BG’s Game of the month for July 2023 is Pikmin 4

Nintendo’s Pikmin 4 took our Game of the Month vote for a July that was a little extra-slim in the new release department.

The little plant guys?

Note: This story is being retconned into our August coverage period. It just makes more sense than planting it (get it) in September, and we kinds forgot about it so…

July was maybe a little slimmer than usual when it came to new games. Yes, the unofficial mid-point of the summer is usually kinda dead, but this year seemed quieter than usual. But even with the near-total lack of notable games, there were still a few that need recognizing.

Chief among those, was the long-awaited return of Nintendo’s Pikmin series. First launching on the GameCube back in 2001, Pikmin is more or less a real-time strategy series, though one with puzzle mechanics as well.

While it’s definitely become a fan-favorite series, it’s been sort of dormant for a while. Sure, there’s been a mobile game and a DS title, but if you don’t count the recent Switch ports then the last truly new, console installment of Pikmin was the Wii U’s Pikmin 3 in 2013.

Of course, that was seen to this year with Pikmin 4, a game that easily highlighted the summer for Switch fans, and took our voting by a narrow margin for July’s Game of the Month.

Game of the Month | July 2023

Pikmin 4 wrecks Captain Olimar and a would-be rescue team on a strange world, and casts players as a member of the Rescue Corps, out to save them and patch up their crafts. The alien world (which bares a resemblance to Earth) is home to the titular Pikmin, as well as the cast of characters that the series is known for, plus a new rescue-centric doggie to play with.

But past the new story and (custom) hero, the gameplay is tried and true. Fans will find plenty of task-specific Pikmin to make use of, with puzzles to solve, obstacles to smash, and creatures to defeat. If you love Nintendo’s whimsical take on strategy, you should feel right at home with Pikmin 4.

Runners up

Though Pikmin 4 took the gold for July of 2023, we did have a pair of runners up that tied for #2. Those included the rebirth of a classic beat ’em up with Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons, and a tough but gorgeous shooter with Remanent II.

Here’s a look at both: