Pluck: Difference between revisions

'''Plucking''' (also known as '''picking'''{{cite quote|'''Button {{button|gcn|A}}''' / '''Pick a planted Pikmin'''|Information box|the controls page of the {{p1}} instruction manual}}) is how [[leader]]s uproot [[Pikmin family|Pikmin]] planted on the ground. When an [[Onion]] expels some Pikmin seeds, these float gently to the ground, where they become buried. Afterwards, a Pikmin seed sprout appears, and from this point forward, the leader is able to pluck it. There is a small delay until the seeds are ready to be plucked, but it is only present in ''[[Pikmin (game)|Pikmin]]'' and ''[[Pikmin 2]]''.

To pluck a Pikmin, the player should move the leader near a Pikmin sprout and press {{button|gcn|A|wii|A}} in the first two games, and {{button|wii|A|wiiu|A|wiiu|PCA}} in ''[[Pikmin 3]]'' ({{button|wiiu|L}} in Stylus mode). Upon doing so, the leader will crouch down and grab hold of the sprout. After pulling for a bit, the Pikmin will eventually pop out, with a back-flip in the air, and join the other Pikmin in the leader's party.

In the first two main games in the [[Pikmin series|series]], the player must continuously press the pluck button in order to activate the automatic mode. Unearthing Pikmin this way also activates the fastest plucking speed, explained below. If the player stops pressing the button, the leader will stop plucking automatically, after the current sprout. The walk from one seed to the next can also be canceled by pressing {{button|gcn|B|wii|B}}. In addition, it is not possible to switch leaders while plucking.

Technically, although the recommended method is to rapidly press the pluck button{{cite quote|I guess I'll try to get it all done at once by {{color|repeatedly tapping {{button|gcn|A|wii|A}}|red}} until I pick all the Pikmin from the ground.|Captain Olimar|a [[Olimar's monologues in Pikmin 1|monologue]]}}{{cite quote|Reviewing Olimar's report, it seems '''repeatedly tapping {{button|gcn|A|wii|A}}''' lets one rapidly pluck Pikmin sprouts.|The Hocotate ship|a [[Ship's dialogs|dialog]]}}, all that is needed in order to trigger the automatic and quick pluck of the next Pikmin is to press the pluck button once while the leader is grabbing onto the current Pikmin sprout. This is needlessly more precise than the recommended method, which explains why the games and manuals describe the [[Controls#Button mashing|button mashing]] way.

In ''[[Pikmin 3]]'', this is the only mode of plucking. Pressing the button once near a sprout will automatically start the process, where the leader(s) pluck all Pikmin, one after the other. During this time, the player can switch control to an idling leader and handle tasks with them. Pressing {{button|wiiu|B|wii|B|wiiu|PCB}} ({{button|wiiu|ZL}} in Stylus mode) while the active leader is doing this will make them stop their task.

In ''Pikmin 3'', a peculiarity makes it possible to pluck Pikmin much faster than normal, with the player-controlled leader. The pluck button makes the leader pull out the sprouts, while the [[whistle]] button ({{button|wiiu|ZL}} in Stylus mode) makes the leader cancel the task altogether, regardless of what they were doing when the button was pressed. This means that it is possible to stop instantly even if they are grabbing onto and pulling out a Pikmin, something not possible in the previous games.