2-Player mode is a feature of the Pikmin series, introduced in Pikmin 2. It involves, as the name implies, two players, who control Captain Olimar and Louie, in control of up to 50 of each Red Pikmin and Blue Pikmin respectively. Each player can start the match with a multiple of 5 Pikmin between 5 and 50, and cannot exceed 50 total Pikmin on the battlefield at any time. 2-Player mode takes place in underground areas, their layouts randomly generated. Each player has an appropriate Onion, near which a similarly-colored marble lies at the start of the game. There are four ways to win and ten differently-themed areas to play on, ranging in difficulty. Returning a cherry to an Onion will allow a spin of the roulette wheel. To make things even, Red Pikmin have lost their extra strength. However, both colors are still immune to their respective elements.
Ultra-bitter sprays, when used against the opponent's Pikmin, will burrow them, and revert them to leaf state. However, they'll pop out of the ground automatically after some time.
Ways to win
- Taking 4 yellow marbles to the Onion
- Taking the opponent's marble to the Onion
- The opponent suffers a Pikmin Extinction
- The opponent's captain is down
Captain reactions
The Captains' faces on the main 2-player Battle screen change depending on the current score leader. If the leader is 1 point ahead, the leader's captain will smile, and the other's will frown. If the leader is 3 points ahead, the leader's captain will grin, and the other's will be very angry. If the scores are the same for both players, both captains will have a neutral expression.
Maps
Every level has the same music.
Roulette Wheel
The Roulette Wheel can be accessed when a player finds a cherry and a Pikmin successfully returns it to the Onion (cherries in this mode spawn randomly, and only one Pikmin is needed to carry it). When the roulette finishes spinning (automatically), it'll randomly land on a power, which the player can use at any moment by pressing the Y button. One can have up to 5 powers at a time.
The player will have access to 12 different powers that benefit the player, disadvantage the opponent or both, listed below:
- Ultra-Spicy Spray: grants one dose of Ultra-Spicy Spray.
- Ultra-Bitter Spray: grants one dose of Ultra-Bitter Spray.
- Volatile Dweevil: drops a Volatile Dweevil near the opponent.
- Fiery/Watery Blowhog: makes a Blowhog appear near the opponent's Onion. If the opponent is Louie, a Fiery Blowhog will appear. If the opponent is Olimar, a Watery Blowhog appears instead.
- Withering Blowhog: makes a Withering Blowhog appear near the opponent's Onion.
- Swooping Snitchbug: makes a Swooping Snitchbug appear near the opponent's Onion.
- Marble: makes the player's marble, if above ground, bounce all the way back to the Onion, regardless of distance.
- Boulders: makes several boulders drop near the opponent.
- Flower: makes all of the player's Pikmin that are not planted in the ground bloom into flowers.
- +5 Sprouts: grants the player five Pikmin sprouts, if (s)he has less than 50.
- +10 Sprouts: just like the previous, but ten sprouts.
- Ghost: makes the player's captain and Pikmin become invisible to the opponent for a limited amount of time. The opponent can still see the dust from the player's footsteps and, if his/her Pikmin are affected by the Ultra-Spicy Spray, the glowing circles on their heads. Additionally, the opponent's Pikmin can still see everything.
Enemies created upon a spin of the Roulette Wheel disappear completely on defeat, meaning their bodies cannot be returned to either Onion, and only last for a short amount of time regardless of whether they are attacked.
Pikmin arithmetic
Enemies found underground in single player are also in 2-Player mode. Below is a list of how many sprouts each creature is worth:
- Snow Bulborb: 4 sprouts
- Dwarf Orange Bulborb: 4 sprouts
- Breadbug: 4 sprouts
- Anode Beetle: 5 sprouts
- Careening Dirigibug: 8 sprouts
- Wollywog: 8 sprouts
Advisories
When the level is loading, an advisory pops up on the bottom of the screen. These are the possible messages:
- "You can't carry your own marble."
- "Pikmin lost to opposing Pikmin will become seeds."
- "Roulette creatures vanish when you defeat them."
- "Use your sprays wisely to turn the tide of battle!"
- "You can't pluck, throw or spray while engaging enemy Pikmin."
- "Get a cherry for one roulette spin. You can store up to four." (The player can actually store 5 powers. There are 4 slots on top, but the current idling power also counts.)
Strategies
These are basic strategies. Mix and match to do even better!
Wasting opponent's sprays
Sprays are an essential part of battle mode, as they can turn the tides in a Pikmin vs. Pikmin situation easily. Using a small squad, attacking the enemy might get the other player to use sprays prematurely. This can be repeated with the rest of the Pikmin.
Collecting marbles
With a small squad, the player can run to the opponent's base and steal the marble, assuming the other player is not there with a larger squad. Should the other player come to defend the marble, running up to him/her with the rest of the Pikmin can distract the enemy Pikmin from getting to the marble that is being carried away. Creatures can also be led to the enemy base as means of distraction or to kill idle Pikmin.
For yellow marbles, if the other player is likely to stop marbles from being brought back, it is advisable to collect ones that are on opposite side of each other, as it will force the other player to decide between them.
Defense
Leave about 3-5 Pikmin at your marble to act as an alert system. When your numbers start to change, get back to base. They can also be left in crucial bottleneck passages.
Cherry siege
This one often requires a bit of luck as it relies almost entirely on random generation. The cherries that allow you to use a roulette spin will oftentimes drop steadily in the same area of the arena over time (usually in one of the alcoves.) Take note of where cherries seem to drop more during the match, then keep Pikmin in that area to quickly transport them back to the onion. You can actually hold up to five spins at a time. Use the spins strategically or all at once in hopes that you'll drop lots of enemies and obstacles to keep your opponent busy. Large-scale distractions like this can help you steal marbles without them noticing or even a Pikmin Extinction if your opponent is careless enough.
Blockade breaking
There is a way to counter blockades set up by the opposing player. If your opponent has chased you into a narrow passage, and he/she has some of their Pikmin somewhere in the passage, you can use Ultra Bitter Spray on the blockade, meaning you can get through the passage without hindrance from the opponent. If the opponent has multiple blockades, make sure to get more than two of the aforementioned spray.