axemblue4
John Locke told me I needed to stay.
Paper Mario 4: The Key to Great Power
By Axemblue4
Game Information
System: Wii
Story
Parakarry flew down to the Mario Brothers’ house, carrying a letter in his hand.
“Emergency mail call! Hurry!” he shouted.
Barely one second later, both brothers were dashing out of the house, and onto the dirt road in front. The Paratroopa handed the letter to Luigi. It was not folded, and looked as if it had been written in a hurry. Luigi read it aloud,
“URGENT - Please come to the Toad Town Port immediately! The Princess is gone! Help us, Master Mario! - Toadsworth”
~~~~
Upon arriving at Toad Town Port, Mario was met by Toadsworth and several Mushroom Retainers.
“Master Mario! Thank heavens you’re here. The Princess left on the Sea Stork ship just minutes ago. She was meant to be taken to Lavalava Island for a meeting with the Yoshi Council, but the Stork swerved in the wrong direction and eventually out of sight.”
“We’re told that the captain and most of the crew of the Sea Stork were not even at the port yet,” added one of the Mushroom Retainers.
“Perhaps someone else stole the ship and kidnapped the Princess. Oh dear! You must find her, Master Mario!”
Another Mushroom Retainer joined the group.
“The Phrost City authorities have reported that the Sea Stork was seen near the shores of the Phrost City territory!”
“It’s off to Phrost City, then, Master Mario. Hopefully, we can find out the meaning of this kidnapping and return the Princess safely back to the Mushroom Kingdom.”
Mario gave two jumps of acknowledgment, and then walked toward the docks. A new adventure had just begun.
Controls
(Main Game)
Control Stick: Move
A: Jump, Talk, Examine, Open
B: Hammer
Z: Party Member’s Ability
C: Spin Dash
D-Pad Up: View Items
D-Pad Left: View Party Members
D-Pad Down: View Journal
D-Pad Right: View Badges
1: Create New Shape
2: View Saved Shapes
-: Status Display (Displays HP, FP, coins, etc. in a bar at the top of screen)
+: Menu
(Shape Creating)
Motion Sensitivity: Move Glove/Scissors
Control Stick: Turn Mario
D-Pad Up / D-Pad Down: Zoom Forward and Backward
D-Pad Left / D-Pad Right: Move Camera Left and Right
A: Grab, Cut, Confirm Selection
B: Close Shape Creating Menu, Cancel Selection
(Menus)
Motion Sensitivity / Control Stick / D-Pad: Move Cursor
A: Confirm Selection
B: Previous Menu, Cancel Selection
Menu
Status: View your HP, FP, BP, coins, Star Pieces, play time, et cetera
Badges: View your badges, equip and un-equip them
Party Members: View information about and swap your Party Members
Items: View your items and important items, use items
Shapes: View and swap the shapes you have made
Journal: You get four more categories to choose from,
-Map: Map of the Phrost City territory
-Meteor Shards: View information about the Meteor Shards you have
-Tattle Info: View enemies that Goomburt has tattled on
-Recipes: View Spice E. recipes that have been made for you
Party Members
Goomburt
Description: A middle-aged Goomba with graying hair, a gray mustache, beard and eyebrows, as well as a celadon flat cap. Despite his age, he is quite active, and is eager to go on a perilous adventure with Mario to prove it. He has learned much during his life and will give you many words of wisdom over the course of your adventure.
Field Ability: Tattle - He will tell you about near by people, places, and things. That seems to be the only thing Goombas are good for, doesn’t it?
Attacks:
Head Bonk: Goomburt will jump up and slam his head onto a foe.
-DMG: 1 (Super: 2), (Ultra: 3)
-FP: 0
-Action Command: Press A as Goomburt hits the enemy.
Tattle: Goomburt will tell you information and stats about an enemy.
-DMG: 0
-FP: 0
-Action Command: A circle will form around every enemy, and a cursor will move across the screen. Press A when the cursor enters the circle of the enemy you want to learn about.
Multibonk: Goomburt will bonk an enemy multiple times (If there are multiple enemies, then he will bonk the others as well). If an Action Command is unsuccessful, the attack will end. When there are multiple enemies, Goomburt will attack each enemy once starting from the closest on the left and to the furthest on the right. When he has bonked the last enemy on the right, he will return to the first one from the left and repeat the cycle. He grows increasingly faster with each bonk.
-DMG: 2 (Ultra: 3) (per bonk)
-FP: 3
-Action Command: Press A as Goomburt hits an enemy.
Confusion Kick: Goomburt will kick the closest enemy in its side. If Action Command is successful, he will kick off of the enemy, causing the enemy to have the Confused status effect, and onto the next closest enemy. Goomburt will kick off of each enemy and onto the next until the final one has been kicked, or until an Action Command has been unsuccessful. The Confused effect will last for 3 turns.
-DMG: 3 (per kick)
-FP: 4
-Action Command: Press A as Goomburt hits an enemy.
Koopy
Description: A Koopa Troopa wearing a yellow shell, bandana and shoes, and is covered in bruises and cuts. An adolescent, he is rebellious, and has spent much of his life surviving on his own. He sees Mario’s adventure as an opportunity to leave the unpleasant world he lives in. Although he has much to learn of adventuring, his skills will nonetheless prove to be helpful assets during your journey.
Field Ability: Shell Toss - Koopy will enter his shell and launch himself straight forward, returning to Mario on completion. Hold Z down while Koopy is mid-launch to bring him to a stop - he will spin in place until you release Z, afterward which he will resume completion of the launch.
Attacks:
Shell Toss: Koopy will enter his shell and launch himself at the nearest enemy on the ground.
-DMG: 1 (Super: 2) (Ultra: 3)
-FP: 0
-Action Command: A horizontal gauge with a red “star” circle in the middle will appear on the screen. A cursor will move from the left of the bar to the right, and then reappear from the left again to continue the cycle, passing through the star circle as it does so. Hold the control stick to the left to charge the attack, release the control stick to send Koopy across the stage. The more times the cursor moves through the star circle, the more force the attack will have. For best results, release the control stick while the cursor is within the star circle.
Power Shell: Koopy will enter his shell and dart to the other end of the stage, inflicting damage upon all ground enemies as he does so.
-DMG: 1 (Super: 2) (Ultra: 3) (per hit)
-FP: 3
-Action Command: A horizontal gauge will appear on the screen. A light inside the gauge will continuously fill the gauge and deplete itself. Hold the control stick to the left and release when the gauge is fully filled.
