2-Player Battle

2-Player Battle menu screen.

2-Player Mode was introduced to the Pikmin series in Pikmin 2. It involves, as the name implies, two players, who control Captain Olimar and Louie, in control of up to 50 of each Red Pikmin Blue Pikmin respectively. 2-Player Mode takes place in underground areas, their layouts randomly generated. Each player has an appropriate Onion, near which a similarly-colored marble lies at the start of the game. There are four ways to win (see below) and ten differently-themed areas to play on, ranging in difficulty. Returning a cherry to your Onion will allow you a spin of the roulette wheel. To make things even, Red Pikmin have lost their extra strength.

Ways to win

• Take 4 yellow marbles to your Onion
• Take your opponent's marble to your Onion
• Pikmin Extinction
• Olimar/Louie is down!

Maps

• Battle Field
• War Path
• Carpet Plain
• Angle Maze
• Colosseum
• Rusty Gulch
• Brawl Yard
• Tile Lands
• Dim Labyrinth
• Hostile Territory

Roulette Wheel

The Roulette Wheel can be accessed when you find a cherry and a Pikmin successfully returns it to your Onion. You will have access to 12 different powers that benefit you, disadvantage your opponent or both, listed below:

• Ultra-Spicy Spray: gain one dose of Ultra-Spicy Spray.
• Ultra-Bitter Spray: gain one dose of Ultra-Bitter Spray.
• Volatile Dweevil: a Volatile Dweevil will fall near your opponent.
• Fiery/Watery Blowhog: a Fiery Blowhog will appear near Louie's Onion or a Watery Blowhog will appear near Olimar's Onion.
• Withering Blowhog: a Withering Blowhog will appear near your opponent's Onion.
• Swooping Snitchbug: a Swooping Snitchbug will appear near your opponent's Onion.
• Marble: your marble, if above ground, will bounce all the way back to your Onion, whether it is near or far.
• Boulders: several boulders will drop near your opponent.
• Flower: all of your Pikmin that are not planted in the ground will bloom into flowers.
• +5 Sprouts: you gain five Pikmin sprouts if you have less than 50.
• +10 Sprouts: you gain ten Pikmin sprouts if you have less than 50.
• Ghost: you and your Pikmin become invisible to your opponent for a limited amount of time (they can still see the dust from your footsteps, and their Pikmin still see you).

Note that enemies created upon a spin of the Roulette Wheel disappear completely on defeat, meaning their bodies cannot be returned to either Onion, and only last for a short amount of time regardless of whether they are attacked.

Pikmin Arithmetic

Enemies found underground in single player are also in 2-Player Mode. Below is a list of how many sprouts each creature is worth:

• Snow Bulborb: 4 sprouts
• Dwarf Orange Bulborb: 4 sprouts
• Breadbug: 4 sprouts
• Anode Beetle: 5 sprouts
• Careening Dirigibug: 8 sprouts

Strategies

These are basic strategies. Mix and match to do even better!

Wasting opponent's sprays

Sprays are a essential part of battle mode, as they can turn the tides in a Pikmin vs. Pikmin situation easily. Using a small squad, attacking the enemy might get the other player to use sprays prematurely. This can be repeated with the rest of the Pikmin.

Collecting marbles

With a small squad, the player can run to the opponent's base and steal the marble, assuming the other player is not there with a larger squad. Should the other player come to defend the marble, running up to him/her with the rest of the Pikmin can distract the enemy Pikmin from getting to the marble that is being carried away. Creatures can also be led to the enemy base as means of distraction or to kill idle Pikmin.

For yellow marbles, if the other player is likely to stop marbles from being brought back, it is advisable to collect ones that are on opposite side of each other, as it will force the other player to decide between them.

Defense

Leave about 3-5 pikmin at your marble to act as an alert system. When your numbers start to change, get back to base. They can also be left in crucial bottleneck passages.