To do: Document every version of every game (GameCube and, Pikmin 3 and Deluxe) regarding throwing a Pikmin of the same type as the Candypop Bud, and how it counts for the limit.
Care to do so?

Candypop Bud
The three different Candypop Buds from Pikmin.
Artwork of the three primary Candypop Buds.
Appears in PikminPikmin 2Pikmin 3Pikmin 4
Scientific name Flora expellus
Family Candypop
Areas The Forest Navel, The Distant Spring, The Final Trial, Tropical Wilds, Distant Tundra, Formidable Oak
Caves See #Locations
Challenge Mode levels Novice Training, Hot House, Concrete Maze, The Giant's Bath, Breeding Ground, Emperor's Realm
Collect treasure! levels Thirsty Desert, Tropical Forest Remix, Thirsty Desert Remix, Beastly Caverns, Clockwork Chasm
Battle enemies! levels Twilight River Remix, Formidable Oak Remix, Beastly Caverns
Side Story levels Team Monster Hunt, Another Part Found, The Ship Restored
Dandori Challenge levels Ice-Cross Course, Hefty Haulway, Aerial Incinerator, Toggle Training, Oasis of Order, Trial of the Sage Leaf
2-Player Battle levels None
Bingo Battle levels Blooming Terrace
Dandori Battle levels None

Candypop Buds (ポンガシグサ?, lit.: "Puffed Grain Weed") are large flowers with fleshy petals and are found in all mainline Pikmin games. When Pikmin are tossed into these gigantic blossoms, they spit out new Pikmin seeds which match the color of the flower's petals. These new Pikmin are born in the leaf stage. The Candypop Buds expel the seeds after five Pikmin are thrown in, or a few seconds after the first throw; the exception being the Queen Candypop Bud, which does so after the first Pikmin is thrown.

In Pikmin, Candypops can transition up to 10 Pikmin in one load, and will wither after 5 loads, allowing for anywhere between 5 and 50 Pikmin transitions. This was changed to a fixed 5 Pikmin transitions before withering in second and fourth games, and in most cases in the third game: Lapis Lazuli Candypop Buds found in the Twilight River Remix can transform up to 10 Pikmin. In Pikmin 2, Pikmin 3, and Pikmin 4, using Pikmin of the same type as the flower does not count against this limit, although they will still be reverted to leaf Pikmin and planted in the ground. In Pikmin, Yellow Pikmin holding bomb-rocks will not be taken in by Candypop Buds, merely sliding off the top; the same will happen to thrown leaders in Pikmin 3. However, in Pikmin 3, if a Pikmin holding a bomb rock is thrown in a Candypop Bud, it will spring its petals upwards before wilting away, killing the Pikmin with it without leaving a soul behind. In Pikmin 4, if someone (including Dalmo[1]) throws a bomb rock or other weapon such as an Ice Blast into a Candypop Bud, the bud will harmlessly spit it back out. The item can then be collected again.

In Pikmin 2, Candypop Buds are never found above ground and only appear in caves, where they will respawn when the cave is reentered. In some caves, Violet Candypop Buds and Ivory Candypop Buds will only appear if the player has less than a certain number of Pikmin. To unlock a Candypop Bud's entry in the Piklopedia in Pikmin 2, the player must throw at least one Pikmin inside and wait for a seed to be spat out.

In Pikmin 3 and Pikmin 4, they have a different appearance, consisting of a large bucket-like cup in the middle of the flower, most likely as a "target" for leaders to aim Pikmin at. They also behave slightly differently, as they are always closed, opening only when a leader is nearby, and when they wither, their roots remain in place. Also, if two players throw Pikmin in a Candypop Bud at the same moment in Bingo Battle, the Candypop Bud will spit out seeds for both teams, depending on the number of Pikmin that were thrown in by each of them.

TypesEdit

In Pikmin 2, different types of Candypop Bud are considered different species. The types in this game are the Crimson Candypop Bud, Golden Candypop Bud, Lapis Lazuli Candypop Bud, Violet Candypop Bud, Ivory Candypop Bud, and Queen Candypop Bud. However, in Pikmin, Pikmin 3, and Pikmin 4, all types of Candypop Bud are considered the same species.

