Sequence break

Sequence breaks are exploits in video games that allow things to be done out of order, such as collecting an item before it's intended to be collected, or skipping a part of the game entirely. The Pikmin games contain several sequence breaks, and they are usually made possible by going out of bounds in a specific place or abusing a glitch. Sequence breaks are often used in challenge runs. This article is a list of known sequence breaks in Pikmin games, sorted by game.

Pikmin

The following article or section is in need of assistance from someone who plays Pikmin. Particularly: This section is empty. If there are ways of getting ship parts early, add them here.

Pikmin 2

The following article or section is in need of assistance from someone who plays Pikmin 2. Particularly: Document more sequence breaks.

Pikmin 2 doesn't impose much of a sequence on the player. While there is an intended order of unlocking Pikmin types and areas, other things like caves can generally be completed in any order. However, methods exist to reach places in faster and unintended ways, and it is possible to skip parts of the game's intended sequence. It is through the discovery of several of these tricks that the minimum number of days to complete the game was reduced from 8 to 5.

Early Blue Pikmin

Reproducibility	Consequences	Versions	Demonstration
Low	{{{consequences}}}	Pikmin 2: Yes New Play Control! Pikmin 2: Yes, but harder Pikmin 2 (Nintendo Switch): Unknown	YouTube video

• Effects: Unlock Blue Pikmin before unlocking Yellow Pikmin.
• Prerequisites: Have unlocked the Awakening Wood and completed the White Flower Garden.
• How to: Go to the pair of seesaw blocks in the northeast of the area with some Pikmin. Start carrying a treasure back to the ship. Have a leader stand on the seesaw block closer to the wall, and cause the seesaw blocks to shift at the same time the treasure reaches the ship, causing the treasure collection cutscene. If done correctly, the leader will be inside the seesaw block, and can walk into the wall. Walk a precise path through the out-of-bounds area, and eventually fall into the abyss, landing in the room with the Blue Onion.
• Notes: While the Blue Pikmin can be whistled immediately in the original GameCube version, they cannot be whistled immediately in the New Play Control! version. Blue Pikmin can still be unlocked early, but it is more difficult.
• Possible explanation: None.

Early Yellow Pikmin

Reproducibility	Consequences	Versions	Demonstration
High	{{{consequences}}}	Pikmin 2: Yes New Play Control! Pikmin 2: Yes, but harder Pikmin 2 (Nintendo Switch): Unknown	YouTube video

• Effects: Allows access to Yellow Pikmin without breaking down the poison vent gate.
• Prerequisites: Have access to Perplexing Pool and the Napsack.
• How to: From the landing site, take one Pikmin with you and go to the small hollowed out stump next to the area with the Yellow Pikmin. Stand on the small slope left of the entryway, and lay down. The Pikmin should pick you up and carry you up the trunk. If you time waking up correctly, the Pikmin will drop you off on top of the rim. From there, simply follow the rim up to the rim of the area with the wild Yellow Pikmin, and jump down into it. If you’re playing on the original Pikmin 2, you can go ahead and whistle them, however if you’re playing New Play Control Pikmin 2, there are a few more steps. From here you must stand next to the tree on the side opposite the branch. Perform another Napsack carry exploit to get on top of the tree, and shove one of the wild Yellows off of it. Keep shoving the Pikmin towards and eventually of the ledge that leads to the Nectar Weed, preferably keeping it away from said weed. If it does start plucking the weed, just wait for it to finish by actively standing next to it, at which point it will join your party. Whether it joined or not, force it further towards the Swooping snitchbugs, and let it plant the Pikmin in the ground. Upon plucking it, Yellow Pikmin will officially be unlocked.
• Notes: None.
• Possible explanation: None.

Early Emergence Cave

Reproducibility	Consequences	Versions	Demonstration
Extremely low	{{{consequences}}}	Pikmin 2: Yes New Play Control! Pikmin 2: No Pikmin 2 (Nintendo Switch): Unknown	YouTube video

• Effects: Allows access to the Emergence Cave on day 1.
• Prerequisites: Have performed the cutscene timer storage glitch and restarted the game from the beginning.
• How to: As Olimar, call the Pikmin off the Dwarf Red Bulborb, but don't defeat it. Switch to Louie when you can (made possible by the cutscene timer storage glitch), and grow some Pikmin. Push down the paper bag. After that, go to the ledge near the ship, and throw the Pikmin up it. Lure the Dwarf Red Bulborb over and use its biting attack to ascend the wall. From here, call the Pikmin, go around the lake, and go towards the Emergence Cave.
• Notes: This trick makes it possible to access the Awakening Wood on day 2, by collecting the Spherical Atlas on day 1. However, the Dwarf Red Bulborb clip is incredibly precise, and is most feasibly done in tool-assisted superplays.
• Possible explanation: None.