Flare Shell: Koopy will enter his shell, and a flame will ignite on it. He will dart to the other end of the stage, inflicting damage upon enemies he makes contact with. If Action Commands are successful, then Koopy will turn backward after reaching the end of the stage, and dart back toward the left, and then back again toward the enemies, and so forth. The flame will cause a Burn effect on enemies. The effect will last for 3 turns.
-DMG: 2 (Ultra: 3) (per hit)
-FP: 4
-Action Command: A vertical gauge will appear on the screen. You will have a few seconds to flick the control stick left and right repeatedly to fill up the gauge. How long the attack will last will depend on how much of the gauge was filled.
Shell Surf: Koopy will enter his shell, and Mario will hop onto it. Koopy will dart to the other end of the stage, inflicting damage upon all enemies he makes contact with, and Mario will continually jump from Koopy’s shell onto an enemy, and then back onto Koopy’s shell as he continues to move. If Action Commands are successful, then Koopy will turn backward after reaching the end of the stage, and dart back toward the left, and then back again toward the enemies, and so forth, as Mario will continue to jump onto enemies until he fails in Action Command or Koopy’s attack ends.
-DMG: Koopy’s is 3 (per hit); Mario’s is whatever his Jump DMG normally is
-FP: 8
-Action Command: Up to six horizontal “circle” gauges will appear on the screen. You will deal with one at a time. Each circle on a gauge will quickly light up in succession, a red “star” circle being last. You must hold the control stick toward the specified direction until the last circle lights up. If you are successful, another gauge will appear. If you fail, no more will appear and the attack will commence. For every successfully lit circle, Koopy will dart across the stage. As he does so, Mario will jump onto enemies. Press A as Mario lands on one to safely bounce back to Koopy’s shell.
Bombore
Description: A dark red Bob-omb with a black imperial mustache and wearing a boater. He is on a personal journey to find his path, and is not very open about his past, leaving much of it unknown. He is quite intelligent, and his understanding of the mind as well as his explosive abilities will be much-needed assets in your adventure.
Field Ability: Bomb - Bombore will be ignited and take a few steps forward. Press Z to make him explode. An explosion can destroy some things, such as cracked walls and boulders. If you do not press Z as he is walking, he will eventually explode on his own.
Attacks:
Bomb: Bombore will walk in front of the nearest ground enemy and explode.
-DMG: 1 (Super: 2) (Ultra: 3)
-FP: 0
-Action Command: A horizontal gauge will appear on the screen. Hold A until the gauge fills completely.
Lash Lasso: Bombore will, with whatever invisible “arms” Bob-ombs have, pull out a whip-like object and lash it toward the nearest ground enemy, inflicting damage. If Action Commands are successful, the whip will also tie itself around the enemy, which Bombore will then swing toward the next nearest enemy, inflicting damage upon and possibly causing a Dizzy effect for both foes. The effect will last for 3 turns.
-DMG: 1 (Super: 2) (Ultra: 3) (per hit)
-FP: 5
-Action Command: A horizontal gauge will appear on the screen. Press C repeatedly to fill it. If the gauge has successfully been completely filled, the “lasso throw” will be implemented into the (otherwise just whipping) attack.
Injury Inflictor: Bombore will throw devices, “Injury Inflictors”, upon the nearest targets. The Injury Inflictors will cause damage for the recipients after the end of a turn for 3 turns. The amount of Injury Inflictors thrown depends upon the success of Action Commands.
-DMG: 2 (Ultra: 3) (per Inflictor)
-FP: 5
-Action Command: A horizontal gauge will appear on the screen. There are three sections within the gauge: the red section (left), the yellow section (middle), and the green section (right). You must fill up the gauge with the light that appears on the far left. To do so, alternate between pressing B and C rapidly. After a few seconds, the attack will commence. If the light completely filled the gauge, three Injury Inflictors will successfully reach their targets. If in the green section, two Inflictors will reach their targets. If in the yellow section, one Inflictor will reach its target. If in the red section, none will reach their targets.
Huge-O-Gen Bomb: Bombore will walk toward the enemies and, if Action Commands are successful, explode in a massive blast, affecting all of the enemies.
-DMG: 3
-FP: 8
-Action Command: A horizontal gauge will appear on the screen. Press A rapidly to fill it.
Captain
Description: A brown-shelled Koopa Paratroopa, wearing a pair of black goggles and a gray cap. He was the captain of a group of Paratroopa soldiers until a mission which ended in serious failure. Now in a broken and embittered state, he joins the adventure in hopes that it will get him killed. He has useful tactical and combat knowledge and skills to provide.
Field Ability: Carry - The Captain will grab Mario, carry him a short distance through the air, and drop him. Press Z rapidly to make the Captain carry Mario a longer distance.
Attacks:
Shell Shot: The Captain will enter his shell and launch himself toward a foe.
-DMG: 1 (Super: 2) (Ultra: 3)
-FP: 0
-Action Command: Hold the control stick to the left. While doing so, the Captain will rapidly move his aim up and down. Release the control stick to launch the Captain toward where he is aimed.
Shell Shield: The Captain will pull out a specialized Koopa shell armor and throw it to Mario for use for one turn. How little damage Mario receives from enemies during that turn will depend on how successful Action Commands were.
-DMG: 0
-FP: 4
-Action Command: A horizontal gauge with a star circle in the middle will appear along with a needle which rapidly moves left and right above it. Press A to stop the needle. The closer to the middle the needle is, the stronger the defense will be.
Ambomb: The Captain will toss “Ambombs” into the ground. If a ground enemy walks over one, it will explode. The number of Ambombs in the ground depends on how well Action Commands were executed.
-DMG: 2 (Ultra: 3) (per Ambomb)
-FP: 4
-Action Command: A horizontal gauge with three circles will appear on the screen. Rapidly move the control stick left and right to brighten a circle. When one is brightened, you will be able to brighten the next in succession. Brightening a circle will take several control stick movements and you will have only a few seconds to perform the Action Command. An Ambomb will be tossed into the ground for every brightened circle.
Mini-Blaster: The Captain will pull out a miniature Bill Blaster and fire miniature Bullet Bills at foes.
-DMG: 3 (per hit)
-FP: 5
-Action Command: Hold the control stick to the left. While doing so, the Captain will rapidly move his aim up and down. You will have a few seconds to select targets. Press A and a target will be set on where the Captain was aiming when you pressed the button. You can select multiple targets during this attack. The Captain will fire the Mini-Bills when the control stick has been released or when the time is up.
