The electrode is a type of obstacle and tool that appears in Pikmin 2, Pikmin 3, Pikmin 4 and Hey! Pikmin. The general concept of the electrode is that it is an object or pair of objects that conducts electricity.
In Pikmin 2 and Pikmin 4, the electrode is a hazard that functions in a similar manner to the fire geyser, occasionally discharging electricity meant to harm Pikmin. They are meant to be destroyed in order for other Pikmin types to navigate caves without risk. In Pikmin 3, the electrode is used as a took where leaders are meant to throw Yellow Pikmin at one of two exposed wires. The first Pikmin thrown will grab one of the ends and stretch its other arm out. Any Pikmin that are thrown next will either join hands with the Pikmin next to them, or grab the other end of the electrode, and once the final Pikmin is added, it will close the gap and jump-start the electrical current, starting the circuit and turning on the light bulb in the process. At this point, the Pikmin no longer need to feed the circuit with their bodies, as the gap between the two ends gets filled with an arc of electricity flowing through the air. This arc is an electrical hazard, though it causes no damage to leaders or Pikmin, besides knocking them back. The wire ends prior to the connection do not cause any sort of damage. The Pikmin that jump-started the circuit will also be flowered up when the current passes through them. In Hey! Pikmin, the light bulb rose functions very similarly to the electrode in Pikmin 3.
In Pikmin 2, the electrode is used as an electrical hazard, with a pair of two nodes protruding from the ground with wires sticking out of them. At regular intervals it will start to spark before an arc of electricity is discharged between the two nodes. After a short amount of time passes, the discharge will stop, before repeating the process. It is possible to damage it using any Pikmin type when it is not actively discharging electricity, but only Yellow Pikmin, Bulbmin, and leaders can damage it once it is active.
In Pikmin 3, the electrode is used as a tool to light up the area area around it, which can, in turn, cause a number of things to happen: light activates the Yellow Onion, makes Bloominous Stemples bloom, and temporarily stuns the Vehemoth Phosbat. The electrode often takes the form of a simple electric circuit, consisting of a battery and a light bulb, connected by two pieces of wire. One of the wires is cut, leaving a gap in the circuit. In the Vehemoth Phosbat's arena, a large battery connected to a light bulb can also be found, and acts the same as the standard electrode, with the main difference being that the circuit is opened between the two battery posts.
In Pikmin 4, the electrode appears as an electrical hazard, with a single base with three prongs to discharge electricity. The discharge is emitted around the electrode in a wide radius in a similar manner to the fire geyser, stunning and eventually killing any Pikmin who aren't immune to the electricity. Like in Pikmin 2 any Pikmin type can damage an electrode when its inactive, but only Yellow Pikmin, Glow Pikmin, the player, and Oatchi with the Anti-Electrifier can damage it when it is active.
In Hey! Pikmin, light bulb roses are actually parts of a thorny plant with occasional magenta flowers, said flowers emitting light when the line is closed, and only needs about 4 Yellow Pikmin to complete the connection. The flowers will automatically bloom if the Pikmin are conducting, but as soon as they detach, the flower will shrink again. As with most light emitting objects, these can cause Bloominous Stemples to bloom.
Locations
Pikmin 2
- Valley of Repose (does not appear above ground)
- Frontier Cavern
- Sublevel 3: × 2
- Sublevel 4: × 2
- Frontier Cavern
- Awakening Wood (does not appear above ground)
- Bulblax Kingdom
- Sublevel 4: × 2
- Snagret Hole
- Sublevel 4: × 3
- Bulblax Kingdom
- Perplexing Pool (does not appear above ground)
- Glutton's Kitchen
- Sublevel 3: × 5
- Sublevel 6: × 5
- Shower Room
- Sublevel 1: × 3
- Submerged Castle
- Sublevel 3: × 5
- Glutton's Kitchen
- Wistful Wild (does not appear above ground)
- Cavern of Chaos
- Sublevel 6: × 2
- Dream Den
- Sublevel 3: × 4
- Sublevel 8: × 5
- Sublevel 11: × 2
- Cavern of Chaos
- Challenge Mode
- Hot House
- Sublevel 2: × 4
- Breeding Ground
- Sublevel 3: × 6
- Hot House
Pikmin 3
- An electrode requiring 5 Pikmin is found near the Yellow Onion. It is required to awaken it.
