Dandori Battle

The map icon for Dandori Battles.

Dandori Battles (ダンドリバトル^?, lit.: "Dandori Battle") are primarily a special type of cave in Pikmin 4. While accessed from the areas in Story Mode, they function more like an alternative game mode, similar to 2-Player Battle in Pikmin 2 and Bingo Battle in Pikmin 3. There is also a Dandori Battle mode accessed from the title screen that allows the player to play Dandori Battles without any relation to Story Mode, and even permit two players to play on equal footing, competitively.

In Dandori Battles, player 1 is marked with cyan and plays on the left side of the screen, and the opponent (player 2 or a CPU opponent) is marked with pink and plays on the right half. Each team competes to earn the most points, which are noted with a symbol resembling the letter D: . Carrying treasures, pellets, and enemies to the player's designated Onion earns the player points based on their weight, so for example, a Bulborb is worth 10 points and a pile of Gold Nuggets is worth as many points as its number of nuggets. The player with the most points when the timer runs out is declared the winner. Both participants use the same type of Pikmin, and there is only one real type per stage, although Glow Pikmin can also be summoned in. Each team's Pikmin can be identified by the color of their leaves, buds, or flowers, which match the team's color.

Each player has an Onion, and near it, some Pellet Posies. Unlike in other game modes, Onions in a Dandori Battle produce live Pikmin that do not go through the sprout stage. There is also a Pikmin limit of 50 per player.

Stages

There are 6 stages in Dandori Battle. They all have the same layout each time they are played. Which stages are available, and when, depends on the game mode, as explained below.

Image	Name	Default Pikmin	Dandori level	Time limit
	Trial Run		1	4:00
	Battle in a Box		2	5:00
	Dandori Castle		3	5:00
	Leafy Showdown		4	7:00
	Hot Sandy Duel		5	5:00
	Final Battle		5	7:00

Story Mode

In Story Mode, the Pikmin used are not the player character's, but rather are given to them at the start of the battle for that battle only. Anything collected is also not carried over after the battle. Each stage is ranked with a "Dandori Level" of 1 to 5, indicating the level of difficulty of the opponent.

For the purpose of the game's overarching mission, the player must compete in Dandori Battles and win in order to be rewarded with a castaway that their opponent took possession of. Once that happens, the cave is closed and cannot be re-entered. However, after rescuing Corgwin, these battles can be replayed from the Rescue Command Post. To reach the main story's conclusion, the player must earn a bronze medal or higher in all 6 battles (or get Dingo to beat them for them).

Medals

The player can earn medals based on how their score compares to their opponent. Only a bronze medal is required to win the battle, which involves simply having more points than the opponent, but silver, gold, and platinum medals can also be earned based on the size of the lead the player has upon the battle's end.

• Bronze: Win the battle (by at least 1 point).
• Silver: Win by at least 30 points.
• Gold: Win by at least 60 points.
• Platinum: Win by at least 100 points.

Locations

There is 1 Dandori Battle cave per area in Story Mode, but each stage is played sequentially and not tied to the area they are entered from. Below is a list of every Dandori Battle cave entrance available and how to access them.

• Sun-Speckled Terrace: near the third base, Meandering Slope, where a bridge must be built to access the ledge it's on.
• Blossoming Arcadia: near the first base, Fragrant Ravine, on top of a large box toward the center river.
• Serene Shores: near the first base, Blossoming Dunes, surrounded by water.
• Hero's Hideaway: found within a safe, needing the Courage Emblem, the Power Emblem, and the Wisdom Emblem's randomized numbers to unlock.
• Giant's Hearth: near the third base, surrounded by shallow water and a low ledge.
• Primordial Thicket: found on a ledge after a row of mushrooms Oatchi can jump across.

