Pikmin: The Key of Beginning

Pikmin: The Key of Beginning is one of the games in the Pikmin series. It has no relation to the build-up trilogy, or any other fan game for that matter. So it could be considered a separate game.

Synthesis
The game centers around The Key, a treasure in Pikmin 2. When Olimar retrieves it the Ship uses a 'Parallel Dimension Controller' on the key, causing a massive dimensional shift in a distant location. The Ship then receives a message, explaining that: "Challenge Mode can now be accessed from the main menu", despite the important meaning, the Ship calls the message "Complete gibberish" and calls The Key worthless.

Plot
After the events of the second game, Olimar has been researching the "Treasures" which they took from the Pikmin Planet. One treasure has made Olimar's brain literally explode; The Key. Olimar has researched deeply into the glittering object, such as what the message means, and what the Ship meant by the "far-flung dimension". Perplexed, Olimar travels to Planet Kamcho (Kamitoba-hokotate-cho Nintendo of Japan's address, it's the Jupiter-like Planet seen in the intro to Pikmin 2) with his son (Sagittarius) to see his father, Rokasi. His name is a mix of Rokuna (Japanese for worthless) and Pegasi (From the Planet 51 Pegasi b). He explains that Olimar should retrace his steps to find the answer. Taking his advice, Olimar and Sagittarius blasted of to the Pikmin Planet; a planet Sagittarius has been eagerly awaiting to explore.

The ship lands in the Perplexing Pool, now named the Lake of Twilight. The region has changed dramatically: It is now more Barron, some of the rock formations have vanished, it's covered in tree debris and some of the lakes have dried up. When the Ship lands it's engine cuts of causing Olimar and Sagittarius to be thrown out of their cockpits. Fortunately, Olimar meets Blue Pikmin and re-unites with his son. The two find the entrance to the Citadel of Spiders, now named the Cavern of Redemption, the 2 find a machine like object of sublevel 2, .a.k.a. a Camping Stove, they collect it believing that it may give some answers. Olimar names it the Extreme Heat Generator. They find several other Mechanized Artifacts, and even a new Pikmin species; Orange Pikmin. Orange Pikmin can carry bomb rocks and are immune to explosions, however they don't leave caverns and cannot be stored in the ship as a chemical the produce would react with the Ships metals cause it to explode. Olimar and co. find and defeat a Stone Long Legs and gain the Inpenatrable Distorter, along with the rusted key. Unfortunately, the expedition proved as a dead end, so what's next for Olimar?

Areas
There are a total of 7 areas in the main game:
 * 1) Lake of Twilight
 * 2) Prevailing Plains
 * 3) Tree-top Island
 * 4) Magnetized Ruins
 * 5) Desserted Wilderness
 * 6) Doomed Abyss
 * 7) Dimension Ω (Omega)

New Pikmin

 * Orange Pikmin: Have blotches on them, they can carry bomb rocks and are immune to explosions. However, they can't be stored in the Ship or left underground as they revert to their original Pikmin form.
 * Green Pikmin: Can make plants either grow faster or regrow when a certain number are near (For example 5 for a pellet posy & have tails.)
 * Cyan Pikmin: Have clear, fan-like leaves. They can defog areas of mist, fog or steam. Like Greens, a certain amount is needed.