LocationsEdit

PikminEdit

Red
Yellow
Blue

Pikmin 2Edit

Pikmin 2 Candypop Bud locations are documented on the articles about each type – Crimson Candypop Bud, Golden Candypop Bud, Lapis Lazuli Candypop Bud, Violet Candypop Bud, Ivory Candypop Bud, and Queen Candypop Bud.

Pikmin 3Edit

Red

Story Mode:

Mission Mode:

Rock

Story Mode:

Mission Mode:

Side Stories:

Yellow

Story Mode:

Side Stories:

Winged

Story Mode:

  • Formidable Oak: One near the second electrode, and one at the end of the cave.

Mission Mode:

Side Stories:

Blue

Story Mode:

Mission Mode:

  • Beastly Caverns (Collect Treasure!): Two inside a cave, near the entrance.
  • Twilight River Remix: Two on the north side, across the river. These ones can produce 10 Pikmin instead of 5.
  • Beastly Caverns (Battle Enemies!): Two outside the cave, in the center.
Purple

Mission Mode:

Bingo Battle:

White

Mission Mode:

Pikmin 4Edit

The following article or section is in need of assistance from someone who plays Pikmin 4.
Particularly: Finish documenting Candypop Bud locations, including in Dandori stages. Note that some are conditional based on what Pikmin you bring into the cave.

Red

Caves:

  • Crackling Cauldron sublevel 2: One in the room with the castaway, if you have 5 Red Pikmin or less.
  • Aquiferous Summit sublevel 2: One in the sandy room, near the iron bars, if you have 5 Red Pikmin or less.
  • Kingdom of Beasts sublevel 1: One near the base, if you have 5 Red Pikmin or less.
  • Kingdom of Beasts sublevel 4: One in an alcove next to the base, if you have 5 Red Pikmin or less.
  • Below-Grade Discotheque sublevel 4: One on the narrow path underneath the other two Candypops, if you have 5 Red Pikmin or less.
Yellow

Caves:

  • Secluded Courtyard sublevel 3: One in an alcove behind the base, if you have 5 Yellow Pikmin or less.
  • Below-Grade Discotheque sublevel 4: One on the same platform as the Winged Candypop Bud, if you have 5 Yellow Pikmin or less.
Blue

Caves:

  • Seafloor Resort sublevel 4: One to the left of the base, and one to the right on an island, if you have 40 Blue Pikmin or less.
  • Cavern for a King sublevel 9: One in an alcove next to the base, and one in an alcove opposite the base behind the Man-at-Legs, if you have 50 Blue Pikmin or less.
  • Cavern for a King sublevel 11: One in an alcove next to the base, if you have 50 Blue Pikmin or less.
  • Cavern for a King sublevel 15: One on a platform south of the water puddle, and one near the west entrance to the mud puddle, if you have 50 Blue Pikmin or less.
Ice

Caves:

  • Aquiferous Summit sublevel 1: One near the base, if you have 10 Ice Pikmin or less.
  • Drafty Gallery sublevel 2: One behind a dirt wall opposite a pile of Gold Nuggets, if you have 50 Ice Pikmin or less.
  • Seafloor Resort sublevel 4: Two appear in place of the Blue Candypop Buds if you have more than 40 Blue Pikmin, but 50 Ice Pikmin or less.
  • Subzero Sauna sublevel 1: One appears in the room just beyond the ice gate, if you have 5 Ice Pikmin or less. A second appears in the same room, replacing the White Candypop Bud, if you have 50 White Pikmin.
  • Subzero Sauna sublevel 2: One in the room with the Arctic Cannon Larva, if you have 10 Ice Pikmin or less. Another replaces the White Candypop Bud, if you have 50 White Pikmin.
  • Frozen Inferno sublevel 2: One behind the Chillyhop and the fallen-over jar.
  • Frozen Inferno sublevel 3: One near the Zest Bomb.
  • Cavern for a King sublevel 6: One near the hole to the next sublevel and one on a high island accessed by a floating platform, if you have 50 Ice Pikmin or less.

