Cave

Caves are the underground areas in most fanon games. Although there is a large overworld, most treasures are found in these caves, so most of the time playing the game is spent down them. All enemies, including bosses, respawn between visits.

Entering caves
The holes through which you enter the caves are round, rocky mounds, with a small hole in them with wisps of smoke coming out. Simply press (A) to enter it. Any Pikmin under your control will jump down with you, and any that are idle or working will return safely to their Onions.

Sublevels
The caves are split into several sublevels. Each sublevel usually has at least one treasure for you to find, and almost always one or more enemies. There are three types of sublevels. Every time you enter a sublevel, the game will save. So if you turn the game off then back on, you'll start over in the current sublevel you are on.The cave will always look slightly different when you restart the game.

Normal levels usually have a few harmful enemies, and sometimes don't have any treasure.

Rest levels either lack enemies or only have harmless enemies. A somewhat common exception to the "harmless enemy" rule is Doodlebugs or, in one case, Bulbmin. Rest levels have Pikmin-supporting items, such as nectar, Ultra-Bitter Spray, Ultra-spicy spray, or Candypop Buds.

Boss levels are usually the final level of a cave. They hold one large boss enemy, and maybe a few normal enemies, and this enemy, when defeated, often drops an item which upgrades Olimar/Louie's space suit or ship.

Cave Designs
There are a number of different cave designs.


 * Common cave design: The most commonly seen type of cave design that vary in size. Has plants, dirt floors and walls, and sometimes small pools of water.  Rocks, Eggs, and Bomb-rocks will occasionally fall from the cave ceiling.


 * Sand floor design: Perhaps the second most common cave design. The walls in these caves are concrete and the floor is sandy. A plant that commonly grows in this type of design is the shoot. This design can be disorienting for some because so much of the terrain looks the same, so without a good knowledge of where you've been one can easily get lost in a large sand floor sublevel like the Concrete Maze. Sometimes, there are sinkholes in these places that make fighting much more difficult.


 * Tile design: Another semi-common type of design. Blue tiles cover nearly the whole sub-level and many hazards are found on these types of design. Wogpoles will sometimes fall from the cave ceiling.


 * Swamp design: In Pikmin 2, this was the rarest cave design, but certain fanon caves use or are based around this particular design. There are many Shoots here. Most of the time when entering a sublevel with this design, you will land on a giant tree stump with a root that, when you walk down it, leads to a small piece of land, since these types of levels are mostly water. Even though these level consist almost entirely of water, there are other hazardous enemies such as Fiery Blowhogs. You may encounter Wogpoles, Water Dumples, Wollywogs, and other aquatic enemies here.


 * Boss design: These cave designs are the designs that appear on sub-levels where you fight bosses. Each one is different.


 * Outside design: This type of design appears as if you are outside. These type of design always has harmful enemies in them, save Mitites.


 * Garden design: Slightly rare. These are rest areas with water not deep enough for Pikmin to drown in, and enemies such as Mamutas, Skitter Leafs, and Unmarked Spectralids.


 * Battlefield Design: This type of sublevel is another common one that normally consists of Careening Dirigibug, Gatling Groinks or Lithopods. It consists of rusting metal bridges over a bottomless void. Bombs are the most common method of attack from enemies on these floors. If a Pikmin is thrown over the edges of these sublevels, it will fall to its death.


 * Toybox design: These cave designs are in caves such as Infantile Fortress. These levels are often filled with giant toys and treasures that are used for food, entertainment, and office supplies.


 * Snow design: This type of sublevel is similar to the normal cave theme, only with snow instead of dirt and blue/grey walls instead of brown walls. Sometimes the walls will appear to be made of red bricks, and slippery ice can cause all but Cyan Pikmin to slide around. Enemies such as Hairy Bulborbs and Chill Dweevils often populate these sublevels, and plantlife is rare, with the exception of dead Figworts and/or Shoots.

