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Pikmin 3

Glitches in Pikmin 3

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Revision as of 16:08, November 3, 2023 by 76.72.137.173 (talk) (→‎Floating fruit)
Warning: the following article or section contains major spoilers.

This article or section needs to be cleaned up, either its format or general style.
Notes: Some of these are not exactly glitches, they're sequence breaks that exploit similar glitches (clipping through terrain, walking on thin ledges). All out of bounds glitches should be moved to its individual article.

To do: Add the glitches that are not related to going out of bounds in this.
Care to do so?

The following article or section is in need of assistance from someone who plays Pikmin 3.
Particularly: Analyze and document these.

This is a collection of glitches possible in Pikmin 3 and Pikmin 3 Deluxe.

Please read the glitch notes before attempting any of these glitches or before adding your own.

Main

Cloning glitch

To do: Confirm the details of the method, and see if there are reasons for the inconsistent caps on the maximum number of cloned Pikmin.
Care to do so?

Reproducibility Consequences Versions Demonstration
High Helpful Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Yes		 YouTube video
  • Effects: Allows Pikmin to be cloned using an Onion, up to a certain point.
  • Prerequisites: Have a Pikmin type you want to clone unlocked and its Onion joined with the Master Onion, and have enough Pikmin to fill the field.
  • How to: Take Pikmin of a different type to the one you want to clone out of the Onion until the field is full. Then open the Onion menu, and send some number of Pikmin back to the Onion while taking an equal amount of the desired type out of the Onion. Select OK, and then immediately open the Onion menu again before the Pikmin you sent back enter the Onion. Repeat the process, sending some Pikmin in and taking some Pikmin out, and immediately opening the menu each time. Notice how the number of Pikmin of the type you want to clone in the Onion stays the same as you continue to take them out. Once there are no Pikmin left to send in, you can wait for the Onion animations to finish, and you will have cloned some Pikmin.
  • Notes: There is a cap to the maximum number of Pikmin you can have of a type with cloning. This cap is different for each type and varies inconsistently between attempts.
  • What would happen normally: The Onion shouldn't be able to send out a greater number of Pikmin of a type than there are inside it.
  • Possible explanation: None.

Continuing to play after beating the game

To do: Document more of the effects that this glitch can have, such as what happens when this glitch is performed on a save file that beat the final boss on day 99, and how the Koppaite conversations in the S.S. Drake and voyage logs are selected.
Care to do so?

Reproducibility Consequences Versions Demonstration
High Depends Pikmin 3: No
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Yes		 YouTube video
  • Effects: Allows the player to continue playing on a save file after completing the main Story Mode on that save file, which has various effects such as disabling most controls.
  • Prerequisites: Defeat the final boss and beat the game.
  • How to: On the day selection menu after completing Story Mode, an "END" bubble is displayed after the prior day that ended the run, which can't be selected unlike the other days. However, it is possible to select this day in Pikmin 3 Deluxe, via the voyage log viewer accessed by the button in the bottom left. When the player exits the voyage log viewer, the day bubbles will jump to the day the player was last viewing in the voyage log. But whether the "start" button is greyed-out or not won't change, so if the player opens the voyage log on the "END" bubble and goes to, for example the day they defeated the Sandbelching Meerslug and exits, the button will be still greyed-out even though this day should be selectable, and vice-versa, if the player is on a selectable day and exits the voyage log on the "END" bubble, this makes the "END" bubble selectable and will allow the player to go to the day after the day the final boss was defeated.
  • Notes: This glitch is only possible on Pikmin 3 Deluxe (as in the Wii U version the voyage log is displayed on the GamePad), and opens up many strange effects. These include the following:
    • Most controls are disabled, which makes it impossible to do most tasks. The only actions that are possible are zooming the mini radar, opening the hint menu, dodging (if the Dodge Whistle has been obtained), opening the pause menu, and opening the KopPad. All menu functions still work, which means the KopPad camera and Go Here! abilities can be used normally. It's also possible to rotate the stick to get out of a Swooping Snitchbug's grip, and to move the camera out of its starting position at the beginning of the day (but not to move the camera normally).
    • At the beginning of the day in the S.S. Drake, there will always be a major story event cutscene where the Koppaites talk, but the topic they talk about will be a minor topic, and the conversation might consist of no text at all.
      • If the Formidable Oak is selected, the objective text on the loading screen will be shown blank, and the Plasm Wraith battle music will play continuously throughout the day even though the boss has been already defeated. (Other areas have no objective so the loading screen is normal, and have normal music also.)
    • The voyage log for the first day after beating the game is one of the four ending voyage logs (that are normally only viewable in the voyage log viewer), and on subsequent days, normal voyage logs are shown, since nothing notable happens on those days unless all the leaders lose their health.
    • On the day selection menu, the days played in this way are added to the list before the "END" bubble, which is always at the end (and is the bubble that must be selected to play the next day). Olimar is shown in the leader icons for the days after beating the game, and some placeholder Japanese text appears when switching days in this period. All the days before beating the game function normally, while all the days after beating the game have the restricted controls.
  • What would happen normally: The player is usually unable to continue after beating the Plasm Wraith. The day selection menu shows an "END" bubble after the day that the player has defeated the final boss on, and cannot be selected to land on due to the "start" button being greyed-out, unlike other days.
  • Possible explanation: The feature to switch days while viewing the voyage log in not in the original Pikmin 3, and was added in the Deluxe port, which means it's possible the code to update the status of the "Start" button was not included in this feature. The restricted controls may be related to the progress value, which is set to p140 after beating the game, and since it's not intended for the progress value to be at this value during gameplay, it may be the case that controls are disabled to stop the player from continuing.

Counter glitch

 
In this case, player 1's counter shows no standby bubble for Blue Pikmin, and player 2's shows 3 Red Pikmin on standby, but 0 on the squad.
Reproducibility Consequences Versions Other demonstrations
Medium Harmless Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Yes		 Miiverse post with Brittany having herself on the squad
  • Effects: Makes the counter show erroneous numbers, like more Pikmin for standby than the number of Pikmin on the squad, or vice-versa
  • Prerequisites: None.
  • How to: There is no concise way to reproduce this glitch, but so far, it was only reported to work on the Quaggled Mireclops and Plasm Wraith mission in co-op mode. Just playing through the mission as normal will be enough for the counter to eventually glitch. Although rarer, it can happen without the Quaggled Mireclops's intervention, and in single-player.[1]
  • Notes: The counter returns to normal when the standby Pikmin/leader is switched, or a Pikmin type is added to or removed from the squad. A similar glitch can also happen in Pikmin.
  • Possible explanation: None.

Formidable Oak backwards (Pikmin 3)

Reproducibility Consequences Versions Demonstration
Medium Helpful Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: See here		 YouTube video
  • Effects: Allows the player to do the Formidable Oak cave backwards, and clear out all enemies before actually encountering the Mysterious Life Form.
  • Prerequisites: Have 2 leaders available, have the Dodge Whistle, and have the Formidable Oak unlocked.
  • How to: Take one leader and throw them onto the small root to the right of the path leading down into the Plasm Wraith arena. The placement must be perfect or else the glitch will not work. Once there, walk off and to the left, and proceed to walk up the large root of the white tree. Make sure the leader is facing away from the arena, and use a dodge roll to get on top of the rock. From there, simply whistle any Pikmin and the other two leaders and walk inside the cave. The glitch is easier seen than explained, so watch the YouTube video above.
  • Notes: It is advised to throw a leader who would be switched to directly (i.e. Brittany throws Charlie, Charlie throws Alph, and Alph throws Brittany) so that the leader thrown on the root can be switched to immediately and they won't fall off. If you exit through the entrance, the cutscenes play with some weird effects, such as the camera being in the wrong place or playing out of order.
  • Possible explanation: Although there is a ledge blocking off the exit to the cave, there is no actual barrier blocking off the cave's exit, and it functions just like an entrance. The only invisible wall present is next to the large rock, which is why the Dodge Whistle must be used to get over the rock. By going through the cave backwards, the player can clear out all the obstacles easily without having to worry about the Plasm Wraith, and can rescue Olimar from the cave within a few minutes.

Formidable Oak backwards (Pikmin 3 Deluxe)

Reproducibility Consequences Versions Demonstration Other demonstrations
Medium Helpful Pikmin 3: See here
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Yes		 Twitch clip Twitter video
  • Effects: Allows the player to do the Formidable Oak cave backwards, and clear out all enemies before actually encountering the Mysterious Life Form. If the player activates the Plasm Wraith's fight then enter the oak from the entrance at the top, they will begin controlling two leaders at once. Some things can be done in this state, but most cause the game to crash.
  • Prerequisites: Have 2 leaders available and have the Formidable Oak unlocked.
  • How to: Have one leader hold another, and walk against the wall to the east of the Onion. You will start walking up the wall. Once high enough, throw the leader out of bounds. Swap to that leader, make your way over the nearby roots, under the walkway that leads to the top, circle the Plasm Wraith's arena from the north, climb up the rock, and when possible, fall onto the pathway that leads out of the oak.
  • Notes: None.
  • Possible explanation: None.

Immortal held Pikmin

Reproducibility Consequences Versions
High Helpful Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Yes
  • Effects: A Pikmin gets attacked and squeals, but remains unharmed.
  • Prerequisites: None.
  • How to: Merely hold on to a Pikmin. While holding, the Pikmin cannot be harmed. The leader can be hurt however, which will cause them to drop the Pikmin. If the Pikmin goes underwater and can drown, it will do so.
  • Notes: None.
  • Possible explanation: During the "being grabbed" state, the Pikmin is ready for several things, such as being thrown, but being hurt is not one of them. The fact that it screams might not be related with handling an attack in that particular state as much as it is handling an attack at any point of the Pikmin's global logic.

Invincible Pikmin

To do: Expand this section to cover how the glitch can be done in more situations than just crushing.
Care to do so?

