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Assets used in the Pikmin series

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The Pikmin series and its world is built with distinct pieces of imagery, audio, and typefaces. A large portion of the assets used in the games are made from scratch and are proprietary to Nintendo, though occasionally, some of these assets may be taken or contain elements from external sources. This can include commercially-available software libraries, or real-life objects and hardware.

Stock photography

Since the objects and environments within the Pikmin series are often based on human technology and nature in the real world, photography of real items and locations on Earth are a common resource for textures. For the first game, a large amount of these images were taken in Japan by members of the game's own staff.[1] However, it was not uncommon for some few pieces of foliage to be made using graphics from stock photography libraries. For more unnatural materials, this occurred a lot more often. During the development of Pikmin and Pikmin 2, these libraries were primarily sold and distributed on CD-ROMs.

Sozaijiten

 
The cover of Sozaijiten Vol. 6, one of the CD-ROMs used in the Pikmin series.

Sozaijiten (素材辞典?, lit.: "Material Dictionary") is a series of stock image libraries by Datacraft that is advertised and sold as volumes. The content of each volume is themed (usually around a type of material, part of nature, or event), and were originally distributed on singular CD-ROMs. For Pikmin and Pikmin 2, photographs and artwork from Sozaijiten are used very often and in a myriad of ways.

On Sozaijiten's website, low-resolution previews of every image are available for browsing. The previews come with descriptions; these reveal the original shooting location of certain photos, or some miscellaneous information about the photographed material.

List of Sozaijiten textures used in Pikmin
Volume Name Source Image Texture/Screenshot Description
Vol. 6 四季・自然編

(Seasons and Nature)

SF085     The background to a piece of promotional artwork for Pikmin. It is an image of some horsetails, taken in Atsuta, Hokkaido.
Vol. 6 四季・自然編

(Seasons and Nature)

SF097     The background to a piece of promotional artwork for Pikmin.
Vol. 6 四季・自然編

(Seasons and Nature)

SF122     The mountains in the area selection menu. It is a photograph of Mount Kamui and Lake Mashū.

The approximate location is viewable here.

Vol. 6 四季・自然編

(Seasons and Nature)

SF164     The main landmass in the area selection menu. It was taken in Shakotan, Hokkaido.

The approximate location is viewable here.

Vol. 13 葉・葉脈編

(Leaves and Leaf Veins)

SM054     Several plants found in the The Impact Site. It is a photograph of an elderberry's leaves.
Vol. 16 皮・年輪編

(Wood Textures)

SQ166     The base of several wooden stumps in The Distant Spring.
Vol. 21 宇宙・惑星編

(Space and Planets)

SV001     PNF-404, in the Nintendo Player's Guide of Pikmin. It is a photograph of Earth. It is also used for Koppai in the opening of Pikmin 3.
Vol. 21 宇宙・惑星編

(Space and Planets)

SV002     PNF-404, during the credits of Pikmin. It is a photograph of Earth.
Vol. 21 宇宙・惑星編

(Space and Planets)

SV007     PNF-404, during the good ending cutscene of Pikmin. It is a photograph of Earth.
List of Sozaijiten textures used in Pikmin 2
Volume Name Source Image Texture/Screenshot Description
Vol. 1 テクスチャー・石編

(Stone Textures)

SA068     Stone used around the geyser in the 2nd sublevel of the Emergence Cave.
Vol. 2 紙・布・木編

(Paper, Cloth, and Wood Textures)

SB108     The fabric for the Five-man Napsack.
Vol. 5 空・雲編

(Sky and Clouds)

SE074     The fog in the area selection menu of Pikmin 2.
Vol. 6 四季・自然編

(Seasons and Nature)

SF122     The mountains in the area selection menu. It is a photograph of Mount Kamui and Lake Mashū.

The approximate location is viewable here.

Vol. 6 四季・自然編

(Seasons and Nature)

SF164     The main landmass in the area selection menu. It was taken in Shakotan, Hokkaido.

The approximate location is viewable here.

