Gear

The Exploration Kit, as seen in Pikmin 2's pause menu.

The following article or section is in need of assistance from someone who plays Pikmin 4. Particularly: Fill in the requirements to unlock the items, add foreign names.

"Upgrade" redirects here. For the updates to the games' software, see update.

This article is about gear as equipment and tools. For gears that are cogs, see Gear (disambiguation).

In most Pikmin games, players are able to obtain diverse pieces of gear that empower the main characters, typically by granting immunities to some hazards, increasing stats, or unlocking new abilities. The method by which they are obtained depends on the game, and some pieces of gear appear in multiple games. Before Pikmin 4 these upgrades were not given a name, but they are specifically referred to as "gear" in various places of Pikmin 4. Also unique to Pikmin 4 is the ability to enable or disable any upgrade (besides the Survey Drone, Idler's Alert and Homesick Signal) once obtained.

Obtaining

In Pikmin 2, the player needs to retrieve certain treasures, usually guarded by bosses. When the Hocotate ship takes the treasure in, it is able to make use of it to create an upgrade. The upgrades can be found on a checklist called the Exploration Kit on the pause menu, and there is a distinction between the treasure itself and the upgrade. If the player exits the cave from the pause menu after getting the treasure instead of using a geyser, the treasure will be left behind but the leaders will keep the upgrade.

In Pikmin 3, the two important pieces of gear that allow reaching new areas are cellphones that need to be retrieved to the S.S. Drake, while the optional spacesuit upgrades can be found buried or off the beaten path in the form of Gashapon capsules; these too need to be brought back to the S.S. Drake and there isn't much of a difference between the object and the upgrade proper.

In Pikmin 4, upgrades can be obtained by purchasing them from Russ's lab, or by completing certain missions. In the case of the lab, they will have an associated raw material cost, and some only become available in the shop when certain Sparklium thresholds are met or when certain things happen in-game. In Olimar's Shipwreck Tale, upgrades are among the rewards that Olimar may receive for each ship part he recovered during a day.

List

Purpose	Gear	Pikmin 2	Pikmin 3	Pikmin 4	Olimar's Shipwreck Tale
Stat improvement	Air Armor	See Metal Suit Z	See Metal Suit Z	Yes	No
Stat improvement	Pup Air Armor	No	No	Yes	No
Stat improvement	Air Armor+	No	No	Yes	Yes
Stat improvement	Pup Air Armor+	No	No	Yes	Yes
Stat improvement	Air Armor++	No	No	Yes	No
Stat improvement	Pup Air Armor++	No	No	Yes	No
Hazard immunity	Anti-Electrifier	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Hazard immunity	Pup Anti-Electrifier	No	No	Yes	No
Misc.	Brace Boots	See Rush Boots	No	Yes	No
New ability	Charging Horn	No	No	Yes	Yes
Discovering new areas	Data Glutton	No	Yes	No	No
New ability	Dodge Whistle	No	Yes	No	No
New ability	Extra Hand	No	No	Yes	No
Discovering new areas	Folded Data Glutton	No	Yes	No	No
Misc.	Gunk Busters	No	No	Yes	No
Misc.	Headlamp	See Solar System	No	Yes	No
Misc.	Headlamp+	No	No	Yes	No
Misc.	Homesick Signal	No	No	Yes	Yes
Misc.	Idle Counter	No	No	Yes	Yes
Misc.	Idler's Alert	No	No	Yes	Yes
New ability	Lineup Trumpet	No	No	Yes	Yes
Stat improvement	Mega Tweeter	Yes	No	See Power Whistle	No
Stat improvement	Metal Suit Z	Yes	Yes	See Air Armor	See Air Armor+
New ability	Napsack	Yes	No	No	No
New ability	Pluckaphone	Yes	No	See Plucking Whistle	No
New ability	Plucking Whistle	See Pluckaphone	No	Yes	No
Stat improvement	Power Whistle	See Mega Tweeter	No	Yes	No
New ability	Rocket Fist	Yes	No	See Triple Threat	See Triple Threat
Stat improvement	Rush Boots	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Hazard immunity	Scorch Guard	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Hazard immunity	Pup Scorch Guard	No	No	Yes	No
Hazard immunity	Pup Sniff Saver	No	No	Yes	No
Misc.	Solar System	Yes	No	See Headlamp	No
Discovering new areas	Sphere Chart	Yes	No	No	No
Discovering new areas	Survey Chart	Yes	No	No	No
Misc.	Survey Drone	No	No	Yes	Yes
Hazard immunity	Thermal Defense	No	No	Yes	No
Hazard immunity	Pup Thermal Defense	No	No	Yes	No
Misc.	Treasure Gauge	Yes	No	Yes	Yes (as Parts Detector)
Misc.	Treasure Gauge+	No	No	Yes	No
New ability	Triple Threat	See Rocket Fist	No	Yes	Yes
Stat improvement	Tuff Stuff	No	No	Yes	No
Stat improvement	Pup Tuff Stuff	No	No	Yes	No
Stat improvement	Tuff Stuff+	No	No	Yes	Yes
Stat improvement	Pup Tuff Stuff+	No	No	Yes	Yes
Stat improvement	Tuff Stuff++	No	No	Yes	No
Stat improvement	Pup Tuff Stuff++	No	No	Yes	No

In addition, there is a list of upgrades in Hey! Pikmin.

