Bulbmin

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Bulbmin
Appears in	Pikmin 2
Scientific name	Parasiticus pikminicus
Family	Pikmin
Areas	None
Caves	Frontier Cavern, Submerged Castle, Hole of Heroes
Challenge Mode stages	Green Hole, Hidden Garden
2-Player Battle stages	None
Attacks	Eat Pikmin

Bulbmin (adults: ハチャッピー^?, lit.: "Leaf Chappy", juvenile: コッパチャッピー^?, lit.: "Small Leaf Chappy") are a parasitic species of Pikmin in Pikmin 2 that infect Bulborbs, hence the name. They are only found in caves and there is no way to store them, meaning Bulbmin can only be used in the cave they are found in. They are resistant to all four hazards defined by the game, and are one of the only ways to gain Pikmin in a cave, making them a valuable asset.

Uniquely for a Pikmin type, they start out as enemies when they appear in a cave. An adult Bulbmin, closely resembling a Red Bulborb, is followed by up to 10 juvenile Bulbmin, which take on a more unique appearance (having completely black eyes rather than the blue or purple eyes of the dwarf and adult Bulborbs, uniquely proportioned and colored legs, and relatively fewer and larger white spots which are positioned differently than those of other Bulborbs) with a stem and leaf (or bud or flower) atop their back. They can be found wandering the floors of certain caves and behave much like the Spotty Bulbear, patrolling an established path. The adult Bulbmin is quite aggressive, but can be defeated quickly. When the adult Bulbmin is defeated, the juvenile Bulbmin will panic until whistled, at which point they will join the player's squad. At this point, they can be used like normal Pikmin. When the player uses a geyser to exit the cave, all Bulbmin in their squad are left behind.

As Pikmin

Bulbmin (juvenile)
Scientific name	Parasiticus pikminicus
Family	Pikmin (parasitic)
Resistance	Fire, electricity, water, poison, and tripping
Attack strength	Average(?)
Mobility	Average(?)
Throw	Average
Digging speed	Average(?)
Carrying capacity	1
Size	Body length: 15mm

As Pikmin that the player's leaders can use, the Bulbmin are identical to other Pikmin types, but look like Bulborbs and sound different. They have average capabilities in terms of mobility and strength, but are immune to all elemental hazards (fire, electricity, water, poison) and non-elemental hazards, and also cannot trip. As beneficial as their abilities may seem, they cannot leave the caves with the group, for an unknown reason. Instead, they stay behind and watch the leaders and fellow Pikmin leave. Because of this, they will not count towards the overall Pikmin count, although any deaths do count towards the lost Pikmin total. Them being left behind when a cave is exited does not count as a death, however. This makes them ideal for use in Candypop Buds.

These Pikmin infect Bulborbs and take control of them, but it is implied by Olimar that they can take on other hosts as well. There is no information regarding what Bulbmin without a host actually look like. It is possible that they are green, since they appear as green dots on the radar, and since their leaves glow green when idle. Although they may also be orange, given the color of their stem, as well as the color of the conical aiming cursor when a Bulbmin is in hand, and the color of the trail they produce when thrown. That said, what is known is that their buds and flowers are white, just like Red Pikmin, Yellow Pikmin and Blue Pikmin.

The only way that Bulbmin can be killed before ever being whistled is if they are crushed or they fall over the side of a level into the abyss when shaken by an enemy attack, explosion or other sufficient force. When that happens, their deaths will not count for the player's death tally.

Up to 10 juvenile Bulbmin can spawn with an adult Bulbmin, but they count towards the one hundred Pikmin limit when they spawn, so if the squad has more than ninety Pikmin when entering the sublevel, not all of the juvenile Bulbmin will spawn.

While Bulbmin only appear in Pikmin 2, Pikmin 4 introduces Glow Pikmin which could be considered a successor to the Bulbmin. Much like Bulbmin, Glow Pikmin are a unique Pikmin type which can only be obtained through special means, are immune to all elemental hazards, and are left behind when exiting a cave.

Stats

Weight	Max. carriers	Seeds	Value	Health	Regen.
7	14	10	× 3	300	No

Notes

Ship's dialogs

“The confused bulborb has fallen in with the Pikmin. They appear to coexist peacefully.

Strange... this bulborb has a leaf sprouting from its spine, much like the leaf on a Pikmin's head.”

Olimar's notes

“This loathsome creature is in fact a parasitic form of Pikmin that has infected a bulborb. Unlike Pikmin that nest in Pikmin Onions, this parasitic relative spends its life inside the body of a host, usually a bulborb. Juveniles fall in line and mimic the actions of their parent until maturing to full independence. By burying its rootlike limbs into the nervous system of the host bulborb and infusing it with natural hormonal excretions, the bulbmin is able to control virtually all of the host's bodily functions. However, the host's voracious appetite seems impossible to suppress.”

