List of Pikmin 2 staff

Nintendo employees directly involved in the development of Pikmin 2.

Shigeru Miyamoto

Shigeru Miyamoto

^Producer
Shigeru Miyamoto is a producer and video game designer for Nintendo who helped supervise Pikmin 2's development. His involvement was much less with Pikmin 2 than the first game, letting the directors Shigefumi Hino and Masamichi Abe take charge in reforming Pikmin for the sequel.

Immediately after the first game was finished, he had green-lit the production for Pikmin 2, requesting to Shigefumi Hino that it be finished within a year while the momentum of having established a new franchise was still strong. The game would undergo numerous extensions, with the final development time lasting two and a half years.

Takashi Tezuka

^Producer
A producer and video game designer for Nintendo who helped supervise Pikmin 2's development. He would communicate with the two directors, Shigefumi Hino and Masamichi Abe, and the rest of the development team about gameplay and other elements.

Shigefumi Hino

^Director
Directed Pikmin 2, alongside Masamichi Abe. He primarily focused on graphic design and visual presentation, such as the atmosphere, setting, and characters in the game. He influenced the new Pikmin types, the designs of treasures, and much of the game's overall aesthetic.

When deciding on colors for a new Pikmin variety, the Purple Pikmin were originally a dark green, almost black, akin to the color of scarab beetles. Shigefumi Hino insisted he wanted to see a Pikmin type that resembled an eggplant in color. It was also chosen that the game would use real life objects as the main collectible, to help convey the scale of Pikmin. A unique idea that arose regarding the aesthetic of treasures was the decision to use outdated or discontinued designs of items, creating a nostalgic feel for older audiences.

Similar to that of the ship parts, he had also initially wanted all of Pikmin 2's treasures to be round, as Pikmin carry objects in circular formations. This proved too limiting however, and eventually, treasures with different shapes were allowed (though small rod-shaped items that a single Pikmin can pick up and carry were seamlessly implemented).

• 

  Many treasures have an older, "Shōwa-era" feel to them.

• 

  Branded objects were intentionally given discontinued designs.

Masamichi Abe

^Director
Directed Pikmin 2 alongside Shigefumi Hino, primarily focusing on gameplay elements. He supervised the programmers, rebuilt the game mechanics from the first game, and directed the level design of the caves.

Within Pikmin 2's files, one can find Masamichi Abe's folder /user/Abe/, which contains parameter files that control many key gameplay elements:

• Cave lighting.
• Gameplay objects (clogs, bridges, geysers, Burgeoning Spiderworts, mold, and buried treasure).
• Spawning conditions and locations for objects and enemies in above-ground areas.
• Pellet, carcass, and treasure carry weights, and their Poko and seed values.
• Leader and Pikmin interactions, like movement speeds and throw heights.
• Day lengths and lighting.
• 2-Player Battle mode stages.

Several story mode cave layouts and two Challenge Mode levels, Explorer's Cave and Green Hole, are prefixed with "ABE" or "ABEM" in their filenames, likely designed by him.

• 

  Explorer's Cave.

• 

  Green Hole.

Yoshikazu Yamashita

^{Main System Programming}
One of the main programmers for Pikmin 2. He created the base systems that all enemies use, as well as the vast list of enemy parameters shared across them, which control important aspects like health or move speed.

He also programmed the behaviors for the Bulborbs and Pellet Posy, which are highly foundational compared to the rest of the creatures. This is including the Red Bulborb, Orange Bulborb, Hairy Bulborb, and each of their dwarf versions.

Yuji Kando

^{Pikmin & Game System Programming}
One of the main programmers for Pikmin 2. He was in charge of several core systems, like Pikmin AI and the behavior of controllable leaders.

• Responsible for all Pikmin interactions, like throwing, attacking, tripping, and carrying behavior.
• Programmed various gameplay objects that Pikmin interact with, like pellets, clogs, and bridges.

2-Player Battle is also the result of an intense, though admirable side commitment, developing the mode's gameplay and specifications entirely by himself.

• 

  2-Player Battle mode was programmed by Yuji Kando on the side.

Katsuhita Nishimura

^{Creature & Level Programming}
One of the main programmers for Pikmin 2. He programmed the cave generation, as well as the vast majority of enemies in the game.

He also created configurations for a few things, like the swappable camera settings, several presets for controller rumble, and shadows for the Pikmin, leaders, and enemies.

