Subterranean Forest

The Subterranean Forest is probably the third or fourth cave the player will encounter in Pikmin: Connection of the Worlds. Unlike the calm, mellow nature of the Garden above, some large numbers of hostile enemies have gathered in the depths of this cave. In most of the sublevels in this cave, there are tree roots that wrap around the pathways, making it hard to walk. You may need some strong Pikmin to clear these roots. Despite these things, you discover White Pikmin in one of the sublevels as some of these roots are poisonous. At the very bottom of this cave is a rather easy boss, and a switch will be revealed. Hit this switch and something up above will change...

Accessing the Subterranean Forest
There is only a single obstacle in your way to the cave- an electrified gate, reminiscent of Pikmin 2. Destroy it with your Yellow Pikmin, and proceed to the Burgeoning Spiderwort Plateau subarea. The cave in in plain sight.

Sublevel 1
A somewhat simple level, there are four chambers that connect at the center of the level. Two of the chambers have roots growing in them, and in one of the root-infested chambers is a treasure (use Pikmin to get rid of the roots). A Red Bulborb is sleeping in one of the chambers that doesn't have roots, and the cave is in the other root-free chamber. Use the cave when you are done here.

Sublevel 2
This sublevel is basically a long, winding hallway with five alcoves jutting out into the blackness. Many roots are located here, so walking can be difficult. A treasure will be located in two of the four alcoves in this level, so be sure not to overlook anything. A Wollywog waits in one of the empty alcoves, and a group of Male Sheargrub in the other. Be sure to evade their attacks or you could lose some Pikmin. The hole is at the other end of the hallway.

Sublevel 3
If you thought the previous levels were challenging, well, you now have a break. Simply walk from the small chamber you're in and go to the larger chamber. There, four Ivory Candypop Buds are resting in the light. Use them, and you will now have discovered White Pikmin! These tiny Pikmin can run very fast, can unearth treasures and are immune to poison- in fact, they themselves are poisonous, so when enemies eat them they will poison them. Before you leave, flower your Pikmin with some nearby Iridescent Flint Beetles, and go down the hole when you're done. There is also a geyser if the player feels uncomfortable.

Sublevel 4
Be on high alert on this level, for there are not only just gas pipes, but the roots themselves are poisonous. Your newly discovered White Pikmin will be a must here, as only White Pikmin can destroy them. The general layout of this level is mildly confusing, but not too hard. It is basically several chambers connected by a series of tunnels. Two treasures rest here; one completely buried in the ground (use White Pikmin!), and the other surrounded by poisonous roots. Be careful, though, as some Munge Dweevils may try to steal your treasure. Be cautious with these bugs- they could release poison gas if you attack them. Find the hole and venture down to the cave's boss.

Sublevel 5
The boss level. Immediately you hear the snoring of an enormous Bulborb- yes, the boss of this cave is an Empress Bulblax. Throw your Pikmin on her to attack, and run away when she is about to roll. Keep repeating and she will eventually die. When you defeat her, you will likely see the treasure that appeared, but the ground will start shaking. In the center, a switch will rise out of the ground. Press it down with at least 30 Pikmin, and the ground will start shaking again. Up above, the high place where the Silver Mega Key rests starts to descend (making it accessible). But what about the treasure the Empress Bulblax dropped? When you collect it, it is revealed to be the Napsack! The captains can now sleep. Collect the Empress Bulblax's head if you want, and leave.

Wildlife

 * Male Sheargrub
 * Munge Dweevil
 * Red Bulborb
 * Wollywog
 * Ivory Candypop Bud
 * Boss: Empress Bulblax

Trivia

 * The Subterranean Forest bears some similarities to the from . Firstly, the player discovers White Pikmin on Sublevel 3 in both of these caves, there are only five sublevels in each cave, Sublevel 4 of both caves are similar to each other, and the two bosses are easy.
 * The cave's name is similar to another cave in the game; the Subterranean Lake.