Man-at-Legs

Man-at-Legs
Appears in	Pikmin 2, Pikmin 4
Scientific name	Pseudoarachnia navaronia
Family	Arachnorb
Areas	Hero's Hideaway (Olimar's Shipwreck Tale)
Caves	Subterranean Complex, Hole of Heroes, Ultimate Testing Range, Cavern for a King
Challenge Mode stages	Secret Testing Range
Dandori Challenge stages	None
Dandori Battle stages	None
2-Player Battle stages	None
Attacks	Fire explosive projectiles

The Man-at-legs (ダマグモキャノン^?, lit.: "Cannon Orb Spider") is a member of the Arachnorb family, and first appeared as a boss in Pikmin 2 and reappears in Pikmin 4. It's one of two bio-mechanical creatures featured in the game, having a mostly mechanical torso sheathed in metal with four spindly legs – three of them are black, organic and spider-like, while the other one is mechanical; this makes attacking its feet impossible. Several exhaust pipes on its body continually emit smoke. Unlike other Arachnorbs, it has no flat footpads to stomp Pikmin with, instead relying on its long-ranged attacks and speed, quickly skittering around the room to avoid being attacked. When agitated, it stops in place, the panels of its underbelly separate and a machine gun-like weapon extends out, tracking any nearby targets via a laser sight before rapidly firing a barrage of explosive rounds at whatever it manages to lock-on to. After firing a few dozen shots, with minimal breaks in-between, it sheathes its weapon before continuing to move about. While moving, it will occasionally stand still to rest, roaring like its relatives.

Its interior appears to be filaments of biological matter that stretch to allow its gun to fold out. The creature is not without its flaws, though: it lets off steam with a loud hiss before it attacks, signaling the player's retreat, and there is a visible red laser it uses to target the Pikmin, making it obvious where it's going to shoot. However, the blasts come very quickly, so the laser is not of much use when avoiding the enemy.

The Man-at-Legs is not in control of its attacks, as stated by Olimar's notes. In typical Arachnorb manner, it leaves no body behind upon dying. However, instead of slowly disintegrating like its two relatives, it freezes and releases lots of steam while shaking a bit, before exploding violently.

This boss is usually found in arenas that have raised ground that can be used as shields against the blasts. It is only found on the last sublevel (9) of the Subterranean Complex, sublevel 13 of the Hole of Heroes, and sublevel 2 of the Secret Testing Range in Challenge Mode. As a side note, it cannot be petrified while it is dormant.

Stats

Game	Weight	Max. carriers	Seeds	Value	Health	Regen.
	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	2800	No
	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	5000	No

Notes

Olimar's notes

“This species of the arachnorb family fuses with machinery at a crucial point in the maturation process, giving it the ability to fire energy bursts from the launcher beneath its orbular torso. However, the man-at-legs itself is not in control of this weapon. Instead, the mechanical portions of its structure appear to automatically acquire and attack targets. The man-at-legs has a gentle disposition, and as a member of the arachnorb species, it has no natural enemies. It is particularly difficult to understand why this species would develop such awesome offensive capabilities, leading to rumors among the scientific community that it was the machinery that approached the arachnorb and proposed the symbiotic relationship.”

Louie's notes

“Although the meat is a bit on the metallic side, the oil makes a mouthwatering gravy or lubricative vinaigrette.”

Pikmin 2 Nintendo Player's Guide

“Lasers and machine-gun fire give the Man-at-legs the edge over any other spiderlike creature. Seek shelter when the mechanoid is in firing mode, then toss Pikmin at its body. Only when the body sinks to its lowest point will you be able to hit it with purples.”

Strategy

1. When the creature has fully risen from the ground and starts aiming, the player should run for cover behind an object. Once it starts walking around, it should be chased. It is most easily attacked when it stands still and lowers its head. When it shakes the Pikmin attacking it off in a fury, the player should hide again, and repeat the cycle.
2. A large mob of Purple Pikmin thrown at this enemy while it lies dormant in the ground should drop its health to a substantial fraction. Once it has risen fully, the first or third strategy should be used.
3. The creature is attacked until it has stood up all the way, and at that point it is petrified. As soon as the spray wears off, it should be petrified again. However, occasionally the Man-at-Legs will exit the stun and start shooting immediately, without the aiming laser.
4. Before the creature opens fire, the player can dismiss their Pikmin away from the Man-at-Legs and run in tight circles around its legs. As long as Olimar is closer to the creature than the Pikmin, he will be shot at, and with skill, unharmed. This strategy is easier to perform after obtaining the Rush Boots.

