Area

The area selection screen in New Play Control! Pikmin.

Areas are the main explorable locations in the Pikmin games. Each game in the series has a set of areas that can be visited, and these areas provide a range of environments to grow Pikmin, fight enemies, and collect items.

In each game, the leaders will only be able to access a single area initially, but over the course of the game, more areas will be unlocked. For instance, to access to the Perplexing Pool in Pikmin 2, a specific treasure, the Geographic Projection, must be collected. Gaining access to new areas is a major form of progression through the games.

Areas function differently in each game in the series. Each of the main games features an area selection screen, and at the beginning of the day, the player can select which area to land in from the areas unlocked. It is not possible to change the area one is exploring during a day. In Pikmin, ship parts are scattered around the 5 areas, and new areas are unlocked by collecting certain amounts of these parts. In Pikmin 2, each of the 4 areas contains 3 or 4 entrances to caves, which contain most of the treasures needed to complete the game, and areas are unlocked mainly by collecting certain treasures. In Pikmin 3, 4 of the 5 areas contain fruit, and areas are unlocked by obtaining other key items. In Hey! Pikmin, areas function like linear standalone levels, and are organized into groups called sectors, of which there are 9. Each sector includes four normal areas, a secret area, a boss area, four Secret Spots, and a Sparklium Spring, with the exception of the last sector, which is made of only one area.

Areas

Pikmin

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  The Impact Site

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  The Forest of Hope

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  The Forest Navel

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  The Distant Spring

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  The Final Trial

Pikmin 2

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  Valley of Repose

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  Awakening Wood

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  Perplexing Pool

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  Wistful Wild

Pikmin 3

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  Tropical Wilds

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  Garden of Hope

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  Distant Tundra

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  Twilight River

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  Formidable Oak

Hey! Pikmin

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  Pikmin Park

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  Brilliant Garden

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  Verdant Waterfront

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  Sparkling Labyrinth

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  Ravaged Rustworks

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  Leafswirl Lagoon

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  Sweltering Parchlands

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  Snowfall Field

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  Lushlife Murk

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  The Final Stretch

Relations

Though not directly confirmed, it is heavily implied that some areas in Pikmin 2 are actually areas from Pikmin, albeit changed. The Awakening Wood has the same layout as The Forest of Hope. It has been implied by Olimar that these are the same location, as read on his journal about the Geographic Projection. Likewise, the Perplexing Pool shares the same layout as The Distant Spring, with some changes (such as the concrete section at the landing site). The Wistful Wild is a combination of The Impact Site and The Final Trial, with some new terrain connecting the areas. The Valley of Repose is not a remade version of The Forest Navel or any other area from the first Pikmin game and is completely new.

All areas in Pikmin 3 are original, while the forest shown in the title screen is almost the same as the western path of the Awakening Wood. This is best seen with a model viewer, because of the water and angles. This comparison is detailed here. The Mission Mode stage Forgotten Cove is a remade version of the The Forest Navel.

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  The Forest of Hope's radar pattern on top of a map of the Awakening Wood.

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  The Distant Spring's radar pattern on top of a map of the Perplexing Pool.

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  The Impact Site and The Final Trial's radar patterns on top of a map of the Wistful Wild.

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  Animation comparing the Pikmin 3 title screen with the Awakening Wood.

Secret exit

Discovering the secret exit in Below the Ice.

Normally, in Hey! Pikmin, exploration of each area starts at one point and ends in another, and when an area is finished, the one whose letter comes next in the alphabet becomes available. But some areas have a secret exit, usually behind some hidden path or challenge. If the player finds the S.S. Dolphin II's pod at the secret exit, it will comment on how it found an extra area with some Sparklium, and will recommend Captain Olimar to go check it out. At the area selection menu the path that opens connects to an "X" area, instead of the next letter of the alphabet. When this alternative area is completed, it leads to the letter after the area that the player skipped, meaning that regardless of the player taking the regular path or the secret exit, they will have to complete the same number of areas to reach the sector's boss. The following is a list of areas with secret exits, and where they end up.

The following article or section is in need of assistance from someone who plays Hey! Pikmin. Particularly: Complete the table.