Early Snagret Hole

Reproducibility	Consequences	Versions	Demonstration
Low	{{{consequences}}}	Pikmin 2: Yes New Play Control! Pikmin 2: Unknown Pikmin 2 (Nintendo Switch): Unknown	YouTube video

• Effects: Allows access to the Snagret Hole without having to build the bridges.
• Prerequisites: Have unlocked the Awakening Wood.
• How to: Go to the long ledge across the field from the landing site. Throw some Pikmin up the ledge and get the Creeping Chrysanthemum to wake up. Get it to come towards you and fall off the ledge. Throw all your Pikmin onto the ledge in a different place. With the leader, go back to the Creeping Chrysanthemum and punch it while standing in between it and the wall. Get it to perform its attack where it slams towards the ground while the leader is right next to it. If the leader is positioned and angled correctly, they will fly into the air and land on top of the ledge. From there, they can call the Pikmin and go towards the entrance to the Snagret Hole.
• Notes: This trick can be used to access a few other places early in the Awakening Wood.
• Possible explanation: None.

Pikmin 3

The following article or section is in need of assistance from someone who plays Pikmin 3. Particularly: Document more sequence breaks.

Pikmin 3 is a very linear game, with the expectation that players complete all the story-related tasks in order. However, the game's physics system and diverse movement options allow there to be a large number of places where it's possible to go out of bounds, and this makes it possible to perform several sequence breaks that skip some required tasks. These tricks make it easier to complete the game in the minimum number of days, though they do not reduce the total number of days necessary to complete the game.

Day 1 escape

To do: Document more of the effects that this trick can have. Care to do so?

Reproducibility	Consequences	Versions	Demonstration
Low	{{{consequences}}}	Pikmin 3: Yes Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Yes	Twitch video

• Effects: Allows the player to skip the section of the day 1 tutorial where Captain Charlie gets captured by the Vehemoth Phosbat, and instead, let the player explore the surrounding area.
• Prerequisites: None.
• How to: Near the tin can where the throwing tutorial takes place, there is a root. It is possible to climb up the root by walking against it, with the wall to Charlie's right, and finding the right angle. Afterwards, the player can go to the root's left and travel out of bounds. Further ahead, there is another root that can be climbed, by walking against it at a specific angle, roughly at the halfway point of the root. By continuing ahead near the ledges, there is a branching roots near Spotcaps; the player can walk around the first root branch by going near the ledge, and then walk up the trunk of the root to bypass the rest. A bit farther ahead in the out-of-bounds snow, there is a bright spot not covered in tree shadows. By maneuvering around a bit to the right of where the bright spot is, it is possible to inch up slowly. When near another bright spot, the player can carefully go left, over the entrance to a cave, and finally land back in-bounds behind the crystals accessible in the tutorial section. From here, it is possible to enter the cave and explore the rest of the Distant Tundra. The Yellow Pikmin you start with can be taken with you by calling them from the other side of the crystal.
• Notes: This sequence break opens up many strange effects. These include the following:
  
  • Many objects are missing from the rest of the area. While bomb rocks, Bouncy Mushrooms, geysers, and the S.S. Drake appear, gates, enemies, Bloominous Stemples, and most other objects are missing.
  • Exiting Brittany's cave will make the game play Alph's Crash Site in non-cave sections of the area. This eventually stops being the case for unknown reasons.
  • The player can activate the Yellow Onion in Brittany's cave, as well trigger the cutscene where Brittany leaves the Yellow Onion's cave using Captain Charlie. Doing so activates the Sun Meter.
  • The player can also obtain Red Pikmin by using the Crimson Candypop Buds near the landing site, in the location with Pyroclasmic Slooches. Plucking the first Red Pikmin here will make the discovery cutscene play in the void out-of-bounds, with missing music, and the Pikmin will die after it is done.
  • When the day is over, only the Red Onion will fly with the S.S. Drake. There will also be no music, Alph will take be responsible for the juice sequence, and his voyage log will be about the first trip to the Distant Tundra with Brittany.
  • By entering the Distant Tundra again the next day, the player can see the Red Onion follow the S.S. Drake. The Red Onion will also be in the Yellow Onion's cave, slightly mispositioned, and will manage Yellow Pikmin only. Now, the player has control over Alph and Brittany.
  • If after this, the player enters the Tropical Wilds, enters the cave from day 1, and leaves from the end Alph would normally leave on day 1, the S.S. Drake's discovery cutscene will play, and the game will crash afterwards.
  • The inactive Blue Onion will appear as an active Red Onion, and by using some glitches to get to the Rock Onion's cave, it is possible to lock-on to a Medusal Slurker that isn't there, and the Rock Onion will be nowhere to be found.
• Possible explanation: None.

