Pikmin: Colonies/Gameplay

This page is the gameplay guide page for Pikmin: Colonies. All controls are for the Wii Remote and Nunchuk.

Intro
Players start with a Research Pod to carry them and their finds, access to a flying colony, a small 'safe area' on the Pikmin Planet with no enemies [even at nighttime], and a few Pokos. A Red Onion will be resting in the safe area.

Note that starting players can have only 50 Pikmin in the field at once. This increases by 5 with each subsequent level [see below].

The menu affords players with the option to Lift Off at any time. If selected, the player will return to their Research Pod in an 'end of day' animation. If not in the flying colony or a safe area, sundown will force a liftoff.

The Clock
The sun timer will always show up at the top of the screen [even on menus], and will also advance during the night [but looking more like a moon timer].

Pikmin
Pikmin are multicoloured, helpful creatures discovered by Captain Olimar. Information can be found here.

Damage
Getting chomped or hit by a hazard will kill non-immune Pikmin and damage non-immune captains.

Your captain's damage is represented by a green ring around their picture at the bottom left. The ring decreases clockwise, leaving black in its place, as you take damage. At 1/2 health, it becomes yellow; at 1/4 health, red. If it runs out, the day will end, all Pikmin away from the Research Pod will die, and you must spend the next day in the colony as your suit is repaired.

Purchasing extra plating will increase your captain's health.

Once you purchase the Shield Generator, a blue ring indicates your shield strength.

Hazards
Different hazards present themselves to captains and their Pikmin. Aside from getting eaten, there are other things that can damage captains and kill Pikmin. The complete list:

Fire
Fire appears as red jets of... well, fire, spraying from geysers and enemies. Pikmin caught in fire will run around with their leaves/buds/flowers alight. If not whistled back (blowing the fire out) in 4 seconds, the Pikmin will die. The exception to this is Red Pikmin, who are immune to fire. Captains can reduce damage taken by purchasing the Scorch Guard upgrade. There are five levels; at Level 5 Scorch Guard, the captains are immune to fire.

Electricity
Electricity appears as yellow, crackling arcs between anode points, between enemies, and running through wire fences. Pikmin caught in electricity will be electrocuted instantly, with no chance of saving them. The exception to this is Yellow Pikmin, who are immune to electricity. Captains can reduce the damage taken by purchasing the Resistor Coating upgrade. There are five levels; at Level 5 Resistor Coating, the captains are immune to electricity.

Water
Water appears as pools of blue liquid in generally low-lying areas, or bubbles shot out by enemies. Pikmin caught in water will thrash around on the spot, unable to breathe. If not thrown out by a Blue Pikmin (removing them from the pool) or whistled back (popping the bubble) in 10 seconds, the Pikmin will drown. The exception to this is Blue Pikmin, who are amphibious and can swim. Captains are already immune to water.

Explosions
Explosions appear as orange flashes of energy, generated by detonating bomb-rocks. Bomb-rocks can be found lying around on the floor, fall from cave ceilings, or be carried or thrown by enemies. Pikmin caught in explosions will disintegrate instantly, with no chance to save them. The exception to this is Purple Pikmin, who are immune to explosions. Captains can reduce the damage taken by purchasing the Metal Suit Z upgrade. There are five levels; at Level 5 Metal Suit Z, captains are immune to damage but still shaken by explosions.

Poison
Poison appears as red gas emitted from orange pipes in the ground or enemies. Pikmin caught in poison will run around like crazy as the poison sticks to their leaves/buds/flowers. If not whistled back (dissipating the poison) within 4 seconds, the Pikmin will suffocate. The exception to this is White Pikmin, who are immune to poison. Captains can reduce the damage taken by purchasing the Compound Filtration upgrade. There are five levels; at Level 5 Compound Filtration, the captains are immune to poison.

Acid
Acid appears as pools of green liquid in generally low-lying areas, or green gas emitted from enemies. Pikmin caught in acid will thrash around on the spot as the acid eats away at them. If not thrown out by a Green Pikmin (removing them from the pool) or whistled back (neutralizing the acid) within 5 seconds, the Pikmin will dissolve. The exception to this is Green Pikmin, who are immune to acid. Captains can reduce the damage taken by purchasing the Anti-Corrosion Coating upgrade. There are five levels; at Level 5 Anti-Corrosion Coating, the captains are immune to acid.

Crushing
Crushing can be inflicted by having a boulder or enemy land on Pikmin or captains. Pikmin will be crushed immediately, with no chance to save them. No Pikmin is immune, and no upgrade can make captains immune.

Onions
Onions hold Pikmin and unplanted seeds.

They can be operated either by standing in the light beneath and pressing A [the traditional method] or by pressing - and then selecting the requisite colour.

