Nintendo has made November 1 an annual Pikmin Day. Shigeru Miyamoto announced the celebration in a surprise Direct posted ahead of the first observance, with updates on Pikmin 4, Pikmin Bloom and a new series of animated shorts. The presentation focused on existing games and franchise updates rather than unveiling a new game.
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Why Pikmin Day falls on November 1
The date refers to the original Pikmin, released for Nintendo GameCube in 2001. Its first three Pikmin were red, blue and yellow; imagined as three number ones standing together, they resemble “11/1.”
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Pikmin 4 gets a Switch 2 edition and Dandori Academy
Nintendo showed Pikmin 4 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy, scheduled for November 12. The Switch 2 edition adds microphone-based voice commands for Oatchi and Dandori Academy, where players try to collect stage treasures as quickly as possible.
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Dandori Academy’s exams are held Friday through Sunday. Players can practise a stage, but may attempt its exam only once per week. Nintendo’s store information describes 72 stages arriving over time, with different difficulty levels.
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A free demo was announced for November 2. It includes a standard stage and two Dandori Academy stages, and progress can carry over to the full game.
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Nintendo also scheduled a Nintendo Treehouse Plays gameplay presentation for 9 a.m. PT on Pikmin Day, November 1.
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Pikmin Bloom and animated shorts round out the showcase
The Direct introduced Hello! Pikmin, a new series of short films that Nintendo plans to release monthly.
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For Pikmin Bloom, Nintendo previewed a Secret Caves update planned for winter. Cave Maps are needed to enter the caves; players can also obtain a special map through Pikmin 4 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy by meeting certain requirements.
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Together, the announcements made Pikmin Day a franchise-wide showcase: the date celebrates the original trio, while the game updates give players new ways to engage with the series across Switch 2, mobile and animation.