The player must complete the battles in the first three areas in any order to unlock Hero's Hideaway. From there, each area's Dandori Battle cave will need to be completed to unlock the next area (or in the Primordial Thicket's case, the Cavern for a King). In other words, while the first 3 stages can be played in any of the first 3 areas, the player can only enter Leafy Showdown in Hero's Hideaway, Hot Sandy Duel in Giant's Hearth, and Final Battle in Primordial Thicket.

Settings

The battles available in Story Mode have similar, but different settings to those available in the dedicated mode, and each stage has its settings fixed. All of the player's abilities at that point of the story will be available, but the opposing leader and Moss have fixed abilities per battle. The Pikmin type used is the default Pikmin type noted in the list above. The following is a list of the settings used for each Story Mode Dandori Battle:

Stage	Player starting Pikmin	Opponent starting Pikmin	Opponent leader	Moss ability
Trial Run	10	5	Olimar	Buff Lv. 3
Battle in a Box	5	5	Olimar	Super Buff Lv. 1
Dandori Castle	5	10	Olimar	Super Buff Lv. 2
Leafy Showdown	5	15	Olimar	Swallow
Hot Sandy Duel	5	15	Louie	Swallow
Final Battle	5	20	Louie	Swallow

Get Help

In Story Mode, if the player fails to earn a bronze medal, Dingo will offer to complete the challenge for them. If the player selects "Get Help" from the following menu, he will proceed to do so (shown with a blank screen, text boxes, and random sound effects), and the victory cutscene will play like normal as if the player had completed it themselves.

This feature is only available if Dingo has been rescued, and if the player goes through with his assistance, the player will not be awarded any medals until they replay it themselves. Dingo cannot help the player in Leafy Showdown, which must be cleared manually.

Dandori Battle mode

Dandori Battle mode is a mode selectable from the title screen. Here, the player can challenge a second player or a computer-controlled player to a round of Dandori Battle. When challenging the computer, it is also possible for two players to team up, with the second player using the Pebble Pitcher similar to multiplayer in Story Mode. Thusly, the options for player setup, presented upon selecting the mode from the title screen, are "P1 vs. CPU", "P1 vs. P2", and "P1 & P2 vs. CPU".

The same 6 maps from Story Mode are available to play on, however only Trial Run is available initially. Finishing a battle in a stage in this game mode, regardless of who wins, unlocks the next one in the list. This is all independent of any Story Mode progress. For asymmetric stages, the side of the stage each player starts on can vary.

Settings

This mode contains several settings, more than the ones in battles in Story Mode, but all of the settings can be freely customized:

• Player Settings: Allows the players to select which characters are on each team:
  • Player 1 can choose which leader to play between any of the 3 created player characters from the player's Story Mode save files, Shepherd and Collin. If playing before creating a character on any save file, only Collin and Shepherd are available.
  • Player 2 can choose between Olimar, and after he is battled at least once in any Story Mode save file, Louie.
• Battle Settings: Allows the player to choose generic characteristics of the battle:
  • Which one of the 8 main Pikmin types appears in the battle. The default Pikmin type is the one present in the Story Mode encounter for this stage.
  • Toggle Bonus Finds on or off. They are on by default.
  • Toggle Mystery Capsules on or off. They are on by default.
  • Toggle Sneak Bombs on or off. They are on by default.
• Difficulty: Allows the player to select how much of an advantage each side will get, between 5 options:

Difficulty	Starting Pikmin	Free Mystery Capsule spins	Charging Horn	Dog ability
Super Sweet	50	5	On	Swallow
Kinda Sweet	25	2	On	Super Buff Lv. 2
Normal	10	0	On	Super Buff Lv. 1
Kinda Spicy	5	0	On	Buff Lv. 3
Ultra Spicy	1	0	Off	Buff Lv. 2

Shortcuts

In this mode, the shortcut buttons are fixed to the defaults, and are mostly unbound except for the following (sideways Joy-Con does not have any bound shortcuts):

•  / left: Survey Drone.
•  / down: Idler's Alert.

Bonus Find

The following article or section is in need of assistance from someone who plays Pikmin 4. Particularly: What score difference and Pikmin difference is required for one player to get a higher multiplier than the other?