At that point, move the Control Stick down to withdraw Pikmin, and up to put them in. You can also press Z to order the Onion to expel stored seeds [then set with the Control Stick], C to prioritize the movement of leaf, bud or flower Pikmin, or B to cancel. When done, press A to withdraw/put away Pikmin and expel seeds. You can also use a pointer interface - Z and C serve the same functions, but otherwise it's pointer-controlled. Buttons on screen allow you to alter the number of Pikmin to move by 1, 5, 10, 20, and 100.

Note that Onions will follow the player into caves, so you are not limited to 100 Pikmin down there.

Levels
Onions can level up if you bring a matching marble to them. When an Onion levels up, all its Pikmin will become slightly faster and stronger. They also gain other abilities:
 * At Level 2, Pikmin will become smarter, moving towards camp as the sun goes down, and trying to avoid hazards.
 * At Level 3, they will be able to throw other Pikmin, becoming more effective while attacking.
 * At Level 4, they will become smarter still, staying on narrow paths and grabbing ledges when not quite thrown on top.
 * At Level 5, they can use special abilities, which become more powerful when flowered. Whites can also relay buried object locations to other Pikmin.
 * Reds will use fire to attack enemies.
 * Yellows will electrocute enemies. This may even carry to other nearby enemies.
 * Blues will try to drown enemies. This can prevent certain attacks.
 * Purples will cause earthquakes, which stun everything in the vicinity.
 * Whites will poison enemies.
 * Greens will use acid attacks. Note that this causes gradual damage.

It's almost like marbles hold knowledge and power. And those specials apply to the onions too!

Research Pod
The Research Pod is pivotal to explorers' efforts on the surface of the Pikmin Planet. It is the primary dropoff point for crystals and items. It can also perform an emergency transport of downed captains.

Objects
There are different objects scattered throughout the game world that can help the players:


 * Pellets. Get Pikmin to carry these to their Onions to gain more Pikmin. They come in a myriad of sizes: 1 [very common], 5 [common], 10 [not so common], 20 [rare], 50, [really rare], and 100 [only gained from bosses].
 * Crystals. Get these to the Research Pod to gain a few Pokos.
 * Berries. Get 10 of the same colour to the pod to gain a dose of spray.
 * Nectar. Any Pikmin that drinks this will instantly flower.
 * Sprays. Sometimes doses of spray will appear on the ground. A bit rare.
 * Marbles. Here's the best bit! Bring a marble to the matching Onion and it will level up all its Pikmin.

Sprays
There are five types of sprays in Pikmin: Colonies. Captains can start carrying 2 sprays at level 2, and can carry 2 more [up to a maximum of 100] for each subsequent level. All spares are kept in the Research Pod.


 * 10 red berries will produce one dose of Ultra-Spicy Spray. This causes all Pikmin under your command to move faster, throw higher, and attack faster for 30 seconds. Pikmin under its influence will emit a bright glow of their colour from their bud/leaf/flower.
 * 10 purple berries will produce one dose of Ultra-Bitter Spray. This causes the enemies near you to be enveloped in stone for 15 seconds, preventing them from moving and attacking. If an enemy is defeated while petrified, they will crumble and leave only nectar and sprays.
 * 10 yellow berries will produce one dose of Ultra-Sugary Spray. This causes all Pikmin under your command to be instantly flowered, as if they had all just drunk nectar.
 * 10 green berries will produce one dose of Ultra-Refreshing Spray. This causes your spacesuit armor to regenerate up to 25% health.
 * 10 grey berries will produce one dose of Ultra-Stealthy Spray. This causes you and all Pikmin under your command to become invisible to enemies for 30 seconds. Nearby enemies will see through it, however.

Experience & Captain Levels
Experience and levels are important qualities.

Captains gain experience by:


 * Growing Pikmin [1 XP each].
 * Defeating enemies [depends on enemy and method of defeat].
 * Destroying obstacles [depends on obstacle].
 * Flowering Pikmin [2 XP each].
 * Building bridges [10 XP per segment].
 * Draining lakes [depends on size of lake].
 * Gathering sprays [15 XP per spray].
 * Collecting Pokos [5 XP per Poko]
 * Collecting marbles [750 XP per marble].

You also lose 1 XP for each leaf Pikmin lost, 2 for each bud Pikmin, and 3 for each flower Pikmin.

A captain will level up to Level 2 when they reach 500 XP. Each subsequent levelup requires 50 XP more than the last; so Level 3 is attained at 1050 [+550], Level 4 at 1650 [+600], and so on. For each additional level a captain can carry 2 more sprays and command 5 more Pikmin [up to a maximum of 100 each].

Multiplayer (Competitive)
Yes, I said multiplayer. Strange, right? Anyway, while in your colony you can access the Pikmin Competition Simulation (PCS). The PCS allows you to battle, RTS style, with up to 5 other players over the internet. Read more here.