Bridge

Some Blue Pikmin constructing a bridge at the Wistful Wild.

Bridges are common obstacles in the Pikmin series that appear above ground only. Naturally, their purpose is to help cross a gap, normally a body of water. Pikmin are tasked with building the bridge, which cannot be crossed until it is completed. Their appearance and building method depends on the game.

In Pikmin and Pikmin 2, they are found as a pile of wood on one side of the gap, which Pikmin can be set to work on. Doing so will cause them to construct the wood into a bridge that spans the obstruction. Sloped bridges may also be found near a ledge and provide a ramp up/down the ledge once built. When being worked on, the bridge grows in chunks at intervals, marked with a cloud of dust. Cloaking Burrow-nits and members of the Mandiblard family chew apart stick bridges and progressively roll them back into piles.

In Pikmin 2, there is a bridge that is surrounded by poison, just like some gates. Naturally, only White Pikmin can approach it, but once a few segments have been built, the poison pipes may be destroyed, allowing other Pikmin to assist them in completing the bridge.

File:Pikmin3Screen5.jpg

The appearance of bridges in Pikmin 3's Beta.

In Pikmin 3, bridges are made of fragments, rather than wood, as in the previous games. Bridges range from being made of 15 Fragments to 80 Fragments, and come in several different colors. Unfinished bridges are slightly slanted upwards, and attempting to move past the opening will not work; throwing Pikmin and leaders does work, however. To build a bridge, Pikmin must carry fragments over to it, which they then put into place. Once all fragments are delivered, the bridge is completed, and lowers into place in the process. The fragments gives bridges a distinct ceramic look, and because they are made of fragments, enemies cannot destroy them. Bridges can be gray, brown, blue, or light blue in color, in increasing order of size and number of pieces to build.

A number of glitches are associated with bridges, generally involving Pikmin or enemies getting stuck in or under them.

Locations

To do: Add locations in Pikmin 3's non-story modes. Care to do so?

Pikmin

• Story mode
  • The Forest of Hope: Two bridges must be built to create a path between some islands to obtain the Sagittarius.
  • The Forest Navel: Two sloped bridges can be built down the central ledges to provide shortcuts. Two other sloped bridges must be built up to a plateau holding the Gravity Jumper. One last bridge must be built across the abyss to reach the island where the Libra is located.
  • The Distant Spring: There is a bridge near the landing site that will lead across the water to a beach. Two other bridges near the Gluon Drive must be built into eachother to form a single larger bridge to carry the part across.
  • The Final Trial: Two bridges must be built across the main part of the level to reach the final boss arena.
• Challenge Mode
  • The Forest of Hope: Same as story mode, with the addition of a sloped bridge leading down from the area where an Armored Cannon Beetle is usually found in story mode.
  • The Forest Navel: Same as story mode.
  • The Distant Spring: Same as story mode.
  • The Final Trial: Same as story mode.

Pikmin 2

• Valley of Repose: One bridge is built above the water in the central part of the level, while a sloped bridge must be built to reach a small plateau with the entrance to Frontier Cavern.
• Awakening Wood: One bridge is near the Geographic Projection and two more are located near the Air Brake, one of which has gas pipes and requires White Pikmin to start it.
• Perplexing Pool: One is located near the pair of Burgeoning Spiderworts, one is by the entrance to Citadel of Spiders, and another is near the beach leading to the Shower Room entrance.
• Wistful Wild: A single bridge is located in the water filled area on The Impact Site half of the level.

Pikmin 3

• Tropical Wilds: A gray bridge is built on day 1 to demonstrate Pikmin abilities. Another must be built to reach the Sandbelching Meerslug, while a brown bridge is located near the landing site leading to the northern portion of the level.
• Garden of Hope: A gray bridge and brown bridge are near the area where Rock Pikmin are discovered, while a blue bridge is built on the way to the Armored Mawdad arena. A brown bridge and blue bridge can be built near the entrance to the Quaggled Mireclops arena.
• Distant Tundra: Brittany must build a brown bridge and Alph must build a blue bridge in the center of the map so that they can reunite when separated in the beginning. One other brown bridge can be built in the Vehemoth Phosbat arena to reach an electrode.
• Twilight River: A light blue bridge must be built to discover Winged Pikmin; this is the longest bridge in the game. A brown bridge must be built afterword to reach the Scornet Maestro arena.
• Formidable Oak: An optional brown bridge is found in the cavern, while a blue bridge must be built to to get through the cavern.

Fragment

File:ZlCfzRE4Yk4QPrxX58.jpg

A pile of fragments.

To do: List the location of all piles of fragments in the game. Care to do so?

Fragments are ceramic tiles that are used to build bridges in Pikmin 3. Fragments are clustered together in piles, and the Pikmin will carry them to the bridge of the corresponding fragment color, then return to the pile, even if there aren't any fragments left. However, if a Pikmin carrying a fragment is called back, that fragment will vanish and reappear at the pile it came from. Pikmin carrying fragments can also be pushed, making them carry it faster.

Bridges vary from being made of 15 to 80 fragments, and they have multiple piles of fragments that need to be assembled. Fragments are occasionally buried in dirt mounds or encased inside crystals. Additionally, in one case, in the Garden of Hope, fragments are used to build an overturned plant pot, not a bridge. When it is finished, it is used as a platform to throw leaders and Pikmin across. It's worth noting that even though Winged Pikmin can't reach submerged fragments of the pot, they can still build it underwater by carrying non-submerged fragments over and tossing them to where they belong.

Because each bridge has its own color, fragments from one color cannot be used to build a bridge of a different one.

Hay

A pile of hay.

Hay is an obstacle in Pikmin 3 that essentially replaces the sloped bridges from the previous games. While bridges are made out of fragments, and link two pieces of land over a gap, hay is grabbed in chunks and piled up against walls to serve as a ramp to go up. A large and tidy pile of hay sits in one place, and Pikmin grab chunks off of it, one by one, like fragments. When they reach the wall that needs to be overcome (which can be recognized with some faint strands of hay on the floor), they toss their hay on the floor, so that it piles up. When it's done, the "task complete" sound plays, and Pikmin and leaders can use the new ramp to climb up the wall.

Locations

Only one hay pile appears in Story Mode, in the Distant Tundra. It is located on a ledge south of the landing site, next to two Bearded Amprats. To reach the ledge, a leader must be thrown from the area to the east, across some Bouncy Mushrooms. Once the hay pile is constructed, a leader can simply walk up to the ledge.

Gallery

This article or section is in need of more images. Particularly: Get images of all colors and patterns of fragment in the entire game, amongst other images. You can help Pikipedia by uploading some images.

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  A fully-built red bridge in Pikmin 3.

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  A pile of fragments.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Portuguese (NoE)	Ponte	Bridge	Translation taken from the Pikmin instruction manual.

See also

• Twig
• Gate