Puffy Blowhog

Puffy Blowhog
Appears in	Pikmin, Pikmin 2, Pikmin 3
Scientific name	Sus inflata
Family	Blowhog
Areas	The Distant Spring
Caves	Glutton's Kitchen, Cavern of Chaos, Hole of Heroes, Dream Den
Challenge Mode stages	The Distant Spring, Novice Training, Cave of Snarls
Mission Mode Collect Treasure! stages	None
Mission Mode Battle Enemies! stages	None
Side Story days	None
2-Player Battle stages	Carpet Plain
Bingo Battle stages	None
Attacks	Blows air

The Puffy Blowhog is an enemy in all three Pikmin games. It is the first introduced of the two airborne Blowhog species, but is much more rare than the other in the second game. Pikmin's Puffy Blowhogs are slightly larger than those in Pikmin 2; in both, it resembles the Withering Blowhog, but is larger, with purple/light blue stripes and spines on its back.

In Pikmin, this creature blows away Pikmin with its breath and causes their flowers to wilt. In Pikmin 2, its breath is notably stronger than that of the Withering Blowhog but weaker than that of Puffy Blowhogs in Pikmin, and it does not cause Pikmin flowers to wilt. Instead, it blows Pikmin into hazards or enemies; it cannot attack on its own. Purple Pikmin are immune to this, and collecting the Rush Boots makes the captains immune too.

In the first game, they appear in The Distant Spring, usually near water and other enemies, making them much more dangerous, as there is an abundance of hazards for it to blow Pikmin into. Puffy Blowhogs are only rarely seen within a few caves in Pikmin 2, as well as the multiplayer stage Carpet Plain. In Pikmin 3, the Puffy Blowhog solely appears in the Twilight River area. It looks noticeably more balloon-like than its previous incarnations. Its attacks remain the same but it has an additional defense: instantly inflating when it crashes on the ground throwing off Pikmin. As well, upon its defeat, instead of just dropping pellets, it will also drop its deflated carcass which can be retrieved and used to generate 8 Pikmin.

Glitch

When battling a Puffy Blowhog in either Pikmin or Pikmin 2, there may be times when a Blowhog that is being pulled down by Pikmin that are latched-on will land on a border or ledge of some sort. The enemy will be unable to reach the programmed 'ground', and stay on the obstacle and repeat its struggling animation infinitely. In The Distant Spring, the stone pathways around the UV Lamp may cause this glitch to occur, and it can also happen on the walls of sublevels in various Caves in Pikmin 2, wherever Puffy Blowhogs are found.

Notes

Olimar's voyage log

“This is a large-bodied, flying organism, but it is possible that its interior is as empty as a blimp. If I can land a large number of Pikmin on it, they may be able to ground it. And then, once it's down, it will feel my sprouts' rage!”

Reel notes

“Instead of breathing fire, this species uses its hydrogen to float.”

Olimar's notes

“This species of blowhog uses internally generated hydrogen to inflate a flotation bladder and hover above the ground. The creature's electrified pulse creates a sash of color that flows along the surface of its body, making it a particularly beautiful blowhog species. Precisely how it is able to internally stabilize its highly explosive hydrogen and simultaneously generate electricity remains a mystery. The puffy blowhog blows leaves and grass around to eat the insects underneath. It maintains midair buoyancy by using its fins and releasing air through blowholes. This enables it to float effortlessly, even in the breeze. In times of danger, the puffy blowhog can decompress its flotation bladder for a rapid escape from predators.”

Louie's notes

“Slice this creature's feather-light skin into triangles, deep-fry until crispy, and salt generously. Makes the perfect scooping chip to accompany fresh mango salsa!”

Strategy

Due to their speed when flying away, these enemies are harder in the first game. Have a Pikmin in hand, dodge whenever it blows air at you, and when it is cornered into a wall, bombard it with Pikmin. Eventually, it will fall. Swarm, and it will die. In the second game, they're in caves often with many Gates, so they can be a problem to hit when they're behind a gate. They're weaker, so just throw a single Purple Pikmin, and it will fall. Then, swarm it with an army of Pikmin. In Pikmin 3, Winged Pikmin can be used to swarm it in mid-air and defeat it easily, but otherwise, strategies from the first 2 games work well.

Gallery

• Puffyblowhog.jpg

  Artwork of the Puffy Blowhog from Pikmin.

• Puffyhogattack.jpg

  Artwork from Pikmin, showing the Puffy Blowhog being attacked by different-type Pikmin.

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  The Puffy Blowhog Glitch

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  Pikmin 3

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	フーセンドックリ? Fūsen Dokkuri	Balloon Tokkuri
German	Ballonerus	From Ballon (balloon).