Distant Tundra bridge skip

Reproducibility	Consequences	Versions	Demonstration
High	{{{consequences}}}	Pikmin 3: Yes Pikmin 3 Deluxe: No	YouTube video

• Effects: Reunite Brittany and Alph in the Distant Tundra before constructing the double bridge.
• Prerequisites: Have Brittany and Alph separated at the Distant Tundra without having built the double bridge, and have obtained the Dodge Whistle with Alph.
• How to: At the Distant Tundra, with Brittany, go to the top of the slide near the Whiptongue Bulborb and dodge roll to hit the west side of the slide's edge, then walk against it. If done correctly, Brittany should not slide down, but rather be walking against the wall. Continue walking down the wall and it should be possible to get up the wall and out of bounds. Once Brittany is out of bounds, she can jump off over at the side of the river where Alph is. However, it will be impossible to call Alph (or Brittany, after switching) and they will not react to being pushed, either. After the day ends, Brittany will automatically be sent back into the cave, unless the double bridge is finished.
• Notes: If 20 Yellow Pikmin are brought out of bounds with Brittany, they can be thrown on the iron ball, allowing the double bridge to be skipped. This makes a 1 day completion in Distant Tundra easier. Additionally, if the light in the cave where the Vehemoth Phosbat first appears is lit, Brittany will be considered as reunited, and will return to the Drake at day's end even if the double bridge is unfinished.
• Possible explanation: None.

Early Quaggled Mireclops

Reproducibility	Consequences	Versions	Demonstration
Medium	{{{consequences}}}	Pikmin 3: Yes Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Yes	YouTube video

• Effects: Get access to the Quaggled Mireclops without having to build the pot bridge.
• Prerequisites: Make sure Blue Pikmin have been discovered.
• How to: At the Garden of Hope once Louie has ran away, discover the Blue Pikmin and take a group of Winged Pikmin under the large pail underwater. By standing in that certain spot, the Winged Pikmin will go higher and higher until they are on the land above the pail. From there, have them collect the group of 10 fragments by charging, and have a small group dig up the remaining fragments. If done correctly, a leader can now be thrown across to the incomplete blue bridge. Throw a few Rock Pikmin along with the leader to get the last 20 fragments inside the crystal. Alternatively, it is possible to clip a leader inside the rock and dismiss them, causing them to fall out of the map and respawn up on the ledge. From here, Pikmin can be whistled across the gap, allowing the bridge to be built.
• Notes: The Peckish Aristocrab will not interfere with the Winged Pikmin if the first method is used.
• Possible explanation: None.

Early Scornet Maestro (Pikmin 3)

Reproducibility	Consequences	Versions	Demonstration
Medium	{{{consequences}}}	Pikmin 3: Yes Pikmin 3 Deluxe: See here	YouTube video

• Effects: Get access to the Scornet Maestro without having to build the red bridge.
• Prerequisites: Have the second half of the Twilight River unlocked, and have three leaders ready.
• How to: First, go into the area to the side of the red bridge (the area with two Desiccated Skitter Leaves and leading to the three Orange Bulborbs). From there, throw two leaders up onto the root near the pink 5 Pellet Posy. And from there, quickly throw another leader up onto the elevated area above. This must be done quickly or else the leaders will slide back down. Then, switch to the leader up above and have them walk near the rock closest to the path. If they continue to walk, they will eventually phase through it, fall out of bounds, and appear on the path to the Scornet Maestro's lair. Have them whistle a group of Pikmin under the path. When the leader at the top enters the transition zone, all Pikmin in the group will teleport to their side.
• Notes: In versions 1.0 to 1.3, the leader takes no damage. From version 1.4 onwards, the leader loses 1/3 of their health. It is also advised to start building the bridge while the boss fight is going on, so that when it is defeated, spoils can easily be carried back.
• Possible explanation: Collision detection algorithms should be simple when it comes to scenery. While the path's wall pushes the leader back, the rock pushes them forward, resulting in no lateral movement. The forward movement, however, is still enough to move the leader forwards (considering there are no collision forces stopping them efficiently on that direction), so they slowly make progress forward, until they no longer collide with the geometry and go through.

