the extent to which training is required versus optional for progression would need to be confirmed through gameplay.

Can Oatchi fight enemies directly?

The reference material shows Oatchi accompanying the Explorer and Pikmin in battles, particularly during night missions, though specific combat mechanics would need to be verified through gameplay.

Getting Started with Pikmin 4

Pikmin 4 is available for Nintendo Switch as both a digital edition downloadable directly from Nintendo.com or Nintendo eShop, and as a physical edition with a game card available from Nintendo.com and other retailers. The game won 2023’s best sim/strategy award and offers a complete adventure where you’ll lead tiny creatures on a big adventure, exploring mysterious planets, collecting treasure, and working with your dependable Rescue Pup companion.

Additional accessories may be required for multiplayer mode and are sold separately. The game is rated for Comic Mischief and Fantasy Violence.