Interstellar alphabet

Because this subject has no official name, the name "Interstellar alphabet" is conjectural.

Throughout Pikmin 3 and Pikmin 4, there are pieces of text written in the interstellar alphabet. This alphabet is a symbol substitution cipher – characters in this alphabet can be mapped to Latin letters, and with that, a direct English message can be obtained.

Because most players do not know the cipher, sometimes the content of the text is secretive and special. For instance, on the area selection menu in Pikmin 3, when the player selects an area, some mysterious text will appear on the top-left, with what appears to be comments from the developers. The information behind some texts does not seem to match up with reality, indicating that it was true in prerelease versions.

Character map[edit]

Each character in the interstellar alphabet can be mapped to one or two English letters. There are only characters for the 26 English letters plus an extra, unknown one. This unknown character only appears on the Mission Mode menu and Bingo Battle menu in Pikmin 3, and does not appear in Pikmin 3 Deluxe. While its meaning cannot be decided from the context alone, it's possible that it's some kind of placeholder character, considering the same symbol (〓) is used to indicate missing characters in Japanese.

These characters are obtained from the font file in the game's data.

By interstellar alphabet character[edit]

Latin script	Latin script	Latin script
A or F	B or J	C or O
D or Q	E	G
H	I or Y	K or Z
L	M or X	N
P	R or V	S
T	U	W
Unknown

By Latin letter[edit]

Latin script	Latin script	Latin script
A	B	C
D	E	F
G	H	I
J	K	L
M	N	O
P	Q	R
S	T	U
V	W	X
Y	Z	Unknown

Instances of text in the interstellar alphabet in Pikmin 3[edit]

The following is a list of instances in which text in the interstellar alphabet appears in Pikmin 3, and their translations.

