Spotty Bulbear

Spotty Bulbear
Appears in	Pikmin, Pikmin 2, Pikmin 3, Pikmin 4
Scientific name	Oculus terribilis dotticum; Oculus terribilis (Pikmin Player's Guide)
Family	Grub-dog
Areas	The Distant Spring, Perplexing Pool, Distant Tundra, Giant's Hearth
Caves	Frontier Cavern, Glutton's Kitchen, Hole of Heroes, Dream Den, Kingdom of Beasts, Plunder Palace, Trial of the Sage Leaf
Challenge Mode stages	The Forest of Hope, Subterranean Lair, Emperor's Realm
Mission Mode Collect Treasure! stages	Beastly Caverns
Mission Mode Battle Enemies! stages	Thirsty Desert, Twilight Hollow, Formidable Oak Remix
Side Story days	Creature Hunting, Team Monster Hunt, Looking for Louie, Another Part Found
Dandori Challenge stages	None
Dandori Battle stages	None
2-Player Battle stages	None
Bingo Battle stages	Arid Metropolis, Jigsaw Colosseum
Attacks	Eat Pikmin

Spotty Bulbears (クマチャッピー^?, lit.: "Bear Chappy") are enemies in the four main Pikmin games that resemble Bulborbs with a different color and stature, and larger mouths with wider lips. They are black with red spots, and their face is a creamy yellow or orange. Its large mouth allows it to eat Pikmin more rapidly and easily, making it a rather formidable foe. These enemies are often found with a number of following Dwarf Bulbears, which are supposed to follow this guardian as a source of protection and general aid.

In Pikmin, Spotty Bulbears largely spend their time sleeping, only waking up if disturbed by the Pikmin or Olimar. They have piercing red pupils when awake and actively pursuing prey. They have slightly more health than their Spotty Bulborb counterparts, making confrontation riskier. The red spots on their back constantly change in size, even after the creature's death. They have a noticeable regeneration factor, healing if the player takes too much time to kill them.

In Pikmin 2, Spotty Bulbears never sleep, spending all of their time patrolling the map in search of prey. They have far greater maneuverability than other Grub-dogs, freely wandering the entire map in search of prey, often followed by multiple Dwarf Bulbears. In any sublevel or area where a Spotty Bulbear is active, extreme caution must be taken until it is safely disposed of, as it is capable of attacking and killing Pikmin who are currently working on tasks or even simply idling, thanks to its high mobility. Most notably, one will appear in the Perplexing Pool after Day 30. Its mobility means that it can even wander into the landing site to eat Pikmin idle by the Onions and the Ship, making it a priority target.

Spotty Bulbears in Pikmin 2 do not truly die when defeated, instead falling unconscious. When lying unconscious, its health will steadily regenerate as it attempts to revive itself. If the body is not destroyed, either by depositing it in an Onion, the Research Pod, or defeating the creature while it is petrified, it will eventually wake back up, requiring a repeated "kill", a trait it shares with Gatling Groinks. In the event that the body cannot be destroyed, leaving the area while it is down, such as entering a cave or proceeding to a deeper sublevel, is advised.

In Pikmin 3, Spotty Bulbears are much rarer. Only one can be found during the main game, behind a bamboo gate in one of the Distant Tundra's caves, although they are markedly more common in Mission Mode. In this game, they have a notable resistance to bomb rocks, and are generally less persistent, stomping their foot in anger and disengaging a chase if they cannot reach their intended target, compared to the previous game, where they would try forever. They keep their sleepless wandering, but they also have a number of new weaknesses:

They no longer revive when killed.
When a Bulbear snatches Pikmin, it stops to fling them into the air and land them down its throat. Then, it pauses for about two seconds. If it has eaten a large amount of Pikmin recently, it may burp. This small sliver of time should be enough for a wary player to escape or attempt an attack.
They will instantly die if they ingest a bomb rock.
Bulbears now emit a heavy, snarly breathing noise when giving chase, which can be heard from a distance, alerting players of their presence. When in a dark area, their glowing purple eyes can also be seen from a distance.
If a Bulbear spots the player, it will now give a glance at the group, making it much easier to tell if the Bulbear can see its prey or not.
They can be briefly stunned if their eyes are attacked, like other large grub-dogs in Pikmin 3.

In Pikmin 4, Spotty Bulbears are a bit more common than in Pikmin 3, thought still not as common as in the first 2 games. They can be found both above and below ground, featuring most prominently in the Giant's Hearth, where 3 of them appear. They also appear in some harder Night expeditions. They are changed very little behavior-wise from Pikmin 3, though they can no long be stunned via attacking their eyes. While they still wander during the day, they now follow predictable routes through smaller areas, rather than being able to roam anywhere as in Pikmin 2 and Pikmin 3.