Bloopz
Description: A young teal Blooper wearing a green bowtie. Bloopz is a prankster. He loves to play practical jokes on others. He becomes accidentally dragged into the adventure, and decides to stay for the ride. He has some unique abilities which will prove to be useful during the quest.
Field Ability: Swim - When standing in front of a body of water, press Z to make Bloopz and Mario hop in. Mario will hold onto Bloopz while in the water. The control stick will move Bloopz across the surface of the water, and a press of A will make him leap through the air. Press Z again while in the water to dive into it. While underwater, use the control stick to move, press A to slightly rise upward (press A rapidly to eventually return to the surface), and press Z to slightly descend. To get out of water, simply jump back onto land from the surface.
Attacks:
Inkject: Bloopz will shoot a bubble of ink from his mouth toward a foe. If Action Commands are successful, the attack will have a Poison effect. The effect will last for 3 turns.
-DMG: 1 (Super: 2) (Ultra: 3)
-FP: 0
-Action Command: A combination of directions to move the control stick in will appear on the screen. Move the control stick in the correct directions in the correct order to make the Action Command successful. You will have only a few seconds to do so.
Caper Can: Bloopz will pull out a can and hurl various objects from it toward all foes. A bolt will cause 1 DMG, a spiked green ball will cause 1 DMG and a Poison effect, a Cheep Cheep will cause 2 DMG, anything else will have no effect on the enemy. A Poison effect will last for 3 turns. The number of objects hurled depends upon the execution of Action Commands.
-DMG: 0 - 2 (Super: 0 - 4) (Ultra: 0 - 6) (per object)
-FP: 2
-Action Command: A horizontal scale will appear on the screen. You will have a few seconds to press A rapidly to send a cursor across the scale. When the Action Command sequence has finished, the number the cursor is pointing toward will be the number of hurled objects. The largest number is 25.
Ink Overflow: Bloopz will hurl ink onto the ground. Ground foes will slip when walking across it and will be forced to conclude their turn. The number of turns the ink will be on the ground before fading depends upon the success of Action Commands.
-DMG: 0
-FP: 3
-Action Command: Icons of various buttons (A, B, C, Z) and control stick directions (up, left, right, down) will rapidly appear on the screen. You will have one second per icon to perform the correct command. If you fail, the attack will commence. If you succeed, another icon will appear. 0 - 4 successful commands will cause the attack to last for one turn, 5 - 9 will cause the attack to last for 2 turns, 10 - 14 will cause the attack to last for 3 turns, 15 - 19 will cause the attack to last for 4 turns, and 20 - 24 will cause the attack to last for 5 turns.
Hydro Jet: Bloopz will shoot a stream of water from his mouth toward a foe in an attempt to shoot them out of the battle.
-DMG: 0
-FP: 5
-Action Command: A horizontal gauge will appear on the screen. Alternate between A and C rapidly to fill it. The more filled it is, the more likely the enemy will be shot out of battle. Stronger enemies will be more difficult to force out.
Non-Playable Characters
Mr. Biggs: A gray-haired mouse wearing circular sunglasses and a brown bowler hat. Mr. Biggs is quite intelligent and knowledgeable of history. He seems to be polite, though he has abducted the Princess. He promises to return her after Mario has completed a difficult task of finding mysterious objects. Mr. Biggs claims that it is for the greater good of the world, which is something he greatly strives for.
Princess Peach: The kindhearted ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom. She holds a close friendship with Mario, and is kidnapped for that very reason. Mr. Biggs keeps her in an abandoned apartment, where you can speak with her at any time (as long as she is there). She may occasionally have some useful advice to give, or a replenish in HP if you are low on health.
Luigi: Mario’s brother. He is left behind in the Mushroom Kingdom, but later heads to the Phrost City territory for an entirely different reason. While Mario braves the perils of the swamps, a volcano and outer space, among other things, Luigi becomes a star and appears in several films produced in the Phrost City territory. Through some persuasion, he might be convinced to give Mario a hand in getting a part in some of his films.
Bowser: The King of the Koopas and longtime rival of Mario. He is not up to his usual evil acts, instead showing off his brawn in the Bowser Arena - a location within the Phrost Sewers, a place where foes go to fight. Bowser currently stands as the champion of the 100-Match Trial.
Spice E.: An egg person with features such as eyes and a cloak. If you bring an item to him, he can cook it into a different item, known as a “recipe”. When you have brought him the right important item, he will be able to cook multiple items together.
Galestial: A former astronaut who can be found in the city’s pub. He has many tips and tidbits to give you if you will listen. His information may be helpful or useless. He will often ramble of how he lost his astronaut license: his mental state was placed into question by authorities after he made claims about encountering and having conversations with an extraterrestrial who claimed to be searching for a “final piece” while on a space voyage.
Merlon: An elderly blue-robed wizard who lives in the city. He can upgrade a Party Member for 3 Power Stars.
Merluvlee: An indigo-robed magician who lives in the city. For 5 coins she will tell you where to go next during your adventure, for 10 coins she will tell you the location of Star Pieces, and for 15 coins she will tell you the location of Power Stars.
Merlee: A violet-robed magician who lives in the sewers. For 5 - 50 coins, she will cast “curses” upon you which will give you random bonuses during battle (such as increases in attack power, coins, etc.) How long the curse lasts depends upon how much you paid.
Fascino: A green-dressed merchant who wears much jewelry. He can be found wandering the streets of the city. He will trade badges for Star Pieces.
Frud Humbo: An orange-clad merchant who can be found in many places, including the city and the sewers. He sells items and badges at expensive prices. Some of his items are worth the cost, though others can also be purchased elsewhere at considerably cheaper prices.
Chet Rippo: An unusual person who hides under a trash can. His only visible features are two eyes peering through a hole in the can. For 39 coins, he will increase one of your stats of choice by two levels and decrease another of choice by one level. He can also switch a Party Member’s upgrade to a different partner for the same price.
Boots
Boots: These are already in your possession. They allow you to jump. They cause 1 DMG.
-Action Command: Press A as Mario hits the enemy.
Super Boots: They allow you to perform the Spin Jump. Press A to jump, and A again while in mid-air to flip through the air and slam to the ground. This jump can be used to destroy wooden panels and some other breakable objects. These boots also increase your Jump DMG to 2.
Ultra Boots: They allow you to perform the Helicopter Jump. Press A to jump, and spin the control stick while in mid-air to make Mario spin, causing him to rise through the air. He will continue to ascend as you continue to spin the control stick. This propulsion can be used to reach areas up high. Performing a Spin Jump while higher in the air will allow you to break metal panels. These boots also increase your Jump DMG to 3.