Early Scornet Maestro (Pikmin 3 Deluxe)

To do: Add a video. Care to do so?

Reproducibility	Consequences	Versions
Medium	{{{consequences}}}	Pikmin 3: See here Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Yes

• Effects: Get access to the Scornet Maestro without having to build the red bridge.
• Prerequisites: Have the second half of the Twilight River unlocked, and have three leaders ready.
• How to: First, go to the area near the bamboo gate, then lift the gate and move the Portable Sunset past the gate. Throw two leaders on top of the fruit, switch to one of them, and throw the other out of bounds onto the nearby ledge. Navigate to the root intersection with a rock with no collision, and clip into the root. Navigate around the stump until you reach the bridge and then drop into the abyss and respawn on the path.
• Notes: It is advised to start building the bridge while the boss fight is going on, so that when it is defeated, spoils can easily be carried back.
• Possible explanation: The developers never considered leaders being thrown on fruits to go out of bounds. Collision detection algorithms should be simple when it comes to scenery. While the path's wall pushes the leader back, the rock pushes them forward, resulting in no lateral movement. The forward movement, however, is still enough to move the leader forwards (considering there are no collision forces stopping them efficiently on that direction), so they slowly make progress forward, until they no longer collide with the geometry and go through.

Early Shaggy Long Legs (Pikmin 3)

Reproducibility	Consequences	Versions	Demonstration
Medium	{{{consequences}}}	Pikmin 3: Yes Pikmin 3 Deluxe: See here	YouTube video

• Effects: Makes the player fight against Shaggy Long Legs earlier than normal, and with unlimited time.
• Prerequisites: Have access to the Distant Tundra, and have not gone there before.
• How to: In the cave where the Yellow Pikmin are found, after breaking down the exit's blockade, go out of bounds using the same method as in the Yellow Onion skip glitch, only, rather than going above the entrance, go behind it and walk around to the Shaggy Long Legs' arena. The battle will proceed as normal, only there will be an unlimited day length, and Brittany will have infinite health.
• Notes: When battling the Shaggy Long Legs before breaking the blockade, if enough Pikmin die, it will be impossible to gain enough Pikmin to push the iron ball; and if all the Pikmin die, the Yellow Onion will not eject another seed. Additionally, any Red Pikmin (obtained via the Crimson Candypop Bud) will be invisible during the cutscene where the weight is pushed.
• Possible explanation: When Brittany is in the cave, the day is set to be in a "tutorial" state, where the leader have unlimited health and the day lasts forever, as with day 1. When exiting the main entrance of the cave, it is set to end the "tutorial" state and begin the day as normal; but if one exits via the other entrance, it will not.

Early Shaggy Long Legs (Pikmin 3 Deluxe)

To do: Document this one. Care to do so?

Reproducibility	Consequences	Versions	Demonstration
Low	{{{consequences}}}	Pikmin 3: See here Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Yes	YouTube video

• Effects: Makes the player fight against Shaggy Long Legs earlier than normal, and with unlimited time.
• Prerequisites: Have access to the Distant Tundra, and have not gone there before.
• How to: In the cave were the Yellow Pikmin are found, knock down the Pellet Posy closest to the Shaggy Long Legs's path. Then, knock down the Pellet Posy down the path closest to the previous one, and let a Pikmin carry the pellet close to the first pellet. Have Brittany walk into the pellets to push them such that one of them is close to the starting point of the root, and the other is to its west, roughly 3/4 of a pellet apart in distance. Finally, have Brittany squeeze between the two to go up the easternmost one, and then from there hug the root to get on top the westernmost one, and climb up the root to the boss's path.
• Notes: None.
• Possible explanation: None.