• Creatures programmed by Katsuhita Nishimura include the Bulbears, Bulborb Larva, Fiery Bulblax, Water Dumple, Bulbmin, Blowhogs, Cannon Beetles, Gatling Groink, Flint Beetles, Sheargrubs, Cloaking Burrow-nit, Ravenous Whiskerpillar, Anode Beetle, Snitchbugs, Careening Dirigibug, Antenna Beetle, Jellyfloats,Dweevil, Wollyhops, Candypop Buds, Creeping Chrysanthemum, Skitter Leaf, Honeywisp, Empress Bulblax, Snagrets, Arachnorbs, and Segmented Crawbster.

Inside /user/Nishimura/ on the disc, one can find additional parameters for the camera, controller rumble, and shadows.

• 

  The way caves generate was handled by Katsuhita Nishimura.

Naoya Morimura

^{Creature Programming}
One of the programmers for Pikmin 2. He is responsible for programming a few mechanically-complex enemies, such as the Waterwraith, though the biggest fruit of his dedication can primarily be seen in the form of one of the game's more sophisticated features, the Piklopedia, which he was the sole programmer for.

This includes the entirety of its functionality, from the menu interactivity, the spawning and display of the creature—even the Pikpik carrot tossing.

• Creatures programmed by Naoya Morimura include Mitites, the Hermit Crawmad, Bloysters, Unmarked Spectralids, the Mamuta, Breadbugs, the Emperor Bulblax, the Waterwraith, and decorative plants.
• Aside from the Piklopedia (and in extension, the Treasure Hoard), he also programmed the 2-Player Battle menu and High scores menu. All of these menus are identifiable by the same signature scrolling effect.

He also programmed the animated countdown from 10 to 0, used for the end of day and Challenge Mode.

• 

  Naoya Morimura developed all of the Piklopedia's functions.

Yuzuru Ogawa

^{Screen Programming}
One of the programmers for Pikmin 2. He programmed some commonly seen screens in the game, as well as the main HUD elements, like the health meters, sun meter, Pikmin count, spray count, and more.

Throughout gameplay, the player routinely comes across a simplistic menu that fades or flies in and off the screen. This menu was programmed by Yuzuru Ogawa, and is designed to be reused many times throughout the game.

The pause menu is programmed by Yuzuru Ogawa as well.

• 

  The menu that gets repurposed in many places in Pikmin 2.

• 

  Pikmin 2's pause menu.

Hiroyuki Kono

^{Screen Programming}
One of the programmers for Pikmin 2. He programmed several screens that use extensive animation, like the area selection menu, result menus (end of day, caves, debt/treasure completion), and all of the large animated text splashes, such as "Final Floor!", "Ready... Go!", or "Time Up!".

• 

  Hiroyuki Kono programmed these splash animations.

• 

  Cave complete!

• 

  The area selection menu in Pikmin 2.

Yasushi Ebisawa

^{Effects & Title Programming}
Programmed the title screen, and particle effects system. This also includes menus adjacent to the title screen, such as the saved game selection menu, options menu, and bonuses menu.

Inside /user/Ebisawa/ on the disc, there exists an archive of all the particle effects in the game, as well as parameters for all of the title screen's minor interactivity.

• 

  The highly interactive title screen to Pikmin 2.

• 

  Choose a Ship's Log.

• 

  The options menu.

• 

  The bonuses menu.

• 

  The e-reader connection screen.

Yutaka Hiramuki

^{Level Design}
Designed cave layouts and Challenge Mode stages for Pikmin 2. In extension, all assets related to caves and cave generation are kept inside /user/Mukki/ on the disc.

• His levels are identifiable by the prefix "MUKI" in the filename.
• The Challenge Mode stages attributed to Yutaka Hiramuki include: Brawny Abyss, Twilight Garden, Cavernous Abyss, Hazard Training, Hidden Garden, Secret Testing Range, Sniper Room, and Emperor's Realm.

All information related to in-game cutscenes are also stored inside his folder. He is often credited as a planner in his other work.

• 

  Brawny Abyss.

Taku Matoba

^{Level Design}
Designed cave layouts and Challenge Mode stages for Pikmin 2. His folder /user/Matoba/ on the disc also contains a configuration file that lists every Challenge Mode stage in the game.

• His levels are identifiable by the prefix "MAT" in the filename.
• The Challenge Mode stages attributed to Taku Matoba include: Red Chasm, Trampled Garden, Cryptic Cavern, Concrete Maze, Dweevil Nest, Three Color Training, Rumbling Grotto, Subterranean Lair, and Cave of Pain.

Icons for treasures are also stored inside his folder, which are used for the Treasure Hoard. He is often credited as a planner in his other work.

• 

  Trampled Garden.

• 

  Cryptic Cavern.