Vol. 6 四季・自然編

(Seasons and Nature)

SF190     Snow used for the Valley of Repose's background image. The image was taken on a beach in Otaru.
Vol. 6 四季・自然編

(Seasons and Nature)

SF191     Trees used for the Valley of Repose's background image. The image was taken in Shikaoi, Hokkaido.
Vol. 8 壁・土編

(Walls and Soils)

SH071     Used for the build cave background. It has been flipped horizontally.
Vol. 8 壁・土編

(Walls and Soils)

SH096     Several metallic sheets buried in the ground that appear in the Perplexing Pool.
Vol. 13 葉・葉脈編

(Leaves and Leaf Veins)

SM074     Large leaves in the Perplexing Pool. It is a photograph of Galax.
Vol. 16 皮・年輪編

(Wood Textures)

SQ166     The base of several wooden stumps in the Perplexing Pool and a unique cave unit seen in the Hole of Heroes.
Vol. 21 宇宙・惑星編

(Space and Planets)

SV161     A galaxy that can be seen in the Debt Repayment Cinema in Pikmin 2. It is a photograph of a spiral galaxy in the Pegasus constellation.
Vol. 21 宇宙・惑星編

(Space and Planets)

SV186     Nebulae that can be seen in the Opening and Debt Repayment Cinemas in Pikmin 2. It is a photograph of the Orion Nebula.
Vol. 21 宇宙・惑星編

(Space and Planets)

SV187     Nebulae that can be seen in the Opening and Debt Repayment Cinemas in Pikmin 2. It is a photograph of the Orion Nebula.
Vol. 24 大理石編

(Marbles)

SY089     The texture for the Priceless Statue and Worthless Statue. It is an image of Grigio Carnico marble.
Vol. 53 木目・組木・あじろ編

(Grain, Interlocked and Braided Wood)

CD123     The texture used for the Shock Therapist's wooden base. It is an image of rosewood.
Vol. 53 木目・組木・あじろ編

(Grain, Interlocked and Braided Wood)

CD138     Used for the flooring cave background. It is an image of 5-inch white oak flooring. Several planks of wood were stretched.

Bakku no Oni

 
An image of Bakku no Oni SABI 2.

Bakku no Oni (バックの鬼?, lit.: "Background Demon") is a series of stock image libraries that was distributed by A&P CO-ORDINATOR JAPAN. Its volumes were themed after specific types of aesthetics. Images from "Bakku no Oni SABI 2" were often used as textures for the caves in Pikmin 2.

List of Bakku no Oni textures used in Pikmin 2
Volume Name Source Image Texture/Screenshot Description
寂2

(SABI 2)

RUST-08     Used for a small metal plate in the center of the room_hitode3x3_5_metal cave unit.
寂2

(SABI 2)

RUST-27     Used for the dark brown metal in many metallic cave units, and the top of the bucket in the room_big_kusachi garden cave unit.
寂2

(SABI 2)

RUST-34     Used as the center room's floor in room_white14x12_metal, the main cave unit in sublevel 3 of the White Flower Garden.
寂2

(SABI 2)

RUST-36     The blue rusted metal used in many metallic cave units.
寂2

(SABI 2)

RUST-41     Used in the small path in room_white14x12_metal, and as the circular rim in the Titan Dweevil's arena, room_oootakara_tile.

VisualDisk

 
The front cover of VisualDisk M-10 Leaves.

VisualDisk is a series of stock image libraries that was distributed by dizáin. Similar in scope to Sozaijiten, there was a very large amount of volumes released and high variety in its content. However, it is used sparsely in Pikmin 2.

List of VisualDisk textures used in Pikmin 2
Volume Name Source Image Texture/Screenshot Description
M-02 Metals M2_01     Used for the top of the bucket in the room_big_kusachi garden cave unit. It is mixed with "RUST-27" from Bakku no Oni SABI 2.
M-10 Leaves M10_05     Used for various autumn leaves on Pikmin 2's title screen, and in the intro for the Wistful Wild when landing in the area for the first time.
M-10 Leaves M10_43     Used for several plants in the Wistful Wild. The leaves have been edited to look like they are decaying.

