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Boss: Difference between revisions

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(Wanted to get this down now to clarify how complicated the definition of "boss" is this time around. As said in this article, this is open to be discussed/changed.)
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=== ''Pikmin 3 Deluxe'' ===
=== ''Pikmin 3 Deluxe'' ===
The final day of [[Olimar's Comeback]], [[The Ship Restored]], has a unique boss fight against golden variants of the Baldy Long Legs and Shaggy Long Legs (the latter with larger feet). This fight has unique battle music. While this fight isn't much different from either of their normal variants, they warrant distinction as their fight comes with a unique boss theme.
The final day of [[Olimar's Comeback]], [[The Ship Restored]], has a unique boss fight against golden variants of the Baldy Long Legs and Shaggy Long Legs (the latter with larger feet). This fight has unique battle music. While this fight isn't much different from either of their normal variants, they warrant distinction as their fight comes with a unique boss theme.
== Bosses in ''Pikmin 4'' ==
{{stub|See if the game files have anything to help define this better.}}
Unlike the two game's prior, {{p4}} definition of a boss is unclear and inconsistent. The best way to define them is by the music cue that commonly accompanies them when they are encountered. However, some enemies use two different themes for different encounters. For instance, a [[Sovereign Bulblax]] uses a major boss cue at the bottom of the [[Subterranean Swarm]] and within the [[Cavern for a King]], but uses a minor boss drumbeat when encountered in the [[Giant's Hearth]].
Because of this, the bottom classification is mostly conjecture and not finalized.
=== Major Bosses in ''Pikmin 4'' ===
Bosses in ''Pikmin 4'' are defined by the dramatic sting that begins and ends their unique battle themes, similar in tone to the boss themes of Pikmin 2 and Pikmin 3. This also includes enemies that have their own unique battle themes that do not include the cue.
{{columns|2|
* {{icon|Foolix|y|v=P4}}
* {{icon|Emperor Bulblax|y|v=P4}}
* {{icon|Waterwraith|y|v=P4}}
* {{icon|Groovy Long Legs|y|v=P4}}
* {{icon|Glindemander|y|v=P4}}
* {{icon|Snowflake Fluttertail|y|v=P4}}
* {{icon|Giant Breadbug|y|v=P4}}
* {{icon|Man-At-Legs|y|v=P4}}
* {{icon|Smoky Progg|y|v=P4}}
* {{icon|Ancient Sirehound|y|v=P4}}
}}
=== Minor Bosses in ''Pikmin 4'' ===
These are bosses that are typically fought above ground or at the bottom of short caves. They are typically accompanied by a drumline cadence
{{columns|2|
* {{icon|Porquillion|y|v=P4}}
* {{icon|Burrowing Snagret|y|v=P4}}
* {{icon|Crusted Rumpup|y|v=P4}}
* {{icon|Bug-Eyed Crawmad|y|v=P4}}
}}
=== Tough Enemy Encounters in ''Pikmin 4'' ===
Sometimes, a tougher enemy acts as a boss in easier caves, using a slower battle theme in these instances. These are not particularly bosses on the same level as the ones above, and are more situational encounters.
{{columns|2|
* {{icon|Tusked Blowhog|y|v=P4}}
* {{icon|Puffy Blowhog|y|v=P4}}
* {{icon|Empress Bulblax|y|v=P4}}
* {{icon|Masterhop|y|v=P4}}
* {{icon|Arctic Cannon Beetle|y|v=P4}}
* {{icon|Mammoth Snootwhacker|y|v=P4}}
* {{icon|Toxstool|y|v=P4}}
* {{icon|Jumbo Bulborb|y|v=P4}}
* {{icon|Titan Blowhog|y|v=P4}}
* {{icon|Blizzarding Blowhog|y|v=P4}}
* {{icon|Horned Cannon Beetle|y|v=P4}}
}}
=== Bosses in Olimar's Shipwreck Tale ===
In [[Olimar's Shipwreck Tale]], all large enemy encounters use the same one theme – another renditions of the boss theme from ''Pikmin 2''. Because of this, we can easily define what is a boss and what isn't in this side mode.
{{columns|2|
* {{icon|Horned Cannon Beetle|y|v=P4}}
* {{icon|Burrowing Snagret|y|v=P4}}
* {{icon|Baldy Long Legs|y|v=P4}}
* {{icon|Bug-Eyed Crawmad |y|v=P4}}
* {{icon|Sovereign Bulblax|y|v=P4}}
* {{icon|Porquillion|y|v=P4}}
* {{icon|Glidemander|y|v=P4}}
* {{icon|Horned Cannon Beetle|y|v=P4}}
* {{icon|Man-At-Legs|y|v=P4}}
}}


== Bosses in ''Hey! Pikmin'' ==
== Bosses in ''Hey! Pikmin'' ==

Revision as of 10:23, July 28, 2023

Artwork of a Burrowing Snagret from Pikmin 3.
The Burrowing Snagret is a boss present in all four games.

