Rumbling Grotto

Rumbling Grotto
Sublevels	2	Ultra-bitter sprays	3
Red Pikmin	30	Ultra-spicy sprays	4
Yellow Pikmin	0
Blue Pikmin	30
White Pikmin	0
Purple Pikmin	0
Bulbmin	0

The following article or section contains guides. The strategies shown are just suggestions.

The Rumbling Grotto is the twenty-first level in Pikmin 2's Challenge Mode. Every enemy in this challenge can bury into the ground, culminating with a fight against a Pileated Snagret.

You are given numerous sprays – liberal use will greatly simplify the challenge, especially if used on the boss.

Sublevel 1

• Theme: Concrete
• Music: Concrete 1
• Time: 170 (340 seconds)
• Starting Pikmin:
  •  Red Pikmin × 30 (flower)
  •  Blue Pikmin × 30 (flower)
• Treasures:
  •  Armored Nut × 3 - 6 (inside Shearwigs)
  •  Crystal King × 1
  •  Gyroid Bust × 1
  •  Lustrous Element × 1 (inside Iridescent Glint Beetle)
  •  Mirrored Element × 2 (inside Creeping Chrysanthemums)
  •  Mirth Sphere × 3 - 6 (inside Male Sheargrubs)
  •  Omniscient Sphere × 3 - 6 (inside Female Sheargrubs)
  •  The Key × 1
  •  Unknown Merit × 3 (inside Cloaking Burrow-nits)
• Enemies:
  •  Cloaking Burrow-nit × 3
  •  Creeping Chrysanthemum × 2
  •  Female Sheargrub × 3 - 6
  •  Iridescent Glint Beetle × 1
  •  Male Sheargrub × 3 - 6
  •  Shearwig × 3 - 6
• Obstacles:
  • None
• Vegetation:
  •  Clover × 6
  •  Figwort (large red) × 2
  •  Figwort (small red) × 2
  •  Margaret × 5
  •  Shoot (large) × 1
  •  Shoot (small) × 1
• Others:
  • Gate with 4000 HP × 3

The Key is out in the open. If you're lucky, it may spawn near the Research Pod, allowing you to go straight to the next sublevel. Otherwise, you'll likely need to fight the enemies to clear a path to it. None of them are particularly threatening, so save your sprays for the next floor.

Almost every enemy has a treasure, so you'll have to defeat all of them if you're going for a high score.

Generate sample map →

Technical sublevel information
Internal cave name			ch_MAT_crawler
"Main" object maximum (?)			21
"Treasure" object maximum (?)			3
"Gate" object maximum (?)			3
Dead end unit probability (?)			0
Number of rooms (?)			4
Corridor-to-room ratio (?)			0
Escape geyser (?)			No
Clogged hole (?)			No
Cave units file (?)			4_units_c_e_j_l_conc.txt
Lighting file (?)			normal_light_cha.ini
Background (?)			None
Cave units (?)
Dead end	Dead end with item	Three-way crossing	Four-way crossing	Turning corridor	Corridor
Long corridor	Room with 4 exits	Room with 4 exits and C-shaped wall	Room with 1 exit and a pipe	Room with dead end after U-turn