Audio samples

Similar to graphics, creating game audio often involves the sampling of various sound libraries. The games within the Pikmin series are a good example, where a large amount of audio can be sourced back to a number of different commercially-released products. These products are used to create the individual instrument samples and sound effects in the games, as well as pieces of streamed music. All of the music in Pikmin, Pikmin 2, and Pikmin 3 use audio from digital instruments and synthesizers; instances of musicians performing live on real acoustic instruments are highly uncommon in the games. The new music composed by Babi for Pikmin 3 Deluxe is one of the very few occasions where this was done.[2]

Pikmin's music

Pikmin's soundtrack was composed by Hajime Wakai. He uses the Kurzweil K2500R and Roland SC-88 synthesizers, and the SampleCell II software. The two aforementioned synthesizers make up the vast majority of sounds heard in the soundtrack, though a few sample CD-ROMs are also seldom used; these CD-ROMs are formatted for SampleCell II, which serves the function of a sampler.

List of products used in the music of Pikmin
Product Image Year Format Details Demo
Roland SC-88   1994 Hardware synthesizer MIDI sound module by Roland, used by Hajime Wakai.
Often used for acoustic instruments that the Kurzweil K2500R's sample set lacked.
Kurzweil
K2500R 		  1996 Hardware synthesizer Professional synthesizer by Kurzweil, used by Hajime Wakai.
Dominates most of the soundtrack, alongside the Roland SC-88.
SampleCell II
CD-ROM Library 		  1991 SampleCell CD-ROM A selection of sounds that came packaged with SampleCell II, by Digidesign.
Used for the classical guitar heard in The Impact Site.
Spectrasonics
Supreme Beats 		  1995 SampleCell CD-ROM Sample library by Spectrasonics.
Used for several sounds in Pikmin's main theme.
Best Service
Ultra Gigapack 		  1995 SampleCell CD-ROM Sample library by Best Service.
Used for the piano in The Forest of Hope, and some percussion in Final Boss Battle.

Pikmin 2's music

Pikmin 2's soundtrack was composed by Hajime Wakai and Kazumi Totaka, and features a wider range of products used. The Kurzweil K2500R and Roland SC-88 are once again prominently used by Hajime Wakai. SampleCell II no longer sees any use by Hajime Wakai for this title; instead, sounds from InVision Lightware 1, East-West Drums + Percussion, and the AKAI CD3000 Sound Library can be heard, all of which came packaged with the AKAI CD3000 sampler. Kazumi Totaka uses the Yamaha S90 and a slew of different sample libraries for his music.

List of products used in the music of Pikmin 2
Product Image Year Format Details Demo
Roland SC-88   1994 Hardware synthesizer MIDI sound module by Roland, used by Hajime Wakai.
Often used for acoustic instruments that the Kurzweil K2500R's sample set lacked.
Kurzweil
K2500R 		  1996 Hardware synthesizer Professional synthesizer by Kurzweil, used by Hajime Wakai.
Dominates most of the soundtrack, alongside the Roland SC-88.
Yamaha S90   2002 Hardware synthesizer Professional synthesizer by Yamaha, used by Kazumi Totaka.
Its sound set can be expanded with plug-in boards.
Yamaha
PLG150-DX 		  1999 Plug-in board Plug-in board synthesizer, used by Kazumi Totaka with his Yamaha S90.
It comes with several sounds from the Yamaha DX7, and is present in several cave songs.
Yamaha
PLG150-VL 		  1999 Plug-in board Plug-in board synthesizer, used by Kazumi Totaka with his Yamaha S90.
The "Lite Pipe" sound was used for Concrete 2, and the bassoon is used in 2-Player Battle.
AKAI CD3000
Sound Library 		  1993 AKAI CD-ROM A selection of sounds by AKAI that came packaged with the CD3000.
It is used in the cutscene scores by Hajime Wakai.
Drums + Percussion
Special Edition 		  1993 AKAI CD-ROM A selection of sounds by East-West that came packaged with the CD3000.
It is used in the cutscene scores by Hajime Wakai.
InVision
Lightware 1 		  1993 AKAI CD-ROM A selection of sounds by InVision that came packaged with the CD3000.
It is used in the cutscene scores by Hajime Wakai.
Synclavier
Sampler Library 		  1994 AKAI CD-ROM Sample library by Ilio, used by Kazumi Totaka.
A kalimba sample from the World and Orchestral disc is used in two cave themes.
Best Service
Advanced Orchestra 		  1997 AKAI CD-ROM Renowned orchestral sample library distributed by Best Service.
It is used in Hajime Wakai's orchestral scores, and is also in a few songs by Kazumi Totaka.
SampleCell II
CD-ROM Library 		  1991 SampleCell CD-ROM A selection of sounds that came packaged with SampleCell II, by Digidesign.
It has some minor usage by Kazumi Totaka.
Best Service
Ultra Gigapack 		  1995 SampleCell CD-ROM Sample library by Best Service, used by Kazumi Totaka.
A number of sounds from this library are used in cave music.
Spectrasonics
Bass Legends 		  1994 CD-ROM Sample library by Spectrasonics, used by Kazumi Totaka.
The Jaco fretless bass is used in Concrete 2.
Spectrasonics
Supreme Beats 		  1995 CD-ROM Sample library by Spectrasonics, used by Kazumi Totaka.
Many percussion instruments heard in Kazumi Totaka's cave music are from this library.
Q-Up Arts
Voices of Istanbul 		  2000 CD-ROM Sample library by Q-Up Arts, used by Kazumi Totaka.
The Turkish davul from this library was used in Concrete 2 and Grass.
Series 4000
Sound Effects 		  1989 Audio CD-ROM Sound effect library by Sound Ideas.
Several sound effects are used in Hajime Wakai's and Kazumi Totaka's music.
Series 6000
Sound Effects 		  1992 Audio CD-ROM Sound effect library by Sound Ideas.
Several sound effects are used in Hajime Wakai's and Kazumi Totaka's music.
Warner Bros.
Sound Effects 		  1992 Audio CD-ROM Sound effect library by Sound Ideas.
An anvil crash sound effect is used in Metal 2.

