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“Look This Way” Feature in Pikmin 4

X post by Mike Odyssey: https://x.com/MikeOdysseyYT/status/2066281265989349455 Nintendo’s New Patent Reveals Potential Quality-of-Life Features for Upcoming Zelda Titles An intriguing new patent from Nintendo, filed in early 2024 and officially issued on June 9, 2026, details a sophisticated "information processing" system designed to enhance spatial awareness and navigation in 3D gaming environments. With the recent buzz surrounding the announced Ocarina of Time remake, this filing suggests that players might soon see a modern, intuitive approach to exploration in the classic title. The patent, which features inventors Shigeru Miyamoto and Yuji Kando, describes a system that bridges the gap between a 2D map and 3D gameplay. Under this new mechanic, if a player feels disoriented within a vast virtual space, they can switch to a "second display" map screen. Once there, they can designate a specific point of interest or direction using a cursor. The most innovative part of the process occurs when the player returns to the "first display" or main gameplay screen. Instead of the camera snapping instantly to a new angle, the system triggers an automatic rotation that smoothly shifts the virtual camera over a predetermined period, typically one to two seconds. This gradual transition is specifically designed to help the player maintain their sense of direction and spatial context without becoming lost. The patent outlines two primary ways this technology could be utilized: Automatic Rotation: This allows the player to simply orient the camera toward a landmark or objective, leaving the actual movement to the player. Automatic Movement: By performing a different operation while in the map screen, the player can command their character to automatically travel along a calculated path to the designated cursor point, avoiding obstacles along the way. The included documentation provides a visual breakdown of how this works, showing the movement of the virtual camera, the map s…

The patent cited by Mike Odyssey (img above) isn’t about the Ocarina of Time remake as he boldly claimed, but Pikmin 4’s “Look This Way” feature (imgs below). It was originally filed in Japan in February 2023—before the game was released—therefore a swordsperson is used in the patent drawings to prevent leaks.

Screenshot of Pikmin 4, showing the Radar Map screen, with the “Look This Way” menu visible
Drawing from patent US 12649107: https://worldwide.espacenet.com/patent/search?q=pnUS12649107B2 FIG. 10 shows a non-limiting example of a map screen according to the exemplary embodiment

Does Mike Odyssey actually play Nintendo games or only talk about them? He surely kept misidentifying games in patents. His YouTube channel is filled with AI slop, so these patent and trademark fibs are probably AI generated too. Past debunks here.

[Originally posted on 2026-06-15 Pacific Time]