• 

  Concrete Maze.

• 

  Three Color Training.

• 

  Subterranean Lair.

Minoru Narita

^{Level Design}
Designed cave layouts and Challenge Mode stages for Pikmin 2.

• His levels are identifiable by the prefix "NARI" in the filename.
• The Challenge Mode stages attributed to Minoru Narita include: Novice Training, Lost Toy Box, Creator's Garden, Hot House, Collector's Room, Cave of Snarls, The Giant's Bath, Abduction Den, and Breeding Ground.

Other lever designers for caves include Masamichi Abe, Yutaka Hiramuki, Taku Matoba, and Atsushi Miyagi.

• 

  Novice Training.

• 

  Lost Toy Box.

• 

  The Giant's Bath.

• 

  Abduction Den.

• 

  Breeding Ground.

Kazumi Totaka

^{Sound Director}
A composer and sound effect designer for Pikmin 2. He is known for voicing Olimar, Louie, the President, the Hocotate Ship, as well as designing many of the strange electronic sounds and ambiences heard in the game. The background sounds heard during the Hocotate ship's dialogs are also designed by Totaka; its speech is notably designed similar to that of Animal Crossing's villagers.

• He composed Concrete 1, Concrete 2, Concrete 3, Grass, Relax, and a number of special cave songs tied to unique caves or sublevel themes: Emergence Cave 1, Emergence Cave 2, Submerged Castle, Jellyfloat, Giant Breadbug, Fire, Bulblax Kingdom, Frontier Cavern, Snagret Hole, Flooded Stump, and Toy Railroad.
• All of the special cave themes are comparatively last-minute additions, given by their simple filenames (like new_00_0.cnd), and the instruments used having some of the last internal IDs.
• Two other themes he composed include the Waterwraith's chase theme, and the 2-Player Battle mode music.

For his sound direction, he aimed to create a sense of "imaginary nature", achieved by using synthesized sounds to mimic insects and birds.

Hajime Wakai

^Composer
The main composer for Pikmin 2. He composed most of the soundtrack. Hajime Wakai's audio design often involves the usage of instruments and synthesized sounds from the Kurzweil K2500 and Roland SC-88.

• He composed the music for all cutscenes, menus, and above ground areas. He also composed the common boss battle theme, Titan Dweevil boss theme, and a number of cave songs, the rest of which were composed by Kazumi Totaka.
• Cave songs he composed include Soil 1, Soil 2, Soil 3, Metal 1, Metal 2, Metal 3, Tile, Toy, and Key Get (Challenge Mode).

For the previous game, he did the voices for the Pikmin, and returned to do the same for Pikmin 2, though it was once planned for someone else to do it.

Mitsuhiro Hikino

^{Sound Programming}
Programmed the dynamic music system for Pikmin 2, including area themes, boss battles, and the procedural cave music system. He is also a skilled audio designer and composer, having created sound effects and music for other Nintendo games.

Although he did not compose music for the game, he had a great sense of artistic direction, and focused on gradually implementing features that would elevate the potential of the soundtrack and both Kazumi Totaka and Hajime Wakai's music. The final product of the adaptive music system arose from this exact "back-and-forth" between him and the rest of the audio staff.

He designed or managed a few additional sound effects for Pikmin 2 as well:

• Spray sounds (the heavily effected fart/burp, petrified enemy crackling, or the strange whistling when an ultra-spicy spray is active).
• Sounds for the Hermit Crawmad, Gatling Groink, Giant Breadbug, small Dweevils, and Bloysters.
• Wind heard in the Valley of Repose, and birdsong heard in the Awakening Wood and Wistful Wild.

He also implemented the "Pikmin!" sound clip when the game boots, as his last initial is in the filename for the sound effect. pikmin_greet_new.h.32.c4 uses "h", where as music files contain "w" instead, for Hajime Wakai.

Takahiro Watanabe

^{Sound Effect Programmer}
The main sound effect designer for Pikmin 2. He designed the majority of sound effects for the game, including most enemy creatures, obstacles, hazards, the Hocotate Ship's engine, and cutscenes. Sounds originally created by Hajime Wakai and Hideaki Shimizu in the previous game would be remastered or revitalized by Takahiro Watanabe for the sequel, often with new layers or effects.

He usually uses a large collection of sound libraries in his work, even for the vocalizations of enemies, but for the Creeping Chrysanthemum in particular (and in extension, the Waterwraith), he uses his own voice, as he wasn't able to mold any existing sounds in his library to fit the image of the creature.

Motoi Okamoto

^Scripter
A writer for Pikmin 2.