Captain Olimar is an intrepid space traveller from the planet Hocotate. In his ship the Dolphin Olimar retrieves precious items and materials for his homeworld. On one voyage, however, a meteor strikes his ship, forcing him into a crash landing on a mysterious world. Pieces of the Dolphin are scattered as it crashes, and though Olimar survives, the situation is grim. The batteries on his life-support system will die in thirty days, after which he'll be at the mercy of the planet's toxic oxygen atmosphere. But there may be hope: shortly after his arrival, Olimar discoveres strange creatures called Pikmin that obey his commands after he plucks them from the ground. With their help, Olimar works to collect the vital pieces of his ship so he can safely return home.