SPERO
SPEROs (無人探査機スパロウ?, lit.: "Unmanned probe Sparrow") are intergalactic unmanned probes built and launched by theKoppaites. Their function is to search out planets that harbor edible matter; in the case of the Koppaites, this meansfruit. Many SPEROs were built, yet only one of the last few dispatched actually managed to finda planet with suitable food.
Besides being plot devices, SPEROs serve a purpose inMission Mode and theSide Stories. They are used as a storage device for thefruits, treasures andenemies collected inCollect Treasure! stages, comparable to theship's Research Pod in underground areas inPikmin 2. Besides that, it can collectBurgeoning Spiderwort berries and bringLouie back to consciousness when he is carried to one, meaning that it can appear in Battle Enemies! stages as well. In some Side Stories stages, it can also collectship parts. It does not have other functions besides collecting, and stays in one location throughout the mission.
Locations[edit]
As stated above, a SPERO appears in all Collect Treasure! stages inMission Mode, near the starting point of one of the leaders. It also appears in the following Battle Enemies! stages:
- Tropical Wilds Remix, at the starting point
- Garden of Hope Remix, at the starting point
- Fortress of Festivity, slightly to the north of the starting point
- Beastly Caverns, at the center, near the Blue Onion
- Forgotten Cove, at the center, near the Master Onion
- Clockwork Chasm, at the starting point
Naming[edit]
"SPERO" is pronounced like "sparrow", as proven by the introductioncutscene inPikmin 3. As such, both the SPEROs and theS.S. Drake appear to be named after birds. Because the name is written in all caps, it is most likely an acronym, albeit an unknown one. Interestingly, SPERO also means "I hope" in Italian. Given the probes' mission, it seems fitting.
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
 Japanese | 無人探査機スパロウ? Mujin tansa-ki Suparō | Unmanned probe Sparrow |
 Chinese(traditional) | 史帕羅 Shǐpàluó | Sparrow |
 Chinese(simplified) | 史帕罗 Shǐpàluó | Sparrow |
 French | SPERO | - |
 German | SPERO | - |
 Italian | SPERO | - |
 Korean | 스패로우 Seupaerou | Sparrow |
 Spanish | SPERO | - |
Gallery[edit]
SPEROs searching for other planets with edible food for Koppai, from the game's introductioncutscene.
Official art of the SPERO from one of Nintendo's magazines.
A SPERO inTropical Forest Remix.
A SPERO inFlower Garden.
Trivia[edit]
- The lens frame at the front of the SPERO has text in theinterstellar alphabet on it that reads "Automatic Ultrascope". This is areference to the Automatic Ultra Scope, the Japanese name of a toy periscope released by Nintendo in 1971.[1] The text is too small to read normally, but can be seen on the device's texture.
- According to Nintendo Today!, the specific SPERO that discovered PNF-404 was number 713.[2]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^Nintendo Automatic Ultra Scope / Ultra Cope on beforemario's blog
- ^“The unit that discovered planet PNF-404 was number 713.” – Research Report #06-1 in Nintendo Today!