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The series' gameplay combines elements of action platformer (Opens in a new window) with puzzle (Opens in a new window) and strategy (Opens in a new window) gameplay. The Pikmin games focus on exploring an Earth (Opens in a new window)-like planet named PNF-404,[1] (Opens in a new window) and controlling a crowd of the titular Pikmin. Pikmin are intelligent, loyal, multicolored, plant-animal hybrids (Opens in a new window) that follow the orders of their leader. There have been multiple leaders throughout the series, with the first and most notable being Captain Olimar (Opens in a new window), a tiny alien (Opens in a new window) from the planet Hocotate introduced in the original Pikmin. Pikmin 2 features Louie and The President, Olimar's co-worker and boss, respectively, who are also playable leaders. Pikmin 3 features leaders from a new alien species. The leaders are Alph, Brittany, and Charlie, who come from the planet Koppai and are similar to the Hocotatians, but also possess some different features from them. Pikmin 4 features a customizable character who is part of an interplanetary rescue team, assisted by Oatchi (Opens in a new window), a space dog with exclusive abilities.[2] (Opens in a new window)

Pikmin are directed to perform several tasks, with the primary one being the retrieval of items integral to the mission of each game.[3] (Opens in a new window) The player must direct the Pikmin to overcome obstacles and PNF-404's fauna.[4] (Opens in a new window)[3] (Opens in a new window) Because individual Pikmin are small and weak against most predators (Opens in a new window), and some are best suited for certain tasks, it is the responsibility of the player to direct the Pikmin appropriately to ensure successful retrievals of any items, avoid any hazards, and quickly tend to any obstacles and predators. Game time is divided into individual days, each of which consists of approximately 13 minutes, in which the player is encouraged to accomplish as much as possible before sunset.[3] (Opens in a new window)

Pikmin appear in a variety of colors, which signify the Pikmin's abilities and resistance to environmental hazards. The number of Pikmin and their abilities have shifted throughout the franchise, with the first Pikmin game featuring three colors: Red, Yellow, and Blue. Red Pikmin are immune to fire, Blue Pikmin can move through the water thanks to their gills (Opens in a new window), and Yellow Pikmin can be thrown higher than other Pikmin, and can carry bomb rocks.[4] (Opens in a new window) In Pikmin 2, Yellow Pikmin have lost their ability to carry bomb rocks in exchange for being immune to electrical (Opens in a new window) hazards, and White and Purple Pikmin are introduced. White Pikmin are the fastest, resistant to poisonous gases, capable of poisoning enemies, and capable of spotting objects buried underground. In comparison, Purple Pikmin are significantly stronger and heavier than the other types, which makes them excellent at inflicting damage and carrying heavy items, due to their stunning shockwave.[5] (Opens in a new window)

Pikmin 3 introduced two more types: the black-colored Rock Pikmin, and the pink-colored, bee inspired Winged Pikmin. Rock Pikmin can break crystalline materials and cannot be crushed or impaled. They inflict the most damage out of all Pikmin types when thrown. In comparison, Winged Pikmin can fly freely and can fly high which enables them to recover elevated items and attack airborne enemies with ease. Their aerial maneuverability makes it easier to transport things to the ship/Onion.[4] (Opens in a new window) In addition to making each type capable of carrying bomb rocks, Pikmin 3 also adjusted the abilities of Yellow, Blue, White, and Purple Pikmin. Yellow Pikmin are tied with Rock Pikmin for the fastest digging speed; Blue Pikmin are capable of swimming; White Pikmin are tied with Winged Pikmin for the lowest attack strength, and slowest digging speed; Purple Pikmin are tied with Red Pikmin for second highest attack strength, and second fastest digging speed, while removing their stunning ability.

