S.S. Dolphin
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TheS.S. Dolphin (ドルフィン号?,SS Dolphin in the Europeanversion ofPikmin 3[1], and theDolphin inPikmin.) is a delivery spaceship that belongs toCaptain Olimar in thefirstPikmin game. It is wrecked when it collides with a comet during a flight on a vacation, and thirty of its pieces end up scattered around the fiveareas ofPNF-404;Pikmin involves the collection of these using thePikmin. The S.S. Dolphin is the ship used to fly to the atmosphere betweendays in this game.
When Olimar returns toHocotate with a repaired ship at the start ofPikmin 2, the S.S. Dolphin is sold to help pay theHocotate Freight Company's enormous debt. It's then replaced by theHocotate ship. InPikmin 3, there is no appearance of the S.S. Dolphin. However, if the player visits theQuaggled Mireclops arena in theGarden of Hope, they can find adata file that in whichCaptain Olimar complains about the Hocotate ship and wishes to buy back the S.S. Dolphin once the new debt is repaid.
InPikmin 4, the Dolphin serves the same basic role as its appearance inPikmin, being the ship that Olimar must repair by gathering parts after he crashes onto PNF-404. He fails to escape the planet, crashing the ship once again in theRescue Command Post and becoming aleafling. However, theRescue Corps later cures Olimar of his leafling status and helps him repair the Dolphin so that he can return home.
InPikmin, if the player presses
/
/
while Olimar is on top of the ship's ring of light, hisspacesuit'shealth will be fully replenished, and he will comment on the number of parts he has left to recover. This cannot be done after thesunset warning timer reaches the number 4.
Stages of the Dolphin[edit]
While playing throughPikmin, the S.S. Dolphin goes through several stages depending on how manyship parts the player has collected.
Stage 0[edit]
This is when the S.S. Dolphin has first crashed landed inThe Impact Site. Every ship part is missing, smoke and sparks come from the ship, and the hull is very battered. In this stage, the ship's lights are off.
Stage 1[edit]
This is when the S.S. Dolphin has recovered theMain Engine. The back-side of the hull returns to its original position, the left light returns to normal, and all the lights turn on. In this stage, the ship's lights are red.
This increases the Dolphin's capabilities to be able to reachThe Forest of Hope. Technically, the ship enters this stage when one ship part is collected, meaning that obtaining thePositron Generator first can also trigger the change.[2]
Stage 2[edit]
This is when the S.S. Dolphin has recovered at least 5 ship parts. 3 gears appear near the bow of the ship, and a piece of the hull returns around the cockpit. In this stage, the ship's lights are yellow.
This increases the Dolphin's capabilities to be able to reachThe Forest Navel.
Stage 3[edit]
This is when the S.S. Dolphin has recovered at least 12 ship parts. A whisk-like antenna extends from the top-left side of the Dolphin, and the piece of the hull covering the cargo hatch is unbent. In this stage, the ship's lights are green.
This increases the Dolphin's capabilities to be able to reachThe Distant Spring.
Stage 4[edit]
This is when the S.S. Dolphin has recovered 29 ship parts; every part except theSecret Safe. The final pieces of the hull appear between theAnti-Dioxin Filter and bothIonium Jets, and a buckle covers both sides of the ship. In this stage, the ship's lights are blue.
This increases the Dolphin's capabilities to be able to reachThe Final Trial.
Stage 5[edit]
This is when the S.S. Dolphin has recovered every ship part. The Dolphin is in its fully functional stage, the whisk-like antenna retracts, and every ship part is properly aligned and fitted. In this stage, the ship's lights are purple, though they turn back to blue in the endingcutscene.
Ship parts[edit]
- Main article:Ship part.
The ship has thirty named parts that are scattered around PNF-404 at the beginning ofPikmin andOlimar's Shipwreck Tale inPikmin 4. In both stories, they are scattered around all areas and their retrieval is necessary in order to complete the game. Five of the parts are optional inPikmin, but all are needed in Olimar's Shipwreck Tale. In Olimar's Shipwreck Tale, 16 of the 30 parts are duplicates of theExtraordinary Bolt,Repair-Type Bolt orAutomatic Gear.
Naming[edit]
The S.S. Dolphin's name is a reference to theGameCube's development codename, the Dolphin.
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 Japanese | ドルフィン号? Dorufin-gō | ||
 Chinese(traditional) | 多露芬號 duōlùfēnhào | the Dolphin | |
 Chinese(simplified) | 多露芬号 duōlùfēnhào | the Dolphin | |
 Dutch | Dolphin | ||
 French | Dolphin | ||
 German | Dolphin | ||
 Italian | Dolphin | ||
 Korean | 돌핀호 Dolpin-ho | Dolphin | 호 is a Korean suffix added at the end of a vessel's name, such as boat or ship, or in this case the Dolphin. |
 Portuguese | S.S. Dolphin | ||
 Spanish | Dolphin |
Gallery[edit]
Render of the ship inPikmin, from the game's model.
The Dolphin blasting off early in the game.
The S.S. Dolphin flying through space in the intro.
The S.S. Dolphin collides with the comet in the instruction manual.
The completed Dolphin. The Secret Safe, however, is still unaccounted for.
The Dolphin after it crashes inThe Impact Site.
Captain Olimar in the S.S. Dolphin in the opening ofPikmin 2.
The ship being salvaged forPokos in the opening ofPikmin 2.
The damaged S.S. Dolphin in theHero's Hideaway prologue inPikmin 4.
An alternate angle of the S.S. Dolphin in the Hero's Hideaway prologue.
The S.S. Dolphin in theOlimar's Shipwreck Tale version of Hero's Hideaway.
The S.S. Dolphin's icon inPikmin 4.
The S.S. Dolphin as seen inAnimal Crossing: New Leaf.
The S.S. Dolphin inAnimal Crossing: City Folk.
Trivia[edit]
- The S.S. Dolphin makes acameo inAnimal Crossing: City Folk as a piece of furniture distributed byNintendo from July 20th to August 3rd to celebrate the Apollo moon landing. It also makes an appearance inAnimal Crossing: New Leaf, as a fortune cookie prize.
- When viewed from above, the nose of the ship looks like aPoké Ball.
- The S.S. Dolphin may have a personality of its own, as Olimar's notes on theAnalog Computer state that the Dolphin is quick to anger.
- When Olimar first lands in the Hero's Hideaway in his Shipwreck Tale, the S.S. Dolphin is sporting several parts that it appears to lack during the same sequence in the prologue forPikmin 4.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^“Curse this stupid ship! It may once have been a top-of-the-line vessel, but the way it criticises my piloting skills really gets on my nerves. I can't wait to get my beloved old SS Dolphin back! I need to find plenty of valuable treasure and pay that debt off as soon as possible!” – Captain Olimar in the Europeanversion ofOlimar's Log entry #1
- ^YouTube video showing what happens if the Positron Generator is recovered on day 1, published on March 10th, 2017