Puffstool

Puffstool
Appears in	Pikmin, Pikmin 4
Scientific name	Fungirussus elasticis Aspergilla podronis (Pikmin)
Family	Sporovid
Areas	The Forest Navel, Primordial Thicket
Caves	None
Challenge Mode stages	The Distant Spring
Dandori Challenge stages	None
Dandori Battle stages	None
Attacks	Possess Pikmin, confuse Pikmin

The Puffstool (ボケナメコ^?, lit.: "Stupid Nameko") is an enemy in Pikmin that appears to be a huge walking fungus, strongly resembling a red-capped bolete. It has twin antennae, a red-capped mushroom head and a tender yellow torso which is vulnerable to swarming. Only minimal details of the creature's biology of the game are supplied. The Puffstool is one of the enemies with which the crushing glitch happens fairly regularly; the frequency increased in the Wii version of the game.^{[source needed]} The Puffstool would return in Pikmin 4 after over two decades of absence.

The Puffstool will try to run when attacked, but its legs are clearly not made for sprinting and it trips easily, landing on its head with feet in the air. Since the cap is invulnerable to Pikmin attacks (but not Olimar's punch), one must throw the Pikmin onto its undersection once it's on the ground. After a few seconds, the Puffstool will right itself up and blow out a purplish cloud of spores which cause a strange change in nearby Pikmin, which the Puffstool acts as a leader for. Affected Pikmin turn purple, grow small brown mushroom caps on their stalks, and become aggressive.

In Pikmin 4, the Puffstool cannot create Mushroom Pikmin. However, it can still confuse Pikmin with its spores and cause them to jump around aimlessly.

Stats

Weight	Max. carriers	Seeds	Value	Health	Regen.
10	20	30	N/A	2500	Unknown

Notes

Olimar's voyage log

“This creature's cap is elastic, negating any Pikmin attacks. Attacking its lower torso works better, but the puffstool lets out spores that turn the Pikmin into mushrooms, which then attack me! They return to normal when shaken off.”

Reel notes

“Many consider this walking fungus a delicacy.”

Pikmin Official Player's Guide description

“Red sporovids seem to have developed higher functions than other fungi, as evidenced by the protruding reproductive organs on their caps. These organs act much like a flower would on a normal plant. This species appears to be able to separate for a short time from the fungal colony to which it belongs. This occurs when the mushroom cap has reached a certain size and the spore sac is full. It will then sever its connection to the colony to walk around a limited area to spread the spores. This walking form can no longer absorb nutrients from the colony, but if the released spores contact another living creature, spore-encased fungal filaments will begin an explosive cycle of reproduction within the host, taking over its central nervous system. The host will be controlled by the red sporovid within its area of activity. Edible, considered a delicacy. Referred to as "punchstool" in some locales.”

“Chase the puffstool and crowd your Pikmin around its feet to topple the mushroom. When it's upside-down, toss Pikmin onto its stem. If the puffstool flips back over, its cap will tremble—the telltale sign that it's about to release poisonous spores. Retreat or the spores will turn your Pikmin into zombies.”

Pikmin Nintendo Power booklet description

“This fearsome fungus releases spores that can take over the central nervous system of Pikmin. Infected Pikmin immediately go insane, ruthlessly attacking Captain Olimar.”

Strategy

The following article or section contains guides. The strategies shown are just suggestions.

See also: Mushroom Pikmin.

To quickly dispatch the Puffstool, the player should bring about 80 Red Pikmin into its arena. First swarm its legs with about 30 Pikmin. Be careful when swarming, because although the Puffstool flipping around won't harm Pikmin, there is a chance that the crushing glitch may happen. Don't throw the Pikmin, as they'll just bounce off of its cap and return to the group. It will try to run away, but flip over, legs flailing. In this state it can be killed by throwing all remaining Pikmin on top. It will die, and appear to deflate, leaving its cap, which can be carried by 10 Pikmin to their Onion.