Merged Nothingness

 * Pit of Redemption(Challenge Mode)
 * Cave of no Return
 * Crystal Palace
 * Tower of Babil

Landing site

 * Cave of Origins

Altitude Springs

 * Cave of Beginnings
 * Sand Lands
 * Jungle Tunnel
 * Aquatic Ruins

Volcanic Wastes

 * Petrified Arbor
 * Scorch Cavern
 * Concealed Aquatica
 * Underground Device

Cliffside Meadow

 * Flowery Cavern
 * Dirty Realm
 * Bulborb Den
 * Inside The Cliff

Frigid Mountain

 * Cold Chasm
 * Militant Frostway
 * Subterranean Canyons
 * Arthropod Castle

Foghorn Wetlands

 * Mystic Marsh
 * Shining Forest
 * Night Garden
 * The Dreadful Maze

The Great Desert

 * Infantile Fortress
 * Hidden Oasis
 * Magma Mantle
 * Chemical Containment

Darkness Plateau

 * Challenger's Cavern
 * Realm of Hauntings
 * Nostalgia Pit
 * Darkfreeze Lair
 * Final Frost

Spectral Garden

 * Flashing Frenzy
 * The Cannon Of Chaos
 * Distorted Palace
 * Ultimate Arena

The Walkway

 * Bonus Bash

Pikmin: Wide World
Caves make a return from  and appear in Pikmin: Wide World, serving the same purpose as they did in the past. Caves are underground areas that can be accessed from various holes in the ground of certain regions of aboveground areas, and generally contain just as many treasures and fruits as they do enemies and hazards. Plants are also often found in caves, matching the theme of the sublevel they are on. Various objects and enemies may also fall from the ceilings of caves. A cave variant known as dens can be found and consist of one to two tranquil sublevels. To create a more realistic atmosphere, all sublevel themes feature occasional patches of dirt, sand, or snow, depending on the cave's location. The primary sources of light in caves is usually a leader's beacon, although some enemies and plants may also produce light. The hole to the next sublevel cannot be entered until the area around it and the path to it from the Lander Pod are secured; dangerous enemies close to it or near the path to it must be defeated and most nearby hazards must be neutralized. All caves can be exited using an escape geyser that is present on the bottommost sublevel, although escape geysers may also be found on tranquil sublevels. Some escape geysers must be activated by having Pikmin attack them before they may be used. The contents of a cave do not reappear for seven days after collection.

Every cave sublevel in Pikmin: Wide World utilizes one of several themes, some returning from Pikmin 2. Although themes are usually consistent for the entirety of a cave, some can vary. Some themes can also be mixed. They usually match the environment in which the cave's entrance was discovered. The following is a list of cave themes appearing in Pikmin: Wide World, organized by alphabetical order:
 * Concrete: Features concrete floors and walls, with patches of dirt, sand, or snow between slabs of concrete. Enemies cannot burrow into the concrete. Pipes, rebar, and large chunks of concrete serve as indestructible obstacles.
 * Dirt: A very basic and simple cave theme that possesses dirt floors and walls. Rocks and pieces of wood are occasionally present to make up portions of the floors and walls, and also to serve indestructible obstacles.
 * Metal: A special theme which has two subtypes that can be used together. The first, which returns from Pikmin 2, is named metal walkways: it has low walls, which makes it possible to throw Pikmin to their demise. The second is entirely new and is named metal interior: it resembles a typical cave in that it has high walls. Both subtypes are composed entirely of metal and feature patches and piles of colored sand. Mechanical enemies are common in this cave theme, and much like with the stone theme, enemies cannot burrow into the hard metal.
 * Nature: The spiritual successor the Pikmin 2's garden theme. Many plants and fungi cover the sublevel floor. Mud is frequent in this theme.
 * Sand: Features sand and sandstone, which comprises the floor and walls, respectively. Water is a frequent hazard in this theme.
 * Snow: Very similar to the dirt theme, but has snow covering the floor and walls. This cave theme is only ever encountered in Frigid Tundra, and only on the first few sublevels of a cave before it transitions into the soil theme. Rocks are sometimes present in these caves to break up the monotony of the dirt.
 * Stone: Has smooth stone comprised much of the sublevel's surfaces, but depending on where the sublevel's cave is located, can also contain trace amounts of dirt, sand, or snow. Enemies are unable to burrow into the hard rock. Stalagmites, stalactites, and columns of stone serve as indestructible obstacles.
 * Tiles: Small colored tiles cover nearly the whole sublevel. Water is a frequent hazard in this theme. Enemies cannot burrow into the tiles. Piles of dirt, sand, or snow may also appear and serve much the same purpose as the metal theme's colored sand.
 * Wood: Lumber is frequent in the sublevel and some pieces may serve as indestructible obstacles. Wood makes up much of the sublevel's floors and walls. Enemies may burrow into wood even though it is a hard surface type.

