Dandori Battle
Dandori Battles (ダンドリバトル?, lit.: "Dandori Battle") are specialcaves inPikmin 4. While accessed from theareas inStory Mode, they function more like an alternative game mode, similar to2-Player Battle inPikmin 2 andBingo Battle inPikmin 3. There is also a mode accessed from thetitle screen that allows players to play Dandori Battles without any relation to Story Mode.
In Dandori Battles, the player (marked with blue) competes against their opponent (marked with pink) to see who can earn the most points, which are noted with a symbol resembling the letter D:
. Carryingtreasures,pellets andenemies to the player's designatedOnion earns the player points based on theirweight, so that, for example, aBulborb is worth 10 points and pile ofGold Nuggets is worth as many points as its number of fragments. The player with the most points when the timer runs out is declared the winner. Both participants use the same type of Pikmin. Unlike in other game modes,Onions in a Dandori Battle produce live Pikmin that do not go through thesprout stage.
Stages[edit]
There are 6 stages in Dandori Battle. They all have the same layout each time they are played.
| Image | Name | DefaultPikmin | Dandori level | Time limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Trial Run |  | 1 | 4:00 |
 | Battle in a Box |  | 2 | 5:00 |
 | Dandori Castle |  | 3 | 5:00 |
 | Leafy Showdown |  | 4 | 7:00 |
 | Hot Sandy Duel | | 5 | 5:00 |
 | Final Battle |  | 5 | 7:00 |
Story Mode[edit]
InStory Mode, thePikmin used are notthe player character's, but rather are given to them at the start of the battle for that battle only. Anything collected is also not carried over after the battle. Each stage is ranked with a "Dandori Level" of 1 to 5, indicating the level of difficulty.
For the purpose of the game's overarching mission, the player must compete in Dandori Battles and win in order to be rewarded with acastaway that their opponent took possession of. Once that happens, the cave is closed and cannot be re-entered. However, after rescuingCorgwin, these battles can be replayed from theRescue Command Post. To reach the main story's conclusion, the player must earn a bronze medal or higher in all 6 battles.
Medals[edit]
The player can earn medals based on how their score compares to their opponent. Only a bronze medal is required to win the battle, which involves simply having more points than the opponent, but silver, gold, and platinum medals can also be earned based on the size of the lead the player has upon the battle's end.
- Bronze: Win the battle (by at least 1 point).
- Silver: Win by at least 30 points.
- Gold: Win by at least 60 points.
- Platinum: Win by at least 100 points.
Locations[edit]
There is 1 Dandori Battle cave perarea in Story Mode, but each stage is played sequentially and not tied to the area they are entered from. Below is a list of every Dandori Battle cave entrance available and how to access them.
- Sun-Speckled Terrace: near the third base, Meandering Slope, where a bridge must be built to access the ledge it's on.
- Blossoming Arcadia: near the first base, Fragrant Ravine, on top of a large box toward the center river.
- Serene Shores: near the first base, Blossoming Dunes, surrounded by water.
- Hero's Hideaway: found within a safe, needing theCourage Emblem, thePower Emblem, and theWisdom Emblem's randomized numbers to unlock.
- Giant's Hearth: near the third base, surrounded by shallow water and a low ledge.
- Primordial Thicket: found on a ledge after a row of mushrooms Oatchi can jump across.
The player must complete the battles in the first three areas in any order to unlockHero's Hideaway. From there, each area's Dandori Battle cave will need to be completed to unlock the next area (or in thePrimordial Thicket's case, theCavern for a King). While the first 3 stages can be played in any of the first 3 areas, the player can only enter Leafy Showdown in Hero's Hideaway, Hot Sandy Duel in Giant's Hearth, and Final Battle in Primordial Thicket.
Settings[edit]
The battles available in Story Mode have different settings to those available in the multiplayer settings. All of the player's abilities will be available. The opposing captain and Moss, however, have preset abilities:
- Trial Run: The player starts with 10 Pikmin, Olimar starts with 5 Pikmin, and Moss has Buff Lv. 3. The stage uses Red Pikmin.
- Battle in a Box: The player starts with 5 Pikmin, Olimar starts with 5 Pikmin, and Moss has Super Buff Lv. 1. The stage uses Ice Pikmin.
- Dandori Castle: The player starts with 5 Pikmin, Olimar starts with 10 Pikmin, and Moss has Super Buff Lv. 2. The stage uses Yellow Pikmin.
- Leafy Showdown: The player starts with 5 Pikmin, Olimar starts with 15 Pikmin, and Moss has Swallow. The stage uses Rock Pikmin.
- Hot Sandy Duel: The player starts with 5 Pikmin, Louie starts with 15 Pikmin, and Moss has Swallow. The stage uses Red Pikmin.
- Final Battle: The player starts with 5 Pikmin, Louie starts with 20 Pikmin, and Moss has Swallow. The stage uses Winged Pikmin.
Get Help[edit]
In Story Mode, if the player fails to earn a bronze medal,Dingo will offer to complete the challenge for them. If the player selects "Get Help" from the following menu, he will proceed to do so (shown with a blank screen, text boxes, and random sound effects), and the victory cutscene will play like normal as if the player had completed it themselves.
