User:Twins1105/Bulborb test
The following article or section contains guides. |
Bulborb | |
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Appears in | Pikmin, Pikmin 2, Pikmin 3, Pikmin 4, Hey! Pikmin, Pikmin Adventure |
Scientific name | Oculus kageyamii russus Oculus kageyamii (Pikmin Player's Guide) |
Family | Grub-dog |
Size | Body length: 90mm |
- This article is about the red grub-dog. For other uses, see Bulborb (disambiguation).
The Bulborb (チャッピー?, lit.: "Chappy"), known as the Spotty Bulborb in Pikmin and the Red Bulborb (アカチャッピー?, lit.: "Red Chappy") in Pikmin 2, is a common enemy found throughout the Pikmin series. The Bulborb is one of the most prominent enemies in the franchise and appears in all 4 numbered Pikmin games. It also makes apperances in Hey! Pikmin, Pikmin Adventure, the Pikmin Short Movies, several pieces of merchandise, and is the focus of the first game's North American boxart. The Bulborb is the most commonly encountered member of the particularly extensive and diverse grub-dog family.
The Bulborb has a pointed snout, eyes on stalks, and a red back with white spots. It only has two sharp fangs on either side of its mouth. It is a largely nocturnal creature and spends much of its time sleeping, only waking up when detecting potential prey, or during the night. It is often found sleeping near Dwarf Bulborbs, which are actually members of the breadbug family.
Pikmin
Spotty Bulborb | |
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Technical Name | Greater Grub-Dog |
Areas | The Forest of Hope |
Challenge Mode stages | The Forest of Hope, The Distant Spring |
Attacks | Eat Pikmin |
Weight | 10 |
Max. carriers | 20 |
Seeds | 12 |
Health | 1100 |
Regen. | Unknown |
Behavior
The Spotty Bulborb is a nocturnal creature, and sleeps in open locations during the day. This exposes it to being attacked by Pikmin, as it won't wake up until it is attacked. However, Dwarf Bulborbs and Dwarf Bulbears will let out a screech when agitated, awakening any nearby Spotty Bulborbs. An object being carried adjacent to a Spotty Bulborb can also wake it up.
Once awake, it becomes aggressive, and will run towards nearby Pikmin and lunge at them to try and eat them. If it manages to catch any Pikmin, it will stand up and eat them; otherwise it will trip then try again.
Locations
Strategy
Swarming a large group of 50 or so Pikmin onto a Spotty Bulborb, preferably Red Pikmin due to their increased attack power, proves quite effective most of the time. If only a few Pikmin are available, they should be thrown onto the Spotty Bulborb's back repeatedly while retreating if the enemy starts charging at them. Waiting until it goes back to sleep takes longer, but is a lot safer. Bomb-rocks can also be used to attack a Spotty Bulborb, and it takes two blasts to kill it this way. If you attack its back it will usually do a quarter-turn right, hiding some of its back from your current position.
Notes
Olimar's Voyage Log
Creature Montage notes
Pikmin Nintendo Player's Guide
Pikmin Nintendo Power booklet
New Play Control! Pikmin European website
Technical information
Pikmin technical information (?) | |||
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Internal name | swallow
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HP | 1100 |
Pikmin 2
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Piklopedia entry #1 | ||||
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Areas | Valley of Repose, Awakening Wood | |||
Caves | Hole of Beasts, Hole of Heroes, Dream Den | |||
Challenge stages | Explorer's Cave, Lost Toy Box, Red Chasm, Collector's Room, Breeding Ground, Emperor's Realm | |||
2-Player Battle stages | Angle Maze | |||
Attacks | Eat Pikmin | |||
Weight | 10 | |||
Max. carriers | 20 | |||
Seeds | 750 | |||
Value | ![]() | |||
Health | 750 | |||
Regen. | No |
Locations
Strategy
Rather than swarming the Red Bulborb, continuously tossing Pikmin onto its back is preferable when the army is at least 30 Pikmin strong, even if some are shaken off. A few Purple Pikmin can cause serious damage, especially if they stun the Red Bulborb. If it is accidentally awakened before being attacked by Pikmin, you should run away until it turns around, then make a new pass at it.
If the Pikmin army is very small, another strategy is to wake up the Red Bulborb and make it chase the leader until it goes far enough away from its starting location, at which point it will turn around and return to its original sleeping spot. Once it returns there, attacking at the moment it starts sleeping can provide the player with a few crucial seconds in which the Red Bulborb is entirely immobilized and harmless.
In some metal-themed caves, Red Bulborbs can be led off of the stage by awakening it and quickly running around a hole in the sublevel, causing it to fall off.