During a battle, certain types of treasures or enemies will be Bonus Finds, where they will be worth more points than usual. The normal number of points that that object gives will be multiplied by a number from 2 to 5. Bonus Finds are random and can be any object currently in the stage except a Golden Sniffer or a Dandorium weight.

At the start of the battle, there will be one type of Bonus Find with a ×2 multiplier. At some point during the battle (the time varies by stage), a second Bonus Find will be added with a ×3 multiplier. If all objects of one type of Bonus Find are collected, that Bonus Find will be re-rolled to be something else. When the second Bonus Find is added or when a Bonus Find is re-rolled, if one player's score is considerably lower than the other, the lower-scoring player will get a larger multiplier than the higher-scoring player (×3 instead of ×2, or ×5 instead of ×3).

In Story Mode, the Bonus Finds feature is introduced in Battle in a Box and applies to all later stages. In Dandori Battle mode they can be toggled on or off for any battle.

Special objects

Mystery Capsule

A Mystery Capsule.

Mystery Capsules are special collectable that appear randomly around the stage throughout a battle. They are spheres with a yellow base and transparent top, similar to a gashapon capsule, and have a blue question mark inside. Collecting one by walking into it or having a Pikmin carry it to the team's leader or dog will give that team a random item. 1 or more Mystery Capsules can spawn in the stage every 30 seconds.

In Story Mode, Mystery Capsules are introduced in Dandori Castle and appear in all later stages. In Dandori Battle mode they can be toggled on or off for any battle.

Sneak Bomb

A Sneak Bomb.

The Sneak Bomb is a unique object that spawns at a random location a few minutes into the battle (the time varies by stage). It resembles a bomb rock, but is larger and sits on a wooden platform. It can be carried towards an opponent's Onion, and upon reaching the Onion, it will explode and cause that Onion's player to lose points. The number of points lost to a Sneak Bomb is proportional to the victim's score.

The points lost to a Sneak Bomb will be ejected as Dandorium weights, which can be carried back to either Onion. These weights are solid and bronze-colored, with each one featuring a numerical label that indicates its weight. The weight of each individual weight can be 5, 10, or 20. If the Sneak Bomb goes inside of the Onion of a player with 0 points, a Dandorium weight of 5 pops out and the targeted player's points stay at 0. Additionally, no matter how high the target score, the player whose Onion was detonated will not lose more than 100 points.

Sneak Bombs weigh 5 units with a maximum carrier count of 10. They have a unique radar map icon.

In Story Mode, Sneak Bombs are introduced in Leafy Showdown and appear in all later stages. In Dandori Battle mode they can be toggled on or off for any battle.

Golden Sniffer

A Golden Sniffer.

Golden Sniffers are special treasures found only in Dandori Battles. One will appear at a predetermined location in the arena after a certain amount of time has passed (the time depends on the stage). Unlike normal Tremendous Sniffers, a Golden Sniffer weighs 30 units rather than 12. This makes it the heaviest (and thus most valuable) item in the mode, awarding the same amount in points: 30. Ignoring Dandorium weights, Golden Sniffers are the only treasures that can never become Bonus Finds.

In both Story Mode and Dandori Battle mode, Golden Sniffers only appear in Dandori Castle and all later stages.

Items

This section is a stub. You can help Pikipedia by expanding it. Suggestions: Each item's description could be more detailed. See the previous two games' battle articles for comparison.

A team can get items by having either their leader or their dog touch a Mystery Capsule. Obtaining one will make the item reel spin, and when it's done, it'll randomly land on an item. Players can then use that item at any moment by pressing ; if they are near their dog they will not be able to ride on it. If more capsules are collected before the player uses the current item, they'll be added to a queue, for a maximum of 5 items waiting to be used. Pressing the item button in these cases will use the current item and instantly make the reel spin for the next one.

