Pikmin seemed to just disappear after only 2 games on the Gamecube, but with the Wii-U the beloved series bloomed back to life (not even sorry for the pun). There was a third title and even a successful miniseries on the Nintendo e-shop. Now Shigeru Miyamoto has announced Pikmin 4, which is apparently ‘near completion’. So what are the current known species of Pikmin and like the Darwin finches, how have the evolved differently to aid their survival?
What are Pikmin?
Pikmin are indigenous creatures on the planet PNF – 404, and are small half plant, half animal creatures. They have been recorded several times of helping astronauts when they have crashed on their planet. There are various different kinds that have their own special abilities.
Red Pikmin
This fiery character is impervious to fire making him your go to guy against enemies like Pyroclasmic Slooches or Fiery Blowhogs. This flame resistant skin is not their only accolade, as they are the most skilled fighter of all the Pikmin, meaning it is always best to have a small army of them on your adventures around PNF-404.
Blue Pikmin
These Pikmin have adapted to be able to breathe both in water and out, making them the most valuable Pikmin in some of the world’s more watery locations. Being able to breathe underwater has meant they have developed their swimming to make them making easy targets of any Wogpoles lurking in the depths. They are the only Pikmin with this ability as all other species drown when in water.
Yellow Pikmin
These guys are much easier to launch up into the air, getting much more height than any other Pikmin. Whether you want to use them to attack a Swooping Snitchbug or just need them to reach a fruit on a high platform. Their yellow skin acts as a good insulator meaning they can’t be hurt by electricity, allowing them to take on Bearded Amprats easier and even knock down electric walls blocking the path. They are also highly skilled diggers. Once they had been the only Pikmin to carry bombs, but now all types are able to do this.
Rock Pikmin
This rock hard Pikmin is able to do serious amount of damage when thrown at an enemy, but in order to keep doing the maximum damage the astronaut has to keep recall and throw, if not they will just roll attack enemies which doesn’t do as much damage and has a slower hit speed. It is also impossible for this species to be squashed to death, so you won’t lose any of them if you fight a Wollywogs. They are also the only known Pikmin that can destroy Crystal, making them needed for several obstacles with bombs being the only other alternative destructive method.
Winged Pikmin
These are the only Pikmi that can fly, which means they are weak fighting anything ground level but are adept at attacking other flying creatures. There are also some barricades that only open when these guys lift them up. Being able to fly means they can take objects back to the ship by flying over obstacles, meaning water or pits are easily bypassed by them. However they are small and this means they are not as strong as the others and won’t be as useful in a fight, they’re better suited to gathering then hunting.
White Pikmin
These Pikmin are small but what they lack in height they make up for in speed, with them being the fastest at taking objects back to the ship. They are weaker fighters like the winged Pikmin but they are invulnerable to poison, and if they are eaten will poison the enemy. They also have the ability to find and dig up buried treasure. Currently there are no evidence of a white onion, with them staying inside Captain Olimar’s Ship.
Purple Pikmin
These rather fatter or big boned Pikmin use their weight as an advantage with them being the most powerful. They also have the carrying strength of 10 Pikmin, making them able to carry much heavier objects or using less of your squad to take items back. There is a setback though as they are much slower than the other types, so they will often slug behind while you’re running around or take much longer to take items back. Purple Pikmin are not blown away by strong winds meaning attacks from Puffy Blowhogs aren’t effective, they are also unfazed by Mitite like other Pikmin are.
Rare Species
Bulbmin
This species was found only in select caves and only dwell inside them, never leaving. That said they are still very useful to have as they are resistant to all hazards: fire, water, electricity and poison. Cruel as it may seem, the way to recruit these guys is by killing their mother. They are weak fighters but can still help carry objects.
Mushroom Pikmin
These are created when a normal Pikmin is infected by the spores excreted from Puffstool’s. They will turn on other Pikmin or astronaut. There is a cure to this, with waiting being the main method. Their flowers turn into a mushroom and they turn purple, this is not really a breed of Pikmin, more like an infection.
Potential species
In the ending scene of the first game we see a selection of new Onion ships with some having been shown in later games but these are the colours we have yet to see in any games, so they may be present in Pikmin 4. Here are some ideas of what they may do, but if they are in Pikmin 4 they would probably be better than my suggestions.
Orange Pikmin
Maybe the orange Pikmin are strong and can create stairs for the other Pikmin to use, or they could create rafts in a similar way to army ants work together to have a way of travelling down streams.
Green Pikmin
Maybe these guys are better adapted to blending in with surroundings, so they are able to sneak up on enemies better.
Cyan Pikmin
This Pikmin might have a resistance to ice based attacks or if they are eaten they briefly freeze the enemy. It could also have the ability to walk on water by freezing the water under its feet.