Area	Standard exit	Secret exit	Exit location
Cavern of Confusion	Mushroom Valley	Cherrystone Pass	Near the end of the area, there is a patch of ground that goes down when Olimar steps on it. When it stops, there is a small fake wall to the left, leading to a doorway. On the other side, there is a wooden stake that needs 16 Pikmin to be pushed into the ground. Behind it stands the ship's pod.
Glowing Bloom Pond	The Shallow End	Treacherous Currents	Right before the normal exit, there is a bridge, and after that, three Bloominous Stemples. The player can fall down the bridge if it's unbuilt, or just go down through the Bloominous Stemples, and it will take them to a doorway leading to the secret exit.
Crystal Tunnels	Echo Cavern	The Hollow Sky	At the end of the last pit of the area, filled with crystals, there are two exits: one going to the normal exit to the right, and one to the left, blocked by a crystal. The player can break this crystal if they have at least one Rock Pikmin. On this path, the player will encounter a Crumbug, with the ship's pod nearby.
Pollution Pool	Space of Silence	Drenchnozzle Den	The player has to dive in one of the first ponds of the area, next to a doorway, with Blue Pikmin only. The player has to throw a Pikmin at a Starnacle's eye, in order to get access to a doorway. On the other side, Olimar has to break dirt blocks to continue in the secret path. He can go through a doorway to retrieve his non-aquatic Pikmin, before heading to the right and reach the secret exit.
Valley of the Breeze	Downpour Thicket	Gale-Force Glen	In the last pit of the area, there is a small branch at the left that serves as a landing spot for Olimar. After that, there's a small path that leads directly to the secret exit.
Scorched Earth	Lights in the Darkness	Sizzling Precipice	Near the end of the area, the player must extinguish a huge patch of fire and destroy a dirt block. However, the player must be quick, because a Fiery Dwarf Bulblax stands above the patch of fire, and will eventually fall on the player. If this happens, then Olimar must kill the enemy. Behind the dirt block stands a small path that leads directly to the secret exit.
Below the Ice	Over Wintry Mountains	Ordeal of Flame
Peculiar Rockfall	Olimar's Madcap Ride	Burning Bog

Terrain

The following article or section is in need of assistance from someone who plays Pikmin 3.

Above ground, terrain varies between Pikmin games. It has no real impact on the gameplay, but it does change the atmosphere and the different types of enemies that may be encountered.

Pikmin

Most areas in Pikmin have natural surfaces such as sand, soil and wood.

Typical grass terrain.

• Natural
  • Grass: Found in most areas.
  • Soil: This is what the leader and his Pikmin will be walking on for a majority of the time. Soil is found in every area in the game.
  • Sand: Usually, when there is water, there is sand, especially in The Distant Spring. In it, about half the amount of land is submerged in water, and that amount of land is sand. It can also be found in the small pond area in The Impact Site and the large lake in The Forest Navel.
  • Stone The rimstone lake section of The Forest Navel is mostly made of stone. Some sections of The Impact Site include stone. Most of the general area surrounding The Distant Spring is made out of mossy cut stone.
  • Wood: Various tree stumps can be found in the game – in The Impact Site, The Forest of Hope and The Distant Spring. Bridges are made out of wood and can be walked on.
• Man-made
  • Cardboard: The cardboard boxes in The Impact Site, The Forest of Hope and The Final Trial can be walked on by using a nearby rock as a platform.
  • Rusted metal: In The Final Trial, large slabs of rusted metal are used to cross the body of water separating the landing site from the area where the player battles against the Emperor Bulblax, which actually takes place in a large metal "bowl" like arena.

Pikmin 2

In Pikmin 2, the player will find a vast array of different types of terrain.

• Natural
  • Snow: In some caverns, one may find the area to be covered in a blanket of snow. This terrain can be found in the Valley of Repose and its respective caverns.
  • Grass: A common terrain, mostly found in above ground areas, with the Awakening Wood being a common example. Grass-like terrain can be found in the Perplexing Pool; however, considering the area's aquatic nature, it's possible that it's actually moss.
  • Wood: As in the first game, tree stumps can be found, most notably in the Perplexing Pool.
  • Sand: The Perplexing Pool has sand surrounding its lakes.
• Man-made
  • Concrete: Can be found in a few areas; most of the Valley of Repose is formed from concrete. This is due to it being a crosswalk of sorts.
  • Tile: This style consists of simple turquoise-colored tile filled floors and walls, which have sand filled in between each tile. Areas with this style usually have water, which is typically found in small descents of ground. The tiles may be interrupted by sand or a metallic floor.
  • Stone formations: Inside the Perplexing Pool, there are odd stones formations that are mysteriously shaped, some of which are walk-able. These odd formations range from simple pathways to maze-like structures.
  • Seesaw blocks: In several areas, there are sets of seesaw blocks. They can be used to lift Pikmin and the leaders to higher areas, and several sets of these scales must be navigated to obtain treasure.
  • Rusted metal: The landing area of the Wistful Wild is actually an old road sign.