 
A Red Pikmin fighting a Toady Bloyster underwater without drowning.
Reproducibility Consequences Versions Demonstration
High Helpful Pikmin 3: Yes, update 1.1.0 and beyond
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Yes		 YouTube video
  • Effects: Makes Pikmin invincible, able to go underwater, and after thrown, stop reacting to being whistled.
  • Prerequisites: Be in an area with a crushing enemy.
  • How to: If not done already, update the game (Wii U only). Then, stand next to somewhere where a Pikmin will get crushed and grab it as soon as it gets crushed. Make sure the leader is out of the way, as the Pikmin will die if the leader is damaged, since they will not be able to pick the Pikmin up. If all is done correctly, you should hear the Pikmin squeal even though it is still in your hands. This glitch can also occur by whistling a panicking Pikmin the frame before it enters an animation which leads to its death.
  • Notes: While these Pikmin can break underwater walls, they can't do so for electric gates: when thrown at this kind of gate, they will hit it, then stop, then hit it again and then they will then rejoin your party. Oddly enough, when the player throws them on again, they won't do the same.
  • Possible explanation: When a Pikmin is crushed, some flags are set to make it invincible. This avoids having the Pikmin get hurt by hazards or other enemies while it's performing its crushing death animation. During this state, Pikmin are also no longer in the group, and so, can't be picked up. But if the player grabs the Pikmin at the same time it gets crushed, it will activate the invincibility flags, but skip the crushing, since the Pikmin is in a state where it cannot be harmed (i.e. grabbed by a leader).

Aesthetic

Alph empty dialog - Bulborb

Reproducibility Consequences Versions
High Harmless Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Unknown
  • Effects: Causes Alph to have an empty line of dialogue.
  • Prerequisites: Have played for a few game-days, and haven't been to the Garden of Hope in several days.
  • How to: After not being to the Garden of Hope in a while, simply walk up to the sleeping Bulborb with Brittany or Charlie. The game will lock-on to the Bulborb automatically, and a text box of dialog for Alph will appear, but he won't say anything.
  • Notes: The exact requirements are not known, but being in a day past 15 seems to do the trick.
  • Possible explanation: None.

Alph empty dialog - Fire-Breathing Feast

 
Demonstration of the glitch.
Reproducibility Consequences Versions
High Harmless Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Unknown
  • Effects: Causes Alph to have an empty line of dialog.
  • Prerequisites: Killing the Armored Mawdad without collecting or going near enough to the Fire-Breathing Feast to trigger a line of dialog from Alph or Brittany, and rescuing Captain Charlie.
  • How to: Simply walk up to the Fire-Breathing Feast with Captain Charlie, and an empty line of dialog from Alph will appear.
  • Notes: None.
  • Possible explanation: None.

Bottom of the map

 
Demonstration of the glitch.
Reproducibility Consequences Versions Other demonstrations
High Harmless Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Unknown		 Radar position for the demonstration image
  • Effects: Causes the player to see the solid blue bottom of a segment of the map, with parts obscured by the radar fog.
  • Prerequisites: Have reached the Sandbelching Meerslug.
  • How to: Deactivate Off-TV Play so you can use the television screen. Go to the Tropical Wilds, open up the radar, and make sure it's in the mode where North points up. Scroll to the segment of the map with the corridor that leads to the Sandbelching Meerslug's arena. Once there, scroll down till you hit the limit. Slowly scroll down and right until you're past that barrier, and start scrolling down and left to slide against another barrier. After that one, scroll left to slide against the third radar barrier. Keep scrolling left slowly, whilst letting the Go Here! icon also move downward on its own. Look at the television screen, and you will eventually see fuzzy blue or gray shapes. You can keep exploring for a bit as you go left, but when you go too far down, or if you scroll too close to the Calcified Crushblat's segment of the map, the game will swap radar models with that segment, ending the glitch.
  • Notes: The patterns visible match the radar's fog, indicating that what the player can see is likely the bottom of the map, visible in the Sandbelching Meerslug's corridor segment. On a sunny day, the floor will appear blue, but it will appear gray on a rainy day.
  • Possible explanation: None.

Brittany empty dialog - Charlie's path

Reproducibility Consequences Versions Demonstration
High Harmless Pikmin 3: Unknown
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Yes		 Twitter video
  • Effects: Causes Brittany to have an empty line of dialogue.
  • Prerequisites: Have not been through the path that Charlie takes on day 1.
  • How to: Go near the Spotcaps that Charlie had busted on day 1 as Brittany.
  • Notes: None.
  • Possible explanation: None.

Confused Pikmin

This article or section is in need of more images. Particularly:
Better shot. Winged Pikmin are hard to see at the best of times, and the rain's not helping.
You can help Pikipedia by uploading some images.

 
Demonstration of the glitch.
Reproducibility Consequences Versions
High Harmless Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Unknown
  • Effects: Pikmin following a leader will attempt to board the S.S. Drake instead of the Master Onion.
  • Prerequisites: None.
  • How to: Have an inactive leader with Pikmin in their party pass from one segment of an area to another, through the use of the Go Here! command. Then, end the day as they are passing through.
  • Notes: An attempt to recreate the glitch has had the Pikmin not return to the landing site automatically. For best results, enter the corridor west of the Twilight River landing site, past the paper bag. Winged Pikmin will reach the Drake before the cutscene ends.
  • Possible explanation: During the location transitions, Pikmin and leaders are programmed to follow a strict "follow the leader's path" logic system. This doesn't get cleared when the day is terminated, which results in the Pikmin continuing to blindly follow the leaders when they find themselves at the landing site for the end of the day's cutscene.

Corrupted radar preview

 
Demonstration of the glitch.
Reproducibility Consequences Versions
High Harmless Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Unknown
  • Effects: Shows a corrupted radar on the GamePad for a split second, using the object layout of Twilight Hollow Remix, but with bits and pieces of the Distant Tundra Remix's radar.
  • Prerequisites: Have the first downloadable content pack; the one that adds the maps from Tropical Forest Remix to Shaded Garden Remix.
  • How to: Set the game up to have Off-TV Play disabled. Enter the Collect Treasure! Mission Mode menu. Without entering any mission's briefing screen, simply pass the cursor from one mission's button to the next, letting the game load the radar preview on the GamePad every time. Go from the Tropical Forest Remix button to the Shaded Garden Remix button in this way. Finally, with the cursor on the Shaded Garden Remix button, hold left so that the cursor speeds to the Tropical Forest Remix button. As you do so, pay attention to the GamePad, and when the game shows the Twilight Hollow Remix radar pattern, it will quickly show a corrupted version of the Silver Lake Remix's radar textures, for a split-second. If you cannot get it to work the first time, try again.
  • Notes: None.
  • Possible explanation: None.

Drowning cutscene glitch

 
Demonstration of the glitch.
Reproducibility Consequences Versions
Medium Harmless Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Unknown
  • Effects: Shows the fire effect and the water effect overlap incorrectly.
  • Prerequisites: Never had a Pikmin drown before.
  • How to: Go to the cave with Pyroclasmic Slooches on the Distant Tundra. Let the Slooches draw some trails of fire and get a Pikmin to start drowning. If the positioning and the camera angle line up, the fire trail will appear in the same place as the water from the camera's line of sight, but the two will overlap in odd ways.
  • Notes: None.
  • Possible explanation: None.

Floating Pikmin with a paper bag

Reproducibility Consequences Versions Demonstration
High Harmless Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Unknown		 Demonstration of the glitch, at 19:15
  • Effects: Has Pikmin floating in the air momentarily during a cutscene.
  • Prerequisites: Have a paper bag in its original position.
  • How to: When you're behind a paper bag, throw some Pikmin on top of it, and then have other Pikmin push the bag. During the cutscene, the Pikmin that were on the bag will remain in their place, and float in the air when the bag is no longer under them. When the cutscene ends, the Pikmin fall back down.
  • Notes: None.
  • Possible explanation: During a cutscene like that one, other Pikmin do not move, as to focus exclusively on the movement of the paper bag. This includes vertical movement, so the Pikmin do not fall.

Frozen whistle

 
Several whistle circles in the sunset cutscene.
Reproducibility Consequences Versions Demonstration
High Harmful Pikmin 3: No
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Yes		 Reddit post
  • Effects: Makes player 1's whistle effects stay on screen, makes the third leader copy player 1, and makes the Mysterious Life-Form not appear.
  • Prerequisites: Have unlocked the Formidable Oak and have not seen the Mysterious Life-Form.
  • How to: This glitch must be done in 2-player mode, on a save file where the cave of the Formidable Oak has been entered but has not been completed. At the start of the day, player 1 must wait at the landing site and player 2 must go with Brittany and the third leader up to Olimar. Charge Pikmin onto Olimar with player 2.
  • Notes: After the cutscene, player 1's leader will be teleported to the top of the hill. Any time player 1 uses the whistle, the ring effect will stay on-screen permanently. The third leader that was a part of player 2's squad will do the exact same movements as player 1. The Mysterious Life-Form will not appear, though the space where it would appear can be locked-onto. Other strange effects can occur.
  • Possible explanation: None.

Idle Pikmin counter during day end

Reproducibility Consequences Versions Demonstration Other demonstrations
Medium Harmless Pikmin 3: Unknown
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Yes		 Twitter video Twitter video with the execution
  • Effects: Makes the idle Pikmin counter appear when the ship's lift-off cutscene begins, just before the fruit and juice screens. The counter stays on-screen throughout the day end state, even when a leader is writing their voyage log entry.
  • Prerequisites: None.
  • How to: When the sunset warning appears, the letters "Hurry Up!" will show up on-screen. The exact moment they stop animating, pause the game and end the day.
  • Notes: None.
  • Possible explanation: None.

Infinite boss music

Reproducibility Consequences Versions Demonstration
High Harmless Pikmin 3: N/A
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Yes		 Twitter video
  • Effects: Makes it so the boss music continues playing outside of a boss arena. It will repeat the attack gesture. The music change to mid-day at the Garden of Hope won't update the music, but returning to the arena will.
  • Prerequisites: Have an undefeated boss in the area.
  • How to: Enable co-op play in Story Mode. Then, have one leader outside the boss arena, and another inside. The leader inside should be attacked and killed by the boss.
  • Notes: None.
  • Possible explanation: None.

