49 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?

Pikmin launched on the GameCube in late 2001, only weeks after the console itself, and was later ported to Nintendo's subsequent consoles.

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?

Olimar's own name in Japanese is a syllabic anagram of Mario.

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

Pellets are the numbered discs dropped by Pellet Posies; carried to base they sprout new Pikmin, and the number shows how many Pikmin are needed to lift one.

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

Olimar named the creatures after Pikpik brand carrots, a vegetable from his home planet that their leaf-topped bodies reminded him of.

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

Pikmin 2 removed the deadline entirely, letting players spend as many days as they liked.

Roughly how long does one in-game day last in Pikmin?

About 13 minutes of real time make one day in the first Pikmin; at sunset anything left in the field is eaten, so the clock shapes every decision.

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

100 is the field cap: once 100 Pikmin are out, no more can be withdrawn until some are stored or lost, a limit kept across the series.

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 three Pikmin types in the original 2001 game; every later colour arrived in a sequel.

Which Pikmin colour is immune to fire?

Red Pikmin are immune to fire and walk through flames unharmed; they are also the strongest attackers of the original trio.

Thanks to their gills, which Pikmin can move through water?

Blue Pikmin can breathe underwater and walk along the bottom of pools, the only original type that survives in water; the others drown unless rescued.

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

From Pikmin 3 on they also became the fastest diggers alongside Rock Pikmin.

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

Ten ordinary Pikmin equal one Purple: it counts as ten for carrying and hits about as hard, trading that strength for slow movement and a stunning ground-pound.

White Pikmin damage an enemy in what unusual way?

'By being toxic when eaten' is how White Pikmin fight back: any creature that swallows one is poisoned. They are also the fastest runners and can unearth buried treasure.

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 living inside a bulborb body. Adults are hostile, but the juveniles can be recruited and resist every hazard.

Which two Pikmin types were introduced in Pikmin 3?

Rock Pikmin smash crystal and cannot be crushed; Winged Pikmin fly over water and lift items through the air.

Which two Pikmin types were introduced in Pikmin 4?

Ice and Glow Pikmin debuted in Pikmin 4: Ice Pikmin can freeze water and enemies solid, while Glow Pikmin appear only on night expeditions and inside caves.

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

The Puffstool, a walking mushroom found in the first Pikmin, releases spores that turn nearby Pikmin into hostile Mushroom Pikmin; defeating it returns them to normal.

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 grows on a Pikmin's head to indicate its strength and speed?

A leaf, bud or flower sprouts from each Pikmin's head; flower Pikmin run fastest and hit hardest, and nectar or time left planted moves a Pikmin up the stages.

In which Pikmin 2 cave does the Waterwraith drop in and roll after your squad?

The Submerged Castle is the Pikmin 2 cave where the Waterwraith drops from above after a few minutes on each floor and rolls after your squad.

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

'The King of Bugs' is the Treasure Hoard entry Louie receives after being retrieved from the boss of the final cave, the last item needed for full completion.

Who composed the soundtrack of the original Pikmin?

Hajime Wakai composed the original Pikmin's score, including the calm area themes that change as each day draws to a close; he returned for Pikmin 2.

Which 2000 tech demo did Miyamoto say people had 'already played' in the form of Pikmin?

Super Mario 128, shown at Nintendo Space World 2000, animated 128 copies of Nintendo's mascot at once; Miyamoto said at GDC 2007 that its crowd technology had surfaced as Pikmin.

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

Ai no Uta, recorded by Strawberry Flower for the Japanese Pikmin commercials, charted high in late 2001 and outsold the game itself.

In Pikmin 2, why do Olimar and Louie return to the Pikmin planet?

'To collect treasure to clear the company's debt' is the setup: the freight company's loan must be repaid in Pokos, and a bottle cap Olimar brought home as a souvenir proves to be worth a fortune.

In Pikmin 2, Louie claims a shipment of luxury carrots was eaten by what?

A space rabbit, a 'ravenous space bunny' in Louie's report, supposedly ate the carrots; the all-treasures ending reveals Louie ate them himself.

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

'A giant weaponised spider' is the Titan Dweevil: a huge dweevil that fights with four salvaged weapons, a flamethrower, water pump, poison bomb and electric device, with Louie riding on top.

Pikmin 3 was released for which console?

It was announced for the Wii in 2008 and moved to the Wii U by E3 2011; a Deluxe Switch port followed in 2020.

The three captains of Pikmin 3 come from which planet?

Koppai, a planet facing famine from its people's overeating, sends Alph, Brittany and Charlie to gather fruit seeds; they crash-land on the Pikmin planet instead.

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

'The botanist' is Brittany's role: she identifies and catalogues the fruit the crew collects and studies the Pikmin, while Alph handles engineering and Charlie commands.

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

Bingo Battle is Pikmin 3's two-player split-screen mode: each player gets a 4-by-4 bingo card of fruit and enemies and races to collect four in a row.

Hey! Pikmin, the series' first handheld game, was released on which system?

It was a 2D side-scroller developed by Arzest, and its release coincided with the New Nintendo 2DS XL.

In Hey! Pikmin, how much Sparklium must Olimar collect to repair the S.S. Dolphin II?

The 'treasures' are mostly ordinary household objects like glasses and toothpaste.

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

Niantic, the studio behind Pokémon Go, co-developed Pikmin Bloom with Nintendo; released in 2021, it grows Pikmin from the steps you walk in the real world.

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

Oatchi is the loyal space-dog who carries the player's whole Pikmin squad on his back, charges through obstacles and swims; Olimar befriends a similar creature he names Moss.

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, the Japanese word for efficient planning and preparation, names Pikmin 4's Dandori Battle and Dandori Challenge modes, both scored on how much you retrieve within a time limit.

Pikmin 4 runs on which third-party game engine?

Unreal Engine 4 powers Pikmin 4, as the game's credits confirm; Nintendo's own titles usually run on in-house engines, which made the choice notable.

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

Leaflings are castaways who have sprouted a leaf and taken on Pikmin traits after exposure on the planet; curing every one of them becomes the crew's real task.

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.

How many treasures does the North American version of Pikmin 2 contain?

201 treasures fill the North American Pikmin 2's Treasure Hoard; the European release trimmed branded real-world items and lists 188.

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

New Play Control! was Nintendo's label for Wii re-releases of earlier titles with pointer controls; Pikmin arrived under it in 2008 in Japan and Pikmin 2 in 2009.

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

Tokyo hosted the premiere: the shorts ('The Night Juicer', 'Treasure in a Bottle' and 'Occupational Hazards') debuted at the 2014 Tokyo International Film Festival before going on sale on the eShop.

Which Wii U launch title included 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.

Which studio co-developed Pikmin 4 with Nintendo EPD?

Eighting, the studio behind Bloody Roar and Kuru Kuru Kururin, co-developed Pikmin 4 with Nintendo EPD; Yuji Kando, who directed Pikmin 3, directed again.