Dandori Challenges:

Rock

Caves:

  • Kingdom of Beasts sublevel 4: One in an alcove near the exit. Only appears if you have 5 Rock Pikmin or less.
  • Kingdom of Beasts sublevel 5: One near the base. Only appears if you have 5 Rock Pikmin or less.
Winged

Caves:

  • Below-Grade Discotheque sublevel 3: One on a high platform. To reach it, ride the first fan up, walk onto the pushed-over box, jump onto the closest Bouncy Mushroom, and the next fan will take you there. Appears if you have 50 Winged Pikmin or less.
  • Below-Grade Discotheque sublevel 4: One on a high platform accessed by a geyser.

Dandori Challenges:

Purple

Caves:

  • Engulfed Castle sublevel 5: Two in the landing room, if you have 50 Purple Pikmin or less.
  • Cavern for a King sublevel 12: One in alcove before the big room, and one in the big room itself. Appears if you have 50 Purple Pikmin or less.

Dandori Challenges:

White

Caves:

  • Subzero Sauna sublevel 1: One in a hydro jelly in the room with the Chillyhop, if you have 50 White Pikmin or less.
  • Subzero Sauna sublevel 2: One in a big metal pipe sticking out of the ground, if you have 50 White Pikmin or less.
  • Cavern for a King sublevel 1: One next to the base and one in the room with the Toxstool, if you have 50 White Pikmin or less.
  • Cavern for a King sublevel 13: One appears in an alcove next to the Gildemander, if you have 50 White Pikmin or less.

Dandori Challenges:

Maximum Pikmin requirementEdit

In Pikmin 2, some Violet Candypop Buds and Ivory Candypop Buds will only appear if the player has less than 20 of the equivalent Pikmin type. If the player has 20 or more of that Pikmin type, the Candypop Bud will not spawn, and no other object will take its place. This can be seen, for instance, in the second sublevel of the Citadel of Spiders: the Violet Candypop Bud always appears in dead ends, and if the player is over the maximum Pikmin requirements, there will be an empty dead end in the sublevel.

Interestingly, only the Pikmin inside the cave and the Pikmin inside the Hocotate ship count toward this limit. This means that Pikmin sprouts in an overworld area, including the area the cave is in, will not count. The game will only check for the requirement at the start of the sublevel.

The following sublevels have Candypop Buds that do not appear if the player has 20 or more of the equivalent Pikmin type:

Since the only Candypop Buds affected by this are in early sublevels, this limit likely exists to stop players from easily obtaining a large number of Purple Pikmin or White Pikmin by repeatedly entering and leaving the same cave.

Pikmin discovery requirementEdit

In general, Candypop Buds of a specific type will not spawn unless the corresponding Pikmin type has been discovered. In Pikmin, it is possible to go to The Forest Navel and The Distant Spring without discovering Yellow Pikmin or Blue Pikmin, and this causes the Golden Candypop Buds or the Lapis Lazuli Candypop Buds, respectively, to not spawn. Similarly, in Pikmin 3, Candypop Buds will not spawn if their respective type of Pikmin has not been discovered.[2]

However, there are some exceptions in Pikmin 2. Purple Pikmin and White Pikmin are discovered after throwing Pikmin inside of a Violet Candypop Bud and an Ivory Candypop Bud, respectively. Therefore, the game must spawn Violet Candypop Buds in Emergence Cave sublevel 2 before Purple Pikmin are discovered and Ivory Candypop Buds in White Flower Garden sublevel 3 before White Pikmin are discovered. For some reason, if the player skips discovering Purple Pikmin in Emergence Cave by utilizing glitches, then other Violet Candypop Buds will still spawn.[3] If it were possible to never encounter Red Pikmin, Crimson Candypop Buds would also still appear. On the other hand, until White Pikmin are discovered, the only Ivory Candypop Buds to spawn are the White Flower Garden sublevel 3 ones.

