Editing Puffstool

The '''Puffstool''' ({{j|ボケナメコ| Boke Nameko|Stupid {{w|Pholiota nameko|Nameko}}}}) is an [[enemy]] in {{p1}} and {{p4}} that appears to be a huge walking fungus, strongly resembling a red-capped bolete. It has twin antennae, a red-capped mushroom head, and a tender yellow torso which is vulnerable to [[Group move|swarming]]. Only minimal details of the creature's biology are supplied in-game.

The Puffstool will try to run when attacked, but due to its stumpy legs clearly not being made for sprinting, it trips easily, landing on its head with its feet in the air. Since the cap is invulnerable to [[Pikmin family|Pikmin]] attacks (but not Olimar's [[punch]]), one must [[throw]] the Pikmin onto its undersection once it's on the ground. After a few seconds, the Puffstool will right itself up and blow out a purplish cloud of spores which cause a strange change in nearby Pikmin, which the Puffstool acts as a [[leader]] for.  

In ''Pikmin'', to quickly dispatch the Puffstool, the player should bring a high number of [[Red Pikmin]] into its arena. First [[Group move|swarm]] its legs with a good chunk of Pikmin, though be careful when swarming because although the Puffstool flipping around won't harm Pikmin, in the GameCube and Wii versions, there is a chance that the [[Glitches in Pikmin#Crushing glitch|crushing glitch]] may happen. Don't throw the Pikmin before its fallen over, as they'll bounce off of its cap and return to the group. When attacking its torso, the Puffstool will try to run away but flip over, legs flailing. In this state, it can be killed by throwing all remaining Pikmin on top. It will die and appear to deflate, leaving its cap, which can be carried by 10 Pikmin to their Onion. If a player is looking to minimize the risk of losing Pikmin, it is recommended to attack only with the [[leader]]. Furthermore, the Puffstool has no attacks that could harm Olimar. (Note, however, that this may consume a fair amount of time.) Should you run the risk of being attacked, however, just run away until the spore cloud dissipates. While it is also possible to drop some [[Bomb rock|bomb rocks]] at its feet, due to the Puffstool always running, this tactic can be hard unless the creature is cornered. A successful explosion should sap away a quarter of its health if successful though.

In ''Pikmin 4'', the overall strategy of taking down the Puffstool remains mostly the same. The key difference lies in that its past [[Mushroom Pikmin|ability]] from ''Pikmin'' has been replaced with a different, still fairly unique [[Control|hazard]]. The Puffstool's spores now cause Pikmin to jump around it aimlessly, with the player being unable to whistle them out of this effect. Depending on where this effect takes place, this can potentially be hazardous due to the surrounding patches of sticky mold with poison mushrooms. On top of that, two [[Moldy Slooch|Moldy Slooches]] patrol the area, meaning that it is recommended to dispose of the enemy, sticky mold, and mushrooms in order to focus on the Puffstool. Unlike its less passive relative, the [[Toxstool]], the Puffstool will not actively attempt to revive the enemy, sticky mold, and/or mushrooms around it. Oatchi, in particular, is helpful against the Puffstool due to his immunity to its spores. If looking to battle it with just Pikmin, however, [[White Pikmin]] are recommended for the aforementioned Moldy Slooches, sticky mold, and mushrooms around the field. [[Ice Pikmin]] would also help due to their freezing ability negating the Puffstool's defenses and spore attack.

After an over two-decade-long absence from the series, the Puffstool returns in [[Pikmin 4]], being found within the game's final area: the [[Primordial Thicket]]. Similar to its appearance in ''Pikmin'', the Puffstool appears only once during the main campaign of ''Pikmin 4.'' Unlike in ''Pikmin'', however, bringing the Puffstool's cap back to the Onion yields 20 Pikmin seeds as opposed to 30. Curiously, however, while the Pikmin produced from the cap has decreased, the weight of the cap has increased from 10 to 12.

Puffstool corpse P4.jpg|The corpse of a Puffstool in the [[Piklopedia]].

*The Puffstool's ability to control Olimar's Pikmin with its spores is possibly based on a real fungus called {{w|cordyceps}}, whose spores take over an insect's nervous system and force it to help the mushroom.  

*In ''Pikmin'', despite the [[Mushroom Pikmin|Pikmin exposed the Puffstool's spores]] commonly being referred to as "Mushroom Pikmin" or "Puffmin," no official name has ever been given to them by Nintendo.