Free Pikmin 3 Switch Demo Out Now, Lets You Transfer Save Data To Full Game

Pikmin 3 Deluxe arrives at the end of this month, but Switch owners can sample the unique strategy game before then. During the latest Treehouse Live presentation, Nintendo announced that a free Pikmin 3 Deluxe demo is now available to download from the Switch eShop, and you'll unlock a few things early in the full game for playing it.

If you can defeat the boss at the end of the demo, you'll unlock the Ultra-Spicy difficulty in the full version of Pikmin 3 Deluxe right from the outset. Ultra-Spicy is a brand-new difficulty option for Pikmin veterans; it caps your Pikmin field limit at 60, making the experience much more challenging.

Additionally, Nintendo has confirmed that the Pikmin 3 Deluxe demo allows you to carry over your save data to the full game, so you'll be able to pick up where you left off when it launches. You'll also unlock a handful of missions for Mission mode in the full game for clearing the demo.

We learned a few other new details about Pikmin 3 Deluxe during the Treehouse Live stream. Nintendo confirmed that motion controls and pointer functionality will return as optional control methods. The company also showed off some new features being introduced in this Switch version, including the Piklopedia--which catalogues all the enemies you've defeated--and the new side story missions starring Olimar and Louie.

Pikmin 3 Deluxe launches on October 30. You can learn more about the game in our Pikmin 3 Deluxe preorder guide.

That wasn't all that we saw during the Treehouse Live stream. As advertised, the company also showcased more of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, the upcoming Dynasty Warriors-style prequel to Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The segment gave us a closer look at some of the playable characters in the game, including Urbosa, Zelda herself, and young Impa.