Mushroom Pikmin

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A Mushroom Pikmin.

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Olimar with a large group of Mushroom Pikmin.

Mushroom Pikmin, sometimes known as Puffmin or Toadmin, are Pikmin who have been infected by a Puffstool's spores. These odd Pikmin, as with the Puffstool, are only seen in Pikmin. The spores of the Puffstool cause affected Pikmin to morph into a strange form. Their eyes become pupiless and dead-looking, their skin turns a dark shade of purple and an orange-brown mushroom cap grows over their leaf/bud/flower. Mushroom Pikmin each have the same stats as they did before they were converted, including attack power and resistance to hazards. They chase Captain Olimar and attack him. When they latch on and start attacking him, they make an unusual sound that resembles maniacal laughing. Until he shakes them off or loses all of his health, they will stay as Mushroom Pikmin.  If Captain Olimar is not being attacked, he can usually find them dancing around the Puffstool. Mushroom Pikmin don't attack normal Pikmin, only Olimar. However, normal Pikmin do attack Mushroom Pikmin. When a normal Pikmin hits a Mushroom Pikmin, quickly whistle at the Mushroom Pikmin. Then, the Mushroom Pikmin will have a better chance of returning back to normal after getting hit. Sometimes, however, Mushroom Pikmin will die automatically after one hit from the normal Pikmin, making Olimar unable to save them. If any Pikmin are in this state at the end of the day, they will die like any other Pikmin species left at sunset. In the New Play Control! version of the game, however, they will actually revert to their original form and become sprouts.

Glitch

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A single white Mushroom Pikmin attacks a Puffstool

An interesting glitch has been known to occur if Pikmin are knocked to the ground at the same time they are hit with the Puffstool's spores. Upon standing up, the Pikmin will change into a Mushroom Pikmin, but their skin will become the pale color they were before they became a Mushroom Pikmin and their mushroom will glow as if they are idle. These Pikmin will turn upon the Puffstool, attacking it as if they were still under the player's control. Rebel Mushroom Pikmin cannot be called back or controlled by Olimar, and unaffected Pikmin will still attack them, but can be returned to normal either by knocking them down or by defeating the Puffstool. Use this to Olimar's advantage, but don't beware, as it is NOT possible that they will turn from the glitched Mushroom Pikmin to a regular Mushroom Pikmin.They will turn back to regular pikmin.

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Mushroom Pikmin following their Puffstool leader.

It is possible to get the glitched Mushroom Pikmin under the command of Olimar, but it requires a different technique and is much more difficult to accomplish. If Pikmin are left idle by the Puffstool and called at the exact moment the creature inverts its cap (just before it blows its spores), the Pikmin may become a Mushroom Pikmin and rush to Olimar's side immediately after. Timing must be perfect or you may not get all of the Pikmin to follow you. Rebels under the player's command cannot be thrown or dismissed, but they can be directed with the (C) stick to fight enemies, carry food, and even pluck grass. However, they will become normal as soon as the task is completed and cannot be called back while working. Just as with the above glitch, normal Pikmin will attack rebels as if they were still under control of the Puffstool, they should be kept away from each other if possible.

Trivia

• These Pikmin were made into stickers, buttons, and plastic figures attached to lanyards and suction cups to promote the sale of Pikmin.

• Although visually identical to other Mushroom Pikmin, Pikmin infected by spores retain resistances specific to their previous forms. For example, if you run into a body of water while being followed by Mushroom Pikmin they will drown, except for the former Blue Pikmin.

• It normally takes a total of 200 hits from Mushroom Pikmin to take Olimar down.

• Mushroom Pikmin do not have any notes.

• These are the only Pikmin that don't have flowers, leaves, or buds.
• Its idle form is white with a bright red mushroom cap that doesn't glow like the other Pikmin.