99 Fun Facts About Pikmin

Who created the Pikmin series?

Shigeru Miyamoto, Nintendo's veteran designer, conceived Pikmin at Nintendo EAD and has cited his gardening hobby as an inspiration for the game.

On which console was the original Pikmin released in 2001?

GameCube was Pikmin's launch console in late 2001, weeks after the hardware itself; the game's crowd of creatures grew out of a demo built to show what the new machine could do.

What is the name of the planet the Pikmin live on?

PNF-404 is the name given to the Pikmin planet in Pikmin 3; its ruins and everyday objects strongly imply it is a far-future Earth.

Captain Olimar comes from which planet?

Olimar is from Hocotate, where he works for Hocotate Freight; oxygen in the Pikmin planet's air is poisonous to him, hence his spacesuit.

Olimar's rocket, the S.S. Dolphin, is named after what?

The console's development code name was Dolphin, and Nintendo tucked it into the launch-window game as the name of Olimar's ship; his own name in Japanese, Orima, is an anagram of Mario.

What numbered, coloured discs do Pikmin carry home to sprout more Pikmin?

Pellets are the numbered discs that Pellet Posies drop; delivered to a nest of the matching colour a pellet yields more seeds than at a rival colour's, so sorting your haul pays.

Olimar names the creatures 'Pikmin' because they resemble what from his home planet?

Pikpik brand carrots are Olimar's favourite snack back home; when the first creature he plucked just stood staring at him, its shape reminded him of one, and the name stuck.

In the first Pikmin, how many days does Olimar have to repair his ship before his life support fails?

30 days is all Olimar's life support allows, so every wasted afternoon hurts; Pikmin 2 dropped the deadline so players could explore at their own pace.

In Pikmin, what happens to Pikmin left outside at sunset?

Night predators eat them: any Pikmin not safely back at base by sunset is lost, which is why each 13-minute day of the first game ends in a frantic headcount.

What is the maximum number of Pikmin that can be on the field at once?

100 is the field cap: once that many Pikmin are out, new seeds are held in the nest instead of sprouting, so a big squad means choosing which colours to bring.

In the worst ending of the first Pikmin, what happens to Olimar?

He is turned into a plant hybrid: with too few ship parts recovered the Dolphin crashes back down, the Pikmin carry Olimar off, and a leaf-sprouting Olimar emerges.

Which three Pikmin colours appear in the original game?

Red, Yellow and Blue are the only Pikmin in the 2001 original; Olimar starts with Reds and meets the other two only as recovered ship parts let him reach new areas.

Which Pikmin colour is recognisable by its pointed nose?

Red Pikmin have the pointed nose; they are the first type Olimar finds, shrug off fire and hit about one and a half times as hard as most others, so they lead the fighting.

Which Pikmin type is the only one with a visible mouth?

Blue Pikmin alone have a mouth, which draws water over their gills; that lets them wade through pools where most other types would drown unless pulled out.

In Pikmin 2, Yellow Pikmin lost the ability to carry bomb rocks but gained immunity to what?

Electric shocks stopped hurting Yellow Pikmin from Pikmin 2 on; by Pikmin 3 they could link up as a living wire, completing circuits to light bulbs and open the way forward.

Purple Pikmin have the strength and weight of how many ordinary Pikmin?

Ten ordinary Pikmin equal one Purple for lifting and weight, so a single one can haul a small treasure alone; the price is slow legs and a low, short throw.

White Pikmin damage an enemy in what unusual way?

By being toxic when eaten: any creature that swallows a White Pikmin is poisoned, and a small creature that gulps one down can die from it, so even a lost Pikmin fights back.

Bulbmin, found only in certain caves in Pikmin 2, are Pikmin that have parasitised which enemy?

Bulborbs are the host: a Bulbmin is a Pikmin parasite steering a bulborb's body. The adult attacks on sight, but once it falls its juveniles can be whistled into your squad.

Which two Pikmin types were introduced in Pikmin 3?

Rock and Winged Pikmin debuted in Pikmin 3, while Purple and White vanished from the story and survive only in its side modes.

In Pikmin 4, which item raises the number of Pikmin you can have in the field by ten?

Flarlic is the answer: Pikmin 4 starts you with only 20 Pikmin in the field, and each of these garlic-like bulbs your squad carries home adds ten more.

Mushroom Pikmin, which attack other Pikmin, are created by spores from which enemy?