Invisible geometry

 
Demonstration of the glitch.
Reproducibility Consequences Versions
High Harmless Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Unknown
  • Effects: Hides the area's geometry, making only the objects visible.
  • Prerequisites: None.
  • How to: Enter an area. If you want to see the geometry disappear on a specific part of the area, make sure you're on a different segment than that (e.g. if you want to see the glitch happen in a cave, go outside, and vice-versa). Disable Off-TV Play if it's not already disabled, and use the radar's panning to place the camera on the location you want to see the geometry disappear. Look at the TV screen, press any button that makes a leader perform an action (like  ) and   at the same time. You should see the world disappear, although the objects stay. You'll quickly be covered by the Home screen, so to get a better look, you can, for instance, go on the web browser and press   to show the game on the TV screen. The timing for this is very strict, of only 1 frame, but since you can try again right away if you fail, you should get it to happen quickly.
  • Notes: None.
  • Possible explanation: When using the panning feature, the game switches geometry models in order to be able to show the player what's in the other parts of the area. When gameplay resumes, it hides all models of the segments of the map the player is not on, and returns the camera to the leaders. Because the camera doesn't go there instantaneously, but takes one or two frames before it's near the leaders, there is a small window where the camera is outside of the segment the leaders are at, but with the geometry hidden.

Invisible Pikmin

 
Demonstration of the glitch.
Reproducibility Consequences Versions Demonstration
High Depends Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Unknown		 YouTube video
  • Effects: Have Pikmin on the field that are invisible. They still behave like normal.
  • Prerequisites: Have at least two types of Pikmin unlocked.
  • How to: First, get out 100 (or less, although 100 is advised) of the type Pikmin you don't want invisible. Afterwards, go back into the Onion menu and deposit some Pikmin and take out a few of species of Pikmin you want invisible. Now, right as the Pikmin go inside the Onion, use the whistle. If done correctly, there will be a few invisible Pikmin of the type that was originally going to come out of the Onion.
  • Notes: None.
  • Possible explanation: When a Pikmin is going in the Onion, its model becomes invisible (so it doesn't appear to clip inside the Onion), and only on the next few frames does the Pikmin actually get removed from the field. Whistling a Pikmin in this state will not fix its model, making it remain invisible.

Odd carrying positions

 
Demonstration of the glitch.
Reproducibility Consequences Versions Demonstration
Low Harmless Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Yes		 Demonstration of the glitch, at 12:55
  • Effects: Makes Pikmin carry an object in a strange position, such as upside-down.
  • Prerequisites: None.
  • How to: Throw a Pikmin at an object that has fallen down, such as one falling from a Medusal Slurker or in a dirt mound. The timing is difficult, making this a glitch hard to do intentionally.
  • Notes: The glitch only seems to work on objects that require 1 Pikmin to carry.
  • Possible explanation: Once an object, such as a bomb rock, falls down onto the ground, Pikmin will chase after it and pick it up. However, if a Pikmin manages to pick up the object before it reaches its natural position, it accepts that as the natural position of carrying. The Pikmin are told to stick to a specific location and angle relative to the object, which could result in them being placed incorrectly.

Olimar's Comeback prologue video cropping

Reproducibility Consequences Versions Demonstration
High Harmless Pikmin 3: N/A
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Yes		 Reddit post
  • Effects: Makes the video cutscene at the end of The Ship Restored play cropped. Only the top-left footage will be visible, though the subtitles will be in the correct spot.
  • Prerequisites: None.
  • How to: Simply begin the cutscene while the console is in handheld mode. Playing in docked mode will play the cutscene in full. Because the Nintendo Switch Lite is always handheld, this effect always happens on that console.
  • Notes: To view the cutscene, one only has to finish The Ship Restored, even if they lose all Pikmin or leaders. One easy way to do this is to let a leader bump against the Pyroclasmic Slooch constantly. Swapping console modes midway through will keep the same cropped or full behavior.
  • Possible explanation: Since the video resolution is smaller on the console's own screen, the video does not play every part of the footage. Normally, the video output would be shrunk to fit the resolution, but that does not happen here.

Onion cutscene camera glitch

 
Demonstration of the glitch.
Reproducibility Consequences Versions
High Harmless Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Unknown
  • Effects: Causes the player to be able to see unloaded area segment geometry, because the camera fails to move to the segment of the area where the current leader is and the geometry is loaded. Although the geometry won't be visible, some details will still appear, like the Onion's beam, the Pikmin flowers, or the skybox.
  • Prerequisites: Be at the location of the Winged Onion or the Blue Onion, with it still entrapped.
  • How to: Leave one leader inside a segment of the area that isn't the segment with the Onion, like inside a cave. Have the other leaders at the Onion's location, ready to free it. The idea is to start the Onion cutscene when the leader inside the cave is the active one. For the Winged Onion, the best way is to throw two Rock Pikmin at the Arachnode to bring its health down, let it scuttle and rest, throw three Red Pikmin at it, and quickly change to the leader inside the cave. For the Blue Onion, simply throw three Winged Pikmin at the Flukeweed and switch to the faraway leader before they finish pulling out the Onion. When the Onion's cutscene is over, the game will prepare to go back to the leader that was selected, and will load that segment, and unload the segment of the area where the Onion is. However, the camera will stay in the same spot, meaning you'll be able to see the unloaded geometry. This effect will remain until any controller input is made, or until one of the idle leaders plucks the new sprout and the new Pikmin type introduction cutscene starts. So to maximize the effects, make sure that the leaders are far away from the Onion when you switch out, so that they don't pluck the sprout.
  • Notes: None.
  • Possible explanation: The Onion cutscenes erroneously do not have code to move the camera to the current leader when they are over, despite having the code to move the radar to the right place, unload and load the correct chunk of the area, etc.

Pikmin out at night

 
The Pikmin on the bottom-left portion of the screen have been affected by the glitch.
Reproducibility Consequences Versions
Medium Harmless Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Unknown
  • Effects: Makes a Pikmin stay idle during the nighttime cutscene, and then vanish when it's time for takeoff.
  • Prerequisites: Have leaf or bud Pikmin in your party.
  • How to: Have a drop of nectar on one of the Onion's legs, and have leaf or bud Pikmin with you. The best way to do this is to knock on an Iridescent Flint Beetle when it is near the Onion; this can be done on the Garden of Hope and Twilight River. End the day from the pause menu. The Pikmin in your party will make their way to the Onion's legs, but leaves and buds should stop by the nectar and begin drinking it. When they're done, they'll remain idle on their spot, and the Onion will fly off without them. When that happens, they will vanish instantly.
  • Notes: This does not affect the Pikmin count; the Pikmin that go idle are not counted as dead. A similar glitch can also happen in Pikmin, although the method is different.
  • Possible explanation: There is no code to handle the case in which a Pikmin going for the Onion would touch a bit of nectar, given the unlikeliness of it happening.

Pikmin with a bomb rock pose

 
Demonstration of the glitch.
Reproducibility Consequences Versions
High Harmless Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Unknown
  • Effects: Makes a Red Pikmin hold its arms out as if holding a bomb rock, without the bomb rock being there.
  • Prerequisites: Have access to both bomb rocks and fire geysers.
  • How to: Get a Red Pikmin to carry a bomb rock. Then, make the Pikmin walk through a fire geyser while still on your group. The bomb will be dropped and ignited, but the Pikmin will keep its pose.
  • Notes: Only the Pikmin's animation is affected. Throwing the Pikmin or dismissing will make its animation return to normal.
  • Possible explanation: On the code that handles Pikmin dropping a bomb rock because of the fire, there is no code to update its animation. Other situations in which the Pikmin drops a bomb rock use different code.

Stretched Burrowing Snagret

 
Demonstration of the glitch.
Reproducibility Consequences Versions Demonstration
Medium Harmless Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: No		 YouTube video
  • Effects: Stretches out the Burrowing Snagret's corpse. If it is stretched too much, it becomes invisible.
  • Prerequisites: The Early Winged Pikmin glitch has to be done.
  • How to: First of all, do the Early Winged Pikmin glitch, so the blue bridge won't be built. Then the paper bag in front of the Winged Onion must be pushed. After that, the Burrowing Snagret must be defeated and its corpse must be carried by 10 Winged Pikmin or more. These Pikmin will be blocked in front of the bridge which is unfinished. Whistle them and order them to carry the Burrowing Snagret again; they will pass above the lilypad with the head of the Snavian but its foot will be stuck to the lily pad. The Winged Pikmin will keep carrying the corpse, and the body between the stuck point and the head will begin stretching as the Pikmin carry it forward. If it is stretched too far, the body will eventually turn invisible. Despite this, the corpse will still be harvested once brought to the Master Onion.
  • Notes: None.
  • Possible explanation: None.

T-pose Pikmin

 
Demonstration of the glitch.
Reproducibility Consequences Versions
High Harmless Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Unknown
  • Effects: Shows a Pikmin in a T-pose.
  • Prerequisites: None
  • How to: Go to a Pikmin sprout and choose to pluck it. Just when the leader's hands make contact with the Pikmin, the creature will be shown in a T-pose (also known as blind pose or reference pose), meaning its arms will be stretched out horizontally. It will also appear at ground level instead of being underground. This lasts only for a single frame. With the KopPad's camera and a secondary leader, it is possible to see it better, especially if you snap a photo.
  • Notes: None.
  • Possible explanation: When a Pikmin is plucked, its "sprout" object is removed from the world, and its "normal" object is created. It takes one frame for the object's animation to be set, so for a single frame, it uses the default animation pose, which is a T-pose, commonly used during development to make it easier to see and work with the model. This T-pose is set at ground-level instead of submerged underground.

T-pose Scornet Maestro

 
Demonstration of the glitch.
Reproducibility Consequences Versions Demonstration
High Harmless Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: N/A		 YouTube video
  • Effects: Shows the Scornet Maestro in a T-pose.
  • Prerequisites: Have a save file with any day after the defeat of the Scornet Maestro.
  • How to: From the day selection screen, pick a day where you have not met the Scornet Maestro, preferably the first day in which it's possible to visit the Twilight River. Use the KopPad's radar app and pan to where the Scornet Maestro's arena is. If it's not already disabled, turn off Off-TV Play so you can use the GamePad and the TV. From the TV, you should be able to see the Scornet Maestro's shadow in a T-pose (with its arms spread out sideways). If you gently pan the camera around, you'll be able to bump into the Scornet Maestro itself, which will be roughly at camera-height. By unpausing the gameplay using the button on the top-right corner of the KopPad, the boss will begin to slowly drift downwards, always in the same pose, stopping when it reaches the ground.
  • Notes: Something similar also happens with the Vehemoth Phosbat, in that it stays in place in its transparent state. It is not clear if it is in a T-pose or not, and unpausing the game with the KopPad's button will make it move normally.
  • Possible explanation: Unlike other bosses, the Scornet Maestro is not hidden when the area is loaded and the enemy is not being used. This normally would not be a problem, as players would never be able to see it in its default pose (the T-pose), seeing as panning the radar to its arena would just reveal a black fog, due to the segment never having been entered before. But if on the same save file, the boss had been encountered once, the arena will be visible on any day, including a day where the Maestro appears in its T-pose.

