10 Nintendo Franchises Where Pikmin Appear Beyond Super Mario Galaxy

Despite Fox McCloud playing a big role in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto is usually fairly strict when it comes to allowing franchise crossovers. He does have one exception, however, which he reiterated in a recent interview with Polygon: "As you know, my rule is that Pikmin can appear in any [Nintendo] series."

Miyamoto's rule has certainly been put to good use over the past 25 years since Pikmin debuted, as the little critters appear everywhere in Nintendo's games and apps. In order of release, here are 10 series that Olimar and his plant-based pals have plucked themselves into.

10 Animal Crossing (Series)

Pikmin Became Part of the Furniture

Long before amiibo, Nintendo had collectible e-Cards to unlock extra content in its games. "Pikmin Pattern" was a Series 2 Animal Crossing e-Card that gave GameCube players a wallpaper based on the Red, Yellow, and Blue Pikmin. DS sequel Wild World didn't make obtaining its Pikmin item any easier, requiring players to connect to a limited-time DS Download Station — but those who did were treated to a Pikmin planter.

Following Wii installment City Folk's DLC — which included a Red Pikmin hat and an S.S. Dolphin model — 3DS title New Leaf finally broke Animal Crossing's odd trend of making Pikmin items hard to get, making the Dolphin, Red Pikmin hat, and planter obtainable in-game through fortune cookies. It also introduced new Blue and Yellow hats, offering the most Pikmin content out of any game in the series.

9 The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

Hidden in Plain Sight

In order to access the Tower of the Gods, Link must gather three Goddess Pearls in the action-adventure title The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. The tower rises from the ocean once he places the Pearls in the hands of the statues on the Triangle Islands, which resemble Red, Yellow, and Blue Pikmin.

Not only do they have tips on the tops of their heads that resemble Pikmin head stems, each one shares the species' distinct facial features: Din has the Red Pikmin’s nose, Farore has the Yellow Pikmin’s pointy ears, and Nayru has a crack resembling the Blue Pikmin’s crooked mouth.

8 Super Mario (Series)

Golfing, Go-Karts, and Galaxies

The Galaxy Movie is just the latest in a long line of Pikmin cameos in Mario media, with the little critters popping up in various Mario games. In Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, for example, Pikmin will fly out of a flower bed if the player hits the ball into it, and Space Junk Galaxy in the first Galaxy game has a ship that bears a great resemblance to Pikmin 2's Hocotate ship.

Pikmin-themed amiibo will unlock an Olimar suit for the Mii racer in Mario Kart 8, while Super Mario Maker has Olimar and Pikmin sprites as unlockable Mystery Mushroom forms (which also feature sound effects that reference the Pikmin games). Finally, the Switch 2 Edition of Super Mario Bros. Wonder has a number of cameos from the different Pikmin species throughout its levels.

7 Donkey Konga 2

Bongos, Bulborbs, and Badges

The primary-colored Pikmin appear once again in the music-rhythm game Donkey Konga 2, along with the Red Bulborb enemy, as collectible badges. The player must win a minigame and then play "Match That Badge", and if they flip over two identical character panels, they will earn a badge of that character. The badges can then be used when recording high scores.

The Pikmin and Bulborb appear in the form of clay figures. This art form was used prominently in Pikmin 2's box art and promotional material, with Nintendo artist Wataru Yamaguchi single-handedly crafting all the real-life clay versions of Olimar and Louie, the different Pikmin species, enemies, and more.

6 Nintendogs

A Secondhand Scoundrel

In the DS' popular pet sim Nintendogs, a Red Bulborb toy can be seen on a shelf in the pre-rendered background for the Secondhand Shop. Sadly, it can not be purchased in the game, despite seemingly being displayed for sale. It's a shame, as watching digital dogs bite and wrestle with Pikmin's most iconic foe could have been very funny.

Players can at least buy other Nintendo-themed items, however, such as Mario and Luigi hats and remote-control Mario Karts. Pikmin 4 also returned the favour with a Nintendogs cameo, with the collectible Memory Fragment Series consisting of jigsaw pieces that, when assembled, form the official artwork of Nintendogs: Dachshund & Friends.

5 WarioWare (Series)

Microgames for Micro Creatures

Weirdly, for a series that fully embraces fun and silliness, WarioWare may have the darkest Pikmin cameo on this list. In Wii iteration Smooth Moves, the player must tilt their Wii Remote to roll an Empress Bulblax from side to side, crushing all of the poor Pikmin in its path.

Later microgames were less morbid, including one from DS sequel WarioWare: D.I.Y. that had players tap the touchscreen to throw Pikmin at a target. Pikmin 2-based games appeared in both Switch instalments, with Get It Together! instructing players to knock a pellet off a Pellet Posy and Move It! commanding participants to pluck Pikmin from the ground.

4 Nintendo System Software

Cosplay, Collectibles, and Cards

Only Nintendo could turn something as drab as a system transfer operation into something whimsical. If you transfer downloadable content from a DSi to a 3DS, or from a Wii to a Wii U, an extended animation will play of Pikmin carrying the data over.

The 3DS also has more Pikmin appearances throughout its pre-installed and downloadable software, such as unlockable Red, Yellow, and Blue Pikmin hats in the StreetPass Mii Plaza, as well as different characters and creatures featured in badges in Nintendo Badge Arcade. Finally, the system also came with a pack of cards for use with the AR Games app — one of these was a Pikmin card, and when scanned with the 3DS' camera, it would bring the little plant people to life in real-life settings via augmented reality.

3 Yoshi's Woolly World

The Captain Gets Crafty

Yoshi's Woolly World — and its enhanced 3DS port, Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World — include a ton of unlockable patterns to use on your handcrafted hero. Many are unlocked by collecting Wonder Wool and completing challenges, but there are even more that can be obtained by scanning amiibo.

The Olimar amiibo will give Yoshi the Pikmin captain's colours, decking out the dino with a yellow spacesuit and red gloves. The spines are even recoloured to represent the three primary Pikmin colours. The cuteness bar is certainly high on this list, but this may be the most adorable cameo of the lot.

2 Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash

Robots and References

For those unaware, Nintendo has another little-known franchise starring a tiny hero who roams the world searching for resources. Chibi-Robo! would be perfect for a full-on crossover with Pikmin, and while that concept has yet to be realised, its last instalment, 3DS sequel Zip Lash, at least had a Pikmin homage.

The game features a capsule vending machine that gives the player collectible figures. Scanning amiibo figures will add new figures to the machine with poses based on the amiibo character. Naturally, the Olimar amiibo produces a Chibi figure leading other tiny Chibi robots Pikmin-style.

1 Tetris 99

Pretty Pikmin Puzzle Pieces

Since its 2019 release, online battle royale puzzler Tetris 99 has run special "Maximus Cup" events, wherein players can earn points to unlock new themes. The 34th Maximus Cup in July 2023 promoted Pikmin 4, with its unlockable theme featuring elements inspired by the game.

It's the little details here that really make it a treat for Pikmin fans. As well as Pikmin 4's key art in the background and the Rescue Command Post's music theme, the tetromino blocks have Pikmin and Oatchi faces, the targeting reticle is the Rescue Corps logo, and enemy soul icons appear when players are defeated.