Air Armor

The following article or section is in need of assistance from someone who plays Pikmin 4. Particularly: How much defense does Air Armor provide?

Air Armor
The Air Armor's icon.
Games	Pikmin 4
Function	Increases defense
How to obtain	Own Tuff Stuff, then buy for × 40

Pup Air Armor

Pup Air Armor
The Pup Air Armor's icon.
Games	Pikmin 4
Function	Increases defense
How to obtain	Own Pup Tuff Stuff, then buy for × 80

A decent if expensive strategy is to feed Oatchi 5 Scrummy Bones, nearly doubling his HP. All tiers of Air Armor also apply the damage reduction percentage to the temporary HP, making Oatchi much harder to knock down than he already is.

Air Armor+

Air Armor+
The Air Armor+'s icon.
Games	Pikmin 4
Function	Decreases the player's damage taken by 50%
How to obtain	Have Air Armor, have reached  × 6000, then buy for × 80 Olimar's Shipwreck Tale: Retrieve 22 ship parts

Pup Air Armor+

Pup Air Armor+
The Pup Air Armor+'s icon.
Games	Pikmin 4
Function	Decreases Oatchi's damage taken by 50%
How to obtain	Have Pup Air Armor, have reached  × 6000, then buy for × 120 Olimar's Shipwreck Tale: Have met Moss, retrieve 18 ship parts

Air Armor++

Air Armor++
The Air Armor++'s icon.
Games	Pikmin 4
Function	Decreases the player's damage taken by 75%
How to obtain	Buy for × 120, unlock Air Armor+

Pup Air Armor++

Pup Air Armor++
The Pup Air Armor++'s icon.
Games	Pikmin 4
Function	Decreases Oatchi's damage taken by 75%
How to obtain	Buy for × 160, unlock Pup Air Armor+

Anti-Electrifier

Anti-Electrifier
The Anti-Electrifier's icon in Pikmin 4.
Games	Pikmin 2,  Pikmin 3,  Pikmin 4
Function	Gives electricity resistance
How to obtain	:  Defeat the Giant Breadbug, retrieve the Dream Material :  Retrieve the capsule :  Have had the player character or Oatchi take electric damage, then buy for × 50

The Anti-Electrifier, when unlocked, makes the leaders' suits immune to electricity, including electrical attacks.

In Pikmin 2, it is obtained by defeating the Giant Breadbug in the Glutton's Kitchen, and collecting the Dream Material. Although leaders become invulnerable to electrical attacks, the Titan Dweevil's Shock Therapist will still manage to stun them, despite not causing any damage.

In Pikmin 3, it can be found buried near the place where Charlie crashed onto the planet's surface in the Distant Tundra, guarded by an Arctic Cannon Larva. The capsule has a weight of 10, and can be carried by up to 20 Pikmin. This device is particularly useful when trying to pass by electrical hazards with a group of Yellow Pikmin.

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  The Dream Material.

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  The Anti-Electrifier's capsule in Pikmin 3.

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  Analysis of the Anti-Electrifier.

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  Close up of the Anti-Electrifier after being dug up.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	アンチ・エレキ? Anchi Ereki	Anti Electric
Chinese (traditional)	抗電装	Anti-electric equipment
Chinese (simplified)	抗电装	Anti-electric equipment
French	Anti-choc	Anti-shock
German	Elektroschutz	Electric Protection
Italian	Anti-shock	Anti-Shock
Korean	방진복 bangjinbog
Spanish	Anti-eléctric (Pikmin 2) Antieléctrico (Pikmin 3)	Anti-"electric" Anti-electric

Pup Anti-Electrifier

Pup Anti-Electrifier
The Pup Anti-Electrifier's icon.
Games	Pikmin 4
Function	Gives electricity resistance
How to obtain	Have had the player character or Oatchi take electric damage, then buy for × 100

The Pup Anti-Electrifier is an upgrade for Oatchi which makes him immune to Electricity such as from an  electric gate or from enemies like the shockcake. In Pikmin 4 it can be obtained from the Lab for x 100 but only after the player character or Oatchi takes electric damage

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  Oatchi before and after equipping the Pup Anti-Electrifier.

Brace Boots

Brace Boots
The Brace Boots's icon.
Games	Pikmin 4
Function	Gives resistance to wind and being sucked up
How to obtain	Have the player character hit by wind or be sucked up in a previous day, then buy for × 80

Charging Horn

Charging Horn
The Charging Horn's icon.
Games	Pikmin 4
Function	Unlocks the ability to charge
How to obtain	Have reached  × 450, then buy for × 20 Olimar's Shipwreck Tale: Retrieve 1 ship part

See more: Charge.

The Charging Horn grants the player the ability to charge.

Data Glutton

Data Glutton
The Data Glutton.
Games	Pikmin 3
Function	Unlocks the Distant Tundra
How to obtain	Defeat the Armored Mawdad, retrieve the cellphone

The Data Glutton is an old cellphone, and is found within the belly of the Armored Mawdad in the Garden of Hope. It has a weight of 10, and can be carried by up to 20 Pikmin. It emits a signal that Alph and Brittany first assume to be Charlie. Upon collecting the device, Alph uses its technology to boost the signal strength of the S.S. Drake, allowing them to access the Distant Tundra.

