The area selection menu allows the player to select which area to explore next, out of the areas that have been unlocked. It appears before the start of each day.
Pikmin
In Pikmin, a preview image of the area appears on the right side of the screen, as well as some stars that represent the area's parts. A gray star indicates an uncollected ship part, and a yellow one indicates it has been collected. The bottom of the screen shows the total number of salvaged ship parts, and the total number of Pikmin, of each type. On the top-right corner, a day counter can be seen, much like the one on the in-game HUD. On the bottom-right, a box tells the player that they can press 
/ 
to open Olimar's voyage log. The player may also press 
/ 
to open a message box, asking them if they want to remain or return to the title screen.
Pikmin 2
In Pikmin 2, the day counter has been moved to the right side of the screen, a bit to the bottom. At the top of the screen, there is a box indicating that 
/ 
opens the Piklopedia, a box indicating that 
/ 
opens the Treasure Hoard, and, at the center, the number of collected Pokos. On the bottom of the screen, there is the name of the highlighted area, as well as a list of the caves in it, with the number of collected treasures and total treasures of the cave to the right of its name. A box for the number of collected above ground treasures and total above ground treasures also exists. The player can press / to open a prompt, asking them if they wish to remain in this menu or go to the title screen.
The ship that floats around changes appearance after the debt has been repaid, as is the case with the in-game ship. If all treasures in a cave of above ground have been collected, the number will sparkle. Before the debt has been repaid, a division bar appears under the total number of collected Pokos, with the debt's value under it, the number of treasures in unvisited caves is absent altogether, and the total number of cave and above-ground treasures does not appear until after all have been collected in that location. After the debt is gone, the goal number at the top is removed, the number of treasures in unvisited caves appears as "--/--", and the total number of above ground or cave treasures appears after the area or cave is first accessed.
Pikmin 3
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In Pikmin 3, this menu takes place on the S.S. Drake's big monitor, and is opened right away at the start of each day, but there are some scenarios in which it is not. For instance, if Captain Charlie had been rescued the day before, the crew will comment on it and only then will the menu be opened, and if Louie landed on the Garden of Hope, the menu is skipped altogether. If a new area is discovered, the Drake's monitor will show a collage of images of the area, give it a name, the Koppaites will talk about the area, and only then will the player be able to select the area.
The player can tap on any part of an area on the map to highlight it. Once highlighted, its name will appear on the top-left corner, with a mysterious description written in Koppaite text right below it. To the top-right is a counter of the current day number and how many bottles of juice are still available. Still on the Drake's screen, on the bottom-right, there is a frame that automatically cycles between images of the area. This gallery will also contain the three latests pictures taken by the player with the KopPad. On the same frame, there is an indicator of how many pieces of fruit have been gathered, and how many there are, in the area.
On this menu, the player can also press a button to return to the day selection menu, and press to access the check in functionality.
Hey! Pikmin
In Hey! Pikmin, the menu has 2 parts: a sector selection menu for selecting a sector and an area selection menu for selecting an area within the sector. Each sector has a separate area selection menu, except The Final Stretch which only has 1 area and skips the menu as a result.
The sector selection menu shows a globe of the Hey! Pikmin planet on the bottom screen, which can be orbited around by dragging the 
stylus on the touch screen. Each sector is represented by a large landmass on the planet with a colored outline around it. The sector number is indicated above the landmass in a rounded box in the same color as the outline. Only sectors that are mostly visible from the current viewing angle have their numbers visible. Upon tapping a sector's continent or box, the top screen, which shows a closer view of the planet from a low angle, will quickly pan to show the sector selected, along with its name. Upon tapping the sector again, the area selection menu for that sector will be opened. The top screen also shows the text "Select Sector", the total amount of Sparklium collected, and the number of treasures collected in that sector. The bottom screen has a button to return to the title screen.
The area selection menu is like a traditional level map. It shows the areas within the sector as green bubbles on top of a landscape background on the bottom screen. Each bubble shows which treasures have been collected in the area as 3 small icons which can be grey dots (for an uncollected treasure) or yellow stars (for a collected treasure), and also shows the area's number. Secret Spots are shown on the map as small purple bubbles, and Sparklium Springs are shown as small blue bubbles. Lines of white dots connect the areas, and smaller yellow dots connect the areas to Secret Spots or Sparklium Springs. Tapping a bubble will select it, placing a cursor over it, and tapping it again will select it, entering the area. The top screen shows an animated background representing the currently selected area, as well as the area's name and icons from the treasures collected there. The bottom screen has buttons to return to the sector selection menu, view the logs, open the options menu, scan an amiibo, and enter the Pikmin Park. The top screen also shows the text "Select Area", the sector number, and the total amount of Sparklium collected.
Trivia
- If the current day in Pikmin 2 is past day 1000, the bubble will not display the first digit.
- Pressing in New Play Control! Pikmin 2's area selection menu will cause the Wii Remote's speaker to sound a "boing!" sound, same as the one heard when picking an invalid number of Pikmin from the Onion menu.
- In the area selection menu and 2-Player Battle menu of the first two games, it is possible to press the whistle button to abort an area selection, provided the small animated ship or Onions have yet to land.
- Shooting stars occasionally fall in the area selection screen for the first two games. When the final area is being unlocked, several shooting stars in a row appear for some seconds.