Pikmin 4 adds a lot of new twists to the long-running series, with perhaps the biggest (and cutest) one being Oatchi, your new canine buddy. Oatchi isn’t just there for companionship though – properly upgraded, he can be as useful as a full squad of Pikmin. Oatchi’s various abilities can be upgraded by spending “Pup Drive” points gained by rescuing castaways as well as curing “Leaflings” by completing a nighttime mission and making a dose of medicine from the Glow Sap you collect. But what should you spend your Pup Drive points on? They’re relatively hard to come by and you can’t revert your choices once you’ve made them, after all. So, here are the Oatchi abilities to focus on first…

　　Note: There are abilities automatically given to you in the course of the campaign, like Jump. These are very important, but since you don’t choose them, we aren’t focusing on them here.

　　

Buff and Super Buff

Upgrading Buff allows Oatchi to lug around ever-heavier loads. Upgrade Buff to level three, then you lock Super Buff, which also has three levels. Buff and Super Buff are absolutely essential for divide-and-conquer strategies and winning later Dandori battles. If you upgrade Super Buff all the way, Oatchi will have the strength of 100 Pikmin, meaning he can retrieve almost anything in the game.

　　

Command

Command is the most complex Oatchi ability in the game. There are three levels in total, each of which allows you to issue a new set of commands to Oatchi. For instance, Level 2 allows you to send Oatchi back to your base or a specific spot on the map, and at Level 3 you can send him out like a sheepdog to round up all the stray Pikmin on the map. Essential for multi-tasking.

　　

Rush and Mega Rush

Much like Buff, upgrading Rush all the way will unlock a more powerful Mega Rush, which also has three levels. Rush can be used to break objects and doors and damage or knock down enemies. If you upgrade all the way to Mega Rush, you’ll also be able to inflict a stun on most enemies, which can be a major help in battle. Effectively using rush is really the key to kicking ass in this game, so don’t neglect it.

　　

Chomp and Big Chomp

Another ability that can eventually be boosted to a more powerful version. Upgrading Chomp allows Oatchi to do more damage in battle – pretty straightforward. Upgrading all the way to Big Chomp allows Oatchi to snatch bad guys out of the air.

　　

Doggy-Paddle

Upgrade this one all the way to Level 3 and Oatchi will not only be able to swim, but retrieve items from the water and attack underwater enemies. Basically, Oatchi gets all the same abilities as Blue Pikmin.

　　There you go! Only the best training for your furry friend! Of course, try to unlock all of Oatchi’s abilities if you can, but these are the ones to focus first, roughly listed from most to least important (unlock Buff first, then move on down the list).

　　Pikmin 4 is available now on Nintendo Switch. You can check out Wccftech’s Pikmin 4 guides here and our full review here.