Unrestricted radar

Reproducibility Consequences Versions Demonstration
High Harmless Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Unknown		 YouTube video
  • Effects: In Defeat Bosses!, allows the player to pan the radar anywhere around the area, even out of bounds, instead of being confined by the arena. The TV screen's top-down view updates accordingly.
  • Prerequisites: Have at least one Defeat Bosses! mission available.
  • How to: Start a boss mission. Then, simply pan the radar around. It will be unrestricted.
  • Notes: This will not work if the mission is started from the pause menu's "Retry" option; this will just restrict the radar to the arena.
  • Possible explanation: The code that sets the radar's boundaries is not run on the "mission entry" code, but is run on the "mission retry" code.

Warped sunset music

Reproducibility Consequences Versions
High Harmless Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Unknown
  • Effects: Makes the sunset theme sound warped and low-quality, as if played through a speaker.
  • Prerequisites: Be on day two or further.
  • How to: When the day is about to end, pause the game via the radar, and unpause it using the Alph icon on the top-right corner. When the sunset cutscene starts, it will have the same filter applied to it as the area song when heard through the KopPad's unpause feature.
  • Notes: This audio is heard from the TV alone, or GamePad in Off-TV Play.
  • Possible explanation: An audio filter is applied to the current area's song when the game is unpaused using Alph's icon. This change in the music is meant to reflect how the action is still happening, but the player is not in it. However, there is nothing to handle a sunset during this time, so the music filter is never removed.

Misc.

Alph tutorial softlock

Reproducibility Consequences Versions Demonstration
High Harmful Pikmin 3: No
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Yes		 Twitter video
  • Effects: Makes the game unable to proceed past the Pikmin whistling segment in Alph's tutorial.
  • Prerequisites: None.
  • How to: Change to stick-only cursor controls. When Alph's tutorial begins and the player is tasked with whistling Pikmin, hold the analog stick all the way down. The cursor will jump about various places as it moves, and will eventually settle in place to Alph's left. Then, very gently tilt the stick right until the cursor is no longer in view and points below and to the right of Alph. Then, hold the whistle up to its maximum reach in order to whistle the fourth Pikmin, hiding behind the pot. Finally, whistle the three starter Pikmin all at once.
  • Notes: After this, not much else can be done other than moving the cursor, whistling, and resetting the game from the Switch's Home menu.
  • Possible explanation: The tutorial is programmed to only advance to the lock-on stage when three Pikmin are in the leader's group. By whistling the hidden one first, and then whistling the other three together, the counter jumps from 1 to 4 instantly, never going through three.

Onion bump glitch

Reproducibility Consequences Versions Demonstration
High Harmless Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Yes		 Demonstration of the glitch, at 2:57
  • Effects: Makes a leader slide away during an Onion's discovery cutscene.
  • Prerequisites: Have a deactivated Winged Onion or Blue Onion.
  • How to: Throw five Winged Pikmin to the Flukeweed atop the Onion. As the Pikmin are pulling it, decide where it is that you want to make your leader slide to. The depression in the water to the south of the Onion's pond is a good place to aim for, as the leader will slide further because of the downwards slope. It is best to aim the camera that way. As the Onion is being pulled out, place your leader next to the Onion, on the side of the place you want to go towards. Make sure your leader is bumping against the Onion. When it gets pulled out, move your character towards the Onion's center while it is airborne. When it falls down, it'll bump against the leader, which will be sent sliding in the opposite direction. If using the Winged Onion, having the leader under where the Onion falls in the cutscene will cause them to slide once the Arachnode is killed.
  • Notes: The closer to the center of the Onion the leader is, the less distance they will travel, so it is recommended not to walk too far into the Onion's landing position.
  • Possible explanation: When the Onion lands, it pushes the leader. Because the landing triggers the cutscene, and because during the cutscene the game expects the leaders to be standing still, their friction must use a value different from the norm, which allows them to slide.

Buried Pond object breakdown

Reproducibility Consequences Versions Demonstration
Medium Harmful Pikmin 3: Unknown
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Yes		 Twitter video
  • Effects: Makes an object that's on top of a lily pad behave erratically.
  • Prerequisites: Have Buried Pond unlocked.
  • How to: Go on a layout of Buried Pond with lily pads. Have Winged Pikmin carry an object, such as a Bulborb's corpse, on top of a lily pad, and then whistle them off so they drop it on the lily pad. At this point the object will start sliding around. By having one player throw Winged Pikmin at the object now, but not enough Pikmin that they'd start carrying, the other player can throw Winged Pikmin to the point where the object starts to be carried. This results in the carrying numbers oscillating quickly, as well as the object shaking and taking weird routes. Using a charge to get more Pikmin to grab onto the object makes the situation worse.
  • Notes: None.
  • Possible explanation: None.

Corrupted data file

 
Demonstration of the glitch.
Reproducibility Consequences Versions Demonstration
High Harmful Pikmin 3: No
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Yes		 Twitter video
  • Effects: Makes the data file Plucking #1 show up without an image, and unable to be backed out of. Afterwards, makes this screen overlay everything during normal gameplay, except for the HUD, menus, message boxes, and some special effects.
  • Prerequisites: Be on the hard or ultra-spicy difficulties.
  • How to: Play through Alph's part of day 1 until you push the cardboard box. After you do so, open the KopPad, enter the Exploration Notes app, go to the Controls category, and choose the Plucking #1 file. The scene will enter a glitched state where the image won't show. Press the KopPad button to exit and return to gameplay with this screen active.
  • Notes:
    • The day can be completed in this fashion – you can control Alph like normal, and figure out where he is using the mini radar. When the Pikmin growth chart finishes rendering, it will be impossible to interact with the game, requiring you to close the game.
    • Pressing a button that switches the current data file left or right will stop the glitch. Pressing the button that would normally back out of the data file onto the data file selection menu is fine, though.
    • While the glitch is active, you can press the KopPad button to open the radar app, and press again to continue playing with the glitch.
    • Co-op mode will work like normal, but the second player's mini radar won't appear behind the glitched overlay.
    • All other data files show up like normal and do not trigger a glitch.
    • Picking a different file first and then attempting to open the Plucking #1 file will not cause the glitch to happen.
  • Possible explanation: None.

Crimson Banquet glitch

Reproducibility Consequences Versions Demonstration
Low Harmful Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Yes		 Imgur video
  • Effects: Makes Pikmin carrying part of the Crimson Banquet survive the sunset. The pieces then become irretrievable the next day. Although it's also possible for missing pieces to spawn in random locations the next day.
  • Prerequisites: None.
  • How to: After defeating the Sandbelching Meerslug, the Crimson Banquet pieces will scatter over the arena. If they are not collected that day, it is possible that one or more pieces will not appear there the next day. This can happen regardless of whether the Meerslug body is harvested.
  • Notes: Replaying the day the Meerslug is fought is the only way to fix the glitch.
  • Possible explanation: When fruits that have been moved from their initial spawn location are placed on subsequent days, the new location is not exact, but merely an approximation of where they were left the previous day. Due to the dynamic nature of the Meerslug arena's floor for the purposes of the Meerslug's attacks, this may cause some parts to respawn in invalid location, and thus deleted afterwards.

Dirt wall glitch

The following article or section is in need of assistance from someone who plays Pikmin 3.
Particularly: Find out if this works on other dirt walls, and provide a video of the glitch in action.

Reproducibility Consequences Versions
Low Harmful Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: No
  • Effects: Pikmin clipping through the dirt wall in the cave near Alph's crash site, instantly dying in the abyss.
  • Prerequisites: None.
  • How to: On day 1, approach the dirt wall inside the cave one must pass through to reach the S.S. Drake. Throw many Pikmin near one of its columns, and a Pikmin may clip through the ground and die.
  • Notes: This is the only way Pikmin can die in the tutorial, as they aren't supposed to. If it repeatedly happens, a Pikmin extinction can occur, which may cause broken game behavior. Doing so is very difficult, however, since the glitch is hard to reproduce and only one Pikmin is known to die at a time from it.
  • Possible explanation: The sharp wedge of the dirt wall might cause Pikmin to clip through, especially when they are pushing each other apart to make space. It is unknown why all cases are from the one specific wall, but it could be due to its specific placement.

Double Charlie

Reproducibility Consequences Versions Demonstration
Low Harmful Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Yes		 YouTube video
  • Effects: After defeating the Vehemoth Phosbat as Charlie, a second Charlie will join the party which will not be playable but may be thrown around as normal until the day ends.
  • Prerequisites: Perform the day 1 escape glitch or the same ones in the video above.
  • How to: Perform precise clips to climb up and around roots near the tin can in Charlie's starting area, carefully run over the roof of the zone for the intended cave entrance, and enter the cave blocked off by the crystals. Using bomb rocks found near where the Spotty Bulbear would be, retrieve a pellet from the crystals and have the Yellow Pikmin take it close to but not inside the cave to the Yellow Onion. Take your Pikmin to the spot where the higher Joustmite would be and throw them in place. Make your way back to the pellet left near Brittany's cave and move it close to the root in order to clip up onto the root. Walk around the root to the left and clip through the central root to get further out of bounds, follow a precise path to a point near the exit of the Vehemoth Phosbat boss arena and fall out of bounds to fall back in-bounds at the exit. Call to the Pikmin left where the Joustmite would be and go inside. The fight can be won as normal; completing the bridge is the easiest method to do so. Upon defeat, Charlie will emerge as normal, and a broken cutscene will play.
  • Notes:
    • After retrieving the second Charlie, the KopPad still can't be used and the player still can't charge. However, upon bringing back the Heroine's Tear to the ship, the day can be ended.
    • Ending the day in this state means that the game thinks that the player has rescued Charlie and can move on to revisit Tropical Wilds, but having never obtained the primary Onion, the game is softlocked.
    • Various tinkering is possible to retrieve the Yellow Onion, but the Onion merges with the primary Onion which the player doesn't have access to, so it becomes also unavailable.
    • As with the original glitch previously mentioned, you can activate a broken cutscene with the Red Pikmin as if you had just plucked one for the first time in Tropical Wilds, but the specific Pikmin used for the cutscene dies and any others that are not in the ground will die at the end of the day.
    • Going into and back out of the segment of the area with the S.S. Drake in Tropical Wilds will trigger a cutscene that will crash the game.
    • Going into Brittany's cave where the Yellow Pikmin are discovered and back out of it and not skipping the cutscene will crash the game, but skipping the cutscene will activate the sun meter and allow the player to end the day. Ending the day with one Charlie comes with its own various glitches.
  • Possible explanation: The game assumes that the player can't possibly reach and defeat the boss without being Alph and Brittany, and so upon defeat, Charlie is made available. The player can't switch to him or use any of their Y-controls at this time, however, only able to throw him until the day is over.