Hammers
Hammer: This is already in your possession. It breaks yellow blocks. It causes 1 DMG.
-Action Command: A horizontal “circle” gauge will appear on the screen. You must hold the control stick to the left. While doing so, each circle on the gauge will quickly light up in succession, a red “star” circle being last. The lighting process will end when you release the control stick. The more circles lit, the more powerful the attack will be.
Super Hammer: It can destroy stone (gray) blocks. Press B twice to increase the amount of force in the slam. This is called the Super Slam. The Super Slam can be used to destroy larger blocks. This hammer causes 2 DMG.
Ultra Hammer: It can destroy metal (pink) blocks. Hold B and spin the control stick to twist, then release to perform the Spin Hammer ability. The Spin Hammer can destroy red cylinders. This hammer causes 3 DMG.
Reshaping Tools
You have the ability to transform into different figures, useful and useless, something familiar such as a paper plane or something new such as a paper bowl; those are just two of the vast amount of things you can reshape into. With an array of different tools, you can change the shape, size, and weight of Mario into whatever suits your desire. The Reshaping Tools are, as follows…
Creative Glove: Used to grab and pull segments of Mario’s body.
Silver Scissors: Used to cut paper.
Extra Paper: Adds more paper to work with.
Extra Weight: Adds more weight to work with.
Press the 1 button while on the field to get started. The screen will pause and several icons will appear on the right side of the screen. The glove or scissors will be used as a cursor. You can swap the glove and scissors by clicking their respective icons on the screen.
When using the glove, press and hold A on objects to grab them, and when holding them, move the glove to drag them. If you have any paper you wish to discard, use the glove to drag it to the trash can icon, which will delete it. The scissors will cut through paper when A is pressed. Hold A to rapidly cut.
To change the weight of an object, grab whatever you want to become heavier and drag it to the weight icon. You can then set the weight of it by clicking the upward arrow or downward arrow buttons to increase or decrease the weight. The more weight your creation has, the heavier, more powerful, and less agile it will be. The Extra Weight will give a significant increase in amount of weight you can add to an object.
Once you receive the Extra Paper, there will be an additional amount of paper connected to Mario’s body, forming a large circular shape for you to cut and arrange a new form with when you open up the reshaping menu.
When you are finished, click the save icon. If you have not yet saved your new shape when closing the reshaping menu, you will be asked if you are sure if you don’t want to save. If you choose not to save a shape, you will be asked if you want to use it without saving it. If you select “Yes”, then you will be able to use it until you change back to your primary form, though it will not be saved. You can save up to 25 shapes. You will be required to give a shape a name before the saving process can conclude.
You can select a shape to change into from the pause menu. Pressing the 2 button will bring you to the Shape section of the pause menu automatically. Shapes can also be copied and erased from here.
While on your adventure, you may find directions or schematics for making new shapes.
Badges
There are over 100 various kinds of badges to be found in your adventure. Badges cost Badge Points (BP) to wear. Badges have various effects, including increase in stats, added abilities, among other things. Many badges from “Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door” have returned, as well as a few from the first “Paper Mario”. There are also several new badges as well. Badges can be equipped and unequipped from the pause menu (for quick access, press right on the D-pad). If you equip more than one badge of the same kind, it will increase the badge’s effect (for example, wearing two “Power Jumps” will increase the Power Jump’s attack power).
For your reading pleasure, here are a few 0-BP badges:
Attack FX B: Mario’s attacks make a bell noise.
Attack FX E: Mario’s attacks make an explosion noise.
Attack FX T: Mario’s attacks make a Thwomp grunt noise.
Attack FX W: Mario’s attacks make a wind gust noise.
Attack FX X: Mario’s attacks make a cacophony of distorted noises.
L Emblem: Mario’s hat and shirt become green.
F Emblem: Mario’s hat and shirt become white, and his overalls become red.
O Emblem: Mario’s hat and shirt become blue, and his overalls become red.
W Emblem: Mario’s hat and shirt become yellow, his overalls become purple, and his shoes become green.
Slow Go: Makes Mario move slowly.
Double Pain: Doubles the damage Mario receives.
A few BP-required badges:
Poison Slam: Allows you to use the “Poison Slam”, which can poison enemies if the Action Command is successful. (1 BP)
Air Conditioner: Prevents Mario from being frozen. (3 BP)
Energy Boost: If Action Commands are successful during an attack, Mario will receive one extra turn, though the effect of this badge will not apply during said extra turn. (4 BP)
HP Stealer: If Action Commands are successful during an attack, Mario will receive the HP that his targets lose. (4 BP)
Item Stealer: If Action Commands are successful during an attack, Mario will receive his targets’ items and badges (if they possess any). (4 BP)
Wrath’s Spirit: Mario will have an angry pose during battle. His attack will increase by 3, and he will be controlled by a rather unintelligent computer (to name an example of unintelligent behavior: the computer may have Mario jump on spiked enemies). The computer will only use standard Jump and Hammer attacks. Partners are still Human-controlled. (8 BP)
Items
You will find hundreds of various items in the adventure. Some can be found on the ground, some can be found in ? blocks, some can be purchased from shops, and some will be given to you by other characters. Items can be used to increase stats, attack enemies, defend your party, among other things. Some are usable on the field, though others are restricted to battles. You can only carry 10 items at once (though collecting certain badges may increase the maximum amount of items you can carry). If you grab one item too many, you will be forced to drop it or discard one of the items you are already carrying. Your items can be viewed from the pause menu (click up on the D-pad for quick access).
Recipes
Recipes are special items that can be cooked up by Spice E. Recipe items usually contain more power than average items. Bring items to Spice E. in order to have them baked into recipes.
Important Items
Important items have greater purpose. They will be needed to progress through the game, as well as finish some sidequests. Important items can only be used where they are needed, and cannot be dropped.
The laptop is an important item which you will start out with in the beginning of your adventure. You can use it for receiving and sending mail, as well as for checking websites or just typing anything that comes to mind in a word document.
A notable important item you may find while on your adventure is the Star Piece. There are dozens of them, often given as rewards for completion of sidequests. They can be traded for badges with Fascino.
Books also constitute as important items. They can provide interesting reads which may actually inform you of significant things you may encounter on your adventure or otherwise just make for entertaining short stories. You may find books lying around while on your adventure, and you can check out up to one from Phrost City’s library as well; you must return a book before you can check out another. Just as a recommendation for entertainment, a particularly interesting book tells of a planet which held psychokinetic power and later shattered to pieces.
