Path oversights

In order to guide Pikmin that are carrying and leaders that are under the Go Here! feature throughout an area, they are told to follow a path, which is a series of interconnected waypoints. Because of the complexity of the areas and the simplicity of the waypoint system, there are some circumstances in which they will follow the incorrect waypoint, and take an incorrect path, often getting stuck.

Ideally, the waypoints are organized in such a way that for any given spot in the map, Pikmin and leaders will find their way into the main carrying path graph, and from there on out, reach their destination. But if the developers do not take into account all spots in the area carefully, there might be times where the closest waypoint is on the other side of the wall, or an obstacle, which in-game, will make the Pikmin or leader follow that instead of something more logical. Interestingly, in Pikmin 2, if the Pikmin fail to reach the closest waypoint after a while, they will sometimes head for the second-closest waypoint instead.

At times, the placement of the waypoints might not take into account the structure of an obstacle. While path decisions do take into account the existence of obstacles, and whether they are cleared or not, their geometry is not. This can lead to Pikmin or leaders attempting to follow a path, but be impeded by the wall of a bridge, or its underside.

The following is a collection of discovered oversights. These are found by examining the paths from the in-game files, and noticing any situations that could lead to movement problems. In addition, some of these oversights are also found by attempting to make Pikmin begin carrying objects (most commonly a lying leader) or ordering leaders with Go Here! in unusual places, such as under or over a built bridge, in an section with closed-in walls, or next to a wall that has a known path on the other side.

Unless otherwise stated, the oversights in this article apply to all regions and to the equivalent New Play Control! versions.

The Impact Site

 * If Olimar is carried while hugging the northernmost gate pillar, inside the large tree stump, the Pikmin will get stuck on it. This does not happen in Challenge Mode because of the gate's placement.

The Forest of Hope

 * In Challenge Mode, the bridge that leads to the northernmost section of the map has no waypoints for Pikmin to carry objects under it. Although the Pikmin follow a waypoint near the base of the bridge, they do not get stuck, as they pop through after some seconds. In New Play Control! Pikmin, the Pikmin do not pop through the bridge.

The Forest Navel

 * All bridges besides the one leading to the Libra lack waypoints to make Pikmin carry objects out of their undersides, resulting in them getting stuck. This is also true in Challenge Mode. In New Play Control! Pikmin, the Pikmin might be killed by the bridge's collisions, due to a glitch.

The Distant Spring

 * If Pikmin are told to carry Olimar while he is on top of the northwestern section of the Gluon Drive bridge, and hugging the bridge's southwestern wall, the Pikmin will attempt to follow a waypoint in the water, and get stuck on the bridge's wall. This is also true in Challenge Mode.
 * Near the landing site, to the west of the black reinforced wall, there is a small corridor leading to a dead end. Pikmin that are told to carry an item in that corridor will get stuck going into the eastern wall of the corridor.
 * Sometimes, Blue Pikmin may try to carry the Gluon Drive across the bridge instead of taking the water route. It also occurs with the pearl from the Pearly Clamclamp in the same location in Challenge Mode; if the pearl is inched towards the water by repeatedly having Pikmin pick it up and drop it or lying down as Olimar, even non-Blues may attempt to carry it through the water instead.

The Final Trial

 * If Olimar lies down under the northern part of the northern bridge, the carrier Pikmin will get stuck on the metal structure while trying to follow a distant waypoint. This also works in Challenge Mode.
 * Like the previous oversight, if Pikmin are told to carry Olimar while he is lying just after the final fire geyser, they will get stuck in the same structure, following the same waypoint. This too happens in Challenge Mode.

