Gatling Groink

Gatling Groink
Appears in	Pikmin 2
Scientific name	Megaplod calibersi
Family	Unknown
Areas	Wistful Wild
Caves	Subterranean Complex, Cavern of Chaos, Dream Den
Challenge Mode levels	Collector's Room, Three Color Training, Secret Testing Range, Sniper Room
2-Player Battle levels	Rusty Gulch
Attacks	Fires explosive mortars

The Gatling Groink (タマコキン^?, lit.: "Ball Child Goldfish") is an enemy in Pikmin 2. It is a biomechatronical creature similar in size to an adult Bulborb. It reminds of a rotund goldfish, including a skin that resembles fish-scales and sports the typical orange and white coloring of goldfish. It further has two slender legs that end in web- or fin-like feet, what appears to be a windshield between its two forward-facing eyes, two upward exhaust pipes, a rotatable fin-like tail, and a mouthplate which covers both its underside and its retractable cannon. The cannon fires mortar rounds and is placed where a fish's mouth would typically be. The origins of the mechanical parts are unknown, much like the Man-at-Legs.

Gatling Groinks can usually be seen patrolling caves and are known to seek out the active leader 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 leader 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.

Stats

Weight	Max. carriers	Seeds	Value	Health	Regen.
10	20	12	× 7	1200	0.36

Fast Gatling Groink

In Challenge Mode's Secret Testing Range, if a Gatling Groink is allowed to regenerate after it dies, it will sometimes come back as a sped up version that walks and shoots four times faster than normal. Whether this is intended behavior or the result of a glitch is still unknown.

Notes

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 evolutionarily 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.”

Strategy

The following article or section is in need of assistance from someone who plays Pikmin 2. Particularly: Double check that it does not attack if Pikmin are thrown at its tail. It could just be that it takes damage when the Pikmin are attacking the tail, and it reaches a pre-defined "big damage" point, where it shakes; the shake being unrelated to the tail per se.

The best method to attack it is to throw Pikmin onto its sides and back, as the front has a protective shield. With Purple Pikmin, it is possible to throw them to the left or right of the protective shield while facing the enemy, and the Pikmin will stop after passing the shield and being on the creature's side to home-in on its body and attack there.

Certainly the most effective strategy is to pummel it with heavy Purple Pikmin, as each one carries a chance of stunning the creature, preventing it from fighting back. Once defeated, this beast will begin to regenerate its health, just as the Spotty Bulbear does, making it crucial to carry it to the Onion, or Research Pod if underground. If not, it will revive within about two minutes, and then continue its attack. It is said in Olimar's notes that if its tail were incapacitated, it would be incapable of attacking; in fact, if Pikmin are thrown on the tail, it will be unable to use its mortar, but will attempt to shake them off.

However, in the Cavern of Chaos, they are accompanied by many Dwarf Red Bulborbs, in which case using an ultra-bitter spray would be wise due to the Bulborbs. In the case of patrolling Gatling Groinks, it is also possible to attract the Groink's attention, and then move to a position in which a bottomless chasm is between the leader and the Groink. The Groink's stride is often high enough to step over the safety barriers that ordinarily stop leaders, Pikmin, and other monsters from falling into the chasms. In this case, the body will be irretrievable, although any treasures it may have been carrying will fall onto a random location on the map. If two Gatling Groinks are near each other, it is possible to have one Groink kill the other by shooting it; the other Groink should then be killed with Purple Pikmin.

Another strategy is to use one lone leader as bait, to draw the Groink's attention, and then switch leaders and attack the distracted creature from behind. Idle leaders run about to try to avoid enemy attacks, so it's likely that the bait leader will suffer minimal damage from this strategy.

Note that using an ultra-bitter spray on a Gatling Groink that has already fired some shots will make the shots disappear. This is a good way to save Pikmin that would otherwise be on the receiving end.

