Puffstool

The Puffstool is an enemy that appears to be a huge walking fungus, strongly resembling a red-capped bolete. It has twin antennae, a red-capped mushroom head and a tender yellow torso which is vulnerable to swarming. The Puffstool will try to run when attacked, but its legs are clearly not made for sprinting and it trips easily, landing on its head with feet in the air. Since the cap is invulnerable to Pikmin attacks, one must throw Pikmin onto its undersection once it's on the ground. After a few seconds, the Puffstool will right itself up and blow out a purplish cloud of spores which cause a strange change in nearby Pikmin, which the Puffstool acts as a leader for. Affected Pikmin turn purple, grow small brown mushroom caps on their stalks, and become aggressive; these Pikmin are known as Mushroom Pikmin.

Pikmin: Redemption
In Pikmin: Redemption, the Puffstool is a boss and is quite hard. Your reward, however, is a portable egg that 100 Pikmin can be stored inside, which means that 200 Pikmin can be brought along. This Puffstool is inside a cave so it can't only be attacked with leaders. It can release purple spore bombs that release Puffstool spores when they explode. Keep throwing Pikmin at this wandering creature, but watch out: it might extract poison which will cause some Pikmin who are still in its range into killer mushroom Pikmin who will attack Olimar and other Pikmin. These Pikmin will soon die after a short period of time. After defeating it its body will flatten and it can be brought back to the onion for a load of whopping 30 seeds.

Pikmin: Secret of the Earth
The Puffstool is confirmed as an important character in the plot, presumably antagonistic as the story is a tribute to the Pikmin fanfic, "Spored."

Pikspore
PS undefined The Puffstool is an uncommon enemy in PikSpore, appearing in a few caves. Several subspecies and a Darkfreeze-infused form exist as well.

Pikmin 3: The New Exploration
The Puffstool is found around wet areas and even in your landing site. This time they can control your Pikmin by making them go through hazards.

Olimar's notes

 * "This creature is harmless unless provoked. It will let out a strange substance that turns any kind of Pikmin into Mushroom Pikmin."

Pikmin: Return to the Distant Planet
The Puffstools in Pikmin: Return to the Distant Planet act very much like their Pikmin 1 counterparts. The only difference is they can only control 10 pikmin at a time, and they usually spawn (7/10 chance) with 10 pikmin following them. Once defeated, you can keep the Mushroom Pikmin, which will be idle and attack nearby enemies, or will start following another Puffstool if another one is present.

Pikmin: Infection in Progress
The Puffstool is a boss that appears in Pikmin: Infection in Progress, and is fought in Fungal Grotto. It is encountered by destroying a large patch of Spotcaps and other mushrooms in the center of the back clearing. Once approached too closely, it will light up its antennae and spring to life. It unearths itself and waddles around the area, and must be defeated. The President can assist in carrying the remains of the Puffstool.

Appearance
The Puffstool looks similar to what it did in Pikmin 1, although it appears to be much more matured than it did. Wrinkles and other growths are noticeable on its body. It is also somewhat larger than it was in Pikmin 1. In Pikmin: Infection in Progress, the Puffstool now has the ability to deactivate the lights visible on the end of its antennae.

Combat
During the Puffstool fight, it will waddle around the clearing and crush any Spotcaps in its path. It has more difficulty tripping because of more prominent and stable feet. The Puffstool also has the ability to produce spores while it is walking around, along with the ability to do while standing. On average, the Puffstool will trip and bowl over once or twice during the fight, and will produce spores while doing so. It will also right itself sooner than the Puffstool in Pikmin 1, usually in the direction of the Pikmin squad in an attempt to crush them. The boss can convert an entire army of Pikmin if one is not careful. When defeated, the Puffstool stumbles back and forth briefly until falling backwards, its body being pulled into the cap, and its antennae blinking rapidly before blackening altogether.

Enemy Bio
The Puffstool appears similar to how it did in Pikmin 1, but looks more akin to the Jestcap in shape and color. The Puffstool also acts similarly, but it will now be first found hiding among Buttoncaps and Jestcaps. The distinctive way to tell a Puffstool from a Jestcap is the stem, which is more of a yellow color on a Puffstool. Another way to tell the difference is that if a leader or a group of Pikmin brush up against the Puffstool, it will not wobble, unlike the Buttoncap and Jestcap. Once attacked the Puffstool will instantly come out of hiding and spray a cloud of spores, which will transform any Pikmin hit into Mushroom Pikmin.

Olimar's notes
These passive creatures hide among fungi and will generally not attack unless provoked. In the Summer, these creatures are in their reproductive season and will actively look for a host that can support their spores. These spores will cover any living thing in a coating that bores into the nerve endings to take control of its host.

Louie's notes
Cook on a skillet with olive oil and chives, then stuff with a hearty serving of minced Bulbear cutlets.

Battle Strategy
The best way to defeat a Puffstool is to first draw it out of hiding by punching it with a leader. After it has finished spraying its spores, Rush it with a large group of Winged Pikmin as they can hit its stem even after it trips over.