Sublevels may also have one or more modifiers that drastically change how they are navigated:
 * Flooded: Water covers a majority of the sublevel and very little dry land is available as a result. A clog is usually present, either blocking the hole to the next sublevel or located elsewhere. Destroying it will drain most of the water from the current sublevel. The clog does not need to be removed if enough of the land around the hole to the next sublevel is dry.
 * Dark: Visibility is abnormally low, and light sources are less effective than normal.

In addition to having themes they are styled around, four different sublevel classifications exist in Pikmin: Wide World that are based off of the number and type of enemies it houses:

Tranquil
Tranquil sublevels, also known as rest sublevels in larger caves, are sublevels that are usually devoid of enemies and hazards. Non-Pikmin-endangering obstacles may also be present. If any enemies are present, they are either harmless or easy to kill. Tranquil sublevels contain few treasures and fruits, but are worth exploring regardless as they may contain eggs, Candypop Buds, or other useful items. Tranquil sublevels compose most of the single-sublevel dens found throughout the game.

Perilous
Perilous sublevels contain several dangers, of which are posed by enemies, hazards, and some obstacles, and have roughly equal amounts of each. Perilous sublevels are as rewarding as they are dangerous, also housing several treasures and fruits.

Infested
Infested sublevels contain massive quantities of enemies and may additionally be home to a few bosses. The number of enemies present in this sublevel type strongly outweighs the number of obstacles and fruits present, if there are any present in the sublevel. Infested sublevels are the most rewarding treasure-wise.

Boss
Boss sublevels are, as the name would imply, where the cave's boss lurks. Although some hazards and obstacles may be present on boss sublevels, they are generally devoid of enemies. Sometimes this type of sublevel may contain very few enemies that are scattered around the area.

Pikmin V
Caves in Pikmin V function very differently than in other games. Each one is a pre-designed map, evolving on the concept of the, with a series of themed puzzles (often utilizing Planning) that stand in the way of progress and treasure collection. Every area in the game except the first has exactly one cave in it, excluding standard underground areas. Thanks to advanced processing power, the cave does not have to be loaded separately from the overworld, which means that time does not stop while inside of it and not all leaders have to enter the cave. However, a cave still cannot be walked out of once entered; instead, the head of the Hocotate Hauler will detach to collect any treasures within, which is not temporary this time around. The Hauler only has one intake, so entering a cave will prevent treasures from being collected at the landing site; the Pikmin will act as if their path is blocked once they reach the point where their treasure should be sucked up. When the S.S. Drake is recovered, this ceases to be an issue, as it takes over that duty while the Hauler Head is away.

Cave entry is still initiated with the prompt that shows the cave's name, the number of treasures within (and how many are collected), and which types of Pikmin are recommended for use. This happens once per day; the prompt is also viewable any time after the cave's discovery through Overhead Mode. Once inside of the cave, interacting with the Hauler Head will prompt escaping with the active squad, but only the active squad. The Head will return to the cave if there is still a leader inside, but stray Pikmin can be left behind. Unlike the Research Pod, the Hauler Head does refuse to store carcasses long-term: exiting the cave with anyone will cause it to spit out all collected spoils at the cave's entrance (despite taking the group to the landing site with it), and it will destroy them if an exit is not made by the end of the day. The Head also serves as a separate safe zone than its body when sunset arrives.

Lastly, at the end of each cave is a Pikmin 2-style mini-boss which contains a treasure that provides an upgrade (except for the Deep Palace, which contains a required story boss).