Editing Pikmin limit

{{game icons|p=y|p2=y|p3=y|hp=y}}
{{game help|hp|Explain the nature of the Pikmin limit in the game.}}

[[File:Pikminology8.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The [[data file]] explaining the limit.]]
In the {{pg}}, there is a '''limit''' to the number of [[Pikmin family|Pikmin]] that can be on the field at once. In most games, this is set at 100. {{hp}} has a limit of 20 Pikmin that can be commanded in an [[area]], and the Ultra-Spicy [[difficulty]] of {{p3d}} sets the Pikmin limit at 60. Only Pikmin that are outside count for this limit, meaning that Pikmin inside an [[Onion]] do not count.

With this limit, the player cannot withdraw Pikmin from Onions such that the on-area total surpasses this limit, as the [[Onion menu]] stops them from selecting any more after that point. When an object is delivered to an Onion, Pikmin seeds come out, which count towards the on-area total. The moment the limit is reached, any new Pikmin are instead created inside the Onion.{{cite quote|I have made yet another Pikmin-related discovery. Just when I was about to exceed 100 Pikmin in the field, the Onion stopped expelling seeds, yet the total number of Pikmin continued to climb. It seems that once there are 100 Pikmin in the field, subsequent seeds get stored inside the Onion. Thus, no more than 100 Pikmin can be in the field at one time in any area.|Captain Olimar|[[Olimar's monologs|a monolog]]}} This can be used to the player's advantage, given that filling out the 100-Pikmin cap and delivering the object is a faster way to obtain ready Pikmin, when compared to letting the seeds come out and [[pluck]]ing them. To note is that when entering a [[cave]], all Pikmin that are in the area, but do not follow the [[leader]]s inside, are instantly sent to their Onions. Wild Pikmin that have yet to be discovered count towards the total as well. In {{p1}}, the on-area counter on the [[HUD]] gently pulsates red when the limit is reached.

This limit applies to all game modes. In the case of [[2-Player Battle]] and [[Bingo Battle]], each player is also limited to having 50 Pikmin of their team on the area at once, and when a Pikmin dies without another Pikmin killing it, the Onion automatically ejects a new seed, if it has any. Notably, the limit does not apply on the [[Pikmin Short Movies|''Pikmin'' Short Movies]], as more than one hundred Pikmin can be seen at once under [[Captain Olimar]]'s control in ''[[Occupational Hazards]]''.

==Reasons==
[[File:100 Pikmin HUD.jpg|thumb|right|250px|In {{p1}}, the on-field bubble on the [[HUD]] turns red when the Pikmin limit is reached.]]
The mechanic exists for a few assumed reasons:
*With it, players must rely on more than just having a large number of Pikmin in order to complete a task.
*The limit stops the player from having a hard time managing a large army.
*Because each Pikmin is an independent game entity, having the game process too many of them at once could result in the game [[Frame|slowing down]].

In addition to the reasons stated above, the mechanic is also used as a minor puzzle element due to [[Purple Pikmin]]. Because they have the [[carrying]] strength and weight of 10 Pikmin, and because some [[treasure]]s and [[obstacle]]s require more than 100 Pikmin in strength or weight, the player is forced to use Purple Pikmin.

==Conflict cases==
There are times where Pikmin have to be added to the area automatically, without the player requesting it directly, such as when discovering a new [[Onion]] in {{p1}}, which causes the Onion to spit a seed. If the Pikmin limit has already been reached when this happens, the game will take some action to stop the limit from being passed.

===Onion discovery===
When new types of [[Onion]] are discovered without nearby wild Pikmin, they will eject one Pikmin seed. If the Pikmin limit has already been reached, one Pikmin will be automatically and instantly returned to its respective Onion. The rules that decide what Pikmin will be chosen vary by game, and in some scenarios, special actions need to be taken because of the Pikmin's sudden disappearance.