Technical information

Free

Pikmin 2 technical information (?)
Internal name			minihoudai
Global properties (List)
ID	Japanese comment	Property	Value
s000	friction(not used)	Friction	0.5
s001	wallReflection	Unknown (wall bounce speed multiplier?)	0.5
s002	faceDirAdjust	Unknown	0.25
s003	accel	Acceleration	0.1
s004	bounceFactor	Unknown (bounce when it hits the ground?)	0.3
fp00	ライフ	HP	1200
fp01	マップとの当り	Unknown (related to slopes)	45
fp02	ダメージスケールXZ	Horizontal damage scale	0.3
fp03	ダメージスケールY	Vertical damage scale	0.3
fp04	ダメージフレーム	Damage scale duration	0.35
fp05	質量	Unknown (weight?)	0.0001
fp06	速度	Move speed	100
fp08	回転速度率	Rotation acceleration	0.15
fp09	テリトリー	Territory radius	250
fp10	ホーム範囲	"Home" radius	50
fp11	プライベート距離	"Private" radius	70
fp12	視界距離	Sight radius	500
fp13	視界角度	FOV	90
fp14	探索距離	Unknown (exploration radius?)	250
fp15	探索角度	Unknown (exploration angle?)	90
fp16	振り払い率	Unknown (shake rate?)	1
fp17	振り払い力	Shake knockback	300
fp18	振り払いダメージ	Shake damage	1
fp19	振り払い範囲	Shake range	50
fp20	攻撃可能範囲	Unknown (shock attack max range?)	500
fp21	攻撃可能角度	Unknown (shock attack max angle?)	10
fp22	攻撃ヒット範囲	Unknown (attack hit range?)	15
fp23	攻撃ヒット角度	Unknown (attack hit angle?)	65
fp24	攻撃力	Attack damage	10
fp25	視界高	Unknown (height visibility?)	50
fp26	探索高	Unknown (exploration height?)	50
fp27	ライフの高さ	HP wheel height	90
fp28	回転最大速度	Rotation speed	2
fp29	警戒時間	Unknown (warning time?)	15
fp30	警戒ライフ	Unknown	50
fp31	ライフ回復率	Regeneration rate	0.00001
fp32	LOD半径	Off-camera radius	70
fp33	マップとのあたりポリゴンの選定	Unknown	50
fp34	ピクミンとのあたり	Pikmin damage radius	15
fp35	石化時間	Petrification duration	1
fp36	ヒップドロップダメージ	Purple Pikmin drop damage	50
fp37	地震気絶確立	Purple Pikmin stun chance	0.3 (30%)
fp38	地震気絶時間	Purple Pikmin stun time	5
ip01	振り払い打撃Ａ	Unknown	20
ip02	振り払い張付１	Unknown	5
ip03	振り払い打撃Ｂ	Unknown	35
ip04	振り払い張付２	Unknown	10
ip05	振り払い打撃Ｃ	Unknown	45
ip06	振り払い張付３	Unknown	20
ip07	振り払い打撃Ｄ	Unknown	25
Specific properties
ID	Japanese comment	Property	Value
fp11	死亡 ～ ゲージ出現	Delay until revival starts	2
fp12	ゲージ出現 ～ 復活	Revival duration	118