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  The Data Glutton being scanned.

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  The Data Glutton is rewarded for defeating the Armored Mawdad.

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  Carrying the Data Glutton.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	いにしえのパケシス? Inishie no Pakeshisu
German	Datenarchiv	Data archive
Italian	Archivio trasmittente	Transmitter archive
Spanish (NoA)	Fósil de datos	Data fossil

Dodge Whistle

Dodge Whistle
The Dodge Whistle's capsule.
Games	Pikmin 3
Function	Allows leaders and Pikmin to dodge
How to obtain	Retrieve the capsule

See more: Dodge.

The Dodge Whistle can be found on a small cliff a short distance away from the exit to the Vehemoth Phosbat cave, where the Pikmin will carry the spoils of the battle through. It can be obtained by throwing Pikmin onto the Bouncy Mushroom between it and the path. There are some enemies in the way, however: two Swooping Snitchbugs are guarding the object, and Joustmites, Skeeterskates, and Bearded Amprats can be found on the route the Pikmin will use to take it to the Drake. However, this all can be bypassed by having Winged Pikmin carry it. It has a weight of 10, and can be carried by up to 20 Pikmin.

Collecting it allows the leaders to dodge left or right, guiding the Pikmin. It is done in a straight line normally, or in an arc around a lock-on target (in the original Pikmin 3 only). When rolling, the leaders do not lose height, making certain sequence breaks possible.

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  Closeup of the Dodge Whistle's capsule.

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  Analysis of the Dodge Whistle.

Extra Hand

Extra Hand
The Extra Hand's icon.
Games	Pikmin 4
Function	Allows the player character to carry objects, with a carrying weight of 1
How to obtain	Complete all of Louie's side missions

See more: Carry.

This article is a stub. You can help Pikipedia by expanding it. Suggestions: Details on speed, differences when carrying alone/with Pikmin, and other noteworthy traits.

The Extra Hand can be obtained after finishing all of Louie's side missions, which unlock once he's rescued from the Ancient Sirehound.

It grants the player character the ability to carry objects like the Pikmin (with a carrying weight of 1).

Folded Data Glutton

Folded Data Glutton
The Folded Data Glutton.
Games	Pikmin 3
Function	Unlocks the Twilight River
How to obtain	Defeat the Sandbelching Meerslug, retrieve the cellphone

The Folded Data Glutton is a folding cellphone, found within the belly of the Sandbelching Meerslug in the Tropical Wilds. It emits a signal that the leaders first assume to be Olimar. Upon collecting the device, Alph uses its technology to boost the signal strength of the Drake, allowing them to access the Twilight River. It has a weight of 10, and can be carried by up to 20 Pikmin.

This cellphone has an image of two ferrets on its display. Despite its supposed lack of recent use, the interface on the phone claims that its current battery life is quite high, implying that it was either recently charged, or has been only recently turned back on after a long period of dormancy.

One can throw Pikmin at it when it is first found and have them dig it out without triggering the cutscene where the boss awakens. This is possible if the leaders are positioned just far away enough to not trigger the event, but still close enough for the Pikmin throw to reach. However, the Pikmin will never make any progress towards digging it out, forcing the player to face the boss. Alternatively, using a sequence break involving the Dodge Whistle, it is possible to observe this behavior regardless of proximity, by reaching the Meerslug's arena before rescuing Charlie from the Vehemoth Phosbat.

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  The Folded Data Glutton being scanned.

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  The Folded Data Glutton buried in the sand.

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  The Folded Data Glutton next to a deceased Sandbelching Meerslug.

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  Pikmin carrying the Folded Data Glutton.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	折れたパケシス? Oreta Pakeshisu
German	Klapparchiv	Folding archive
Italian	Archivio pieghevole	Folding archive

Gunk Busters

Gunk Busters
The Gunk Buster's icon.
Games	Pikmin 4
Function	Allows normal movement on sticky mold and shallow mud
How to obtain	Have gone through sticky mold or shallow mud, then buy for × 240

The Gunk Busters affect both the player character and Oatchi. They remove the moving speed debuff when walking on mud or sticky mold.

Headlamp

Headlamp
The Headlamp's icon.
Games	Pikmin 4
Function	Gives some light to dark caves
How to obtain	Have reached  × 2000, then buy for × 30

The Headlamp dramatically increases the amount of light given off by leaders in caves. The Sightless Passage and Below-Grade Discotheque are considered "dark" and will warn the player to not enter without a Headlamp, though this warning may be disregarded. Exploring either cave without a Headlamp will result in nothing at all being revealed on the radar map and the Go Here! function will be unavailable.

Some sublevels of other caves, such as sublevel 2 of The Mud Pit and sublevel 11 of Cavern for a King, have incredibly poor visibility without a Headlamp, and members of the Rescue Corps may even comment on the wisdom of having the Headlamp equipped. However, these sublevels are not subject to the same radar penalties.

Headlamp+

Headlamp+
The Headlamp+'s icon.
Games	Pikmin 4
Function	Increases the light in dark caves
How to obtain	Own Headlamp and have reached  × 5500, then buy for × 100

Homesick Signal

This article or section is in need of more images. Particularly: what it looks like in Olimar's Shipwreck Tale You can help Pikipedia by uploading some images.