Louie's notes

“Grind the meat and season with allspice, salt, and ground white pepper. Press the seasoned meat into meat satchels, then panfry them with onions. Prior to serving, smother the brats with dijon mustard and sauerkraut. Buns are optional.”

Pikmin 2 Nintendo Player's Guide

“Large Bulbmin have a voracious appetite and can gobble up your Pikmin in a hurry. To avoid their mouths, attack them from their sides, and use purple Pikmin for maximum power. Once you've dealt with a Bulbmin leader, use your whistle to call its followers and bring them to your fold.”

Strategy

Pikmin

To ensure a low Pikmin loss, if not zero, wait until it approaches the active leader, then throw Pikmin rapidly on top of the beast, further to the back than the front. If done correctly and with good aim, it should shake them off and turn around slowly: it has been distracted, leaving a large time gap in which to swarm it. Do it, then, and it should die before any of the Pikmin it manages to swallow do. Also if it is attacked by other Bulbmin it will hesitate slightly before attacking allowing more time to deal damage.

As extra precautions or for an easier fight, use Purple Pikmin or an ultra-bitter spray if it captures any Pikmin.

Leaders

Approach the Bulbmin like a roaming Bulbear, attacking it from behind and avoiding its bite. Although its health is significantly lower than a Bulbear's, it can still take a substantial amount of time to kill without the Rocket Fist.

Technical information

Enemy

Pikmin 2 technical information (?)
Internal name			leafchappy
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	300
fp01	マップとの当り	Unknown (related to slopes)	20
fp02	ダメージスケールXZ	Horizontal damage scale	0.2
fp03	ダメージスケールY	Vertical damage scale	0.2
fp04	ダメージフレーム	Damage scale duration	0.35
fp05	質量	Unknown (weight?)	0.001
fp06	速度	Move speed	50
fp08	回転速度率	Rotation acceleration	0.2
fp09	テリトリー	Territory radius	400
fp10	ホーム範囲	"Home" radius	50
fp11	プライベート距離	"Private" radius	70
fp12	視界距離	Sight radius	300
fp13	視界角度	FOV	90
fp14	探索距離	Unknown (exploration radius?)	300
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	150
fp18	振り払いダメージ	Shake damage	1
fp19	振り払い範囲	Shake range	25
fp20	攻撃可能範囲	Unknown (shock attack max range?)	40
fp21	攻撃可能角度	Unknown (shock attack max angle?)	30
fp22	攻撃ヒット範囲	Unknown (attack hit range?)	50
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?)	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	35
fp33	マップとのあたりポリゴンの選定	Collision processing radius	30
fp34	ピクミンとのあたり	Pikmin damage radius	10
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	8
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	15
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	20
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	25
Specific properties
ID	Japanese comment	Property	Value
fp01	白ピクミン	White Pikmin poison damage	500

Pikmin

Pikmin 2 technical information (?)
Attack strength	10
Running speed	120 leaf, 140 bud, 170 flower
Digging speed	1× the norm

Other information

• Size: Body length: 50mm, as per the e-card
• Pikmin 2 Piklopedia number: #12

Naming

See more: Grub-dog family#Naming.

• Common name: Bulbmin. It is a combination of "Bulborb" and "Pikmin".
• Japanese nickname: The mature Bulbmin is called ハチャッピー^?, which means "Leaf Chappy"; "leaf" is because of the leaf coming out of their backs, and Chappy is the Japanese name for Bulborb. The juvenile Bulbmin is called コッパチャッピー^?.
• Japanese name: ヤドリピクミンとその宿主^?, lit.: "Parasitic Pikmin and its host". The name ヤドリピクミン^? (lit.: "Parasitic Pikmin") is translated in Pikmin 4 as "Hermikmin".
• Scientific name: Parasiticus pikminicus. Parasiticus is Latin for "parasitic", given that the Bulbmin itself is a parasitic life-form, and pikminicus is derived from "Pikmin".
• Internal names: Internally, they are known as leafchappy, which is the translation of their Japanese name.
• Prerelease: None.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ハチャッピー; コッパチャッピー? Ha Chappī; Koppa Chappī	Leaf Chappy; Small Leaf Chappy
French	Bulbikmin	From "Bulborb" and "Pikmin"
German	Punktmin	Dotmin; Portmanteau of "Punktkäfer" ("Dot Beetle", the Bulborbs German name) and "Pikmin".
Italian	Colmin	Portmanteau of "Coleto" (Bulborb in the Italian translations) and "Pikmin"
Portuguese	Bulbomin	Portmanteau of "Bulbolho" (Bulborb in the Portuguese translation) and "Pikmin"
Spanish (NoA)	Bulbikmin	Portmanteau of "Bulbo" (Bulborb in the Spanish translations) and "Pikmin"

Gallery

• 

  Artwork of an adult Bulbmin.

