Puffstool
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| Appears in | Pikmin | ||
| Scientific name | Aspergilla podronis | ||
| Family | Sporovid | ||
| Areas | The Forest Navel | ||
| Challenge Mode stages | The Distant Spring | ||
| Attacks | Possess Pikmin | ||
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To do: The Pikmin Wiki page claims its HP is 2345. Confirm the right HP amount. |
The Puffstool (ボケナメコ?, lit.: "Stupid Nameko") is an enemy in Pikmin that appears to be a huge walking fungus, strongly resembling a red-capped bolete. It has twin antennae, a red-capped mushroom head and a tender yellow torso which is vulnerable to swarming. Only minimal details of the creature's biology of the game are supplied. The Puffstool is one of the enemies with which the crushing glitch happens fairly regularly; the frequency increased in the Wii version of the game.
The Puffstool will try to run when attacked, but its legs are clearly not made for sprinting and it trips easily, landing on its head with feet in the air. Since the cap is invulnerable to attack, Pikmin must be thrown onto its undersection once it's on the ground. After a few seconds, the Puffstool will right itself up and blow out a purplish cloud of spores which cause a strange change in nearby Pikmin, which the Puffstool acts as a leader for. Affected Pikmin turn purple, grow small brown mushroom caps on their stalks, and become aggressive. These Pikmin are known as Mushroom Pikmin.
Notes
Olimar's voyage log
Reel notes
Pikmin Guide Book
“Red Sporovids seem to have developed higher functions than other fungi, as evidenced by the protruding reproductive organs on their caps. These organs act much like a flower would on a normal plant. This species appears to be able to separate for a short time from the fungal colony to which it belongs. This occurs when the mushroom cap has reached a certain size and the spore sac is full. It will then sever its connection to the colony to walk around a limited area to spread the spores. This walking form can no longer absorb nutrients from the colony, but if the released spores contact another living creature, spore-encased fungal filaments will begin an explosive cycle of reproduction within the host, taking over its central nervous system. The host will be controlled by the Red Sporovid within its area of activity. Edible, considered a delicacy. Referred to as "punchstool" in some locales.”
Strategy
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The following article or section contains guides. |
- See also: Mushroom Pikmin.
To quickly dispatch the Puffstool, the player should bring about 80 Red Pikmin into its arena. First swarm its legs with about 30 Pikmin. Don't throw the Pikmin, as they'll just bounce off of its cap and return to the group. It will try to run away, but flip over, legs flailing. In this state it can be killed by throwing all remaining Pikmin on top. It will die, and appear to deflate, leaving its cap, which can be carried by 10 Pikmin to their Onion.
To minimize the risk of losing Pikmin, it is recommended to attack only with the leader. Furthermore, the Puffstool has no attacks that could harm Olimar. Note, however, that this may consume a fair amount of time, and as the sporing habits of the Puffstool are fully predictable, having Pikmin turned into Mushroom Pikmin is usually not a problem for competent players. Should you run the risk of being attacked, however, just run away until the spore cloud dissipates.
It is also possible to drop some bomb-rocks on its feet, but because it is always running this can be hard, unless the creature is cornered. A successful explosion should sap away a quarter of its health.
Locations
A single Puffstool can be found in The Forest Navel, where it holds the Omega Stabilizer. Once defeated, its cap can be returned to an Onion where it will produce 30 Pikmin seeds. Two Puffstools can also be found in The Distant Spring in Challenge Mode. According to the early screenshot to the right, a Puffstool would have appeared in The Forest of Hope on the plateau overlooking the small body of water where the trio of Burrowing Snagrets are in the final game.
Technical information
| Pikmin technical information (?) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Internal name | kinoko
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| HP | 2500 | ||
In The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap
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This article or section is a short summary on the Puffstool in Minish Cap. |
In The Legend Of Zelda: The Minish Cap for the Game Boy Advance, Puffstools are enemies that are encountered in a dungeon known as the Deepwood Shrine. If the player does not kill the Puffstools, they will leave clouds of gold spores everywhere, which must be disposed of with an item known as the "gust jar". Their appearance has been slightly altered. They now have eyes, a white ring around the cap of the mushroom, are taller, and have bigger feet. They are presumably about the same size as they are in Pikmin, in which Olimar's size makes them appear relatively much larger.
Gallery
The Puffstool in the enemy reel.
- Puffstool.jpeg
A Puffstool in The Distant Spring.
- ZombiepikminLARGE.jpg
- Puffstool(PikminNPC).jpg
Artwork for New Play Control! Pikmin.
Trivia
- If the player kills the Puffstool as it begins to get up, it will still do so and release its spores with its health indicating it is dead; a similar effect occurs when a Wollywog is defeated when jumping.
- Being one of the few enemies from the first game that do not reappear in the later games, the Puffstool seems to have been replaced by the Jellyfloats, which have the same antennae and general body shape.
- When it flips onto its cap, it makes the same sound as the Anode Beetle flipping over.
- Occasionally, if Pikmin are carrying the remains back to the Onion in The Forest Navel, they will be unable to cross some of the bridges that lead back to base, rendering the remains uncollectable.
- The Puffstool's ability to control Olimar's Pikmin with its spores is possibly based on a real fungal infection called cordyceps, an infection that affects insects by drastically changing the way they behave, similar to how the Pikmin turn against Olimar.
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
 Japanese |
ボケナメコ? Boke nameko |
Stupid Nameko. ボケ? can mean "stupid", while なめこ? is a type of mushroom. |
 German |
Puffmorschel |