Hocotate ship

Hocotate ship
Name	Hocotate ship
Age	Over 50 years old
Home planet	Hocotate
Known related characters	None
Height	Unknown
Voice actor	Kazumi Totaka (Pikmin 2 )
First game	Pikmin 2
Latest game	Pikmin 3 Deluxe

"Ship" redirects here. For other uses, see ship (disambiguation).

The Hocotate ship (ドルフィン初号機^?, lit.: "S.S. Dolphin first model") (usually called simply the ship) refers to Hocotate Freight's company ship in Pikmin 2. It is an old ship, being part of Hocotate Freight since its very beginnings. Unlike the S.S. Dolphin, the Hocotate ship is capable of speech, replacing most of Olimar's in-game speech, and takes on the role of giving advice throughout the game. Olimar makes his opinion of its personality being pompous and quirky known in his journal. It sports two cockpits and a detachable pod, where its speaker is located.

Biography

History

This old Hocotate Freight ship was used when Hocotate Freight first opened.. The ship has some visible dirt and rust damage on its hull, indicating it has been in use for quite some time; Olimar even talks about how it has many holes all over it. Olimar also mentions it once used to be a "top-of-the-line vessel", hinting that the Hocotate ship's design was mass-produced, before being taken off the market. According to the Japanese website for Pikmin 2, the ship retired a few years before the events of the game took place. It wasn't sold due to it appearing to be nothing but junk, but it actually surpasses the capabilities of recent ships due to years of experience.

When Olimar returns from the Distant Planet, his ship is sold off, and the Hocotate Ship declares a souvenir Olimar brought back to be highly valuable. The President sends Olimar and Louie back to the planet to get more treasure, using the Ship as transportation. The Ship guides them throughout their journey, making use of Olimar's voyage log from the previous game according to the Japanese Website, although it seems not all the data could be recovered. The ship also uses various junk the President sent with his employees to create the Exploration Kit. After the debt is paid off, it gains a golden hull and is seemingly given a tune up, as it produces less noise when nearby.

Closeup of the wrecked ship in Pikmin 3.

In Pikmin 3, the ship makes a small appearance in the Garden of Hope, just outside where the Quaggled Mireclops is fought. It is out-of-bounds, but it can be reached by throwing leaders on a split log, then throwing a leader onto the ledge. It is heavily damaged, stuck to the ground, and missing its golden paint job. The Koppaite leaders assume that this was the Quaggled Mireclops' doing. In a nearby data file, Olimar mentions that the ship was once a top-of-the-line product, but he now dislikes it. The reason for that is a bit vague, since the data file changes between regions. In the US version, he claims the ship is an insult to his piloting, but in the European version, claims the ship actively criticizes his piloting skills.

After Olimar is rescued by the Koppaites, he is soon sent back to PNF-404 to recover the Hocotate Ship alongside Louie. They find it in the Garden of Hope, and begin collecting its scattered parts. These parts include the Main Engine, Chronos Reactor, Repair-type Bolt, Analog Computer, and Nova Blaster. After the repairs, Olimar and Louie return to Hocotate, with the Pikmin watching the Hocotate Ship fly away.

The Ship is not seen or mentioned directly in Pikmin 4, although Schnauz recites various sales pitches from Pikmin 2, and says he has heard the pitch for the Cupid's Grenade somewhere before. It is said that a popular treasure naming AI was co-authored by a famous treasure appraiser, likely being Schnauz. Schnauz also says the Citrus Lump's shape reminds him of a colleague, and as Olimar says it resembles the President's head in Pikmin 2, it can be inferred that Schnauz and the President authored the Hocotate Ship's naming AI together.

Personality

The Hocotate ship is highly greedy and quirky. Sometimes, it makes up lies about treasures in its sales pitches, solely to entice buyers to make money. The Hocotate ship also has an extreme hatred for bugs, which Olimar mentions multiple times in his notes,, as a pun on programming bugs. The Ship seems to show mild intrigue in PNF-404, telling Olimar to document the White Pikmin for "future generations", and becoming entranced by the wild Blue Pikmin.

The Hocotate ship also laments how it is a machine that cannot do any organic bodily functions and that it lacks friends. Regardless, the ship will often attempt to criticize Olimar on failing to do his duty properly, such as calling him when he has not attempted to use Louie on day 3 or pointing out flaws in his argument that the Universal Com is actually a monitor.