This feature is only available if Dingo has been rescued, and if the player goes through with his assistance, the player will not be awarded any medals until they replay it themselves. Dingo cannot help the player inLeafy Showdown, which must be cleared manually.
Dandori Battle mode[edit]
Dandori Battle mode is a mode selectable from thetitle screen. Here, the player can challenge a second player or a computer-controlled player to a round of Dandori Battle. When challenging the computer, it is also possible for two players to team up, with the second player using the Pebble Pitcher similar to multiplayer in Story Mode. The options for player settings, presented upon selecting the mode from the title screen, are "P1 vs. CPU", "P1 vs. P2", and "P1 & P2 vs. CPU".
The same 6 maps fromStory Mode are available to play on, however they must all be unlocked by playing the stage before it at least once (similar toBingo Battle). OnlyTrial Run is unlocked by default. Levels are unlocked simply by finishing a battle, regardless of who wins. In order to unlock a stage, no matter what the current Story Mode progress is, the previous map must be completed first. For example, completing Trial Run twice does not unlock Dandori Castle. For asymmetric maps, the side of the map each player starts on can vary.
In addition to any of the 3 createdplayer characters from the player's Story Mode save files,Shepherd andCollin are playable, all only for Player 1. Olimar is the Player 2 character, and Louie can be unlocked for Player 2 after battling him in a Dandori Battle in any file of the main story. If a Dandori Battle is played beforecreating a character on any save file, only Collin and Shepherd are playable for Player 1, and Olimar is only playable for Player 2.
This mode allows several settings to be customized, unlike the battles in Story Mode:
- Player Settings allows the player to select which characters are on each side;
- For the blue team, the options are the custom characters present in each save file, Collin, and Shepherd.
- For the red team, whether player or computer controlled, the options are Olimar and Louie. Louie must be unlocked by advancing far enough into story mode.
- Battle Settings allows the player to choose;
- Which of the 8 main Pikmin types appears in the battle. The default Pikmin type is the one present in the Story Mode encounter.
- Toggle Bonus Finds on or off. They are on by default.
- Toggle Mystery Capsules on or off. They are on by default.
- Toggle Sneak Bombs on or off. They are on by default.
- Difficulty allows the player to select how much of an advantage each side will get, between 5 options;
- Super Sweet gives the player 50 Pikmin, 5 free Mystery Capsule spins, and their pup will have the Swallow skill.
- Kinda Sweet gives the player 25 Pikmin, 2 free Mystery Capsule spins, and their pup will have Super Buff Lv. 2.
- Normal gives the player 10 Pikmin, and their pup will have Super Buff Lv. 1.
- Kinda Spicy gives the player 5 Pikmin, and their pup will have Buff Lv. 3.
- Ultra Spicy gives the player 1 Pikmin, their pup will have Buff Lv. 2, and they will not have access to the Charging Horn.
In this mode, the shortcut buttons are fixed to the defaults, and are mostly unbound except for the following (sideways Joy-Con does not have any bound shortcuts):
/
left:Survey Drone.- / down:Idler's Alert.
Bonus Finds[edit]
The following article or section is in need of assistance from someone who playsPikmin 4. |
During a battle, certain types of treasures or enemies will beBonus Finds, where they will be worth more points than usual. The normal number of points that that object gives will be multiplied by a number from 2 to 5. Bonus Finds are random and can be any object currently in the stage except aGolden Sniffer or aDandorium weight.
At the start of the battle, there will be one type of Bonus Find with a 2x multiplier. At some point during the battle (the time varies by stage), a second Bonus Find will be added with a 3x multiplier. If all objects of one type of Bonus Find are collected, that Bonus Find will be rerolled to be something else. When the second Bonus Find is added or when a Bonus Find is rerolled, if one player's score is considerably lower than the other, the lower-scoring player will get a larger multiplier than the higher-scoring player (3x instead of 2x, or 5x instead of 3x).
In Story Mode, the Bonus Find feature is introduced inBattle in a Box and applies to all later stages. It can be toggled for any stage in Dandori Battle mode.
Mystery Capsules[edit]
Mystery Capsules are special items that appear around a stage throughout a battle, and are spheres with a yellow base and transparent top with a blue question mark inside. Collecting one by walking into it or having a Pikmin carry it to the player or Oatchi/Moss will give that player a random powerup. Powerups can then be used by pressing
. Up to 5 powerups can be stored but only the type of item shown in theHUD can be used. 1 or more Mystery Capsules can spawn in the stage every 30 seconds.