- An electrode requiring 10 Pikmin is found in the Spotty Bulbear cave. It expands the Bloominous Stemples such that the Citrus Lump in the room is able to be collected.
- An electrode requiring 10 Pikmin is found in the room where Charlie is initially attacked by the Vehemoth Phosbat. It expands the Bloominous Stemples such that Alph and Brittany are able to give chase, and confront the Vehemoth Phosbat. Notably, Yellow Pikmin that complete this electrode at the leaf stage of maturity will not be flowered up, either due to a glitch when the cutscene is played or possibly intended by developers to encourage using the nearby Phosbat Pod for nectar.
- Four electrodes requiring 10 Pikmin are found in the Vehemoth Phosbat arena. Each is able to stun the Vehemoth Phosbat, allowing the player to attack it. They continue to work when the room is light.
- An electrode requiring 20 Pikmin is also found in the Vehemoth Phosbat arena. When connected, the entire Phosbat arena is lit up, making it impossible for Phosbats to spawn, and making the Vehemoth Phosbat nigh helpless. Instead of two loose wire ends, these are actually two posts of a battery.
- An electrode requiring 20 Pikmin is found in the cave with the Juicy Gaggles. It expands the Bloominous Stemples such that the pile of 30 light blue fragments can be reached, allowing the bridge leading to the Winged Onion to be accessed.
- Three electrodes requiring 10 Pikmin are found in the second room. Each expand the Bloominous Stemples to create paths to escape the room. The first and third are required to reach the exit, while the second merely grants access to the third.
- An already completed electrode serves as a barrier to a bunch of Dusk Pustules in the Collect treasure! version of the stage, preventing non-Yellows from taking its pieces back to base.
Pikmin 4
- Serene Shores (does not appear above ground)
- Engulfed Castle
- Sublevel 3 × 6
- Engulfed Castle
Hey! Pikmin
Technical information
| Pikmin 2 technical information (?) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Internal name | elechiba
| ||
| Global properties (List) | |||
| ID | Japanese comment | Property | Value |
| s000 | friction(not used) | Friction | 0.5 |
| s001 | wallReflection | Unknown (wall bounce speed multiplier?) | 0.5 |
| s002 | faceDirAdjust | Unknown | 0.25 |
| s003 | accel | Acceleration | 0.1 |
| s004 | bounceFactor | Unknown (bounce when it hits the ground?) | 0.3 |
| fp00 | ライフ | HP | 150 |
| fp01 | マップとの当り | Unknown (related to slopes) | 10 |
| fp02 | ダメージスケールXZ | Horizontal damage scale | 0.5 |
| fp03 | ダメージスケールY | Vertical damage scale | 0.7 |
| fp04 | ダメージフレーム | Damage scale duration | 0.3 |
| fp05 | 質量 | Unknown (weight?) | 1 |
| fp06 | 速度 | Move speed | 0 |
| fp08 | 回転速度率 | Rotation acceleration | 0 |
| fp09 | テリトリー | Territory radius | 1 |
| fp10 | ホーム範囲 | "Home" radius | 1 |
| fp11 | プライベート距離 | "Private" radius | 0 |
| fp12 | 視界距離 | Sight radius | 0 |
| fp13 | 視界角度 | FOV | 0 |
| fp14 | 探索距離 | Unknown (exploration radius?) | 200 |
| fp15 | 探索角度 | Unknown (exploration angle?) | 0 |
| fp16 | 振り払い率 | Successful shake rate | 0 |
| fp17 | 振り払い力 | Shake knockback | 0 |
| fp18 | 振り払いダメージ | Shake damage | 0 |
| fp19 | 振り払い範囲 | Shake range | 0 |
| fp20 | 攻撃可能範囲 | Unknown (shock attack max range?) | 10 |
| fp21 | 攻撃可能角度 | Unknown (shock attack max angle?) | 5 |
| fp22 | 攻撃ヒット範囲 | Unknown (attack hit range?) | 10 |
| fp23 | 攻撃ヒット角度 | Unknown (attack hit angle?) | 15 |
| fp24 | 攻撃力 | Attack damage | 10 |
| fp25 | 視界高 | Unknown (height visibility?) | 0 |
| fp26 | 探索高 | Unknown (exploration height?) | 0 |
| fp27 | ライフの高さ | HP wheel height | 50 |
| fp28 | 回転最大速度 | Rotation speed | 0 |
| fp29 | 警戒時間 | Unknown (warning time?) | 0 |