On the Field
You will spend most of your adventure on the field, where you will perform most of your non-battle related actions in the adventure. You will talk to characters, solve puzzles, and defeat other challenges in order to progress through your quest. Here are a few things and places you will encounter frequently on the field:
Pipes: When you enter one, you will be transported to another area from the other end of the pipe. To enter one, you must stand on or against the pipe’s entryway, and tilt the control stick in the direction that it is going (for example, if the pipe is heading downward, tilt the control stick down).
Spring Boards: When you land on one of these, you will be launched upward.
? Blocks: A yellow block with a “?” on it. When you hit one, its contents will pop out, and the “?” on the block will vanish (as an indicator that you’ve hit it). Many float, and therefore must be hit by jumping underneath them. Others may be on the ground and can be hit with the hammer or some other ability.
Badge Blocks: A pink “?” block. These contain badges. Hit one to knock its badge out from it.
Power Star Blocks: Hit one to collect its Power Star. A Power Star can be traded to Merlon for partner upgrades.
Treasure Chest: Press A when standing in front of one to open it. Chests will usually contain an item, important item, badge, or occasionally something unpleasant.
Yellow Blocks: A large yellow block with little dot eyes. These usually block pathways. Destroy them with the hammer.
Stone Blocks: Similar to the yellow blocks, but gray. They must be destroyed with the Super Hammer or something more powerful.
Metal Blocks: Similar to the yellow blocks, but pink. They must be destroyed with the Ultra Hammer.
Large Block: A massively sized yellow block. They must be destroyed with a Super Slam or something more powerful.
Red Cylinder: Similar to the blocks in that they get in your way. Their appearance is that of a large red cylinder with little dot eyes. They must be destroyed with the Spin Hammer ability.
Wood Panel: These usually cover passages to underground. Destroy them with a Spin Jump or something more powerful.
Metal Panel: Similar to the wood panels, but silver. They must be destroyed by Spin Jumping from a high location such as when you are high mid-air after performing a Helicopter Jump.
Flip Panel: These are not easy to spot, as they match the appearance of the ground. If you pound the ground near one, it will give a slight bounce. In order to flip one, you must hit it with a Spin Jump or hammer. It will flip a Star Piece from beneath itself.
Heart Blocks: When you hit one, all of your HP and FP will be recovered. It will cost you 5 coins, however.
Save Blocks: Hit one and you will be given the option to save your game. When you return to the game after quitting or getting a game over, you will continue from the Save Block you hit last.
Shops: There is a shop in every town. In the shop, you can buy items with coins, sell items for coins, put items into storage, or claim items from storage. Some shops also do the same job for badges instead.
Inns: There is an inn in every town. Pay 10 coins to spend the night. Doing so will recover all of your HP, FP and Meteor Power (MP).
Battling
When you make contact with an enemy, a battle will begin. In battles, you and your foes will take turns performing battle-related actions. If you begin the battle with a “First Strike”, you will cause damage to your foes before your initial turn. You can perform a First Strike by hitting your foe outside of battle with a jump, the hammer, or a partner’s field ability. Also, beware of your enemies when outside of battle, as they can perform a First Strike on you with one of their attacks as well.
Keep an eye on your stats during your battles; you need HP to stay alive (you get a game over if Mario dies!), FP to use some abilities, and BP to apply most badges. You start the game with 10 HP, 5 FP and 3 BP; partners start out with 10 HP and share your FP and BP.
Your turn is usually the first in a battle. On your turn, you will be able to use one of the battle commands listed below.
Tactics:
-Swap Partner: Select a different partner to replace the one currently alongside you.
-Appeal: Turn the audience to your favor to replenish Meteor Power.
-Defend: Move into a defensive position to reduce the amount of damage you will receive during the enemy’s next turn.
-Do Nothing: Self-explanatory.
-Run Away: Attempt to escape the battle. A horizontal gauge will appear, which you must fill with light by rapidly pressing A, while an arrow above moves left and right. If the arrow is pointing toward a filled section when time is up, your escape will be successful.
Items: Use one of your items.
Jump: Perform a Jump attack. Some badges will make available more kinds of jumping attacks.
Hammer: Perform a Hammer attack. Some badges will make available more kinds of hammering attacks.
Shapes: Attack with one of your saved Shape forms. The amount of damage one will cause, which enemies it can harm, and how much FP the usage of it will cost depends on the size, weight, and shape of the form you select.
Special: Every time you recover a Meteor Shard, you will receive a new special ability. Usage of special abilities will deplete your Meteor Power.
Here is a list of the special abilities:
Refreshing Refection: Recovers your HP and FP. Heart and Flower icons will zip across the screen and a targeting circle will appear. Aim the Wii Remote at the screen to move the circle and press A to collect anything within the circle. Beware of Poison Mushroom icons, as they will prevent you from shooting other icons for a few seconds. This ability costs 1 MP.
Stamina Step-Up: Increases your attack and defense. Two long horizontal gauges with circles will appear on the screen. Each will have its own light moving from the left end of the gauge to the right end. Press A when the light of the top gauge moves through a circle and press B when the light of the bottom one does. The ability will conclude when you miss a circle or press a button at the incorrect time. For every successful button press for the top gauge, your party’s attack will increase by 1. For every successful button press for the bottom gauge, your party’s defense will increase by 1. The increase will last for 3 turns. This ability costs 2 MP.
Mean Beam: A star will appear on the screen and float about for a few moments. Aim your Wii Remote at the screen to move your targeting circle. Press A as many times as you can when the star is within the circle. After the star vanishes, an energy beam will blaze across the screen and damage your foes. The amount of damage dealt depends upon the amount of times you pressed A when the star was in the targeting circle. This ability costs 3 MP.
Gut Cutback: Decreases foes’ attack and defense. Two random button icons will appear on the screen. You will have two seconds to press both simultaneously. If successful, you will be given another button combination to press. For every four successful button presses, your foes will have another turn in which their attack and defense is decreased by one fourth of what it originally was. Decimal stats will round down, thereby making it possible for a foe’s attack and defense to decrease to 0. If this occurs, no more power will deplete upon future usage of the ability. This special ability costs 3 MP.
Snafu Flu: Causes status effects for you and your enemies. An icon of a random status effect will appear on the screen for two seconds before it disappears and another random icon appears. Press A to apply the effect for your party (whether it is Mario or a partner will be randomly selected by the computer), or press B and it will be applied to a foe (which foe it is applied to will be randomly selected by the computer). Status effects may be either beneficial or detrimental, so be careful of which effect you apply to whom. A status effect will only last for 1 turn. If an affected battler received multiple effects, then the next effect will commence after the previous finishes. This special ability costs 4 MP.