Notes
Olimar's Notes
Oculus kageyamii russus
Grub-dog family
This large organism has the familiar mandibles and cranial morphology of the grub-dog family, as well as the characteristic bulging eyes. As with most grub-dogs, the creature's cranium comprises half of its total length and girth. Showing a scarlet abdomen with white spots, this creature is primarily nocturnal, choosing to prey upon smaller creatures returning to their nests. Originally classified as the spotty bulborb, further research has reclassified this species as the red bulborb. Subspecies of varied colors have recently been discovered, but academics are divided into two rival camps over how to handle their classification.”
Louie's Notes
Pikmin 2 Nintendo Player's Guide
e-Reader card
Text
“アカチャッピー
和名:ベニデメマダラ
<イヌムシ科>
体長の半分を占める大きな口と突出した眼、 腹部 に白い斑紋がある。 夜行性で、とくに夕方には帰 巣する小動物をねらって活発になる。 地の色が異 なる亜種がいくつか発見され、 扱いについて学者 の間で意見が分かれている。
体長 : 90mm
”
Translation
“Red Bulborb
Japanese name: Spotted Crimson Bug-eye
<Grub-dog family>
It has a large mouth that occupies half of its body length prominent eyes and white markings on its abdomen. They are nocturnal and become active especially in the evening, targeting small animals that return to their nest. Several subspecies with different ground colors have been discovered and scholars are divided on how to handle them.
Body length: 90mm
Technical information
Pikmin 2 technical information (?) | |||
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Internal name | chappy
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Global properties (List) | |||
ID | Japanese comment | Property | Value |
s000 | friction(not used) | Friction | 0.5 |
s001 | wallReflection | Unknown (wall bounce speed multiplier?) | 0.5 |
s002 | faceDirAdjust | Unknown | 0.25 |
s003 | accel | Acceleration | 0.1 |
s004 | bounceFactor | Unknown (bounce when it hits the ground?) | 0.3 |
fp00 | ライフ | HP | 750 |
fp01 | マップとの当り | Unknown (related to slopes) | 40 |
fp02 | ダメージスケールXZ | Horizontal damage scale | 0.3 |
fp03 | ダメージスケールY | Vertical damage scale | 0.3 |
fp04 | ダメージフレーム | Damage scale duration | 0.35 |
fp05 | 質量 | Unknown (weight?) | 0.1 |
fp06 | 速度 | Move speed | 100 |
fp08 | 回転速度率 | Rotation acceleration | 0.4 |
fp09 | テリトリー | Territory radius | 400 |
fp10 | ホーム範囲 | "Home" radius | 15 |
fp11 | プライベート距離 | "Private" radius | 70 |
fp12 | 視界距離 | Sight radius | 500 |
fp13 | 視界角度 | FOV | 90 |
fp14 | 探索距離 | Unknown (exploration radius?) | 500 |
fp15 | 探索角度 | Unknown (exploration angle?) | 90 |
fp16 | 振り払い率 | Successful shake rate | 1 |
fp17 | 振り払い力 | Shake knockback | 120 |
fp18 | 振り払いダメージ | Shake damage | 1 |
fp19 | 振り払い範囲 | Shake range | 40 |
fp20 | 攻撃可能範囲 | Unknown (shock attack max range?) | 75 |
fp21 | 攻撃可能角度 | Unknown (shock attack max angle?) | 25 |
fp22 | 攻撃ヒット範囲 | Unknown (attack hit range?) | 80 |
fp23 | 攻撃ヒット角度 | Unknown (attack hit angle?) | 35 |
fp24 | 攻撃力 | Attack damage | 10 |
fp25 | 視界高 | Unknown (height visibility?) | 50 |
fp26 | 探索高 | Unknown (exploration height?) | 50 |
fp27 | ライフの高さ | HP wheel height | 90 |
fp28 | 回転最大速度 | Rotation speed | 4 |
fp29 | 警戒時間 | Unknown (warning time?) | 7 |
fp30 | 警戒ライフ | Unknown | 30 |
fp31 | ライフ回復率 | Regeneration rate | 0 |
fp32 | LOD半径 | Off-camera radius | 40 |
fp33 | マップとのあたりポリゴンの選定 | Collision processing radius | 50 |
fp34 | ピクミンとのあたり | Pikmin damage radius | 30 |
fp35 | 石化時間 | Petrification duration | 1 |
fp36 | ヒップドロップダメージ | Purple Pikmin drop damage | 50 |
fp37 | 地震気絶確立 | Purple Pikmin stun chance | 0.3 (30%) |
fp38 | 地震気絶時間 | Purple Pikmin stun time | 5 |
ip01 | 振り払い打撃A | Shake mode 1 – hit count | 6 |
ip02 | 振り払い張付1 | Shake mode 1 – Pikmin requirement | 5 |
ip03 | 振り払い打撃B | Shake mode 2 – hit count | 12 |
ip04 | 振り払い張付2 | Shake mode 2 – Pikmin requirement | 10 |
ip05 | 振り払い打撃C | Shake mode 3 – hit count | 17 |
ip06 | 振り払い張付3 | Shake mode 3 – Pikmin requirement | 20 |
ip07 | 振り払い打撃D | Shake mode 4 – hit count | 22 |
Specific properties | |||
ID | Japanese comment | Property | Value |
fp01 | 足元範囲 | Determines rotation speed while standing (lower values give faster rotations) | 30 |
fp02 | 白ピクミン毒 | White Pikmin poison damage | 750 |
Pikmin 3
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Areas | Garden of Hope, Tropical Wilds, Formidable Oak | ||
Side Stories days | Inside Forest, Pikmin Reunion, Creature Hunting, Big Fruit Carnival | ||
Collect Treasure! stages | Tropical Forest, Twilight Hollow, Shaded Garden, Tropical Forest Remix, Twilight Hollow Remix, Beastly Caverns | ||
Battle Enemies! stages | Tropical Forest, Silver Lake, Thirsty Desert, Shaded Garden, Garden of Hope Remix, Formidable Oak Remix | ||