Pikmin 3's music

Pikmin 3's soundtrack was composed by Asuka Hayazaki, Atsuko Asahi, and Hajime Wakai. It was the first main title to have a soundtrack consisting wholly of streamed music; singular instrument samples do not exist individually within the game itself, although sampling can still occur within the music creation process. The Kurzweil K2500 is still prominent in this soundtrack, but it is being used by Asuka Hayazaki, alongside her KORG Triton Studio.

List of products used in the music of Pikmin 3
Product Image Year Format Details Demo
Roland SC-88   1994 Hardware synthesizer MIDI sound module by Roland.
It has very minor usage in Pikmin 3.
Kurzweil
K2500R 		  1996 Hardware synthesizer Professional synthesizer by Kurzweil, originally used by Hajime Wakai.
It is very prominent in Asuka Hayazaki's music for Pikmin 3.
KORG
Triton Studio 		  2002 Hardware synthesizer Professional synthesizer by KORG, used by Asuka Hayazaki.
It was often used alongside the Kurzweil K2500R.
Spectrasonics
Supreme Beats 		  1995 CD-ROM Sample library by Spectrasonics, used by Asuka Hayazaki.
Several percussive loops were used in the Tropical Wilds.
Best Service
Advanced Orchestra 		  1997 CD-ROM Orchestral sample library distributed by Best Service, used by Asuka Hayazaki.
The snare drum is used in the boss battle music.
Series 4000
Sound Effects 		  1989 Audio CD-ROM Sound effect library by Sound Ideas.
A cartoon horn toot was used in Bingo Battle's toy theme.
Series 6000
Sound Effects 		  1992 Audio CD-ROM Sound effect library by Sound Ideas.
A cash register sound was used in Bingo Battle's toy theme.
Animal Trax   1996 Audio CD-ROM Sound effect library by Sound Ideas.
A faint sheep bleat from this library can be heard on the title screen.
ZERO-G
Ethnic Flavours 		  1996 Audio CD-ROM Sample library by ZERO-G, used by Asuka Hayazaki.
A West African flute riff is used in the music for the Tropical Wilds.
East-West
Symphonic Orchestra 		  2003 Software instrument Software instrument by East-West, used by Asuka Hayazaki and Atsuko Asahi.
This library was a go-to for a variety of orchestral instruments.
East-West
Ra 		  2005 Software instrument Software instrument by East-West, used by Asuka Hayazaki and Atsuko Asahi.
A pan flute, gamelan, and kalimba from this library are used in some songs.
Steinberg
HALion One 		  2006 Software instrument Software instrument included in earlier versions of Cubase by Steinberg, used by Atsuko Asahi.
East-West
Stormdrum 2 		  2007 Software instrument Software instrument by East-West, used by Asuka Hayazaki.
A percussion sample from this library is featured in the Formidable Oak.
Spectrasonics
Omnisphere 		  2008 Software instrument Software instrument by Spectrasonics.
This robust synthesizer is in many parts of the soundtrack.
KONTAKT
Factory Library 		  2010 Software instrument A selection of sounds that came packaged with the full version of KONTAKT, by Native Instruments.
It was used by Atsuko Asahi.
Apple
Logic Pro X 		  2004 DAW Digital audio workstation, used by Hajime Wakai, Soshi Abe, and Babi.
It can be heard often in the additional music of Pikmin 3 Deluxe.

