NTSC Box art

Pikmin 2 is the second game in the Pikmin series. It takes place directly after the first game, in whose ending Captain Olimar successfully escapes the planet of the Pikmin. Pikmin 2 is the sequel to the original Pikmin, published by Nintendo and designed by Shigefumi Hino and Masamichi Abe (although the concept is still close to the original created by Shigeru Miyamoto).

Captain Olimar, the protagonist of the previous game, has been able to fix his Ship, the Dolphin, and flies off to his home planet, Hocotate. Upon landing, he sees the company he works for is now a barren desert. The President walks up to him, with another worker. He explains the company has delved into bankrupt without Olimar. The new worker, Louie, was supposed to deliver a cargo of Golden PikPik Carrots to another planet, but as the worker, Louie, reported, a giant Space Bunny stole and ate them all. The company was desperate and sold off all its assets - including the beloved Dolphin Olimar worked so hard to repair. The president says that even after all that, they still have 10,100 Poko debt. Shocked, Olimar drops a bottle cap he got from the planet as a souvenir for his son, and a nearby ship absorbs it. As it estimates its value at 100 Pokos, the President is ecstatic and sends Olimar back to the planet - with Louie, to find treasure to pay off the huge debt.

The three Pikmin types still remain - Red is still the strongest (of the original three) and resistant to fire and Blue can still wade in Water. Yellow can still be tossed up high, but the ability to handle Bomb Rocks has been replaced by a resistance to the new hazard, electricity. There are two new Pikmin: the Bulky Purples, who are as strong (and slow) as 10 Pikmin, and White Pikmin, the fastest Pikmin who can detect hidden treasures underground and has an innate resistance to poison (and is poisonous so that creatures who eat it are harmed as well). This changes the gameplay a bit adding in elements for a chance to use these new Pikmin.

You have NO time limit in this game, making it much easier than the original Pikmin. You can relax, loaf around, experiment, and have fun. The day/night limit remains, of course. You are collecting treasure, but not all of it is above-ground... we now have a cave system where you can just stay with no day/night limit (the manual explains this as the force of magnetism). Most of the treasure is located in these holes. You also have Sprays that can petrify enemies and power up your Pikmin.

This game also has 2-Player functionality, so your friends no longer have to groan each time you bring out the Pikmin 2 box. Duke it out in Battle Mode or, after you unlock Challenge Mode, cooperate to find treasures and finish unique challenges!


Upon returning to Hocotate after his adventure on the planet of the Pikmin, Captain Olimar meets his employer and a newly hired, supposedly inexperienced employee named Louie. Olimar learns that Hocotate Freight is massively in debt due to the loss of a shipment of Golden Pikpik carrots, a situation brought about by Louie; Olimar's ship, the S.S. Dolphin, is consequently removed in order to repay some of the debt, at which Olimar drops a bottle cap in shock, brought back to Hocotate as a souvenir for his son. The Ship proceeds to absorb the bottle cap and values it at 100 Pokos, leading to the President then sending Olimar and Louie back to the Pikmin planet.

After the debt is fully paid, Olimar returns to Hocotate; on the way, however, he discovers that Louie is not with him. The President joins Olimar back on Hocotate, and the game progresses with the President replacing Louie as a playable character, the two captains endeavoring to completely clear the planet of treasure and to locate and rescue Louie. The player finally discovers that lost employee in the Dream Den, atop a Titan Dweevil.