Editing Pikmin Short Movies

{{page title|''Pikmin'' Short Movies}}

[[File:PikminShortsLogo.png|250px|thumb|The logo for the ''Pikmin'' Short Movies.]]

The '''''Pikmin'' Short Movies''' ({{j|ピクミン短編アニメ集|Pikumin Tanpen Anime-shū|Pikmin Short Film Collection}}) are a trio of animated films released in 2014, showing [[Pikmin family|Pikmin]] interacting with the environment of [[PNF-404]] alongside [[Captain Olimar]]. These films are drawn using computer generated 3D graphics. They were produced by TK3 Inc. and Nintendo Co., Ltd, and were animated by Dynamo Pictures, Inc. (formerly Dwango Pictures, Inc.), with Shigeru Miyamoto as executive producer. The three shorts are called ''[[The Night Juicer]]'', ''[[Treasure in a Bottle]]'', and ''[[Occupational Hazards]]''.

[[File:NightJuicerSC.png|thumb|200px|Olimar blending his drink in ''The Night Juicer''.]]

This short features Captain Olimar and some [[Pikmin family|Pikmin]] inside an unknown room, with Captain Olimar using a small blender to make a juice-like drink. The three Pikmin become horrified with what appears to be a vivisected Red Pikmin on a cutting board. Olimar slowly chases after the Pikmin, each of them envisioning themselves being turned into a cool refreshment,  until they eventually bump into a box of [[pikpik carrot]]s, the food that Olimar was really blending. Still petrified by fear, the Pikmin lay motionless in the pile of carrots as Olimar casually shifts them aside to pick up a couple of the carrots. He then proceeds to chipperly walk off camera, completely unaware of the humorous misunderstanding.

 

This short starts off with a Red Pikmin chasing after a large white butterfly, eventually coming across a Ramune bottle with a blue marble inside. While trying to retrieve the marble, the Pikmin manages to trap itself inside the bottle. It calls for help from a passing group of Blue, Yellow and Red Pikmin, which laugh at the Red's plight and comically distorted appearance the bottle causes the Red Pikmin to have.

[[File:OccupationalHazardsSC.png|300px|thumb|Pikmin hard at work, scavenging an abandoned construction site.]]

This short begins with various types of Pikmin scavenging an abandoned construction site containing a {{w|backhoe}} for treasures for the [[Hocotate ship]]. While most of the Pikmin are hard at work, some of them are slacking off, such as a group of several Yellow Pikmin playing with an electrical current of the engine's battery and [[White Pikmin]] spitting poison fluids at various parts of the machine, which results in portions of it getting damaged, and moreover, melted. Olimar is on the top of the machine, and has a miniature seesaw device so that the Pikmin can both reach the ship's pod and get to the ground easily at the same time. The Research Pod, filled to the brim with treasures (as the Pikmin have amassed a giant pile of fasteners below the ship), temporarily leaves to unload its cargo on the ship.

Meanwhile, a group of Pikmin run off to rummage through some metal pipes and accidentally wake up a sleeping [[Fiery Blowhog]], who then stampedes after them. A few Red Pikmin subdue it into a pile of mud, causing the Blowhog to now spew out mud, and the Pikmin nearby start frolicking. While playing, a Yellow Pikmin wanders off into a nearby sewer entry after noticing a shiny golden colored bolt on the floor. It eventually finds and accidentally awakens an angered and incidentally hungry [[Bulborb]].

The Bulborb chases the Pikmin, stopping a few times because of the Pikmin hiding in a glove to hypnotize him, and later, a tire rim serving as shelter for the Pikmin. Meanwhile, the Yellow Pikmin who were playing with the battery, manage to inadvertently activate the backhoe by completing a full electrical circuit between its battery and its machinery, and an accidental lever activation causes the bucket to lift, where the Pikmin and Bulborb were. The Bulborb crashes to the ground and becomes unconscious, and the Pikmin, their leaves changed to flowers, float safely to the ground. After some Pikmin swarm it, the arm and bucket of the machine fall apart and land on the Bulborb; the Pikmin escape just in time. The whole backhoe collapses, and the Research Pod, that has just returned, discovers that the whole pile (including the Bulborb) is worth 1 quadrillion and seven Pokos. Olimar is both astounded and overjoyed by this most profitable find and strikes a triumphant pose.

 

[[File:TIABStoryboard.jpg|thumb|100px|A portion of the storyboard from ''Treasure in a Bottle''.]]

In the apps, a bonus section exists, featuring four clips on the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, plus two more bonus clips exclusive to the Nintendo 3DS version.

This is a cross-promotional theater chain intro clip that was originally played in various {{w|Toho Cinemas}} theaters in late 2012 before the feature film began

 

The clip starts off with a [[Red Pikmin]] atop a red ball. It spins the ball around, revealing the ball to be part of the Toho Cinemas logo. Various Pikmin (Red, [[Blue Pikmin|Blue]], [[Yellow Pikmin|Yellow]], [[Purple Pikmin|Purple]], and [[White Pikmin|White]]) come running out of the opening, carrying various letters. They set the letters down, which eventually spell out "TOHO CINEMAS". The Red Pikmin jumps off the circular emblem. Afterward, the emblem begins to bounce towards the Red Pikmin until it remains fixed atop the letters, revealing the full Toho Cinemas logo. The Red Pikmin then runs off.