Pikmin 4 introduced two other types: Ice Pikmin, which can work during the day like most Pikmin; and Glow Pikmin, which are primarily used during the newly introduced night expeditions, can also be used during the day within caves. Ice Pikmin can freeze enemies and bodies of water, and are invulnerable to being frozen, at the cost of having low attack power. They can freeze enemies by attacking them enough, or by being eaten, similarly to White Pikmin. With the Offensive Method, Ice Pikmin trigger a sort of "Freeze Meter", and if the ring fills, the enemy is frozen. But with the Sacrificial Method, the ring fills significantly upon death, like how the White Pikmin kill their attacker on death. They can float on bodies of water when the water isn't frozen. Depending on the size of the body of water, you may need a whole party of Ice Pikmin to freeze it, leaving only the player and Oatchi left. Glow Pikmin are immune to all the elements of fire, water, electricity, and poison, and can stun enemies when a group is charged together. While they may be used freely at night, they are only accessible during the day within caves and must be summoned using glow seeds, which are gathered from nighttime expeditions. Pikmin 4 readjusted the previous Pikmin types again. Bomb rocks are no longer carried by the Pikmin. Instead, they are items the player can acquire and use at their discretion. Rock Pikmin can now be crushed on hard surfaces, and when taking elemental damage. They also cannot dig fast like Yellow Pikmin, who dig even faster than before. Purple Pikmin's attack strength is the same as in Pikmin 3, but their shockwave stun returns and gives them extra damage upon impact.[6] (Opens in a new window)

Outside of coloration, all types of Pikmin share the same method of indicating their strength and swiftness: the stalk (Opens in a new window) atop their heads will sport either a leaf (Opens in a new window), bud (Opens in a new window) or flower (Opens in a new window), which develops when Pikmin are fed nectar (Opens in a new window) or left planted in the ground for a certain amount of time.[4] (Opens in a new window)[3] (Opens in a new window) By extension, all types of Pikmin are stored in their respective motherships, referred to as "Onions", for safety after sunset, as they are vulnerable to nocturnal (Opens in a new window) predators. The Onions play a vital role in Pikmin reproduction (Opens in a new window): when any food, such as prey or pellets (Opens in a new window), is delivered to an Onion, it propagates seeds (Opens in a new window), which grow and are plucked from the ground as fully developed Pikmin.[4] (Opens in a new window) An Onion serves as an incubator for all Pikmin of its respective color, housing the Pikmin. The Onions travel alongside Olimar as he flies to different locations on the planet.

PlotCharactersProtagonists

The main protagonist of the series is Captain Olimar, an employee of the Hocotate Freight Company, who flies a rocket ship known as the S.S. Dolphin, a reference to the GameCube (Opens in a new window)'s developmental code name. He has a wife, son and daughter. Pikmin 2 (Opens in a new window) introduces Louie, a co-worker of Olimar, who places the Hocotate Freight Company in debt after losing a shipment of gold "Pikpik" brand carrots to a "ravenous space bunny". The names "Olimar" and "Louie" are based on Mario (Opens in a new window) and Luigi (Opens in a new window), who were also created by Shigeru Miyamoto (Opens in a new window).[citation needed (Opens in a new window)]

Concept art of Pikmin 3 characters Alph, Brittany, Charlie (each labeled 'A', 'B', and 'C', respectively), a Pikmin, and an unnamed fourth character (labeled 'D') who was removed during development

In Pikmin 3 (Opens in a new window), three new characters succeed Olimar as playable leaders: Alph the engineer, Brittany the botanist, and Captain Charlie. All three characters come from Koppai, a planet whose inhabitants are similar to the Hocotatians, and they interact with each other through in-game dialogue. Though not playable during the game's story, Olimar and Louie both appear later in the game's story and become integral to its plot, are playable in Bingo Battle Mode and five of the downloadable mission levels, and Olimar's expedition logs are later discovered by the crew and offer helpful advice regarding PNF-404.[7] (Opens in a new window) Olimar and Louie are playable in the Olimar's Comeback side story missions unique to Pikmin 3 Deluxe (Opens in a new window).