In Story Mode, Mystery Capsules are introduced inDandori Castle and appear in all later stages. They can be toggled for any stage in Dandori Battle mode.
| Icon | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
 | Quick Pik | Adds tenPikmin to the player's squad, of the Pikmin type used in the battle. |
 | Quick Glow Pik | Adds fiveGlow Pikmin to the player's squad. |
 | Lightning Shock | Causes aLightning Shock to strike at the opponent, and stuns all enemies in the stage. |
 | Mine | Gives the player aMine. |
 | Trackonator | Gives the player aTrackonator. |
 | Bewilder Bomb | Makes anink drop fall on the opponent, knocking them down and making their Pikmin and space dogpanic. |
 | Rock Storm | Makesboulders fall at the opponent's location. |
 | Warp | Warps the opponent to a random location on the map. |
 | Ultra-Spicy Spray | Uses anultra-spicy spray on all the player's Pikmin. |
Sneak Bombs[edit]
TheSneak Bomb is a unique item that spawns at a random location a few minutes into the battle (the time varies by stage). It resembles abomb rock, but is larger and sits on a wooden platform. It can be carried towards an opponent's Onion, and upon reaching the Onion, it will explode and cause that Onion's player to lose points. The number of points lost to a Sneak Bomb is proportional to the victim's score.
The points lost to a Sneak Bomb will be ejected asDandorium weights, which can be carried back to either Onion. These weights are solid and bronze-colored, with each one featuring a numerical label that indicates itsweight. The weight of each individual weight can be 5, 10, or 20. If the Sneak Bomb goes inside of the Onion of a player with 0 points, a Dandorium weight of 5 pops out and the targeted player's points stay at 0. Additionally, no matter how high the target score, the player whose Onion was detonated will not lose more than 100 points.
Sneak Bombs weigh 5 units with a maximum carrier count of 10. They have a uniqueradar map icon.
In Story Mode, Sneak Bombs are introduced inLeafy Showdown and appear in all later stages. They can be toggled for any stage in Dandori Battle mode.
Object spawning[edit]
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Objects can spawn during the middle of a Dandori Battle. While most objects spawn at the start of the battle, some objects will spawn at specific times during the battle to add more objects to the stage, and some objects will respawn some time after they have been removed from the area. Defeated enemies may respawn and collected treasures may reappear, depending on how recently they were defeated or collected and what other objects are nearby. Some objects will not respawn.
Gallery[edit]
The Sneak Bomb as seen on the results screen.
The Mystery Capsule as seen on theTablet's Radar Map.
A Bonus Find granting a larger multiplier to the losing side of a match.
An Onion expelling Dandorium following the attack of a Sneak Bomb.
Trivia[edit]
- Almost all treasures in Dandori Battles are returning collectibles fromPikmin 3, specificallyfruits andGold Nuggets. The only exception to this is theGolden Sniffer, which is an altered version of theTremendous Sniffer, another fruit fromPikmin 3.
Names in other languages[edit]
The following article or section needs help from someone who cantranslate Japanese/Chinese/Dutch/Italian/Spanish/Portuguese text. |
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
 Japanese | ダンドリバトル? Dandori Batoru | Dandori Battle |
 Chinese(traditional) | 當多慮對戰 | |
 Chinese(simplified) | 当多虑对战 dāngduōlǜduìzhàn | Dandori Battle |
 Dutch | Dandori-duel | Dandori duel |
 French | Duel Dandori | Dandori duel |
 German | Dandori-Duell | Dandori Duel |
 Italian | Battaglia Dandori | Dandori battle |
 Korean | 계획력 배틀 Gyehoeglyeog Baeteul | Planning Battle |
 Portuguese | Batalha Dandori | Dandori Battle |
 Spanish | Batalla Dandori | Dandori battle |
 Danish | Dandori-kamp | Dandori Battle |
 Finnish | Dandori-taistelu | Dandori Battle |
 Swedish | Dandori-strid | Dandori Battle |
Bonus Finds
| Mystery Capsule
| Sneak Bomb
|
Dandori Battle exclusive items
| Japanese | English | Chinese (traditional) | Chinese (simplified) | Dutch | French | German | Italian | Korean | Portugal | Spanish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ピクミンプラス | Quick Pik | 皮克敏增加 | 皮克敏增加 | Bonus-Pikmin | Bonus de Pikmin | Pikmin-Plus | Più Pikmin | 피크민 플러스 Pikeumin Peulleoseu | Pikminador | Pikminador |
| ヒカリピクミンプラス | Quick Glow Pik | 發光皮克敏增加 | 发光皮克敏增加 | Bonus-gloei-Pikmin | Bonus de Pikmin luisants | Leucht-Pikmin-Plus | Più Pikmin iridescenti | 반짝 피크민 플러스 Banjjag Pikeumin Peulleoseu | Pikminador pirilampo | Pikminador luminoso |
| びっくりスモーク | Bewilder Bomb | 驚嚇煙霧 | 惊吓烟雾 | Panieknevel | Bombe-panique | Panikrauch | Bomba panico | 깜짝 연기 Kkamjjag Yeongi | Fumaça desorientadora | Humo frenético |
| ラクセキ | Rock Storm | 落石 | 落石 | Rotsenregen | Chute de pierres | Felssturm | Caduta massi | 낙석 Nagseog | Chuva de pedra | Lluvia de rocas |
| ワープ | Warp | 傳送 | 传送 | Teleportatie | Téléportation | Teleporter | Distorsione spaziale | 워프 Wopeu | Distorção espacial | Distorsión espacial |