Nintendo Reveals Secret Caves for Pikmin Bloom During First Official Pikmin Day

Nintendo has announced Secret Caves, a substantial new feature coming to Pikmin Bloom that will introduce underground exploration, creature battles and collectible treasures. The reveal formed part of the first official Pikmin Day presentation on November 1, during which Shigeru Miyamoto explained the company's plans to celebrate the franchise. Secret Caves will allow players to send groups of Pikmin into underground environments using special Cave Maps.

These maps may sometimes appear alongside postcards, providing another reason to participate in the game's existing exploration activities. Once inside a cave, Pikmin explore independently until they encounter hostile creatures. Players can command their companions during battles and use their whistle to recall them when danger approaches. Fortunately, defeated Pikmin will not disappear permanently. Instead, they withdraw temporarily and recover before becoming available again.

Successful battles provide treasures recorded in a new collection. Nintendo is also connecting the feature to Pikmin 4 Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy, scheduled for November 12. Players will be able to obtain special cave maps through activities in the console game. Secret Caves is scheduled for release during winter, although a precise launch date remains unannounced. Apparently Nintendo has concluded that walking around the neighbourhood is no longer adventurous enough.

The obvious solution is to send an army of tiny vegetables underground.