Volatile Dweevil In-game icon.
Artwork of the Volatile Dweevil.
Appears in Pikmin 2
Scientific name Mandarachnia explodus
Family Dweevil
Areas None
Caves Subterranean Complex, Shower Room, Submerged Castle, Hole of Heroes
Challenge Mode stages Concrete Maze, Cave of Pain, Bully Den
2-Player Battle stages None
Attacks Self-destructs

The Volatile Dweevil (サクレショイグモ?, lit.: "Exploding Carrying Spider") is an enemy in Pikmin 2. At first glance, they appear to be bomb-rocks with legs, but are actually Dweevils that have picked up bomb-rocks, much like how other members of the Dweevil family pick up treasures and corpses; unlike other members of that family, Volatile Dweevils are known to only carry bomb-rocks and are never seen without one.

A Volatile Dweevil's bomb-rock will start the countdown fuse as soon as the creature is startled, and it will chase leaders and Pikmin until the bomb-rock explodes, killing itself and anything else caught in the blast. With that in mind, the best way to deal with a Volatile Dweevil is simply to run away from it until it blows up. They cannot be directly attacked unless petrified, which also freezes the bomb-rock in mid-detonation, making it useful in an emergency. While Volatile Dweevils drop nectars and spray nectars when killed whilst petrified, they will drop nothing in 2-Player Battle.

In terms of gameplay, Volatile Dweevils are more-so hazards than enemies. They can unexpectedly drop from the ceiling and are often found around treasures, making them extremely dangerous to Pikmin attempting to retrieve the treasure.

Volatile Dweevils are roulette options in 2-Player Battle. When activated, a Volatile Dweevil drops onto the opponent player and begins to detonate. It is best to use this power-up when the opponent is preoccupied with many tasks.

Stats

Weight Max.
carriers
Seeds Value Health Regen.
N/A N/A N/A 0[note 1] 150 No
  1. ^ Although the creature does not leave a corpse, the Piklopedia states its value as specifically 0 instead of the usual "----".

Notes

Olimar's notes

  GameCube
The volatile dweevil is one member of an insect family known for mimicking objects by carrying them on their backs. The dweevil family exhibits a most unusual characteristic whereby the creature's behavioral patterns actually change based upon the object the creature carries on its back. The volatile dweevil has one of the most potent attacks of all species in within the dweevil family, due to its habit of carrying explosive devices. Approach with caution and/or body armor!
  Wii
The volatile dweevil is one member of an insect family known for mimicking objects by carrying them on their backs. The dweevil family exhibits a most unusual characteristic whereby the creature's behavioral patterns actually change based upon the object the creature carries on its back. The volatile dweevil has one of the most potent attacks of all species within the dweevil family, due to its habit of carrying explosive devices. Approach with caution and/or body armor!

Louie's notes

This scorching species combusts upon contact with the tongue. Only edible by the adventurous and asbestos-tongued.

Pikmin 2 Nintendo Player's Guide

Bomb-rock-carrying spiders charge at your Pikmin and pilots as soon as their explosives are triggered and the countdown has begun. When you see a Volatile Dweevil, gather your Pikmin and run. The good news is that once a Volatile Dweevil's bomb-rock detonates, the creature will be history.

Behavior

Volatile Dweevils frequently fall from the ceilings of various caves. Once one does, it will proceed to pursue the closest leader or Pikmin. At first, it will walk at a moderate pace towards its target, and once it gets considerably close, the bomb-rock on its back will activate and begin a normal countdown until it explodes. The countdown can be sped up by attacking the creature, and once the bomb explodes, the Dweevil will die, leaving behind no corpse, and any Pikmin caught within the radius will also be killed. Additionally, if the Dweevil is lured into any other creatures nearby, the explosion will deal great damage to them, killing small ones, like Dwarf Bulborbs, and taking chunks of HP from larger ones.

Before the bomb-rock activates, if the Volatile Dweevil's target escapes its range of interest (this is particularly easy for a leader with the Rush Boots upgrade), then it will switch it target to the next closest leader or Pikmin. If no other targets are nearby, it will go into a dormant state, lowering its head to the ground and remaining dormant. At this point, it looks like a bomb-rock with little evidence of thin legs underneath it. The creature will only reactivate once approached again by a leader or Pikmin.