Capabilities

The Hocotate ship can store Pikmin and treasures, and will house both White Pikmin and Purple Pikmin once they are found. Unlike the S.S. Dolphin, the leaders cannot check how many treasures have been collected using it, nor can they restore their suit's damage meter, though it is stated in Olimar's notes for the Toxic Toadstool that the ship's reactor can power Olimar's and Louie's life support systems indefinitely, explaining the lack of a 30-day-timelimit that was present in the previous game. Standing in the green light and pressing  / before Purple Pikmin have been found does nothing. The ship has two cockpits, and is capable of deep space communication, sending a report each night to Hocotate and receiving mail. To do this it must be in orbit around PNF-404. The ship can dispatch a Research Pod for traveling underground.

Research Pod

The Research Pod.

When the leaders go into a cave, the ship dispatches its nose cone, known as the Research Pod, and sends it down to support them. Anything that the Pikmin pick up will be carried to the Pod and stored in its hull until the player leaves the cave. On leaving a cave via a geyser, the treasure worth of these is added to the total.

If the player chooses to leave by selecting the option in the pause menu, the Pod will dispose all treasures and creatures that were collected and return to the surface with the leaders and Pikmin. This will happen automatically if all Pikmin on the sublevel die or both leaders are down, and cannot be stopped without resetting the game. The discarded treasures will be returned to the sublevels they were found in.

After the player pays off the debt and the ship is upgraded, a scratching noise can sometimes be heard when near the equally-upgraded research pod.

• 

  The Research Pod as shown in-game.

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  The Research Pod turns gold after the debt is repaid.

Sales pitch

When one complete "series" of treasures has been collected, the ship's sales pitches become available. This is an advertisement for the treasure as if it were a product.

Example (Superstick Textile):

“The latest must-have item for all ship emergency-repair kits, this miracle fabric is a lifesaver! Its adhesive power is so great, once it's applied, it can never be removed... Not even surgically!”

In other games

Pikmin Adventure

The Ship as seen in the Nintendo Land Plaza.

In the Nintendo Land attraction Pikmin Adventure, the ship is the goal point in every level. In the plaza, there is an unlockable statue of it called The Ship.

Monita's notes

 US version:

“This is the ship that Olimar piloted during his legendary employment at Hocotate Freight. This one doesn't actually speak, though, which is probably best for everyone.”

 European version:

“A replica of the ship that Olimar piloted during his employment at Hocotate Freight. This one doesn't actually speak, though, which is probably best for everyone.”

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

For info about the ship in the "End of Day" Final Smash, see End of Day.

The ship appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. During the beginning of a match, Olimar enters the stage in the ship and jumps out to pluck three Pikmin. When Olimar uses his Final Smash, "End of Day", he hops in the ship while Bulborbs cause damage to his opponents. Olimar then crashes down back on the stage, sometimes further harming his opponents. In the Subspace Emissary, the ship appears in the "Outside the Ancient Ruins" stage, stuck in the background, indicating how Olimar got to the island. It somehow got off the island by itself, as Olimar is seen piloting the ship alongside a number of other airborne vehicles while entering Subspace. In the Great Maze section of the Emissary, it appears in the background as part of the level's scenery, although this ship is an illusion created by Tabuu. The ship also appears as a trophy and a sticker.

Trophy information:

	Description: “A battered old spaceship used when Hocotate Freight first opened. Its appraisal gauge analyzed garbage Olimar brought home and found it to be valuable. With his new ship sold off to pay company debts, Louie and Olimar flew this one back to the Pikmin world to find more treasure. The ship's removable research pod accompanied the adventurers when they ventured underground. Pikmin 2”
How to obtain: Found in a cube in the level "Outside the Ancient Ruins".		Type: Fighter Related

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

The Hocotate Bomb item in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U.

This article or section is a short summary on the ship in the Smash series. SmashWiki features more in-depth content.

For info about the ship in the "End of Day" Final Smash, see End of Day.

The ship retains most of its Brawl appearances in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, excluding the sticker and Subspace Emissary.

In addition, it appears in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as an item as well. However, it is not the real ship, but rather a bomb disguised as it. When placed on the ground, it lifts off after a delay, and then drops unexpectedly, causing it to explode and damage anybody but the launcher.

