Bulbmin In-game icon.
A large Bulbmin surrounded by its young.
Appears in Pikmin 2
Scientific name Parasiticus pikminicus
Family Pikmin
Areas None
Caves Frontier Cavern, Submerged Castle, Hole of Heroes
Challenge Mode stages Green Hole, Hidden Garden
2-Player Battle stages None
Attacks Eats Pikmin

Bulbmin (adults: ハチャッピー?, lit.: "Leaf Chappy"; juvenile: コッパチャッピー?) are a parasitic species of Pikmin found in Pikmin 2. These Pikmin infect Bulborbs and take control of them, but it is hinted by Olimar that they can take on other hosts as well. Physically, they resemble Red Bulborbs, except with a Pikmin stem and leaf (or bud or flower) atop their back. They can be found wandering the floors of certain caves and behave much like the Spotty Bulbear, patrolling an established path in search of food, and can be dealt with similarly by using sprays or Purple Pikmin. The cave with the greatest number of Bulbmin is the Submerged Castle.

Mature Bulbmin, acting as a leader, can be followed by 10 or fewer juvenile Bulbmin. These wild juveniles can be used like normal Pikmin by the Hocotatian leaders, and each count towards the 100-Pikmin limit; exactly how many there are when entering the sublevel depends on the number of available Pikmin slots the player had prior, up to a limit of 10 juveniles per mature Bulbmin. The mature Bulbmin acts like a Bulborb, in that it will pursue and eat Olimar's Pikmin. After defeating it, the smaller ones go into a panic. They are not dangerous, but whistling at them will instantly bring them into line under the captain's command, and they become part of his Pikmin swarm.

As Pikmin

Bulbmin (Juvenile)
 
Resistance Fire, electricity, water and poison
Attack strength Average (10)
Mobility Average
Throw Average
Digging speed Unknown
Carrying capacity 1

To do: Confirm the damage – it's either 5 or 10.
Care to do so?

As Pikmin that the player's leaders can use, the Bulbmin have average capabilities in terms of mobility and strength, but are immune to all hazards (fire, water, electricity, and poison), excluding explosions. As beneficial as their abilities may seem, they cannot leave the caves with the group, and will not count towards the overall Pikmin count. This makes them ideal for use in Candypop Buds.

The only way that Bulbmin can be killed before ever being whistled is if they are crushed, or they fall over the side of a level into the abyss when shaken by an enemy attack or explosion or other sufficient force.

There is no information regarding what Bulbmin inside Bulborbs actually look like. It is possible that they are green, since they appear as green dots on the radar, and since their leaves glow green when idle, that they themselves are green. Although they may also be orange, given the color of their stem, as well as the color of the conical aiming cursor when a Bulbmin is in hand, and the color of the trail they produce when thrown.

For an unknown reason, Bulbmin refuse to leave the cave via a Geyser, or escape via the Research Pod; instead staying behind and watching the captain and fellow Pikmin ride up. This means that they do not belong to the leaders' persistent party. Regardless, any Bulbmin death will count towards the lost Pikmin total. The fact that they cannot leave caves leaves them good options for Candypop Buds, especially on a sublevel close to the final one.

Notes

Ship's dialogs

The confused bulborb has fallen in with the Pikmin. They appear to coexist peacefully.

Strange... this bulborb has a leaf sprouting from its spine, much like the leaf on a Pikmin's head.

Olimar's notes

This loathsome creature is in fact a parasitic form of Pikmin that has infected a bulborb. Unlike Pikmin that nest in Pikmin Onions, this parasitic relative spends its life inside the body of a host, usually a bulborb. Juveniles fall in line and mimic the actions of their parent until maturing to full independence. By burying its rootlike limbs into the nervous system of the host bulborb and infusing it with natural hormonal excretions, the bulbmin is able to control virtually all of the host's bodily functions. However, the host's voracious appetite seems impossible to suppress.

Louie's notes

Grind the meat and season with allspice, salt, and ground white pepper. Press the seasoned meat into meat satchels, then panfry them with onions. Prior to serving, smother the brats with dijon mustard and sauerkraut. Buns are optional.

Strategy

Pikmin

To ensure a low Pikmin loss, if not zero, wait until it approaches the active Captain, then throw Pikmin rapidly on top of the beast, further to the back than the front. If done correctly and with good aim, it should shake them off and turn around slowly: it has been distracted, leaving a large time gap in which to swarm it. Do it, then, and it should die before any of the Pikmin it manages to swallow do. Also if it is attacked by other bulbmin it will hesitate slightly before attacking allowing more time to deal damage.

As extra precautions or for an easier fight, use Purple Pikmin or an Ultra-Bitter Spray if it captures any Pikmin.

Captains

Approach the Bulbmin like a roaming Bulbear, attacking it from behind and avoiding its bite. Although its health is significantly lower than a Bulbear's, it can still take a substantial amount of time to kill without the Rocket Fist powerup.