In Pikmin 4 (Opens in a new window), the main character is customizable by the player, and works as a rookie member of the Rescue Corps organization. They are tasked with rescuing the other Rescue Corps members, as well as Olimar. This player character is one of two playable characters in the main story, along with the Rescue Corps' dog Oatchi (Opens in a new window). Though not playable during the game's story, Olimar and Louie both appear later in the game's story and become integral to its plot, with Louie appearing in a more antagonistic role. While not playable in the main story, Olimar is playable in the Olimar's Shipwreck Tale side story.[8] (Opens in a new window)

Pikmin creatures

After becoming stranded on the unknown planet in Pikmin, Olimar becomes acquainted with the species of plant-like beings that he names "Pikmin" because they resemble the "Pikpik" brand of carrots on his home planet of Hocotate. They are small, brightly colored creatures who are each as tall as a US dime (Opens in a new window). They follow any command: from attacking enemies and defending Olimar to retrieving large artifacts. Pikmin are generally very weak unless they are used in hordes, as the Pikmin are excellent at working together. Pikmin speak with strange, squeaking noises. Simple commands can, however, be communicated to them by the use of a whistle or any other device capable of producing high-pitched noises.

A selection of the varying Pikmin types (from left to right): Blue Pikmin, Yellow Pikmin, Red Pikmin, Winged Pikmin, Rock Pikmin, White Pikmin, Purple Pikmin, Ice Pikmin, and Glow Pikmin.

Pikmin come in several colors, each with strengths and weaknesses. In Pikmin (Opens in a new window), there are three types of Pikmin: Red Pikmin, who are better in combat and can withstand extreme heat and fire; Yellow Pikmin, who can be thrown higher, can use bomb rocks (Pikmin and Pikmin 3 (Opens in a new window), although all Pikmin types are capable of using bomb rocks in this game), are immune to electricity (Pikmin 2 (Opens in a new window) onward), and can dig faster (Pikmin 3 onward); and Blue Pikmin, which have gills and can walk in water (or get splashed with water-based attacks) without drowning. There are also Mushroom Pikmin who attack the other types of Pikmin. They are created when regular Pikmin are infected by spores let out by the Puffstool.[4] (Opens in a new window)

In Pikmin 2 (Opens in a new window), three new species of Pikmin were introduced: Purple Pikmin, White Pikmin, and Bulbmin. Purple Pikmin move slower than normal Pikmin, but have ten times the strength and weight of other Pikmin, giving them the ability to pick up much heavier objects and attack and destroy obstacles and other enemies with fewer numbers. They also have the potential to stun enemies when they land near or on them.[4] (Opens in a new window) White Pikmin, when ingested by enemies, damage the enemy by being toxic. White Pikmin themselves are immune to poison, can locate buried treasure with their special eyes, and can run faster than other Pikmin.[4] (Opens in a new window) Bulbmin are a subterranean parasitic species of Pikmin that infect Bulborbs (the most common enemy found within the Pikmin series) and take control of them. These Pikmin are found exclusively within certain cave systems in the game, usually as a pack of up to 10 juvenile Bulbmin and a single adult Bulbmin. While the adult forms of these Pikmin are hostile towards Olimar, the juvenile Bulbmin will follow Olimar like regular Pikmin once the adult is killed. They are immune to most hazards (save explosions, being eaten, being crushed, and bottomless pits), and will not follow Olimar when he leaves the cave they are found in. The only way to "keep" them is if they are transformed into other Pikmin species by Candypop Buds.