Pikmin 4's music

Pikmin 4's soundtrack was composed by Asuka Hayazaki, Kenta Nagata, and Soshi Abe.

List of products used in the music of Pikmin 4
Product Image Year Format Details
Roland SC-88   1994 Hardware synthesizer MIDI sound module by Roland.
It has very minor usage in the soundtrack.
Kurzweil
K2500R 		  1996 Hardware synthesizer Professional synthesizer by Kurzweil, originally used by Hajime Wakai.
It has minor usage in the soundtrack.
Best Service
Advanced Orchestra 		  1997 CD-ROM Orchestral sample library distributed by Best Service.
The xylophone sample is used in some songs.
East-West
Symphonic Orchestra 		  2003 Software instrument Software instrument by East-West.
It is used in some of the boss battle themes.
Heavyocity
Evolve 		  2008 Software instrument Software instrument by Heavyocity.
It is used in some of the boss battle themes.
Soniccouture
Music Boxes 		  2011 Software instrument Free software instrument by Soniccouture.
It is used for the three music box treasures.

Hey! Pikmin's music

Hey! Pikmin's soundtrack was composed by Masato Kouda and Kento Hasegawa.

List of products used in the music of Hey! Pikmin
Product Image Year Format Details Demo
AMG
Now CD-ROM 		  1994 CD-ROM Sample library by AMG.
Some sampled horn stabs are used in Over Wintry Mountains.
VSL Special
Edition Volume 1 		  2007 Software instrument Software instrument by Vienna Symphonic Library.
A vibraphone is used for the Brilliant Garden's theme.
Spectrasonics
Omnisphere 		  2008 Software instrument Software instrument by Spectrasonics.
This robust synthesizer is in many parts of the soundtrack.
Discovery Series:
West Africa 		  2010 Software instrument Software instrument by Native Instruments.
A djembe is used in "Lushlife Murk area - back side".
Best Service
Ethno World 5 		  2010 Software instrument Software instrument by Best Service.
Many exotic instruments from this collection are utilized in the soundtrack.
One notable and frequently-used instrument is the Dallape accordion.
Spectrasonics
Stylus RMX 		  2010 Software instrument Software instrument by Spectrasonics.
A percussive loop titled "125-Evil Echo" is used for the Emperor Bulblax boss battle at The Last Lair.
Curiously, the loop listed right before it in the interface is called "125-Emperor".
Heavyocity
Damage 		  2011 Software instrument Software instrument by Heavyocity.
A synthetic loop is used during the "Inside the S.S. Dolphin II - boss found" cutscene theme.
MusicLab
RealGuitar 4 		  2015 Software instrument Software instrument by MusicLab.
The nylon fingered guitar is used for Ravaged Rustworks' theme.

Sound effects

Listed below are all currently known products used to create the sound effects within the Pikmin series.

List of products used for sound effects
Product Image Year Format        
E-MU Proteus/2 Orchestral   1990 Hardware synthesizer Used Used Absent Absent
E-MU Proteus/3 World   1991 Hardware synthesizer Used Absent Absent Absent
Roland SC-88   1994 Hardware synthesizer Used Used Used Used
Kurzweil K2500R   1996 Hardware synthesizer Used Used Used Used
SampleCell II CD-ROM Library   1991 SampleCell CD-ROM Used Used Absent Absent
Ultra Gigapack   1995 SampleCell CD-ROM Absent Used Absent Absent
Distorted Reality   1995 CD-ROM Absent Used Absent Absent
Supreme Beats   1995 CD-ROM Used Used Used Used
Sound Ideas Sampler Library   1987 Audio CD-ROM Used Used Absent Absent
Series 4000 Sound Effects   1989 Audio CD-ROM Used Used Used Absent
Series 6000 Sound Effects   1992 Audio CD-ROM Used Used Used Used
Universal Studios Sound Effects   1992 Audio CD-ROM Used Used Absent Absent
Warner Bros. Sound Effects   1992 Audio CD-ROM Used Used Used Used
Omnisphere   2008 Software instrument Absent Absent Used Absent

Synthesizers

Kurzweil K2500

 
The Kurzweil K2500R.
 