Betterment Banquet: Increases your HP and FP. Similarly to the Refreshing Refection, you must aim the Wii Remote at the screen to move a targeting circle as icons zip across the screen. This time, you must press A and B simultaneously to collect an icon. There are no Poison Mushroom icons this time, and there are larger HP and FP icons that can increase HP and FP by 5 each. This special ability costs 5 MP.
Abocalipse: A small star will rapidly vanish and reappear across the screen for a few moments. You must aim the Wii Remote at the screen, move the targeting circle over the star, and press A. You must be quick to click before the star disappears. An attack will commence afterward: a large meteor will crash onto the screen, dealing heavy damage to your foes. The amount of damage inflicted depends upon the amount of successful shots from the Wii Remote on the star. This special ability costs 6 MP.
For each Meteor Shard you collect, you will receive a new special ability and your maximum MP will increase by 1.
Your partner will start his turn after yours has finished. If your turn has not finished yet, you can switch the order of your turn and your partner’s by pressing Z. During your partner’s turn, he will be able use one of the commands listed below.
Tactics:
-Swap Partner: Select a different partner to replace the one you are currently playing as.
-Appeal: Turn the audience to your favor to replenish Meteor Power.
-Defend: Move into a defensive position to reduce the amount of damage you will receive during the enemy’s next turn.
-Do Nothing: Self-explanatory.
Items: Use one of your items.
Attacks: Use one of your attacks.
Merlon can upgrade your partners. An upgrade will increase the selected partner’s maximum HP by 5, double his attack power as well as give him an additional ability. After delivering a certain important item to him, Merlon can upgrade already-upgraded partners again, further increasing the selected partner’s maximum HP by an additional 5 points, increasing his attack power to three times half of the number it currently is, and giving him one more ability. A partner’s first upgrade is his “Super” upgrade, and his second is his “Ultra” upgrade.
Your foes’ turns will be next. A foe usually performs one of its regular abilities. If it possess an item, it may use the item in battle against you, or for itself or a fellow foe. If a foe possesses a badge, the effects of the badge will apply to the foe possessing it. After all of the foes’ turns have finished, you will start a new turn, and the cycle will repeat.
In the midst of battle, your, your partner’s or a foe’s status may be affected for the better or worse. Here is a list of status effects:
Allergic: Prevents being affected by another status effect.
ATK Down: Lowers attack power.
ATK Up: Raises attack power.
Burn: Causes damage for the victim at the end of every turn, lowers defense.
Charge: Raises attack power for the next attack.
Confused: Causes victim to perform incorrect commands.
DEF Down: Lowers defense.
DEF Up: Raises defense.
Dizzy: Lowers the accuracy of commands.
Dodgy: Allows the affected to avoid most attacks.
Electrified: Causes damage to a battler who uses a physical attack against the affected.
Fast: Allows the affected to perform two commands per turn.
Frozen: Prevents the victim from performing commands.
Gradual HP: Recovers HP gradually.
Gradual FP: Recovers FP gradually.
Invisible: Allows the affected to avoid all attacks.
Paralysis: Prevents the victim from performing commands.
Parasite: Causes the victim to lose FP at the end of every turn.
Poison: Causes damage for the victim at the end of every turn.
Sleepy: Prevents the victim from performing commands. The effect will end when the victim becomes attacked.
Slow: Forces the affected to perform actions every other turn.
During battle, you can increase the damage you cause by using “Action Commands”. These are performed by moving the control stick and pressing buttons in certain ways. Instructions on which way to move the control stick or press the buttons will appear while you are performing one of your abilities. If Action Commands are successful, a “Nice!” will appear above your target. Success in Action Command increases the success in the attack, and often doubles or triples (depending on how upgraded you are) its usual power. Action Commands can also be used for defense. Pressing A just before a foe hits you will decrease the amount of damage you receive by 1 point. Press B right as a foe hits you to prevent any damage from being taken and cause 1 point of damage for your attacker. Timing must be very precise. Defending yourself against status-ailing attacks may also decrease the amount of turns the effects last.
When you perform an Action Command very successfully, a small icon will appear next to your Meteor Power gauge. If you have two matching icons and successfully perform a third Action Command, you will be allowed to play the Bingo! Roulette. Match the third icon by stopping the roulette with the A button. If the three icons are a match, you will receive something, depending on what they are a match of. Three mushrooms will recover all of your HP, three flowers will recover all of your FP, three Meteor Shards will recover all of your Meteor Power, three stars will recover all of your HP, FP and MP, and three poison mushrooms will decrease your HP, FP, and MP by half.
Every battle is set in front of an audience. The more excited the crowd is, the more your Meteor Power will be replenished. Successful Action Commands will excite the crowd and draw in more spectators. Failed Action Commands will result in a disappointed crowd and possibly the departure of some of the spectators. Occasionally, a spectator will have something to throw to or at you. When this occurs, the Z button will appear below you. Pressing Z will cause you to attack the spectator. This should be performed when the spectator intends to throw something harmful toward you. If the spectator is holding something helpful, ignore the Z button. You can also get the crowd more excited by performing “Stylish” moves - pressing the A button at a precise time during the attack.
At the end of a battle, you will receive star points (SP) for all of the foes you have defeated. When you have 100 star points, you will level up by 1. In a level up, your HP, FP and Meteor Power will be completely replenished, and you will have the option of increasing your maximum HP, FP or BP by 5. As your level increases during your adventure, weaker foes will give less SP upon being defeated.
Areas
Your adventure takes place in what is known as the Phrost City territory. You will visit the territory’s many locations throughout your adventure. Major areas will be labeled on your map as you visit them.
Phrost City: A large city, the central location of the Phrost City territory, where you will access many of the regions you visit in your adventure. Irregularly from the surrounding regions of the territory, Phrost City has a very cold climate and is usually strewn in ice.
Phrost Crater: The site of where a meteor crashed into the earth near Phrost City long ago. The crater is said to possess a mystical energy.
Phrost Sewers: The city’s sewers are a large labyrinth of frozen sewage and pipes. In the depths, you will find many passages to new areas.
Secluded Swamp: A large, ferocious swampland west of the city. The swamp and its inhabitants are largely ignored by the rest of the Phrost City territory.
Murky Outpost: A small settlement within the Secluded Swamp. Most of its residents were driven out of the city by poverty.
