Spotty Bulbear

Spotty Bulbear
Appears in	Pikmin, Pikmin 2, Pikmin 3
Scientific name	Oculus terribilis dotticum
Family	Grub-dog
Areas	The Distant Spring, Perplexing Pool, Distant Tundra
Caves	Frontier Cavern, Glutton's Kitchen, Hole of Heroes, Dream Den
Challenge Mode stages	The Forest of Hope, Subterranean Lair, Emperor's Realm
Mission Mode Collect Treasure! stages	None
Mission Mode Battle Enemies! stages	None
Side Story days	None
2-Player Battle stages	None
Bingo Battle stages	None
Attacks	Eats Pikmin

Spotty Bulbears (クマチャッピー^?, lit.: "Bear Chappy") are creatures in all three Pikmin games that resemble Red 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. 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, these creatures sleep if left alone, and have bloodshot eyes upon waking up. They have about one and a half times more health than a Red Bulborb, and their red spots constantly change in size, even after death. Returning a dead member of the species to an Onion produces 15 Pikmin sprouts, but the crushing glitch may make carrying its body difficult in this game. They do not revive after they have been killed, but they regenerate if the player takes too much time to kill them.

In Pikmin 2, Spotty Bulbears have far greater maneuverability than other members of the same family, as well as a less focused patrol area; they have the ability to move almost anywhere in most areas, below as well as above ground. They can be found in the Perplexing Pool after the thirtieth day, and may even enter the landing site. If the creature is defeated and its corpse remains, its health will steadily grow back, the creature reviving itself; after what may be minutes, it may return to consciousness, requiring a repeated "kill", similar to the Gatling Groink. For this reason, it is recommended that the body be quickly returned to an Onion or the Research Pod, or that the sublevel is exited quickly.

In Pikmin 3, Spotty Bulbears are more rare. There is only one in the story mode. In the Distant Tundra, once the player moves the 2nd iron ball and explores the cave that opened up, there is a gate, with the creature on the other side, guarding an Astringent Clump. In Mission Mode there is one in Thirsty Desert and Twilight Hollow. Even though they are faster and more resistant to bomb rocks in this game, they have new weaknesses:

• 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. This small sliver of time should be enough for a wary player to escape or attempt an attack.
• After a Bulbear eats a Pikmin, there is a chance that it will release a small burp afterwards, allowing the player to retreat.
• 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.
• They no longer revive themselves after death, unlike the second Pikmin game.
• 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.

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.”

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."

Strategy

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 do not sleep 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 captain 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 Captains, 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, captains 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 captain, they can be lured into falling into bottomless pits that are between the pilot 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 or 4 bombs to kill the Bulbear itself, and the remaining can be used to deal with the other enemies with ease.

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 will 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

Gallery

• 

  Spotty Bulbear in Pikmin, its red eyes visible.

• 

  A Spotty Bulbear in the enemy reel.

• 

  A Spotty Bulbear on the Piklopedia.

• 

  Another image of a Spotty Bulbear on the Piklopedia.

• 

  A Spotty Bulbear as seen in Pikmin 3.

• 

  A Spotty Bulbear on the Thirsty Desert.

• 

  Animation showing the spots on its back changing in size, in Pikmin.

• Spotty Bulbear Pikmin 2 Beta.jpg

  A Spotty Bulbear in an earlier version of Pikmin 2.

• 

  The Spotty Bulbear in an unused cave used for testing its A.I.

• NPC Spotty Bulbear.jpg

  Official artwork for the Spotty Bulbear.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	クマチャッピー? Kuma Chappī	Bear Chappy
French	Bulbours
German	Getupfter Punktbär	Spotted Dot Bear

Trivia

To do: What cave, exactly? Care to do so?

• In the enemy reel in Pikmin, Bulborbs are present in places that Bulbears inhabit in the finished game, suggesting that this is how it was in a development version.
• Also in the enemy reel, it says that the enemy has a certain indefatigability (meaning it's seemingly incapable of being tired), which is strange, since the only thing related to fatigue that is relevant to the enemy is the revival mechanic, but that was only introduced in Pikmin 2.
• 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 the Fiery and Caustic Dweevil.
• Their scientific name, oculus terriblis dotticum, means "Terrible Dotted Eye".
• An unused cave with a maze-like single floor was used to test the Spotty Bulbear's AI in Pikmin 2. This cave can be found in the game's files, and its caveinfo name is known as 敵チェック (meaning "Enemy Check").
• If a Spotty Bulbear bumps into a member of the Grub-dog family that is sleeping, it will wake them up. Although surprisingly, this is not the case with the Orange Bulborb, which otherwise wakes up easier than the remaining members of the family. This behavior can be seen on sublevel 9 of the Cavern of Chaos.
• The Spotty Bulbear and the Gatling Groink are the only enemies that can revive in Pikmin 2. Oddly, Dwarf Bulbears, which are just the same creature at a young development stage, cannot.