Revival of the Vehemoth Phosbat

To do: Document more side effects and add an explanation.
Care to do so?

Reproducibility Consequences Versions Demonstration
Low Harmless Pikmin 3: No
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Yes		 YouTube video

Tropical Wilds storage

Reproducibility Consequences Versions Demonstration
Low Helpful Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Yes		 YouTube video
  • Effects: Activates the cutscene that sends you to the Tropical Wilds even after progressing the story past the cutscene.
  • Prerequisites: None.
  • How to: On day 1, kill every Phosbat in the cave while traveling to the bridge segment of the area. Then, perform the day 1 escape glitch and set story progress as needed. When you are ready, re-enter the cave where the Phosbats were first found.
  • Notes: Only works on day 1.
  • Possible explanation: None.

Flying fruit

 
Demonstration of the glitch on The Rustyard.
Reproducibility Consequences Versions
Medium Depends Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Unknown
  • Effects: Fruits will hover in the air and Pikmin will not grab onto it.
  • Prerequisites: Find a fruit that is located on a ledge that is oddly shaped, like the one in the picture.
  • How to: Just as the object is about to fall onto the lower ground, call back all Pikmin carrying the object. It is possible that the object will be stuck in the air beyond the ledge.
  • Notes: The object will most likely remain irretrievable afterwards, so attempt the glitch where it is not harmful, like Mission Mode. It is possible to retrieve certain objects, if timed right and you have Winged Pikmin. Mission Mode is not the only place this works.
  • Possible explanation: There is a certain small area located at the end of the ledge when an object is being carried back to base, acting like a sort of ramp so that the Pikmin do not fall straight down. Since Pikmin cannot actually walk on this "ramp" of sorts, the Pikmin will try to attempt to carry the fruit but won't actually be able to. Winged Pikmin, of course, will be able to free the object.

Golden Shaggy Long Legs glitch

Reproducibility Consequences Versions Demonstration
Low Harmless Pikmin 3: No
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Yes		 YouTube video
  • Effects: Makes the golden Shaggy Long Legs in The Ship Restored quickly move to the side of the map, moving it out of bounds.
  • Prerequisites: None.
  • How to: The specifics are unknown, but in the known recorded instance, the golden Baldy Long Legs is led to a certain spot, is killed, and the radar is activated for about a second.
  • Notes: None.
  • Possible explanation: None.

When the golden Shaggy Long Legs is spawned while the Baldy Long Legs is in its death animation, the glitch occurs. Although it could be coincidential, the placement of the cursor on the map might have something to do with it, as the arachnorb relocates to where the cursor once was.

Infinite dirt mound

Reproducibility Consequences Versions Demonstration
High Depends Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Yes		 YouTube video
  • Effects: Allows the player to take out more items than intended from a dirt mound.
  • Prerequisites: None.
  • How to: Go to a dirt mound with more than one item inside. Throw Pikmin inside to dig the objects out. At any point after they dug out the first object, but before they are done digging the last object, whistle them back. Then, send them to work on the same dirt mound. When it starts shaking, it will shoot out another one of the objects. Whistle the Pikmin out as soon as this happens (though the timing is pretty lenient), and repeat as many times as needed.
  • Notes:
    • Although it can be performed with any number of Pikmin, just one is recommended, since whistling several Pikmin out of a mound will make them keep digging for a few more seconds.
    • The glitch does not work with mounds with one item. Those will just collapse as soon as that item is removed.
    • Similarly, if the mound already spat out its intended items, attempting to let it spit out two things when performing the glitch will just result in the mound spitting one (one of the glitched extra objects), and then collapse, ending the glitch.
    • Most objects that come out of mounds have a limit on how many of them can be on-stage at once. For instance, in The Rustyard, there can only be three pellets that came from the dirt mound on-stage at once.
    • For mounds that spit bridge fragments onto fragment piles:
      • The player can keep creating extra pieces, and grow the pile beyond its normal limit. After 60 fragments the pile doesn't visibly change.
      • Once the bridge the fragments belong to is fully built, if one Pikmin carries an excess fragment, it will get to around to the bridge's midpoint, then simply walk in a certain direction and keep going forward, eventually getting stuck walking against some wall.
      • If more Pikmin carrying excess pieces exist alongside the previously mentioned excess Pikmin, then those ones will reach the bridge's midpoint, and instead go in a random direction. Most of them, after a brief moment (and sometimes instantly), will teleport somewhere unknown out of bounds (unknown during gameplay, but the replay mode claims they go near the Onion) and die shortly after. Others however will go through a wall and keep going until they perish.
      • Whistling Pikmin that are carrying bridge fragments from a glitched pile will make that pile update as to not go over the number of fragments it was supposed to have legitimately.
      • Though rare, the Pikmin's unintended behavior with the fragments can cause a crash.[2]
  • Possible explanation: None.

Knocked out Alph as the active leader

Reproducibility Consequences Versions Demonstration
Medium Harmful Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Unknown		 YouTube video
  • Effects: Gives control to Alph while he is inside the S.S. Drake, knocked out. The only thing that can be done is move the camera and the cursor.
  • Prerequisites: None.
  • How to: On the first day at the Formidable Oak, knock out Alph as the first thing you do. This can be achieved by having Charlie hold him at the northeast corner of the Plasm Wraith's arena, against the ledge from which the boss appears, and then facing the southwest, and releasing him. He should fall off into the pit and lose some of his health. Once he is knocked out, get some Pikmin and approach the Plasm Wraith and Olimar at the top. After the cutscenes where the Pikmin try to carry Olimar and choose to follow Brittany, the game gives control to Alph, who is actually knocked out and at the S.S. Drake.
  • Notes: None.
  • Possible explanation: The sequence of events at the Formidable Oak doesn't expect Alph to be knocked out, since that is impossible during normal gameplay. So the script simply gives control to Alph after the Brittany "flag" cutscene, without bothering to check if he's even usable.

Leaders behaving like Pikmin

Reproducibility Consequences Versions Demonstration
Medium Harmless Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Yes		 YouTube video
  • Effects: Makes leaders behave like Pikmin and attack enemies on their own after bouncing into them from a Bouncy Mushroom.
  • Prerequisites: Have unlocked the Tropical Wilds Remix Mission Mode stage.
  • How to: Get all 3 leaders to the location of the Blue Onion. Get one leader to go to the low bit of land across the lake, and use that leader to lure the nearby Dwarf Orange Bulborb into the right position. Then, switch to the second leader and use them to throw the third leader onto the Bouncy Mushroom. If they land on the Dwarf Orange Bulborb after the bounce, they will start attacking the enemy on their own with attacks that deal as much damage as a standard Blue Pikmin or Yellow Pikmin attack. They will stop attacking and revert to normal behavior after being whistled, after defeating the enemy, or after being bitten by the enemy.
  • Notes: This will happen any time a leader bounces into an enemy, but this location in Tropical Wilds Remix is the only place in the game where this glitch is possible to see.[3]
  • Possible explanation: None.

Paused timer

Reproducibility Consequences Versions Demonstration
High Helpful Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Yes		 Twitter video

Pellet seed count glitch

Reproducibility Consequences Versions Demonstration
High Harmful Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Yes		 Demonstration of the glitch at 0:28.
  • Effects: Onions will produce fewer Pikmin seeds than intended when retrieving a pellet carried by Purple Pikmin or White Pikmin, even if said pellet matches the Onion's color.
  • Prerequisites: Play in the Beastly Caverns in Mission Mode or in Bingo Battle and collect Purple or White Pikmin.
  • How to: Order some Purple or White Pikmin to carry a pellet to an Onion matching its color, without other Pikmin types interfering. Once the pellet has been carried to the Onion, new Pikmin seeds will be created, albeit less than normal.
  • Notes: None.
  • Possible explanation: Purple or White Pikmin have no Onion. As such, they carry enemies and pellets back to a random Onion, provided no other Pikmin types interfere. Unlike what happens in Pikmin 2, the digits that normally appear above an object that Pikmin are carrying are purple or white here, which could trick the game into thinking that the pellet's color does not match the Onion's. The video provided with this explanation shows what should normally happen (blue Onion creating 5 Pikmin seeds from a 5-pellet), then how the glitch occurs.

Plasm Wraith push out

Reproducibility Consequences Versions Demonstration Other demonstrations
Low Harmful Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Yes		 YouTube video reddit post
  • Effects: Enter the Formidable Oak during the Plasm Wraith boss fight.
  • Prerequisites: Get a large amount of plasm to fall out (easiest to destroy an elemental plasm or to ground the boss (attack it with a large amount of Winged or Yellow Pikmin) when it levitates).
  • How to: Fight the Plasm Wraith as normal until its health is down 1/3 of the way. When it starts to send out the elemental plasms, destroy them and stand in the puddles until the boss reabsorbs them. Very rarely, the plasm should push the player through the floor and out of the level; the player will lose 1/3 of their health, but will respawn in the final puzzle room of the Formidable Oak's dungeon.
  • Notes: The room will appear like it does in story mode but with no water, enemies, or Common Glowcaps, leaving it totally dark. As the game is still in Mission Mode, the exits are blocked and the room becomes effectively inescapable. The battle outside will be completely paused until the player switches leaders. There are also reports of the outside area becoming dark (like during sunset) outside as well.
  • Possible explanation: None.