In {{p1}}, it is very easy to grow 100 Pikmin to have on the field, and then go to the Yellow Onion or the Blue Onion, but in the case of the Blue one, some scenarios are limited (like having the 100 Pikmin follow the leader) because that Onion is on a pool of water. Pikmin in this game turn invisible during [[cutscenes]], so it's impossible to see what happens to a Pikmin that needs to be stored away.<ref>[[Talk:{{PAGENAME}}|Fan-driven experiments]]</ref>{{cite youtube|avId9eRrEUc|demonstrating the different effects of discovering an Onion in ''Pikmin'' with 100 Pikmin already on the field}}

In {{p2}}, it is normally impossible to have an Onion forcefully spit out a seed via cutscene while there are 100 Pikmin in the field, since the only Onion that has a discovery cutscene is the Red one, and this happens in the first day, before the player can get more than 5 Pikmin. However, by exploiting [[Glitches in Pikmin 2|glitches]], it is possible to trigger the cutscene later in the game, after 100 Pikmin have already been grown. The rules in this game are very similar to the other games. In this game, when a Pikmin is stored away, the screen goes black for a split-second, and if no Pikmin can be selected in the first place, the game crashes.{{cite youtube|oQJTEuOak-4|showing what happens if the Red Onion in ''Pikmin 2'' is discovered with 100 Pikmin in the field}}

In {{p3}}, this conflict case is only possible with the Winged Onion and the Blue Onion. The Red, Rock, and Yellow Onions do not spit out seeds when discovered. Plus, in the case of the Red Onion, it cannot be unlocked with any more than the 4 starting Pikmin on the field, and the Yellow Onion can only be forcefully discovered as the first thing in the first [[Distant Tundra]] day, before the player can call or bury a large amount of Pikmin in the field. It is also likely impossible to get all the necessary Pikmin on the field to be in some special state (like buried or carrying), since the player needs at least one Pikmin (Winged Onion) or three Pikmin (Blue Onion) to start the Onion cutscene. In this game, it is possible to see the Pikmin vanish when the seed comes out.

====Common scenarios====
Most of the time, the Pikmin that is sent to its Onion is the one farthest away from the newly-discovered Onion. If this Pikmin cannot be chosen, the game will skip to the second farthest one, and so on. The following table details what happens, depending on the state of the Pikmin. To note is that Pikmin type, [[maturity]], and [[ultra-spicy spray|spicy status]] do not play a role in deciding the Pikmin.

For ''Pikmin'', the rules change if there's at least one buried Pikmin; please read the next section for more information.