The Puffstool, a walking mushroom from the first Pikmin, puffs out spores that turn nearby Pikmin against Olimar; when it returned in Pikmin 4 its spores could only confuse them.

What are the Pikmin's mothership-like nests called?

Onions are the Pikmin's nests: feed one enemy carcasses and it fires out seeds that sprout into new Pikmin to be plucked from the ground; they lift off at sunset.

What do Pikmin drink to make the leaf on their head bloom into a flower?

Nectar turns a leaf Pikmin straight into a flower one, and flower Pikmin run faster than leaf ones, so a few sips shorten every trip home with a load.

In which Pikmin 2 cave does an unkillable boss on stone rollers hunt your squad floor after floor?

The Submerged Castle is stalked by the Waterwraith, which drops in after five minutes on each floor and can't be hurt until Purple Pikmin turn up on the last one.

In Pikmin 2, under what treasure name is Louie catalogued when he is recovered?

The King of Bugs is the Treasure Hoard name for Louie himself, hauled back like any other treasure after the final boss; Olimar's notes wonder if he was steering that beast all along.

Which shape-shifting golden creature holds Olimar captive at the end of Pikmin 3?

Plasm Wraith is the golden blob that dotes on Olimar; every time the captains carry him off it gives chase to take him back, turning the last area into one long escape.

Which 2000 tech demo did Pikmin's creator say players had 'already played' in the form of Pikmin?

Super Mario 128 animated 128 copies of Nintendo's mascot at once at Space World 2000; Pikmin's creator said in 2007 that the crowd technology had already reached players as Pikmin.

Which song, used in the Japanese ads for Pikmin, became a hit that eclipsed the game's own sales?

Ai no Uta ('Song of Love') is sung from the Pikmin's point of view; as the single climbed to number two on Japan's Oricon chart, the game's sagging weekly sales picked up again.

In Pikmin 2, why does Olimar fly straight back to the Pikmin planet?

To pay off his company's debt: a bottle cap Olimar kept as a souvenir is appraised as valuable, so the President sends him straight back with Louie to haul home more treasure.

In Pikmin 2, what does Louie blame for the loss of his valuable cargo?

A space rabbit, a 'ravenous space bunny' in the report, supposedly devoured the shipment; the all-treasures ending reveals Louie ate the lot himself.

The final boss of Pikmin 2, on which Louie is found perched, is what kind of creature?

'A giant weaponised spider' describes the Titan Dweevil, which fights with four treasures it has scavenged; knock each one loose and your Pikmin can carry the weapon home as loot.

Pikmin 3 was first released in 2013 for which console?

Wii U was its home after a change of plan: announced as a Wii game in 2008, Pikmin 3 had moved to the newer console by E3 2011, and a Deluxe port reached Switch in 2020.

The three captains of Pikmin 3 come from which planet?

Koppai ate through its own food supply, thanks to a booming population and no planning, so it sends Alph, Brittany and Charlie to bring back fruit seeds from the Pikmin planet.

In Pikmin 3, what is Brittany's role alongside engineer Alph and captain Charlie?

'The botanist' is Brittany's job: she logs every fruit the crew finds and shares out the rations, and Alph suspects she keeps the biggest helpings for herself.

What is the name of the two-player split-screen mode in Pikmin 3?

Bingo Battle splits the screen for two rival squads, each racing to collect four in a row on a 4-by-4 card of fruit and enemies; one completed line ends the match at once.

The 2017 Pikmin spin-off that was the series' first handheld game came out on which system?

3DS owners got a very different Pikmin: Arzest built it as a 2D side-scrolling platformer instead of the series' usual strategy game, launching it alongside the New Nintendo 2DS XL.

In Olimar's 2017 side-scrolling adventure, which substance must he collect to refuel his crashed ship?

Sparklium is the fuel: the ship demands 30,000 units of it, squeezed from seeds and the treasures Olimar finds, and the same energy later powers the player's ship in Pikmin 4.

Pikmin Bloom, the mobile spin-off, was developed by which company?

Niantic, the studio behind Pokémon Go, made Pikmin Bloom in partnership with Nintendo in 2021; the app counts your real-world steps and uses them to grow your Pikmin.

In Pikmin 4, what is the name of the dog-like creature that helps the player?

Oatchi learns on the job: every castaway you save earns 'Pup Drive' to teach him new tricks, so each one you bring back makes the next easier to reach.

In Pikmin 4, the player is a rookie member of which organization?

The Rescue Corps is the unit sent to find Olimar; its ship crashes on arrival, so the newest recruit must save Captain Shepherd's crew as well as Olimar.