Valley of Repose

 * By having a Pikmin carry a lying leader hugging the southern wall of the ledge with the Subterranean Complex, around the vertex where the wall breaks into a slightly different angle, the Pikmin will climb up the wall momentarily. By standing up on the right spot, it's possible to access the ledge without taking down the gate.
 * If a leader is lying down in the northeast corner of the Frontier Cavern area, a Pikmin can carry them up the wall and into the section with the Unspeakable Wonder, behind the Armored Cannon Beetle Larva. This can be used to reach Subterranean Complex or Frontier Cavern if the leader stands up earlier.
 * If Olimar is lying in a specific spot below the ledge with the Pellet Posy by the Red Onion, Pikmin can carry him partly up the ledge. If he then walks forward at a specific angle and lies down again, he can be carried the rest of the way up the ledge. This glitch will not work with Louie, or if the Rush Boots are unlocked.
 * If Pikmin begin carrying an object from the center of the large bridge, hugging the western wall, they will get stuck on the wall momentarily, and will then climb it up and land on the water.
 * There are no valid waypoints for carrying objects under the bridge that leads to the Frontier Cavern, so Pikmin get stuck under it.
 * If a leader lies down in the middle of the pathway leading towards the eggs behind the landing site, a Pikmin can carry them onto the ledge between that pathway and the ice slide.

Awakening Wood

 * Under the bridge above a small lake to the west of the landing site there is one waypoint, but instead of leading out of the water, it points across the bridge, making the Pikmin stuck.
 * On the section just before the Snagret Hole, with two bridges, if a Blue Pikmin is told to carry the leader while he's on the eastern corner of the pond, close to the scale, the Pikmin will climb atop the wall and go into the section with the Snagret Hole.
 * To the Northeast of the landing site, there is a small ledge next to a gate on a lake. By placing a Pikmin where the Horsetail is at, and lying down slightly to the Northwest of the Pikmin, it's possible for it to grab the leader, and climb up the ledge. If the Pikmin gets stuck on the wall, try a slightly different location. Once on top of the ledge, it is possible to wake up and access the Bulblax Kingdom, the Chance Totem and the ultra-bitter berry Burgeoning Spiderwort without the need for Blue Pikmin. This exploit happens because the Pikmin attempts to carry the leader towards the nearest waypoint, located atop the ledge.
 * On the tree stump where the Healing Cask (Hypnotic Platter in the European version) lies, a severed root is on the western side. By having a leader hug the northern corner where the root and the trunk meet, and lie down, a Pikmin can carry him up the root and enter the area surrounding the Burgeoning Spiderwort dome. On this terrain, having a Pikmin carry the leader should effortlessly take him through a different root, and end up on the Bulblax Kingdom side. This allows entry to the cave without needing Yellow Pikmin.
 * From the landing site, if a leader lies down on the wall of the ledge where the Sunseed Berry is, particularly, on the closest notable convex vertex from the right, the carrier Pikmin will go up the wall and the player can then take control of the leader atop the ledge, and enter the Snagret Hole early. This only happens if the leader is being carried to the Yellow Onion, or the Blue Onion in its original location past the electric gate.
 * On the scale just below Air Brake, if the player lies down on the corner far from Snagret Hole hugging the wall while the scale is high, he can be carried out of bounds by the treasure.
 * By the root containing Snagret Hole, if a leader lies down in the corner close to Air Brake above the ledge, then he can be carried above the root if the gate to Snagret Hole is torn down.