{| class="wikitable"
! If the Pikmin...
! style="width: 28%;" | Behavior in ''Pikmin''
! style="width: 28%;" | Behavior in ''Pikmin 2''
! style="width: 28%;" | Behavior in ''Pikmin 3''
|-
| ...is idle or in the leader's group
| ...it {{yes|can be removed}}.
| ...it {{yes|can be removed}}.
| ...it {{yes|can be removed}}.
|-
| ...is close to the Onion in question
| Unknown.
| ...it {{no|cannot be removed}}.
| Unknown.
|-
| ...is buried...
| ...see the next section.
| ...it {{yes|can be removed}}. In fact, buried Pikmin are prioritized to be removed.
| ...it {{no|can never be removed}}, even if another irremovable Pikmin has to be chosen in its place.
|-
| ...is a wild Pikmin...
| N/A
| ...it {{yes|can be removed}} in the Japanese version{{cite youtube|PHqSsvrYT6c|showing how a wild Blue Pikmin is stored in the Onion after a Red Pikmin extinction|m=6|s=54}}<br>but {{no|cannot be removed}} in the US and European versions.
| N/A
|-
| ...is [[carrying]]...
| ...it {{yes|can be removed}}. The game will react just as if the Pikmin got called, regardless of the number of other carriers.
| ...it {{yes|can be removed}}. The game will react just as if the Pikmin got called, regardless of the number of other carriers.
| ...it {{no|cannot be removed}}, unless all other Pikmin are buried.
|-
| ...is being [[Throw|held]]...
| N/A (since Olimar and the Pikmin he's holding have to be close to the Onion to activate it)
| N/A (since Olimar and the Pikmin he's holding have to be close to the Onion to activate it)
| ...it {{yes|can be removed}}. The Pikmin is released when the cutscene starts.
|-
| ...suffering from a [[hazard]]...
| ...it {{yes|can be removed}}. The hazard vanishes exactly when the new Pikmin's seed pops out.
| ...it {{yes|can be removed}}. The hazard vanishes exactly when the new Pikmin's seed pops out.
| ...it {{yes|can be removed}}. The hazard vanishes exactly when the new Pikmin's seed pops out.
|-
| ...is dying from a [[hazard]]...
| Unknown.
| ...it {{no|cannot be removed}}. The Pikmin will die after the cutscene of the seed appearing.
| Unknown.
|-
| ...holding a [[bomb rock]]...
| ...it {{yes|can be removed}}. The bomb rock explodes.{{cite youtube|o7qlV89eFO4|showing how the bomb rock explodes if the Pikmin farthest from the Onion is holding it|published={{date|10|June|2022}}|retrieved={{date|10|June|2022}}}}
| N/A
| ...it {{yes|can be removed}}. The bomb rock is dropped.
|-
| ...is working on an amount-dependent task (e.g. lifting a [[bamboo gate]])...
| N/A
| N/A
| ...it {{no|cannot be removed}}, unless all other Pikmin are buried.
|-
| ...in a [[dirt mound]]...
| N/A
| N/A
| ...it {{no|cannot be removed}}, unless all other Pikmin are buried.
|-
| ...is a [[Rock Pikmin]] compressed against the ground...
| N/A
| N/A
| ...it {{yes|can be removed}}.
|-
| ...inside a [[bubble]]...
| N/A
| N/A
| ...it {{yes|can be removed}}.
|}

====Buried Pikmin====
In the [[Pikmin (game)|first ''Pikmin'' title]], the game will perform a different check if there are buried Pikmin on the area. If there are any buried Pikmin, the game will change the number of Pikmin to return to the Onion from 1 to 2, for some unknown reason. In addition, the game will check buried Pikmin first and other Pikmin second. The "farthest away Pikmin" rule also applies to the buried ones. Here are some examples:

{| class="wikitable"
! Scenario || Result
|-
| No buried Pikmin || The farthest Pikmin gets sent to its Onion; see the previous section.
|-
| 1 buried Pikmin || That Pikmin gets sent to its Onion as well as the "normal" farthest one.
|-
| 2 buried Pikmin || Those two Pikmin get sent to their Onion.
|-
| 3+ buried Pikmin || The two farthest buried Pikmin get sent to their Onion.
|}

===Wild Pikmin===
The Red, Yellow, and Blue Onions in ''Pikmin 2'' and the Red, Rock, and Yellow Onions in ''Pikmin 3'' are discovered alongside wild Pikmin, which count towards the limit. The counter on the [[HUD]] will not tally them until the Onion is deemed "discovered". While it is impossible to get close to the Pikmin limit with the Red Onion in either game or the Yellow Onion in ''Pikmin 3'', it is possible to do so with the other Onions (although unrealistic in the case of the Rock Onion). If the player attempts to grow enough Pikmin to cross the limit, counting wild Pikmin, the cutscene that plays when the maximum amount of Pikmin are first grown will play, although the wild Pikmin will still not be counted on the HUD. In ''Pikmin 2'', the [[Hocotate ship]] will draw attention to this.

===Pikmin extinction===
In ''Pikmin'', when a [[Pikmin extinction]] occurs, the Onion generates and ejects a new seed of any extinct types at the start of the following [[day]]. If there are already 100 Pikmin on the field, the seed is instead kept inside the Onion. This can only happen if the player lands on an area with 100 buried Pikmin.{{cite youtube|9Lf8Z50ByBA|showing the Onion's behavior on a field with 100 Pikmin after an extinction}}