To minimize the risk of losing Pikmin, it is recommended to attack only with the leader. Furthermore, the Puffstool has no attacks that could harm Olimar. Note, however, that this may consume a fair amount of time, and as the sporing habits of the Puffstool are fully predictable, having Pikmin turned into Mushroom Pikmin is usually not a problem for competent players. Should you run the risk of being attacked, however, just run away until the spore cloud dissipates. In the Gamecube and especially Wii versions, caution must be taken to avoid the crushing glitch. While the enemy is normally easy to defeat with the proper strategy, this glitch can cause inexplicable losses for the player. For minimal risk, use Olimar's punching to knock the enemy down, then attack with your pikmin.

It is also possible to drop some bomb-rocks on its feet, but because it is always running this can be hard, unless the creature is cornered. A successful explosion should sap away a quarter of its health.

Locations

Some regular Pikmin and some Mushroom Pikmin near a Puffstool in an early version of the game.

A single Puffstool can be found in The Forest Navel, where it holds the Omega Stabilizer. Once defeated, its cap can be returned to an Onion where it will produce 30 Pikmin seeds. Two Puffstools can also be found in The Distant Spring in Challenge Mode. According to the early screenshot to the right, a Puffstool would have appeared in The Forest of Hope on the plateau overlooking the small body of water where the trio of Burrowing Snagrets are in the final game.

Technical information

Pikmin technical information (?)
Internal name	kinoko
HP	2500

Other information

• Technical name in The Official Nintendo Player's Guide: Red Sporovid

Naming

See more: Sporovid family#Naming.

• Common name: Puffstool. It is a combination of "puff", referring to how it blows out spores, and "toadstool" (mushroom), referring to its appearance. The "puff" can also come from the name "puffball" which is given to any fungi in the division Basidiomycota.
• Japanese nickname: ボケナメコ^?, lit.: "Stupid Nameko". A nameko is a type of mushroom, and the adjective stupid is because of its appearance and behavior, mostly over how it trips when running away.
• Japanese name: アカボケオオナメコ^?, lit.: "Red Stupid Big Nameko".
• Scientific name: Fungirussus elasticis. Fungirussus is a combination of “fungi” and russus, Latin for red. Elasticis refers to the creature’s elastic cap. In the Player’s Guide for the original game, its scientific name is Aspergilla podronis. Podronis may refer to the pods some fungus releases through gases, much like the Puffstool does to infect Pikmin.
• Internal names: Internally, the enemy is known as kinoko, which is the Japanese word きのこ^? (lit.: "mushroom").
• Prerelease: None..

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ボケナメコ? Boke Nameko	Stupid Nameko
French	Champispore	Portmanteau of champignon (mushroom) and spore
French (NoA)	Champispore	Puffstool
German	Puffmorchel	Puffed Morel
Italian	Amanita panciuta	From amanita (a mushroom genus) and panciuto (potbellied)
Korean	멍텅버섯
Spanish (NoA)	Seta de Esporas	Spore Mushroom

Gallery

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• 

  The Puffstool in the enemy reel.

• 

  A Puffstool in The Distant Spring.

• 

  A Mushroom Pikmin.

• 

  A drawing of a Puffstool from the Pikmin Official Player's Guide.

Trivia

• If the player kills the Puffstool as it begins to get up, it will still do so and release its spores with its health indicating it is dead; a similar effect occurs when a Wollywog is defeated when jumping.
• There is an enemy in The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap called the Puffstool, which has a similar look and size; however, they have different Japanese names, so the reference may have been added in localization.
• When it flips onto its cap, it makes the same sound as the Anode Beetle flipping over.
• Occasionally, if Pikmin are carrying the remains back to the Onion in The Forest Navel, they will be unable to cross some of the bridges that lead back to base, rendering the remains uncollectable.
• The Puffstool's ability to control Olimar's Pikmin with its spores is possibly based on a real fungus called cordyceps, whose spores take over an insect's nervous system and force it to help the mushroom.

See also

• Mushroom Pikmin
• Puffstalk
• Toxstool
• Controlling Mushroom Pikmin
• Rebel Mushroom Pikmin