Quick day start softlock

Reproducibility Consequences Versions Demonstration
High Harmful Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Unknown		 YouTube video
  • Effects: Causes the game to softlock in the small cutscene that shows the S.S. Drake and the Onion flying on to the planet, before the area's loading screen.
  • Prerequisites: Have a day where there is no dialog before the area selection menu.
  • How to: At the start of a day that has no dialog, in the loading screen with the "Exploration Day X" message, mash the   /   and   /   buttons in order to try to start the day as quickly as possible.
  • Notes: You can only change what controllers to use, since the on-screen message appears when you do so, as well as toggle Off-TV Play. If the last area you were on is the same area you are entering, the glitch may not work. This glitch can happen both on a physical copy and a digital one.
  • Possible explanation: The game loads something critical as soon as the day starts, and if the player is fast enough to skip the S.S. Drake and Onion descending cutscene, the game won't have whatever it needs in time, thus failing to skip, and causing a lock. The smallest delay, like a line of dialog, changing what area to land in, or even waiting a bit in the S.S. Drake and Onion cutscene before skipping it is enough for the game to load what it needs and proceed as normal.

Remote-controlled Pikmin

Reproducibility Consequences Versions
High Helpful Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Unknown
  • Effects: Control Pikmin without being exactly where they are.
  • Prerequisites: Obtain the Dodge Whistle.
  • How to: Throw Pikmin up a ledge or over a gap, call them, and repeatedly use the Dodge Whistle against a wall. The Pikmin should roll, going farther than possible to throw. If you dismiss your Pikmin after they have rolled close to an object, such as the hay pile north of the landing site in Distant Tundra, they will interact with it, allowing access to some areas that shouldn't be accessible.
  • Notes: None.
  • Possible explanation: When dodging, the Pikmin are programmed to roll with the leader, but if the leader's roll path is blocked, and the Pikmin's is not, then they will still roll.

Sandbelching Meerslug softlock

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Reproducibility Consequences Versions
High Harmful Pikmin 3: Unknown
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Yes
  • Effects: Softlock the game with a Sandbelching Meerslug.
  • Prerequisites: Beat the Sandbelching Meerslug, but don't bring anything back.
  • How to: Bring everything (the Sandbelching Meerslug, the Crimson Banquet, and the Folded Data Glutton) back nearly at the same time.
  • Notes: You have to order the Pikmin to bring everything back very quickly, or else the glitch won't work.
  • What would happen normally: Everything gets back, and you get 50 more Pikmin, a crimson banquet, and access to Twilight River.
  • Possible explanation: Since the Sancelching Meerslug's body is huge, everything gets stuck and you can't bring anything back.

Stuck cursor

Reproducibility Consequences Versions Demonstration Other demonstrations
High Harmful Pikmin 3: N/A
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Demo only		 Twitter video Twitter video
  • Effects: Makes the visible cursor stuck somewhere in the area. The line from the leader to the cursor will point to where it is, even if it is very far away. The real cursor will be invisible, though it can be seen if there's a prompt above it. It will temporarily return to normal by holding a Pikmin, and fixed permanently by locking on. It persists through leader changes, and entering a different segment of the area will keep the effect, but move the cursor position elsewhere.
  • Prerequisites: None.
  • How to: There are two ways to trigger this glitch:
    1. Be in a segment where you have no cursor, like before a throwing tutorial, and have stick and gyro cursor controls on. Then, change the setting to stick-only cursor controls and play the tutorial. From here on, the cursor will visibly be far away, and the line connecting to it will lead there.
    2. Pick stick and gyro cursor controls, reset the camera, don't tilt the controller, use   to aim in any direction from the leader, and then tilt the controller such that the cursor ends in the opposite direction from the leader. Then pause, and change to stick-only cursor controls.
  • Notes: This glitch does not work in the full version.
  • Possible explanation: None.

Stuck Winged Pikmin

Reproducibility Consequences Versions
High Harmful Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Unknown
  • Effects: Makes a Winged Pikmin unobtainable after lifting the clipboard in the Garden of Hope.
  • Prerequisites: None.
  • How to: When lifting the clipboard in the Garden of Hope, there is a chance that one or more Winged Pikmin will get stuck behind the clipboard and be unable to return to the spot where the Pikmin group after lifting the board.
  • Notes: It is possible to re-obtain the Winged Pikmin, however, if one were to whistle the Pikmin and have the day end (either from the pause menu or by natural time) before the Pikmin gives up.
  • Possible explanation: When lifting a clipboard, any Pikmin behind it will be tossed back, as to not be crushed. Every once in a while, the Winged Pikmin lifting the clipboard will be thrown back as well. The terrain and placement of the area and the clipboard prevent the Winged Pikmin from returning.

Tremendous Sniffer without bomb rocks

 
Demonstration of the glitch.
Reproducibility Consequences Versions Demonstration
High Helpful Pikmin 3: Yes
Pikmin 3 Deluxe: Yes		 YouTube video
  • Effects: Obtaining the Tremendous Sniffer in the Twilight River without bomb rocks.
  • Prerequisites: Keep the reinforced wall up, and have the fruit uncollected.
  • How to: At the Twilight River, go to the Tremendous Sniffer. Order a Winged Pikmin to carry the Tremendous Sniffer, or throw a Yellow Pikmin over the gate. It doesn't matter how many Pikmin are ordered, or if they actually move it. The next day, the Tremendous Sniffer will be outside of its alcove.
  • Notes: Bomb rocks can be used and still have the glitch work, just as long as you don't fully destroy the wall[4][5]. The fruit will clip through the wall for a tiny bit. If you use a Yellow Pikmin and want to rescue it, make sure it's in a leader's group when the day ends. The Pikmin become idle if they can't get close to the leader for a few seconds, so if you want to end the day manually, make sure to whistle them and end the day right after.
  • Possible explanation: The game keeps track of where the fruit is. Instead of saving exact coordinates, it might only save the "general" location. If the fruit is not touched, its "general location" is considered inside the alcove. If it gets too close to the gate, the location starts being considered the open space outside the alcove. When it loads the next day, it places the fruit in the vague location it had saved the previous day. Alternately, the game might save the exact location, but due to the carrying, the pear gets slightly embedded against the wall, and when the game loads a new day, it attempts to spawn the fruit in the same place, but to prevent it from clipping, it pushes it off and outside the gate.

Minor

The following glitches cannot easily be reproduced and/or are not noteworthy, but are documented for completion's sake.

Gameplay

Glitch Pikmin 3 Deluxe Demonstration
By holding on to a leader or Pikmin while on the Sandbelching Meerslug's arena and walking about, the trajectory prediction curve will occasionally change to a tight curve with an endpoint far below the surface. At this point, throwing will result in the leader or Pikmin performing their trajectory very quickly. This is likely because the game adjusts the throw's velocity according to the distance, which in this case, is assumed to be quite far away (underground). Yes Yes
If the Quaggled Mireclops's crystal is broken while Pikmin are inside its mouth, those Pikmin will not be killed, but will not be retrievable either. At the end of the day, they will be accounted for the number of deaths by battle. Yes Unknown YouTube video
If the Heroine's Tear is collected with Winged Pikmin, it will become impossible to obtain for the rest of the day as it will get stuck on the exits of the cave. The Pikmin will also be unable to be whistled back. Yes Unknown
When a leader uses the dodge move against an object that can be carried with a single Pikmin, the object in question will slightly move. This trick can be used to move pieces of fruit out of the water, for example. Yes Yes YouTube video
If a leader is holding a non-Winged Pikmin while on top of a seesaw block, one extra unit of weight will be applied to the block, for an unknown reason. This does not happen with elevator platforms. Yes Yes
It is possible to kill off all Pikmin in Charlie's segment of day 1. Before the first row of Spotcaps, on the rightmost wall (facing the Spotcaps), there is a nook where the wall before it has some ice on top, and the wall after it does not. The player can position Charlie against this nook, turn around, hold Pikmin such that they are inside the nook, and whistle to release the Pikmin inside. There is no floor there, so the Pikmin will fall through and die. Though nothing happens when all of them die, if the player does this before destroying any of the Spotcaps or Kingcaps in the second row, they will be unable to proceed. Yes Unknown
By throwing a Rock Pikmin at the base of a Flukeweed that contains a nectar egg, the egg may break and drop its contents on the surface, without the player having to pluck the Flukeweed out. Yes Unknown YouTube video
It is possible to go out of bounds on the right side of the Quaggled Mireclops's arena. Destroy the two brown spotcaps with data files, then throw a leader up to where they used to be. After, switch to that leader and walk towards the Hocotate ship. Yes Unknown
If an Armored Cannon Larva is killed just as it was about to shoot a boulder, a boulder will appear where it would spawn if the beetle was alive, but it will be destroyed instantly. Regardless, it will still kill nearby Pikmin. Yes Yes Twitter video
An inactive leader in the player's group will keep going in the same direction they are going if they are being whistled. Unknown Yes Twitter video
In Tropical Wilds Remix, it is possible to throw a leader onto the cinder blocks in the Peckish Aristocrab's arena. Unknown Yes
Inside a menu, pressing a diagonal direction on the D-Pad will cause the game to select the option above the current one as if only the upwards was pressed. Unknown Yes
Throwing a leader at a fire geyser will result in them getting thrown farther than normal. If they are whistled in this state, they will keep heading in the same direction, at high speed, until they stop being whistled at. Unknown Yes Twitter video
Throwing a leader to the end of the yellow tube in Rusted Labyrinth will make them start going up the slide instead. Once at the top, every time they try to go back in, they will just slide back to the entrance. Yes Unknown YouTube video
Closing the bamboo gate on top of an Orange Bulborb near the Portable Sunset in Twilight River can make the creature fall through the ground, into the pit, and then respawn in its original location. Unknown Yes Reddit post
Throwing Brittany at the very edge of the brick during the Face Wrinkler's throwing tutorial will make her complain that Alph is aiming the throw wrong. Yes Unknown Miiverse post
By swapping back and forth between leaders as one leader is going up a geyser, it is possible for that leader to keep walking forward with little friction when they land. In this state they can be bumped by another leader to slide around. Unknown Yes Twitter video, 2