Underneath the reel are four black dots, each becoming filled by a cyan/pink color to represent an item in the queue; the current item does not have a dot. Each spin takes around two seconds, which stops the player from using an item right after another.

Players have access to 9 different items that benefit them, disadvantage their opponent, or both. The following is a list of all items, sorted by the in-game Gameplay Guide:

Icon	Name	Description
	Quick Pik	Adds ten Pikmin to the player's squad, of the main Pikmin type used in the battle.
	Quick Glow Pik	Adds five Glow Pikmin to the player's squad.
	Lightning Shock	Causes a Lightning Shock to strike at the opponent, and stuns all enemies in the stage.
	Mine	Makes the player throw a Mine.
	Trackonator	Makes the player throw a Trackonator.
	Bewilder Bomb	Makes an ink drop fall on the opponent, knocking them down and making their Pikmin and space dog panic.
	Rock Storm	Makes boulders fall at the opponent's location.
	Warp	Warps the opponent to a random location on the map.
	Ultra-Spicy Spray	Uses an ultra-spicy spray on all the player's Pikmin.

Strategies

The following article or section contains guides. The strategies shown are just suggestions.

Dandori Battle is essentially a score competition, and there are only a limited number of ways for players to interact with another, so the core Dandori skills one would find in any standard game mode of any Pikmin game are the most crucial skills to have. Nevertheless, there are a number of Dandori Battle strategies that players can employ to help ensure victory.

General Pikmin competitive strategies

See: 2-Player Battle#General Pikmin competitive strategies

Per-stage knowledge

For specific strategies to employ in the different arenas, check the "Strategies" section of each stage's article.

Idler's Alert

Pikmin finish the tasks you set on them often. Constantly using the Idler's Alert, which is by default mapped to the "down" shortcut, is an important tactic in order to maximize Pikmin effectiveness. When you have an object you want to carry, don't have many Pikmin on you, and know there are loose idle Pikmin about, use the Idler's Alert near the object and then leave – the idle Pikmin will go there and immediately start carrying the object.

Winning tug-of-wars

When both you and your opponent want to carry something, simply overpowering the opponent's Pikmin with your own is not very effective. Instead, have your dog Rush into the object to dislodge the opponent's Pikmin. You can also simply order said dog to carry the object, as they will likely have the strength of many Pikmin. That said, the opponent may consider doing the same, so be ready to throw some Pikmin at the opponent's dog. Balancing out the carried object, your dog's actions, and the opponent dog's health is the key to conquering a coveted object.

Using items

This article or section is in need of more images. Particularly: Any item being used effectively or defended against. You can help Pikipedia by uploading some images.

Offensive strategies on the best times and scenarios in which to use items.

• Lightning Shock, Bewilder Bomb: Use this item when the opponent's leader has a large group of Pikmin with them. In the case of the Lightning Shock, you can also use it while fighting a tricky enemy, and likewise, avoid using it when the opponent is fighting a tricky enemy.
• Mine, Trackonator: Using this against the opponent's leader and their Pikmin can be effective, especially if they have limited means of escape, but these items may be best used against difficult enemies instead.
• Rock Storm: Best used when the opponent has a large group of Pikmin with them. Because the boulders can hit you, Onions, or enemies, avoid using it when the opponent is near any of those things. The dogs are fairly large, and have a difficult time avoiding the boulders, so this is a great item to use when one of the dogs has low health.
• Warp: Use right when the opponent starts throwing Pikmin at an object you need. This should allow you to go over to the object while the opponent is away. This is also a great item to use when the opponent is fighting enemies, preferably after they have thrown a few Pikmin already. Since the leader won't be there to coordinate the fighting Pikmin, they are likely to get killed. If possible, prepare an assault with a Sneak Bomb with this item in queue, and when the opponent is getting ready to stop the Sneak Bomb or getting ready to retrieve the ejected Dandorium weights, use the item to buy yourself as much time as possible.
• Ultra-Spicy Spray: Because Ultra-Spicy Sprays energize every Pikmin of your team in the stage, you should use this as soon as it makes sense to do so, so every Pikmin can benefit from them in their various tasks. If you know you will be growing some Pikmin in the near future, keep this item in standby, and only use it when you are done. In addition, if you are planning to carry a Sneak Bomb or a Golden Sniffer, you can also use the spray to make the carrier Pikmin faster, minimizing the chances of the opponent catching up or interfering. This is not as effective if you're planning on simply carrying normal objects, since all the opponent has to do is overpower your Pikmin in carrying strength, and your Pikmin's speed buff will have been all for naught.