Relations to the Pikmin familyEdit

Olimar notes in the enemy reel that Candypop Buds could be the next step in Pikmin evolution,[4] and in his Piklopedia notes that Candypops could be the same species.[5] This connection is further cemented by the fact that Candypop Buds use similar sounds to the Pikmin,[6] and the buds in Pikmin 3 use the same texture for leaves as the Pikmin do. In Pikmin 4, Onions and Flarlic are identified as part of the candypop family which all Candypop Buds belong to, further strengthening the ties with the Pikmin.

Notes

Olimar's voyage log

When I throw Pikmin into this flower, they are popped right back out. I have named this very peculiar bloom the candypop bud. It's strange... No matter what color Pikmin I throw in, the ones that pop out match the flower's color!

Reel notes

Could this be the next stage in Pikmin evolution? Like the Pikmin themselves, it has many mysteries.

Dalmo's notesEdit

The longer I look at it, the more I feel a strange urge to throw something into it. Succumbing to the intrusive thought, I once threw a bomb into one. When I did... Ptooie! It spit the bomb right back out! I can't help seeing some sort of lifelike response in that.

Olimar's notes (Pikmin 4)Edit

What looks like the interior of a flower is actually an insectivorous leaf that's developed into an organ. This organ releases a sweet scent from its central pistil, luring small insects into its interior and trapping them.

The DNA of those captured organisms is directly absorbed by the plant's cells, which might indicate that this species is attempting to evolve at an astounding speed. But in most cases, the cells essentially self-destruct. The bud then releases Pikmin seeds of the same color, and the plant withers.

Muscle fibers extremely similar to those of an Onion were also found in this species, so one could hypothesize that a Candypop Bud is an under- or undeveloped Onion. However, there aren't enough details to confirm this theory either way.

Louie's notes (Pikmin 4)Edit

Way too spicy for a salad, no matter what color bud you use.

Reel notes (Nintendo Switch)Edit

Could this be the next step in Pikmin evolution? Like the Pikmin themselves, it has many mysteries.

Technical informationEdit

Pikmin technical information (?)
Internal name pom
HP N/A
Pikmin 2 technical information (?)
Internal name pom
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 99999
fp01 マップとの当り Unknown (related to slopes) 30
fp02 ダメージスケールXZ Horizontal damage scale 0.1
fp03 ダメージスケールY Vertical damage scale 0.1
fp04 ダメージフレーム Damage scale duration 0.35
fp05 質量 Unknown (weight?) 0
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 75
fp12 視界距離 Sight radius 0
fp13 視界角度 FOV 0
fp14 探索距離 Unknown (exploration radius?) 0
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?) 0
fp21 攻撃可能角度 Unknown (shock attack max angle?) 0
fp22 攻撃ヒット範囲 Unknown (attack hit range?) 0
fp23 攻撃ヒット角度 Unknown (attack hit angle?) 0
fp24 攻撃力 Attack damage 0
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 0
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
fp32 LOD半径 Off-camera radius 60
fp33 マップとのあたりポリゴンの選定 Collision processing radius 55
fp34 ピクミンとのあたり Pikmin damage radius 15
fp35 石化時間 Petrification duration 1
fp36 ヒップドロップダメージ Purple Pikmin drop damage N/A
fp37 地震気絶確立 Purple Pikmin stun chance N/A
fp38 地震気絶時間 Purple Pikmin stun time N/A
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
ip01 吸い込みピキ数(pom) Number of Pikmin a non-Queen can convert 5
ip02 吐き出し回数(pom) Number of times a non-Queen spits Pikmin 1
ip11 吸い込みピキ数(pop) Number of Pikmin a Queen Candypop Bud can convert 1
ip12 吐き出し回数(pop) Number of times a Queen spits Pikmin 1
ip13 吐き出し倍数(pop) Number of Pikmin a Queen spits 9
fp01 開花時間 Unknown (flowering time?) 1
fp02 色換え時間 Color change interval, for Queens 2.6
fp03 白黒出現率 Unknown (Purple and White incidence?) 0

Other informationEdit

  • Pikmin 4 Piklopedia number: #121

NamingEdit

  • Common name: Candypop Bud. "Candypop" is the family's name.
  • Japanese nickname: ポンガシグサ?, lit.: "Puffed Grain Weed".
  • Japanese name: ポンガシグサ?. It is the same as the Japanese nickname.
  • Scientific name: Flora expellus. The genus is simply the English word "flora", while expellus is derived from the word "expel". In New Player Control! Pikmin's Prima guide, the scientific name was Blossomulus pikminius.
  • Technical name: Candypop Bloom
  • Internal names: The internal name in Pikmin and Pikmin 2 is pom.
  • Prerelease: None.

