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]].

[[File:Clock.png|thumb|350px|The Sun Meter in the first 3 ''Pikmin'' games.]]

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.)

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.  

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 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 ''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 in real life, 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.

*In the North American instruction manual of the [[GameCube]] version of ''Pikmin'', the "Go to Sunset" option in the [[pause menu]] is instead labeled as "Wait until night".