Hajime Wakai and his powered-on K2500R behind him.

The Kurzweil K2500 is a synthesizer manufactured by Kurzweil Music Systems in 1996. The Kurzweil K2500R is its rackmount variant, and the specific model that was owned and used by Hajime Wakai. Typically, rackmount versions of synthesizers are identical in functionality, but they lack a physical keyboard. This makes them more compact and easy to cram into a studio space; however, it is intended that they be connected to an external MIDI device, such as a musical keyboard, a computer, or some other MIDI-compatible instrument in order to use them.

A lesser-known synthesizer, it is the signature synth of Hajime Wakai, and a staple of the audio design in the Pikmin series as a whole. It is used in Pikmin, Pikmin 2, Pikmin 3, Pikmin 3 Deluxe, and Pikmin 4. In some parts of Pikmin 3, Asuka Hayazaki uses this synthesizer. Soshi Abe uses samples from it for Pikmin 3 Deluxe and Pikmin 4.

K2500 preview

A short demo of sounds from the K2500.

K2500 SFX preview

Two sounds from the K2500 that appear as sound effects in Pikmin.

Also used within the Pikmin games is the "K25 FARM". It is a collection of several hundred new programs for the K2500. These exclusive presets came on a floppy disk with brand new purchases of the synthesizer.

K25 FARM preview

A short demo of some sounds exclusive to the K25 FARM.

Roland SC-88

 
The Roland SC-88.

The Roland SC-88 is a General MIDI-based synthesizer, manufactured by Roland in 1994. An entry in the Roland Sound Canvas series, it has 654 default instrument presets and 22 drumset presets that are designed to perfectly conform to the General MIDI standard, making it excellent for the playback of MIDI songs. It is still useful as a compositional tool; the sounds from the Roland Sound Canvas line of synthesizers are very common in video games. Compressed samples of audio from a SC-55 are even utilized for the Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth, the default "soundfont" for MIDI playback on most computers.[3]

It is used primarily in the music of Pikmin and Pikmin 2, by Hajime Wakai. Alongside the Kurzweil K2500, these two synthesizers make up the vast majority of instrument samples in those games.

SC-88 preview

A short demo of sounds from the SC-88.

Yamaha S90

 
The Yamaha S90.

The Yamaha S90 is a synthesizer manufactured by Yamaha Corporation in 2002. It has 384 instrument presets and 48 drumset presets, and its acoustic instruments in particular are much more realistic than the older Kurzweil K2500R and Roland SC-88.

The Yamaha S90 is commonly used by Kazumi Totaka; in the Pikmin series, it has only been used in the music of Pikmin 2.

S90 preview

A short demo of sounds from the S90 that were used in Pikmin 2.
 
Image of one of the expansion boards, the PLG150-DX.

Expansion boards

Many of Yamaha's synthesizers produced around 1998 to 2003 featured support for the "Modular Synthesis Plug-in System". This allowed for the synthesizers's preset count to be expanded by plugging in an expansion board. In total, 12 of these boards were produced. A few of them contain just basic sets of waveforms, while others are fully-fledged synthesizers. The "PLG150-AN", for example, generates sound with analog synthesis.

Along with his Yamaha S90, Kazumi Totaka uses the PLG150-DX and PLG150-VL expansion boards for some songs for Pikmin 2. The two boards use FM synthesis and physical modelling synthesis respectively.

Fonts

Most of the fonts used in the Pikmin games are commercially-available fonts created by Dynacomware or Fontworks. Originally, they were sold bundled together with many other typefaces and distributed on CD-ROMs, but the individual fonts are still available online. Because of their availability, usage of these fonts in other media may be mistaken as a reference to the Pikmin series.

