Nintendo has just revealed a fresh version of yesterday’s mysterious animated short film ‘Close to You’ that featured a toddler taking their first steps — now with a small army of Pikmin visible.
To be clear, this is the same short film as yesterday, albeit a new version where its previously-invisible Pikmin creatures can now be seen and heard. It’s a smart reveal by Nintendo, and one which rewards a repeat viewing — as the now-familiar toddler unknowingly interacts with (and almost squashes) the hidden creatures.
Currently, Nintendo’s new Pikmin-filled version of the film is only available via the company’s Nintendo Today smartphone app, though we’re expecting it to roll out more widely very shortly. Yesterday’s original version of the animation lies just below (with Pikmin still invisible).
Yesterday, IGN speculated Close to You was indeed a teaser for a new Pikmin project, based on its inclusion of several musical cues from the Pikmin series. Additionally, the movements of household objects appeared extremely similar to the movements of items carried by the scavenging Pikmin creatures, which have collected human items in several previous Pikmin games.
So, what exactly is Nintendo teasing with this new animation? The company has released a series of Pikmin short films before — and it may be this is all it is. But Pikmin fans are certainly hungry for more from the game series itself, with several likely options on the table.
Most excitingly, perhaps, Nintendo may well be teasing an all-new entry in the Pikmin series for Switch 2, or alternatively it could be prepping an expanded Switch 2 re-release for 2023’s brilliant Pikmin 4.
The Pikmin series has always been set on Earth, with the Pikmin themselves always suggested as existing just out of human sight. Finally, it seems, Nintendo has made it clear that Pikmin are completely invisible even when directly in view — a revelation some 20 years in the making.
Pikmin 4 memorably took Nintendo’s garden strategy franchise inside a human house for the first time, something that this new animation obviously expands upon. Could more Pikmin adventures alongside humans be on the way?
Despite beating franchise sales records and performing particularly well in Nintendo’s home of Japan, Pikmin 4 was never expanded upon with DLC. Could the game become the latest Switch 1 launch to get an expanded Switch 2 port, perhaps? Time will tell — but for now, at least, we know what this animated short is all about.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