Pikmin 3 (Opens in a new window) introduced two new species of Pikmin: Rock Pikmin and Winged Pikmin. The gray-colored Rock Pikmin look like small rocks and can smash through glass, crystals, ice, and the carapaces of large creatures. These Pikmin can also survive crushing attacks from boulders and enemies and are invulnerable to piercing attacks as well. Rock Pikmin also cause more initial damage when thrown at an enemy, though they are unable to latch onto them.[4] (Opens in a new window) The pink-colored Winged Pikmin are the smallest species of Pikmin and hover in the air using their small, transparent wings. They can fly over hazards such as water and pits and can carry items in the air.[4] (Opens in a new window)

Pikmin 4 (Opens in a new window) also introduced two new species of Pikmin: Ice Pikmin and Glow Pikmin. Ice Pikmin can freeze enemies and water.[9] (Opens in a new window) Glow Pikmin are ghost-like Pikmin that only come out at night and are invulnerable to all elemental hazards. They can only be used during night expeditions or in caves.

Other characters

Another main character in Pikmin 2 is the President of Hocotate Freight, a large man who runs the company and keeps debt collectors away. The president is forced to sell the Dolphin, and it is replaced by an unnamed ship that can speak, name, and value the treasure on the planet.

Development

Release timeline

New main series entries in bold

2001–2003: Pikmin

Further information: Pikmin (video game) (Opens in a new window)

Pikmin is the first game in the series, released on October 26, 2001. The game's plot focuses on Captain Olimar's predicament of having crash-landed on an unknown planet and befriending plant-animal creatures that he dubs Pikmin because of their similarity to the brand of carrots called "Pikpik carrots". Olimar has to gather the missing pieces of his broken spaceship to escape before his air supply completely runs out and he succumbs to the planet's oxygen (Opens in a new window)-rich atmosphere, which is poisonous to his species. Pikmin features three endings, which are dependent on the number of spaceship parts reclaimed. Reclaiming all thirty parts by the final day results in the best ending: Olimar waves goodbye to the Pikmin, who proceed to defend themselves on their own at nighttime, while Onions of various colors observe his departure as he looks back on the unknown planet before returning home. Reclaiming at least the twenty-five required parts by the final day results in the normal ending: Olimar quickly departs, while one of each type of Pikmin runs toward his ship to watch him depart. Lastly, failing to reclaim the twenty-five required parts by the final day results in the worst ending: Olimar crash-lands back onto the planet, succumbs to oxygen poisoning, and is taken by several Pikmin to be placed into an Onion, which converts him into a Pikmin-Hocotatian hybrid.[citation needed (Opens in a new window)]

Pikmin was ported to the Wii (Opens in a new window) in 2009 as a New Play Control! (Opens in a new window) title, which was made available on the Wii U (Opens in a new window)'s Virtual Console (Opens in a new window) service in North America in 2016.[10] (Opens in a new window) An HD remaster of the game was released for Nintendo Switch (Opens in a new window) in 2023.[11] (Opens in a new window)

2004–2012: Pikmin 2

Further information: Pikmin 2 (Opens in a new window)

Pikmin 2 (Opens in a new window), released in 2004, takes place immediately following the events of Pikmin. When Olimar returns to his home planet Hocotate, he discovers that his employer, Hocotate Freight, has gone into severe debt. When the company's president discovers that the souvenir that Olimar has brought back with him is significantly valuable, he orders Olimar and Louie, another employee, to journey back to the Pikmin planet and gather treasure to pay off the debt. The main objective of Pikmin 2 (Opens in a new window) is to collect human garbage that is referred to as treasure on Hocotate, including bottle caps and gadgets. The player controls both Olimar and Louie, alternating between the two characters to divide and accomplish more tasks during a single day. Unlike the first game, Pikmin 2 (Opens in a new window) has no deadline, so the player can spend as many days as desired to collect all the treasure.[12] (Opens in a new window)

Like its predecessor, Pikmin 2 (Opens in a new window) was ported to the Wii (Opens in a new window) in 2009 (or 2012 in North America) as a New Play Control! (Opens in a new window) title was made available on the Wii U's (Opens in a new window) Virtual Console service in Europe in 2016.[13] (Opens in a new window) An HD remaster of the game was released for Nintendo Switch (Opens in a new window) in 2023.[11] (Opens in a new window)