Defending against items

These are defensive strategies if any items are used against you.

• Lightning Shock, Bewilder Bomb: If you're caught by surprise with these attacks, simply whistle your Pikmin back and continue without losing a beat. If you can tell that the enemy will be using this item, avoid doing something complex like fighting a difficult enemy, since you may be forced to stop that at any time.
• Mine: If you can notice that your opponent has one, keep a lookout to see where they put it. Otherwise, if you think a mine is set somewhere, disband your squad and check for mines, so that if there's a detonation, no Pikmin will perish. Remember to also rotate the camera around before recovering important objects, as a mine might reveal itself from a different angle. Regardless, keep an ear out for its distinctive beeping noise.
• Trackonator: With this item it is important to pay attention to the opponent's screen, so you can best measure when they are close to you or some of your Pikmin. If you can tell it will be thrown at you, you can try to preemptively thin your Pikmin group by throwing Pikmin at tasks. Hopping on your dog is very important, since they move faster than a normal leader or normal Pikmin. If the Trackonator is on your tail, if possible, move towards an enemy in hopes it will take the brunt of the explosion. Otherwise, keep moving and try to juke it. In case the opponent targets some of your idle Pikmin, using an Idler's Alert should be a great countermeasure. If the opponent instead goes for Pikmin that are busy with a task, there is not much you can do, so it is important to keep track of which of your Pikmin are vulnerable when the opponent has that item at the ready.
• Rock Storm: If you can tell this item is coming, hop onto your dog to minimize the area your party takes up; maneuvering through the boulders is not too tricky if you do so. In addition, staying near enemies, your Onion, or your opponent should make the latter reconsider their usage of the item, or if they do use it, you should be able to make the most out of it. If you are caught by surprise, focus on maneuvering yourself such that you minimize Pikmin casualties – don't bother trying to protect your dog since they are very hard to keep safe due to their size, and the fact they have a health pool means them getting hit is not as important.

Player interactions

The following article or section is in need of assistance from someone who plays Pikmin 4. Particularly: Document the tug-of-war mechanic in depth.

Players have a few ways of directly interacting with each other's group. Players cannot whistle or pluck each other's Pikmin.

• For general combat information, see here.
• A number of the available items directly interfere with the opposing player's group.

Object spawning

The following article or section is in need of assistance from someone who plays Pikmin 4. Particularly: Work out more of the rules controlling respawning.

Objects can spawn during the middle of a Dandori Battle. While most objects spawn at the start of the battle, some objects will spawn at specific times during the battle to add more objects to the stage, and some objects will respawn some time after they have been removed from the area. Defeated enemies may respawn and collected treasures may reappear, depending on how recently they were defeated or collected and what other objects are nearby. Some objects will not respawn.

Gallery

• 

  The Sneak Bomb as seen on the results screen.

• 

  The Mystery Capsule as seen on the Tablet's Radar Map.

• 

  A Bonus Find granting a larger multiplier to the losing side of a match.

• 

  An Onion expelling Dandorium following the attack of a Sneak Bomb.

Trivia

• Almost all treasures in Dandori Battles are returning collectibles from Pikmin 3, specifically fruits and Gold Nuggets. The only exception to this is the Golden Sniffer, which even still is an altered version of the Tremendous Sniffer, another fruit from Pikmin 3.

Names in other languages

The following article or section needs help from someone who can translate Japanese/Chinese/Dutch/Italian text.

