A dirt wall.
A dirt wall in Pikmin 3, an obstacle that blocks a path until it has been destroyed.

To do: Check if Pikmin contribute to a task in a linear fashion or logarithmic fashion. i.e. do 50 Pikmin take exactly twice as long to take down a gate as 100, or are they faster? Check other obstacles too, and check all games.
Care to do so?

Obstacles are interactive objects that stand in the way of Pikmin and leaders. Some obstacles can be destroyed by having Pikmin attack them, some can be overcome through the use of tools, and some cannot be destroyed at all and must be worked around. With creative use, some of these obstacles can end up helping the player in unique ways when they are cleared, like a cardboard box initially being pushed to get out of the way, but also ending up next to a ramp to serve as a makeshift bridge. In this sense, some obstacles can partially serve as tools in and of themselves.

List of obstacles

Icon Name Description Games
Pikmin Pikmin 2 Pikmin 3 Pikmin 4 Hey! Pikmin
  Arachnode web Arachnodes often build their webs in the carrying routes of Winged Pikmin. If Winged Pikmin carry something into the web, they will let go of the object and become stuck. No No Yes Yes No
 
 
Bag Paper bags that block passageways. They can be crushed with enough Pikmin weight. No Yes No Yes No
  Bamboo gate Gates that must be held open with Winged Pikmin. No No Yes No No
  Boulder Boulders drop from the sky, and crush Pikmin they fall on. No Yes No* Yes No
 
 
Bramble gate Bramble gates act like walls, completely blocking off an area. They can be torn down in a gradual process, until they are fully opened. There are multiple types of bramble gates. Yes Yes No No No
  Breakable pot Pots that block paths and can only be destroyed by charging them with Oatchi. No No No Yes No
File:Brick wall icon.png Brick wall Rare walls that can only be destroyed with iron balls. No No Yes No No
  Bubble generator These produce bubbles that can trap Pikmin. No No No Yes No
  Buried treasure, fruit or Sparklium Seeds While not technically an obstacle, some treasures are found underground, and White Pikmin are needed to clear the dirt and unearth them. Some fruits can also be found buried, but any Pikmin can dig them out, with Yellow Pikmin doing so faster. No Yes Yes Yes Yes
  Cardboard box Cardboard boxes block the path to certain areas, and must be pushed out of the way with a minimum number of Pikmin. Yes No Yes Yes No
 
 
Clipboard Boards with handles on them. In Pikmin 3, Clipboards often cover objects, and they need 8 Winged Pikmin to lift it. In Pikmin 4, however, they work as bridges. Needing 10 or 20 Pikmin, they can only be lowered from one side. No No Yes Yes No
  Clog Some pools of water can be drained by destroying clogs. No Yes No No Yes
  Cobblestone block Blocks made of stone, that can be destroyed by bomb rocks only. No No No No Yes
  Crystal nodule Crystal pebbles used by Skutterchucks to attack Pikmin. No No Yes Yes Yes
 
 
Crystal wall Walls made of glass, that can be broken with Rock Pikmin or bomb rocks. No No Yes Yes No
  Dam A stick over a river with Flukeweeds on top that blocks the movement of lily pads. No No Yes No No
  Dirt block This obstacle prevents the player from making progress in an area. It simply needs to be destroyed by throwing a Pikmin at it. No No No No Yes
 
 
Dirt wall Simple walls made of dirt, similar to bramble gates. No No Yes Yes Yes
  Dried plant Groups of plants that can only be destroyed trough the use of Fire starters. No No No Yes No
 
 
 
Electric gate Gates covered in electrical current, meaning only Yellow Pikmin can destroy them. No Yes Yes Yes Yes
  Electrical wire Two cut bits of electrical wiring with exposed conductors. They create an arc of electricity from time to time. No Yes No No No
  Fire geyser Geysers poking out of the ground or ceiling that shoot fire at regular intervals. Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
  Flames Flames that prevent Olimar from making progress in an area, until they are smothered out. No No No No Yes
File:Gas pipe icon.png Gas pipe Pipes sticking out of the ground that emit clouds of poison gas. No Yes No No No
  High ledges Some ledges are too high for regular Pikmin to reach, and can only be reached by Yellow Pikmin or Winged Pikmin. Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
  Hydro jelly Hydro jelly is a substance that requires Ice Pikmin to freeze. No No No Yes No
  Hydroe bramble Long bramble with thorns that block the way and move in specific patterns. Pikmin that touch one of these get killed, and there is no way to remove them. No No No No Yes
  Ice wall Gates covered in freezing ice, meaning that only Ice Pikmin or fire starters can break it. No No No Yes No
  Icicle-like crystal Some crystals look and act like icicles, and will fall on Olimar when he goes under one of them. No No No No Yes
  Iron block Blocks of iron that need to be pushed by Pikmin in order to progress in an area. No No No No Yes
 
