Scientific name: Oculus kageyamii
The Bulborb is a species of the Grub-dog family which consists of four subspecies. They are some of the most dangerous enemies in the Pikmin games, but also some of the most common, appearing in almost every area in both games. Bulborbs are nocturnal and sleep during most of the day, preferring to hunt at night. Dwarf Bulborbs were thought to be juvenile Bulborbs up until the end of Pikmin 1, and were correctly classified as members of the Breadbug family in Pikmin 2. Captain Olimar noted that Bulborbs looked similar to his dog, Bulbie, which is how they got their name.
The Bulborbs are generally the same physically, usually having minor differences such as color, size, and awakewning range. All Bulborbs are bipedal, have fangs that are on the edge of its mouth, a rounded colored backside, two stalk eyes and large snouts coupled with their large mouths. They will usually let out a loud yawn before falling asleep which is then followed by loud snoring.
Bulborbs are apex predators of the Pikmin world. They have high vitality and enormous appetites, being able to chomp as many as five Pikmin with one bite. However, this also means that they have no natural enemies, and often leave themselves completely exposed while sleeping. Take advantage of this by sneaking up behind a sleeping Bulborb and mobbing it with Pikmin for a fast and easy kill, or toss Pikmin onto its back to ensure minimal loss. Bulborbs can vary in terms of strength and aggression. Tactics like these will work on most, but you may need to vary your strategies depending on the particular Bulborb you're facing and what the surrounding environment is like.
There are four known subspecies of Bulborb, each having unique coloration and characteristics which better suit them to different environments. They are:
- The Spotty (Red) Bulborb - Oculus kageyamii locus (russus)
- The Hairy Bulborb - Oculus kageyamii folliculus
- The Orange Bulborb - Oculus kageyamii orangium
- The Whiptongue Bulborb - Oculus kageyamii ligula
Pikmin Adventure
Bulborbs are common enemies seen in Nintendo Lands attraction Pikmin Adventure. They come in various different sizes, and some have more weak points than others. There are 4 different colors of Bulborbs, some that are bigger more often than others.
Monita's Notes
"These grub-dog predators tend to sleep during the day and attack aggressively if woken from a nap. Bulborbs come in a wide variety of colors--now on sale at our gift shop!"
Red Bulborb
Red Bulborbs the most common Bulborb, and are battled in almost every level of Pikmin Adventure. They are usually small, but big ones can be found occasionally.
Strategy
Red Bulborbs are amongst the easiest to kill of all the enemies in Pikmin Adventure. However, should they get ahold of a player, they will do 1 of 2 things: They will either grab the player in their mouths, swing them around, and then toss them far away, or they will eat the player, turning them into Droppings, making it impossible for them to be whistled at or for them to attack, and they must be broken out by Olimar or other Pikmin.
The only weak spot Red Bulborbs have are their backs, which, due to their quick speed and jumpy movements, make it somewhat challenging for Olimar to attack. It is best advised that players controlling Pikmin themselves attack these enemies to take them down swiftly without any damage.
Yellow Bulborb
Yellow Bulborbs are another class of mechanical Bulborbs fought in? Pikmin Adventure, and act as the first mini-boss in the minigame. These ones, in particular, are essentially mechanized versions of the Yellow Bulborbs seen in beta footage of Pikmin 2.? Yellow Bulborbs are usually larger than the Red Bulborbs.?
Strategy
To defeat Yellow Bulborbs, the player can either attack the weak spots on their sides, or, in the smaller variations, attack the weakspots on their heads.
Yellow Bulborbs, in addition to their basic melee biting attack, are capable of spewing orbs of water thet ensare players, rendering them helpless and useless until they are freed. If a player is trapped in a water bubble, they can be freed by having other Pikmin attack them. Unlike other types of Bulborbs, Yellows have the ability to charge at players which will instantly kill smaller Pikmin and damage larger ones. They have difficulty changing direction while charging, however, so this attack isn't too dificult to avoid.
Green Bulborb
Green Bulborbs? are semi-common foes encountered in? Pikmin Adventure, and are larger than most Mecha Bulborbs. They usually appear in enclosed areas, requiring the player to manually break them out, or in dark areas, requiring the player to use the nearby? Glowing Mushroom? to upgrade their light source.
Strategy
Green Bulborbs are basically just larger versions of the? Yellow Bulborbs, the only major differences being their coloration, size, and 2 extra weakpoints on their sides. Attacking their sides is a good strategy to go by if the player is in control of Olimar, and player Pikmin can reach the top weakpoint easier.
It should be noted, however, that Green Bulborbs are usually spawned with bombs available near them, so it would be advised that if you are low on hearts, to simpy take them out with bombs before they even wake up.
Orange Bulborb
Orange Bulborbs are the largest of all the common mechanical Bulborbs found throughout? Pikmin Adventure, and is the second miniboss the player fights. It's eyes and color make it resemble the Orange Bulborb from Pikmin 2.
Strategy
Upon entering its area, the mechanical beast will awaken and the battle will begin with a roar. Rather than charging the player like most enemies do, the Orange variety will instead stand in place and shoot? Spike Balls? out of it's mouth. If the player or Pikmin are equiped with a Hammer Seed or Knuckle Seed, they can avoid this attack at the expense of losing the powerup.
The best way to defeat this creature is on multiplayer, as getting behind it is difficult on single player. Have the player controlling Olimar run around so the other Mii Pikmin can get to the weakpoints dotting its back. Once the miniboss has taken enough damage, it will rage and get faster, and will be quicker to shake off Pikmin. Fortunately, the stage may have rocks at its edges. If it does, Olimar or the Pikmin can pick these up to throw them at the boss. If the rocks hit the creature on a weakpoint or directly on it's face, it will be dazed for a few seconds. If utilized properly, the rocks can turn the tide in a losing battle and save the player.