Bulbmin

Bulbmin
Appears in	Pikmin 2
Scientific name	Parasiticus pikminicus
Family	Pikmin
Areas	None
Caves	Frontier Cavern, Submerged Castle, Hole of Heroes
Challenge Mode stages	Green Hole, Hidden Garden
2-Player Battle stages	None
Attacks	Eats Pikmin

Bulbmin (adults: ハチャッピー^?, lit.: "Leaf Chappy"; juvenile: コッパチャッピー^?) are a parasitic species of Pikmin found in Pikmin 2. These Pikmin infect Bulborbs and take control of them, but it is hinted by Olimar that they can take on other hosts as well. Physically, they resemble Red Bulborbs, except with a Pikmin stem and leaf (or bud or flower) atop their back. They can be found wandering the floors of certain caves and behave much like the Spotty Bulbear, patrolling an established path in search of food, and can be dealt with similarly by using sprays or Purple Pikmin. The cave with the greatest number of Bulbmin is the Submerged Castle.

Mature Bulbmin, acting as a leader, can be followed by 10 or fewer juvenile Bulbmin. These wild juveniles can be used like normal Pikmin by the Hocotatian leaders, and each count towards the 100-Pikmin limit; exactly how many there are when entering the sublevel depends on the number of available Pikmin slots the player had prior, up to a limit of 10 juveniles per mature Bulbmin. The mature Bulbmin acts like a Bulborb, in that it will pursue and eat Olimar's Pikmin. After defeating it, the smaller ones go into a panic. They are not dangerous, but whistling at them will instantly bring them into line under the captain's command, and they become part of his Pikmin swarm.

As Pikmin

Bulbmin (Juvenile)
Resistance	Fire, electricity, water and poison
Attack strength	Average (10)
Mobility	Average
Throw	Average
Digging speed	Unknown
Carrying capacity	1

To do: Confirm the damage – it's either 5 or 10. Care to do so?

As Pikmin that the player's leaders can use, the Bulbmin have average capabilities in terms of mobility and strength, but are immune to all hazards (fire, water, electricity, and poison), excluding explosions. As beneficial as their abilities may seem, they cannot leave the caves with the group, and will not count towards the overall Pikmin count. This makes them ideal for use in Candypop Buds.

The only way that Bulbmin can be killed before ever being whistled is if they are crushed, or they fall over the side of a level into the abyss when shaken by an enemy attack or explosion or other sufficient force.

There is no information regarding what Bulbmin inside Bulborbs actually look like. It is possible that they are green, since they appear as green dots on the radar, and since their leaves glow green when idle, that they themselves are green. Although they may also be orange, given the color of their stem, as well as the color of the conical aiming cursor when a Bulbmin is in hand, and the color of the trail they produce when thrown.

For an unknown reason, Bulbmin refuse to leave the cave via a Geyser, or escape via the Research Pod; instead staying behind and watching the captain and fellow Pikmin ride up. This means that they do not belong to the leaders' persistent party. Regardless, any Bulbmin death will count towards the lost Pikmin total. The fact that they cannot leave caves leaves them good options for Candypop Buds, especially on a sublevel close to the final one.

Notes

Ship's dialogs

“The confused bulborb has fallen in with the Pikmin. They appear to coexist peacefully.

Strange... this bulborb has a leaf sprouting from its spine, much like the leaf on a Pikmin's head.”

Olimar's notes

“This loathsome creature is in fact a parasitic form of Pikmin that has infected a bulborb. Unlike Pikmin that nest in Pikmin Onions, this parasitic relative spends its life inside the body of a host, usually a bulborb. Juveniles fall in line and mimic the actions of their parent until maturing to full independence. By burying its rootlike limbs into the nervous system of the host bulborb and infusing it with natural hormonal excretions, the bulbmin is able to control virtually all of the host's bodily functions. However, the host's voracious appetite seems impossible to suppress.”

Louie's notes

“Grind the meat and season with allspice, salt, and ground white pepper. Press the seasoned meat into meat satchels, then panfry them with onions. Prior to serving, smother the brats with dijon mustard and sauerkraut. Buns are optional.”

Strategy

Pikmin

To ensure a low Pikmin loss, if not zero, wait until it approaches the active Captain, then throw Pikmin rapidly on top of the beast, further to the back than the front. If done correctly and with good aim, it should shake them off and turn around slowly: it has been distracted, leaving a large time gap in which to swarm it. Do it, then, and it should die before any of the Pikmin it manages to swallow do. Also if it is attacked by other bulbmin it will hesitate slightly before attacking allowing more time to deal damage.

