Spherical Atlas
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|---|---|---|---|
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| Number | 184 | ||
| Series | Explorer's Friend Series | ||
| Value |  × 200
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| Weight | 101 | ||
| Maximum carriers | 100 Pikmin | ||
| Location | Emergence Cave | ||
| Challenge Mode levels | None | ||
- This article is about the top globe half that unlocks the Awakening Wood. For the bottom half that unlocks the Perplexing Pool, see Geographic Projection.
The Spherical Atlas (スフィアマップ?, lit.: "Sphere Map") is a treasure in Pikmin 2. It is a northern hemisphere of a globe; this being a representation of Earth suggests that PNF-404 is Earth. This heavy treasure is found on the last sublevel (2) of the Emergence Cave in the Valley of Repose. It requires at least one Purple Pikmin on it to lift it, as it weighs 101 units, more than 100, the maximum weight one hundred weaker Pikmin can carry. This is also the first cave Purple Pikmin are found in, on the same sublevel as the treasure. Before carrying the treasure, it is recommended to defeat the Snow Bulborbs nearby.
When this treasure has been retrieved, the Sphere Chart, part of the Exploration Kit, is unlocked, granting access to the Awakening Wood. This is made possible through the coordinates it provides the Hocotate ship. The day automatically ends as well. The Geographic Projection is also a globe half, this time a southern hemisphere; and it too unlocks a new area, the Perplexing Pool.
Model and texture
The Spherical Atlas is one of many treasures in Pikmin 2 that differs in apperance between regions. Depending on the version of the game, the globe is rotated such that the model's "front" is of each version's respective continent. This causes the treasure's discovery cutscene, collection cutscene, and Treasure Hoard entry to focus on that continent by default. The Geographic Projection has a similar reigonal difference, centering Oceania in the European version, and South America in the American and Japanese versions. Since Pikmin 2 (Nintendo Switch) is based on the North American version of Pikmin 2 worldwide, North America faces forwards in all versions of the Nintendo Switch port.
The Treasure Hoard icon for this treasure is the same in all versions, and is centered over the Pacific Ocean. In the Nintendo Switch port however, the icon was changed to center North America, matching the treasure's orientation in-game. The highlight texture for this treasure's model is called hilight_I4_bombsarai, and is the same highlight texture used for the Geographic Projection and Careening Dirigibug.
The globe depicts the world prior to the dissolution of the Soviet Union on December 25th, 1991. Although central Europe is hardly recognizable, the Baltic and central Asian states are clearly part of what is now the Russian Federation.
Notes
Ship's dialogs
“It's inconceivable that such an immense object has been buried here for so long.
The design on the outer shell resembles the surface of the planet as seen from space!
Perhaps this can be used for something other than salvage.
But how will we ever lift it? I fear that even 100 red Pikmin will be unable to lift it!
There is a device resembling a microchip embedded inside this sphere. Retrieving data...
...Error. I could only decode a portion of the data, but I did retrieve new geographic charts.
I will input this data into my planetary database and name it the Sphere Chart.
Press START/PAUSE to contact me and access the Exploration Kit on the radar screen with L.
Now that we have this new data, you should explore the decoded territory tomorrow.”Olimar's journal
Sales pitch
Olimar's journal (Nintendo Switch)
Gallery
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Artwork of the Spherical Atlas in the North American version of Pikmin 2.
Alternate scan of the Spherical Atlas's artwork in the North American version of Pikmin 2.
Artwork of the Spherical Atlas in the Japanese version of Pikmin 2.
The Spherical Atlas' discovery cutscene in the North American version.
The Spherical Atlas' discovery cutscene in the European version.
The Spherical Atlas' discovery cutscene in the Japanese version.
The Spherical Atlas being analyzed by the Hocotate ship.
The Spherical Atlas being analyzed in the European version.
The Spherical Atlas being analyzed in the Japanese version.
The Spherical Atlas in the Treasure Hoard.
The Spherical Atlas in the Treasure Hoard in the Japanese version of Pikmin 2.
The Treasure Hoard icon of the Spherical Atlas in the Nintendo Switch version of Pikmin 2.
Texture used for the model.
Trivia
- In the North American version of the New Play Control! game, with the language set to French, the upgrade this treasure gives is called "Carte Sphérique" (Spherical Map) in the Ship's dialogs and "Système Solaire" (Solar System) in the pause menu. Since another upgrade is also called "Système Solaire" (the Solar System), this is likely a mistake.
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
 Japanese |
スフィアマップ? Sufia Mappu |
Sphere Map |
 French |
Atlas Sphérique | Spherical Atlas |
 German |
Sphärenatlas | Sphere Atlas |
 Italian |
Atlante sferico | Spherical Atlas |
 Spanish |
Atlas esférico | Spherical atlas |
See also
