Smoky Progg
| Smoky Progg | |
|---|---|
| File:Smoky Progg(PikminNPC).jpg | |
| Appears in | Pikmin |
| Scientific name | Unknown |
| Family | Unknown |
| Areas | The Distant Spring |
| Challenge Mode stages | None |
| Attacks | Suffocates Pikmin, uproots sprouts |
The Smoky Progg (ドドロ "Dodoro") is an optional boss found only in the first Pikmin game, and is one of the most difficult enemies in the game. The only way to encounter it is to visit The Distant Spring before or on Day 15. It resides in the large watery area located to the east of the landing site, in the center of a small group of islands. The Progg is in an egg and if it is approached, it will break out within four to eight seconds. When the egg breaks open, the Progg will immediately go to the landing site, ignoring Olimar and possibly walking through your whole Pikmin Squad if not careful. Swarming the unopened egg with a large number of Pikmin can easily defeat the Progg; however, it will not leave a golden pearl.
The Smoky Progg itself is a dark green and black creature with white, glowing eyes, with a pink/purple ring around the white, and constantly emits a cloud of gas that is poisonous to both the Pikmin and Olimar, which is usually behind the Progg. It is also able to uproot Pikmin sprouts. The Smoky Progg will make its way towards the landing site upon emerging, so it is necessary to kill it to avoid interference with the day's plans. It has an incredibly high defense, so it takes a while to defeat. When defeated, however, it drops a golden pearl which, if carried to an Onion, will produce one hundred Pikmin seeds.
Olimar's belief that the creature is a malformed larval Mamuta is most likely based upon the fact that both creatures affect Pikmin on a different end of the same spectrum; the Mamuta plants the Pikmin, while the Smoky Progg uproots and poisons them. But that would have to mean the Progg is only a baby, and that seems rather ludicrous due to its intensely aggressive behavior and nonsensically great strength, although it may be possible due to the fact that it is found in an egg. However, this relationship could also be derived from that of the Paradox Frog (Pseudis paradoxa) and its young; paradox frog tadpoles are about four times larger than their adult selves.
Notes
Ship's Log
"This hideous beast comes from a strange, hard egg. Its mollusk-like body is wrapped in an unpleasant gas that suffocates any Pikmin that inhales it. Attacking its head is successful, but it's best to eliminate in egg form."
Guide Book
This is information shown in the guidebook
"Some say that this is a larval version of Mamuta that was unable to complete the transformation. But, as with Mamuta, the Piku-Lord is shrouded in mystery."
Battle Strategy
There are several methods of defeating the Smoky Progg, some riskier than others. Swarming the Smoky Progg is utterly useless and will only result in all of your Pikmin perishing. One method is to withdraw one hundred Red Pikmin, wait until it uses its uprooting ability and becomes still, then use the C-stick and A to throw Pikmin onto its face as fast as possible (precise aiming is required so that the Pikmin do not hit the Onion instead of the Progg). If done correctly, the Smoky Progg will be so distracted shaking off Pikmin that it will not be able to move and will eventually die. Another method is to bring out 10-20 reds at a time and continuously attack until it is dead while avoiding its attacks; naturally this method takes longer, but may be less risky.
An alternate way to hurt it would be to use Yellow Pikmin with Bomb Rocks. To do this, aim well and do not hit the Progg on the rear with the Yellow that is thrown, or the Pikmin will be suffocated by the poison. Occasionally, it will chase you around and not give up until your Pikmin die or you get far enough away, at which point it will ignore you temporarily and you can attack it again. You can also disband a group of fifteen to twenty Yellow Pikmin with bomb-rocks near the shore between the Progg's egg and the Onions, keeping the rest of your Pikmin stashed away to avoid excessive casualties. Attack the Progg's egg with a single Blue Pikmin, then hightail it back to the shore. The Smoky Progg will home in on the Yellow Pikmin and the combined explosions will instantly kill or at least severely damage it. Give the Progg's remains to the Yellow Onion; that way you'll more than make up for the ones lost in the explosion.
Possibly the safest method to killing the Smoky Progg and still obtain a reward would be to draw out 2-5 Red Pikmin, then, when the Progg idles at any Onion, throw all of the Red Pikmin at the Progg. When it shakes the Pikmin off, throw them back on, and it should die in about a third to a fourth of a day. Note that this strategy is not recommended for speed-runners.
