The Key
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Number | 196 | ||
| Series | Explorer's Friend Series | ||
| Value |  × 100
| ||
| Weight | 1 | ||
| Maximum carriers | 3 Pikmin | ||
| Location | Citadel of Spiders | ||
| Challenge Mode levels | All | ||
The Key (あのカギ?, lit.: "The Key") is a treasure in Pikmin 2, whose name is the only one among the treasures that describes itself exactly. It is a large, golden key. The Key is found inside the body of a Beady Long Legs on the final sublevel of the Citadel of Spiders. Besides increasing the Poko total, the Key unlocks Challenge Mode, which can be found in the main menu after the treasure has been collected. It is the only part of the Explorer's Friend Series that is not found in the Exploration Kit.
In Pikmin 2's Challenge Mode, this treasure is found on every sublevel of every one of the 30 levels. It is required to make the entrance to the next sublevel – or a geyser – appear, and is worth 100 Pokos.
Notes
Ship's dialogs
“Sweet victory! That giant insect's body has crumbled to dust!
I am quite relieved to know I won't have to store such an enormous bug.
...Analyzing soil samples.
... ... ... ...Anomaly detected.
What's that glittering widget?
This object seems familiar. I will combine it with the president's parallel-dimension controller.
ALERT!!! Sensors indicates a massive dimensional shift at a distant location.
I'm receiving a message from a far-flung dimension. Displaying the message now ...
"Challenge mode can now be accessed from the title screen."
It appears to be total gibberish. Hopefully the message has reached its intended recipient.
I will name this apparently worthless device the Key.”Olimar's journal
Sales pitch
Olimar's journal (Nintendo Switch)
Gallery
Artwork of the Key.
Alrernate scan of the Key's artwork.
The Key's discovery cutscene.
The Key in the Citadel of Spiders.
The Key being analyzed by the Hocotate ship.
The Key in the Treasure Hoard.
The Treasure Hoard icon of the Key in the Nintendo Switch version of Pikmin 2.
A key from Super Mario World.
Trivia
- The Key bears a striking resemblance to the keys in Super Mario World, which open keyholes leading to secret stages.
- In his journal entry for the Key, Olimar calls the Beady Long Legs a "Pikmin-devouring spider", even though the creature cannot devour Pikmin, only crush them.
- Two unused upgrades in Pikmin 3 feature the Key on a pedestal.
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
 Japanese |
あのカギ? Ano Kagi |
The Key |
 French |
La Clé | The Key |
 German |
Der Schlüssel | The Key |
 Italian |
Chiave | Key |
 Spanish |
La Llave | The Key |