Pikmin

is a series of video games created by Nintendo that started on the Nintendo GameCube in 2001. It has four released main-series games - _Pikmin, Pikmin 2_, _Pikmin 3_ and _Pikmin 4 and a few spinoffs_. The series is about a spaceman called Captain Olimar (and other characters in later games). The characters go to an alien planet known as PNF-404, either through crashes or visits.

## Characters

- **Captain Olimar** - Captain Olimar is spaceman who crash lands on the alien planet in _the first Pikmin game_ and meets the Pikmin creatures, and has to fix his ship by collecting ship parts and get off the planet in 30 days, or he'll die. Olimar is a play on the name Mario, Nintendo's mascot, by rearranging the letters in the Japanese pronunciation (which sounds like "Orima" in English, though this is a simplification). Olimar writes about the biological features of every creature encountered in the Notes section or the "Piklopedia" as it is called in Pikmin 2, Pikmin 3 deluxe, Pikmin 4.
- **Pikmin** - The Pikmin are a creature who are mixes between plants and animals and help Captain Olimar. In _Pikmin_, they come in red, yellow, and blue types. In _Pikmin 2_, they also come in white and purple types. In Pikmin 3 rock and wing types are introduced, and in Pikmin 4, ice and glow types are introduced.
- **Louie** - Louie joins Olimar in _Pikmin 2_ and helps him find treasure. Louie's name is based on Luigi, like how Olimar is based on Mario. Louie is gluttonous, and often causes trouble out of his desire for food. In his unlockable notes on the creatures and plants in game, he details how to cook and eat every creature.
- **President** - The President of Captain Olimar's company, who sends him and Louie to find treasure to pay off the company's debt. He appears as a playable character in Pikmin 2 when Louie is missing after finishing paying off the debt.
- **Alph, Brittany and Charlie** - The playable characters in Pikmin 3. They are from a planet called Koppai and come to the planet to get fruits, as Koppai has a famine.

## Setting

_Pikmin_ is set on a planet called PNF-404, which is based on earth, as proven by references to real world objects and maps in the games featuring continents from earth. But, Olimar and other characters are very small, this makes the real world objects seem bigger than they are in real life.

## Gameplay

All four games (not including spin-offs) use real-time strategy gameplay. The player plays as Captain Olimar or other characters, who can command the Pikmin. Olimar gets more pikmin by bringing pellets, a type of plant, and creatures to the Onion (a kind of biological home and ship for the Pikmin). Pikmin will come out of the Onion and get planted in the ground after food is given, and can be pulled out. Olimar can use Pikmin to take stuff (which can be ship parts, treasures or fruits) back to his base, fight creatures, or do other things, such as breaking walls or building bridges.

#### _Pikmin_

_Pikmin_ is the first game in the series and came out in 2001 on the Nintendo GameCube. Captain Olimar crashes his spaceship on an alien planet, and meets creatures called Pikmin. He only has 30 days life support, and so he and the Pikmin try to find the pieces of his ship that broke off so he can escape. There are ports of the game on Wii and Switch along with Pikmin 2.

#### _Pikmin 2_

_Pikmin 2_ came out in 2004 for the Nintendo GameCube. Captain Olimar returns to his home, however his company has gone into debt. Olimar has to return with Louie, the new character, to collect treasure in PNF-404. After repaying the debt, Olimar returns to home but forgets Louie. Because of this, Olimar comes back with the President of the company to find Louie and collect the remaining  treasures. The gameplay is similar to Pikmin 1, but has new creatures, purple pikmin, white pikmin, and new areas, along with removing the day limit and adding caves. The game also added games modes of challenge (where the player has to clear the cave by collecting the key and get treasures under a timer) and 2-player battle mode (where two players fight to collect either four yellow marbles first or collect the other player's marble). There are ports of the game on Wii and Switch along with Pikmin 1.

#### _Pikmin 3_

_Pikmin 3_ released in 2013 for the Wii U. It follows the 3 new explorers looking for fruit to save their starving planet, Alph, an engineer, Brittany, a botanist, and Charlie, the captain. There is a remaster titled _Pikmin 3 Deluxe_. It released in 2021 for the Nintendo Switch.

#### _Pikmin 4_

Pikmin 4 was released on July 21, 2023, for the  Nintendo Switch. The game follows a new version of the story of Pikmin 1, here Olimar has a radio and sent a message. Numerous people come to the planet for numerous reasons and become lost like Olimar. The game follows an unnamed character who works for the Rescue corps, the player needs to collect treasure, save castaways and ultimately save Olimar.

#### _Hey! Pikmin_

_Hey! Pikmin_ released in 2017 for the Nintendo 3DS. It has Captain Olimar again. The gameplay is different from other Pikmin games. The game is 2D. Olimar can only use up to ten Pikmin at a time.

#### _Pikmin Bloom_

_Pikmin Bloom_ released in 2021 as a mobile game. It uses an AR system. Players run around with their Pikmin followers. Flowers appear where the players run. Pikmin can be used to collect food and other things.

#### _Pikmin Finder_

_Pikmin Finder_ released in 2023 as a mobile game. It uses an AR system to display Pikmin the player can interact with.

### Other appearances

_Pikmin_ has appeared in the _Super Smash Bros._ series. In _Super Smash Bros. Melee_, _Pikmin_ has a couple of collectibles of Captain Olimar and the Pikmin. In _Super Smash Bros. Brawl_ and games after it, Captain Olimar is a playable character along with his Pikmin. Music, enemies, and an area are also taken from the series for things in _Brawl_ and other _Smash_ games.

## Infobox (video game series)

- **name**: Pikmin
- **image**: Pikmin series logo new.svg
- **developer**: Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development, Nintendo EAD
- **publisher**: Nintendo
- **creators**: Shigeru Miyamoto
- **genre**: Real-time strategy
- **first release version**: _Pikmin (video game), Pikmin_
- **first release date**: October 26, 2001
- **latest release version**: _Pikmin 4_
- **latest release date**: July 21, 2023