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ダンドリバトル? Dandori Batoru	Dandori Battle
Chinese (traditional)	當多慮對戰 Dāng duō lǜ duìzhàn	Dandori Battle
Chinese (simplified)	当多虑对战 dāngduōlǜduìzhàn	Dandori Battle
Dutch	Dandori-duel	Dandori duel
French	Duel Dandori	Dandori duel
German	Dandori-Duell	Dandori Duel
Italian	Battaglia Dandori	Dandori battle
Korean	계획력 배틀 Gyehoeglyeog Baeteul	Planning Battle
Portuguese	Batalha Dandori	Dandori Battle
Spanish	Batalla Dandori	Dandori battle
Danish	Dandori-kamp	Dandori Battle
Finnish	Dandori-taistelu	Dandori Battle
Swedish	Dandori-strid	Dandori Battle

Bonus Finds Language Name Meaning  Japanese プレミア品? Puremia-hin Premium Product  Chinese (traditional) 頂級品 Dǐngjí pǐn Top Quality  Chinese (simplified) 顶级品  Dutch Premieschat  French Bonus –  German Bonus-Objekte Bonus Finds  Italian Bonus –  Korean 프리미엄 품목 Peulimieom Pummog Premium Items  Portuguese Bônus Bonus  Spanish Objetos con bonus Bonus Objects

Mystery Capsule Language Name Meaning  Japanese ハテナカプセル?  Chinese (traditional) 問號膠囊  Chinese (simplified) 问号胶囊  Dutch Verrassingsbol  French Capsules-surprises Surprise capsule  German Zufallskapseln Random Capsules  Italian Capsula misteriosa Mysterious capsule  Korean 물음표 캡슐 Mul-Eumpyo Kaebsyul Question-Mark Capsule  Portuguese Cápsula misteriosa Mysterious capsule  Spanish Cápsulas sorpresa Surprise Capsules

Sneak Bomb Language Name Meaning  Japanese 逆転バクダン?  Chinese (traditional) 逆轉炸彈  Chinese (simplified) 逆转炸弹  Dutch Dwarsboombom  French Bombe perfide Sneaky bomb  German Fiesbombe Nasty Bomb  Italian Bombe subdole  Korean 역전 폭탄 Yeogjeon Pogtan Reversal Bomb  Portuguese Revirabomba Turnaboumb  Spanish Bomba tramposa Cheating Bomb

Dandori Battle exclusive items

Japanese	English	Chinese (traditional)	Chinese (simplified)	Dutch	French	German	Italian	Korean	Portugal	Spanish
ピクミンプラス	Quick Pik	皮克敏增加	皮克敏增加	Bonus-Pikmin	Bonus de Pikmin	Pikmin-Plus	Più Pikmin	피크민 플러스 Pikeumin Peulleoseu	Pikminador	Pikminador
ヒカリピクミンプラス	Quick Glow Pik	發光皮克敏增加	发光皮克敏增加	Bonus-gloei-Pikmin	Bonus de Pikmin luisants	Leucht-Pikmin-Plus	Più Pikmin iridescenti	반짝 피크민 플러스 Banjjag Pikeumin Peulleoseu	Pikminador pirilampo	Pikminador luminoso
びっくりスモーク	Bewilder Bomb	驚嚇煙霧	惊吓烟雾	Panieknevel	Bombe-panique	Panikrauch	Bomba panico	깜짝 연기 Kkamjjag Yeongi	Fumaça desorientadora	Humo frenético
ラクセキ	Rock Storm	落石	落石	Rotsenregen	Chute de pierres	Felssturm	Caduta massi	낙석 Nagseog	Chuva de pedra	Lluvia de rocas
ワープ	Warp	傳送	传送	Teleportatie	Téléportation	Teleporter	Distorsione spaziale	워프 Wopeu	Distorção espacial	Distorsión espacial

See also

• 2-Player Battle
• Bingo Battle
• Dandori Challenge
• Dandori Battle menu