Unfortunately, the player faces the Man-at-Legs in a watery area two out of three times, leaving the aforementioned strategy of Purple Pikmin useless. In such circumstances, it is best to attempt the "Hit and Run" technique of number one. The second strategy does not work in New Play Control! Pikmin 2, as the creature is invincible while it is rising from the ground. The fourth method is effective, but hard to perform at times.

In Pikmin 4, its arenas usually have some mixture of vases and dirt walls that can be used for cover against its attacks. They will break after taking too many hits, requiring the player to move from one piece of cover to another to minimize the likelihood of being shot at; this is especially important when its health is low, as it will fire up to three barrages in a row before pausing and may stagger the timing between barrages to trick the player. It is advised to ride Oatchi while fighting the Man-at-Legs, since the Pikmin riding on his back cannot be shot at unless Oatchi himself is hit.

Technical information

Pikmin 2 technical information (?)
Internal name			houdai
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	2800
fp01	マップとの当り	Unknown (related to slopes)	10
fp02	ダメージスケールXZ	Horizontal damage scale	0.1
fp03	ダメージスケールY	Vertical damage scale	0.1
fp04	ダメージフレーム	Damage scale duration	0.5
fp05	質量	Unknown (weight?)	0.0001
fp06	速度	Move speed	250
fp08	回転速度率	Rotation acceleration	0.2
fp09	テリトリー	Territory radius	800
fp10	ホーム範囲	"Home" radius	75
fp11	プライベート距離	"Private" radius	70
fp12	視界距離	Sight radius	600
fp13	視界角度	FOV	180
fp14	探索距離	Unknown (exploration radius?)	800
fp15	探索角度	Unknown (exploration angle?)	7
fp16	振り払い率	Successful shake rate	1
fp17	振り払い力	Shake knockback	500
fp18	振り払いダメージ	Shake damage	0
fp19	振り払い範囲	Shake range	25
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?)	10
fp23	攻撃ヒット角度	Unknown (attack hit angle?)	0.004
fp24	攻撃力	Attack damage	10
fp25	視界高	Unknown (height visibility?)	50
fp26	探索高	Unknown (exploration height?)	40
fp27	ライフの高さ	HP wheel height	115
fp28	回転最大速度	Rotation speed	60
fp29	警戒時間	Unknown (warning time?)	15
fp30	警戒ライフ	Unknown	50
fp31	ライフ回復率	Regeneration rate	0
fp32	LOD半径	Off-camera radius	175
fp33	マップとのあたりポリゴンの選定	Collision processing radius	75
fp34	ピクミンとのあたり	Pikmin damage radius	20
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 (0%)
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	10
ip02	振り払い張付１	Shake mode 1 – Pikmin requirement	30
ip03	振り払い打撃Ｂ	Shake mode 2 – hit count	15
ip04	振り払い張付２	Shake mode 2 – Pikmin requirement	37
ip05	振り払い打撃Ｃ	Shake mode 3 – hit count	25
ip06	振り払い張付３	Shake mode 3 – Pikmin requirement	50
ip07	振り払い打撃Ｄ	Shake mode 4 – hit count	30
Specific properties
ID	Japanese comment	Property	Value
fp01	ベース係数	Unknown (base coefficient?)	9
fp02	上げ減速係数	Unknown	-0.1
fp03	下げ加速係数	Unknown	0.5
fp04	最低減加速係数	Unknown	-2
fp05	最高減加速係数	Unknown	10
fp06	足の振り上げ	Unknown (feet swing?)	40
fp10	射撃On:Max	Max shooting duration before a pause (does not increase overall shooting duration)	2.5
fp11	射撃On:Min	Min shooting duration before a pause	0.5
fp12	射撃Off:Max	Max time the pause lasts while shooting	1
fp13	射撃Off:Min	Min time the pause lasts while shooting	0.06
fp20	Last 2 Territory	"Territory" property (fp09) on the Hole of Heroes	130

Other information

• Size: Leg span: 170mm, as per the e-card
• Pikmin 2 Piklopedia number: #76
• Musical theme: Common boss battle

Naming

See more: Arachnorb family#Naming.