Pikmin 4's competitive mode is named after which Japanese word for efficient planning?

Dandori, roughly 'planning your steps in advance', was the developers' own word for how Pikmin is meant to be played; Pikmin 4 put it on screen and built whole modes around it.

Pikmin 4 runs on which third-party game engine?

Unreal Engine 4 powers Pikmin 4, a game the series' creator called 'very close to completion' in 2015, about eight years before it finally came out.

In Pikmin 4, what are castaways who have turned partly Pikmin-like called?

Leaflings are castaways turned part-Pikmin, sprouting leaves and able to breathe the planet's air; curing them takes sap gathered on night expeditions.

Olimar first became a playable fighter in which Super Smash Bros. game?

Brawl (2008) introduced Olimar as a fighter, commanding up to six Pikmin at once; Smash 4 and Ultimate cut his squad to three and added Alph as an alternate costume.

In Pikmin 2, who appraises each treasure and gives it a grand-sounding name?

The talking ship names and prices every find, so a Duracell battery becomes the 'Courage Reactor'; the North American game catalogues 201 such treasures.

Under what label were Pikmin and Pikmin 2 ported to the Wii in 2008 and 2009?

New Play Control! was Nintendo's label for earlier games reworked for the Wii Remote's pointer; Pikmin 2's version skipped North America until 2012, when it arrived as a budget release.

The three 2014 Pikmin Short Movies were first shown at an event in which city?

Tokyo hosted the premiere at its 2014 International Film Festival; the series' creator had started the three shorts as a side project to promote Pikmin 3, and they reached the eShop soon after.

Which 2012 console launch game includes the team attraction 'Pikmin Adventure'?

Nintendo Land, the 2012 launch showcase for Nintendo's GamePad console, included Pikmin Adventure: the GamePad player controls Olimar while up to four Wii Remote players fight robotic enemies as Pikmin.

In Pikmin 3, what do the captains make from collected fruit to survive each day?

Juice is the crew's only food: one bottle is drunk each night, so the fruit you bring back decides how many days you have left, a softer clock than the first game's fixed deadline.

Pikmin's creator has said the first two games were based on his experiences with which hobby?

Gardening shaped the series from the start. Its designer took up the hobby with his wife after starting a family, and a game about tiny plant creatures followed.

In the original Pikmin, which gas in the planet's atmosphere is slowly poisoning Captain Olimar?

Oxygen, the gas humans cannot live without, is poison to Olimar's species. His life-support system is all that keeps him alive while he rebuilds his ship.

What was Captain Olimar doing in space when his ship crashed at the start of the first Pikmin?

Taking a vacation is how the whole saga begins. Olimar, a freight pilot on holiday, is struck mid-flight and wakes beside the wreck of his ship.

The planet that Captain Olimar explores in Pikmin is widely assumed to be a far-future version of which real world?

Earth is the unspoken setting, shown long after humans have died out. That is why the alien 'artefacts' Olimar finds look like ordinary household junk.

In Pikmin 2, which everyday object that Olimar brings home as a souvenir turns out to be worth a fortune?

A bottle cap proves so valuable on Olimar's home world that he and Louie are sent to gather more. What they collect is mostly everyday junk that passes for riches back home.

The art style of the very first Pikmin game was inspired by the works of which film director?

Tim Burton's films inspired the look of the game. Its themes drew on a second screen source, the animated science-fiction film Fantastic Planet.

Which real battery brand appears on a treasure in the North American and European releases of Pikmin 2?

Duracell's D battery is catalogued in the game as the Courage Reactor. Japanese copies showed a National battery instead, and the later remaster uses a generic one.

In the Pikmin games, which simple tool does a captain use to call idle Pikmin back to the squad?

A whistle is the main way of gathering idle Pikmin. The longer it is blown, the wider the circle that calls them in.

In Pikmin 3, the fruit that the captains name the Face Wrinkler is which real-life sour fruit?

A lemon is the Face Wrinkler, a common find in the story. Its Japanese name is far sweeter, translating literally as 'Fruit of Heartthrob'.

Pikmin Bloom rewards players for walking outdoors, much like which earlier hit game from the same developer?

Pokémon Go came first. Pikmin Bloom was the same studio's second collaboration with Nintendo, and its worldwide rollout began in late October 2021.

Shortly before Pikmin 4 launched, fans bought 15-second advertising slots on billboards in which New York landmark?