Bingo Battle stages | Shaded Terrace, Stagnant Sea, Twisted Cavern, Arid Metropolis, Rusted Labyrinth, Jigsaw Fortress, Blooming Terrace, Parched Brook, Buried Pond, Sandbox Kingdom, Corroded Maze, Jigsaw Colosseum | ||
Attacks | Eat Pikmin | ||
Weight | 10 | ||
Max. carriers | 20 | ||
Seeds | 10 | ||
Value | ![]() ![]() | ||
Health | 1000 | ||
Regen. | No |
Locations
Strategy
Charging a Bulborb from behind is the most reliable way to defeat the enemy. As few as 20 Red Pikmin can be enough to defeat the enemy before it has the chance to eat any, though this will not always work. If approaching the Bulborb from the front, throwing Pikmin directly at the eye stalks is an effective strategy, as this will cause it to spend a couple of seconds flinching before it can attack again. If the Bulborb shakes Pikmin off, make sure to whistle them before they are eaten. You can also escape from a Bulborb by hiding under a tall plant.
Comments
Alph's Comments
- American English
Weight: 10
Only a very confident designer would waive through issues like bright-red warning coloration and a tendency to sleep in broad daylight. There's no way a frontal assault on this thing will work, so we have to get creative. I'm thinking we should hit its back hard while it sleeps, or maybe target those thin-looking eyestalks.”
- British English
Weight: 10
Only a very confident designer would waive through issues like bright red warning colouration and a tendency to sleep in broad daylight. There's no way a frontal assault on this thing will work, so we have to get creative. I'm thinking we should hit its back hard while it sleeps, or maybe targeting those thin-looking eyestalks.”
Brittany's Comments
Charlie's Comments
Louie's Comments
Olimar's Comments
- American English
Oculus kageyamii russus
Grub-dog family
This large organism has the familiar mandibles and cranial morphology of the grub-dog family, as well as the characteristic bulging eyes. As with most grub-dogs, the creature's cranium comprises half of its total length and girth. Showing a scarlet abdomen with white spots, this creature is primarily nocturnal, choosing to prey upon smaller creatures returning to their nests. Originally classified as the spotty bulborb, further research has reclassified this species as the basic bulborb. Subspecies of varied colors have recently been discovered, but academics are divided into two rival camps over how to handle their classification.”
- British English
Oculus kageyamii russus
Grub-dog family
This large organism has the familiar mandibles and cranial morphology of the grub-dog family, as well as the characteristic bulging eyes. As with most grub-dogs, the creature's cranium comprises half of its total length and girth. Showing a scarlet abdomen with white spots, this creature is primarily nocturnal, choosing to prey upon smaller creatures returning to their nests. Originally classified as the spotty bulborb, further research has reclassified this species as the basic bulborb. Subspecies of varied colours have recently been discovered, but academics are divided into two rival camps over how to handle their classification.”
Pikmin 3 website
Pikmin 3 Prima Guide
Technical information
Pikmin 3 technical information (?) | |
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Internal name | chappy
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HP | 1000 |
Rock Pikmin throw hits to kill | 25 |
White Pikmin ingestions to kill | 5 |
Bomb rock explosions to kill | 1 |
Bomb rock ingestions to kill | 1 |
Number of direct hits on top to kill | 0 |
Damage to leaders | 20 |
Territory radius | 300 |
Mission Mode value | 50 |
Pikmin 4
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Areas | Sun-Speckled Terrace (Story Mode, Olimar's Shipwreck Tale and night) | ||
Caves | Hectic Hollows, Kingdom of Beasts, Engulfed Castle, Cavern for a King | ||
Dandori Challenge stages | Dandori Day Care, Hotshock Canyon, Trial of the Sage Leaf | ||
Dandori Battle stages | Battle in a Box | ||
Attacks | Eat Pikmin | ||
Weight | 10 | ||
Max. carriers | 20 | ||
Seeds | 10 (5 glow pellets) | ||
Value | ![]() | ||
Health | 1000 | ||
Regen. | No | ||
Active during | Day/Night |
Locations
Behavior
In Pikmin 4's night expeditions, the Bulborb doesn’t sleep and is instead always awake. It will roam about and attempt to attack any nearby Pikmin and eat them. During the night expeditions, after a certain amount of time its eyes will glow bright red and will head directly towards a Lumiknoll or a Tricknoll instead of walking around a set space to attack it, making it act more aggressive than normal.