Trophy information on the 3DS:

	US description: “With the outward appearance of a Hocotate Freight ship, this is actually a bomb in disguise! Arm it by throwing it on the ground, and give it a nudge if you're impatient. It'll fly up into the sky, returning a short time later and exploding. Force your foes into the landing zone!”
	EU description: “The flagship of Hocotate Freight has been reinvented as...a bomb! To arm it, throw it, then wait. Or give it a nudge – up to you. It'll shoot up in the air, then after a bit, fall back down to its starting point and go off. Try to remember where it was set off – you really don't want to get caught in the blast.”
How to obtain: Random appearance.		Type: Item

Trophy information on the Wii U:

	US description: “With the outward appearance of a Hocotate Freight ship, this is actually a bomb in disguise! Arm it by throwing it on the ground, and give it a nudge if you're impatient. It'll fly up into the sky, returning a short time later and exploding. Force your foes into the landing zone! Appears in: Pikmin (12/2001) Pikmin 2 (08/2004)”
	EU description: “The flagship of Hocotate Freight has been reinvented as...a bomb! To arm it, throw it, then wait. Or give it a nudge – up to you. It'll shoot up in the air, then after a bit, fall back down to its starting point and go off. Try to remember where it was set off – you really don't want to get caught in the blast. Related Games Pikmin (06/2002) Pikmin 2 (10/2004)”
How to obtain: Random appearance.		Type: Item	Trophy Box: 62. Space Explorer

Super Mario Galaxy

Super Mario Galaxy's version of the ship.

Super Mario Galaxy has two planets shaped very similarly to the Hocotate ship, one located in the Space Junk Galaxy and the other in the Ghostly Galaxy (the latter cannot be accessed). It is likewise a red, rusted color.

Profiles

Pikmin 2 Japanese website

Text

“ホコタテ運送創業以来の社長の相棒。長い間バリバリ働いていたが、ここ数年は現役を退き倉庫に眠っていた。会社の規模拡大に伴い、次々と新しい高性能な貨物船が導入されたことが引退の理由だが、経験に裏付けされた航行能力は、むしろ最新型を上回っている。実は、社長の話し相手にさせられていたというのがどうやら本当のところのようだ。多くの借金を抱えた今回の経営危機には、見た目のポンコツぶりが幸いして売れ残った。オリマーが持ち帰った遭難の記録をを^[sic]インプットして、探検をサポートすることになる。”

Translation

“A partner of the president since the establishment of Hocotate Freight. Although it had worked hard for a long time, it retired from working and has been lying in a warehouse for the past few years. The reason for its retirement is that new high-performance cargo ships were introduced one after another as the company expanded its scale, but its navigational ability, backed by its experience, is rather superior to the latest models. The truth is, apparently, that it was made into the president's conversation partner. In the current business crisis, which has brought about a lot of debt, it was fortunate to remain unsold due to looking like a piece of junk. With the input of the shipwreck records brought back by Olimar, it will be providing support for the exploration.”

Pikmin personality test

Text

“あなたの性格は…

ドルフィン初号機です。

表面的には、やかましいぐらいおしゃべり。

でも、じつは心の中はちょっとドライ。”

Translation

“Your personality is…

the ship.

On the surface, you're chatty to the point of being loud.

However, you're a little cold on the inside.”

Naming

Official name and naming errors

The official name of this ship is quite the conundrum. While simply called "the ship", "my ship", "our ship" or "the Hocotate ship" in the English versions of Pikmin 2 and Pikmin 3, in the Japanese games the ship is in fact referred to as "S.S. Dolphin first model". Since the original S.S. Dolphin (ドルフィン号^?) and this ship (ドルフィン初号機^?) both have "Dolphin" in their Japanese name, a number of errors arise. Possibly attributed to different translators unfamiliar with Pikmin or simple oversights, the Hocotate ship is sometimes called "the S.S. Dolphin" when it should be "the Hocotate ship" or "the ship".

For example, in the Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U trophy, it's stated that Olimar boards "the S.S. Dolphin" for his Final Smash, however he is in fact boarding the Hocotate ship. This mistake is not present in the Japanese version.

An interesting possible oversight is found in Pikmin 3: in the Secret Files Olimar states that he is the captain of the S.S. Dolphin (ドルフィン号^?) – normally players would assume that he is talking about the original S.S. Dolphin from the first game, however knowing this information it becomes apparent that he could in fact be talking about this ship. This explains why in Louie's secret file he presents himself as a crew member of the S.S. Dolphin. It makes more sense to assume that Olimar is talking about being captain of the Dolphin he is currently piloting and not the one that was sold and is no longer his, and for Louie to consider himself a crew member of the only Dolphin he has boarded. However if this is true, Pikmin 3 would be the first time the Hocotate ship is referred to as "S.S. Dolphin" by the characters, mainly Olimar.