Stats

The following article or section is in need of assistance from someone who plays Pikmin 4.

Game	Weight	Max. carriers	Seeds	Value	Health	Regen.
	10	20	15	N/A	1300	Unknown
	10	20	12	× 10	1200	3.6^{[note 1]}
(?)	12	24 (normally)	20	× 70 × 70	1800	No
	12	24	15	× 12	1800	No

^ Note that this value refers to health regeneration, not revival.

Notes

Reel notes

“This rare species of bulborb has a certain indefatigability.”

Olimar's notes

“A midsize subspecies within the grub-dog family, the spotty bulbear's unique feeding habits set it apart from other grub-dogs. The spotty bulbear patrols a set path searching for prey, instead of passively feeding on creatures that wander into a limited territorial range. When entering bulbear habitat, it is wise to proceed with extreme caution until the bulbear's patrol path can be clearly identified.”

Louie's notes

“For an unrivaled green curry, peel away the spotty bulbear's skin, pulverize the juicy innards, and stew until curiously fragrant.”

Alph's comments

“Structural flaw: eyeballs, back
Weight: 12

It's sort of like...the rare, limited-edition version of regular bulborbs. I'm much too afraid to get close to them in the dark caves where they live, so I'm thinking about bringing a Bomb Rock next time. Couldn't hurt!”

Brittany's comments

“The red-on-black thing is very bold, but it's a vicious predator, soooo points off for that. It's big and tough and never backs down even when it probably should. Like some captains I could name.”

Charlie's comments

“The first problem with this guy is that he never sleeps. The second problem is that he can gulp a whole platoon of Pikmin in one move. Well, not on my watch, buster! I'll make you wash down that meal with a dessert of pain!”

Louie's comments

US version

“For an unrivaled green curry, peel away the spotty bulbear's skin, pulverize the juicy innards, and stew until curiously fragrant.”

European version

“For an unrivalled green curry, peel away the spotty bulbear's skin, pulverise the juicy innards, and stew until curiously fragrant.”

Olimar's comments

“Spotty Bulbear
Oculus terribilis dotticum
Grub-dog family

A midsize subspecies within the grub-dog family, the spotty bulbear's unique feeding habits set it apart from other grub-dogs. The spotty bulbear patrols a set path searching for prey, instead of passively feeding on creatures that wander into a limited territorial range. When entering bulbear habitat, it is wise to proceed with extreme caution until the bulbear's patrol path can be clearly identified.”

Dalmo's Notes

“One glance, and you'll never forget them as long as you live-those unmistakable bold lips. A most distinctive feature the likes of which I've seen nowhere else in the universe. When I gaze upon them, I wonder if those lips serve double duty as a way to feel the world around it, since this cute cuddler has no fingers!”

Pikmin Nintendo Player's Guide

“A stronger, darker version of the greater grub-dog that appears in small numbers, perhaps the result of environmental changes. This rare subspecies of bulborb has a certain indefatigability.”

“The spotty bulbear behaves much like the spotty bulborb, and you can use the same tactics to defeat either variety of grub-dog. The spotty bulbear seems to be slower than the spotty bulborb, but the darker species is also stronger.”

Pikmin Nintendo Power booklet

“Physically similar to spotty bulborbs, bulbears are actually much stronger than their red-and-white cousins. Their passion in life? Sleeping—and eating scores of delicious Pikmin.”

Pikmin 2 Nintendo Player's Guide

“Possibly the most vicious of the Bulborb/Bulbear family, the Spotty Bulbear feasts on Pikmin and doesn't give up. Have one group distract the villain while you send another behind it to attack.”

Pikmin 3 Prima Guide

“The Spotty Bulbear is extremely durable, and its wide jaws allow it to gobble a great amount of Pikmin with each attack. To avoid a prolonged and costly battle, use Bomb Rocks to attack this creature from a safe distance.”

Pikmin 1 (Nintendo Switch) Reel notes

“This rare subspecies of bulborb has a certain indefatigability.”

Behavior

This section is a stub. You can help Pikipedia by expanding it.

The following article or section is in need of assistance from someone who plays Pikmin.
Particularly: Its pupils change color during gameplay. Document when and why, and also clean up the trivia section at the bottom of the article.

Strategy

The following article or section contains guides.
The strategies shown are just suggestions.