2013–2022: Pikmin 3 and spin-offs

Further information: Pikmin 3 (Opens in a new window)

Shigeru Miyamoto (Opens in a new window) hinted about the possibilities of a new Pikmin game in a July 2007 interview with IGN, saying "I certainly don't think we've seen the last of Pikmin. I definitely would like to do something with them, and I think the Wii interface in particular is very well suited to that franchise."[14] (Opens in a new window) A later CNET.com (Opens in a new window) interview in April 2008 reported that "For now, Miyamoto looks ahead to other projects for the Wii, mentioning his desire to continue the Pikmin series."[15] (Opens in a new window) A new Pikmin game was confirmed at E3 2008 (Opens in a new window) during Nintendo's developer roundtable, in which Miyamoto stated that his team was working on a new entry in the series.[16] (Opens in a new window)[17] (Opens in a new window)[18] (Opens in a new window) Miyamoto confirmed that Pikmin 3 (Opens in a new window) would be released on the Wii (Opens in a new window). He also stated that the Wii's (Opens in a new window) controls were "working well" with the game.[19] (Opens in a new window) The announcement in October 2008 of a re-release of the first two Pikmin games on the Wii with updated motion controls,[20] (Opens in a new window) raised concerns about whether Pikmin 3 (Opens in a new window) was in development. However, a subsequent interview with IGN clarified that the re-releases of Pikmin and Pikmin 2 under the New Play Control! (Opens in a new window) series was separate from Pikmin 3 (Opens in a new window).[21] (Opens in a new window) The game was not shown at E3 2009 (Opens in a new window), E3 2010 (Opens in a new window), or E3 2011 (Opens in a new window), but Miyamoto confirmed in June 2010 that the game was still in development.[22] (Opens in a new window)[23] (Opens in a new window) At Miyamoto's roundtable discussion at E3 2011 (Opens in a new window), Miyamoto stated that Pikmin 3 (Opens in a new window) development was moved to Wii U (Opens in a new window), the Wii successor.[24] (Opens in a new window) He said that the HD graphics for the next system and its special screen-based controller would work better for it. On April 15, 2012, Miyamoto said in a Spanish interview that a new Pikmin game and a new New Super Mario Bros. (Opens in a new window) game will both be showcased for the Wii U (Opens in a new window) at E3 2012 (Opens in a new window). He also added the comment "Anyone who played the original Pikmin games will enjoy playing it."[25] (Opens in a new window) On June 5, 2012, at Nintendo's E3 press conference, Pikmin 3 (Opens in a new window) was announced and featured a trailer that revealed the inclusion of the new Rock Pikmin.[26] (Opens in a new window) Six days later, a second trailer was released that revealed the new Winged Pikmin and other aspects of the game.[27] (Opens in a new window) Although originally intended to be released within the Wii U's launch window,[28] (Opens in a new window) Pikmin 3 was delayed and instead released in mid-2013.[29] (Opens in a new window)

On August 5, 2020, Nintendo announced Pikmin 3 Deluxe (Opens in a new window), an enhanced port of Pikmin 3 (Opens in a new window) for the Nintendo Switch (Opens in a new window), for release on October 30, 2020, via Twitter.[30] (Opens in a new window)

On March 22, 2021, Niantic (Opens in a new window), known primarily for the mobile game Pokémon Go (Opens in a new window), announced a Pikmin game for mobile devices.[35] (Opens in a new window) Little was known at the time of announcement, except that it will feature similar gameplay to Pokémon Go, using augmented reality (Opens in a new window) technology. A playable prototype was released for select users in Singapore the same day the game was announced.[36] (Opens in a new window) On October 26, 2021, the game was revealed to be titled Pikmin Bloom (Opens in a new window) and launched immediately in Australia (Opens in a new window) and Singapore (Opens in a new window).[37] (Opens in a new window)