Aesthetic

Glitch Pikmin 3 Deluxe Demonstration
If an ignited bomb rock is detonated prematurely, such as when hit by an Armored Cannon Larva's rock or landed on by a Yellow Wollywog, the bomb rock's lighting effects will continue to play for a few seconds, as if the bomb rock was still there. This can best be seen in Arid Metropolis. Yes Yes
Dodging from under the water to the shore will result in bubbles appearing on dry land. Each bubble only lasts for less than a second. Yes Yes
By draining all the leaders' health, the rings that delimit a "safe zone" on the landing site will be visible during the sunset cutscene. Yes Yes Miiverse post
If a leader is thrown onto an Arachnode's web, that leader will become flat. Yes Yes YouTube video
By being far enough away from the bomb rocks on top of the tin can on the Twilight River, and looking at them through the KopPad, the rocks' orange energy stripes will appear bloated and much larger than they should be. Yes No YouTube video
In the Collect Treasure! version of Beastly Caverns, if an object is delivered to the Blue Onion, and only White and/or Purple Pikmin are carrying it, it will glow red when it is being sucked in, instead of blue. Yes Unknown Miiverse post
If the day ends when the Onion begins sucking something up, its beam swirls will stay there, animated, during the sunset cutscene. An easy way to trigger this is to use the pause menu. Yes Yes Miiverse post Twitter video
If the player has Pikmin carrying bomb rocks and brings them to the hollow tree containing the Medusal Slurker in Tropical Wilds, the bomb rocks will turn invisible. The bomb rocks function normally, and upon exiting the cave, they will become visible again. Yes Unknown Image
When playing on Rusted Labyrinth, the angle of the iron ball's lighting will be based on player 1's camera, for both screens. This can be seen by having player 2 look at the iron ball, and having player 1 rotate the camera – the highlight will move around the ball on player 2's screen. Yes Unknown
Throwing Pikmin onto a small pile of fragments that are almost gone (3 out of 30 should be fine), the Pikmin will float on top of the pile. Likely a hitbox error. Yes Yes
When a Piklopedia entry is opened, the bar at the bottom of the screen that explains the controls will be offset to the left a bit. The button legend will not be aligned to the right side of the screen, and the rightmost limit of the bar's graphic can be seen. No Yes Image
If the carrier Pikmin stuck cutscene is queued to be played, but another cutscene plays first, and said cutscene opens up the way of the carrier Pikmin, the "stuck" cutscene will still play, even though it will show the Pikmin progressing just fine. Yes Yes Reddit post
If there is a Pikmin soul visible on the radar, zooming in or out will displace its position. No Yes Twitter video
In Thirsty Desert Remix, a Purple Pikmin's eyes may be green, at times. Unknown Yes Twitter photo
After building the underwater pot in the Garden of Hope that allows access to the Quaggled Mireclops, the player can go underneath and use the KopPad's camera to look at the ceiling of the pot, to find that it is not rendered. Curiously, leaders or Pikmin on top of the pot will also not be visible. Yes Yes
By completing a mission with 10 or more minutes remaining, the time bonus in the results screen will not show the tens digit for the minutes. It is easiest to do this in The Ship Restored. Unknown Yes Discord attachment
After a Bingo Battle celebration cutscene, almost everything on the stage disappears, except for a few particle effects, like the Onion's beam, the leader's antenna, and the lens flare effect. This is only visible while the game is fading out. No Yes Twitter video
By being in co-op play, and having player 1's standby Pikmin type be something like Red Pikmin, and disabling co-op play, the player's cursor will be colored after the standby Pikmin type, except for the shape inside the cursor, which will be cyan. Likewise, being in single player with Red Pikmin as the standby type and switching to co-op will not update player 1's cursor shape to cyan. Updating the standby type fixes this. No Yes
When playing Pikmin 3 Deluxe in handheld mode, entering a mission's after hours mode will increase the rendering resolution, making the game look sharper. The resolution returns to normal when the mission is exited. No Yes Image
In the Plasm Wraith's cutscene in Mission Mode, the creature goes from a translucent drop to a solid-color sphere. If the player skips the cutscene just a beat after that happens, they may start the fight with a static, intangible sphere of plasm in that same spot. Unknown Yes Twitter video
In the mission results menu, if the player checks the global rankings, the name of the stage will match whatever stage the player played on, but the icon will be that of Tropical Forest. This does not always happen. Unknown Yes
By quickly swapping between selected entries in the Piklopedia and opening an entry, it is possible for the game to open that entry, but show a different creature's video instead. N/A Yes Twitter video