Strategy
If the Bulborb is sleeping, it is wiser to hop on Oatchi's back in order to use his Rush ability combined with a squad of at least 30 Pikmin; even with no upgrades, the Rush will launch Pikmin forward when Oatchi hits the Bulborb, making this a simple and effective tactic. If Oatchi has the Mega Chomp and Stun skills, you can also take down a Bulborb with only Oatchi on his own.
If the Bulborb is currently awake and chasing you, it's better to let it sleep to try again. If you have no way of escaping it, you should circle around the Bulborb and throw Pikmin on its back, and call them before they get shaken off, as the Bulborb will instantly start eating any Pikmin shaken off by it. Bulborbs in this game don't flinch when Pikmin are thrown directly at their eyes, so aiming at the back is safest. Even with a squad of less than 10 Pikmin, the tactic stated above should work if done successfully, though it is risky.
Notes
Dalmo's notes
Olimar's notes
“This large organism has the familiar mandibles and cranial morphology of the Grub-Dog family, as well as the characteristic bulging eyes. As with most Grub-Dogs, the creature's cranium comprises half of its total length and girth. Showing a scarlet abdomen with white spots, this creature is primarily nocturnal, choosing to prey upon smaller creatures returning to their nests.
Originally classified as the Spotty Bulborb, further research has reclassified this species as the basic Bulborb. Subspecies of varied colors have recently been discovered, but academics are divided into two rival camps over how to handle their classification.”Louie's notes
Pikmin Garden
Text
“紅色の腹部に白い斑紋が色鮮やかな、デメマダラ。夜行性のため昼間は寝ているが、獰猛で目にしたものは何でも丸飲みにしてしまう。イヌムシ科に属する生物は、生態ピラミッドの上位に位置している。
○イヌムシ科とは?
宇宙犬のように二足歩行をする様子から、イヌムシと命名された。
特徴 その1 夜行性
- 昼間は眠っていて、縄張りに入らない限り起きることはないが、日が沈む頃に活発になって獲物を探し回る。
- (Image text:
- (昼)眠っている
- (夜)目が赤く光る)
特徴 その2 仲間の見分け方
- 成長するにつれて体色が濃くなっていき、腹部に浮き上がる斑紋で仲間と認識する。
- (Image text: 斑紋がない幼虫は餌食されてしまうこともある)
特徴 その3 大きな眼
- 夜間のかすかな明かりを捉えるために眼球が大きくなっている。その影響でまぶたを完全に閉じることはできず、発達した虹彩を伸縮させて瞬きする。”
Translation
“A colorful Bulborb with white spots on a red abdomen. Being nocturnal, it sleeps during the day, but it is ferocious and will swallow whole anything it sees. The creatures in the Grub-Dog family are at the top of the food pyramid.
○ What is the Grub-Dog family?
They were named Grub-Dogs because of the way they walk on two legs like space dogs.
Feature #1: Nocturnality
- It sleeps during the day and does not wake up unless its territory is entered, but it becomes active and searches for prey around sunset.
- (Image text:
- "(Day) Sleeping"
- "(Night) Eyes glow red")
Feature #2: How it recognizes other members of the same clade
- As it grows, the body color becomes darker, and it is recognized by the spots that appear on its abdomen.
- (Image text: "Larvae without spots are sometimes preyed upon")
Feature #3: Large eyes
- The eyeballs become large in order to catch faint light at night. Because of this, the eyelids cannot close completely, and it blinks by stretching and contracting the well-developed iris.”
Technical information
Pikmin 4 technical information (?) | |
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Internal name | CHAPPY
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Minimum carry weight | 10 |
Maxinum carry weight | 20 |
Dandori Battle minimum carry weight | 10 |
Dandori Battle maxinum carry weight | 100 |
Sprouts produced | 1000 |
HP | 1000 |
Sparklium value | 10 |
Dandori point value | 10 |
Dandori Battle Dandori point value | 10 |
White Pikmin ingestions to kill | 10 |
Bomb Rock explosions to kill | 1 |
Bomb rock ingestions to kill | 1 |
Damage to leaders | 15 |
Frozen enemy drop type | Medium |
Hey! Pikmin
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Areas | The Shadow in the Brush | ||
Attacks | Eat Pikmin | ||
Value | ![]() | ||
Health | Unknown | ||
Regen. | Unknown |
Locations
Behavior
The Bulborb behaves very differently in Hey! Pikmin, as it takes on the role of the boss of the Brilliant Garden. In this game it is larger, more aggressive, slower, and not nocturnal. When defeated, the Bulborb drops the Flashy Monument.