Times Square billboards carried fan-made adverts, memes included, in the fortnight before release. The Pikmin community paid for the slots itself.

In Pikmin Bloom, what does a player leave behind on the map while walking with a squad of Pikmin?

A trail of flowers blooms along the route, planted with petals gathered from the Pikmin. Well-fed Pikmin grow the blossoms that supply those petals.

The item that Pikmin 2 and Pikmin 3 both call Cupid's Grenade is actually which small real-world fruit?

A cherry is Cupid's Grenade, a treasure in Pikmin 2 and a fruit in Pikmin 3. In the versus modes, hauling one home spins a roulette wheel for a random power-up.

Pikmin figures can be spotted on ledges around the Super Nintendo World area of which theme park?

Universal Studios Japan tucked small Pikmin onto ledges around the land. Some are hauling coins and a berry, just as they carry treasure in the games.

Pikmin 4 opens by letting the player do what, a first for the main series?

Design their own hero: the rookie's face and uniform colours are the player's choice. Olimar, the usual lead, becomes the person who needs saving.

Which captain from Pikmin 3 appears in Super Smash Bros. as an alternate costume for Olimar?

Alph, the engineer of the Pikmin 3 crew, fights exactly as Olimar does. He joined the roster as a costume instead of a separate fighter.

In Pikmin 2, Louie's own notes on the planet's creatures are mostly concerned with what?

How to cook them is all Louie cares about, so his notes read like recipes. One entry even dreams of hosting a cooking show called The Insect Gourmet.

In Pikmin 3, which crisis on the three captains' home planet sends them out to explore other worlds?

A famine, blamed on a booming population and a basic lack of planning, drives the mission. The crew must bring home seeds from fruit that can be farmed.

Which Richard Dawkins book about evolution helped inspire the themes of the original Pikmin game?

The Selfish Gene shaped the theming of a game in which a nearly extinct species survives only by multiplying under Olimar's leadership.

Which Pikmin type new to Pikmin 4 has weak attacks but can stop a charging enemy in its tracks?

Ice Pikmin freeze whatever they attack for long enough, and a predator that swallows them freezes at once. Throw in enough of them and a whole pond ices over.

In Hey! Pikmin, which gadget in Olimar's spacesuit lets him hover up to ledges he cannot climb?

A jetpack gives Olimar short hovers, and upgrades to his suit add more fuel. He can swim too, but he still cannot attack without Pikmin.

In the Pikmin games, how does a captain add a newly sprouted Pikmin seedling to the squad?

Plucking it from the ground turns a planted sprout into a walking recruit. New seeds appear whenever prey or other food is delivered to the squad's nest.

In Pikmin 3, which ship malfunctions on arrival and scatters its three-captain crew across the planet?

S.S. Drake splits up its crew on landing and later crashes a second time. The best ending hints that the first accident may not have been an accident at all.

In Pikmin 2, which rare cave plants turn any Pikmin thrown inside into Purple or White ones?

Candypop Buds swallow Pikmin and spit them back out as a new type. Violet buds make Purple Pikmin and ivory buds make White, since neither type has a nest of its own.

In Pikmin 2, what does a dose of purple ultra-bitter spray do to nearby enemies?

Turns them to stone: petrified foes are helpless for about nine seconds, long enough for a squad to pile on. The spray is made from purple berries.

In Pikmin 2, which superior of Olimar's becomes a playable leader on the return trip to rescue Louie?

The President of Olimar's freight company takes Louie's seat for the rescue trip, joining Olimar to command Pikmin in person.

In Pikmin 3, Louie reveals that the missing Olimar can be found in which final area of the game?

The Formidable Oak makes the crew carry an unconscious Olimar through a maze of puzzles while a mysterious life-form keeps trying to take him back.

In Pikmin 3, which vital part of the crew's ship does Olimar carry off after mistaking it for treasure?

The cosmic-drive key is the one thing the crew needs to fly home, so the story turns into a hunt for Olimar. He hands it back once he is rescued.

In Pikmin 3, Louie escapes with the crew's food supply and which prized possession of Captain Charlie's?

His rubber duck disappears with the food soon after the crew rescues Louie, who then bolts for the wreck of his own ship.

Which Japanese studio ported Pikmin 3 Deluxe and then co-developed Pikmin 4 with Nintendo?

Eighting handled the Deluxe port before sharing development of the sequel. It had already partnered with Nintendo on Kirby Star Allies.

