Ranging Bloyster

Ranging Bloyster
Appears in	Pikmin 2
Scientific name	Molluschid predatoria
Family	Mollusking
Areas	None
Caves	Shower Room, Hole of Heroes
Challenge Mode stages	The Giant's Bath
2-Player Battle stages	None
Attacks	Eats Pikmin

The Ranging Bloyster resembles a large Toady Bloyster, and is possibly named for its longer mouthparts or increased travel range. These creatures have an affinity for shiny objects and will track your active pilot's light beacon, making them impossible to approach unnoticed from behind.

This creature is found only on the last sublevel (7) of the Shower Room, Sublevel 7 of the Hole of Heroes (along with two Cannon Beetle Larvae and two Decorated Cannon Beetles), and the last sublevel (2) of The Giant's Bath in Challenge Mode. It is possible to kill the Bloyster in a matter of seconds relatively easily with two players on the Challenge Mode level.

There is a glitch that makes the Ranging Bloyster still "live" after the player kills it. If it's while its antenna is still glowing, the tail left behind by the Bloyster might still glow and beep; however, it will only glow if it's taken to the ship.

Notes

Olimar's notes

“This species of mollusk has shed its shell through the process of evolution. What appears as a flower-shaped protrusion on its back actually functions as its gills. The ranging bloyster ensnares small animals with its sticky tentacles, reels them in, and consumes them. Observers have noted that this creature exhibits a keen interest in flashing objects. It often tries to capture and ingest these objects. Researchers and explorers equipped with flashing identification beacons should be wary when in close proximity to this dangerous predator.”

Louie's notes

“Notes:Ranging Bloyster/louie”

Artwork of the Ranging Bloyster.

Strategies

This beast can be difficult to defeat in a timely manner, but with the right strategy, can be overcome without losing any Pikmin. The Bloyster will hunt your active captain and will change its target accordingly if you switch. However, there is a slight delay between the time it stops chasing one captain and starts on the other. Use this to your advantage by placing each captain on either side of the beast. Lure it towards one, then switch with Y / and quickly toss Pikmin onto its vulnerable tail. Call them back when the Bloyster turns to face you, then repeat.

Another way to deal with this boss is to attack it with a single group of Pikmin led by both captains. Because it pauses slightly in order to track the leading captain, the idea is to keep switching control of your captains every time it turns your active captain's color. In this way, it is very easy to simply walk past it, step behind it, and throw Pikmin at the bulb on its tail without trouble. Be sure to call back any Pikmin that get shaken off their target.

In the Hole of Heroes as well as The Giant's Bath, the arena for the fight is very big, and you can easily corner the Bloyster. Defeat the Armored Cannon Beetle Larvae and Decorated Cannon Beetles in the Hole of Heroes by having them shoot rocks at each other. The Ranging Bloyster cannot be harmed by the rocks. Then, have a captain lure the Bloyster to one of the corners of the room. The captain will be close enough to keep the Bloyster's attention, but the Bloyster cannot reach the captain, as its range does not reach the corners of the room. Have the other captain bring all the Pikmin to the other side, switching between the two captains while approaching to keep the Bloyster's attention on the one out of reach. When close enough, throw Pikmin onto its tail, while switching to keep it from attacking the group of Pikmin. If a spray or purples are used, the Bloyster can be defeated within less than a minute without casualties.

A much more time-consuming method is to have a 100 strong army, confront the Ranging Bloyster, spray it, and then toss Pikmin onto its back. When it unfreezes, simply spray it again, and any Pikmin that were thrown off will leap back on it to continue the assault. Note that this can take multiple Ultra-Bitter Sprays and the Pikmin will likely revert back to leaf Pikmin when thrown off, but it is a far safer method.

A safe but slightly slow way is to use a single Purple Pikmin. Begin by making the Bloyster use its main attack. While it's busy doing so, go around it and throw the Purple Pikmin at its bulb. Slowly rotate alongside the Bloyster so that it does a full circle. When it reaches its initial position, make it attack again, and while it's doing so, go to its back, whistle the Pikmin, and re-throw it. Repeat this until the creature is dead.

As a last resort, White Pikmin can be fed to the Bloyster, each dealing heavy damage when eaten. At least 8 are necessary to poison the creature to death.

Technical information

Internally, Toady Bloysters are actually Ranging Bloysters, except with some properties that specify the differences.

Pikmin 2 technical information (?)
Internal name			umimushi (umimushiblind for the Toady Bloyster)
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	0.1
s004	bounceFactor	Unknown (bounce when it hits the ground?)	0.3
fp00	ライフ	HP	1500
fp01	マップとの当り	Unknown (related to slopes)	80
fp02	ダメージスケールXZ	Horizontal damage scale	0.1
fp03	ダメージスケールY	Vertical damage scale	0.15
fp04	ダメージフレーム	Damage scale duration	0.35
fp05	質量	Unknown (weight?)	0.5
fp06	速度	Move speed	15
fp08	回転速度率	Rotation acceleration	0.1
fp09	テリトリー	Territory radius	300
fp10	ホーム範囲	"Home" radius	30
fp11	プライベート距離	"Private" radius	0
fp12	視界距離	Sight radius	700
fp13	視界角度	FOV	180
fp14	探索距離	Unknown (exploration radius?)	400
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	120
fp18	振り払いダメージ	Shake damage	1
fp19	振り払い範囲	Shake range	90
fp20	攻撃可能範囲	Unknown (shock attack max range?)	30
fp21	攻撃可能角度	Unknown (shock attack max angle?)	15
fp22	攻撃ヒット範囲	Unknown (attack hit range?)	170
fp23	攻撃ヒット角度	Unknown (attack hit angle?)	30
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	100
fp28	回転最大速度	Rotation speed	1
fp29	警戒時間	Unknown (warning time?)	0
fp30	警戒ライフ	Unknown	0
fp31	ライフ回復率	Regeneration rate	0.0001
fp32	LOD半径	Off-camera radius	200
fp33	マップとのあたりポリゴンの選定	Collision processing radius	100
fp34	ピクミンとのあたり	Pikmin damage radius	0
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 (0%)
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	10
ip02	振り払い張付１	Shake mode 1 – Pikmin requirement	3
ip03	振り払い打撃Ｂ	Shake mode 2 – hit count	13
ip04	振り払い張付２	Shake mode 2 – Pikmin requirement	6
ip05	振り払い打撃Ｃ	Shake mode 3 – hit count	16
ip06	振り払い張付３	Shake mode 3 – Pikmin requirement	9
ip07	振り払い打撃Ｄ	Shake mode 4 – hit count	20
Specific properties
ID	Japanese comment	Property	Value
fp01	ダメージレート	Unknown (damage rate?)	0.03
fp02	旋回開始角度	Unknown (turning start angle?)	30
fp03	旋回終了角度	Unknown (turning end angle?)	10
fp04	サーチ移動速度	Unknown (unmesmerized move speed?)	85
fp06	サーチ回転速度率	Unknown (unmesmerized rotation speed?)	0.05
fp07	サーチ回転最大速度	Unknown (unmesmerized max rotation speed?)	2.5
fp09	黒ピクミンダメージレート	Unknown (Purple Pikmin damage rate?)	0.05
fp10	地下テリトリー	Unknown (underground territory?)	300
fp11	白ピクミン	White Pikmin poison damage	200
fp12	めくらライフ	Toady Bloyster HP	800
fp13	めくら待機間隔	Unknown (Toady Bloyster wait interval?)	200
fp14	めくら移動間隔	Unknown (Toady Bloyster transfer interval?)	200
ip01	攻撃後待機期間	Unknown (wait period before attacking?)	0