Pikmin

The exact same strategy for the Red Bulborb is effective here, but take care of the Bulbear's increased health. A large group of Red Pikmin or three bomb-rocks will do it in.

Pikmin 2

Spotty Bulbears are always awake in this game and are constantly roaming the map, making a surprise attack nearly impossible. It is possible to trick the Bulbear into attacking and missing, allowing the leader access to its backside, but they frequently have Dwarf Bulbears following them, making this tactic risky. Another means of accessing its rear is to split the leaders, using the one without Pikmin as a distraction. If Purple Pikmin are available, they make the battle easier as they can injure and stun the adult and children, but with other types it may be wise to use an ultra-bitter spray. It is often effective to switch roles with and hunt the Bulbear itself before it can pick up any Dwarfs, and then stun and attack it.

If time is not a concern, leaders can be used to punch and kill the Dwarf Bulbears and even the adult without the risk of losing Pikmin. The Rocket Fist upgrade makes this especially easy.

In the Perplexing Pool, you can trap the Bulbear in between the wall and the small maze next to the bridge. It will be unable to get out, so it won't be an issue anymore unless you want to kill it. Just begin to rain Pikmin down on its head, it should shake once or twice before dying. You then can carry its corpse and the 10-pellet it dropped out of the area and they will be able to get to the Onion. In most caves, leaving a Pikmin on one side of the wall that the Bulbear cannot reach allows a slight edge. Be quick and you can severely damage, if not kill it, with few losses.

To defeat the Spotty Bulbears in the Subterranean Lair in Challenge Mode, lure all three close to one another, then hit them all with a single shot of ultra-bitter spray to petrify all three at once, hopefully along with the dwarf compainions.

Since Bulbears follow the active leader, they can be lured into falling into bottomless pits that are between the leader and the beast. Any treasures the creature would drop will be, unlike in Pikmin, safely returned to the sublevel for collection. One such level is sublevel 3 in the Dream Den.

If you want to get rid of the posse of dwarfs following the Spotty Bulbear, you can bring twenty Purple Pikmin and sneak up on the farthest dwarf in the group. Throw the purple on its back and it will die instantly. Do this to all the dwarfs without the Spotty Bulbear "noticing" and then you can defeat it with ease.

Pikmin 3

A Spotty Bulbear appears inside a dark cave in the Distant Tundra. It is accompanied by the usual Dwarf Bulbears and some Fiery Blowhogs. In the cave, there are 10 bomb rocks. It will take 3 bomb explosions to kill the Bulbear, but if the Bulbear eats a bomb rock (regardless of whether or not a Pikmin is carrying it), it will instantly die. The remaining bombs can be used to deal with the other enemies.

For a head-on attack, make sure all other enemies are dead before facing it as otherwise shaken off Pikmin may become eaten or set on fire. Chuck Pikmin at its eyes until you hit them. Don't throw any more Pikmin until it's ready to attack again. This keeps it flinching over and over. Whistle some Pikmin when your standby group is small. Rock Pikmin and Red Pikmin can help defeat it quicker, as can an ultra-spicy spray.

If it does eat Pikmin, it chucks them in the air and may burp afterwards. This time is enough to escape or whistle the Pikmin back to hit its eyes again.