Detailed object list
The game spawns these "main" objects:
ID	Object	Amount	Fall method	Spawn location
1	Creeping Chrysanthemum	1	None	"Hard" enemy spots
-	Mirrored Element	Carried inside entry with ID 1
2	Creeping Chrysanthemum	1	None	"Hard" enemy spots
-	Mirrored Element	Carried inside entry with ID 2
3	Cloaking Burrow-nit	3	None	"Hard" enemy spots
-	Unknown Merit	Carried inside entry with ID 3
4	Iridescent Glint Beetle	1	None	"Hard" enemy spots
-	Lustrous Element	Carried inside entry with ID 4
5	Margaret	3	None	"Hard" enemy spots
6	Female Sheargrub	3	None	"Easy" enemy spots
-	Omniscient Sphere	Carried inside entry with ID 6
7	Male Sheargrub	3	None	"Easy" enemy spots
-	Mirth Sphere	Carried inside entry with ID 7
8	Shearwig	3	None	"Easy" enemy spots
-	Armored Nut	Carried inside entry with ID 8
Alongside it spawns 3 "main" objects (and their treasures). Chances:
ID	Object	Chance	Fall method	Spawn location
6	Female Sheargrub	33%	None	"Easy" enemy spots
-	Omniscient Sphere	Carried inside entry with ID 6
7	Male Sheargrub	33%	None	"Easy" enemy spots
-	Mirth Sphere	Carried inside entry with ID 7
8	Shearwig	33%	None	"Easy" enemy spots
-	Armored Nut	Carried inside entry with ID 8
Then it spawns these "decoration" objects:
ID	Object	Amount	Fall method	Spawn location
9	Margaret	2	None	Plant spots
10	Shoot (large)	1	None	Plant spots
11	Shoot (small)	1	None	Plant spots
12	Figwort (small red)	2	None	Plant spots
13	Figwort (large red)	2	None	Plant spots
14	Clover	6	None	Plant spots
Then it spawns these "treasure" objects:
ID	Object	Amount	Fall method	Spawn location
15	The Key	1	None	Treasure spots
16	Gyroid Bust	1	None	Treasure spots
17	Crystal King	1	None	Treasure spots
Then it spawns 3 "gate" objects. Chances:
ID	Object	Chance	Fall method	Spawn location
18	Gate (4000 HP)	100%	None	Gate spots

For details on how objects are spawned, and how some may fail to spawn, see here.

Sublevel 2

• Theme: Concrete
• Music: Concrete 2
• Time: +120 (+240 seconds)
• Treasures:
  •  The Key × 1 (inside Pileated Snagret)
• Enemies:
  •  Pileated Snagret × 1
• Obstacles:
  • None
• Vegetation:
  •  Figwort (large brown) × 4
  •  Figwort (small brown) × 2
• Others:
  • None

See also: Pileated Snagret strategy.

The encounter with the Pileated Snagret can be a little tricky. You should have quite a few sprays – use them generously, especially if you're going for a pink flower. 60 spicy-sprayed Pikmin should be able to do a significant chunk of its health if its head gets stuck while rising out of the floor. Using ultra-bitter spray right when it's about to shake the Pikmin off will allow you to inflict even more damage as well.

If you're playing with two players, this battle can be simplified quite a lot by simply having both players toss Pikmin on its head whenever it rises up – with good aim, enough should latch on that it won't have a chance to attack, instead immediately retreating to the ground. Simply repeat the process until it dies.

There are no other treasures, so head to the geyser and leave after you get The Key.

Generate sample map →

Technical sublevel information
Internal cave name			ch_MAT_crawler
"Main" object maximum (?)			7
"Treasure" object maximum (?)			0
"Gate" object maximum (?)			0
Dead end unit probability (?)			0
Number of rooms (?)			1
Corridor-to-room ratio (?)			0
Escape geyser (?)			Yes
Clogged hole (?)			No
Cave units file (?)			1_units_manh_conc.txt
Lighting file (?)			normal_light_cha.ini
Background (?)			None
Cave units (?)
Dead end with item	Three-way crossing	Four-way crossing	Turning corridor	Corridor	Long corridor
Large circular room with 1 exit

Detailed object list
The game spawns these "main" objects:
ID	Object	Amount	Fall method	Spawn location
1	Pileated Snagret	1	None	"Hard" enemy spots
-	The Key	Carried inside entry with ID 1
2	Figwort (large brown)	1	None	"Easy" enemy spots
3	Figwort (large brown)	1	None	"Easy" enemy spots
4	Figwort (small brown)	1	None	"Easy" enemy spots
5	Figwort (small brown)	1	None	"Easy" enemy spots
6	Figwort (large brown)	1	None	"Easy" enemy spots
7	Figwort (large brown)	1	None	"Easy" enemy spots

For details on how objects are spawned, and how some may fail to spawn, see here.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	土とんの洞窟?	Land Swarmers' Cave
French (NoA)	Grotte des menaces	Threats cave
French (NoE)	Grotte des Menaces	Threats Cave
German	Grotte des Donners	Grotto of Thunder
Italian	Grotta rombante	Rumbling cave
Spanish (NoA)	Gruta Estruendosa	Rumbling Grotto