2023–present: Pikmin 4 and spin-offs

Further information: Pikmin 4 (Opens in a new window)

In September 2015, Miyamoto said that Pikmin 4 (Opens in a new window) was in development, and "very close to completion".[38] (Opens in a new window)[39] (Opens in a new window) On July 7, 2016, Miyamoto said in an E3 (Opens in a new window) interview with Game Rant that Pikmin 4 was still in development, though at a lower priority.[40] (Opens in a new window) On June 19, 2017, Miyamoto reassured Eurogamer that the game was still "progressing".[41] (Opens in a new window) In the years to follow, the game was widely considered vaporware (Opens in a new window)[42] (Opens in a new window)[43] (Opens in a new window) until it was officially unveiled on September 13, 2022.

Pikmin 4 was developed using Unreal Engine (Opens in a new window), its first use in an internally developed Nintendo EPD (Opens in a new window) game, although the game was co-developed with Eighting (Opens in a new window).[44] (Opens in a new window) Lead staff include veteran Pikmin developer Yuji Kando, who was one of the two directors of Pikmin 3 and returned as chief director and programming director; Yutaka Hiramuki as game design and lead writer, responsible for the level design and story similarly to his responsibilities on Pikmin 3; Takashi Tezuka (Opens in a new window), who returned as the mainline series producer, a role he has held since Pikmin 2, and Shigeru Miyamoto, who returned as the general producer, the same position he had in Pikmin 3.[45] (Opens in a new window)

Throughout the series, two styles of gameplay had emerged: a shorter, more focused challenge that encourages resource management and multitasking with an ultimate time limit, seen in Pikmin (2001) and Pikmin 3, and a longer experience featuring the collection of treasures within dangerous underground caves that focus more on the aspect of resource management without time limits in Pikmin 2. In Pikmin 4, the team aimed to appease fans of both gameplay types by trying to mix both styles into one, as well as make a highly approachable and accessible game, considering the series' relative lack of success in reaching general audiences. Additionally, the team wanted to incorporate new and exciting elements as selling points, such as Oatchi. This resulted in an extended development period, with many discussions among staff.[45] (Opens in a new window)[46] (Opens in a new window)

Pikmin 4 was announced by Miyamoto in a Nintendo Direct (Opens in a new window) on September 13, 2022.[47] (Opens in a new window) The teaser trailer gives a brief glimpse of the game's environment, without any gameplay or story details.[48] (Opens in a new window) In the February 8, 2023, Nintendo Direct, Pikmin 4 was revealed to launch on July 21, 2023.[49] (Opens in a new window) A demo was released on June 28, 2023.[50] (Opens in a new window) Pikmin 4 was released on July 21, 2023, for the Nintendo Switch (Opens in a new window).[51] (Opens in a new window)[52] (Opens in a new window) It received positive reviews from critics, who praised the game's level design, visuals, score, large amount of content, and accessibility to newcomers, while criticizing the limited multiplayer options and low difficulty. The game was commercially successful, selling over three million units worldwide, making it the best-selling game in the series.

The first two games in the series were remastered for the Nintendo Switch in September 2023 as Pikmin 1+2.[11] (Opens in a new window) Pikmin Finder (Opens in a new window) was released in 2023 and is an augmented reality (Opens in a new window) browser-based (Opens in a new window) mobile game. Developed and published by Nintendo using Niantic's 8th Wall development platform, the game involves using the player's mobile camera to display Pikmin and command them to carry treasure back to the player. The game was distributed in early September to coincide with Nintendo Live.[53] (Opens in a new window)[54] (Opens in a new window)[55] (Opens in a new window) On December 31, 2024, Nintendo announced on the game's webpage that Finder's services had been discontinued.[56] (Opens in a new window)

Reception

(Opens in a new window)

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding missing information (Opens in a new window). (February 2018)