 

This is a cross-promotional theater chain intro clip that was originally played in various {{w|Toho Cinemas}} theaters in early 2013 before the feature film began. It is an updated version of the 2012 Pikmin intro clip to tie in with {{p3}}.

 

This clip starts of the same way as the 2012 version, except a [[Rock Pikmin]] is among the various Pikmin carrying the letters that spell "TOHO CINEMAS", and towards the end the circular Toho Cinemas emblem is carried above the letters by some [[Winged Pikmin]]. The Red Pikmin also stays on top of the emblem, calling out "Pikmin" as it [[Maturity|flowers up]].

 

Like the title implies, this is a storyboard Miyamoto used to develop ''Treasure in a Bottle.'' It was created using the original ''[[nwiki:Flipnote Studio|Flipnote Studio]]''.

 

To note is that the animated storyboard clips are in the same resolution as the original Nintendo DSi app, and the shorts were likely in production since circa 2012. The final version of Flipnote Studio 3D itself was not launched in Japan until July 2013.

 

Similarly, this is a storyboard created by Miyamoto for ''Occupational Hazards''. Once again, it was created using the original ''[[nwiki:Flipnote Studio|Flipnote Studio]]''.

 

To note is that the animated storyboard clips are in the same resolution as the original Nintendo DSi app, and the shorts were likely in production since circa 2012. The final version of Flipnote Studio 3D itself was not launched in Japan until July 2013.

 

Length: 02:05

When the ''Pikmin'' Short Movies app is booted, a jingle with the [[Music in Pikmin 2#Leitmotifs|Pikmin motif]] from {{p2}} plays. When it finishes loading, a menu with 4 options is presented on the GamePad, three for the shorts, and one that opens the bonus menu. A short or bonus can be picked with either {{button|wiiu|lstick}} and {{button|wiiu|a}} or by touching it on the touchscreen. During this menu, the TV screen shows a static image of the ''Pikmin'' Short Movies HD logo, and if the viewer is on the bonus menu, the word "Bonus" appears below it. On the TV, a light remix of the theme that plays during the [[Cutscene#Bad ending|bad ending of ''Pikmin'']] can be heard – it is just the same song but with sound effects from the shorts spread about, and followed by wildlife sounds before it loops again.

In the GamePad view mode, only three controls exist: a button on the bottom-left plays and pauses, a seek bar is in the middle, and the button on the bottom-right toggles the mode. The audio will also start being played through the GamePad instead of the TV. When the video is playing, after not touching anything for a few seconds, the controls disappear, but return if the touchscreen is touched. Bizarrely, even though no button or stick on the GamePad does anything, pressing {{button|wiiu|a}}, {{button|wiiu|b}}, {{button|wiiu|x}}, {{button|wiiu|y}}, {{button|wiiu|l}}, {{button|wiiu|r}}, {{button|wiiu|zl}} or {{button|wiiu|zr}} will bring back the on-screen controls if they are hidden.

[[File:PikminShortsArt.jpg|thumb|250px|Promotional artwork for the movies.]]

In an interview with Shigeru Miyamoto in March of 2013, the creator of the [[Pikmin series|''Pikmin'' series]] announced Nintendo was working on a cartoon based on the franchise. In the interview, Miyamoto revealed that these cartoons would be released at some point in 2013 but before the next game in the series, ''[[Pikmin 3]]'', which was still in development. The idea was to distribute them as [[Nintendo 3DS]] videos, and he considered the idea of selling them if they become something bigger.

Miyamoto stated that they'd considered doing something like this for Nintendo's characters many times in the past, but avoided it because of the difference between an interactive game and a film. A film also requires much more "setting in stone" about the characters and world that could be limiting for the company when it comes to future games. However, with Pikmin they're very small inside the game and players can't see them well without zooming in close. So he thought shorts might be a good fit for the Pikmin series as it'd allow there to be more focus on the actual Pikmin.

On {{date|22|November|2014}}, a Japanese Miiverse user by the name of Marichan interviewed Shigeru Miyamoto about the movies. During the interview, Miyamoto revealed professional screenshots of the official storyboard, concept art of the opening to ''The Night Juicer,'' and gave a better look at the bulletin board seen in the same movie. He also discussed the making of the movies and some more minor details. The full interview can be seen <span class="plainlinks">[https://web.archive.org/web/20171018140531/https://miiverse.nintendo.net/posts/AYMHAAACAAAYUKlwtdBZ2Q here]</span>. In the Japanese edition, Miyamoto talks about ''{{w|Flipnote Studio}}'' and its sequel then never released outside of Japan, but in the English version, all mentions of this were removed.{{cite web|http://www.reddit.com/r/3DS/comments/2n6jx2/nintendo_censors_any_mention_of_flipnote_studio/|Nintendo censors any mention of Flipnote Studio from Pikmin Short Films interview on Miiverse|Reddit}}{{cite web|http://n4g.com/news/1627002/flipnote-studio-censored-from-recent-miyamoto-interview|Flipnote Studio censored from recent Miyamoto interview|N4G}}

 

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Characters-Pikmin Short-Movies.jpg|Artwork used to promote the ''Pikmin'' Short Movies. The Pikmin are reused from Pikmin 3's artwork.

Pik red.gif|A gif for the Red Pikmin on the ''Pikmin'' Short Movies official website.

Pik yellow.gif|A gif for the Yellow Pikmin on the ''Pikmin'' Short Movies official website.

Pik blue.gif|A gif for the Blue Pikmin on the ''Pikmin'' Short Movies official website.