DF Craft Sumi

 
DFCraftSumi Std W9.

DF Craft Sumi is a typeface created by Dynacomware. "DFCraftSumi Std W9" is used in Pikmin and Pikmin 2 for the bubble-like letters that appear in some menus and cutscenes, and for the end credits in the Pikmin Short Movies. In Pikmin 3 and Hey! Pikmin, a modified version of this font is used.

DF POP 1

 
DFPOP1 Std W3.

DF POP 1 is a typeface created by Dynacomware. "DFPOP1 Std W3" is used as the main text font in Pikmin, such as for Olimar's monologs.

Seurat

 
Seurat Pro DB.

Seurat is a typeface created by Fontworks. "Seurat Pro DB" is used as the main text font in Pikmin 2 and Hey! Pikmin, as seen in the ship's dialogs and other various menu elements.

Rodin NTLG

 
RodinNTLG Pro DB.

Rodin NTLG is a typeface created by Fontworks. It is one of the most commonly used typefaces by Nintendo, and has distinct usage within the Pikmin series:

RodinNTLG Pro DB is also the main text font in Pikmin 3. It is used for on-screen character dialog, text displayed on the KopPad, and other various menu elements.

New Rodin

 
NewRodin Pro DB.

New Rodin is a typeface created by Fontworks. "NewRodin Pro DB" is used in Pikmin 3 for the numbers in the countdown at sunset. In Pikmin 4, a modified version of the typeface is used commonly throughout the game.

DF Gothic P

 
A comparison between the font texture used for the staff roll in Pikmin 3, and the DFGothicP W3 font.

DF Gothic P is a typeface created by Dynacomware. "DFGothicP W3" is used for the staff credits in Pikmin 3. The characters have been resized so that they take up similar amounts of horizontal space.

  • A scene from the credits in Pikmin 3.

Minor fonts

Chiaro

 
The texture used on the saved game selection menu in Pikmin 2. It uses Chiaro Std B.

Chiaro is a typeface created by Fontworks. "Chiaro Std B" is used exclusively on the saved game selection menu in Pikmin and Pikmin 2.

  • The saved game selection menu in Pikmin.

  • The saved game selection menu in Pikmin 2.

Pop Fury

 
The texture for an unused font used in Pikmin. It uses PopFury Std B.

Pop Fury is a typeface created by Fontworks. "PopFury Std B" is present in Pikmin as an unused font texture, testFont.txe.

Rowdy

Rowdy is a typeface created by Fontworks. "Rowdy Std EB" is used in Pikmin 3 for the icons of the +10 Pikmin and +5 Rare Pikmin Roulette Wheel items in Bingo Battle.

  • The +10 Pikmin texture for the Roulette Wheel.

  • The +5 Rare Pikmin texture for the Roulette Wheel

Proprietary fonts

Some text that appears in the games use fonts that are uniquely created for the Pikmin series itself.

Pikmin 3 bubble-like font

An updated variant of DFCraftSumi Std W9 is used in Pikmin 3 and Hey! Pikmin. It highly resembles the original typeface, but many minor changes have been made to improve readability, such as making the tails of certain characters longer and their widths more consistent.

 
A comparison between DFCraftSumi Std W9, and its smoother look-alike in Pikmin 3.

Hocotate Freight text

The logo for Hocotate Freight uses a uniquely designed font. It is alien-like, but still legible English.

  • The Hocotate Freight logo in the Pikmin 2 intro cutscene.

  • A sign bearing Hocotate Freight's logo.

Koppaite text

Main article: Koppaite text.

In Pikmin 3 and Pikmin 4, an in-universe written language appears very frequently on technology and as a background element throughout various in-game menus. The text appears as an assortment of illegible alien symbols, but these characters are actually translatable into the 26 letters in the English alphabet, which reveal some small secrets when various instances of the text are deciphered.

Trivia

References

  1. ^ YouTube video of footage from E3, where it is stated that some of the materials used in Pikmin are from around Shigeru Miyamoto's neighborhood (at 10:10)
  2. ^ Production credits on GRANDFUNK's website
  3. ^ YouTube video of a live comparison between the SC-55 (via the virtual SCVA plugin) and the Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth
  4. ^ Detailed spreadsheet that documents sound sources used in the series, maintained by fans on Google Sheets
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