Sales and aggregate review scores
As of November 6, 2025. Game Year Units sold
(in millions) GameRankings (Opens in a new window) Metacritic (Opens in a new window) OpenCritic (Opens in a new window) Pikmin (Opens in a new window)

GCN: 2001
Wii: 2008
NS: 2023

GCN: 1.60[57] (Opens in a new window)
Wii: –
NS: –

GCN: 87%[58] (Opens in a new window)
Wii: 79%[59] (Opens in a new window)
NS: –

GCN: 89/100[60] (Opens in a new window)
Wii: 77/100[61] (Opens in a new window)
NS: –

GCN: –
Wii: –
NS: 75% recommend[62] (Opens in a new window)

Pikmin 2 (Opens in a new window)

GCN: 2004
Wii: 2009
NS: 2023

GCN: 1.12[57] (Opens in a new window)
Wii: –
NS: –

GCN: 89%[63] (Opens in a new window)
Wii: 84%[64] (Opens in a new window)
NS: –

GCN: 90/100[65] (Opens in a new window)
Wii: –[66] (Opens in a new window)
NS: –

GCN: –
Wii: –
NS: 70% recommend[67] (Opens in a new window)

Pikmin 3 (Opens in a new window)

Wii U: 2013
NS: 2020

Wii U: 1.27[68] (Opens in a new window)
NS: 2.40[69] (Opens in a new window)

Wii U: 87%[70] (Opens in a new window)
NS: –

Wii U: 87/100[71] (Opens in a new window)
NS: 85/100[72] (Opens in a new window)

Wii U: –
NS: 99% recommend[73] (Opens in a new window)

Hey! Pikmin (Opens in a new window) 2017 0.44 70%[74] (Opens in a new window) 69/100[75] (Opens in a new window) 38% recommend[76] (Opens in a new window) Pikmin Bloom (Opens in a new window) 2021 2.00[77] (Opens in a new window) 68% 65/100[78] (Opens in a new window) – Pikmin 4 (Opens in a new window) 2023 3.48[81] (Opens in a new window) 87% 87/100[79] (Opens in a new window) 96% recommend[80] (Opens in a new window)

The Pikmin series has received generally positive reviews. The series has been praised for its strategic gameplay based on time and resource management, as well as its graphics; Philip Kollar of Polygon (Opens in a new window) described Pikmin 3 (Opens in a new window) as "one of those rare pieces of evidence that a modern Nintendo (Opens in a new window) can still produce something wholly unique."[82] (Opens in a new window)

Legacy

Olimar was introduced as a playable character in the Super Smash Bros. (Opens in a new window) series beginning with 2008's Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Opens in a new window),[83] (Opens in a new window)[84] (Opens in a new window) and has appeared in every subsequent entry.[85] (Opens in a new window) He commands the Pikmin in battle and, like in the Pikmin series, he is almost entirely dependent on them. Olimar can pluck new Pikmin from the ground at any time unless he has the maximum number of Pikmin allowed; he can command up to six in Brawl, and three in subsequent games. The Pikmin, as in the Pikmin series, are fragile and can be trounced, but new ones can be plucked from the stage immediately after. Olimar's Final Smash, a signature one-use technique, shows him getting into his Hocotate Spaceship and flying off into the sky, while Red Bulborbs attack the other players on the ground. The ship then plummets to the ground and causes an explosion, dealing damage and knockback to opposing players as Olimar is ejected from it. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Opens in a new window) also features a playable stage called Distant Planet, based on the general setting of the Pikmin's home planet featured in the first three Pikmin games. The same stage returned in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS (Opens in a new window), while Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (Opens in a new window) added a stage based on Pikmin 3 (Opens in a new window); both stages returned in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Opens in a new window).[86] (Opens in a new window) Alph from Pikmin 3 appears as an alternate costume for Olimar beginning with 3DS and Wii U.[87] (Opens in a new window)