In ''Pikmin 2'', it is very difficult, but not impossible, to have 100 Pikmin present on the field when the Onion needs to eject a seed because of an extinction. When one has 99 sprouts, trying to bury another Pikmin via [[Mamuta]] or [[Swooping Snitchbug]] will just knock the Pikmin back. But by sending one Pikmin to [[carry]] something that generates a good number of Pikmin to an Onion (like a [[Shearwig]] corpse), and then ordering said Pikmin to go inside the Onion or ship as soon as it's done delivering, it will manage to be inside by the time the Onion ejects the 100th sprout's seed. With this 100 sprout setup, if a Pikmin type different from these sprouts becomes extinct whilst in another area, and the player lands at the area with the 100 sprouts on the next day, the behavior will not be like in the other games. Instead, the sprout that is farthest from the extinct type's Onion will be instantly sent to its own Onion, and then the extinct type's Onion will eject a new seed freely.

In ''Pikmin 3'', Pikmin are automatically generated during the day, immediately after the last of its type is killed. However, if there are no Pikmin of a certain type at the end of the day (say, due to [[sunset]]), and the player lands in an area with buried Pikmin of that type, no additional Pikmin will be created. If there are no Pikmin of that type buried in the area, one seed will be created, and if all the Pikmin on the field are buried, one seed will be stored automatically in the Onion.

===Queen Candypop Buds===
[[Queen Candypop Bud]]s receive one Pikmin of any type and spit out 9 seeds of the color it displayed at the time. Any new seeds whose creation would make the total inside the sublevel go over 100 will simply not be spat out. The flower will wilt regardless of how many Pikmin come out. If buried Pikmin exist on the surface, and 100 Pikmin are procured underground using Queen Candypop Buds, then the excess Pikmin in the leader's group will be automatically returned to the Onion when the cave is exited. The type of Pikmin returned matches the Pikmin sprouts on the surface.

===Bulbmin===
When entering a sublevel with [[Bulbmin]] on it, the game attempts to spawn 10 juveniles per every adult Bulbmin. Any juvenile Bulbmin that would make the total (player's Pikmin + new Bulbmin) surpass 100 will not spawn. This means that it is possible for a sublevel to have mature Bulbmin without any young Bulbmin following behind. As such, if the player intends to obtain Bulbmin, they should enter the sublevel with less than 100 Pikmin on their party. Interestingly, the on-area counter only counts the Bulbmin when they're [[whistle]]d to the group.

==History==
[[File:Super Mario 128.jpg|thumb|right|Gameplay of ''Super Mario 128''.]]
''[[mariowiki:Super Mario 128|Super Mario 128]]'' was a tech demo made for the [[GameCube]] that showed how the console could handle over a hundred independent entities. This demo is part of what inspired the creation of {{p1}}, but while 128 was picked in the demo for being twice as much as [[mariowiki:Super Mario 64|64]] and a power of two, the limit in the ''Pikmin'' games was set at 100, possibly because it is a "rounder" number. Despite this, in an [[Pikmin prerelease information|earlier version of ''Pikmin'']] showcased at E3 2001, the counter can be seen reading 110 on-area Pikmin at multiple times.{{cite youtube|7x245evHAhQ|of the E3 2001 trailer, with the counter reading 110 on-area Pikmin|m=1|s=10}} It is unknown if this was the limit, if the limit was actually higher, or if a limit even existed at this point.

==Trivia==
*[[Olimar's monologs|Olimar's monolog]] in which he talks of the 100 Pikmin limit appears once per area.
*In ''[[Pikmin 3 Deluxe]]'', when playing on normal or hard [[difficulty]], the player can place more than 60 Pikmin sprouts in an area, finish the day, switch to the ultra-spicy difficulty, and then enter that area again in order to have more Pikmin than the limit would allow in the ultra-spicy difficulty. When using the [[Onion menu]], the game will not let the player increase the squad numbers while the calculated field number is higher than 60, but will let players decrease the squad numbers.

==See also==
*[[Pikmin extinction]]
*[[Onion]]
*[[Pluck]]

==References==
{{refs}}

{{featured|{{date|2|April|2016}}|{{date|1|June|2016}}}}

[[Category:Gameplay]]