• Common name: Man-at-Legs. It is a pun on "man-at-arms", a professional soldier during the Middle Ages, with the word "Legs" referring to it being a member of the arachnorb family.
• Japanese nickname: ダマグモキャノン^?, lit.: "Cannon Orb Spider".
• Japanese name: アシボソエンマツユハライ^?, lit.: "Narrow-legged Yama Tsuyuharai".
• Scientific name: Pseudoarachnia navaronia. Navaronia is most likely a reference to the famous novel The Guns of Navarone, referring to the Man-at-Legs's own gun.
• Internal names: Internally, the boss is called houdai. ほうだい^? means "artillery battery", once more referring to the creature's firepower.
• Prerelease: None.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	ダマグモキャノン? Dama Gumo Kyanon	Orb Spider Cannon
Dutch	Ketelpoot	Boilerleg
French	Mécano-pattes (Pikmin 2) Mécanopattes (Pikmin 4)	Mechanic-paws (Pikmin 2) Mechanicpaws (Pikmin 4)	The names are both a compound of "mécano" (mechanic) and "pattes" (paws)
German	Weberbauer	Weaver builder
Italian	Ragno-macchina	Machine spider
Portuguese	Aracnomáquina	Arachnomachine	The name is a compound of "aracno" (arachno) and "máquina" (machine)
Spanish	Arañator	Spidetor	The name is "araña" (spider) with the suffix "-tor", referencing the pop culture character The Terminator

Gallery

• 

  Artwork of the Man-at-Legs from Pikmin 2.

• 

  The Man-at-Legs in the Piklopedia.

• 

  A Man-at-Legs in the Secret Testing Range, firing its weapon.

• 

  A dormant Man-at-Legs at the Subterranean Complex. Notice the web-like design on the floor.

• 

  A dormant Man-at-Legs up close.

• 

  The Man-at-Legs emerges.

• 

  Animation of a Man-at-Legs emerging.

• 

  The inside of the Man-at-Legs in Pikmin 2.

• 

  The Man-at-Legs' skin compared to a Beady Long Legs.

• 

  Olimar and Louie fighting two Man-at-Legs at once in an unused cave meant for enemy testing (last_4, sublevel 21).

• 

  The Man-at-Legs firing in Pikmin 4.

• 

  The creature's e-card, #32 (10^th blue card).

Trivia

• The overall appearance of the Man-at-Legs is likely based on the Martians from the novel The War of the Worlds. Both have a robotic and arachnid nature, as well as disproportionately thin legs. The way both creatures awaken is also by slowly lifting their spherical heads to reveal the legs attached to them. Both even have similar methods of attack, with deadly lasers.
• The Man-at-Legs also shares numerous similarities with the OG-9 Homing Spider Droid, being quadrupedal spider-like walkers with abdominal laser cannons. Both were released relatively close to each other, the Spider Droid preceding the Man-at-Legs by 2 years in Attack of the Clones.
• Like the Raging Long Legs, the Man-at-Legs uses Beady Long Legs's roar at a different pitch. There are no adjustments to make it sound more mechanical.
• Spider web patterns are seen on the floor of its battle arenas, similar to the shadows of webs in the Beady Long Legs and Raging Long Legs arenas.
• In the caves that it is found in, the Man-at-Legs appears to be somehow "buried" in solid metal in its dormant form. Its legs also come straight out of the solid ground, which also doesn't make much sense.
• Holes in its metal plating reveal "skin" with a texture similar to that of the Beady Long Legs.
• An unused cave reveals that two Man-at-Legs were to be fought in the same sublevel.
• It is unknown how Louie knows how to cook this beast, as it explodes after its health is degraded.
• This is the only member of the arachnorb family that isn't stated to be inedible or otherwise nearly unpalatable and unpleasant to consume according to Louie's notes on it, since he calls the oil a "mouthwatering gravy" and never mentions any unfortunate side effects of consuming the oil.
• This member of the arachnorb family is very different from its other relatives; it's the only one that doesn't crush Pikmin, fall from the sky (instead comes out of ground) and it is also the smallest known member.
• When its health reaches the halfway point, its mechanical legs' joints will start smoking.

See also

• Gatling Groink
• Beady Long Legs
• Raging Long Legs
• Baldy Long Legs
• Groovy Long Legs