Crash

In computing, a crash, sometimes also referred to as a freeze, happens when a piece of software stops working properly and can not continue running. This is usually because the code has done something impossible, like trying to divide by zero, or read from an invalid memory position. Ideally, most software will be programmed in such a way that the final user can almost never cause the program to do something illegal, but some glitches or exploits can allow the user to do so. The Pikmin series also have a few glitches, exploits, and hacks that allow the player to crash the game.

When a crash happens in a Pikmin game, the game stops responding, and the player can do almost nothing except shut down the console and boot it back up. Crashes in Pikmin games are very rare, and the player will likely need to do them on purpose, but a corrupted or damaged game, saved game data, or system can all cause crashes. In this case, they should be replaced or repaired.

Besides crashing, some scenarios can also happen where the player is "softlocked". In these cases, the game continues playing and responding like normal, but it is in a state that does not allow the player to make any progress.

Ways to crash

The following are ways to make the games crash without using any hacks.

Pikmin

If the player's saved game data is corrupted, and the game attempts to repair it, the player can end up with save data that does not make any sense, and leaves the game in a state where many things can cause it to crash. An example would be to play on a day past day 30, and waiting for the day to end.

Besides that, there was also a rumored glitch in Pikmin that would allow the Beady Long Legs to walk out of its arena, fall into the pit, and crash the game. More information can be found here.

Pikmin 2

• Treasure delivery crash: If the player pauses the game in the same frame as a treasure collection cutscene starts, and then chooses to quit the cave, the game will crash shortly after.
• Glutton's Kitchen crashes: It is possible for the game to crash when the player is playing on Glutton's Kitchen sublevel 6. The reasons for this are not known.
• Cavernous Abyss loading crash: For unknown reasons, the game can crash while trying to load Cavernous Abyss.
• Petrified Volatile Dweevil suicide: In the Japanese version, using an ultra-bitter spray on a Volatile Dweevil that is about to explode will cause the game to crash.
• Onion discovery crash: If the player approaches the Red Onion with Louie for the first time, it produces a sprout. If there are already 100 Pikmin in the field, then the game tries to remove a Pikmin, but there are some common scenarios where a Pikmin cannot be removed. If all 100 Pikmin cannot be removed, then the Red Onion fails to produce the sprout, and the game crashes.
• Extinction crash: If the player is inside a cave and chooses to delve deeper in the same frame as a Pikmin extinction occurs, the game will crash shortly after.
• Softlocked leader during treasure collection crash: If the player falls out of bounds by using the seesaw block glitch and lays down using the Napsack while falling, the leader will sometimes lose his light on his head. Then, the player must immediately switch leaders, start carrying a treasure, and let this leader die. You will control the leader with the missing light again, but the screen will be glitched out. Once the treasure is collected, the game will crash.
• Pellet posy crash: Some pellet posies will change colors to match what Pikmin the player has unlocked. If the player has not unlocked any Pikmin yet, the pellet posy has no color to switch to, so the game crashes. Pellet posies in the Piklopedia can also cause a crash.
• Missing sprout crash: When the player approaches the Red Onion with Louie for the first time, a 20-second timer begins. If the timer finishes before Louie plucks the sprout, a Cutscene plays that focuses on the sprout that the Red Onion produced, which is meant to inform the player how to pluck the sprout. However, it is possible for no sprout to exist when this cutscene plays, which causes a crash.
• Missing paper bag crash: When 15 Pikmin are in the field for the first time, a 3-minute timer begins. If the timer finishes before the first paper bag is crushed, a Cutscene plays that focuses on the 15-weight paper bag, which is meant to inform the player how to crush the paper bag with weight. However, it is possible to be in a different area when the cutscene is meant to play, which causes a crash, since the 15-weight paper bag is not located in other maps.
• Disabling a wrong cutscene timer crash: Certain actions in the game cause cutscene timers to be disabled. For example, plucking your first red Pikmin disables the 20-second timer mentioned in the Missing sprout crash description, and crushing your first paper bag disables the 3-minute timer mentioned in the Missing paper bag crash description. However, it is possible to disable either timer while a different timer is counting down. This causes a crash. Note that letting Pikmin approach you for the first time disables a separate 1-second timer, so this can also be involved in a crash.

Pikmin 3

• Cardboard box crash: The game can crash some seconds after the cardboard box at the start of the first day is pushed.

Ways to softlock

Although not proper crashes, some glitches, exploits, or hacks could make the game be responsive and keep playing, but make the player unable to make any progress, and essentially, get stuck. The solution in these cases is usually to reset the console or shut the game down and turn it back on.

Pikmin

• Cardboard box cutscene softlock: Throwing the tenth Pikmin at the cardboard box in day 1, and then whistling some Pikmin back just as they were about to start pushing it will result in the pushing cutscene to start, but since there aren't enough Pikmin to do so, it won't move. The game will not advance until the box reaches the destination, and so the gameplay cannot continue.

Although not a softlock, it is also possible for some ship parts to disappear forever, and make the game impossible to complete, unless the player restarts the story. The Libra is the most famous example of this.

Pikmin 2

• Debt update softlock: If a treasure is recovered at the same time that a debt repayment update message cutscene starts, the game will enter the treasure analysis cutscene, but with some important aspects missing, like the ability to close the cutscene.

There is also a minor softlock, the spray nectar softlock, but this can be solved by having an enemy attack the leaders, or by having the day end, either with the natural time progression, or by using the pause menu.

Hey! Pikmin

• Black screen lock: Losing all Pikmin for the first time in a saved game at the same time that Olimar falls into a pit will result in the game staying stuck on a faded-out black screen. Only the music will keep playing.

Crash handler

The crash handler in Pikmin 2.

The following article or section is in need of assistance from someone who plays New Play Control! Pikmin 2. Particularly: Figure out if there's any crash handler in the New Play Control! version.

The following article or section is in need of assistance from someone who plays Pikmin 2. Particularly: The Interactive Multi Game Demo Disc Version 18 has a Pikmin 2 demo with an intact code map. Figure out if the crash handler exists in this demo, and determine if the intact code map allows it to decode the addresses more consistently.

In Pikmin 2 for the GameCube, if the game crashes, the player might be able to input a development button combination in order to get a crash handler screen to pop up. The code should be pressed one button at a time, and with ample time between each button press:

This was used by the developers to help figure out what went wrong when the game crashed during development. Because the core game itself is frozen, the handler writes the debugging data directly onto the framebuffer, and as a result, is a bit choppy and slow. When the crash handler is opened, it begins by scrolling down the entire report, line by line, and the user can only control it after it reaches the end. and scroll the report up and down, while goes to the start and goes to the bottom.

The first few lines contain information about what function crashed, and where in the code it is. Because the code map file in the game's data has been overwritten with garbage at some point during development, the handler will often be unable to decode the addresses and will simply show "no information". Everything else in the report consists of information about the type of error that occurred, and the state of some important locations of memory when that happened.