Seesaw block
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Because this subject has no official name, the name "Seesaw block" is conjectural. |
Scales are found in pairs or, in one case, a set of four, only in Pikmin 2 and only above ground. One of the blocks is low enough to walk onto, the other higher but still low enough that Pikmin can be thrown onto them, and their purpose is to provide access to higher ground. To manipulate them, one must throw Pikmin onto the higher of the two. On whichever block the weight of Pikmin (displayed above the block) is greater, that falls to become the lower block.
Use
Sets of two blocks
To use the scales, one must stand on the lower one and throw more than half of the Pikmin on it onto the higher block, at which point the Captain and Pikmin left with him will raise up, allowing them to walk onto the ledge above. The Captains have no influence on the weight a scale is submitted to. Unfortunately, this means some Pikmin must be left behind, leaving the player with fewer up the top and the chance of forgetting where the others are.
Fortunately, there are a number of ways to get around this. Throwing a few purples to the higher block reduces the number left behind, as they weigh more. To reduce the number further, with both pilots, one of them should remain at the bottom and take the other to the top by outweighing him with one Pikmin. Next, the player should throw all the Pikmin from the lower Captain to the higher one on the ledge. The drawback is that this allows only one Captain to get to the top. Alternatively, the player can throw all Pikmin up onto the target ledge except one, then use that one to outweigh both Captains (on the lower block) and raise them to the higher position where the other Pikmin are. This, however, leaves one Pikmin down below, prone to being forgotten.
Another, harder method allows one to get all Pikmin and captains up. The player must throw all but one Pikmin on the target platform (preferably a White Pikmin). The player should throw it onto the higher scale, then quickly call it back and throw it on the target platform. The player should have all Pikmin on the target platform and the Captains on the higher scale, giving him/her the chance to walk onto the ledge. That last Pikmin can be thrown diagonally across the higher scale, onto the ledge, such that it walks across the block and makes the captain rise when whistled.
Sets of four blocks
The set of four blocks in the Perplexing Pool are more complicatedly linked. Alternate blocks along the line are connected, one up, one down, like the pairs of blocks. Another twist is that each block along the line is a little higher, the furthest from the ledge being the lowest. This means that the Captain can only walk onto that end block. The following is a simple way to make the scales work; they are numbered from 1 to 4, from the closest to the ledge to the furthest from it.
The player must get on block 1 and raise it. So, (s)he should begin by leaving all of the Pikmin with one Captain and getting to block 1 with the other. The only block low enough for a Captain to walk onto from the floor is block 4, as it is the lowest at its low position. So, the player needs to lower the block by throwing 1 Pikmin on it: its pair, block 2, will be the one to rise. Moving on to block 4, the player needs to raise it to be able to walk onto block 3, which is done by throwing 2 Pikmin onto its pair, block 2 (to weigh more than the one on block 4 already).
To get onto block 2, the player must raise block 3, by throwing one Pikmin onto its pair, block 1. Finally, to get onto the final block, block 1, (s)he must raise block 2, by whistling the 2 Pikmin on it, thereby leaving the 1 on block 4 to outweigh the 0 on block 2 and so cause it to rise.
Summary:
- Put 1 Pikmin on block 4 and walk onto it.
- Throw 2 Pikmin onto block 2 and walk onto block 3.
- Throw 1 Pikmin onto block 1 and walk onto block 2.
- Remove the Pikmin on block 2 and walk onto block 1.
Now that there is a Captain on the ledge, the player can throw enough Pikmin to carry the treasure up to him, on the left of the highest block.
Locations
- 2 pairs in the Awakening Wood.
- 1 pair in the Perplexing Pool.
- 1 set of four in the Perplexing Pool.
Glitch
There is a glitch that can teleport a Captain next to the ship. It is performed by having a treasure return to the ship while the pilot is moving up on one block of a set of scales and is, therefore, only possible at the Awakening Wood or Perplexing Pool. When the treasure cutscene finishes, the Captain will be inside the block, and can walk about within its boundaries; but if he moves off one side, he falls out of the level and reappears at the ship. The side of the ship he reappears at is the same as the side he walked off the block.
It is used in the current speedrun, in the Perplexing Pool[1]: the speedrunner performs the glitch, and the captain is placed on top of the stone structure behind the ship, where he walks around the side of the area and gains access to the Shower Room without demolishing the electric gates before it.
See also
- Paper bag - another obstacle that uses the Pikmin's weight.
- Cardboard box