Strategy
In Hey! Pikmin, the Bulborb is a boss, and is fought in a standalone battle at The Shadow in the Brush. Olimar starts the fight with 20 Red Pikmin. The objective is to deplete the Bulborb's health by throwing Pikmin at its backside. If the Bulborb is facing towards Olimar, then wait for it to bend over and throw a Pikmin at its eye. This will stun it and give you time to run under it to the other side. Once on the other side, proceed to throw the Pikmin onto its vulnerable backside until it shakes them off. The Bulborb will periodically jump into the blades of grass in the backdrop and shuffle around in them until eventually popping back out at the last place Olimar was standing. The player can tell when it will jump out because right before it does it will rustle in a single place. If the Bulborb is attacked once it has shaken off any attacking Pikmin, then it'll slowly turn around to face the group, snarling aggressively, before swooping around once in a circle, attempting to snatch up any Pikmin. After it does this, it'll proceed to do its attack from the grass. While it is bending over, if Olimar or a Pikmin are in its line of sight it will run forward and attempt to eat them.
Creature Log notes
Pikmin Adventure
Bulborb | |
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Standard Challenges | Bulborb Forest, Boss of the Beebs, Five Seconds to Takeoff, Cannon Smash, King Beeb is Back, Through the Darkness, Lord of a Barren Land, Burst the Giant Balloon, Back-Garden Escape, Shining Eyes, Icy Arena, Out of the Darkness, Bulborb Baths, |
Advanced Challenges | The Green Menace, Desperate Dash, The Tyrant Arrives, Cage of Terror, Breaking Boundaries, Good-Bye, Pikmin |
Versus Mode Arenas | |
Attacks | Charge, eat player |
Health | Unknown |
Regen. | Unknown |
Behavior
The Bulborb can be found either sleeping or being sent into the area by a gashapon capsule before it starts walking towards a player. It has two walking speeds, a slow walk and a slightly faster walk that is replaced by an attack once the Bulborb is close to the players. Alongside this is a small hop that it can do to avoid attacks and quickly get close to players. Once the Bulborb is close enough to a player, it will either charge a dash in a straight line or try to eat a player depending on how far they are to the Bulborb. If the Bublorb is able to catch a player, it will toss them up, eat them, and turn them into a Bulborb Dropping, making it impossible for them to be properly whistled at or attack enemies. In this state, the player must be broken out either by Olimar or other Pikmin damaging the Bulborb Dropping or by entering a body of water. If the Bulborb is defeated while a player is bring eaten, the player will be sent flying out of its mouth.
Strategy
The only weak spot the Bulborb has is on its back, making it easy to throw Pikmin at or directly attack it. The Bulborb will try to shake off all of the Pikmin that are on its weak spot, causing them to be knocked over for a little bit. There are ways to circumvent the Bulborb's movement and shaking, however, either by waiting for it to slowly walk around, move out of its sight to make it look for a player in sight, or wait for it to start panting. These are the ideal times to attack the Bulborb since it won't be able to shake off the Pikmin on its back until after it starts trying to move.
Monita's notes
- American English
“These grub-dog predators tend to sleep during the day and attack aggressively if woken from a nap. Bulborbs come in a wide variety of colors--now on sale at our gift shop!”
- Britsh English
“These Grub-dog predators tend to sleep during the day and attack aggressively if woken. ◆ Bulborbs come in a variety of colours and are now on sale at our souvenir shop.”
Biology
The Bulborb is among the creatures with the most diverse physiology in the Pikmin series. It possesses traits similar to those of amphibians, reptiles, and mammals. It has large bulbous eyes set in stalks, as opposed to the compound eyes of most insects. These eyes are purple in Pikmin and Pikmin 2, but appear more detailed starting in Pikmin 3, with large black pupils and blue irises.
Olimar mentions the Bulborbs having a set of mandibles. Mandibles are a pair of appendages near an insect's mouth, used for grinding and chewing food. The so-called mandibles Olimar mentions in his notes look nothing like normal mandibles and are instead most likely saber-teeth, used for breaking exoskeletons of prey insects and digging through the soil for roots. (That being said, "mandible" is also a technical term for the jaws, in which case its use is unremarkable.) Their diet is, however, quite the mystery, as they are equipped with eating both animal and vegetable life, but they are known to fully ignore Spectralids.