Homesick Signal
The Homesick Signal's icon.
Games	Pikmin 4
Function	Calls all Pikmin not with a leader towards the base
How to obtain	Have reached  × 4500, then buy for × 80 Olimar's Shipwreck Tale: Retrieve 6 ship parts

The Homesick Signal summons all Pikmin that are not with a leader towards the current location of the base. Unlike the Idler's Alert, Pikmin will abandon their current task to respond to the signal. If the base moves, Pikmin in motion will not redirect to the new location.

Homesick Signal being bought in the Lab.

Idle Counter

Idle Counter
The Idle Counter's icon.
Games	Pikmin 4
Function	Shows an indicator of how many Pikmin are idling
How to obtain	Have reached  × 2500, then buy for × 40 Olimar's Shipwreck Tale: None

This adds an element to the HUD which shows how many Pikmin are idle at the current moment.

In Olimar's Shipwreck Tale, Olimar has the Idle Counter from the start, and it is listed as such by his tablet.

Idler's Alert

Idler's Alert
The Idler's Alert's icon.
Games	Pikmin 4
Function	Calls all idle Pikmin to wherever it was used
How to obtain	Have reached  × 3500, then buy for × 80 Olimar's Shipwreck Tale: Retrieve 10 ship parts

The Idler's Alert is a piece of gear which calls all idle Pikmin to the location it was used. It does not cure status effects from Pikmin, and does not affect Oatchi.

Lineup Trumpet

Lineup Trumpet
The Lineup Trumpet's icon.
Games	Pikmin 4
Function	Unlocks the ability to swarm
How to obtain	Complete all of Frisé's side missions Olimar's Shipwreck Tale: Retrieve 3 ship parts

See more: Swarm.

The Lineup Trumpet grants the player the ability to swarm.

Mega Tweeter

Mega Tweeter
The Amplified Amplifier.
Games	Pikmin 2
Function	Increases the whistle's range
How to obtain	Retrieve the Amplified Amplifier

The Mega Tweeter (メガ・スピーカー^?, lit.: "Mega Speaker") is obtained by defeating the Ranging Bloyster in the Shower Room, and collecting the Amplified Amplifier. This upgrade increases the range of the whistles of all leaders. The diameter of the visible circle projected on the ground increases to about 144% of its original size, thus more than doubling the area the whistle affects. This makes it easier to call scattered Pikmin to the leader's side.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	メガ・スピーカー? Mega Supīkā	Mega Speaker
French (NoA)	Haut-parleur d'aigus	High-pitched sound (producing) loudspeaker
French (NoE)	Méga Tweeter	Mega Tweeter
German	Mega-Pleife
Italian	Megaspeaker	Mega Speaker
Spanish	Megabocina	Mega-horn

Metal Suit Z

Metal Suit Z
The Metal Suit Z's capsule in Pikmin 3.
Games	Pikmin 2,  Pikmin 3
Function	Gives higher defense
How to obtain	:  Defeat the Pileated Snagret, retrieve the Justice Alloy :  Retrieve the capsule

The Metal Suit Z increases the integrity of the leaders' suits, reducing damage taken by half. In Pikmin 2, it is obtained by defeating the Pileated Snagret in the Snagret Hole, and collecting the Justice Alloy. In Pikmin 3, it can be found on a strip of path that connects the shore near the Mock Bottom and the place where Alph crash-landed, and must be reached by throwing leaders up either side. To note is that the Hermit Crawmad near the bridge could interfere with the carrier Pikmin.

This upgrade is useful for attempts in defeating a large Bulborb or Spotty Bulbear with leaders alone without coming to much harm. The Hocotate ship in Pikmin 2 claims that it will make enemy bites and being stepped on produce minimal pain. This is a gross simplification on its part, intended to avoid having to explain the intricacies in detail. In reality, all sources of pain will be reduced dramatically, not just those two, and enemies like Shearwigs and Wollywogs will still produce a significant amount of damage.

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  The Justice Alloy.

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  Close up of the Metal Suit Z in Pikmin 3.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	メタルスーツZ? Metarusūtsu Z	Metal Suit Z
Chinese (traditional)	金屬装Z	Metal Pack Z
Chinese (simplified)	金属装Z	Metal Pack Z
French (NoA)	Combinaison Z	Z Suit
French (NoE)	Combifer	Ironsuit	Portmanteau of "Combinaison" (suit) and "fer" (iron).
German	Metallanzug Z	Metal Suit z
Italian	Tuta metallo Z	Metal Suit z
Korean	강철복 Z gangcheolbog Z	Stel Suit Z
Spanish	Armadura Z	Armor Z

Napsack

Napsack
The Five-man Napsack.
Games	Pikmin 2
Function	Allows leaders to lie down
How to obtain	Defeat the Burrowing Snagret, retrieve the Five-Man Napsack

See more: Lie down.

