Skutterchuck
| Skutterchuck | |
|---|---|
| |
| Appears in | Pikmin 3 |
| Scientific name | Unknown |
| Family | Unknown |
| Areas | Garden of Hope, Tropical Wilds |
| Mission Mode Collect Treasure! stages | Tropical Forest, Shaded Garden, The Rustyard, Clockwork Chasm |
| Mission Mode Battle Enemies! stages | Twilight Hollow, Twilight River Remix, Fortress of Festivity, The Rustyard, Clockwork Chasm |
| Side Story days | None |
| Bingo Battle stages | Stagnant Sea, Twisted Cavern |
| Attacks | Throw crystal nodules |
|
To do: Update Mission Mode locations and add Prima Guide notes. |
The Skutterchuck is an insect-like enemy first encountered in Pikmin 3. The creature has a black wafer-like body with an orange underside. It has a habit of picking up certain objects (like crystal nodules and Pikmin), similar to Dweevils. It uses its odd shape to scoop up and carry around them around, and also for throwing the load at an approaching enemy.
Behavior
The Skutterchuck is mainly passive, but when a leader or group of Pikmin gets close, it will try to attack. It attacks by picking up and throwing crystal nodules at its targets. It will also use its crystals as cover when being attacked, with the only Pikmin type that can break through being Rock Pikmin. When not attacking, Skutterchucks wander around in a small area, searching for nearby crystal nodules and picking them up if they have none, or fold in their thin legs and lie dormant on the ground with their crystal as protection and camouflage.
If a Skutterchuck has no crystals to pick up, it will pick up and throw Pikmin into the air instead. If a Rock Pikmin is thrown at it and breaks its crystal, the Skutterchuck will quickly scurry away.
Strategy
A single Rock Pikmin is enough to destroy the crystal if it is thrown onto it. The Skutterchuck will flinch, and another thrown directly afterward onto the now naked Skutterchuck will kill it in one hit. The second throw should come quickly after the first one, as if there's too much of a delay, the creature will flee before the second Rock Pikmin hits it.
Other Pikmin types can also be used to attack the underside of the creature. The Skutterchuck may shake them off and attempt to throw rocks onto them, but it rarely hits on time. This method takes a bit longer, and destroying all crystals with Rock Pikmin before killing the enemies leaves the Skutterchuck helpless.
It is possible to take advantage of the Skutterchuck's attack, as if the player positions a leader near another enemy, the Skutterchuck will throw its crystal at the leader, killing or damaging the other enemy in the process. Unlike other enemies that use weapons like the Careening Dirigibug in Pikmin 2, the Skutterchuck is not immune to the crystal nodules it throws, so this can be used to kill other Skutterchucks if they are in the area, or even the Skutterchuck that launched the nodule.
Gallery
A Skutterchuck in the Tropical Forest, a level in Mission Mode.
- ZlCfzREdtX4ilSj1F3.jpg
A close-up image of a Skutterchuck.
- ZlCfzRE3Zs4TNFdJTF.jpeg
A Skutterchuck without a crystal nodule on its back.
A Skutterchuck being scanned in an early version of the game.
Trivia
- If all crystal nodules in an area are destroyed, the Skutterchucks in that area will not respawn.
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
 Spanish (NoA) |
Insecto noducristal | Crystal nodule insect |