Technical information

Pikmin 2 technical information (?)
Internal name leafchappy
Global properties (List)
ID Japanese comment Property Value
s000 friction(not used) Friction 0.5
s001 wallReflection Unknown (wall bounce speed multiplier?) 0.5
s002 faceDirAdjust Unknown 0.25
s003 accel Acceleration 0.1
s004 bounceFactor Unknown (bounce when it hits the ground?) 0.3
fp00 ライフ HP 300
fp01 マップとの当り Unknown (related to slopes) 20
fp02 ダメージスケールXZ Horizontal damage scale 0.2
fp03 ダメージスケールY Vertical damage scale 0.2
fp04 ダメージフレーム Damage scale duration 0.35
fp05 質量 Unknown (weight?) 0.001
fp06 速度 Move speed 50
fp08 回転速度率 Rotation acceleration 0.2
fp09 テリトリー Territory radius 400
fp10 ホーム範囲 "Home" radius 50
fp11 プライベート距離 "Private" radius 70
fp12 視界距離 Sight radius 300
fp13 視界角度 FOV 90
fp14 探索距離 Unknown (exploration radius?) 300
fp15 探索角度 Unknown (exploration angle?) 90
fp16 振り払い率 Successful shake rate 1
fp17 振り払い力 Shake knockback 150
fp18 振り払いダメージ Shake damage 1
fp19 振り払い範囲 Shake range 25
fp20 攻撃可能範囲 Unknown (shock attack max range?) 40
fp21 攻撃可能角度 Unknown (shock attack max angle?) 30
fp22 攻撃ヒット範囲 Unknown (attack hit range?) 50
fp23 攻撃ヒット角度 Unknown (attack hit angle?) 35
fp24 攻撃力 Attack damage 10
fp25 視界高 Unknown (height visibility?) 50
fp26 探索高 Unknown (exploration height?) 50
fp27 ライフの高さ HP wheel height 90
fp28 回転最大速度 Rotation speed 4
fp29 警戒時間 Unknown (warning time?) 15
fp30 警戒ライフ Unknown 50
fp31 ライフ回復率 Regeneration rate 0
fp32 LOD半径 Off-camera radius 35
fp33 マップとのあたりポリゴンの選定 Collision processing radius 30
fp34 ピクミンとのあたり Pikmin damage radius 10
fp35 石化時間 Petrification duration 1
fp36 ヒップドロップダメージ Purple Pikmin drop damage 50
fp37 地震気絶確立 Purple Pikmin stun chance 0.3 (30%)
fp38 地震気絶時間 Purple Pikmin stun time 5
ip01 振り払い打撃A Shake mode 1 – hit count 8
ip02 振り払い張付1 Shake mode 1 – Pikmin requirement 5
ip03 振り払い打撃B Shake mode 2 – hit count 15
ip04 振り払い張付2 Shake mode 2 – Pikmin requirement 10
ip05 振り払い打撃C Shake mode 3 – hit count 20
ip06 振り払い張付3 Shake mode 3 – Pikmin requirement 20
ip07 振り払い打撃D Shake mode 4 – hit count 25
Specific properties
ID Japanese comment Property Value
fp01 白ピクミン White Pikmin poison damage 500

Gallery

Trivia

 
The three stages of Bulbmin sprouts in the ground.
  • The only place where Bulbmin can be buried – and hence, the only place where one can observe Bulbmin with buds – is the Frontier Cavern, on sublevels 4 and 5. Swooping Snitchbugs can plant them in the ground on sublevel 4, and they can be planted by Mamutas on sublevel 5.
  • Although immune to poison, the adult Bulbmin will take a fair amount of damage if having eaten a White Pikmin.
  • Unlike Blue Pikmin, Bulbmin do not rescue drowning Pikmin.
  • Strangely, it seems that the only Bulborb that the Bulbmin tends to take hostage is the Red Bulborb, even when it would make more sense to take control of a Hairy Bulborb on cold caves.
  • Bulbmin are the only Pikmin that were created before but did not appear in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
  • The creature's scientific name, parasiticus pikminicus, means "Parasite Pikmin".
  • A Bulbmin appears on the New Play Control! Pikmin 2 Channel Screen.
  • Strangely enough, the young Bulbmin do not die when caught in an explosion while under the control of the mature Bulbmin. However, when under the player's control, they can die by explosions. This is more of a useful tip, since the mature Bulbmin can die from it, and the young will remain fine.
  • When juvenille Bulbmin perish, their spirits appear as any other enemies' spirits, not as Pikmin spirits. This may likely be due to how the Bulbmin find a bulborb host, in which the host ends up losing its life, as well.
  • Bulbmin make different noises than other Pikmin. White Pikmin do however make some metallic noises when discovered, but not anywhere else.
  • They, along with Breadbugs can be cannibals, as the adult Bulbmin will eat juvenile Bulbmin following a Captain.
  • Young Bulbmin are technically the last type of friendly Pikmin normally discovered in Pikmin 2, making it the only game in the series so far where Blue Pikmin are not the last.

Names in other languages

Language Name Meaning
  Japanese ハチャッピー; コッパチャッピー?
Ha Chappī; Koppa Chappī
Leaf Chappy; Koppa Chappy
  German Punktmin Dotmin; combination of Punktkäfer ("Dot Beetle", the Bulborbs' German name) and Pikmin.


 

This article was a featured article from 3rd December 2008 to 26th January 2009.