It seems that the juvenile Bulborb is the favored host of the parasitic Pikmin type known as Bulbmin. This type of Pikmin appears to control its host, causing the animal to behave less like a Bulborb and much more like a Pikmin, following a leader (which is naturally an older Bulbmin) and hunting in packs. The Bulborb is not observed at the two stages of development displayed by Bulbmin anywhere else in-game (unlike the Spotty Bulbear), so it is unknown whether Bulbmin are a common stage in Bulborb initial development or not, as symbiotic cooperation from the parasite would give this slightly weaker form of Grub-Dog an advantage in the subterranean environment that all stages of the Bulborb species are found in. The growth stages of Bulborb Larva seems to suggest that the size of Bulbmin comes from the parasitic Pikmin within. As Bulbmin are mentioned to not use an Onion, it is possible that adults give birth to the small Bulbmin that can be used by the leaders.
The Bulborbs' relationship with Grub-Dog young is complicated. They are very protective towards Dwarf Bulborbs, however this is likely a result of thinking not that they are children, but fully grown, albeit small, Bulborbs. Evidence to support this comes from the Pikmin Garden website for Pikmin 4, where the Bulborb is said to feed on growing Bulborb Larvae. Further complicating the matter is their tendency to eat Bulbmin, which have spots.
According to Olimar, when certain environmental changes occur, a female Bulborb can transform into an Empress Bulblax, taking on the role of a pack matriarch and giving birth to large amounts of larva. Any males not involved in reproduction also undergo sex changes within these packs. This behavior has never been observed directly, though the large amount of Grub-Dogs encountered in the 9th sublevel of the Hole of Heroes may be a result of this behavior. Bulborbs can give birth without transforming however, as stated in the Players Guide for Pikmin, Bulborbs give birth to their young high up in trees, where they jump down to the ground below when they develop spots. This was removed from the Pikmin 2 notes however, which are otherwise taken directly from the guide, so it is possible this has been retconned.
Development history
The Bulborb was created before the concept for Pikmin was established. When a game called Adam and Eve was being worked on, the Bulborb had been created to serve as a mammoth-like beast. When the concept for the game was scrapped, the Bulborb was reused for Pikmin. The "mammoth" properties of the beast, as mentioned by Shigeru Miyamoto, suggest that the first "Bulborb" creature to be developed was large, and hence, the Spotty Bulborb was likely the original, with the Dwarf Bulborb conceptually developed later as a smaller derivative.
The scientific name of the Bulborb is Oculus kageyamii russus. One of the character designers in Pikmin's credits is Daisuke Kageyama. This name similarity may mean that Daisuke Kageyama designed the Bulborb.
Their name in Pikmin is "Spotty Bulborb", and at this point, only one type of Bulborb exists in the game (besides the false variations of Bulborb, the Dwarf Bulborbs). For Pikmin 2, additional types of Bulborbs were introduced, but because they would all be Bulborbs and have spots on their backs, the original one needed a rename. Due to it being red while the others are orange and hairy, the name "Red Bulborb" was given to this enemy.
Ever since Pikmin 3, perhaps with the purpose to simplify things, its name became known simply as "Bulborb", despite two other types of Bulborb existing in the game: the Orange Bulborb and the Whiptongue Bulborb. In an attempt to flesh out this iconic enemy, its behavior was made slightly more complex in this game, in the form of it reacting to Pikmin thrown at its eyes with a flinch, and by looking at Pikmin while it chases them. These behaviors also happen with the other Bulborbs. In Pikmin 4, the Bulborb became a bright orange when compared to the yellow of Pikmin 3 and Hey! Pikmin, though nothing else changed in their appearance.
Other Games
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl
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This article or section is a short summary on the enemy in the Super Smash Bros. series. |
A Bulborb is the main stage hazard on the Distant Planet stage in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. It is considerably larger than a Bulborb in the Pikmin series, and will periodically appear on the right side of the stage. It occasionally opens its mouth, and any fighters that fall in will be eaten and taken away, resulting in a KO.
There is a sticker for a Bulborb in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, where it uses the final name "Bulborb".
In the Smash Run mode of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, a Bulborb appears as one of many enemies featured in the mode. It is one of the largest enemies in the game and has a comparable amount of knockback resistance. Its attacks are also deadly, KOing fighters with minimal effort.
A Bulborb appears in the background of the Garden of Hope stage in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Ultimate, but its purpose is merely cosmetic.
A Bulborb appears as a Spirit in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's Spirits Mode. It can be evolved into the Empress Bulblax Spirit at level 99. It can be obtained from the World of Light, the Spirit Board or from the Shop.