The Napsack can be obtained by defeating the Burrowing Snagret in the White Flower Garden, and collecting the Five-Man Napsack. This upgrade provides a quick method of returning to the Pikmin Onions above ground or the Research Pod when underground, which is achieved by holding  / once it has been obtained. When used, the leader in control falls asleep, and any nearby Pikmin, up to a maximum of four, carry him to their associated Onion (or Research Pod), a minimum of just one being required. The Napsack can also be used to do many glitches. For example, you can use it to get the Blue Onion without discovering Yellow Pikmin.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	たんけんねぶくろ? Tanken Nebukuro	Expedition Sleeping Bag
French (NoA)	Sacdodo	Napsack
French (NoE)	Sac Zzzz	Zzzz sack
German	Schlafsack	Sleep Bag
Italian	Sacconanna	Sleepy Time Bag
Spanish	Saco de dormir	Sleeping bag

Pluckaphone

Pluckaphone
The Professional Noisemaker.
Games	Pikmin 2
Function	Allows whistle to pluck Pikmin
How to obtain	Defeat the Waterwraith, retrieve the Professional Noisemaker

The Pluckaphone is obtained by defeating the Waterwraith in the Submerged Castle and collecting the Professional Noisemaker. It is an upgrade that allows the leaders' whistles to call buried Pikmin out from the ground, saving precious time that would otherwise be spent plucking them out. As well as picking newly produced Pikmin at the Onions, this is useful for calling out Pikmin that were planted by a Mamuta or a Swooping Snitchbug, as well as transformed by Candypop Buds.

In the first trailer for Pikmin, Olimar is seen calling Pikmin from the ground, so the Pluckaphone may be an implementation of a prerelease element from the first Pikmin game. The Pluckaphone was originally going to be called "Pluck Megaphone", judging from the early English script left inside the final version of Pikmin 2.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ひきぬきメガホン? Hikinuki Megahon
French	Déterraphone	Pluckaphone
German	Pflückerfon	Pluckaphone
Italian	Sradicofono	Pluckaphone
Spanish (NoA)	Cosecháfono	Harvestphone

Plucking Whistle

Plucking Whistle
The Plucking Whistle's icon.
Games	Pikmin 4
Function	Allows whistle to pluck Pikmin
How to obtain	Have completed Russ's "An Ode to Science" side mission, then buy for × 240

The Plucking Whistle is Russ's final upgrade, available for purchase once all other gear is bought. It works identical to the Pluckaphone from Pikmin 2, uprooting Pikmin from the ground by using the whistle. This is particularly useful for several Dandori Challenge stages and Trial of the Sage Leaf floors, as some Pikmin can be called from a distance and save precious time.

Power Whistle

Power Whistle
The Power Whistle's icon.
Games	Pikmin 4
Function	Increases the whistle's range
How to obtain	Buy for × 120, further requirements unknown

Rocket Fist

Rocket Fist
The Brute Knuckles.
Games	Pikmin 2
Function	Gives leaders a punch combo
How to obtain	Defeat the Mamuta, retrieve the Brute Knuckles

See more: Punch.

The Rocket Fist can be obtained by defeating one of the Mamuta in the Frontier Cavern, and collecting the Brute Knuckles. It enables a new, stronger punching combo attack for use by the leaders, which makes defeating enemies with leaders alone much easier and more efficient. Without the upgrade, the  / button will produce a simple right punch. Once this treasure has been collected, pressing  / a second time will perform a left-hook, and a third time launches a devastating wind-up punch. Due to a glitch, punching while moving makes the attacks come out faster, which greatly boosts the Rocket Fist's effectiveness.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ロケットパンチ? Roketto Panchi	Rocket Punch
French	Poing Fusée	Rocket Fist
German	Raketenfaust	Rocket Fist
Italian	Pugno razzo	Rocket punch
Spanish	Puño volador	Flying fist

Rush Boots

Rush Boots
The Rush Boots' icon in Pikmin 4.
Games	Pikmin 2,  Pikmin 4
Function	Makes leaders run faster
How to obtain	:  Defeat the Empress Bulblax, retrieve the Repugnant Appendage :  Have reached  × 5100, buy for × 120 Olimar's Shipwreck Tale: Retrieve 8 ship parts

The Rush Boots can be obtained by defeating the Empress Bulblax in the Frontier Cavern, and collecting the Repugnant Appendage. It is a modification to the leaders' footwear that allows them to run more quickly, around 1.3 times faster, or at around the same speed as flowered White Pikmin. The Rush Boots also renders the blowing attack of Puffy and Withering Blowhogs ineffective against leaders (in Pikmin 2 only; this effect requires the Brace Boots in Pikmin 4). The ship explains both functions as the result of lowered air resistance. It can provide to be a minor hindrance however, as the Pikmin's speed is not increased alongside the leader's, so they fall behind, are harder to control and often get stuck when going around corners.

• 

  The Repugnant Appendage.

