- For the challenge mode in the second game, see Challenge Mode (Pikmin 2).
- Not to be confused with the Challenge Mode from Pikmin Adventure.
Challenge Mode is an alternative game mode in Pikmin that challenges the player to grow as many Pikmin as they can in a single day. The mode has 5 stages, with a stage set in each area, but the areas are modified from how they are in Story Mode, with pellets, enemies, and obstacles in different locations, and ship parts not appearing. In addition, the S.S. Dolphin is not present during play, meaning Olimar cannot replenish his spacesuit's health. In Challenge Mode, the areas are slightly darker than their Story Mode counterparts, and the tempo of each area's music is increased slightly.[1] When the time is up, the number of Pikmin that have been raised is displayed, and the top 5 scores for each stage are persistently recorded.
Challenge Mode is unlocked when all three types of Pikmin are discovered in the game's main Story Mode for the first time, and once unlocked, Challenge Mode will be available forever on the main menu, under Options. Stages are unlocked as they are encountered in Story Mode, again, for any saved game.
Stages
Maximum score
Because there are only so many enemies and pellets within a stage, there is a maximum number of Pikmin that can be grown in each of them. This number is very high and difficult to reach, but the maximum score has been achieved for all stages except The Distant Spring, which is too large and difficult for a human to complete in time.
- The Impact Site: 278
- The Forest of Hope: 569
- The Forest Navel: 482
- The Distant Spring: 752 (currently only reached via tool-assisted superplay,[2] with the current human record being 728[3])
- The Final Trial: 299
Time limits
In Challenge Mode, days have a different duration to what they do in Story Mode. Usually, all days last for the same amount of time, which is roughly 13:30 minutes, but in Challenge Mode, this day length is multiplied by a specific value. The following multiplier values were taken directly from the game's files.
| Area | Duration | Multiplier |
|---|---|---|
| The Impact Site | 10:48 | 0.8 |
| The Forest of Hope | 18:54 | 1.4 |
| The Forest Navel | 16:12 | 1.2 |
| The Distant Spring | 18:54 | 1.4 |
| The Final Trial | 13:30 | 1.0 |
Gallery
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Conclusion of a perfect The Impact Site run.
The Challenge Mode menu.
Some pellets near the landing site in The Impact Site.
Some large pellets in The Forest Navel.
A corner of the area in The Distant Spring.
A Dwarf Bulborb being carried to an Onion in The Final Trial.
Encountering a Burrowing Snagret in The Final Trial.
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 French (NoA) |
Mode défi | Challenge mode | |
 French (NoE) |
Mode Challenge | Challenge Mode | |
 German |
Challenge | "Challenge" | |
 Italian |
Modalità sfida | Challenge mode | |
 Portuguese (NoE) |
Modo Challenge | "Challenge" Mode | Translation taken from the Pikmin instruction manual. |
 Spanish (NoA) |
Modo Desafío Modo de Desafío |
Challenge Mode | Used in Title screen Used in Challenge Mode menu |
 Spanish (NoE) |
Modo Desafío | Challenge Mode |
See also
References
- ^ Each song receives a 20% tempo increase in Challenge Mode, as concluded by this brief study
- ^ YouTube video of a tool-assisted superplay of the level in which 752 points are reached
- ^ YouTube video of a Challenge Mode run with 728 points