When most people think about Pikmin, the first enemies that come to mind will undoubtedly be Bulborbs. Part of the Grub-Dog family, the basic white-spotted red Bulborb is likely as iconic as the titular Pikmin, even appearing as a prominent stage hazard in the Super Smash Bros. stage Distant Planet. Numerous Bulborb species have appeared over the franchise's 20 years, and few other entities are as prevalent outside families like the Arachnorbs. Pikmin 4 offers a great opportunity for all Arachnorb species to reappear.
Despite being teased by Shigeru Miyamoto as early as 2015, the official announcement of Pikmin 4 did not come until September 2022's Nintendo Direct. Its trailer was brief, showing off a few different environments in a seemingly urban part of PNF-404; planet Earth with humanity removed from the equation. A massive park bench and blue-painted fence with a stopwatch are the two biggest set pieces, and if the rest of the game follows suit with household settings, spiders could fill a sizable niche in the region.
Arachnoid Species Throughout Pikmin History
The first Arachnorb to appear was Beady Long Legs in 2001's Pikmin. Its massive form consists of a yellow-and-red sphere with four spindly legs emerging from the top, each segmented by ball joints. The boss appears on the Forest Navel map and is designed to be bested using Yellow Pikmin, as they can be tossed higher to reach the spherical weak point without waiting for Beady Long Legs to lower itself toward the ground. Once defeated, the beast's seemingly hollow core opens to release the S.S. Dolphin's Guard Satellite part.
Beady Long Legs returns in Pikmin 2 as a boss encounter in a handful of its dungeon-like Caves, but notably caps off the Citadel of Spiders by dropping The Key - a treasure which unlocks Challenge Mode. The 2003 sequel also includes two new Arachnorb bosses: Man-at-Legs and Raging Long Legs. The prior appears in Subterranean Complex and attacks by unveiling a machine gun, ultimately dropping the Stellar Orb treasure that lights up Cave environments. Meanwhile, Raging Long Legs is one of the post-game bosses capping off the Hole of Heroes with massive, flat feet that can crush any Pikmin in a wide radius.
Pikmin 3 does not bring back any of these aforementioned foes, but introduces two new Arachnorb species in Shaggy and Baldy Long Legs. Defeating the basic and snowy variants of Shaggy Long Legs require a captain to send Pikmin up its legs so that they can remove its hairy joints. Baldy Long Legs is exclusive to Pikmin 3's Challenge Mode and Bingo Battle maps, acting like a Shaggy Long Legs with hair pre-removed and constantly in motion.
How Pikmin 4 Could Bring Back the Arachnoids
It's not clear what Pikmin 4's gameplay loop and environments will entail some 10 years after Pikmin 3 released on Wii U, as all fans have to go on is that 30-second Nintendo Direct teaser and a piece of art released by Miyamoto showing its behind-the-shoulder perspective. However, the more urban set pieces in the initial teaser suggests much of the game may take place around parks and households rather than the series' typical grassy plains, rivers or ponds, and hollowed-out tree trunks. A variety of insect enemies will appear, but spiders could be one key part of the ecosystem.
One way Pikmin 3 stood out from its predecessors was introducing a host of unique species exclusive to a different part of PNF-404. This was a smart way to bring back the franchise after 10 years, but did away with then-consistent bosses like Beady Long Legs and Emperor Bulblax. Pikmin 4 may do the same, but it would also be a big hit with fans if it revamped older enemies in a modern framework on Switch.
Even if Pikmin 2's concept of Caves do not return in Pikmin 4, the idea of something like a new Citadel of Spiders that brings older Arachnorbs together could appear. Pikmin 3 had smaller caverns interspersed within regular environments that included matching elements, such as the Vehemoth Phosbat being full of Phosbat children. Pikmin 4 can do the same with enclosed parts of different households, and a particularly spider-infested home could include Arachnorbs as well as enemy types such as Dweevils and Pikmin 3's Arachnode.
Pikmin 4 launches in 2023 for Nintendo Switch.