As extra precautions or for an easier fight, use Purple Pikmin or an Ultra-Bitter Spray if it captures any Pikmin.

Captains

Approach the Bulbmin like a roaming Bulbear, attacking it from behind and avoiding its bite. Although its health is significantly lower than a Bulbear's, it can still take a substantial amount of time to kill without the Rocket Fist powerup.

Technical information

Pikmin 2 technical information (?)
Internal name			leafchappy
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	300
fp01	マップとの当り	Unknown (related to slopes)	20
fp02	ダメージスケールXZ	Horizontal damage scale	0.2
fp03	ダメージスケールY	Vertical damage scale	0.2
fp04	ダメージフレーム	Damage scale duration	0.35
fp05	質量	Unknown (weight?)	0.001
fp06	速度	Move speed	50
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	300
fp13	視界角度	FOV	90
fp14	探索距離	Unknown (exploration radius?)	300
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	150
fp18	振り払いダメージ	Shake damage	1
fp19	振り払い範囲	Shake range	25
fp20	攻撃可能範囲	Unknown (shock attack max range?)	40
fp21	攻撃可能角度	Unknown (shock attack max angle?)	30
fp22	攻撃ヒット範囲	Unknown (attack hit range?)	50
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
fp32	LOD半径	Off-camera radius	35
fp33	マップとのあたりポリゴンの選定	Collision processing radius	30
fp34	ピクミンとのあたり	Pikmin damage radius	10
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	8
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	15
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	20
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	25
Specific properties
ID	Japanese comment	Property	Value
fp01	白ピクミン	White Pikmin poison damage	500

Gallery

• 119.jpg

  Bulbmin in Sublevel 3 of the Submerged Castle.

• 

  Bulbmin in the Piklopedia.

• 

  Bulbmin as they appear on the map screen.

• 

  Artwork of a mature Bulbmin.

• 

  Artwork of a juvenille Bulbmin.

• 

  Artwork of a Bulbmin and a Red Pikmin.

• 118.jpg

  Another concept art featuring a mature Bulbmin and 3 juveniles.

Trivia

The three stages of Bulbmin sprouts in the ground.

• The only place where Bulbmin can be buried – and hence, the only place where one can observe Bulbmin with buds – is the Frontier Cavern, on sublevels 4 and 5. Swooping Snitchbugs can plant them in the ground on sublevel 4, and they can be planted by Mamutas on sublevel 5.
• Although immune to poison, the adult Bulbmin will take a fair amount of damage if having eaten a White Pikmin.
• Unlike Blue Pikmin, Bulbmin do not rescue drowning Pikmin.
• Strangely, it seems that the only Bulborb that the Bulbmin tends to take hostage is the Red Bulborb, even when it would make more sense to take control of a Hairy Bulborb on cold caves.
• Bulbmin are the only Pikmin that were created before but did not appear in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
• The creature's scientific name, parasiticus pikminicus, means "Parasite Pikmin".
• A Bulbmin appears on the New Play Control! Pikmin 2 Channel Screen.
• Strangely enough, the young Bulbmin do not die when caught in an explosion while under the control of the mature Bulbmin. However, when under the player's control, they can die by explosions. This is more of a useful tip, since the mature Bulbmin can die from it, and the young will remain fine.
• When juvenille Bulbmin perish, their spirits appear as any other enemies' spirits, not as Pikmin spirits. This may likely be due to how the Bulbmin find a bulborb host, in which the host ends up losing its life, as well.
• Bulbmin make different noises than other Pikmin. White Pikmin do however make some metallic noises when discovered, but not anywhere else.
• They, along with Breadbugs can be cannibals, as the adult Bulbmin will eat juvenile Bulbmin following a Captain.
• Young Bulbmin are technically the last type of friendly Pikmin normally discovered in Pikmin 2, making it the only game in the series so far where Blue Pikmin are not the last.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ハチャッピー; コッパチャッピー? Ha Chappī; Koppa Chappī	Leaf Chappy; Koppa Chappy
German	Punktmin	Dotmin; combination of Punktkäfer ("Dot Beetle", the Bulborbs' German name) and Pikmin.

This article was a featured article from 3rd December 2008 to 26th January 2009.