| fp30 | 警戒ライフ | Unknown | 0 |
| fp31 | ライフ回復率 | Regeneration rate | 0.0065 |
| fp32 | LOD半径 | Off-camera radius | 30 |
| fp33 | マップとのあたりポリゴンの選定 | Collision processing radius | 15 |
| fp34 | ピクミンとのあたり | Pikmin damage radius | 10 |
| fp35 | 石化時間 | Petrification duration | 1 |
| fp36 | ヒップドロップダメージ | Purple Pikmin drop damage | 50 |
| fp37 | 地震気絶確立 | Purple Pikmin stun chance | 0 (0%) |
| fp38 | 地震気絶時間 | Purple Pikmin stun time | 5 |
| ip01 | 振り払い打撃Ａ | Shake mode 1 – hit count | 0 |
| ip02 | 振り払い張付１ | Shake mode 1 – Pikmin requirement | 0 |
| ip03 | 振り払い打撃Ｂ | Shake mode 2 – hit count | 0 |
| ip04 | 振り払い張付２ | Shake mode 2 – Pikmin requirement | 0 |
| ip05 | 振り払い打撃Ｃ | Shake mode 3 – hit count | 0 |
| ip06 | 振り払い張付３ | Shake mode 3 – Pikmin requirement | 0 |
| ip07 | 振り払い打撃Ｄ | Shake mode 4 – hit count | 0 |
| Specific properties | |||
| ID | Japanese comment | Property | Value |
| fp02 | ウェイト時間 | Idle duration | 1.5 |
| fp03 | 予兆時間 | Sparking duration | 1.5 |
| fp01 | 放電時間 | Electric current duration | 2.5 |
| fp04 | 停止時間 | Unknown (stop duration?) | 30 |
Gallery
Pikmin 2
A pair of electrodes in Pikmin 2.
A deactivated pair of electrodes in the Shower Room.
A pair of electrodes being deactivated by a Yellow Pikmin.
An inactive pair of electrodes.
A pair of electrodes starting to emit electricity.
A pair of active electrodes.
Pikmin 3
The data file explaining electrodes.
The curved electrode in the Twilight River.
An electrode that hasn't been completed.
Yellow Pikmin attempting to complete an electrode.
Pikmin 4
An inactive electrode in the Engulfed Castle.
An electrode in Pikmin 4 starting to discharge electricity.
An electrode actively discharging electricity.
A deactivated electrode.
Artwork of a Yellow Pikmin standing within the discharge of an electrode.
Hey! Pikmin
A light bulb rose in Hey! Pikmin.
Trivia
- Each of the conducting nodes of electrodes are programmed to snap to the ground, and the electrical arc between two wires will change angle accordingly so that the discharge still connects both nodes in a straight line. However, this feature of electrodes is nearly impossible to see in normal gameplay because in almost all of the spots that electrodes can spawn at in-game are flat. It is possible, though extremely rare, for an electrode to spawn on the curved stump in sublevel 11 of the Dream Den, showing off this otherwise-unused feature.
- Although Pikmin 4 does not feature conducting electricity as a mechanic, one of the game's trailers features a Yellow Pikmin conducting electricity to turn on the lights of a Christmas tree.[1]
- Despite going unnamed in-game, the electrode in Pikmin 4 is named in an unused localization file in all supported languages.
Names in other languages
Pikmin 2
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
 Japanese |
電極? Denkyoku |
Electrode |
Pikmin 3
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese |
電極? Denkyoku |
Electrode | |
 French |
Électrode | ||
 German |
Elektroden | ||
 Italian |
Elettrodo | ||
 Spanish |
Electrodo |
Pikmin 4
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese |
電極? Denkyoku |
Electrode | |
 Chinese(traditional) |
電極 | ||
 Chinese(simplified) |
电极 | ||
 Dutch |
Elektrode | ||
| French |
électrode | ||
| German |
Feuer-Geysir | ||
| Italian |
Elettrodo | ||
 Korean |
전극 | ||
 Portuguese |
gêiser elétrico | ||
| Spanish |
electrodo |
Hey! Pikmin
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese |
デンキュウバラ? Denkyū bara |
Light bulb rose |
See also
References
- ^ YouTube video of the "Have a Very Pikmin Holiday on Nintendo Switch!" trailer, published on November 21st, 2023, retrieved on February 17th, 2023
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