Pikmin appear in the Nintendo 3DS (Opens in a new window) built-in application AR Games (Opens in a new window).[88] (Opens in a new window) Pikmin make a cameo during the process of transferring downloadable content from a Nintendo DSi (Opens in a new window) to a 3DS, (or transferring from a 3DS to another 3DS or 2DS) with various types of Pikmin carrying the data over. A similar animation occurs when transferring saved data and other information from a Wii to an SD card using the Wii U (Opens in a new window) transfer application, and a second animation, picking up where the first one leaves off, appears when completing the transfer from the SD card to a Wii U (Opens in a new window).[89] (Opens in a new window)

Nintendo Land (Opens in a new window) includes the series in a team attraction titled Pikmin Adventure (Opens in a new window), where players' Mii's fight robotic versions of familiar Pikmin foes. Pikmin Adventure utilizes the Wii U GamePad (Opens in a new window) and Wii Remote (Opens in a new window); the former controls Olimar, whereas the latter allows other players to play as Pikmin.[90] (Opens in a new window) On the Game Boy Advance (Opens in a new window), the card-based Nintendo e-Reader (Opens in a new window) peripheral included Pikmin minigames exclusive to Japan following the release of Pikmin 2 (Opens in a new window), titled Pikmin 2-E. In the various minigames, players control either Olimar or the Pikmin to complete various puzzles.[91] (Opens in a new window)

Pikmin franchise amiibo (Opens in a new window) figures can be used to unlock a Pikmin Mii (Opens in a new window) costume in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Opens in a new window),[92] (Opens in a new window) and Pikmin character costumes in Super Mario Maker (Opens in a new window).[93] (Opens in a new window)

Several red, yellow, and blue Pikmin can be found across the land on ledges of Super Nintendo World (Opens in a new window) at Universal Studios Japan (Opens in a new window), with some carrying objects like coins from the Mario franchise (Opens in a new window) and a berry.[94] (Opens in a new window)

Pikmin gummy candy was released exclusively in Japan in September 2021. This candy included grape-flavored blues, apple-flavored reds, orange-flavored yellows, and lemon-flavored white Pikmin.[95] (Opens in a new window)[96] (Opens in a new window)

A manga (Opens in a new window)-style comic strip (Opens in a new window) based on the Pikmin series, written by Kino Takahashi, was first published on June 21, 2023.[97] (Opens in a new window)

Pikmin Short Movies

On November 5, 2014, three short, animated Pikmin movies were released on the Wii U (Opens in a new window) and Nintendo 3DS (Opens in a new window) eShop, after being shown at the Tokyo International Film Festival (Opens in a new window). The films, "The Night Juicer", "Treasure in a Bottle", and "Occupational Hazards", each feature groups of Pikmin and often Captain Olimar as well.[98] (Opens in a new window) To commemorate the films, puzzles related to them were made available in the Puzzle Swap game mode of StreetPass Mii Plaza (Opens in a new window). They were later uploaded to YouTube (Opens in a new window) to promote Pikmin 3 (Opens in a new window) Deluxe.[99] (Opens in a new window)

Close to You

On October 7, 2025, an animated short film featuring a baby chasing a moving pacifier (Opens in a new window), with Pikmin motifs, was released, leading to speculation that it was related to the Pikmin series.[100] (Opens in a new window) Others incorrectly guessed that it was an origin story to the Mario character Rosalina (Opens in a new window) for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (Opens in a new window), pointing out the baby's similar appearance.[101] (Opens in a new window)[102] (Opens in a new window) The next day, Nintendo released a second version of the short film on the Nintendo Today! (Opens in a new window) app that revealed that the pacifier was being moved by previously invisible Pikmin. Whereas the first short featured a piano piece (Opens in a new window), the second short featured a more complete instrumentation.[103] (Opens in a new window) On October 22, 2025, both versions were released together on YouTube.[104] (Opens in a new window) The shorts were the first to be produced by Nintendo in-house, by its animation studio Nintendo Pictures (Opens in a new window).[105] (Opens in a new window)