Editing 2-Player Battle

{{otheruses|the competitive 2-player mode in ''Pikmin 2''|the one in ''Pikmin 3''|Bingo Battle}}

'''2-Player Battle''' is a game mode in ''[[Pikmin 2]]''. It involves, as the name implies, two players, who control [[Captain Olimar]] and [[Louie]], with a party of up to 50 [[Red Pikmin|Red]] or [[Blue Pikmin]], respectively. Each player can start the match with a multiple of 5 [[Pikmin family|Pikmin]] between 5 and 50, and cannot exceed 50 total Pikmin on the battlefield at any time. 2-Player Battle mode takes place in underground areas, their layouts [[Randomness|random]]ly picked from a list. Each player has a related [[Onion]], near which a similarly-colored marble lies at the start of the game. There are four [[#Ways to win|ways to win]] and ten differently-themed areas to play on, ranging in difficulty.

Returning a [[Cupid's Grenade|cherry]] to an Onion will allow a spin of the [[#Roulette wheel|roulette wheel]]. To make things even, [[Red Pikmin]] have lost their extra strength, and bodies of water are absent. However, both types are still immune to their respective elements. If a Pikmin dies from an attack caused by the other team's Pikmin, it will be transformed into a seed, which is expelled from the Onion right away. Regardless, if said Pikmin is the last one alive, a [[Pikmin extinction]] will still occur. [[Ultra-bitter spray]]s, when used against the opponent's Pikmin, will burrow them, and revert them to [[Maturity|leaf state]]. However, they'll pop out of the ground automatically after 10 seconds. Leaders cannot [[punch]] each other or opposing Pikmin, nor can they interact with the enemy's Pikmin, besides being attacked by them. These Pikmin pummels merely deny the victim player the use of {{button|gc|a|wii|a}} and {{button|gc|b|wii|b}}, as they cause no damage to the leader, although they also make the leader invulnerable to other [[enemy]] attacks.

*Taking 4 yellow marbles to the Onion. There are 7 in total, in order to make sure only one player can collect 4 marbles.

*Taking the opponent's marble to the Onion. Pikmin cannot carry their own marble.

*The opponent suffers a [[Pikmin extinction]]. This can happen from Pikmin in-fighting or otherwise.

The players can choose one of ten maps. Every level uses [[Music in Pikmin 2#Battle theme|the same music]]. Unlike the [[cave]]s in story mode, these are not generated randomly, with the exception of the [[Dim Labyrinth]]. Instead, one of three (two for the [[Carpet Plain]]) fixed layouts is chosen.

==Roulette wheel==

The roulette wheel can be accessed when a player finds a cherry and a Pikmin successfully returns it to the Onion. Cherries in this mode spawn [[Randomness|random]]ly, and only one Pikmin is needed to carry one. When the roulette finishes spinning (automatically), it'll randomly land on a power, which the player can use at any moment by pressing {{button|gc|y|wii|-}}.

If more cherries are collected before the player uses the current power, they'll be added to a queue, represented on the top-right corner with red dots, for a maximum of 5 powers waiting to be used. Pressing {{button|gc|y|wii|-}} will use the power and instantly make the roulette spin for the next one. The spinning takes around three seconds, which stops the player from using an item right after another.

The player will have access to 12 different powers that benefit them, disadvantage the opponent or both, listed below, and sorted by the order in which they're placed on the roulette:

With a small squad, the player can run to the opponent's base and steal the marble, assuming the other player is not there with a larger squad. Should the other player come to defend the marble, running up to them with the rest of the Pikmin can distract the enemy Pikmin from getting to the marble that is being carried away. Creatures can also be led to the enemy base as means of distraction or to kill idle Pikmin.

Have your Pikmin army attack the opponent's leader. Pikmin attacks will never damage the leader, but they will distract the player. Meanwhile, you can focus on getting the marble. If you get attacked by the opposing team's Pikmin, shake them off by quickly rotating {{button|gc|stick|wii|stick}}.

Idle Pikmin on the opposing team can be dispatched in a number of ways. You can try luring the Pikmin towards a [[hazard]] or [[enemy]], or spawn your own with the roulette wheel. On a stage with them, you can even throw bomb-rocks at Pikmin to easily wipe them out. As a last resort, you can use an [[ultra-bitter spray]] to get rid of Pikmin guarding a choke point. Do not use Pikmin of your own to clear these idlers out, as they'll just be reborn at the Onion.

[[File:2-player reactions.png|thumb|right|80px|Facial expressions for each of the leaders.]]

==Layout selection==

{{image}}

An undocumented feature in the game is the ability to choose the layout for the arena. To activate it, player 1 should be holding a direction on {{button|gc|c}} on the GameCube, or {{button|wii|pad}} on the Wii, while the loading screen with the [[Loading#2-Player_Battle|tips]] is showing up. The time at which the player starts holding does not matter, as long as it's before the loading screen appears, and the player can let go at the loading screen. The game will load the variant determined by the direction pressed.

*{{button|gc|cl|wii|padl}} '''Left''': Combination.

 

To know which layout number corresponds to what, please read the corresponding level's article, and check the technical information section. For the [[Carpet Plain]], both right and down result in layout #2. Because [[Dim Labyrinth]] is already randomly generated, holding a direction has no effect there.

Interestingly, by holding left, the level is generated at [[Randomization|random]], like the [[cave]]s in story mode. The list of [[cave units]] to use appears to be the full list of cave units on all three variants combined – if not, it is actually the list described in the otherwise unused text file in the level's normal configuration file. This generation does not take into account balance, meaning that it is unlikely that a stage will be symmetrical, and more often than not, the [[Onion]]s are placed in bizarre and inappropriate locations. The number of rooms to use is the number declared in the level's configuration file; this number is otherwise unused.

Because of the secrecy of this feature, as well as the potential for gameplay balance problems that arise with the "left" variant, it is likely that this is actually a debugging tool in the game during development, but never removed for the final release.

Roulette Wheel Dweevils.png|Unused Dweevil roulette icon.

*Within the game's files, one can find textures for 3 unused Roulette Wheel slots: an [[Antenna Beetle]], a [[Spotty Bulbear]], and a combination of a [[Fiery Dweevil|Fiery]] and [[Caustic Dweevil]], the latter having a duplicate file with the same name, but with "_old" appended. The backgrounds' colors and lines indicate that these slots were removed before the final icon textures were cleaned up.

*In this mode, the leaders are immune to the Watery Blowhog's water-like liquid and the Fiery Blowhog's fire. In the story mode, while it is still possible to gain immunity to fire by collecting the [[Upgrade#Scorch Guard|Scorch Guard]], there is no upgrade allowing the leaders to be immune to the Watery Blowhog's liquid.

*In the [[GameCube]] games, the idle Pikmin at the start of a match will not have glowing stems. If they are taken in the group and then made idle again, their stems will glow like normal. This [[glitches in Pikmin 2|glitch]] was fixed in the ''[[New Play Control!]]'' versions.

*[[Snow Bulborb]]s, [[Dwarf Orange Bulborb]]s, [[Breadbug]]s, [[Anode Beetle]]s, [[Careening Dirigibug]]s, and [[Wollywog]]s can only be delivered to [[Onion]]s in this mode.