Peril Isle: A large inhabited tropical island in the ocean southwest of the city. It features a jungle and an active volcano, as well as resorts for vacationers. (The “Peril Isle” label on your map mainly refers to the island’s non-volcanic regions such as the resorts and jungle.)
Ember Alp: Peril Isle’s volcano, which stands from the island’s west side. It is known for frequent eruptions which often result in the island’s residents’ evacuation from the island.
Charcoal Chamber: Ember Alp’s boiling interior. It is off-limits to unauthorized personnel and is largely unexplored.
Eerie Grounds: A vast cemetery that lies in between the city and the swamp. It has been unused for many years and is visited rarely.
Uncanny Crypt: This crypt lies within the Eerie Grounds, its entry sealed. It is said to be the resting place of many medieval royalties.
Starman 1985: This space station resides above the Phrost City territory. It serves as an extraterrestrial research laboratory as well as a base for the Phrost City territory’s Space Patrol force.
Sector DK-81: The region in space where Starman 1985 resides.
Factory X: A mysterious factory, well-hidden, its inner workings virtually unknown.
Weird World: Cheesy surfaces, giant sand buckets, giant floating candy canes, vegetable oil rivers, shampoo clouds, and occasionally inexplicable laughter roaring from the skies. Things don’t get much weirder than this!
Biggs Laboratory: An underground laboratory built by Mr. Biggs, from within he conducts various experiments.
Biggs Tower: An underground tower connected to the Biggs Laboratory. It is Mr. Biggs’s primary lair.
Chapters
A transport ship brings Mario (you) to Phrost City, and the adventure begins.
Little of the city will be available to you at first, however, you will gain access to more of its areas as you progress through your adventure. Throughout the city are three item shops, one badge shop, and three inns. Other notable locations within the city include the port where your adventure begins, a library, a movie studio, a theater, a spaceship launch site, and a clock tower. Less notable locations are various residences (occupied and vacant), restaurants and pubs. The city’s environment is cold, featuring ice sprinkling the streets and tall buildings as well as slippery surfaces to be wary of. Occasionally, the city will have sleety weather.
Shortly into your adventure, you hit a dead end in an alley. As you turn to leave, a rodent in a hovering vehicle emerges from the exit. The rodent immediately introduces himself as Mr. Biggs, the perpetrator behind the Princess’s disappearance, and proves it by remotely bringing a smaller hovering vehicle in which the Princess is being held. Mario jumps into action, starting a very short-lived battle which mainly serves for the Princess to remind Mario of how to use his various commands. Your efforts to damage Mr. Biggs’s durable vehicle prove to be futile, and the battle ends.
Mr. Biggs assures that the Princess will be in good care as he holds her prisoner. He tells you that you will soon be off on a new adventure in which you will collect objects known as the Meteor Shards. Mr. Biggs shows you that he has already found one and tells you that you must collect six remaining ones, promising to release the Princess after you have brought them to him. Mario reluctantly agrees to his terms. Mr. Biggs instructs you to head northward for Phrost Crater; access to it has been closed off by officials, though Mr. Biggs knows of a passage you can take. The two of you head there.
In appearance, the crater is small and circular, made up of sparkling, light sea green-colored stone. At its center is a mound which emanates strong energy. When Mario approaches the mound, he receives from it a telepathic message of sorts:
“The key to great power lies within our reunion.”
Mario also receives a feeling which incites him to focus on a location on his map: Secluded Swamp. Mr. Biggs informs Mario that the Phrost Crater was created by a meteorite which is said to have held psychokinetic powers and that, upon impact, the meteorite shattered into seven shards which scattered across the territory. Mr. Biggs considers himself lucky to have found one of the shards. He claims that he did not receive the message that Mario received from the mound and states his belief that the crater’s energy is attempting to tell Mario that one of the shards is at Secluded Swamp. He speculates that the combined energy of the shards may be able to lead Mario to new shard locations. However, he refuses to allow his own shard to be used, for reasons which he will not state. Mario also asks (silently, as Mario never talks aloud,) why he wants the shards, to which he responds that he seeks the great power promised in reforming the meteorite and believes that it can be used to improve the world.
Upon returning to the city, Mr. Biggs tells you that he will be holding the Princess in an abandoned apartment near the alley you fought at earlier, and departs. As you are no doubt uncertain of how to reach the swamp, you go into a pub in search of information (as Mr. Biggs doesn’t give you any valuable information). In the pub, the individuals generally only have meager information to offer - that is until you meet a middle-aged Goomba sitting alone at a booth in a dark corner. Seemingly glum, he introduces himself as Goomburt, and lightens up when he recognizes Mario. Goomburt is very knowledgeable about things in the world and demonstrates this by guessing Mario is on an important quest as Mario often is. As the two become acquainted, Mario tells Goomburt of his present predicament, and Goomburt insists on joining the quest, telling you that his wisdom will be of great use and that his age is no hinder. Mario agrees, and Goomburt joins the party. He tells you that he once worked in Phrost Sewers and that there is a pipe leading to the swamp somewhere inside. He also informs you that one of his co-workers dropped an item in the sewers: something which will be of great use. With that, he reveals a pipe outside which leads underground.
Phrost Sewers is a series of dim, misty, grungy tunnels with frost seeping from the surface. Shady characters and illicit businesses are hidden in the depths, and unfriendly types lurk about. Obstacles block off passage through much of the sewers; Goomburt directs you through an accessible path. You eventually stumble into a crevice in which you find an old chest, inside it the Creative Glove. You use your newfound tool to return to the top, where you are ambushed by a Feeble Bandit: a short battle ensues. Afterward, you can use your new tool to reach a few new rooms as well as a pipe which leads to Secluded Swamp.
Chapter One
Secluded Swamp is vast with crooked trees towering over its muddy waters; leaves and overgrown plants floating atop, and fallen tree trunks lying in the depths. The weather is often foggy and occasionally rainy. Many ferocious foes crawl through the swamp: perhaps the most sly is the Nibbles, a metallic fish which chomps at whatever steps into the waters. You have a brief journey through the vile tracts before reaching civilization.
Murky Outpost is small, made up of a few huts: among them an item shop and an inn. When you arrive, the residents greet you coolly. From asking the settlers, you will learn how Murky Outpost became founded: Some time ago, the residents lived in Phrost City until they were driven out by poverty and forced to move into the swamp; many from the outpost’s younger generation were raised in the swamp. Little has been scouted out, mainly due to the dangerous and otherwise seemingly uncrossable terrains ahead: there is a stream near the outpost, blocking passage to the rest of the swamp; a blue switch has been spotted on the other side of the stream, but a projectile is needed to hit it.