Hard to reproduce

Glitch Pikmin 3 Deluxe Demonstration
While playing through the Quaggled Mireclops mission, the cursor for player two as Brittany can be colored all pink like normal, except for the sphere in the center, which will be blue. This happens when the cursor is not on top of a target (i.e. on the ground). Yes Unknown Image
It is possible to lose Pikmin on the first day. When taking down the dirt wall, Pikmin that are thrown at it may end up out of bounds and die. Yes Unknown Miiverse post
At times, when entering the hollow tree containing the Medusal Slurker in the Tropical Wilds, Pikmin that come with the leader will attach to the fruit while it is still inside the creature. The carrying numbers will appear, and the Pikmin will remain grabbing on until called. This glitch might only happen if the Pikmin are thrown onto the hole that leads inside the stump. Yes Unknown YouTube video, image
It is possible to go out of bounds on the Sandbelching Meerslug's arena. Yes Unknown Miiverse post, Miiverse post
Occasionally, the Plasm Wraith will perform the animation in which it spits out an Elemental Plasm, but nothing will come out. Yes Yes YouTube video
At times, thrown Pikmin will remain stuck in their thrown animation. This can happen while close to an enemy corpse. Yes Unknown Miiverse post
It is possible to throw a leader onto the back entrance of the Formidable Oak while in the Mission Mode battle against the Plasm Wraith. Inside, there is a simplistic version of the cave. Yes Unknown Miiverse post, Miiverse post
If the Armored Mawdad descends from the wall in a certain spot not far clockwise from the entrance, it will temporarily get stuck. Yes Unknown YouTube video, Miiverse post
It is possible for the music transition between "vulnerable boss" and "normal" in a boss fight to not trigger. Yes Unknown YouTube video, Discord video
A Rock Pikmin can get stuck on the Quaggled Mireclop's corpse in days after the fight. It may not be whistled into the group or removed from this state. Yes Unknown YouTube video
If a Pikmin following a leader falls into water the exact moment the leader enters a cave, the Pikmin may start drowning and flying without water. Yes Unknown YouTube video
If a Pikmin tries to take a berry the moment it disappears, the Pikmin will try to bring that non-existent berry to the S.S. Drake. Yes Unknown YouTube video
On the voyage log screen, the typewriter tapping sound that accompanies the text becomes delayed, and eventually lags behind. This glitch has only been proven to happen on the European version, although it might work on the American version as well. Yes Unknown
While on the Twilight River cave with the three Juicy Gaggles, it is possible for that segment of the area to unload, which makes the leader fall through the stage. They may reappear at the path to the Scornet Maestro. Yes Yes YouTube video (Wii U), Discord video (Deluxe)
The game may freeze a couple of seconds after the first cardboard box is pushed. Yes Unknown YouTube video
If there are two objects compressed against the same invisible wall during the cutscene that explains that carrier Pikmin are stuck, there is a chance the objects will be launched very far away. Yes Unknown YouTube video
If the player gathers their first batch of ten ultra-spicy spray berries while transitioning into the Scornet Maestro's fight, the game may not give the player their first spicy spray dosage. When enough berries have been gathered for a second dosage, the HUD updates, showing the correct amount. Yes Unknown Twitch clip
Pikmin may carry an object back to its original spot and then return to their normal route. Yes Unknown Twitch clip
In Pikmin 3 Deluxe's initial release, collected fruits may sometimes not be registered. This was fixed in update 1.1.0. No Yes, update 1.0.0 only Reddit post
In Pikmin 3 Deluxe's initial release, some obtained badges may be revoked at random. This was fixed in update 1.1.0. No Yes, update 1.0.0 only Twitter image, Reddit post, (2), (3)
It is possible for Pikmin to be unable to move while carrying the Armored Mawdad or Sandbelching Meerslug's corpses. Unknown Yes Twitter video, (2)
Pikmin may take an odd carrying path in the Shaggy Long Legs's southern arena in the Tropical Wilds, going over the wall to the north of the opening instead. Unknown Yes Twitter video Twitch clip
In the Distant Tundra, Pikmin may randomly trigger the drowning cutscene, and in doing so, will fly into the air during the cutscene. This seems to happen often on the corridor next to the S.S. Drake by the water, leading to the Pikmin exchange point. In Pikmin 3 for the Wii U, carrying a non-Blue Pikmin into the water just outside the section with the Whiptongue Bulborb will also trigger the glitch, if the drowning cutscene has not been seen yet. Yes Yes Reddit post, (2), (3)
It is possible to force leaders and Pikmin on a lily pad to jump off before they are supposed to, which results in them jumping very high in the air. Yes Yes Miiverse post, Twitter video, (2)
If a Rock Pikmin gets up from knocking a pellet just as the Winged Onion rescue cutscene begins, the Rock Pikmin will grab the pellet and jump very high in the air. It may also start floating slightly in mid-air when it is called back, which persists through many things, like drowning. Unknown Yes YouTube video, 2
A Red Pikmin may stay under the Onion and not move. Whistling it will bring it to attention and get it to pause, indicating it's in a working state. Unknown Yes Twitter video
Pikmin carrying something may be pushed through the floor for unknown reasons. Unknown Yes Twitter video (strong content warning), (2), (3)
It is possible for the camera to move very high after the cutscene where the Quaggled Mireclops's crystal is fully broken. Unknown Yes Twitter video, (2)
Pikmin that are carrying Olimar near the paper bag at the Formidable Oak may dash very quickly in the air after the paper bag's cutscene is over. Unknown Yes Twitch clip (language warning)
When delivering the Heroine's Tear, if the day ends as it's being beamed up, it is possible for the fruit to not be collected, and to disappear. Unknown Yes Reddit post
It is possible for the Rock Onion cave's floor geometry to disappear, allowing the player to see what's underneath. The effects remain until the player opens the KopPad's camera app. Unknown Yes Twitter video (2) Reddit video
If a Pikmin that was carrying a bomb rock gets stuck in an Arachnode's web, it is possible that its bomb rock will teleport back to the web when the player attempts to use it. Unknown Yes Twitter video
The cursor may move on its own in the Rock Pikmin introduction tutorial. Unknown Yes, only confirmed in demo Twitter video
It is possible for Pikmin to turn around mid-carry. Unknown Yes, only confirmed in demo Twitter video (2)
The radar cursor may jolt elsewhere suddenly. Unknown Yes Twitter video, Twitter video
The mini radar sometimes jumps a bit and quickly pans back to the right spot. No Yes Twitter video
By moving the seek bar during a replay, it is possible to see some Pikmin icons move erratically and go out-of-bounds. Unknown Yes Twitter video
It is possible for Pikmin in a leader's group to bundle up in one spot, and not move out until after some seconds. Unknown Yes Twitter video
In Pikmin 3 Deluxe, if an enemy bumps against a fruit that is being carried by Pikmin while the Pikmin are standing still because they were whistled once, the fruit will slide off until the Pikmin continue carrying it. No Yes Twitter video
For unknown reasons, Red Pikmin may die when fighting against an Arctic Cannon Larva. Yes Yes Twitter video
Given unknown circumstances, some sparkle effects may appear on the radar when the player opens it, while inside the S.S. Drake at the start of a day. Unknown Yes Twitter video
It is possible for the Side Stories day selection menu sound effects to become delayed. No Yes Twitter video
Given unknown circumstances, a health wheel may appear under the floor while fighting the Plasm Wraith, and then fade out. Yes Yes Twitter video
When Winged Pikmin are harvesting a Burgeoning Spiderwort, it is possible for one of the berries to drop to the floor and then teleport to the Pikmin's hands. Unknown Yes Twitter video
Sometimes, Pikmin that are thrown at a Pellet Posy will remain in their spinning animation up until the point where they grab onto the pellet or give up. Unknown Yes Reddit post, Twitch clip Twitter video
When throwing Pikmin at the ledges in the Sandbelching Meerslug's arena, Pikmin may hit the corner of a ledge and bounce high in the air. Unknown Yes Twitch clip (2) (language warning)
By beating the Mysterious Life Form when it has captured Olimar, and is at the warp point of the first room's shortcut inside the Formidable Oak, it is possible for Olimar to stay stuck in the air. Unknown Yes Twitch clip (language warning)
Rock Pikmin that charge at a Yellow Wollywog when it is hopping may be flung into the air. Unknown Yes Twitter video
For unknown reasons, the data file selection menus will not place markers around the currently highlighted item. Unknown Yes Twitter video
For unknown reasons, opening a data file and pressing the button to back out will return the player not to the list of that category's files, but to the list of categories. Unknown Yes Twitter video
It is possible for the Heroine's Tear, when carried by Winged Pikmin and grounded Pikmin, to get stuck above the hole that exits the Vehemoth Phosbat's cave. The Pikmin cannot be whistled. Unknown Yes Twitch clip
A group of Swarming Sheargrubs can stay compressed into a single spot, without moving. Killing one will kill all of them at once, and cause them to separate. Unknown Yes Reddit video
It is possible for a Pikmin sprout to float in the air, out of reach. Unknown Yes Twitter video
In Twilight Hollow Remix, Rock Pikmin that are in the center room but whistled to come towards the crystal gate to the south may be able to walk through the wall to the west of the gate and appear on the terrain at the south of the map. Unknown Yes Twitter video
By gathering the other player into the group, in a cooperative game mode, and pressing the radar button at the same time, it is possible for the radar's textures to show up on top of gameplay for a brief moment. No Yes Twitter video
It is possible for the Plasm Wraith to turn invisible for some seconds, and then return to being visible. The game can crash after this. Unknown Yes Reddit post
By throwing a leader at a Yellow Wollywog at the same time the creature jumps up to perform its attack, the thrown leader may collide with it and get launched away. Unknown Yes Twitter video
It is possible for the Vehemoth Phosbat to be damaged when it is flailing on the ground, to the point where its health is virtually gone, but it's still alive. It will then die on its own after some seconds. Unknown Yes Twitch clip
It is possible to whistle Pikmin that were picking up a corpse, and to have them start drowning, instantly reach the end of the drowning sequence, and die. Unknown Yes Twitter video
It is possible for Louie, in his unconscious state in Forgotten Cove, to start flailing about randomly. Unknown Yes Reddit post (2)
It is possible for something to get collected in Bingo Battle, but not accounted for in the bingo card. If it was the last instance of that object, it will then be marked as unobtainable in the cards. Unknown Yes Reddit post
Collecting a data file at the same time a cutscene begins can result in the game opening the data file after the cutscene, but its image will be empty, and the game will be softlocked. Unknown Yes YouTube video
The juicing sequence at the end of a day may lack a background. Unknown Yes Twitter video
If a cutscene starts as a leader is being bounced by a Bouncy Mushroom, the leader will lose all momentum and fall straight down when the cutscene ends. Unknown Yes Reddit post
Winged Pikmin whistled shortly after getting off of the lily pad near the Crunchy Deluge may start heading in a certain direction and never stopping. Unknown Yes Reddit post
When Charlie's whistle tutorial segment starts, the game may only render the left side of the screen, and will only render lights and some part of the HUD. Unknown Yes YouTube video
Having a controller disconnection right before the results screen on day 1 can cause the game to show a data file after the reconnection and the day's results, and then stay stuck at a black screen. No Yes Twitch clip
Charging Pikmin at a pile of fragments right before the Brittany freeing cutscene begins results in those Pikmin carrying the fragments on their hand freely. Unknown Yes Twitter video
For unknown reasons, the Scornet Maestro can get stuck in a frame of its animation for a few seconds. Unknown Yes Twitch clip
For unknown reasons, a Whiptongue Bulborb that is chewing on a bomb rock may instead drop the bomb rock harmlessly and instantly. Unknown Yes Twitter video
For unknown reasons, a Rock Pikmin may enter a state where it can smack an enemy many times, since it doesn't tumble backwards upon hitting. Unknown Yes reddit post
Given unknown circumstances, one of the Sputtlefish in the Garden of Hope can partially clip into the ground. Unknown Yes YouTube video
When the larger-footed golden Shaggy Long Legs falls, it may move its main body sideways by a lot while its legs stretch to compensate, and then have its feet quickly correct themselves by snapping near the body. N/A Yes YouTube video
By throwing 9 Yellow Pikmin at the Tremendous Sniffer in Silver Lake Remix, and then 3 Purple Pikmin, the fruit may fall to the ground too fast, and go through the ground. It can then be carried by Pikmin while partially underground. Yes Unknown YouTube video
In Twisted Cavern, the Bug-Eyed Crawmad can appear outside its hole, and even be pushed around by large carcasses that are being carried. After being some distance away from its hole, it will snap back into place instantly. Unknown Yes Twitter video
In the Distant Tundra, there is a climbing stick next to the Dodge Whistle. Throwing Pikmin from the floor at this stick to the floor above may cause them to get stuck on the ledge for a few seconds, after which they shoot off and land somewhere far away. Unknown Yes reddit post
By changing from a leader that is in the Sandbelching Meerslug's fight to a leader that is elsewhere just before the boss is defeated, the game may show the defeat cutscene with the camera underground, and may then lock up. Unknown Yes Twitter video
By throwing Pikmin at the paper bag near the base at the Twilight River, then swapping leaders to a different segment of the area, and having that leader spray Pikmin before the other Pikmin finish dragging the paper bag, if it's the first time a spray has been used, the explanation cutscene that plays may interfere with the paper bag being pushed and lock the game afterwards. Unknown Yes reddit post
It is possible for Pikmin that are far from the group to be whistled in order to get closer, and in doing so they will walk on water without a problem. Unknown Yes Twitter video
When Pikmin are carrying the Citrus Lump outside of the cave in the Distant Tundra, it is possible for one of the carrier Pikmin to be positioned far away from the fruit, while still accompanying it as it's being carried. This results in the Pikmin physically being out of bounds, though still alive as it is part of the carrying process. Once the object is no longer being carried, the Pikmin dies. Unknown Yes reddit post
If Pikmin are ordered to grab a bomb rock with a charge, but they overshoot it, the bomb rock may teleport to their hands. Unknown Yes Twitter video
If a blob of nectar that pops out of an egg lands on top of a nearby egg, it will stay in its falling animation until the second egg is broken. Unknown Yes Twitter video
Throwing a leader onto the first indoors pool of water in Beastly Caverns may result in the leader being thrown slowly. Unknown Yes Twitter video
It is possible for the pause menu's button cursor to appear in an old position for a few frames when the restart confirmation prompt appears. Unknown Yes Twitter video
If Olimar is being carried by Winged Pikmin and is placed where the first paper bag of the Formidable Oak will fall, the player can push said paper bag, and when it lands in place, Olimar will be sent flying elsewhere. If he lands in the land site's segment of the area, as soon as the player goes to that segment the final boss battle will begin. Unknown Yes Result, replay, attempt 1, 2, 3, 4
If a Pikmin is thrown at a Candypop Bud, and an enemy manages to bite it after it contacted with the Candypop Bud, but before it takes the Pikmin in, and if the enemy is staggered and forced to drop the Pikmin, the Pikmin will come out unharmed but have a persistent throw trail effect behind it. This effect gets lost after throwing the Pikmin. Unknown Yes YouTube video
It is possible for Olimar to make a sound while plucking, for no reason. Unknown Yes Twitter video

Miiverse posts

The following are Miiverse posts about glitches that have no explanation or detail. Because these have not been reproduced or expanded upon, and because Miiverse was only available for Pikmin 3, it is unknown if these glitches can happen in Pikmin 3 Deluxe.

Other

See: Crash#Pikmin 3
See: Mistake#Pikmin 3
See: Out of bounds#Pikmin 3
See: Path oversights#Pikmin 3
See: Sequence break#Pikmin 3

See also

References

  1. ^ Miiverse post showing the effects of the counter glitch in single player on Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Twitter video on Twitter, published on August 12th, 2020, retrieved on August 12th, 2020
  3. ^ YouTube video demonstrating the leaders behaving like Pikmin glitch with hacks
  4. ^ YouTube video of the Tremendous Sniffer being taken out with the wall still up (at 12:43)
  5. ^ YouTube video of the Tremendous Sniffer being retrieved with the wall still up (at 02:00)
Anomalies
Glitches Pikmin • Pikmin 2 • Pikmin 3 • Pikmin 4 • Hey! Pikmin • Pikmin Bloom
Pikipedia's glitch notes
Other anomalies Crash • Mistake • Out of bounds • Path oversights • Sequence break

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