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  The Rush Boots in the Lab.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ダッシュブーツ? Dasshu Būtsu	Dash Boots
French (NoA)	Bottes grand V	Very fast boots
French (NoE)	Bottes Grand V	Very Fast Boots
German	Flinkstiefel	Fast Boots
Italian	Stivali lesti	Ready boots
Spanish	Velocibotas	Speed-boots

Scorch Guard

Scorch Guard
The Scorch Guard's icon in Pikmin 4.
Games	Pikmin 2,  Pikmin 3,  Pikmin 4
Function	Gives fire resistance
How to obtain	:  Defeat the Emperor Bulblax, retrieve the Forged Courage :  Retrieve the capsule :  Have had the player character or Oatchi take fire damage, buy for × 50

The Scorch Guard is an armor upgrade that makes all leaders' suits impervious to fire. In Pikmin 2, it is obtained by defeating the Emperor Bulblax in the Bulblax Kingdom, and collecting the Forged Courage. In Pikmin 3, it can be found buried on a ledge to the north of the strip of wood Pikmin and leaders hop to when the lily pad ride ends. The Burrowing Snagret and Desiccated Skitter Leaves could stop the Pikmin from carrying this piece back. Should the paper bag outside the Snagret's arena not be pushed down, the Pikmin may take a longer route to the Drake, which involves some Desiccated Skitter Leaves, an Arachnode, and a Flighty Joustmite.

With this upgrade, there is no need to worry about being hurt when destroying fire geysers, or fighting enemies such as the Fiery Blowhog or Fiery Bulblax. However, the Titan Dweevil's Flare Cannon will still be able to stun leaders, even if it does not harm them.

In Pikmin 4, both the Scorch Guard and the Pup Scorch Guard must be equipped in order to enter the Frozen Inferno, making them one of the few pieces of gear required to 100% explore the game.

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  The Forged Courage.

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  The Scorch Guard's capsule in Pikmin 3.

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  Location of the Scorch Guard.

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  Closeup of the Scorch Guard in Pikmin 3, after being dug out.

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  Blue Pikmin carry the Scorch Guard.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	フレア・ガード? Furea Gādo	Flare Guard
Chinese (traditional)	防火装	Fire Guard
Chinese (simplified)	防火装	Fire Guard
French	Para-brûlure	Burn counter
German	Flammschutz	Fire Protection
Italian	Parafuoco	Fire suit
Korean	방화복 banghwabog	Fire Suit
Spanish	Antillamas	Anti-flames

Pup Scorch Guard

Pup Scorch Guard
The Pup Scorch Guard's icon.
Games	Pikmin 4
Function	Gives fire resistance
How to obtain	Have had the player character or Oatchi take fire damage, buy for × 100

The Pup Scorch Guard is an upgrade that makes Oatchi immune to all fire hazards. It's only in Pikmin 4 and can be obtained from the lab for x 100 but only after the player character or Oatchi take fire damage. With this upgrade, Oatchi doesn't need to worry about being hurt whilst attacking Fire geysers or fiery enemies such as a Fiery Bulblax. The upgrade is also able to be toggled off and on.

In Pikmin 4, both the Scorch Guard and the Pup Scorch Guard must be equipped in order to enter the Frozen Inferno, making them one of the few pieces of gear required to 100% explore the game.

• 

  When the Pup Scorch Guard appears in the Lab

Pup Sniff Saver

Pup Sniff Saver
The Pup Sniff Saver's icon.
Games	Pikmin 4
Function	Grants poison immunity
How to obtain	Have had Oatchi take poison damage, buy for × 100

The Pup Sniff Saver makes Oatchi immune to poison hazards, allowing him to take out poison geysers and toxic mushrooms safely. As the player character is naturally immune to poison, there is no Rescue Gear equivalent.

Solar System

Solar System
The Stellar Orb.
Games	Pikmin 2
Function	Increases lighting
How to obtain	Defeat the Man-at-Legs, retrieve the Stellar Orb

The Solar System can be collected by defeating the Man-at-Legs in the Subterranean Complex, and collecting the Stellar Orb. It is a device that will illuminate any sort of darkness inside a cave's sublevels. This way, it is possible to see things that are very far away when underground. Although the name refers to a system that produces solar-like light, it is also a play on words on the system that planet Earth is located in.

When it is collected, the game gradually changes the cave's lighting to fit the new, brighter settings. This lasts around 3 seconds, and can be seen on the retrieved treasure analysis cutscene.

• 

  The final sublevel of the Subterranean Complex, before retrieving the Stellar Orb.

• 

  Same sublevel, after retrieving the Stellar Orb.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ソーラーシステム? Sōrā Shisutemu	Solar System
French (NoA)	Système solaire	Solar system
French (NoE)	Système Solaire	Solar System
German	Sonnensystem	Solar System
Italian	Sistema solare	Solar System
Spanish	Sistema solar	Solar system

Cavern of Chaos 10

Oddly, the upgrade has an opposite effect on sublevel 10 of the Cavern of Chaos: the sublevel will be darker if the Stellar Orb was retrieved. The reason for this is because this sublevel uses the lighting configuration file light.ini, which is both only used on this sublevel, and the only configuration file that is in the version 0000 format (besides any unused files and settings in the disc). All other sublevels use a file in the 0001 version. Version 0000 has no support for different lighting with and without the Solar System; it only has one set of data for lighting instead of two. When a lighting file on this version is loaded into the final game, the values that are there are used to light up the cave when the Solar System is present, and because there is no data for what lighting to use when the upgrade is missing, it uses some default values. These default values make the tenth sublevel of the Cavern of Chaos look lighter when the upgrade has not been collected yet.

• 

  Sublevel 10 of the Cavern of Chaos before collecting the Stellar Orb.