Some types of enemies are larger or stronger than most, and appear less frequently, often in prominent places. These are known as bosses (巨大生物?, lit.: "Huge Creature"), and normally only one or two of each type appear in the entire game. Given that battles against them are usually more complex, the rewards tend to be more significant, such as a large number of Pikmin seeds, Pokos, or an important story-related item.

The definition of a "boss" seems to change with each game. In Pikmin the game seldom makes a distinction between a boss and a regular enemy. In Pikmin 2, bosses are given different slots on the Piklopedia and a specific musical theme, with some having unique ones. In Pikmin 3, bosses are clearly identified as such by the game itself,[1] and are divided between main bosses and mini-bosses, with both having unique musical themes and the former having even having unique cutscenes. They need to be defeated to progress with the story. Hey! Pikmin also has bosses with unique cutscenes and music, and defeating them is necessary to advance to the next sector.

Bosses in Pikmin

In Pikmin, bosses are only defined within the game's internal files, and it is never explicitly stated in the game which enemies are bosses. The following four enemies are categorized as bosses:

Oddly, Candypop Buds, geysers, and Iridescent Flint Beetles are also technically bosses, though this is likely due to their unique nature as enemies. As a result, approaching a Candypop Bud or a geyser will change the music to the enemy battle variant.

Four other enemies are often considered bosses by fans due to their rare appearances and boss-like level of difficulty, even though there is nothing in the game that technically distinguishes them:

Bosses in Pikmin 2

In Pikmin 2, there are twelve bosses, all of which exclusively use a special musical theme when fighting against them. Three use their own unique theme, specifically: the Titan Dweevil, the Waterwraith, and the Giant Breadbug. They also appear in a larger bubble on the Piklopedia's listing. These bosses are usually found in caves, with at least one being found on the final floor presented as the final challenge (save for the Emergence Cave). When first defeated, many reward the player with an Upgrade for defeating them. Some bosses can be also found in specific spots in the overworld areas. The following are listed in Piklopedia order, which is roughly the order they are intended to be encountered in:

There are no mini-bosses in this game, though the Burrowing Snagret and Emperor Bulblax have literal mini variations with lower HP, which appear in places where they aren't fought as final bosses of a cave. The Empress Bulblax also has a lesser variation with lower HP and fewer attacks than the "primary" version. Late in the game, earlier bosses are sometimes rebattled and act as mini-bosses of a cave, such as in the Hole of Heroes. Additionally, the Fiery Bulblax, which may have originally been intended as a boss, is occasionally considered a mini-boss by fans, as it is a relatively difficult enemy.

Bosses in Pikmin 3

In Pikmin 3, the six main bosses are clearly labeled by the game, and their battles are considerably larger and more complex than with most other enemies. Most are fought within special arenas separated from each of their areas main sections and all have special cutscenes for encountering and defeating them. They normally have clearly defined vulnerability and invulnerability phases, commonly attacking during the latter. Since these bosses are meant to be fought with clear phases, the game may sometimes lock their health to a certain point, and only let the Pikmin damage it further after it moves on to the next stage. Main bosses will not restore their health as the days go by, and their corpses will also last until the next day, but not any longer. Every one that is defeated drops an important object to the progression of the story, thus the game often pushes players toward fighting them as their next objective. These bosses can be re-fought in special Mission Mode stages. The following is a list of bosses in this game:

Mini-bosses in Pikmin 3

While other games may have what can be considered such, Pikmin 3 is the first to distinctly define mini-bosses by using a different music theme – a remastered version of the boss theme from Pikmin 2. Unlike the main bosses, their health will be reset at the start of a new day, and their corpses last only for the day they were defeated on. In Story mode, these do not give out something plot-critical when defeated, and instead drop a fruit. The following are mini-bosses in Pikmin 3:

In addition, the Calcified Crushblat, Peckish Aristocrab, and Medusal Slurker are sometimes considered mini-bosses by fans due to their difficulty, rare appearances, and the fact that they protect a fruit or drop one when defeated, but they do not have the mini-boss theme.

