Gatling Groink

The Gatling Groink is an enemy in Pikmin 2. It is a large biomechanical creature resembling a rotund goldfish with what appears to be a windshield between its two forward-facing eyes, two long, slender legs, two upward exhaust pipes, a rotatable tail, and a mouthplate which covers both its underside and a cannon that fires mortar rounds. The origins of the mechanical parts are unknown, much like the Man-at-Legs.

Groinks can usually be seen patrolling caves and are known to actively hunt the active Captain and his Pikmin. A different variation of the Groink is found stationary on top of hard-to-reach towers, giving it a wide attack range, which is especially annoying when they are in possession of a treasure and cannot merely be avoided. There are hence, two behaviors, one for walking around, shooting at short range, one for standing still and shooting enemies below at long range. This is evidenced by the fact that if a tower-standing Gatling Groink is taken down and left to be revived, it will not move from its spot.

It attacks by initiating a cannon from its mouth and fires either one large or three small mortars (with little time between firings). When the shells hit the ground, they explode and scatter any of the Pikmin in range and kill those at the absolute center of the blast. Given unknown circumstances, Pikmin caught in the dead center will still survive. Rarely, the game may tally the surviving Pikmin for the death count.

If used correctly and carefully, the Gatling Groink's cannon can be used to kill other enemies and even airborne enemies. To do this, the Gatling Groink must fire at the active captain while he is standing near or under an enemy. If this is done correctly, it should be able to kill most large ground enemies in three to four shots. The shells will not harm the Gatling Groink itself, however. It can also destroy every type of hazard except for bomb-rocks. This can be used to the player's advantage by having it destroy the two poison gates in the Wistful Wild.

Olimar's Notes
This beastly predator's aggressive ejection of high-speed projectiles makes it one of the most fearsome creatures in the ecosystem. Its body seems to comprise of both biological and mechanical components, and represents one of the most evolutionary advanced specimens ever observed. The chamber within its torso gives it rapid-fire bio-pellet launch capabilities. What appears to be a tail fin is in fact the base of its counter-weight and ammunition cylinder, so immobilizing this appendage will prevent the groink from attacking... at least in theory. Confirmation of this suspicion remains elusive, as nobody has volunteered to test it.

Louie's Notes
Remove the cannon and ammo stockpile, then vigorously tenderize the meat with a heavy mallet. Stir-fry with caramelized onions and figwort sprouts. Spoon over a steaming bowl of fluffy white rice and douse with chili sauce.

In Pikmin: Ultimate Doom
The Gatling Groink is a miniboss in Pikmin: Ultimate Doom. It has stronger mortar blasts, killing all but Bomb-Rock Pikmin on contact. It is also slightly larger, and runs faster.

Locations

 * Volatile Minefield
 * Abandoned Mine - Sublevel 5