Tower

Pikmin 2 technical information (?)
Internal name			fminihoudai
Global properties (List)
ID	Japanese comment	Property	Value
s000	friction(not used)	Friction	0.5
s001	wallReflection	Unknown (wall bounce speed multiplier?)	0.5
s002	faceDirAdjust	Unknown	0.25
s003	accel	Acceleration	0.1
s004	bounceFactor	Unknown (bounce when it hits the ground?)	0.3
fp00	ライフ	HP	700
fp01	マップとの当り	Unknown (related to slopes)	45
fp02	ダメージスケールXZ	Horizontal damage scale	0.3
fp03	ダメージスケールY	Vertical damage scale	0.3
fp04	ダメージフレーム	Damage scale duration	0.35
fp05	質量	Unknown (weight?)	0.0001
fp06	速度	Move speed	100
fp08	回転速度率	Rotation acceleration	0.15
fp09	テリトリー	Territory radius	250
fp10	ホーム範囲	"Home" radius	50
fp11	プライベート距離	"Private" radius	70
fp12	視界距離	Sight radius	500
fp13	視界角度	FOV	90
fp14	探索距離	Unknown (exploration radius?)	250
fp15	探索角度	Unknown (exploration angle?)	180
fp16	振り払い率	Unknown (shake rate?)	1
fp17	振り払い力	Shake knockback	300
fp18	振り払いダメージ	Shake damage	1
fp19	振り払い範囲	Shake range	50
fp20	攻撃可能範囲	Unknown (shock attack max range?)	500
fp21	攻撃可能角度	Unknown (shock attack max angle?)	10
fp22	攻撃ヒット範囲	Unknown (attack hit range?)	15
fp23	攻撃ヒット角度	Unknown (attack hit angle?)	65
fp24	攻撃力	Attack damage	10
fp25	視界高	Unknown (height visibility?)	50
fp26	探索高	Unknown (exploration height?)	50
fp27	ライフの高さ	HP wheel height	90
fp28	回転最大速度	Rotation speed	2
fp29	警戒時間	Unknown (warning time?)	15
fp30	警戒ライフ	Unknown	50
fp31	ライフ回復率	Regeneration rate	0.00001
fp32	LOD半径	Off-camera radius	70
fp33	マップとのあたりポリゴンの選定	Unknown	50
fp34	ピクミンとのあたり	Pikmin damage radius	15
fp35	石化時間	Petrification duration	1
fp36	ヒップドロップダメージ	Purple Pikmin drop damage	50
fp37	地震気絶確立	Purple Pikmin stun chance	0.3 (30%)
fp38	地震気絶時間	Purple Pikmin stun time	5
ip01	振り払い打撃Ａ	Unknown	20
ip02	振り払い張付１	Unknown	5
ip03	振り払い打撃Ｂ	Unknown	35
ip04	振り払い張付２	Unknown	10
ip05	振り払い打撃Ｃ	Unknown	45
ip06	振り払い張付３	Unknown	20
ip07	振り払い打撃Ｄ	Unknown	25
Specific properties
ID	Japanese comment	Property	Value
fp11	死亡 ～ ゲージ出現	Delay until revival starts	2
fp12	ゲージ出現 ～ 復活	Revival duration	118

Other information

• Size: Body length: 118mm, as per the e-card
• Piklopedia number: #19

Naming

The word "Gatling" is a reference to the Gatling-type cannons in real life. The name "Groink" seems entirely made up; it is possible to extract the onomatopoeia for pig grunts, "oink", thus contracting "grunt" and "oink" to "Groink". Though it's difficult to see how pigs factor into the creature's design, the "grunt" component is found again in the German localization. Its Japanese name, タマコキン^?, translates to "Ball Child Goldfish", referring to how it looks like a goldfish and is round like a ball. The word "child" has no known explanation.

Its scientific name Megaplod calibersi could be a corruption of the megapodes family of birds, though the similiarity between the Groink and these birds are few; it is perhaps worth noting that the megapodes build mounds, and the Groink's signature placement in the game is also atop of a mound, or rather a form of pillar. It is likely that the word "explosion" was worked into the name aswell due to the Groink's explosive attack. "Calibersi" seems to be a corruption of "caliber", a measure for the size of projectiles.

Internally, the creature is known as minihoudai, a combination of "mini" and ほうだい^?, which means "artillery battery". The name houdai is already taken by the Man-at-Legs.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	タマコキン? Tama Ko Kin	Ball Child Goldfish
French	Bioméca	From "biomechanic"
German	Granatengrunzer	Grenade-Grunter

Gallery

• 

  The mortar blast of a Gatling Groink.

• 

  A Gatling Groink regenerating life.

• 

  A Gatling Groink in the Piklopedia.

• 

  Fighting two Gatling Groinks in an unused cave.

• 

  Artwork of the Gatling Groink.

• 

  The creature's e-card, #20 (15^th yellow card).

Trivia

The following article or section is in need of assistance from someone who plays Pikmin 2. Particularly: Investigate the end of day cutscene thing further.

• The Gatling Groink, along with the Spotty Bulbear in Pikmin 2 are the only enemies that can revive after being defeated.
• In the Wistful Wild, if the Gatling Groink is in the end of day cutscene, it can actually shoot at the leaders and damage them. The leaders cannot be knocked down with this, however.
• The whistling heard when Gatling Groink pellets are flying is a modified version of the same whistle in Super Mario Sunshine when Bullet Bills are fired from cannons.
• The 3rd-Generation-Pokémon Grumpig is renamed Groink in the German versions, though this rather appears to be a coincidence as localization teams went for the same play on words.