2023 might have been a year packed with more video games than one person could possibly play in 12 months, but it wasn’t the quantity at which great games were released that had the biggest impact on me. It was the new experiences that took me out of my gaming comfort zone. Spider-Man 2 and Mario Wonder were always going to satisfy my mainstream gaming needs, but realizing horror games might be my jam courtesy of Alan Wake, and spending the day climbing through Jusant emphasize why 2023 will stick with me forever.

Alongside those experiences was my first foray into the world of Pikmin. Never a series that had landed on my radar before, my knowledge of it prior to the release of Pikmin 4 extended no further than using Olimar in Super Smash Bros and a quick go on that Pokemon Go clone where you plant flowers. Needless to say, I didn’t know much. Caught up in the hype ahead of its launch, I decided to give Pikmin 4 a go.

Much to my surprise, launching a couple of months after Tears of the Kingdom, it was the first game that made me abandon my quest to rescue Zelda.

Oatchi transforms the Pikmin experience, making the act of platforming, exploring, and commanding your growing army of Pikmin that much more enjoyable.

Thus began a summer of jumping between harvesting Sparklium and traversing Hyrule. More than a summer, actually. Those of you who have played Pikmin 4 will know there’s lots more to do after you’ve rolled credits, so my journey continues. I thought it might continue further. That my newfound love for Pikmin would extend to the prior three games. Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened, and your trusty alien canine companion Oatchi is to blame.

The usual struggle for me when it comes to going back and playing older games in a series after experiencing their modern sequels are unpolished graphics and outdated mechanics. Anything that can make it feel like you’re playing an unfinished version of a game you’ve already completed. I didn’t think that would be an issue when it comes to Pikmin, and with all four games on Switch, the entire series was waiting for me. But Oatchi is nowhere to be seen.

Oatchi is such a core part of the Pikmin 4 experience that it never occurred to me that the alien pup hadn’t been a part of the series before. I wound the clock back to the first Pikmin game, excited to experience the series’ roots and explore its world with Oatchi by my side, but he wasn’t there. In fact, on the Pikmin timeline, he wouldn’t even exist for another two decades.

oatchi sniffing a red pikmin in pikmin 4

To make matters worse, it became abundantly clear very quickly how much I rely on Oatchi in Pikmin 4. Dragging heavy items back to the ship, charging at oversized enemies, and carrying me and my Pikmin around at pace. None of this available to me in prior Pikimin games, and for that reason, I quickly fell off them. My Pikmin 4 journey continues, Oatchi at my side, but without him in other games, the desire to play just isn’t there.

I tried my best to get Oatchi a mention in TheGamer’s Best New Character category in our Aces awards. However, much like my Sonic Frontiers nomination for best DLC, I fear I may have been alone in that attempt.

My hope is that once I’m done with Pikmin 4 and I’ve allowed some time to pass, I can return to previous entries and perhaps then a lack of Oatchi won’t weigh so heavily on my mind.