Brawl trophy
Smash 4 trophy
- 3DS
- Wii U
Smash Ultimate spirit
Spirit info | Augmented Fighter info | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Type | Class | Slots | Fighter(s) | Stage | Music | Rules/Hazards | Conditions | Image |
Bulborb | Shield | ★★ | 2 | Giant Yoshi | Distant Planet | Main Theme - Pikmin (Original) | • Attack Power ↑ | • Timed stamina battle • The enemy has increased attack power • The enemy favors neutral specials |
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Naming
- Common name: Bulborb. Its name is simplified to this as it's the most "basic" bulborb, compared to other ones; in fact, it is even referred to as the "basic bulborb" in Olimar's notes.[1] See here for details on the word "Bulborb". The term "Spotty Bulborb" was initially used to refer to this enemy in Pikmin, which is a translation of its Japanese name. The "Spotty" in this name is due to the spots it has on its back, while "Bulborb" refers to its big, round eyes. In Pikmin 2, it was called "Red Bulborb", referring to its primarily red coloration.
- Japanese nickname: チャッピー? (lit.: "Chappy"), or アカチャッピー? (lit.: "Red Chappy"). See here for details on the word "Chappy".
- Japanese name: ベニデメマダラ?. It translates to "Spotted Crimson Bug-eye", as pointed out by the Super Smash Bros. Brawl trophy. In Pikmin, its Japanese name was simply デメマダラ? (lit.: "Spotted Bug-eye").
- Scientific name: Oculus kageyamii russus. Russus is Latin for "red". See here for details on the genus and species. In the Pikmin Nintendo Player's Guide, the scientific name was simply Oculus kageyamii, as other subspecies hadn't been introduced.
- Internal names: Its internal name in Pikmin is
swallow
, given that the namechappy
is already used by the Dwarf Bulborb. The internal name in Pikmin 2 and Pikmin 3 is alsochappy
, the same as the Japanese name for Bulborb. In Hey! Pikmin, the enemy's internal and generator names are bothboss_chappy
, the same as before, but now acknowledging that it is a boss. - Prerelease: In an early script left inside Pikmin 2, the creature used to have the technical name Oculus kageyamii ssp RED.[2] The "ssp RED" means "subspecies RED" and is presumably a placeholder used until a proper word for "red" was found.
Names in other languages
Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
チャッピー Chappī アカチャッピー (Pikmin 2) Aka Chappī (Pikmin 2) ? |
Chappy Red Chappy (Pikmin 2) |
||
(traditional) |
恰比 Qiàbǐ |
Chappy | |
(simplified) |
恰比 Qiàbǐ |
Chappy | |
Bulborb | Bulborb | ||
Bulborbe à pois (Pikmin) Bulborbe rouge (Pikmin 2) Bulborbe (Pikmin 3, Pikmin 4, Pikmin Adventure) |
Spotty bulborb (Pikmin) Red bulborb (Pikmin 2) Bulborb (Pikmin 3, Pikmin 4, Pikmin Adventure) |
From "Bulb" (Protubering) and "orbe" (Orb). "Bulborbe" is the French name for Bulborb. | |
Roter Punktkäfer (Pikmin 2) Punktkäfer (Pikmin 3, Pikmin 4, Pikmin Adventure) |
Red Dot Beetle (Pikmin 2) Dot Beetle (Pikmin 3, Pikmin 4, Pikmin Adventure) |
||
Coleto Rosso (Pikmin 2) Coleto (Pikmin 4, Hey! Pikmin, Pikmin Adventure) |
Red Coleto (Pikmin 2) Coleto (Hey! Pikmin, Pikmin 4) |
"Coleto" may come from "boletus" (Latin for mushroom), as a bulborb's spots resemble those found on certain mushrooms "Coleto" is the Italian name for both Bulborb and Bulbear | |
차피 Chapi |
Chappy | ||
Bulbolho | Bulbeye | The name is a portmanteau of "bulbo" (bulb) and "olho" (eye) | |
Olborbo Orbolbo (Pikmin Adventure) |
Eyeborb | The name is a portmanteau of "Bulborb", the masculine suffix "-o", and possibly "bolbo" (bulb) or "olho" (eye) Name taken from a trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS | |
Bulbo Moteado (Pikmin) Bulbo rojo (Pikmin 2) Bulbo (Pikmin 3, Pikmin 4, Pikmin Adventure) |
Spotted Bulb (Pikmin) Red bulb (Pikmin 2) Bulb (Pikmin 3, Pikmin 4, Pikmin Adventure) |
||
Клубнеголов Klubnegolov |
The name is a portmanteau of клубника "klubnika" (strawberry) and голова "golova" (head) Name taken from a Nintendo Land plaza statue and a spirit in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate |
Gallery
Pikmin
The Spotty Bulborb in the enemy reel.
A dead Spotty Bulborb being carried off in an early version of Pikmin. Note how it is upside-down, unlike the final game, where it is simply slumped over.
Pikmin 2
A Red Bulborb in the Piklopedia.
The Piklopedia icon of the Red Bulborb in the Nintendo Switch version of Pikmin 2.
Pikmin 3
A Bulborb waking up after Alph was thrown onto it.
A Bulborb (on the left) burping after eating some Pikmin in Bingo Battle.