• 

  The same sublevel after collecting the Stellar Orb.

Sphere Chart

Sphere Chart
The Spherical Atlas.
Games	Pikmin 2
Function	Unlocks the Awakening Wood
How to obtain	Retrieve the Spherical Atlas

The Sphere Chart is the name given by the ship to the data found within the Spherical Atlas. By collecting the Spherical Atlas from the Emergence Cave, the ship is able to create charts of the Awakening Wood, allowing the player to explore that area.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	わくせいデータ? Wakusei Dēta	Planet Data
French (NoA)	Carte Sphérique (Ship's dialogs) Système solaire (pause menu)	Spherical map Solar system
French (NoE)	Pôle Nord	North Pole
German	Sphärenkarte	Sphere Map
Italian	Mapposfera	Sphere Map
Spanish	Carta esférica	Spherical map

Survey Chart

Survey Chart
The Geographic Projection.
Games	Pikmin 2
Function	Unlocks the Perplexing Pool
How to obtain	Retrieve the Geographic Projection

The Survey Chart is the name given by the ship to the data found within the Geographic Projection. By collecting the Geographical Projection from the Awakening Wood, the ship is able to create charts of the Perplexing Pool, allowing the player to explore that area.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	たんさデータ? Tansa Dēta	Search Data
French (NoA)	Carte topographique	Topographical map
French (NoE)	Pôle Sud	South Pole
German	Übersichtskarte	Overlook Map
Italian	Mappa rilievo	Overlook Map
Spanish	Mapa de cotas	Heightmap

Survey Drone

Survey Drone
The Survey Drone's icon.
Games	Pikmin 4
Function	Allows a birds-eye view of the area, and can place beacons over points of interest
How to obtain	Have reached  × 600, buy for × 10 Olimar's Shipwreck Tale: Retrieve 2 ship parts

The Survey Drone switches the player's perspective to a fully-controllable flying camera, allowing scoping out of the entire map and the placing of beacons. Areas revealed by the Survey Drone do not get revealed on the radar map; they must still be travelled to on foot. By default, time is paused while flying the drone, but it can be unpaused and re-paused freely.

The game does not prevent the Pebble Pitcher from being used while the Survey Drone is in operation when time is unpaused. This can allow the second player to do many (seemingly unintended) things, like attacking enemies when the first player is nowhere nearby, ultimately suffering no consequence.

Thermal Defense

Thermal Defense
The Thermal Defense's icon.
Games	Pikmin 4
Function	Grants ice immunity
How to obtain	Have had the player character or Oatchi freeze/take ice damage, buy for × 50

Pup Thermal Defense

Pup Thermal Defense
The Pup Thermal Defense's icon.
Games	Pikmin 4
Function	Grants ice immunity
How to obtain	Have had the player character or Oatchi freeze/take ice damage, buy for × 100

Treasure Gauge

Treasure Gauge
The Treasure Gauge's icon in Pikmin 4.
Games	Pikmin 2,  Pikmin 4
Function	Shows a treasure and castaway proximity indicator
How to obtain	:  Defeat the Empress Bulblax, retrieve the Prototype Detector :  Have reached  × 1000, buy for × 40

See more: HUD.

The Treasure Gauge is a device found in Pikmin 2 and Pikmin 4 that helps with tracking down every treasure in the game, no matter if is out in the open, an enemy has it or it is buried. It detects castaways, including conscious or unconscious leaflings, in the same manner in Pikmin 4. In Pikmin 2, it is obtained by collecting the Prototype Detector from the Empress Bulblax in the Hole of Beasts. When it is in the Exploration Kit, a gauge appears on the HUD. In the device's Pikmin 2 iteration, there is a needle that wiggles continuously when a treasure is in the current field or cave, and the closer the current leader is to a treasure, the farther to the right it goes, and the harder it beeps. In Pikmin 4, the needle is replaced by a row of lights that light up, starting from the left, as the leader approaches whatever the device has detected. If there are no treasures or castaways in a given area or sublevel, a chime will sound shortly after collecting the last relevant item. In Pikmin 2, the needle goes to the left edge while the gauge grays out; in Pikmin 4, the entire display goes black. It can be interfered with by the Antenna Beetle, Gildemandwee, and Gildemander, the only Exploration Kit upgrade to be specifically targeted in gameplay.

In Olimar's Shipwreck Tale in Pikmin 4, the reward for recovering 12 ship parts is a device called the Parts Detector. It shares its icon with the Treasure Gauge and works exactly the same as the Treasure Gauge+ except it detects Olimar's lost ship parts instead of treasure.

• 

  The Prototype Detector.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	おたからセンサー? Otakara Sensā	Treasure Sensor
French (NoA)	Jauge à trésors	Treasure gauge
French (NoE)	Senseur	Sensor
German	Schatzanzeiger	Treasure Seeker
Italian	Tesorometro	Treasure meter
Spanish	Tesorímetro	Treasure meter

Treasure Gauge+

Treasure Gauge+
The Treasure Gauge+'s icon.
Games	Pikmin 4
Function	Shows the total amount and location of treasures
How to obtain	Buy for × 100, further requirements unknown

To do: Buried treasures? Treasures eaten by enemies? Treasures in unexplored areas? Care to do so?