There are other times when the ship is referred to in Pikmin 2, but none of those end up giving it a proper name. In the manual, it is referred to as "the old ship", "your ship", "the ship", etc. In the pause menu in Pikmin 2, the numbers of stored White and Purple Pikmin are listed in a section called "Rocket". In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, a non-canon game, the trophy for the rocket calls it "Hocotate Ship", although the "S" is uppercase.

Other names given include:

• Hocotate Freight ship: Mentioned in the intro cutscene for Olimar's Comeback.
• In the Italian version of Pikmin 3 Deluxe, the ship is referred as "The Dolphin Prototype" in Olimar's Comeback, reflecting it's Japanese name.

Because of how hard it is to know the ship's canon name, most fans call the ship "Hocotate ship", "Hocotate Freight ship", or "the ship", depending on the game, the version, and their own preferences.

Internal and prototype names

The ship is identified as "Dolphin 1" in the prototype version of Pikmin 2's script. Similarly, its internal name in Super Smash Bros. Brawl's files is Dolfin. The internal name inside Pikmin 2 and Pikmin 3's files is ufo.

Other names

As a sticker in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the vessel is referred to as "Olimar and Louie's Ship". In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, the ship is made into an item, but is called "Hocotate Bomb" instead. This is naturally just the name of the item itself, and not the ship in the Pikmin games.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ドルフィン初号機? Dorufin Shogouki	S.S. Dolphin first model
French	Vaisseau	Ship
Italian	Prototipo della Dolphin	Dolphin prototype
Korean	돌핀 초호기 Dolpin Chohogi

Research Pod

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	探査ポッド? Tansa Poddo	Exploration Pod	It is the same name as the S.S. Dolphin II's exploration pod
German	Forschungsgondel	Research gondola
Italian	Capsula di ricerca	Research Pod
Korean	탐사 포트 Tamsa Poteu
Spanish	Módulo de exploración	Exploration module

Gallery

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  Clay artwork of the Hocotate ship from Pikmin 2.

• 

  Wallpaper of the Hocotate ship from Pikmin 2.

• 

  2D artwork of the Hocotate ship from Pikmin 2.

• 

  2D artwork of the Research Pod from Pikmin 2.

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  The Hocotate ship in Pikmin 2's Debt Repayment Cinema.

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  The Hocotate ship in the Perplexing Pool.

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  The ship once the debt has been repaid, in the Perplexing Pool.

• 

  The sofa and television inside of the golden ship's passenger cockpit.

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  The TV's animated screen.

• 

  Texture used for the holographic panels that appear when the active leader is able to put in or pull out Purple and/or White Pikmin.

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  Brittany finding the Hocotate ship in the ground in Pikmin 3.

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  Side view of the wrecked ship.

• 

  Back view of the wrecked ship.

• 

  The ship's Main Engine in First Part Found.

• 

  The ship's Chronos Reactor in Another Part Found.

• 

  The ship's Analog Computer in The Ship Restored.

• 

  The ship's Nova Blaster in The Ship Restored.

• 

  The ship's Repair-type Bolt in The Ship Restored.

• 

  The Hocotate ship in the ending cutscene of Olimar's Comeback.

• 

  Captain Olimar walking into the Hocotate ship in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

• 

  The Hocotate ship flying off in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, as part of Olimar's Final Smash.

• 

  The angel logo on the Hocotate ship's sides, as seen in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Trivia

• The trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U lists Pikmin as one of the games the ship appeared in, which is incorrect – it made its debut in Pikmin 2.
• The passenger cockpit in the golden version of the Hocotate ship has a sofa and a television for the President. This can be barely seen by manipulating the camera. That said, its screen pulsates between a dark shade and a strong cyan, but this effect cannot be seen from the glass due to the way the game is rendered. By moving the camera inside, for instance, with an emulator, one can see the pulsating effect in action.
• In Occupational Hazards, the Research Pod does not use its speaking noises from Pikmin 2, but rather uses the same speaking noises that the S.S. Drake does.
• In Louie's Dark Secret, Louie pilots the Hocotate ship when tasked with delivering the golden pikpik carrots.
• Three of the Hocotate ship's parts are worth a combined  × 2000 in The Ship Restored.

See also

• Hocotate ship's dialogs
• S.S. Dolphin
• S.S. Dolphin II
• S.S. Drake
• S.S. Shepherd

References

This article was a featured article from August 29th to October 10th, 2008.