User:Squiddy

Squiddy
	A neat illustration of Collin from the Pikmin 4 comics
Games
	Currently playing!
	Don't own
	Completed the main game (all ship parts, 10 days)
	Completed the main game (all treasures, 24 days)
	Don't own
	Completed the main game (all treasures, ?? days)
	Don't own
	Completed the main game (all fruits, ?? days)
	Completed everything except for the platinum medals on Normal difficulty Currently replaying on Severe difficulty!
	Don't own
	Reached level 53
	Only played a few levels casually
	This user can handle the following languages: English and French.

Howdy there, I'm Squiddy >:]

I'm a french fellow that quite often enjoys playing video games, making and analyzing music, engaging in mathematics, alongside other stuff. I'm also know as Squiddinat or The Totems on other websites.

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This user has 83 total edits on this wiki.

How I got into Pikmin

I've been aware of the Pikmin franchise for a while now, but it's when Pikmin 4 got officially announced that I started to pay close attention to it. The games always had a mystical and intriguing air to them, so when the game finally released, I took the opportunity and played the newest entry... and ever since then I've enjoyed the games a whole lot! From the gameplay, to the ambience, the music, the quirks, the secrets, I find it super fascinating.

As of right now, I've finished all of the mainline games (in the order of 4 - 1 - 2 - 3), and played Pikmin Bloom for quite a while at some point. I've technically also played a bit of Pikmin Adventure's before any of the other games, but I don't recall ever finishing all of the levels.

Personal music highlights

Something that I find especially interesting about the Pikmin games is that, despite being all based around a specific set of concepts, every game has its own ways of interpreting the series' themes. A great example of that is found in the different implementations of the soundtracks.

Thus, here is a list of personal musical highlights from the Pikmin soundtracks I know, alongside some notes I made:

Pikmin

To me, this game's soundtrack is a mixture of interesting experimentation, orchestral whimsy and subtle ambient fear, which feels super fitting given Olimar's situation. It's also the first iteration of sequenced music, which for a lack of a better term makes it feels quite more "dated" than the others (but I don't see this as a detriment). Still though, the ambience it aims for and its execution makes it quite memorable in my books. Also, it's curious to see how this game has partially shaped the musical identity of the whole series.

Bird's-Eye View/Area selection: I find the intro of this piece to be super charming, especially the orchestral build-up followed by a "double string arpeggio" at around 0:16 leading into the main part.
The Forest Navel: The constant repeating low guitar strings, which stay on the same notes throughout the whole music, really emphasize the more closed-off and somber nature of this area. Also, the "complete" version of this area's music (with every version playing one after the other) feels a bit different compared from the others. Mainly because the sunset version feels like a direct continuation of the day mix with only the melody changing into distinct but appropriate style. It's a really unique way of making a night version, it feels like a natural continuation of the piece!
The Distant Spring: The normal version of this track is such a relaxing and enigmatic piece. It doesn't feel like it's limited by its sequenced format at all, and doesn't feel bound to a specific time signature (despite the fact that the combat version shows that it is in 4/4). Furthermore, the use of the pitched ride cymbal perfectly fits the bill of a "Distant Sping". It's super hypnotic and I'm glad that it's reused in the sequels. Also, I love Scruffy's arrangement of this track as it feels like a perfect rendention of the music, especially the last part which is brand new!
Today's Report: The first iteration of the "end of day" theme, which has reappeared in all of the mainline games up until now. It captures a lot of the complexity and strangeness of Pikmin. The main oscillating synth contrasting with the more airy, soothing background instruments reflects quite well Olimar's predicament: a lonely voice pondering in space over has been/must be done to complete their mission. Furthermore, the chord progression transforms a celebratory melody (one that was reused in the cave results theme) into one with more doubt and reprieve. The fact that this theme has stayed as a constant in the franchise, with only some tweaks made to fit the ambience of each game, is a wonderful touch.
Staff Credits: The credits in this game feel very celebratory, while still being emotional and personal. The instruments here sound a bit different than the other tracks (mainly the synths and piano, though I might be mistaken) in part because this track isn't sequenced, but I like to think that it's to reflect Olimar's escape out of this planet as he looks back with a new perspective.

