The Nintendo Switch game that first let players control Pikmin with a dog companion is Pikmin 4.
Pikmin 4, released for Nintendo Switch in 2023, introduces Oatchi, a rescue dog who assists the player’s character. Oatchi can carry objects, smash obstacles, transport Pikmin, and eventually help in battles. Players can also give him commands and use his growing abilities to reach areas that would otherwise be inaccessible.
Earlier Pikmin games included other helpful characters and multiplayer systems, but they did not feature a controllable canine partner with Oatchi’s role. Pikmin 3 Deluxe added cooperative story play and new content, yet its central companions were the playable explorers and their Pikmin rather than a rescue dog.
Pikmin 4 retains the series’ real-time strategy structure: players direct small plantlike creatures to gather objects, defeat enemies, and solve environmental problems. Oatchi changes traversal and resource management, making him one of the game’s defining new mechanics.