Instance	Interstellar alphabet text	English text	Notes
Area selection menu – general		Date food Land point Space ship Drake Designer of the space ship Alphs grandfather	Top-right corner. For every area, this appears below it, and on the pop-up that appears when the Wii Remote's cursor is aimed at it. Bottom-left corner. Bottom-left corner. Bottom-left corner.
Area selection menu – Tropical Wilds selected		Landing point A A hallowed forest jungle Clear water spring water A place with spiritual power	Top-left corner.
Area selection menu – Garden of Hope selected		Landing point B Spring garden ruins Where you find Britney^[sic] And begin to feel hopeful	Top-left corner.
Area selection menu – Distant Tundra selected		Landing point C Snow ruins light bulb Name patterned after The Distant Spring from Pikmin One	Top-left corner.
Area selection menu – Twilight River selected		Landing point D Melancholy feel Fall mountains and river Fallen leaves	Top-left corner.
Area selection menu – Formidable Oak selected		Landing point E Last map Name patterned after The Final Trial from Pikmin One	Top-left corner. The names of the Formidable Oak and The Final Trial – 哀しき獣の塔^? (lit.: "Tower of the Wretched Beast") and 最後の試練^? (lit.: "Final Trial") respectively – are not similar at all. This indicates that the Formidable Oak's name was different during development. It may only be a reference to the Pikmin area, however.
New area scan		New area scanning Database collation Downloading new map image Ennd point^[sic] (Gibberish) Fruitnum	Top-left corner. Top-left corner. Below every image. Below the X. Below the area's name. It is not a word, since it has 7 characters in a row that are mandatorily consonants; one possible transliteration is "Arsdgrgmarrde". The graph behind the area's name.
Holographic control panels inside the S.S. Drake	(Unknown)	(Unknown)	Inside a ring shape to the right. The texture resolution is too small to decipher, though the last character is the unknown symbol.
Radar		Camera type Aimed North Compass Radar mode Pause Play Kokomadido^[sic] Centi Mask Monitor Life signal State good Planet Earth Atmosphere regular	Next to the compass button. Next to the compass button (North orientation). Next to the compass button (camera orientation). Next to the pause button. Next to the pause button (gameplay paused). Next to the pause button (gameplay going). Go Here! button. From ここまで移動^? (lit.: "Move here"). Next to the slider at the left. Top-left of the central frame. Bottom-right of the central frame. Bottom-left corner. Bottom-left corner. Bottom-right corner. Bottom-right corner.
Pause menu		Hokotate	Repeated several times, and segmented in most of them. "Hokotate" with a K is the standard romanization of ホコタテ^?.
Lock-on (Original Pikmin 3 only)		Space library lite Simple dictionary in the PIPAD Just has the names	Bottom-right corner. "PPAD" is an early name for the KopPad, so "PIPAD" might be a romanization of it.
KopPad call initiating		To Koppai Receive signal player Transmit signal player Connecting Transmit Receive GPAD in communication Device for the crew	Top-right corner, below "PNF-404". Top-left of the left icon. Bottom-right of the right icon. Between the two icons. Below the caller's icon. Below the receiver's icon. Bottom-left corner; GPAD is the Japanese name for the KopPad. Bottom-left corner.
GamePad screen during end of day cutscene		To Koppai Login crew GPAD in communcation Device for the crew	Top-right corner, below "PNF-404". Below icon. Bottom-left corner; GPAD is the Japanese name for the KopPad. Bottom-left corner.
KopPad's background		Alf Britney^[sic] Charlie	The KopPad's background is partially visible during some transitions, like when entering the Exploration Notes screen. This pattern is also visible on the Mission Mode and Bingo Battle menus, but is much lower quality, as seen here.
Fruit analysis		Koppai Food Cat	Top center. Top-right of the scan reticle. Bottom-left of the scan reticle, below a cat-like icon.
Gear analysis		(Unknown)	Either "OPPT" or "CPPT". This appears at the top-right of the object, and the rest of the text matches the fruit analysis screen. The same label also appears for when Louie or a Burgeoning Spiderwort berry is being scanned.
Bottles of juice		FJ Survival	Text on the glass; possibly short for "fruit juice". Text on the plastic.
Juice shelf screen		Cold drink
KopPad's frame		GPAD	"GPAD" is the Japanese name for the KopPad.
KopPad's frame in prerelease versions		PPAD
S.S. Drake exterior	3 -	WIU CAT PKM 3 (Unknown) Space Ship ANTEN PROJCT CLOSE CAUTION DANGER	Top half, in orange; probably a reference to the Wii U. Top half, in orange, below cat symbol. Top half, in orange; short for Pikmin 3. Below #1; possible decryptions are "NI - NB", "NY - NB", "NI - NJ", "NY - NJ". Top half, in gray. Top half, in gray. Near the top; short for "antenna". Bottom half, next to beam. Bottom half. Bottom half. Bottom half.
SPERO's visor		Automatic Ultrascope	This is impossible to see in-game, as the camera can never get close enough. This text is located on the visor-like object on the side of the ship. It is also a reference to a Nintendo toy called the Automatic Ultrascope.
Mission Mode menu and Bingo Battle menu		System start program for-Pikmin Three	Bottom-right corner. The unknown symbol has been replaced with a space in Pikmin 3 Deluxe.
Saving screen		System
Mission Mode platinum medals		Pikmin platinum

Instances of text in the interstellar alphabet in Pikmin 4[edit]

The following is a list of instances in which text in the interstellar alphabet appears in Pikmin 4, and their translations. This list may be incomplete.