A Bulborb in Pikmin 3, hit on the eye in a prerelease version.
Pikmin 4
Artwork of a Bulborb enraged by a Lumiknoll's presence.
A sleeping Bulborb seen in the Piklopedia.
Prerelease image of a Bulborb frozen by Ice Pikmin.
Hey! Pikmin
The Bulborb's introduction cutscene in The Shadow in the Brush.
Captain Olimar and his squad of Pikmin walking under the Bulborb.
The Bulborb encounter in a prerelease version of Hey! Pikmin.
Pikmin Adventure
Other
The Bulborb's e-card, #01 (2nd red card).
A Bulborb in the Distant Planet stage in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
The Bulborb in Pikmin 100.
- See more: Bulborb images category.
Trivia
- On the title screen of Pikmin 2, pressing
/
will summon a Red Bulborb onto the screen. The player can control it by using
/
and can eat Pikmin using
/
.
- In the North American and Japanese versions of New Play Control! Pikmin, the sample rate for the Spotty Bulborb's sounds were set incorrectly causing their distinctive cries to be sped up to the point of unreconizability.[3] This bug has caused some players to think that the sounds of the Spotty Bulborb were replaced by mouse squeaks.
- If a Bomb Rock is planted near a Bulborb, the noise produced by the explosion will wake it up. If the bomb hits the Spotty Bulborb in Pikmin, it will jump awake with a yelp, the yelp being a lower pitched sample of a Breadbug being hit. This also applies to the Spotty Bulbear.
- In Pikmin 4, if a Bomb Rock is thrown at the correct angle, it can land in between the eye stalks of a deceased Bulborb and remain there until it explodes. This likely works with other Bulborbs of the same shape as these.
- The Brawl trophy game appearance section claims that the Red Bulborb first makes an appearance in Pikmin 2. This is incorrect, as the enemy is present in the first game as well. The only part about the trophy that debuted in Pikmin 2 is the name "Red Bulborb" – this enemy was known as "Spotty Bulborb" prior to that game.
- In the Nintendogs games, at the second-hand shop, there is a Bulborb toy on a shelf of products in a pre-rendered background shot.
- The appearance of the Bulborb somewhat resembles that of the Super Mushroom from the Mario series. Both have generally bulbous sides, backs, and tops that are red with white spots. Likewise, the red and white spotted patterns of both are broken up by beige-colored fronts with two eyes.
- The Red Bulborb, Hermit Crawmad, and Caustic Dweevil are the only known enemies in Pikmin 2 to have a clay figure modeled after them.
- It could be said that the Bulborb represents enemies in general in the Pikmin series, since it repeatedly appears as the icon whenever the game needs to refer to enemies: a stylized Bulborb icon is used to represent battle deaths in the day results menu of Pikmin 2 and the remaining enemy count in the Battle Enemies! mode of Pikmin 3, a Bulborb silhouette icon represents the Pokos earned through enemy bodies in the cave results menu of Pikmin 2 and is used to show how many enemies of a particular type have been killed in the Piklopedia of Pikmin 2, a Bulborb icon is used to represent the Piklopedias of Pikmin 2, Pikmin 3 Deluxe, and Pikmin 4. Bulborb icons appear in the Game Hunter, Animal Annotator, and Blast Radius (silhouetted in this case) badge icons for completing tasks related to defeating enemies in Pikmin 3 Deluxe; the Bulborb and its variants appear as the most frequently seen enemy during day lift off cutscenes. The Bulborb also appears very prominently in concept art, franchise merchandise, and in crossovers involving the series (such as in the Super Smash Bros. series). This role as the standard, ubiquitous enemy, however, is instead fulfilled by the Mockiwi in Hey! Pikmin.
See also
- Albino Dwarf Bulborb
- Bulborb Larva
- Dwarf Bulborb
- Frosty Bulborb
- Hairy Bulborb
- Jumbo Bulborb
- Mockiwi
- Orange Bulborb
- Spotty Bulbear
- Whiptongue Bulborb
References
- ^ “Bulborb
Oculus kageyamii russus
Grub-dog family
This large organism has the familiar mandibles and cranial morphology of the grub-dog family, as well as the characteristic bulging eyes. As with most grub-dogs, the creature's cranium comprises half of its total length and girth. Showing a scarlet abdomen with white spots, this creature is primarily nocturnal, choosing to prey upon smaller creatures returning to their nests. Originally classified as the spotty bulborb, further research has reclassified this species as the basic bulborb. Subspecies of varied colors have recently been discovered, but academics are divided into two rival camps over how to handle their classification.” – Captain Olimar in his entry on the Bulborb in Pikmin 3 Deluxe. - ^ Pikmin 2/Early English Script on The Cutting Room Floor
- ^ YouTube video where the start explains that the sounds are broken, published on November 30th, 2019, retrieved on July 4th, 2022