Rumbling Grotto

Rumbling Grotto
Blue Pikmin	30
White Pikmin	0
Purple Pikmin	0
Bulbmin	0

The following article or section contains guides.
The strategies shown are just suggestions.

The Rumbling Grotto is the twenty-first level in Pikmin 2's Challenge Mode. As the name implies, it focuses on many ground-burrowing enemies, including an encounter with the Pileated Snagret, making it a very challenging level overall.

Sublevel 1Edit

Theme: Concrete
Music: Concrete 1
Time: 170 (340 seconds)
Starting Pikmin:
- Red Pikmin × 30 (flower)
- Blue Pikmin × 30 (flower)
Treasures:
- Armored Nut × 3 - 6 (inside Shearwigs)
- Crystal King × 1
- Gyroid Bust × 1
- Lustrous Element × 1 (inside Iridescent Glint Beetle)
- Mirrored Element × 2 (inside Creeping Chrysanthemums)
- Mirth Sphere × 3 - 6 (inside Male Sheargrubs)
- Omniscient Sphere × 3 - 6 (inside Female Sheargrubs)
- The Key × 1
- Unknown Merit × 3 (inside Cloaking Burrow-nits)
Enemies:
- Cloaking Burrow-nit × 3
- Creeping Chrysanthemum × 2
- Female Sheargrub × 3 - 6
- Iridescent Glint Beetle × 1
- Male Sheargrub × 3 - 6
- Shearwig × 3 - 6
Obstacles:
- None
Vegetation:
- Clover × 6
- Figwort (large red) × 2
- Figwort (small red) × 2
- Margaret × 5
- Shoot (large) × 1
- Shoot (small) × 1
Others:
- Gate with 4000 HP × 3

The cave starts rumbling while Creeping Chrysanthemums, Cloaking Burrow-nits, Sheargrubs and Shearwigs come out of the ground. To avoid Pikmin deaths, it is possible to reset the cave until the key lies right beside the player, which happens quite often.

Generate sample map →

Technical sublevel information
Internal cave name			ch_MAT_crawler
"Main" object maximum (?)			21
"Treasure" object maximum (?)			3
"Gate" object maximum (?)			3
Dead end unit probability (?)			0
Number of rooms (?)			4
Corridor-to-room ratio (?)			0
Escape geyser (?)			No
Clogged hole (?)			No
Cave units file (?)			4_units_c_e_j_l_conc.txt
Lighting file (?)			normal_light_cha.ini
Background (?)			None
Cave units (?)

Dead end	Dead end with item	Three-way crossing	Four-way crossing	Turning corridor	Corridor

Long corridor	Room with 4 exits	Room with 4 exits and C-shaped wall	Room with 1 exit and a pipe	Room with dead end after U-turn

Detailed object list
The game spawns these "main" objects:
ID	Object	Amount	Fall method	Spawn location
1	Creeping Chrysanthemum	1	None	"Hard" enemy spots
-	Mirrored Element	Carried inside entry with ID 1
2	Creeping Chrysanthemum	1	None	"Hard" enemy spots
-	Mirrored Element	Carried inside entry with ID 2
3	Cloaking Burrow-nit	3	None	"Hard" enemy spots
-	Unknown Merit	Carried inside entry with ID 3
4	Iridescent Glint Beetle	1	None	"Hard" enemy spots
-	Lustrous Element	Carried inside entry with ID 4
5	Margaret	3	None	"Hard" enemy spots
6	Female Sheargrub	3	None	"Easy" enemy spots
-	Omniscient Sphere	Carried inside entry with ID 6
7	Male Sheargrub	3	None	"Easy" enemy spots
-	Mirth Sphere	Carried inside entry with ID 7
8	Shearwig	3	None	"Easy" enemy spots
-	Armored Nut	Carried inside entry with ID 8
Alongside it spawns 3 "main" objects (and their treasures). Chances:
ID	Object	Chance	Fall method	Spawn location
6	Female Sheargrub	33%	None	"Easy" enemy spots
-	Omniscient Sphere	Carried inside entry with ID 6
7	Male Sheargrub	33%	None	"Easy" enemy spots
-	Mirth Sphere	Carried inside entry with ID 7
8	Shearwig	33%	None	"Easy" enemy spots
-	Armored Nut	Carried inside entry with ID 8
Then it spawns these "decoration" objects:
ID	Object	Amount	Fall method	Spawn location
9	Margaret	2	None	Plant spots
10	Shoot (large)	1	None	Plant spots
11	Shoot (small)	1	None	Plant spots
12	Figwort (small red)	2	None	Plant spots
13	Figwort (large red)	2	None	Plant spots
14	Clover	6	None	Plant spots
Then it spawns these "treasure" objects:
ID	Object	Amount	Fall method	Spawn location
15	The Key	1	None	Treasure spots
16	Gyroid Bust	1	None	Treasure spots
17	Crystal King	1	None	Treasure spots
Then it spawns 3 "gate" objects. Chances:
ID	Object	Chance	Fall method	Spawn location
18	Gate (4000 HP)	100%	None	Gate spots

For details on how objects are spawned, and how some may fail to spawn, see here.

Sublevel 2Edit

Theme: Concrete
Music: Concrete 2
Time: +120 (+240 seconds)
Treasures:
- The Key × 1 (inside Pileated Snagret)
Enemies:
- Pileated Snagret × 1
Obstacles:
- None
Vegetation:
- Figwort (large brown) × 4
- Figwort (small brown) × 2
Others:
- None

See also: Pileated Snagret strategy.

More rumbling with the Pileated Snagret. Use all sprays here so the Pikmin don't get harmed, grab the key, and jump out.

If you are doing a 2-player Challenge, the battle can be very quick and easy. Stand on opposite side of the Snagret and have both players toss Pikmin rapidly at its head. If you do it right, it should always go back into the ground instead of eating any Pikmin, and you save time and deaths.