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To do: This article has a lot of fuzzy numbers. Use exact times. |
The Pikmin games take place over the course of several days. Dangerous creatures roam at nighttime, so exploration on the Pikmin planet only happens during the daytime, from 7 AM to 7 PM.[1] In Pikmin, Captain Olimar has 30 days before his life-support systems fail and he's stranded on the planet permanently, and in the New Play Control! version, it's possible to go back and redo any day. In Pikmin 2 there is no day limit. In Pikmin 3 the number of days left is determined by how many bottles of juice are left. You can get more juice by collecting fruit.
The Sun Meter at the top of the HUD indicates the amount of daylight left, so effectively, the time the player has left on the current day. A number on the top right corner indicates the current day. In real life, a game day lasts around 13 to 16 minutes, varying slightly per game. In Pikmin's Challenge Mode though, every area has its own duration. As the day goes by, the lighting on the area changes much like it does on Earth, but enemy behavior and area layout remains constant all throughout. Any objects that are moved from their original spot will remain in the new spot on any following day.
When a smaller enemy is killed, it respawns in its original place on the very next day. This is not true for larger enemies like Red Bulborbs, which take more days to respawn. Some enemies only appear in certain days. Some of the most notable enemies with this characteristic are the Smoky Progg, which disappears after day 14, the Ujadani, that only appear every 30 days, and the Goolix and Mamuta on The Impact Site, that appear in alternating days. For a list of all enemies that appear in exclusive days, please read the list of enemies on the corresponding area article.
Sunset
When the sunset arrives, all leaders and Pikmin must stop what they're doing, retreat into the Onions and ship, and spend the night in space, due to the fact that many predators become active at night.
Phases
Countdown
Some minutes before the sun is down, the ship will warn that the player needs to gather his/her Pikmin. During this time, the music changes to a calmer remix. After some seconds (around 42 in Pikmin, around 32 in Pikmin 2) a countdown from 10 takes place. The time interval between two digits is around 3 seconds in both games, totaling for around 36 seconds in Pikmin, and around 30 seconds in Pikmin 2, until the countdown reaches 0. In Pikmin, after the counter reaches 4, the player is no longer able to interact with the S.S. Dolphin.
Gathering
When the countdown finishes, two cinematic sequences take place. The first shows the captain whistling and ordering every Pikmin to get on their Onions or ship. All Pikmin under the control of a captain and idle ones near the ship and Onions will climb safely into their respective Onion or ship. Any Pikmin that are buried will remain buried in the same spot, and can be plucked on another day. Every Pikmin that is near an onion away from the landing site will still climb to their onion, despite not being shown. After everyone is apparently gathered, the captain(s) climb on board of the ship. However, any Pikmin left behind are seen wandering towards the ship and Onions as they are leaving, being eaten by the main enemies that appear during the ships take off.
During this cinematic, a song plays that's a bit different in both games. In Pikmin, it's a bit slow, and has a part that repeats twice. The cutscene also takes a bit longer. In Pikmin 2, there are 4 songs that can play during this cinematic:
- If the player obtained no treasure, a simple and quiet remix of the main 'end of day' theme plays.
- If the player has obtained some funds, the regular song takes place.
- A third, more upbeat version of the song will play when the player has collected 50 or 90% of the debt.
- The final theme plays when both captains are down or a Pikmin Extinction occurs. It's a sad and lower-beat version of the main Sunset theme.
Lift off
The second cinematic shows the ship preparing for lift off, while wild creatures draw near. If any Pikmin were left behind, they'll be shown running towards the ship in an attempt to be saved. However, it is too late, and the wandering enemies will quickly dispose of them. The ship then takes off, and the stats for that day are shown. This is when the player may save the game, and read the Voyage Log or mail.
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Olimar's Final Smash is called End of Day. It shows Olimar jumping into his ship then rocketing off into space as night approaches. The stage below becomes infested with mature Bulborbs that deal heavy damage to foes; following this, the ship crashes and explodes, hurting all nearby enemies. Strangely, Pikmin will be left behind and survive the predators.
Trophy description
Olimar's Final Smash. Dusk falls, and his spaceship makes a landing. Olimar takes the Onion, with all his Pikmin aboard, and blasts off for the stars. In Pikmin, native life-forms grew active and violent at night, making it lethal to remain on the surface—this is why Olimar would take his Onions and leave at night. This technique breaks the framework of the game.
Low day challenges
Some players challenge themselves to complete a Pikmin game in the lowest possible number of days. This requires advanced techniques and intense work. Currently, the minimum number of days a game can be completed on is as follows. Note that these "low day runs" are bound to change in the future, as new tricks and strategies are developed.
- Pikmin: 6-day run
- Pikmin 2: 7-day run to obtain all treasures, 3-day run to repay the debt
- Pikmin 3: 10-day run to obtain all fruits, 7-day run to reach the credits
Animations
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To do: Make a Pikmin 3 one. |
The following animations demonstrate the daylight as a day goes by.
Pikmin
Pikmin 2
Trivia
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 Portuguese (NoE) |
Dia | Day | Translation taken from the Pikmin instruction manual. |