Instance	English text	Notes
Tablet loading	N System	Center. Immediately below the center.
Rescue Corps logo	HTCU or HTOU	Below the Rescue Corps logo, as seen on the S.S. Beagle and on Rescue Corps spacesuits. The logo can also be found on the back of the S.S. Shepherd, as seen in later cutscenes.
S.S. Shepherd	HTCUGN or HTOUGN	On the side of the S.S. Shepherd.
Sparklium tutorial	Treasure Zoom in on this glowing object Sparklium Sparklium can be converted into spaceship fuel SS Shepherd^[sic]	Far left, under the Sunseed Berry. Lower left. Center. Lower right. Far right, under the ship.
Clay tutorial	Raw material SS Beagle^[sic] Cray^[sic] Build	Below the raw material icon. Next to the S.S. Beagle. Next to the clay icon. Below the bridge illustration.
Russ tutorial	Raw material Super genius scientist Dr Russell Gear tools	Top left. Lower left. Lower right.
Tablet background	Originality Honesty Flexibility I had no way of returning home to my beloved family I thought I was doomed until I encountered a strange species which I named Pikmin Hocotatian Investigate This is Captain Olimar Im currently stranded on	Top left above the hexagons. Upper middle, along the side of a hexagon. Center, under the hexagon. Lower left, in the brackets. Comparable to Olimar's opening narration. Lower middle large text, with a line pointing to the planet icon. The paragraph below it as well as the very long text box above it is all gibberish. Lower right, with a line pointing to the planet icon. Along the very bottom of the screen. Matches the beginning of Olimar's voyage log entry 80, "SOS!", sans punctuation. The rest of the message can be seen when there is no bar to show controls, such as when first finding a Voyage Log about a cave.
Glow pellet tutorial	Glow pellets Carry Glow Pikmin are born	Above the glow pellets on the lower left. Lower center below the Glow Pikmin. Upper middle with a line pointing to the Lumiknoll.
Night expedition tutorial	Till dawn Defend the Lumiknoll from enemies	Upper left, next to the clock. Upper right, with a line pointing to the Lumiknoll.
Tricknoll tutorial 1	Tricknoll Lumiknoll	Left. Right.
Tricknoll tutorial 2	Lumiknoll Tricknoll	Left. Center.
Decor Pikmin	Deco Pikmin	When a Decor Pikmin is able to get pictured in Photo mode.

Instances of handwriting in the interstellar alphabet in the Voyage Log[edit]

In Olimar's voyage log, there are a few entries that feature an illustration instead of a photo. These illustrations also have a few handwritten notes and labels, which appear to be a somewhat messy cursive version of the interstellar alphabet. What follows is a possible translation of these handwritten notes. Please note that they may not be completely accurate. Cursive is often loose and hastily written with some degree of inconsistency, and the letters are often simplified to be written faster.

To do: Translate the rest of the handwriting on entries #7, #36, and #69, and check entry #38 as it comes out unusually abbreviated.
Care to do so?

Instance	Interstellar alphabet text	English text	Notes
#7 Pikmin Cap	(unknown)	Onion (unknown)	Top, next to the Onion. Bottom left, below the arrow.
#11 Leadership Quality		Crisis situation	Top left.
#31 I Found Treasure	( ) (arrow)	Sunseed Berry berry Rubber good looking Chance Totem Spar klium Dispers(ion) Compression (arrow) Fuel	Top left. Top right. Bottom right. Bottom left, above the sparkle icon. Bottom left, upper part of the bracket. Bottom left, lower part of the bracket.
#32 Raw Materials		Materials Melts when heated Clay Building Some useful tools	Top left. In the middle, next to the solid arrow. Bottom center. Middle right, next to the dotted arrow. Top right.
#36 Subterranean Time Warp	????	Gravity effect maybe Gravity Special relativity somet???? Escape	Top middle, above the yellow arrow. Far left, above the cone. Lower left, next to the cone. There are also three letters or so along the side of the cone, but they're too small to read. Top right, above the blue arrow.
#37 Sunset Approaches		Red eyes nocturnality Place everyone in a circle by sunset	Top left, pointing to the Bulborb. Bottom right, pointing to the circle projected by the Onion.
#38 The Creatures Are Back	, ...	Completed After completi the investigat on the cave, they imigrat^[sic] Big creatures... small creatures	Left, next to the yellow check mark Top middle, preceded by a light blue checkmark. The longer words appear cut off in an unusual manner, unlike the writing on any of the other entries. Lower right. Both phrases are followed by an unrecognized symbol.
#65 Sunsets	...	Memories of me and my family One day...
#66 Bad Dreams	.	A dream that shouldnt exist.
#67 Happy Holidays		Pikpik carrot soup Potato salad Bread	Far left. Upper right. Lower right.
#68 She's Growing Up		My daughter is really cute
#69 For My Son Someday	(unknown)	(unknown)