Pikmin 3 Deluxe

The final day of Olimar's Comeback, The Ship Restored, has a unique boss fight against golden variants of the Baldy Long Legs and Shaggy Long Legs (the latter with larger feet). This fight has unique battle music. While this fight isn't much different from either of their normal variants, they warrant distinction as their fight comes with a unique boss theme.

Bosses in Pikmin 4

The leaf texture used in Pikmin 2's Challenge Mode menu. (Used on Pikipedia in the {{stub}} template.)

This article is a stub. You can help Pikipedia by expanding it.
Suggestions: See if the game files have anything to help define this better.

Unlike the two game's prior, Pikmin 4 definition of a boss is unclear and inconsistent. The best way to define them is by the music cue that commonly accompanies them when they are encountered. However, some enemies use two different themes for different encounters. For instance, a Sovereign Bulblax uses a major boss cue at the bottom of the Subterranean Swarm and within the Cavern for a King, but uses a minor boss drumbeat when encountered in the Giant's Hearth.

Because of this, the bottom classification is mostly conjecture and not finalized.

Major Bosses in Pikmin 4

Bosses in Pikmin 4 are defined by the dramatic sting that begins and ends their unique battle themes, similar in tone to the boss themes of Pikmin 2 and Pikmin 3. This also includes enemies that have their own unique battle themes that do not include the cue.

Minor Bosses in Pikmin 4

These are bosses that are typically fought above ground or at the bottom of short caves. They are typically accompanied by a drumline cadence

Tough Enemy Encounters in Pikmin 4

Sometimes, a tougher enemy acts as a boss in easier caves, using a slower battle theme in these instances. These are not particularly bosses on the same level as the ones above, and are more situational encounters.

Bosses in Olimar's Shipwreck Tale

In Olimar's Shipwreck Tale, all large enemy encounters use the same one theme – another renditions of the boss theme from Pikmin 2. Because of this, we can easily define what is a boss and what isn't in this side mode.

Bosses in Hey! Pikmin

Hey! Pikmin has 9 enemies that are clearly bosses. They are fought on the final area of each sector, and have their own cutscenes and music themes. They all drop a large treasure when defeated, which needs to be collected before the S.S. Dolphin II unlocks a new sector to visit. When fighting bosses, the player must exploit their movements and actions to find an opening, where they can finally strike. Since the bosses need to be fought in a minimum number of cycles, the game will lock the creature's health and won't allow the Pikmin to cause any further damage until the next cycle is entered. The following are bosses in Hey! Pikmin, ordered by sector:

Music

Main article: Music.

When fighting bosses, the music of the area or cave is changed to a different theme that lasts for as long as all bosses in the vicinity are alive. In Pikmin, this is only the case for the Beady Long Legs and the Emperor Bulblax, with each one having their own theme. In Pikmin 2, a global boss theme exists, and plays whenever a living boss is nearby. This theme changes dynamically with the events happening in the fight. The following bosses have their own specific boss themes: Waterwraith, Giant Breadbug, and Titan Dweevil. In Pikmin 3, two boss themes exist – one for the major bosses and another for the mini-bosses. The exceptions to this are the Vehemoth Phosbat and the Plasm Wraith, which have their own themes. The mini-boss theme is a remastered version of the Pikmin 2 boss music. In Hey! Pikmin, each boss has a unique musical theme, and these themes do not dynamically change.

Names in other languages

Language Name Meaning
Flag of Japan Japanese 巨大生物?
Kyodai Seibutsu
Huge Creature
Flag of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Chinese
(traditional)
巨大生物
Jùdà shēngwù
Huge Creature
Flag of China Chinese
(simplified)
巨大生物
Jùdà shēngwù
Huge Creature
Flag of Québec French (NoA) Colosse Colossus
Flag of France French (NoE) Créature géante Giant creature
Flag of Germany German Bossgegner Boss Enemy
Flag of Italy Italian Colosso Colossus
Flag of South Korea Korean 거대생물
geodaesaengmul
Huge Creature
Flag of Spain Spanish Ser colosal Colossal being

See also

References

  1. ^ Boss enemies you hurt will maintain their damage! Whittle their health down, and defeat them the next day!Loading screen tip in the US version of Pikmin 3


Icon of a white flower in the Challenge Mode of Pikmin 2. It represents a course that is beaten, but with Pikmin who were lost.

This article was a featured article from February 1st, 2018 to April 2nd, 2018.

Icon of a white flower in the Challenge Mode of Pikmin 2. It represents a course that is beaten, but with Pikmin who were lost.