• 

  A Red Pikmin trying to carry an adult Bulbmin's corpse. The creature's size can be compared to the Bulborb with this image.

• 

  Bulbmin in the Piklopedia.

• 

  Close-up of a group of juvenile Bulbmin in the Piklopedia.

• 

  Clay artwork of a juvenile Bulbmin.

• 

  Clay artwork of a juvenile Bulbmin and a Red Pikmin.

• 

  Cropped screenshot of a juvenile Bulbmin.

• 

  The cutscene that plays when Bulbmin are discovered.

• 

  Juvenile Bulbmin in a panic.

• 

  A close-up screenshot of a juvenile Bulbmin.

• 

  A Red Pikmin and a juvenile Bulbmin destroying a fire geyser.

• 

  A juvinile Bulbmin with a bud.

• 

  Juvinile Bulbmin as they appear on the map screen.

• 

  How the carrying behavior of Bulbmin works in the field with the use of cheating devices.

• 

  The Piklopedia icon of the Bulbmin in the Nintendo Switch version of Pikmin 2.

• 

  The Bulbmin's e-card, #12 (13^th red card).

• 

  Concept art of a Bulbmin and "parasitic" Green Pikmin for Pikmin 3.

Trivia

• In an official Japanese poll, Bulbmin and their juveniles were ranked as the most popular Bulborb enemy in Pikmin 2, even above the Dwarf Red Bulborb and Red Bulborb.

The three stages of Bulbmin sprouts in the ground.

• The only place where Bulbmin can be buried – and hence, the only place where one can observe Bulbmin with buds – is the Frontier Cavern, on its fourth and fifth sublevels. Swooping Snitchbugs can plant them in the ground on the former and they can be planted by Mamutas on the latter.
• If the game is altered such that it allows Bulbmin on the surface, they will take refuge in the ship's storage when the day ends, just like Purple Pikmin and White Pikmin. They will still count towards Olimar's Pikmin count, but they cannot be taken out of the ship the next morning. Like the other ship-dwelling types, they will take fallen foes or pellets to a random Onion and will tote any other objects, like berries, to their correct location. They will still be immune to all hazards.
• Although all Bulbmin are immune to poison gas, the adult Bulbmin will take a fair amount of damage upon eating a White Pikmin.
• Bulbmin can actually be found in the game files of Pikmin 3, despite them being absent in-game. Because of their model being identical to the one in Pikmin 2, it can be assumed that the idea of them returning was scrapped early in development.
• It seems that the only Bulborb that the Bulbmin tends to take hostage is the Red Bulborb, even when it would make more sense to take control of a Hairy Bulborb in cold caves. This is generally in line with real-life biology, where a parasite will be specialized to take only one specific species as a host.
• Bulbmin are the only Pikmin that were created before Super Smash Bros. Brawl and do not appear in that game in any way, or in any other subsequent Smash title.
• A Bulbmin appears on the New Play Control! Pikmin 2 Channel Screen.
• Strangely enough, the young Bulbmin do not die when caught in an explosion while under the control of the mature Bulbmin. However, when under the player's control, they can die by explosions. This is more of a useful tip, since the mature Bulbmin can die from it, and the young will remain fine.
• When juvenile Bulbmin perish, their souls appear as any other enemies' souls, not as Pikmin souls. This may likely be due to how the Bulbmin find a bulborb host, in which the host ends up losing its life as well.
• Bulbmin are the first type to have a unique voice, and are the only type with unique voice samples in Pikmin 2.
• They, along with Breadbugs, can be cannibalistic, as the adult Bulbmin will eat juvenile Bulbmin following a leader.
• The Pikmin appear to be orange, as hinted by the picture above, and by the orange coloration seen at the tip where the stem meets the leaf/bud/flower. If this is the case, they would be the only Pikmin type to have a separate idle glow/map icon color than their main coloration.
  • That being said, the orange coloration of the stem could be explained to be a translation of the orange gradient that separates the yellow front and the red back of the Bulbmin, or simply an arbitrary aesthetic choice to distinguish their stems from Red Pikmin.
• Besides the size, adult Bulbmin and juvenile Bulbmin can be distinguished by the number of spots on their backs.
• According to the Japanese version of Olimar's notes on the Bulbmin, the Pikmin attaches its limbs to the host's ganglia and secretes endocrine disruptors. Additionally, it is mentioned that a recent theory suggests that it might be symbiotic rather than parasitic.
• Although Bulbmin are not present in Pikmin 4, they are mentioned by Olimar to be Ambuloradicis akin to the Startle Spore.

See also

• Pikmin family
• Red Bulborb
• Captain Olimar as a Pikmin
• Startle Spore

This article was a featured article from December 3rd, 2008 to January 26th, 2009.