The Key
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Number | 196 | ||
| Series | Explorer's Friend Series | ||
| Value |  × 100
| ||
| Weight | 1 | ||
| Maximum carriers | 3 Pikmin | ||
| Location | Citadel of Spiders | ||
| Challenge Mode levels | All | ||
The Key (あのカギ?, lit.: "The Key") is a treasure in Pikmin 2, whose name is the only one among the treasures that describes itself exactly. It is quite obviously a large, golden key. The Key is found inside the body of a Beady Long Legs on the last sublevel (5) of the Citadel of Spiders. Besides increasing the Poko total, The Key also unlocks Challenge Mode, which can be found in the main menu after the treasure has been collected. It is the only part of the Explorer's Friend Series that is not found in the Exploration Kit.
In Pikmin 2's Challenge Mode, this treasure is found on every sublevel of every one of the 30 levels. It is required to make the entrance to the next sublevel – or a geyser – appear, and is worth 100 Pokos.
Notes
Ship's dialogs
“Sweet victory! That giant insect's body has crumbled to dust!
I am quite relieved to know I won't have to store such an enormous bug.
...Analyzing soil samples.
... ... ... ...Anomaly detected.
What's that glittering widget?
This object seems familiar. I will combine it with the president's parallel-dimension controller.
ALERT!!! Sensors indicates a massive dimensional shift at a distant location.
I'm receiving a message from a far-flung dimension. Displaying the message now ...
"Challenge mode can now be accessed from the title screen."
It appears to be total gibberish. Hopefully the message has reached its intended recipient.
I will name this apparently worthless device the Key.”Olimar's journal
Sales pitch
Gallery
Artwork of the treasure.
- The Key.png
The Key in its cutscene.
The key lying on the floor.
- The Key Analyze.png
Analysis of The Key.
- Key.PNG
A key from Super Mario World.
Trivia
- The Key bears a striking resemblance to the keys in Super Mario Bros. 2, which were guarded by Phanto masks, or the keys in Super Mario World, which opened keyholes leading to secret stages.
- Perhaps erroneously, Olimar calls the Beady Long Legs a "Pikmin-devouring spider", even though the creature does not eat Pikmin.
- Two unused upgrades in Pikmin 3 feature The Key on a pedestal.
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
 French |
La Clé | The Key |
 German |
Der Schlüssel | The Key |
 Italian |
Chiave | Key |
 Spanish |
La Llave | The Key |
 Spanish (NoA) |
La Llave | The Key |