Editing Exploration Kit

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[[File:Exploration Kit menu.jpg|right|thumb|300px|The completed Exploration Kit. Unobtained items would be gray.]]
The '''Exploration Kit''' is an assortment of twelve devices in ''[[Pikmin 2]]'' that aid the player by giving [[Olimar]] and [[leader|his companion]] new abilities, such as [[Repugnant Appendage|running faster]] and [[Stellar Orb|lighting up]] the surroundings in caves. They are all obtained as treasures, namely all of the [[Explorer's Friend Series]] &ndash; except [[The Key]] &ndash; and are made useful by the [[ship]].

Most of the treasures that unlock the items in the kit are held by the [[Enemy#Boss|bosses]] of each [[cave]] from the first three of the game's [[areas]], with the exceptions being the [[Brute Knuckles]], which is held by a [[Mamuta]] in the [[Frontier Cavern]], the [[Spherical Atlas]], which is in [[Emergence Cave|a cave with no boss]], and the [[Geographic Projection]], which is located above ground in the [[Awakening Wood]]. The Frontier Cavern therefore has two upgrading treasures, while the [[Wistful Wild#Caves|three caves]] in the [[Wistful Wild]] do not contain any.

==Contents==
*'''Sphere Chart''' ([[Spherical Atlas]]): unlocks Awakening Wood.
*'''Survey Chart''' ([[Geographic Projection]]): unlocks [[Perplexing Pool]].
*'''Treasure Gauge''' ([[Prototype Detector]]): a treasure proximity indicator.
*'''Napsack''' ([[Five-man Napsack]]): allows [[lie down|sleeping]] with {{button|gcn|X|wii|C}}.
*'''Rocket Fist''' ([[Brute Knuckles]]): allows a third, more powerful [[punch]].
*'''Rush Boots''' ([[Repugnant Appendage]]): makes leaders run faster.
*'''Solar System''' ([[Stellar Orb]]): lights up caves.
*'''Scorch Guard''' ([[Forged Courage]]): makes leaders resistant to fire.
*'''Anti-Electrifier''' ([[Dream Material]]): makes leaders resistant to electricity.
*'''Metal Suit Z''' ([[Justice Alloy]]): decreases damage taken by leaders.
*'''Mega Tweeter''' ([[Amplified Amplifier]]): increases [[whistle]] radius.
*'''Pluckaphone''' ([[Professional Noisemaker]]): allows [[Pikmin family|Pikmin]] to be [[pluck]]ed by whistling.

==Treasure Gauge==
[[File:Treasure Gauge.png|frame|left|The Treasure Gauge indicator that appears on the bottom right of the screen. It is currently activated.]]
{{see more|HUD#Treasure Gauge|t1=HUD}}
The Treasure Gauge is a helpful device that helps with tracking down every treasure in the game, no matter if is out in the open, an enemy has it or it is buried. When it is in the Exploration Kit, a gauge appears on the [[HUD]]. In it, there is a needle that wiggles continuously when a treasure is in the current field or cave, and the closer the current leader is to a treasure, the farther to the right it goes, and the harder it beeps.
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==Napsack==
The Napsack provides a quick method of returning to the Pikmin [[Onion]]s above ground or the [[Research Pod]] when [[cave|underground]], which is achieved by holding {{button|gcn|X|wii|C}} once it has been obtained. When used, the [[leader]] in control [[lie down|falls asleep]], and any nearby [[Pikmin family|Pikmin]], up to a maximum of four, [[Carrying|carry]] him to their associated Onion, a minimum of just one being required.

This may seem like a useless ability, as it is possible to walk back to the Onions, taking more than four Pikmin as well; in actuality, the leader is carried back as quickly as if all flowered [[White Pikmin]] were holding him, regardless of the type or [[maturity]] of the actual Pikmin doing the carrying. The practical application of this is that it saves precious time: additionally, while one leader is being returned to the landing area, the player can control the other, thereby getting a little extra done.

This ability is similar to that in [[Pikmin (game)|''Pikmin'']], which is activated by holding {{button|gcn|Paddown|wii|2}}. Up to five Pikmin subsequently carry [[Captain Olimar|Olimar]] away, in doing so rendering him impervious to attacks. If any [[Pikmin (species)|Pikmin]] carry Olimar to one of their Onions, the Onion will spin like it is making more Pikmin, but it actually sends out fireworks and Olimar is safely returned to the ground. This function does not exist in ''Pikmin 2'', even though the Pikmin can carry Olimar to an [[Onion]].

In the first game, lying down made Captain Olimar completely impervious to attacks. This is not true in ''Pikmin 2'', save for the rocks that are spit by [[Armored Cannon Beetle Larva]]e and [[Decorated Cannon Beetle]]s. If the [[leader]] in the Napsack is picked up by a [[Dweevil]] and this beast wanders off the sublevel into the abyss, a [[Glitches in Pikmin 2#Frozen leader glitch|glitch]] occurs.
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==Rocket Fist==
The Rocket Fist, a component of the [[Exploration Kit]], enables a new, stronger [[punch]]ing combo attack for use by the [[leader]]s, which makes defeating [[Enemy|enemies]] with leaders alone much easier and more efficient. Without the upgrade, the {{button|gcn|A|wii|A}} button will produce a simple right punch. Once this treasure has been collected, pressing {{button|gcn|A|wii|A}} a second time will perform a left-hook, and a third time launches a devastating wind-up punch. Due to [[Glitches in Pikmin 2#Sped up punching|a glitch]], punching while moving makes the attacks come out faster, which greatly boosts the Rocket Fist's effectiveness.