It is possible to take advantage of the fact that the Progg can get stuck behind an Onion's leg in battling it. If you are able to make it follow you after it completes its uprooting move, it can get stuck in this way for several minutes. Simply toss Pikmin on its head as fast as possible, and with luck, it can be killed before it shakes itself free.
There is another glitch that can be used to your advantage. If the bridge that leads to the Massage Machine has not been built yet, lead the Progg behind the unbuilt bridge and then run away. The Progg will be stuck by the bridge, and will endlessly turn around in circles. You can then bring 100 Blue Pikmin out and attack the Smoky Progg.
Another alternative to all of these listed above, would be to get 100 Blue Pikmin and swarm the egg until it reaches no health, causing it to die. Although it yields no rewards, it is a good option if you are not as skilled, as you can keep your Pikmin safe.
Glitches
In a rare case, if you walk up to the egg as Olimar with no Pikmin, circle the egg and press A to try to attack it, the egg won't take any damage, yet if you go back to an onion to get your blue Pikmin and return to the cluster of islands, the egg will be gone. The only way to reset the egg is to reset your game. Going to sunset and continuing to the next day will not bring the egg back.
In another rare case, there is a glitch that when you throw a Pikmin at the egg right when it hatches, the Pikmin will float in mid air while doing its "hitting" sequence, damaging the Progg. After about ten seconds the Pikmin will start vibrating faster and faster and then fall off.
It is seen that on occasion, the game says that Olimar has one or two more Pikmin than he actually has. This glitch can happen if large amounts of Pikmin die.
Rarely, the Smoky Progg may be near a Yellow Wollywog when the Wollywog jumps. The jump will propel the Progg in to the air where it will hover for a short time until it begins to slowly return to ground level.
Sometimes when the Smoky Progg reaches the onions, it can get stuck on one of the three legs, making it easier to kill the strange creature.
Videos
[[Video:Pikmin - Smoky Progg Secret|thumb|left|300px|Here is a video of how to awake and defeat the larval Mamuta creature, the Smoky Progg.]]thumb|left|300px|Fighting the Smoky Progg in the "New Play Control!" version, with commentary. Fight lasts until 4:00; 17 deaths.
Gallery
The Smoky Progg, as seen in the Creature Montage of Pikmin.
The Smoky Progg roaming around in The Distant Spring.
- Smoky Progg.jpg
Captain Olimar battling the Smoky Progg.
- Artwork ofthe Smoky Progg.jpg
Artwork of the Smoky Progg
- Nintober 23 smoky progg by fryguy64-d4dqhgd.png
- Images (18).jpg
smoky progg before hatching
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Trivia
- The Smoky Progg is the only poisonous enemy in the first Pikmin game. Since White Pikmin have not yet been discovered, this means that Olimar has nothing that resists the creature's lethal gas.
- The poison also seems to be much more toxic than that of Pikmin 2 because it kills Pikmin instantly and can damage Captain Olimar.
- The Smoky Progg is the rarest enemy in the game, with only one of them being available to fight for 15 days.
- The Smoky Progg can strangely change its eye color from red to green.
- Using an Action Replay to access a model test menu in Pikmin, the Smoky Progg's code name is "dororo". In the model viewer, it has no eyes. The Smoky Progg's egg also has a code name, which is "tamago".
- Dodoro translates to "mud road", probably referring to the trails of smoke left behind the Smoky Progg. Coincidentally, there is also a manga series by Osamu Tezuka called Dororo, in which the main character is born malformed and was abandoned on a river. Tamago is the Japanese word for "egg".
- The Smoky Progg is one of the few enemies that does not actively attempt to attack the Captain, choosing instead to attack when there are Pikmin on the ground near it.
- The Smoky Progg appears to be hollow, or transparent. If viewed from behind, you can see a glowing light suspended inside of it with chunks of gas falling around the light. This light may be the pearl it drops.
- While the Smoky Progg is inside its egg, it is called the "Dodoro's Egg," which in Japanese translates as "Dodoro no Tamago" (ドドロのたまご).
- The pearl reward from the Smoky Progg is a reward similar to the Pearly Clam-Clamps, but the only difference is the color and the amount of Pikmin sprouts given.