Which studio, founded by Naoto Ohshima, developed the handheld spin-off Hey! Pikmin for Nintendo?

Arzest made the game with its founder as co-producer. Players cannot pick a squad there: each level is played with whatever Pikmin turn up along the way.

In Pikmin 4, which captain leads the team sent to find Olimar, only for her own ship to crash?

Shepherd and her crew have to eject as their ship fails above the planet. That leaves the newest recruit, helped by her pup, to track every one of them down.

In Pikmin 4, which colossal creature does Louie ride against the player as the final boss of the story?

Ancient Sirehound is thought to be the ancestor of every space dog. It is said to be gentle, until Louie makes it his mount and drives it into a rampage.

In the original Pikmin, which final boss must be beaten to recover the last of Olimar's ship parts?

Emperor Bulblax hides under the sand of its arena with only its back showing. When Olimar approaches it rears up, roars and snares Pikmin with its long tongue.

In Pikmin 3, which boss of the Distant Tundra swallows Captain Charlie soon after he crash-lands there?

Vehemoth Phosbat lights up its body with glowing pink hairs, then inhales so fiercely that Pikmin and captains alike are dragged towards its mouth.

In the original Pikmin, what is the name of the very first area Olimar explores?

The Impact Site doubles as the tutorial, since it is where Olimar first meets the Pikmin. Its Japanese name translates literally as 'Shipwreck Point'.

Pikmin 2 opens in which snow-covered area, where the game's two-day tutorial takes place?

Valley of Repose is a winter scene set on a snowy street crossing, with a manhole and a couple of snowmen. It began the game's habit of theming areas on seasons.

In Pikmin 2, every treasure that Olimar and Louie haul back is valued in which currency?

Pokos are thin, oval, gold-coloured coins. A hundred of them is said to be more than a year's wage on Olimar's home world.

In Pikmin 2, where can players read Olimar's and Louie's notes on every creature they have encountered?

The Piklopedia files every creature met so far, each with notes from both explorers. It was brought back years later for Pikmin 3 Deluxe.

In Pikmin 2, White Pikmin can use their special eyes to locate what that other types walk straight past?

Buried treasure is theirs alone to find. White Pikmin are also the quickest type on their feet, outrunning every other colour in the squad.

A debugging build of the first Pikmin, for which computer operating system, is hidden on the game's original disc?

Windows players were never meant to see it. A PC version with the debugging features the team used while making the game was simply left on the retail disc.

The original Pikmin won an interactivity award from which body better known for film and television prizes?

The BAFTAs honoured the game for interactivity. In America it also won the Innovation in Console Gaming prize at the Interactive Achievement Awards.

In Pikmin 4, what is the dirt-mound nest that Glow Pikmin defend on night expeditions called?

A Lumiknoll houses the Glow Pikmin, and its Japanese name means 'light anthill'. Enemies are drawn to it all night, so the mode plays like tower defence.

Pikmin Finder, a 2023 browser game, was made to promote Pikmin 4 at a Nintendo Live event in which US city?

Seattle hosted Nintendo Live 2023, and the tie-in game used a phone camera to show Pikmin in the player's surroundings. It was discontinued in December 2024.

Which Pikmin animated short of 2025 shows a baby learning to walk by chasing a moving pacifier?

Close to You was released in two versions. In the first the pacifier seems to move by itself, and the second reveals the Pikmin carrying it.

Which Nintendo composer, also famous as the voice of Yoshi, provides the voice of Captain Olimar?

Kazumi Totaka was also sound director on Pikmin 2, where his signature hidden melody, known as Totaka's Song, is tucked away twice as an Easter egg.

Which Japanese duo formed in 2001 purely to record a song for the first Pikmin television adverts?

Strawberry Flower kept releasing Pikmin singles until 2004, and the pair's sales at home reached a million singles in all.

Olimar's Final Smash in Super Smash Bros., in which he rockets away as beasts overrun the stage, has what name?

End of Day borrows the nightly escape from the Pikmin games. Olimar blasts off as darkness falls, then his ship crashes back down and explodes among his rivals.

Japan-only Pikmin 2 puzzle minigames were sold for which Game Boy Advance accessory?

The e-Reader cards, sold as Pikmin 2-E, let players steer either Olimar or the Pikmin through short puzzle minigames.

In the two-player versus mode of Pikmin 2, a player wins by stealing which object from the rival's base?

A marble in the rival's colour is the prize, in a format modelled on capture the flag. Bringing home four of the neutral ones wins the match too.