During the pre-release to Pikmin 4, many fans of the franchise were upset that the game did not recieve a larger marketing push from Nintendo, given its spotty sales history. In response, a large swathe of Pikmin fans took to the PixelStar service (which allows individuals to cheaply buy temporary advertising space that would usually be reserved for wealthy corporations in Times Square in New York City) to display Pikmin memes and fan art as a form of unsanctioned advertising. The total amount of money spent by Pikmin fans was estimated by MeriStation USA to be $300 minimum.

Pikmin 4 would end up becoming the best selling installment of the Pikmin franchise. This result most likely has much more to do with the popularity of the Nintendo Switch relative to the GameCube and Wii U, but given how major an advertising space like Times Square is, it isn't completely impossible that the PixelStar advertising could have contributed to the game's sales.