Perplexing Pool

 * There are three unconnected waypoints in the Perplexing Pool. These indicate that the game might ignore unconnected waypoints altogether, instead of leaving Pikmin stuck with no path to follow.
 * One of them is located atop the tree stump where the Impediment Scourge lies.
 * The other two are before and after the bridge at the easternmost section of the map. These are not connected to themselves, nor are they connected to the main graph, and they are the only ones related to the bridge. As a result, Pikmin carrying defeated enemies or leaders from the entrance to the Shower Room will have no choice but to take the water path, provided the clog has yet to be destroyed. In addition, if Pikmin are told to carry a leader while on top of the bridge, they will get stuck on its wall while attempting to go to the nearest waypoint, to the side of the bridge.
 * The bridge to the northeast of the landing site has four nearby waypoints, but only one of them leads out of the water. Depending on the placement of the Pikmin carrying the leader, they might become stuck following an incorrect waypoint.
 * If Pikmin carry objects from the north of the bridge in the west of the area, they will climb atop the bridge's wall and go into the water. This is because they are trying to follow the path written below the bridge.
 * There is a small circular wooden structure close to the landing site, to the northwest, with a lone Shoot. If a leader lies down around 3/4 of the way to the right, outside of this structure, and on its southernmost wall, the Pikmin carrying him will start walking up the wall, while trying to reach the waypoint at the entrance of the structure. With the right timing, the player can stand up, walk on top of the structure, and reach the Yellow Onion early.
 * The player can partly climb the structure that the wild Yellow Pikmin stand on by being carried up the side pointing towards the landing site.
 * Next to the Glutton's Kitchen, there is a circular wooden structure with 3 eggs inside. If a leader is lying to the south of the southern wall, the Pikmin carrying him will climb up the wall. The player can time it so that the leader gets up on top of the wall, and use this to access the cave without using Yellow Pikmin.
 * There is another way to be carried to Glutton's Kitchen without Yellow Pikmin, but Blue Pikmin are required. If a leader is lying down in the water behind the cave inside the corner where the two tree trunks meet, a Blue Pikmin can carry him over the trunk's rim.
 * One can reach the top of the rim surrounding Citadel of Spiders by lying down on the spot the trunk is closest to the water.

Wistful Wild

 * If a lying down leader is hugging the leftmost side of the big stump across the pool of water, a Pikmin can carry them up the border and in the trunk. This allows the entry of Dream Den without the need to take out either gate.
 * The trunk at the south of the southeastern section of the map has no nearby waypoints. Having Pikmin carry a leader at the base of the trunk or on top of the structure that surrounds it with a small path will easily result in the Pikmin getting stuck following distant waypoints.

Caves

 * There are waypoints for carrying objects out of the cave unit for the Titan Dweevil's arena, but Pikmin are never seen carrying objects out of the room in-game.
 * A leader can skip the fire puzzle room in the last floor of the Bulblax Kingdom by using a single Pikmin to carry him up to the right platform.
 * A leader can get on top of the two inaccessible plates in the Giant Breadbug's room by using a single Pikmin to carry him up to the platform.
 * A leader can use a single Pikmin to get onto the top of the metal stairs in the zigzagging corridor unit (like the one in Subterranean Complex sublevel 5), and also the metal rims, where he can fall into the abyss.

Tropical Wilds

 * If both walls by the landing site are left up and the Pikmin are forced to carry the Sandbelching Meerslug the long way, they will often get stuck in certain places, especially by the landing site's reinforced wall and the area where the Pyroclasmic Slooches are. It is even possible for the stretched-out Burrowing Snagret glitch to happen with the Meerslug.
 * When carrying objects from the southern Shaggy Long Legs arena, Pikmin may take a path going through the wall to the north of the opening. It is possible that this only happens in Side Stories, in.

Garden of Hope

 * Sometimes, Pikmin carrying things to the Blue Onion may go over the wall near the Burgeoning Spiderwort. This can happen when carrying the Sputtlefish in the nearby lake.

Distant Tundra

 * In the cave northwest of the landing site, if Pikmin are carrying something over the Bloominous Stemples, there is a chance they will fall in between them, and go underneath. They will get stuck in the wall, but after a moment will carry the object up the wall, and continue along their way.
 * The Dapper Blob in this area is on top of a stump. If a leader is at ground level, and next to the ledge that other leaders can be thrown to, using the Go Here! command will make the leaders attempt to follow a path up the stump, but since they can't get up there themselves, they will get stuck.

Shaded Garden Remix

 * If the Bearded Amprat located near the reinforced wall is killed very close to the raised area with the Juicy Gaggles, Pikmin carrying its corpse or the Dapper Blob it drops may attempt to impossibly carry it up to that area, rendering the level unable to be completed.

Primordial Thicket

 * Winged Pikmin that try to carry objects that are past the wall, at the bottom of the large wooden log, will be stuck circling in place.