The Treasure Gauge+ is an upgraded version of the Treasure Gauge, and improves the radar's capacity to detect treasure in an area other than being directly observed. This upgrade is also necessary for area and cave totals to display the total number of available treasures ahead of time.

Triple Threat

Triple Threat
The Triple Threat's icon.
Games	Pikmin 4
Function	Gives leaders a punch combo
How to obtain	Have reached  × 8500, then buy for × 40 Olimar's Shipwreck Tale: Retrieve 20 ship parts

Tuff Stuff

Tuff Stuff
The Tuff Stuff's icon.
Games	Pikmin 4
Function	Adds approximately 33% more health to the Leader
How to obtain	Have reached  × 3200, buy for × 40

Pup Tuff Stuff

Pup Tuff Stuff
The Pup Tuff Stuff's icon.
Games	Pikmin 4
Function	Adds approximately 33% more health to Oatchi
How to obtain	Have reached  × 3200, buy for × 80

Tuff Stuff+

Tuff Stuff+
The Tuff Stuff+'s icon.
Games	Pikmin 4
Function	Adds approximately 66% more health to the Leader
How to obtain	Have reached  × 6000, then buy for × 80 Olimar's Shipwreck Tale: Retrieve 16 ship parts

Pup Tuff Stuff+

Pup Tuff Stuff+
The Pup Tuff Stuff+'s icon.
Games	Pikmin 4
Function	Adds approximately 66% more health to Oatchi
How to obtain	Have reached  × 6000 then buy for × 120 Olimar's Shipwreck Tale: Have met Moss, retrieve 14 ship parts

Tuff Stuff++

Tuff Stuff++
The Tuff Stuff++'s icon.
Games	Pikmin 4
Function	Approximately doubles health for the Leader
How to obtain	Buy for × 120, further requirements unknown

Pup Tuff Stuff++

Pup Tuff Stuff++
The Pup Tuff Stuff++'s icon.
Games	Pikmin 4
Function	Approximately doubles health for Oatchi
How to obtain	Buy for × 240, further requirements unknown

Hey! Pikmin upgrades

In Hey! Pikmin, upgrades are provided by the S.S. Dolphin II, after the player collects certain amounts of Sparklium. These become unlocked at the specified levels of Sparklium, and don't decrease the Sparklium count when doing so.

Feature	Sparklium	Description
Radar	2,000	Allows the player to toggle the radar on the top screen with  / .
4 health bars	6,000	Gives Captain Olimar an extra bar of health.
Enemy logs	10,000	Allows access to the enemy category in the logs.
Extended jetpack duration	14,000	Allows the jetpack to fly for longer.
5 health bars	18,000	Gives Captain Olimar an extra bar of health.
Maximum jetpack duration	22,000	Allows the jetpack to fly for longer.
6 health bars	26,000	Gives Captain Olimar an extra bar of health.

In Pikmin

While Pikmin does not have an upgrade system, some ship parts change the appearance of the S.S. Dolphin, and one ship part, the Whimsical Radar, does provide a change to gameplay by unlocking the radar.

Badges

In Pikmin 3 Deluxe, there are two badges the player can gain from collecting upgrades:

• Evasive Action: Acquire the Dodge Whistle.
• Strong on the Inside: Acquire the Metal Suit Z, Anti-Electrifier, or Scorch Guard.

• 

  Evasive Action. The badge shows the Dodge Whistle emerging from its capsule.

• 

  Strong on the Inside. The badge shows a space suit emerging from a capsule, with symbols representing each of the three suit upgrades.

Gallery

• 

  A different angle of Olimar using the Rocket Fist.

• 

  The Pluckaphone being used.

• 

  The Napsack being used.

• 

  Alph encounters the Dodge Whistle.

• 

  The Metal Suit Z is encountered by Charlie.

• 

  Brittany finds the Anti-Electrifier.

• 

  Brittany finds the Scorch Guard.

• 

  The Dodge Whistle once returned to the Drake.

• 

  The Metal Suit Z once returned to the Drake.

• 

  The Anti-Electrifier once returned to the Drake.

• 

  The Scorch Guard once returned to the Drake.

• 

  Location of the Dodge Whistle.

• 

  Location of the Metal Suit Z. In this case, it is on a ledge next to Charlie.

• 

  Location of the Anti-Electrifier.

• 

  Location of the Scorch Guard. In this case, it is on the ledge right next to Alph.

• 

  The data file for the Dodge Whistle.

• 

  The data file that corresponds with the Metal Suit Z.

• 

  The data file that explains the Anti-Electrifier.

• 

  The data file for the Scorch Guard.

Trivia

• In the North American version of the New Play Control! game, with the language set to French, the Sphere Chart is called "Carte Sphérique" (Spherical Map) in the Ship's dialogs and "Système Solaire" (Solar System) in the pause menu. Since another upgrade is also called "Système Solaire" (the Solar System), this is likely a mistake.
• If Oatchi is fed 5 Scrummy Bones, he gets extra health equivalent to a full health bar with Tuff Stuff equipped.
• The Idler's Alert and the Homesick Signal change color based on what color the player's suit is. The Idler's Alert is always red for Olimar, while the Homesick Signal looks compleatly different.

See also

• Pack
• Treasure
• Fruit
• Go Here!