Puffstool
| Puffstool | |
|---|---|
| File:Puffstool(PikminNPC).jpg | |
| Appears in | Pikmin |
| Scientific name | Aspergilla podronis |
| Family | Sporovid |
| Areas | The Forest Navel |
| Challenge Mode stages | The Distant Spring |
| Attacks | Possesses Pikmin |
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The Puffstool is a boss in Pikmin 1 that appears to be a huge walking fungus, strongly resembling a red-capped bolete. It has twin antennae ( much like a jellyfloat), a red-capped mushroom head and a tender yellow torso which is vulnerable to swarming. Only minimal details of the creature's biology of the game are supplied. The Puffstool is one of the enemies with which the crushing glitch happens fairly regularly; the frequency increased in the Wii version of the game.
The Puffstool will try to run when attacked, but its legs are clearly not made for sprinting and it trips easily, landing on its head with feet in the air. Since the cap is invulnerable to attack, Pikmin must be thrown onto its undersection once it's on the ground. After a few seconds, the Puffstool will right itself up and blow out a purplish cloud of spores which cause a strange change in nearby Pikmin, which the Puffstool acts as a Captain for. Affected Pikmin turn purple and grow small brown mushroom caps on their stalks. These Pikmin are known infamously as Mushroom Pikmin.
Ship Log
"This creature's cap is elastic, negating any Pikmin attacks. Attacking its lower torso works better, but the puffstool lets out spores that turn the Pikmin into mushrooms, which then attack me! They return to normal when shaken off."
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Guide Book This is the information shown in the guidebook "Red Sporovids seem to have developed higher functions than other fungi, as evidenced by the protruding reproductive organs on their caps. These organs act much like a flower would on a normal plant. This species appears to be able to seperate for a short time from the fungal colony to which it belongs. This occurs when the mushroom cap has reached a certain size and the spore sac is full. It will then sever its connection to the colony to walk around a limited area to spread the spores. This walking form can no longer absorb nutrients from the colony, but if the released spores contact another living creature, spore-encased fungal filaments will begin an explosive cycle of reproduction within the host, taking over its central nervous system. The host will be controlled by the Red Sporovid within its area of activity. Edible, considered a delicacy. Referred to as "punchstool" in some locales."
Killing Strategy
Mushroom Pikmin will attack Captain Olimar and any unaffected Pikmin. The effect will wear off in a short time, but more instantaneous remedies can also be used. Tossing a single Pikmin next to a Mushroom Pikmin will result in a small scuffle between the two, after which the enslaved Pikmin is knocked back to its senses and rejoins your army; using more Pikmin than necessary will more than likely kill the creature, counting towards your total number of Pikmin lost. A much safer strategy is attract the attention of multiple Mushroom Pikmin with your captain, then shake them off when they attack, instantly curing them without the risk of killing them. You can also get rid of the mushroom effect by killing the Puffstool or throwing them into water.
To quickly dispatch the Puffstool, bring about 80 Red Pikmin into its arena. First swarm its legs with about 30 Pikmin. It will try to run away, but flip over, legs flailing. It will also crush most of those underneath, but in this state you can kill it by throwing all remaining Pikmin on top. It will die, and appear to deflate, leaving a large circle that can be carried by 10 Pikmin if in story mode.
To minimize the risk of losing Pikmin, it is recommended to attack only with the captain. Furthermore, the Puffstool has no attacks that could harm Olimar. Note, however, that this may consume a fair amount of time, and as the sporing habits of the Puffstool are fully predictable, having Pikmin turned into mushroom-Pikmin is usually not a problem for competent players.
Locations
A single Puffstool can be found in The Forest Navel, where it holds the Omega Stabilizer. Once defeated, its cap can be returned to an Onion where it will produce 30 Pikmin seeds. Two Puffstools can also be found in The Distant Spring in Challenge Mode. According to the early screenshot to the right, a Puffstool would have appeared in The Forest of Hope on the plateau overlooking the small body of water where the trio of Burrowing Snagrets are in the final game.
Appearances in other games
In Legend Of Zelda: The Minish Cap for the Game Boy Advance, Puffstools are enemies that are encountered in a dungeon known as the Deepwood Shrine. If the player does not kill the Puffstools, they will leave clouds of gold spores everywhere, which must be disposed of with an item known as the 'gust jar'. Their appearance has been slightly altered. They now have eyes, a white ring around the cap of the mushroom, are taller, and have bigger feet. They are presumably about the same size as they are in Pikmin, in which Olimar's size makes them appear relatively much larger.
Trivia
- In the official guide book for the New Play Control! Pikmin game, The Puffstool's page states that its name is commonly pronounced incorrectly as "Punchstool" by Hocotatains.
- If the player kills the Puffstool as it begins to get up, it will still do so and release its spores with its health indicating it is dead; a similar effect occurs when a Wollywog is defeated when jumping.
- Being one of the five enemies from the first game that do not reappear in the second game, the Puffstool seems to have been replaced by the Jellyfloats, which have the same antennae and general body shape.