How to Play Pikmin 2

Controls

• 1

  Insert the "Pikmin 2" disk. Power on your Gamecube or Wii console, connect a Gamecube controller, and begin a new game. Play the first level for a simple tutorial on how the game is played.

• 2

  Move Captain Olimar or Louie using the control stick on your Gamecube controller.

• 3

  Find some Pikmin sprouts and pick them. Walk over to a sprout --- you will see a tall, thin, colored stalk with a leaf, bud or flower on it, surrounded by an aura. This is a Pikmin in the ground. Press the "A" button on your controller to pick one. You can keep pressing the A button to pull up all the Pikmin in the area.

• 4

  Gather your troops by pressing the "B" button to whistle. Any Pikmin within hearing distance will run over and follow you around.

• 5

  Throw Pikmin at targets. There is a cursor ahead of your captain character --- a small circle. When you press the "A" button (and aren't near a planted Pikmin), he will toss a Pikmin at that circle. This is how you send Pikmin to attack enemies, pick up items and clear obstacles.

• 6

  Select Pikmin with the directional pad's "Left" and "Right" buttons. Press and hold "A." If you look closely, you can see which Pikmin your character is holding. Different Pikmin have different abilities, so use this to choose the right Pikmin for the job.

• 7

  Split up the teams by pressing the "X" button. All your PIkmin will separate according to color, and if any PIkmin is holding bomb rocks, it will stand separately from the rest of its same-colored brethren.

• 8

  Switch characters with the "Y" button. A feature new to "Pikmin 2" is the ability to use two different captains, letting you be in two places at once. If one of your captains becomes injured or if they're split up, you can switch between them quickly with the "Y" button.

• 9

  Use these controls to complete the objectives on each level. For example, in some levels you have to find treasure and bring it back to your ship --- toss some Pikmin at the treasure to have them carry it back. There will be a number, for example "4/20" over the treasure item: 4 is the number currently trying to lift the item; 20 is the number needed to carry it.

Pikmin Types

• 10

  Find a red Pikmin. Red Pikmin are tough fighters and can cause a lot of damage to enemies. They are also fireproof, which lets them pass unharmed through walls of flames and makes them better at fighting enemies who shoot fire.

• 11

  Pull up a yellow Pikmin. These smaller, lighter guys can be thrown farther and are immune to electrical attacks. In the original game, they were the bomb carriers, but in "Pikmin 2," bombs are too heavy for them.

• 12

  Toss out a blue Pikmin. Blues are water-dwellers. These little creatures have gills, which make them the only type who can survive a swim with their captain. This makes them perfect for aquatic missions, especially bridge-building.

• 13

  Throw some Pikmin into a white Pikmin flower to get some white Pikmin. These are one of the new types of Pikmin for the game; they are smaller and lighter and have the ability to detect and dig up buried treasure. They're not as good in battle because of their small size.

• 14

  Use a purple Pikmin flower to get some purple Pikmin. These large Pikmin don't fly as well when thrown, but they have a huge boost of strength to make up for the slow speed and distance.