Pikmin 2

When I first played this game, I wasn't too keen on its soundtrack because I wasn't really "feeling" the overworld music compared to the first game and I wasn't able to really hear most of the cave music since my TV speakers seemingly only picked up the sound effects. After replaying the game some time later, I found the music and sound direction of Pikmin 2 to be one of the most fascinating and detailed I've ever seen in a game, and I've grown to appreciate this game's more experimental approach to music. Coincidentally, this was around the same time that I began to appreciate Kazumi Totaka's music (inside and outside of games), which is one of the composers for this game!

Perplexing Pool: My favorite of the overworld area music in Pikmin 2, next to the Valley of Repose. In my mind, it contrasts well with The Distant Spring's music as it feels like a clearer, less ominous take on it while keeping a watery, ambient but slightly foreboding feel. Considering the fact that both areas share the same base map, I like that Olimar's return to the same planet under different circumstances is reflected in the music.
Piklopedia/Treasure Hoard: To me, this piece is a perfect encapsulation of the musical identity of the first two Pikmin games, and also one of my favorite tracks from the whole franchise! It took a bit of time to grow on me, but now I find it absolutely brilliant. The rich chord progression, the presence of dissonant elements that add to the unorthodox beauty (in this case I'm talking about the "chord stabs" at around 0:38), the experimentation with the lead bass and the 5/4 time signature, the reappearance of the pitched ride cymbal, and I go on! It's a wonderful mixture of soothing, catchy and ambient, while simultaneously being a great backing track for reading up on the crew's notes.
Flooded Stump (Olimar, Combat): This specific version of this cave track is super funky, with the mix of guitar strums from the "Enemy" version and power drums exclusive to the "Combat" version. Furthermore, the different looping points of the bells, guitar and drums make for a pretty nice and engaging polyrhythm.
Toy Railroad (Louie/The President, Combat): This track is super minimalist, as the only melodic part is the solo lead, but it works in a very "Totaka" way. The lead is quite memorable, and the syncopated jaw harp sounds make for a weirdly catchy tune alongside the short electronic drums.
Jellyfloat (Olimar, Main): this relax -u- (in a 7/4 and Pikmin way)
Cave loading music: I'm not even sure if it qualifies as a music track, given that it's just an ominous chain of randomly pitched chimes, but for some reason it still sticks in my mind as a memorable part of Pikmin 2's sound aesthetic. I think that it's mainly for 3 reasons. First, it creates a clear image of an unknown, unexplored, but enticing cave despite generally only hearing it for 2-3 seconds. Second, I like that the random notes links back to the semi-random structure that most of the caves' music follow. Lastly, if the GameCube memory card is removed before the music triggers, you get access to a warning screen where the music loops indefinitely and where Totaka's song appears after a few minutes. The instrument playing it is heavily reverberated, making it sound as if it's also coming from the cave, which is an amazing touch.

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[THE FOLLOWING SECTIONS ARE WORKS IN PROGRESS]

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Pikmin 3

(To be written...)

Garden of Hope: (to be written...)
S.S. Drake: (to be written...)
Captain Charlie's theme: (to be written...)

Pikmin 4

(To be written...)

Title Screen: (to be written...)
Serene Shores (Olimar's Shipwreck Tale): (to be written...)
Mysterious Cave/Sage Leaf Challenge: This is such a funky little tune. It has a lot of individual parts that build on the main groove, which mirrors the multiple tasks you need to handle independently of one another while being linked to one big goal. In particular, I quite like the small modulating bass that only appears at the end of the measure when the current chord is about to change. On a second playthrough, I actually realized that it directly sampled the normal cave music, which is such a nice detail that links back to the beginning of your "dandori" journey.

Hey! Pikmin

Despite never owning the game, I have listened to quite a bit of the Hey! Pikmin soundtrack and found some pretty neat tunes! Since I am unaware of the context the music plays in, I will mostly be talking about them as standalone pieces of music.

Ravaged Rustworks area: (to be written...)
Olimar's Madcap Ride: (to be written...)
Lushlife Murk area: (to be written...)

Projects

As of August 24, 2026, I have the following projects in mind regarding this wiki:

Add images of the different types of loading screens in Pikmin and Pikmin 2.
Add more details and descriptions to the "Music in Pikmin 4" page.

Links

Sandbox page - For temporary edits and miscellaneous stuff.

The Totems - Personal YouTube channel for music, quick edits and other projects I have in mind.

Gallery

Here's all of the images I've uploaded on this wiki as of right now. I currently plan on adding a lot of images regarding the loading screens of Pikmin, Pikmin 2 and Pikmin 4, alongside miscellaneous images from the latter.