Names in other languagesEdit

Language Name Meaning Notes
  Japanese ポンガシグサ?
Pongashi-Gusa
Puffed Grain Grass
  Chinese
(traditional)
爆敏花
Bào-mǐn-huā
From replacing the middle syllable in 爆米花(puffed rice) with the last syllable in 皮克敏 (Pikmin)
  Chinese
(simplified)
爆敏花
Bào-mǐn-huā
From replacing the middle syllable in 爆米花(puffed rice) with the last syllable in 皮克敏 (Pikmin)
  Dutch Verschietviool Shifting (color) violet
  French Fleur Cracheuse
Fleur cracheuse (Pikmin 4)
Spitter Flower
Spitter flower (Pikmin 4)
  German Königinblume Queen Flower
  Italian Cromanvillea From "bougainvillea", a genus of flowers that resemble Candypops, and the Greek root "chromo" which means "color"
  Korean 뻥튀기초
Ppeongtwigi-Cho
Puffed Grain Grass
  Portuguese Fulô-matiz Hue flower
  Spanish Brote rebotador Bouncing bud

GalleryEdit

TriviaEdit

  • In sublevel 3 of the Citadel of Spiders and sublevel 5 of Glutton's Kitchen, a Queen Candypop Bud may fall from the ceiling. It is possible to notice that it has a green root. There are also several Candypop Buds in sublevel 6 of Bulblax Kingdom. Here, if the camera is zoomed in, and if the Candypop Bud is distant enough, the root might be visible through the bottom of the ground.
  • In Pikmin, Candypop Buds are technically bosses. As such, approaching them will change the area's music to the battle variant.
  • In Pikmin, if the player manages to get to The Distant Spring without unlocking Blue Pikmin, the two blue Candypop Buds in the area will never appear, preventing the player from transforming Pikmin into Blue Pikmin without having activated the Blue Onion.
  • There is an unused Candypop Bud-like object named NamaPongashi in Pikmin 3's files . Pikmin that are thrown in die, and new seeds do not come out.
  • Rock Candypop Buds were unnamed in Pikmin 3 and would only take until Pikmin 4's Olimar's entry on the Rock Pikmin that they received a name. What Olimar and Louie would specifically write for this exact species of Candypop Bud goes unknown, since entries for Candypop Buds do not exist in Pikmin 3 Deluxe's Piklopedia and all Candypop Buds were coalesced into their own entry in Pikmin 4's Piklopedia.

See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

  1. ^ #Dalmo's Notes
  2. ^ YouTube video showing that Lapis Lazuli Candypop Buds do not spawn in Tropical Wilds before Blue Pikmin are discovered
  3. ^ YouTube video about how to skip discovering Purple Pikmin in Emergence Cave, and the consequences (at 07:20)
  4. ^ Could this be the next stage in Pikmin evolution? Like the Pikmin themselves, it has many mysteries. – Captain Olimar in the enemy reel entry for the Candypop Buds.
  5. ^ This specimen constantly changes colors. When Pikmin are thrown into it, it shoots out seeds that match the flower's coloration the moment the Pikmin landed inside of it. The number of seeds shot out is always greater than the number of Pikmin thrown in. It can be said that this is a completely baffling plant, and many mysteries remain over precisely what sort of relationship it has with the Pikmin. It would appear that the Pikmin gain all of the benefit from the relationship... Perhaps it is simply a different variety of Pikmin to begin with? – Captain Olimar in Olimar's notes for the Queen Candypop Bud
  6. ^ YouTube video about sound effect trivia in the series (at 01:04)