This third punch has the strength of roughly three normal punches, and can dispatch a smaller enemy, such as a [[Dwarf Red Bulborb]], with minimal effort.  It is capable of reaching [[:category:Airborne enemies|flying enemies]] and other obstacles high in the air, such as [[Puffy Blowhog]]s, if positioned directly under them.

The power-up will not affect the inactive leader, as his attack speed is programmed to be just slow enough not to trigger the function. Using the leader's attacks together will still boost the total damage by a fair amount, and is suggested to be used often, though with careful watch for counter attacks so the inactive leader can move in advance.
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==Rush Boots==
{{game help|p2|A speed comparison value would be nice, i.e. measure how fast a leader is before and after the boots.}}
The '''Rush Boots''' is a modification to the [[leader]]s' footwear by [[the ship]] that allows them to run more quickly, at the same speed as flowered [[White Pikmin]]. The Rush Boots also renders the blowing attack of [[Puffy Blowhog|Puffy]] and [[Withering Blowhog]]s ineffective against leaders. The ship explains both functions as the result of lowered air resistance. It can provide to be a minor hindrance however, as the Pikmin's speed is not increased alongside the leader's, so they fall behind, are harder to control and often get stuck when going around corners.
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==Solar System==
{{game help|p2|The Pikmin Wiki page claims this has the opposite effect on sublevel 10 of the Cavern of Chaos. Confirm.}}
The '''Solar System''' is a device that will illuminate any sort of darkness inside a [[cave]]'s sublevels. This way, it is possible to see things that are very far away when underground. The name does not refer to where the Earth is located, but really means a ''system'' that produces ''solar'' or light energy. After recovering the treasure, the light changes take effect right away, but, like any other Exploration Kit ability, it can be revoked again if the player quits the cave via the [[Menu#Pause|pause menu]] instead of a [[geyser]].
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==Scorch Guard==
The Scorch Guard is an armor upgrade that makes all [[leader]]s' suits impervious to [[fire]]. This way, there is no need to worry about being hurt when destroying fire [[geyser]]s, or fighting enemies such as the [[Fiery Blowhog]] or [[Fiery Bulblax]].
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==Anti-Electrifier==
The Anti-Electrifier, when unlocked, makes the [[leader]]s' suits immune to [[electricity]], including electrical attacks. The [[Titan Dweevil]]'s electrical blasts, however, still knock leaders down, but without dealing any space-suit damage. This device is particularly useful when trying to pass by electrical hazards with a group of [[Yellow Pikmin]].
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==Metal Suit Z==
The Metal Suit Z is an item in the [[Exploration Kit]] that increases the integrity of the pilots' suits. Any damage taken is reduced by half. This is useful for attempts in defeating a large [[Bulborb]] or [[Spotty Bulbear]] with [[leader]]s alone without coming to much harm. Even though [[the ship]] in ''Pikmin 2'' announces getting bitten and stepped on causes less damage, these are not the only sources of damage that have their impact reduced &ndash; all kinds of damage are softened.
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==Mega Tweeter==
Unlocking the Mega Tweeter increases the range of the whistles of all [[leader]]s. The diameter of the visible circle on the screen increases to about 144% of its original size, thus more than doubling the area the whistle affects. This makes it easier to call scattered [[Pikmin family|Pikmin]] to the leader's side, even when being slow in the [[Onion]]s.
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==Pluckaphone==
The Pluckaphone is a special item that powers the [[leader]]s' whistles with the ability to call buried [[Pikmin family|Pikmin]] out from the ground, saving precious time that would otherwise be spent [[pluck]]ing them out. As well as picking newly produced Pikmin at the [[Onion]]s, this is useful for calling out Pikmin that were planted by a [[Mamuta]] or transformed by [[Candypop Bud]]s.

In the first trailer for ''[[Pikmin (game)|Pikmin]]'', Olimar is seen calling Pikmin from the ground, so the Pluckaphone may be an implementation of a [[Pikmin prerelease information|prerelease element]] from the first ''Pikmin'' game.
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==Gallery==
{{image|Some of the other utilities, such as the Mega Tweeter or Napsack}}
<gallery>
File:Rocket fist.jpg|[[Olimar]] using the Rocket Fist.
File:Rocket Punch.png|A different angle of Olimar using the Rocket Fist.
File:Pluckaphone plucking.jpg|Screenshot of Pluckaphone being used.
</gallery>

==See Also==
[[Spacesuit upgrade]]

{{Exploration Kit}}

[[Category:Exploration Kit| ]]