 
Iron fence Several upright metal bars arranged to form a wall, preventing Oatchi and treasures to pass through. Some of them can be lowered. No No No Yes No
File:Jacob’s ladder icon.png Jacob’s ladder A 3-pronged electric node that generates electricity. No No No Yes No
 
 
Kingcap Large, red spotted mushrooms that block passageways. No No Yes Yes No
  Large crystal Crystals either block passageways or hold items, and in one case, block a geyser. They can be destroyed with Rock Pikmin. No No Yes No Yes
File:Mud icon.png Mud Shallow mud slows down anything that enters it, and deep mud will drown even Blue Pikmin and players. Like bodies of water, they can be frozen by Ice Pikmin to allow safe travel. No No No Yes No
  Numbered gate Indestructable metal gates that have a dot-matrix display on them. They will only lower once the numbers on them reach 0. No No No Yes No
 
 
Paper bag Paper bags that can be pushed off ledges to create a new path up the ledge. No No Yes Yes No
File:Poison geyser icon.png Poison geyser Geysers that spit out poison gas. No No No Yes Yes
  Purple Pikmin needed Some bags and treasures are too heavy to overcome or carry with most Pikmin types as they weigh over 100 weight units, so Purple Pikmin are necessary to overcome or carry them. No Yes No Yes No
  Potted plant Blocks of dirt that act like walls that require a plant to be pulled in order to destroy them. No No No Yes No
  Pup tunnel Shortcuts through the earth that can be used only by Oatchi. No No No Yes No
 
 
 
Reinforced wall Strong walls that require bomb rocks to take out. There are multiple types of reinforced walls in Pikmin. Yes No Yes Yes No
  Small crystal Small crystals that block geysers and hold small items. No No Yes No No
  Sizzling floor Red-hot patches that will burn all Pikmin except for Red and Glow Pikmin. They will be extinguished once all of the pieces of burning charcoal or fiery enemies have been removed. No No No Yes No
 
 
Spotcap Small fungi that can block passages in groups. No No Yes Yes No
  Sprinkler These objects constantly rain down water that blocks every Pikmin except Blue Pikmin. They can also be used to extinguish Sizzling floors. No No No Yes No
  Sticky mold Yellowish mold that will slow down and prevent all Pikmin except for Winged Pikmin from carrying objects. They will be destroyed once all mushrooms or poison enemies have been removed. No No No Yes No
 
 
 
Switch gate Metal gates that can be raised and lowered with switches, and come in white, red, and blue varieties. No No No Yes No
  Tin box Act just like cardboard boxes. No No Yes Yes No
  Trowel When upright, it blocks the way forward. It can be tipped over with Pikmin throws, and when it lands, it serves as a makeshift bridge. No No No No Yes
 
 
Tunnel Shortcuts through the earth. They have a pile of rubble in the front, and Pikmin can be sent to dig them out. No No Yes Yes No
  Water body Most non-Blue Pikmin start drowning if they come into contact with bodies of water. Ice Pikmin instead float on the surface of a body of water; it can then be frozen solid if a certain number of Ice Pikmin are present in it and will remain frozen until they are recalled. Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
  Wooden stake A stake that either blocks the player's path and needs a certain amount of Pikmin to push it in the ground, or sticks below something and can be pushed up. No No No No Yes

* There is an item that causes boulders to fall in Bingo Battle, however.

Minor obstacles

Main article: Minor obstacles.

Several other kinds of obstacles appear in the Pikmin series, but are much rarer than the obstacles listed above.

Trivia

  • In Pikmin 2, Pikmin that are attacking an obstacle while latched on will cause damage at a faster pace than those that are standing on the ground.[1] This can be achieved with bridges by pushing the Pikmin off to the side and letting it go back to the bridge on its own, where it should hopefully cling on instead.

Names in other languages

Language Name Meaning Notes
  French Obstacle Obstacle
  Portuguese (NoE) Obstáculo Obstacle Translation taken from the Pikmin instruction manual.
  Spanish (NoA) Obstáculo Obstacle

See also

References

  1. ^ YouTube video showing how latched Pikmin are faster than standing Pikmin, in Pikmin 2