Pikmin 3

• Natural
  • Glass: Shards of glass and large crystal formations are present and can serve as obstacles or have valuable items encased inside of them. They can be shattered by being continuously hit with Rock Pikmin.
  • Sand: Sand flooring exists in the Tropical Wilds. There is also plenty of sand in several areas of Mission Mode and Bingo Battle.
  • Wood: There are multiple places where wood is incorporated into the terrain. In the Tropical Wilds, wood is accessible to walk on, but has no special features. In the Distant Tundra, frozen wood is incorporated as well as a walkway to the cave where Charlie is rescued. Some clipboards can also be walked on.
  • Snow: In the Distant Tundra, snow can be found blanketing much of the area. It makes a crunching sound when leaders walk on it, similar to that in Pikmin 2.
  • Grass: The most common terrain, it covers most floors of areas and has no special qualities.
  • Rock: Caves are structured from rock, and types range from simple brown rock, similar to that in Pikmin and Pikmin 2, to odd moss-covered rock, looking like granite.
  • Mud: Terrain that exists primarily in the Garden of Hope, mainly in the arena of the Quaggled Mireclops. This terrain may change from water back to mud by the boss' stomps.
  • Lily pads: Lily pads drift along the river, allowing leaders and Pikmin to travel across it and find more sub-areas.
• Man-made
  • Tile: Simple tiling that has sand filled between the cracks. Similar to that in Pikmin 2, but it is only present in very few places.
  • Buckets: A large bucket serves as a bridge to the Quaggled Mireclops' arena. In some Bingo Battle stages, plastic buckets can be found under the Onions.
  • Scales: A set of scales can be found in areas in both Story and Mission Mode. These scales have a redesign from Pikmin 2, and can be used to get to fruits and to further sub-areas.
  • Rusted metal: Metal similar to that in Pikmin 2, but darker and with less or more rust.
  • Pipes: They are unique ways of transport in the Bingo Battle area Rusted Labyrinth. They allow leaders to slide to lower areas, while geysers can transport them back up to the upper areas.
  • Conveyor belts: Conveyor belts are unique ways of transport in the Mission Mode area Clockwork Chasm, with switches to change the direction of movement. These switches can be activated using Pikmin.
  • Bricks: Self-explanatory. Some are found in Twilight River and cannot be interacted with.

Hey! Pikmin

In Hey! Pikmin, the player can find a pretty large variety of environments. Each sector of the game features a unique environment, which serves to set the ambience. However, some areas vary from the atmosphere of the sector where they're located.

• Brilliant Garden : The first sector of the game has rather common terrain, made of grass and foliage.
• Verdant Waterfront : This sector mainly focuses on water environments, such as lakes, as well as all the plant-life terrain found around lakes.
• Sparkling Labyrinth : A rocky sector, with terrain made of rocks and crystals.
• Ravaged Rustworks : This sector features human-made materials, such as metal pipes and tubes.
• Leafswirl Lagoon : The environment of this sector is pretty focused on autumn, with the terrain being mostly dead leaves and dirt.
• Sweltering Parchlands : This sector is mostly themed around fire, so the terrain consists of dirt, coal, and burned vegetation.
• Snowfall Field : The exact opposite of the previous sector; this time, snow makes up most of the terrain, and this area symbolizes winter.
• Lushlife Murk and The Final Stretch : The last areas are focused on poisoned environments; the terrain usually consists of barren dirt and rock.

Gallery

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  The Pikmin 2 map screen.

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  The full map of all areas in Pikmin 3.

Trivia

• The main areas in Pikmin 2 and Pikmin 3 each represent a season: the Valley of Repose and the Distant Tundra are winter, the Awakening Wood and the Garden of Hope are spring, the Perplexing Pool and Tropical Wilds are summer, and the Wistful Wild and Twilight River are autumn.
• The names of the areas in Pikmin 3 all have the same number of characters – 14.
• In Pikmin and Pikmin 2, some meteors appear on the area selection screen's sky, occasionally. A large cluster of them temporarily appears when the last area of each game is unlocked.

Names in other languages

Sector Language Name Meaning  Japanese エリア? Eria Area  Dutch Gebied Region  French Secteur Sector  German Gebiet Region  Italian Settore Sector  Korean 지역 jiyeog Sector  Spanish Sector Sector

Area (Hey! Pikmin) Language Name Meaning  Japanese ブロック? Burokku Block  Dutch Level Level  French Zone Zone  German Level Level  Italian Zona Zone  Korean 블록 beullog Block  Spanish Zona Zone

See also

• PNF-404
• Cave
• Menu