Editing Day

{{game icons|p=y|p2=y|p3=y|p4=y}}

The main [[Pikmin series|''Pikmin'' games]] take place over the course of several in-game '''days''' ({{j|日|Hi|Day}}). Dangerous creatures roam at nighttime, so exploration on [[PNF-404]] [[night expedition|generally]] only happens during the daytime. The number of days spent on the planet is also important in some games: in {{p1}}, [[Captain Olimar]] has 30 days before his life-support systems fail and he's stranded on the planet permanently, and in {{p3}} the number of days left is determined by how many bottles of [[fruit]] juice are left, for a maximum of 99 days. {{p2}} and {{p4}} have no day limit, and in {{npcp1}}, the [[Pikmin 1 (Nintendo Switch)|Nintendo Switch port of ''Pikmin'']], and ''Pikmin 3'', the player is given the ability to go back in time and retry from a certain day of their adventure through an option in the [[saved game selection menu]] in the case of ''New Play Control! Pikmin'' and Nintendo Switch port of ''Pikmin'', and a dedicated [[day selection menu]] in the case of ''Pikmin 3''. A common challenge run in the ''Pikmin'' games is to [[Challenge run#Low day|complete the game taking the least amount of days possible]].

The [[HUD#Sun Meter|Sun Meter]] at the top of the [[HUD]] indicates the amount of daylight left, so effectively, the time the player has left on the current day. A number on the top right corner indicates the current day. In the [[Story Mode]] of ''Pikmin'' games, a day lasts between 13 and 18 real-life minutes, depending on the game, version, and [[difficulty]] mode, as explained [[#Durations|here]]. Alternative game modes have days with varying lengths. As the day goes by, the lighting in the area changes much as it does on Earth, but enemy behavior and area layout remains constant throughout.

Any important objects that are moved from their original spot like a [[ship part]], [[treasure]] (except in [[cave]]s in ''Pikmin 2''), and [[fruit]] will remain in the new spot on any following day. When an enemy is killed, it usually respawns in its original place after some number of days. Additionally, if an enemy's corpse is not brought back to an [[Onion]] before the end of the day, the corpse will disappear. Some enemies only appear on certain days. Some of the most notable enemies with this characteristic are the [[Smoky Progg]], which disappears after day 15, the [[Ujadani]], which only appear every 30 days, and the [[Goolix]] and [[Mamuta]] on [[The Impact Site]], that appear on alternating days. For a list of all enemies that appear on exclusive days, please read the list of enemies in the corresponding [[area]] article.

When the sunset arrives, all leaders and Pikmin must stop what they are doing, retreat into the [[Onion]]s and ship, and spend the night in low orbit, due to the fact that many predators become active at night. Additionally, in {{p2}}, the [[Hocotate ship]] needs to be in low orbit to communicate with [[Hocotate]]. In {{p4}}, the Onion retreats to orbit, but the S.S. Beagle returns to the [[Rescue Command Post]].

* They are close to an activated Onion. (In ''Pikmin 3'' and ''Pikmin 4'', the safe zone's explicit limits are displayed when the sunset begins.)

In addition to these, any Pikmin that is buried will stay where they are buried, and will not be harmed over the night. Any other Pikmin that isn't safe or buried will be left behind on the surface and will be eaten by enemies during the night.

While it can be difficult to tell if a Pikmin is considered safe in the first 2 games, ''Pikmin 3'' added some ways to know for sure. A large white circle appears around all activated Onions in the area, indicating that Pikmin within it will be safe.  Although unactivated Onions do not show the circle, the safety radius still exists, and if a dormant Onion is activated after the sunset warning period begins, the circle will still not appear, but nearby Pikmin will still be counted as safe. This radius can also be seen on the [[radar]]. A small counter will appear on the top-right corner of the [[HUD]] to alert the player of how many Pikmin are in danger of being left behind. On the [[KopPad]], what types of Pikmin that are idle are displayed near the top of the map, along with how many. Pikmin icons will also appear larger on the radar when the sunset is approaching, and the icons of those that are at risk of being left on the surface will also appear flashing on the radar. Finally, when the player attempts to finish the day from the pause menu, a warning will show up saying that Pikmin will be left behind, if there are indeed any Pikmin considered not safe when the player tried to end the day.

Sometime after the warning, a countdown from 10 takes place (9 in ''Pikmin 4''). Each digit takes a few seconds to pass, as explained [[#Durations|here]], and is presented on-screen, slowly fading away to make way for the next one. 0 also appears, and the day doesn't end until after the 0 disappears completely. Interestingly, in ''Pikmin'', after the counter reaches 4, the player is no longer able to interact with the [[S.S. Dolphin]] or open the radar.  

When the countdown finishes, or when the day is ended with the [[pause menu]], two [[Cutscene|cinematic sequences]] take place. The first scene starts with all alive leaders and safe Pikmin following the leaders walking up to the landing site in a single group led by the leader who was selected when the day ended. The main leader then [[dismiss]]es and orders every Pikmin to get on their Onions or ship. In ''Pikmin 3'', if the player does not have any Pikmin in their group, the active leader will not do the dismiss animation and sound. Any Pikmin that is near an Onion, but away from the landing site will still climb to their Onion, despite not being shown. Any Pikmin that is buried will remain buried in the same spot and can be [[pluck]]ed on another day. After all the Pikmin have entered their Onion, the leader(s) are beamed into the ship.