Early Winged Pikmin

Reproducibility	Consequences	Versions	Demonstration
High	{{{consequences}}}	Pikmin 3: Yes Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Yes	YouTube video

• Effects: Allows the player to get to the Winged Pikmin's Onion without building the long cyan bridge across the river.
• Prerequisites: Have the Twilight River unlocked and have two leaders.
• How to: At the Twilight River, have one leader walk across the river next to the landing site with no Pikmin in the squad. Go past the Water Dumple towards the stationary lily pad. What to do here differs between Pikmin 3 and Pikmin 3 Deluxe. In the original Pikmin 3, once near the lily pad, have the leader walk in the corner of the rock to the left of it and the lily pad. If done correctly, the leader will begin to go through the rock. An easy way to tell if the leader is clipping in the rocks is if the they're not shaking around, and is only moving out of bounds. Walk away from where you went out of bounds and the leader will fall down into an abyss, respawning on the side of the river near the Winged Onion. In Pikmin 3 Deluxe, this trick requires a leader clip. Walk into the tight corner to the right of the lily pad. With gyro-only controls, point towards the Flukeweed on the other side of the pathway, hold the other leader, and whistle, dropping the leader. If done correctly, the other leader will go through the wall. Dismiss them to drop them into the abyss, where they'll respawn on the ledge near the Winged Onion. In both versions, have another leader throw across some Pikmin, preferably Rock Pikmin, to free the Onion from the Arachnode's web. Throw some in the water, and then switch to the other leader so that they can call them to the other shore. From here, Winged Pikmin can be unlocked.
• Notes: In version 1.0 of the original Pikmin 3, the leader takes no damage if they fall into the abyss. However, in version 1.4 and onwards and in Pikmin 3 Deluxe, they take damage equal to 1/3 of their total health. Even though the bridge is skipped, it is recommended to build it eventually to allow easy retrieval of items. Also in versions 1.0 to 1.3, you can throw a leader and they will end up behind the paper bag.
• Possible explanation: Collision detection algorithms should be simple, in order to not overload the console, especially for things as trivial as scenery objects such as rocks. It is possible that the gap between the rocks angles inwards, and when the leader attempts to move between them, each wall pushes them in opposite directions, which results in no lateral movement. The forward movement, however, is still enough to move the leader forwards (considering there are no collision forces stopping them efficiently on that direction), so they slowly make progress forward, until they no longer collide with the geometry and go through. In the case of Pikmin 3 Deluxe, what happens when the leader is released through whistling is that they try to go in front of the active leader, which, with perfect alignment, results in them going through the wall instead of to the side.

Yellow Onion skip

Reproducibility	Consequences	Versions	Demonstration
Medium	{{{consequences}}}	Pikmin 3: Yes Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Unknown	YouTube video

• Effects: Allows the player to skip the Yellow Onion and continue the game without it.
• Prerequisites: Have access to the Distant Tundra, and have not gone there before.
• How to: In the cave where the Yellow Pikmin are found, go between the iron ball and the slide and walk against the wall. If done correctly, Brittany should walk against the edge of the slide, rather than sliding down. Continue pushing against the wall while going down the slide to get out of bounds; from there, walk above the blocked entrance, and the game will treat it as you have exited the cave. Use the five yellow Pikmin and the Golden Candypop Buds to reunite Alph and Brittany. The day after, the Yellow Onion will be missing from the cave, and Yellow Pikmin produced by Candypop Buds will bring their loot to the master Onion and produce more Yellow Pikmin, although it is impossible to deposit or withdraw any into the Onion, and any Yellow Pikmin will vanish at the end of the day, even if they are in your squad or close to the landing site. Once you gain access to the Twilight River and rescue the Winged Pikmin, it is possible to withdraw Yellow Pikmin by using the "take out all types" feature; every one Red and Rock Pikmin taken out with this feature takes out one Yellow as well. To deposit Yellow Pikmin, take out Winged Pikmin and begin depositing them, but then hold the button that allows you to take out all the types, and Yellow Pikmin should be put in, instead.
• Notes: If the player also skips the cutscene that plays when meeting the Yellow Pikmin, it will not be possible to use the whistle until the end of the day, unless the player holds a Pikmin and whistles (the whistle's duration will be reduced to less than a second). Also, if the player goes back with Alph and Yellow Pikmin while Brittany is knocked out, the cutscene will play with Brittany's lines, except the first one will be empty.
• Possible explanation: Some flags that the game keeps to hold track of the story mode progression might get set or not set like intended if the glitch is performed. This results in the Onion's menu using some behaviors for some flags, resulting in unintended behavior.

See also

• Out of bounds
• Challenge run