Technical information

Pikmin technical information (?)
Internal name	`swallob`
HP	1300

Pikmin 2 technical information (?)
Internal name			`kumachappy`
Global properties (List)
ID	Japanese comment	Property	Value
s000	friction(not used)	Friction	0.5
s001	wallReflection	Unknown (wall bounce speed multiplier?)	0.5
s002	faceDirAdjust	Unknown	0.25
s003	accel	Acceleration	0.05
s004	bounceFactor	Unknown (bounce when it hits the ground?)	0.3
fp00	ライフ	HP	1200
fp01	マップとの当り	Unknown (related to slopes)	45
fp02	ダメージスケールXZ	Horizontal damage scale	0.3
fp03	ダメージスケールY	Vertical damage scale	0.3
fp04	ダメージフレーム	Damage scale duration	0.35
fp05	質量	Unknown (weight?)	0.0001
fp06	速度	Move speed	100
fp08	回転速度率	Rotation acceleration	0.2
fp09	テリトリー	Territory radius	400
fp10	ホーム範囲	"Home" radius	50
fp11	プライベート距離	"Private" radius	70
fp12	視界距離	Sight radius	500
fp13	視界角度	FOV	90
fp14	探索距離	Unknown (exploration radius?)	500
fp15	探索角度	Unknown (exploration angle?)	90
fp16	振り払い率	Successful shake rate	1
fp17	振り払い力	Shake knockback	200
fp18	振り払いダメージ	Shake damage	1
fp19	振り払い範囲	Shake range	30
fp20	攻撃可能範囲	Unknown (shock attack max range?)	75
fp21	攻撃可能角度	Unknown (shock attack max angle?)	25
fp22	攻撃ヒット範囲	Unknown (attack hit range?)	80
fp23	攻撃ヒット角度	Unknown (attack hit angle?)	35
fp24	攻撃力	Attack damage	10
fp25	視界高	Unknown (height visibility?)	50
fp26	探索高	Unknown (exploration height?)	50
fp27	ライフの高さ	HP wheel height	90
fp28	回転最大速度	Rotation speed	4
fp29	警戒時間	Unknown (warning time?)	15
fp30	警戒ライフ	Unknown	50
fp31	ライフ回復率	Regeneration rate	0.0001
fp32	LOD半径	Off-camera radius	70
fp33	マップとのあたりポリゴンの選定	Collision processing radius	60
fp34	ピクミンとのあたり	Pikmin damage radius	30
fp35	石化時間	Petrification duration	1
fp36	ヒップドロップダメージ	Purple Pikmin drop damage	50
fp37	地震気絶確立	Purple Pikmin stun chance	0.3 (30%)
fp38	地震気絶時間	Purple Pikmin stun time	5
ip01	振り払い打撃Ａ	Shake mode 1 – hit count	6
ip02	振り払い張付１	Shake mode 1 – Pikmin requirement	5
ip03	振り払い打撃Ｂ	Shake mode 2 – hit count	12
ip04	振り払い張付２	Shake mode 2 – Pikmin requirement	10
ip05	振り払い打撃Ｃ	Shake mode 3 – hit count	17
ip06	振り払い張付３	Shake mode 3 – Pikmin requirement	20
ip07	振り払い打撃Ｄ	Shake mode 4 – hit count	22
Specific properties
ID	Japanese comment	Property	Value
fp01	白ピクミン	White Pikmin poison damage	400
fp11	死亡～ゲージ出現	Delay until revival starts	2
fp12	ゲージ出現～復活	Revival duration	118

Pikmin 3 technical information (?)
Internal name	`kumachappy`
HP	1800
Rock Pikmin throw hits to kill	40
White Pikmin ingestions to kill	5
Bomb rock explosions to kill	3
Bomb rock ingestions to kill	1
Number of direct hits on top to kill	0
Damage to leaders	20
Territory radius	0
Mission Mode value	70

Other information

Technical name in The Official Nintendo Player's Guide: Grizzly Grub-Dog
Size: Body length: 88mm, as per the e-card
Pikmin 2 Piklopedia number: #7

Naming

See more: Grub-dog family#Naming.

Common name: Spotty Bulbear. The name is a counterpart to the name "Spotty Bulborb", which is what the Red Bulborb was identified as before the release of Pikmin 2. The word "bulbear" is an alteration of the word "Bulborb" such that it ends with "bear" instead; this word reflects this creature's much bruter nature.
Japanese nickname: クマチャッピー^?, lit.: "Bear Chappy".
Japanese name: クマデメマダラ^?, lit.: "Spotted Bear Bug-eye". It is the same as the Dwarf Bulbear's.
Scientific name: The scientific name, Oculus terribilis dotticum, uses the species name terribilis, which is Latin for "terrible", and dotticum as the subspecies, which resembles the English word "dotted". In the Pikmin Nintendo Player's Guide, the scientific name is simply Oculus terribilis, which would later be used by the Dwarf Bulbear.
Internal names: The creature's internal name in Pikmin is swallob, which could be seen as a change on the Red Bulborb's name (swallow), as to mean "swallow B", or the second type of enemy with the "swallow" internal name. The internal name in Pikmin 2 and in Pikmin 3 is the same as its Japanese nickname: kumachappy.
Prerelease: In an early English script left inside the game's disc, the scientific name used to be just Oculus terribilis, as in the Player's Guide.^[1]

Names in other languages

The following article or section needs help from someone who can translate Chinese text.
Some notes: double entendre with 熊熊？