The second cinematic shows the ship preparing for lift-off, while wild creatures draw near. If any Pikmin were not considered safe, they'll be shown running towards the ship in an attempt to be saved. However, it is too late, and the wandering enemies will begin to eat them. In ''Pikmin 4'', enemies only go to the landing site if Pikmin were actually left behind. The ship then takes off, and the [[Day results menu|stats for that day]] are shown. This is when the player may [[Saved game|save]] the game, and read [[Olimar's voyage log]], [[mail]], the [[Pikmin 3 voyage log|Koppaites' voyage log]], or (in [[Olimar's Shipwreck Tale]]) a monologue from Olimar. The following is a list of enemies that appear in each area in ''Pikmin'', ''Pikmin 3'' and ''Pikmin 4'', given that in ''Pikmin 2'', the game picks randomly from the enemies that can appear in the area, with more Pikmin left behind resulting in more enemies:

;''Pikmin''

*[[The Impact Site]]: [[Bulborb|Spotty Bulborb]]

*[[The Forest of Hope]]: Spotty Bulborb

*[[The Forest Navel]]: [[Wollywog]]

*[[The Distant Spring]]: [[Shearwig]]

*[[The Final Trial]]: Spotty Bulborb

;''Pikmin 3''

*[[Tropical Wilds]]: [[Whiptongue Bulborb]]

*[[Garden of Hope]]: Bulborb and [[Dwarf Bulborb]]

*[[Distant Tundra]]: [[Spotty Bulbear]] and [[Dwarf Bulbear]]

*[[Twilight River]]: [[Orange Bulborb]] and [[Dwarf Orange Bulborb]]

*[[Formidable Oak]]: Bulborb

*[[Sun-Speckled Terrace]]: Bulborb and Dwarf Bulborb

*[[Serene Shores]]: [[Peckish Aristocrab]] and [[Aristocrab Offspring]]

 

 

|image  = SSB4 End of Day Trophy.jpg

The exact duration of a day, the sunset stage, etc. varies between games, between versions, and between [[difficulty]] modes.

 

If the European [[region|version]] of {{p1}} runs at 50 Hz, the gameplay speed will be slower (see [[Frame#Framerate|framerate]]), which also makes the day longer.

 

The following table lists the real-world time that some states last for, in a <code>mm:ss</code> format.

! ''Pikmin'' (60 Hz)

! ''Pikmin'' (50 Hz)

The day is measured from the end of the landing [[cutscene]] to the start of the sunset cutscene. Half-day is measured from the end of the landing cutscene to the moment the mid-day chime plays. The sunset is measured from the moment the sunset warning appears on-screen to the start of the sunset cutscene. The countdown is measured from the moment the first digit appears on-screen to the start of the sunset cutscene. These times are measured without pausing, and without doing anything throughout the day, to ensure there are virtually no lag [[frame]]s.

The first day of each game's main Story Mode is a bit special in that it serves as a tutorial of sorts. Because of this, some of the game's rules are changed for this day only.

In {{p3}}, the weather can vary between days. The effects of weather are purely aesthetic. Most areas have 2 weather states, sunny and rainy, while the [[Distant Tundra]] has sunny and snowy. Compared to sunny weather, rainy weather has darker lighting, [[Music in Pikmin 3#Rain|different music]], faint splashes on the ground, and makes surfaces more shiny. Snowy weather makes faint snow fall from the sky and also changes the music. The weather has no effect on underground sections of areas.

In ''Pikmin'', the shadows under [[Pikmin family|Pikmin]] and [[Olimar]] point in different directions as the day goes by. At the start of the day, they point to the southwest, at midday, to the south, and near the end, to the southeast. This is similar to sun-cast shadows on planet Earth, given that the sun rises on the east (and hence, the shadows are cast to the west), and sets on the west. In order to avoid rendering too many shadows at once and slowing the game down, Pikmin shadows are completely omitted if there are 51 or more Pikmin on the field.

 

In ''Pikmin 2'', the shadow limit does not exist, but shadows do not change direction as the day progresses and are cast directly under the leaders or Pikmin.

In ''Pikmin 3'', all objects cast shadows, and these shadows change direction throughout the day, but remain mostly directly below objects to allow depth to be judged more easily, only elongating very near the [[#Sunset|sunset]]. The direction of shadows corresponds with the location of the sun, which can be seen in the sky with the [[KopPad]] camera. The compass direction where the sun rises and sets varies between areas and segments. This is because different segments are rotated by varying amounts in the radar compared to their orientation within the area's model, which causes the direction of north to vary between segments. In segments where compass directions are not rotated relative to the area's model, the sun rises in the south, moves through the west of the sky, and sets in the north. Other segments have the sun rise and set in different directions based on their rotation.

P3 Left Behind Pikmin.jpg|[[Red Pikmin|Red]] and [[Rock Pikmin]] being left behind.

*The sunset [[cutscenes]] cannot be skipped in the US [[Region|version]] of ''Pikmin'', but they can in the European version, as well as all ''[[New Play Control!]]'' and Nintendo Switch ports.

|Jap=日

|JapR=Hi

|JapM=Day

|Jap=日没

|JapR=Nichibotsu

|ChiSimpM=Sunset

|Fra=Coucher du soleil

|FraM=Sunset

|GerM=Sunset

|Ita=Tramonto

|ItaM=Sunset

|Spa=Ocaso

|SpaM=Sunset