Editing Lock-on

{{game icons|p3=y}}

[[File:Baldy.longlegs.jpg|thumb|right|325px|Locking on to a [[Baldy Long Legs]] in the [[Tropical Forest]].]]

'''Lock-on''' is a combat and exploration mechanic added in ''[[Pikmin 3]]''. This feature makes the [[camera]] lock on to and focus on a certain [[enemy]], [[obstacle]] or other object. This allows players to not lose its sight, making attacking easier, as well as obtaining its name and allowing the Pikmin army to charge.

To lock-on, the player must move the [[HUD#Cursor|cursor]] to an object. At that point, the cursor will change, and the player must then hold {{button|wiiu|zl|wii|z|wiiu|pczl}} for roughly half a second so that the scan's lock takes place. Unlike other Nintendo games that have lock-on functionality (e.g. ''[[metroidwiki:Metroid Prime (game)|Metroid Prime]]''), the player does not need to hold the button in order to keep it. Briefly tapping the same button again cancels the lock-on. Moving far enough away from the target will also cancel the lock-on automatically.

Once locked-on, the [[camera]] zooms in and focuses on the object, and rotates to follow it around. The manual camera controls will also not work. [[Dodge|Dodging]] will make the leader and Pikmin roll around the object, as opposed to rolling in a straight line left or right. With the GamePad or Wii U Pro Controller, holding the lock-on button will place the cursor on top of the target that started the lock-on, and keeping it held will keep the cursor there.

{{stub|Complete the list.}}{{Todo|verify if and when Olimar/Louie are identified as Hocotatians, "???", or their actual names.}}

Only some objects can be locked-on to. These can be identified by the cursor changing appearance when on top of them. The cursor will not change – nor will the lock-on activate – if the [[leader]] is too far away from the target. It is also possible to lock-on if the cursor is close to, but not exactly on the target. Some targets allow the cursor to lock-on to a specific location, like a [[Red Bulborb]]'s eyes or back, or a section on the [[Armored Mawdad]].

*{{icon|Red Bulborb|n|v=P3|n=All enemies|l=Enemy#In ''Pikmin 3''}}

*All Suit upgrades:

**{{icon|Crimson Candypop Bud|n|v=P3|n=Candypop Bud|l=Candypop Bud}}

**{{icon|Egg|y}}

**{{icon|Ultra-spicy nectar|y}}

*Leaders:

*Other:

**{{icon|Data Glutton|y}}

**{{icon|Folded Data Glutton|y}}

**{{icon|Phosbat|n|n=Phosbat Pod|l=Phosbat Pod}}

**All fruits

**All upgrades

**Data Glutton

**Foldable Data Glutton

*Only the [[Quaggled Mireclops]]' fruit-like head can be locked onto. The rest of its body cannot.

 

When the cursor is on top of something that can be locked, it changes from being a simple circle with a dot projected on the terrain, to a circle with three triangles pointing inward, facing the screen. Once the player begins holding down the lock button, the cursor also changes aspect to indicate how much more the player needs to hold the button down for so that the lock takes place. This isn't very useful, since locking on takes a fraction of a second.

 

While scanning, the left and right portions of the screen darken, two curved lines appear near the darkened areas, and some textual information is shown on some corners of the screen. The bottom-right corner of the [[HUD]] shows the object's name surrounded by some [[Koppaite text]] that translates to "Space library lite" "Simple dictionary in the PIPAD" "Just has the names". The top-left corner displays an icon of the same button used to trigger lock-on, but with the string "Cancel Lock-On" afterwards: this indicates that the button can be pressed again to cancel. The bottom-right corner shows that issuing a [[dismiss]] in this state ({{button|wiiu|b|wii|nunchukshake|wiiu|pcb}}) makes the Pikmin party charge at it. With Stylus mode, the dismiss button on-screen also changes caption to read "Charge".

 

By [[dismiss]]ing while locked-on, [[leader]]s can make their [[Pikmin family|Pikmin]] '''charge''' at the object. This causes them to run in a hurry at the target and interact with it, much like they would if [[throw]]n at it. This effectively replaces the [[group move]] mechanic from the previous games. After activating the charge, a horn is heard, the Pikmin jump up and perform a battle cry, and after a small delay, they run at the object. A charge can also sometimes be initiated in the small time window before a leader loses a lock-on due to distance, which can be useful for bypassing certain puzzles when combined with Winged Pikmin.

 

 

 

Due to this, it is advised to stay well-aware of the Pikmin in the current leader's group, if one wishes to direct said leader to attack alongside them, otherwise a press of the [[punch]] button may end up tossing a bomb-armed [[Pikmin family|Pikmin]] instead.

 

 

In story mode, charging is only possible after [[Alph]] finds his [[KopPad]].

In a much [[Pikmin 3 prerelease information|prerelease version]] of ''Pikmin 3'' the lock-on screen appeared much more different and simpler.

Prior to [[Update|version 2.0.0]], the pieces of text on the left corners of the screen didn't exist. They were added with the update, in order to make it easier for players to know how to cancel the lock-on and how to charge.

Pyroplasmic Slooch P3 early.png|The [[Pyroclasmic Slooch ]] in an earlier lock-on.

Pikmin3 SkitterleafScan.png|The [[Skitter Leaf]] with an earlier lock-on.

Pikmin3 Skutterchuck.png|The [[Skutterchuck]] in an earlier lock-on.

Crystalized wall.png|The [[crystal wall]] in an earlier lock-on.

==See also==

*[[Camera]]