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	クマチャッピー^? Kuma Chappī	Bear Chappy
Chinese (traditional)	熊熊恰比 Xióng Xióng Qiàbǐ	Bear Bear Chappy
Chinese (simplified)	熊熊恰比 Xióng Xióng Qiàbǐ	Bear Bear Chappy
Dutch	Gevlekte bulbeer	Spotted bulbear	Portmaneau of "bulborb" and "beer" (bear)
French	Bulbours à pois	Spotty bulbear	"Bulbours" is a portmanteau of "Bulborbe" (Bulborb) and "ours" (bear)
German	Getupfter Punktbär	Spotted Dot Bear	"Punktkäfer" is the German name for Bulborb
Italian	Coleto Macchiato Coleto macchiato (Pikmin 4)	Spotted Bulbear Spotted bulbear (Pikmin 4)	"Coleto" may come from "boletus" (Latin for mushroom), as a bulborb's spots resemble those found on certain mushrooms "Coleto" is the Italian name for both Bulborb and Bulbear
Korean	곰차피 Gom-Chapi	Bear Chappy
Portuguese	Bulboca	Bulbmouth	The name is a portmanteau of "bulbo" (bulb) and "boca" (mouth) The name also sounds close to "boboca" (a childish slang that means "silly" or "stupid")
Spanish	Bulboso moteado	Spotted bulbear	"Bulboso" is a portmanteau of "Bulbo" (Bulborb) and "oso" (bear)

[[it:Coleto Macchiato
Coleto macchiato (Pikmin 4)]]

Gallery

Artwork of the Spotty Bulbear from Pikmin.
Spotty Bulbear in Pikmin, its red eyes visible.
A Spotty Bulbear in the enemy reel.
Animation showing the spots on its back changing in size, a feature of the species only seen in Pikmin.
Drawings of the Spotty Bulbear from the Pikmin Official Player's Guide.
A Spotty Bulbear in Pikmin 2's Piklopedia.
A Spotty Bulbear reviving.
A Spotty Bulbear in an earlier version of Pikmin 2.
The Spotty Bulbear in an unused cave used for testing its A.I.
Artwork of the Spotty Bulbear from Pikmin 3.
A Spotty Bulbear as seen in Pikmin 3.
A Spotty Bulbear in the darkness.
A Spotty Bulbear on the Thirsty Desert.
A Spotty Bulbear burping after eating a lot of Pikmin.
Ditto.
Ditto.
The creature's e-card, #07 (9^th red card).

Trivia

In the enemy reel in Pikmin, Bulborbs are often present in places that Bulbears inhabit in the final version. This suggests that Spotty Bulbears were likely intended to be much rarer during Pikmin's development, or potentially were implemented far later in development.
The enemy reel also notes that Spotty Bulbears display "indefatigability," suggesting a degree of tirelessness or persistence. While this is inaccurate in Pikmin, as they sleep just as often as Spotty Bulborbs and disengage chases just as quickly as them, this notably does apply to their depictions in the rest of the games, where they never sleep and are always found patrolling areas. It particularly applies to their revival mechanics in Pikmin 2, as well.
The Spotty Bulbear was one of four enemies that were planned, but ultimately removed, for the roulette wheel in Pikmin 2''s 2-Player Battle, along with the Antenna Beetle, and Fiery/Hydro Dweevils.
If a Spotty Bulbear bumps into a member of the grub-dog family that is sleeping, it will wake them up, although they will almost immediately go back to sleep unless a Leader or Pikmin are nearby. The only grub-dog it cannot wake up are Orange Bulborbs, which are, ironically, established as being the lightest sleepers. This behavior can only be seen on sublevel 9 of the Hole of Heroes, although it's inability to wake up Orange Bulborbs can also be seen on sublevel 2 of the Emperor's Realm.
The Spotty Bulbear and the Gatling Groink are the only enemies that can revive in Pikmin 2. Both of these enemies are also, notably, the only ones in the game that can freely roam the areas they are found in.
Like their younger counterpart, the coloration of the Bulbear's eyes has changed multiple times throughout the series. They are red/indigo depending on circumstance in Pikmin, always indigo in Pikmin 2, and purple in Pikmin 3 and Pikmin 4.
In Pikmin, the pupil color of Spotty and Dwarf Bulbears changes depending on the circumstance. They are a piercing, bloodshot red if actively pursuing prey, and indigo when not, such as when returning to their territory to fall back asleep.^[2]

References

^ Pikmin 2/Early English Script on The Cutting Room Floor
^ Twitter video on Twitter, published on March 21^st, 2023, retrieved on May 8^th, 2023

[1] Note that this value refers to health regeneration, not revival.

[2] Pikmin 2/Early English Script on The Cutting Room Floor

[3] Twitter video on Twitter, published on March 21^st, 2023, retrieved on May 8^th, 2023

[note 1]

[1]

[2]

Spotty Bulbear

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