Strategy

The following article or section contains guides.
The strategies shown are just suggestions.

Typically, Volatile Dweevils will fall from the ceiling in certain caves, so always be cautious in those caves. If a Volatile Dweevil drops down, it is best to stay near it long enough to begin its count-down process, and then run away to allow it to explode away from your Pikmin. Dealing with Volatile Dweevils while carrying treasures is a little more difficult, as it makes you call your Pikmin back, often more than once. When carrying objects back to your ship pod, and a Volatile Dweevil falls upon your group, you can lead the Dweevil away from the Pikmin with your leaders. Just make sure to get out of the way of the explosion, as it deals a decent chunk of damage to your leaders.

Technical information

Pikmin 2 technical information (?)
Internal name bombotakara
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 150
fp01 マップとの当り Unknown (related to slopes) 30
fp02 ダメージスケールXZ Horizontal damage scale 0.1
fp03 ダメージスケールY Vertical damage scale 0.1
fp04 ダメージフレーム Damage scale duration 0.5
fp05 質量 Unknown (weight?) 0.01
fp06 速度 Move speed 80
fp08 回転速度率 Rotation acceleration 0.25
fp09 テリトリー Territory radius 200
fp10 ホーム範囲 "Home" radius 75
fp11 プライベート距離 "Private" radius 70
fp12 視界距離 Sight radius 200
fp13 視界角度 FOV 180
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 250
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?) 25
fp21 攻撃可能角度 Unknown (shock attack max angle?) 25
fp22 攻撃ヒット範囲 Unknown (attack hit range?) 60
fp23 攻撃ヒット角度 Unknown (attack hit angle?) 0
fp24 攻撃力 Attack damage 0
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 75
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 50
fp33 マップとのあたりポリゴンの選定 Collision processing radius 25
fp34 ピクミンとのあたり Pikmin damage radius 5
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 (0%)
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 6
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 12
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 17
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 22
Specific properties
ID Japanese comment Property Value
fp01 オタカラライフ Unknown (remnant from other dweevils; treasure HP?) 80
fp10 ノーマルアタック Unknown (normal attack?) 1
fp11 オタカラアタック Unknown (remnant from other dweevils; treasure attack?) 1.25
fp21 オタカラキャッチ Unknown (remnant from other dweevils; treasure catch?) 2.5

Other information

  • Size: Leg span: 54mm, as per the e-card
  • Pikmin 2 Piklopedia number: #41

Naming

See also: Dweevil family#Naming.
  • Common name: Volatile Dweevil. "Volatile" means "something that can blow up all of a sudden", which fits the Volatile Dweevil's explosive tendencies.
  • Japanese nickname: サクレショイグモ?, lit.: "Exploding Carrying Spider".
  • Japanese name: セオイカナエグモ?, lit.: "Carrying Ding Spider". It is shared with the Fiery, Anode, Hydro and Munge Dweevils.
  • Scientific name: Mandarachnia explodus. Explodus is a corruption of "explode".
  • Internal names: Internally, this enemy is called bombotakara, which is the same name used for all dweevils, but starting with "bomb".
  • Prerelease: None.

Names in other languages

Language Name Meaning
  Japanese サクレショイグモ?
Sakure Shoi Gumo
Exploding Carrying Spider
  French Araknéak Volatil Volatile Dweevil
  Spanish Bombaraña Portmanteau of "bomba" (bomb) and "araña" (spider)

Gallery

This article or section is in need of more images. Particularly:
Capture a photograph of the creature as it falls from a cave ceiling. Because it and its bomb rock fall separately, like the Waterwraith and its rollers, the Volatile Dweevil's body can be seen unobscured.
You can help Pikipedia by uploading some images.

Trivia

  • In this enemy's Piklopedia entry, petrifying the creature just as it breaks free from another spray makes it possible to freeze it and its bomb-rock separately.
  • It is not known how Louie collects the corpse as it doesn't drop one during the explosion of the bomb rock.
  • While the species is absent from Pikmin 4, other species of Dweevil sometimes appear with bomb rocks on their backs and function identically to the Volatile Dweevil, besides the fact that they leave a corpse.

See also