Spherical Atlas

Spherical Atlas
Number	184
Series	Explorer's Friend Series
Value	× 200
Weight	101
Maximum carriers	100 Pikmin
Location	Emergence Cave
Challenge Mode levels	None

This article is about the top globe half that unlocks the Awakening Wood. For the bottom half that unlocks the Perplexing Pool, see Geographic Projection.

The Spherical Atlas (スフィアマップ^?, lit.: "Sphere Map")　is a treasure in Pikmin 2. It is a northern hemisphere of a globe; this being a representation of Earth suggests that PNF-404 is Earth. This heavy treasure is found on the last sublevel (2) of the Emergence Cave in the Valley of Repose. It requires at least one Purple Pikmin on it to lift it, as it weighs 101 units, more than 100, the maximum weight one hundred weaker Pikmin can carry. This is also the first cave Purple Pikmin are found in, on the same sublevel as the treasure. Before carrying the treasure, it is recommended to defeat the Snow Bulborbs nearby.

When this treasure has been retrieved, the Sphere Chart, part of the Exploration Kit, is unlocked, granting access to the Awakening Wood. This is made possible through the coordinates it provides the Hocotate ship. The day automatically ends as well. The Geographic Projection is also a globe half, this time a southern hemisphere; and it too unlocks a new area, the Perplexing Pool.

Model and texture

The Spherical Atlas is one of many treasures in Pikmin 2 that differs in apperance between regions. Depending on the version of the game, the globe is rotated such that the model's "front" is of each version's respective continent. This causes the treasure's discovery cutscene, collection cutscene, and Treasure Hoard entry to focus on that continent by default. The Geographic Projection has a similar reigonal difference, centering Oceania in the European version, and South America in the American and Japanese versions. Since Pikmin 2 (Nintendo Switch) is based on the North American version of Pikmin 2 worldwide, North America faces forwards in all versions of the Nintendo Switch port.

The treasure's discovery cutscene, in the Japanese, North American, and European versions of the game, respectively.

The Treasure Hoard icon for this treasure is the same in all versions, and is centered over the Pacific Ocean. In the Nintendo Switch port however, the icon was changed to center North America, matching the treasure's orientation in-game. The highlight texture for this treasure's model is called hilight_I4_bombsarai, and is the same highlight texture used for the Geographic Projection and Careening Dirigibug.

The globe depicts the world prior to the dissolution of the Soviet Union on December 25^th, 1991. Although central Europe is hardly recognizable, the Baltic and central Asian states are clearly part of what is now the Russian Federation.

Notes

Ship's dialogs

“It's inconceivable that such an immense object has been buried here for so long.

The design on the outer shell resembles the surface of the planet as seen from space!

Perhaps this can be used for something other than salvage.

But how will we ever lift it? I fear that even 100 red Pikmin will be unable to lift it!

---

There is a device resembling a microchip embedded inside this sphere. Retrieving data...

...Error. I could only decode a portion of the data, but I did retrieve new geographic charts.

I will input this data into my planetary database and name it the Sphere Chart.

Press START/PAUSE to contact me and access the Exploration Kit on the radar screen with L.

Now that we have this new data, you should explore the decoded territory tomorrow.”

Olimar's journal

“The purple Pikmin were somehow able to carry this massive treasure. Today, we measured their physical strength using the ship's onboard beefometer. It seems that they have ten times the weight and physical power of any other Pikmin. When I throw them, they land with a resounding thud. I've decided to commemorate the cave I first encountered them in by naming it Emergence Cave.”

Sales pitch

“The surface designs on this item are the map of a savage planet. This alone makes it valuable... But that is not all! Embedded within is a microchip filled with secret, incredibly detailed data. With this item, you'll know everything about this, that, and the other thing, too.”

Olimar's journal (Nintendo Switch)

“The purple Pikmin were somehow able to carry this massive treasure. Today, we measured their physical strength using the ship's onboard beefometer. It seems that they have 10 times the weight and physical power of any other Pikmin. When I throw them, they land with a resounding thud. I've decided to commemorate the cave I first encountered them in by naming it Emergence Cave.”

Gallery

This article or section is in need of more images. Particularly: Needs location images for all three regions and the EU discovery cutscene You can help Pikipedia by uploading some images.

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  Artwork of the Spherical Atlas in the North American version of Pikmin 2.

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  Alternate scan of the Spherical Atlas's artwork in the North American version of Pikmin 2.

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  Artwork of the Spherical Atlas in the Japanese version of Pikmin 2.

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  The Spherical Atlas' discovery cutscene in the North American version.

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  The Spherical Atlas' discovery cutscene in the European version.

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  The Spherical Atlas' discovery cutscene in the Japanese version.

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  The Spherical Atlas being analyzed by the Hocotate ship.

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  The Spherical Atlas being analyzed in the European version.

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  The Spherical Atlas being analyzed in the Japanese version.

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  The Spherical Atlas in the Treasure Hoard.

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  The Spherical Atlas in the Treasure Hoard in the Japanese version of Pikmin 2.

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  The Treasure Hoard icon of the Spherical Atlas in the Nintendo Switch version of Pikmin 2.

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  Texture used for the model.

Trivia

• In the North American version of the New Play Control! game, with the language set to French, the upgrade this treasure gives is called "Carte Sphérique" (Spherical Map) in the Ship's dialogs and "Système Solaire" (Solar System) in the pause menu. Since another upgrade is also called "Système Solaire" (the Solar System), this is likely a mistake.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	スフィアマップ? Sufia Mappu	Sphere Map
French	Atlas Sphérique	Spherical Atlas
German	Sphärenatlas	Sphere Atlas
Italian	Atlante sferico	Spherical Atlas
Spanish	Atlas esférico	Spherical atlas

See also

• Geographic Projection
• Awakening Wood
• PNF-404

This article was a featured article from April 2nd, 2017 to June 1st, 2017.