You head out to view the blue switch and become ambushed by a Grand Fuzzy from a group of trees. After defeating the creature, you may head onward to see the switch (or you can skip this part and return to Murky Outpost early). Back in the village, Mario spots a group of adolescents: a single engages in a needless fight with a group of others. Mario breaks up the fight and takes the single, a Koopa Troopa named Koopy, aside to talk. Koopy states that fighting is what he has learned to do to survive and tells his story: He was born to a poor family; the house they were renting was eventually sold, and they subsequently were kicked out, driven to the swamp with many other poor folk; shortly thereafter, his parents were killed by the pernicious elements of the swamp, and Koopy spent the rest of his life without any true parental figures.
After finishing, Koopy becomes curious as to who Mario is and how he ended up in Murky Outpost. Mario informs him of his own tale, and Koopy becomes interested and sets his mind on journeying out of the village with Mario, insisting that he will be a help and can take care of himself. Mario agrees, and Koopy joins the party. You head onward for the blue switch, and Koopy uses his shell toss ability to hit it, opening a passage further into the swamp.
Secluded Swamp tests you with puzzles and foes: you make use of your various tools and partners’ abilities in your journey. You eventually stumble upon a sight of death: Dull Bones scattered about a series of islets in a particularly watery locale. Goomburt suspects that they were explorers before having their flesh was eaten by something carnivorous from the depths. You soon become forced into battle with a Red Bones and its companions. Afterward, shortly into your continuing trek, a large fish-like monster bursts from the depths, nearly swallowing you, and pursues you as you hurry across the islets. Upon reaching a seeming dead end near a patch of bushes, a Bob-omb emerges from them, separating them into an opening, and you barely escape through.
The Bob-omb introduces himself as Bombore and warns the party to be cautious of the swamp and its inhabitants: particularly the beast they just escaped, a nasty frequent he claims to have encountered many times. Bombore invites you to a small hut he lives in and explains that he had exiled himself to the swamp in an effort of self-discovery; he has lived in it for many years. Though he has not seen the Meteor Shard, he has experience in traversing the terrains ahead. Mario requests Bombore to join the party as a guide through the swamp, and Bombore agrees.
As you journey through the rest of the swamp, you face its most difficult challenges: Bombore’s abilities are essential in getting through. You eventually find the Meteor Shard, which is resting on a clump of leaves floating on the water. As you are about to collect it, the Bog Beast reemerges, swallowing the Meteor Shard, effectively increasing its own power with it. You have a showdown with the monster. After defeating the beast, it spits the shard out and cowers back into the depths below, never to harass you again. You collect the Meteor Shard, and it delivers a familiar telepathic message:
“The key to great power lies in our reunion.”
End of chapter.
Across the water is a mound of land with one final puzzle involving a blue switch. Using a row of tree trunks, you cross over the water, complete the puzzle, and hit the blue switch, causing the emergence of a pipe which leads to Murky Outpost. Once there, Koopy questions the importance of keeping the Meteor Shard and persuades Mario to give it to the denizens of the outpost for their own benefits. Goomburt asserts that the Meteor Shard is for rescuing the Princess and warns Koopy not to cross over any lines with Mario, at risk of being left behind. Koopy complies. Also, Bombore expresses that he would like to join in the rest of the adventure, believing it will bring him further in his own personal journey. With that, you head back for the pipe to Phrost Sewers.
In the sewers, you spot a crack in a wall, and Goomburt suggests that blowing it open may lead the party down a secret passage or some other location worthwhile. Bombore blows it open: the hole leads to a shortcut to Phrost Crater (or you could skip this and take the long route through the city). Once at the crater, the combined energy of the Meteor Shard and the crater telepathically incites Mario to head for another location on his map: Peril Isle (and you also hear the familiar “The key to great power lies in our reunion”). Upon returning to the city, you learn that the only ferry in the port heading for Peril Isle requires a ticket; it has already been sold. If you speak with bystanders, you will eventually learn from a penguin, the one who bought the ticket, that she dumped it into a nearby sewer grate after hearing of the island’s volcanic instability.
You cannot fit through the grate without the right shape-altering tool. Unless you have already further explored the main sewer and found the tool, then Goomburt suggests doing so. With Koopy’s and Bombore’s abilities, you will be able to further explore Phrost Sewers: a chest within the depths contains the Silver Scissors. After collecting them, a small battle with a Spiky Paragoomba and various other kinds of Goombas ensues. Back at the port, your new tool allows you to cut down in size and slip through the grate. After you find the ticket (and bounce back to the surface via springboard), you are allowed aboard the Peril Isle ferry, leading to…
Chapter Two
En route toward the Peril Isle resorts, the ferry becomes damaged by strong waves and starts to drift toward the volcanic region. While the ferry’s captain escapes with a tube, your party becomes knocked out by the waves. You awaken to find to find that the ferry, irreparably damaged, has drifted to Ember Alp. There, the party discovers a military force stationed. Among the force is a Paratroopa referred to simply as the Captain; he advises the party to wait with the force until a rescue ship arrives. Having little regard for authority, Koopy pushes for the party to take the route of the jungle to the resorts, and Mario agrees. The Captain reluctantly joins the party, stating that he will “escort” you to the resorts.
The jungle is lush with greenery, shaded by tall trees with brisk sunlight shining through the leaves. There are pits, often full of spikes, and roaming foes to beware of. You make use of the Captain’s abilities in your journey through to the resorts. Upon reaching them, you inadvertently walk through a string attached between two trees, causing a bucket of ink from above to spill on you. Snickering from the bushes, the perpetrator behind this practical joke reveals himself as a Blooper named Bloopz : a local apparently known for pulling nasty pranks on unsuspecting individuals. He scurries back into the jungle before the you can catch him.
The resorts are set near a sandy white beach with tall palm trees; a bright sun glistens over the blue ocean. The resorts are composed of an item shop, an expensive badge shop, a hotel (which functions similarly to an inn, but more fancily) a sunglass parlor (where you can borrow a pair of sunglasses which will darken the screen), a restaurant, and a small port from where you can leave the island via ferry (you will be given a permanent ticket forth and back to the resorts by your former ferry captain as a refund for the earlier ferry wreckage; though the ferries are not ready for further usage yet) as well as a few other, less notable locations.
After you finish visiting the port, Bombore notes that the Captain seems troubled and persuades him to explain his distress. The Captain reveals that he was formerly the captain of a team of Paratroopa soldiers; a military force (which included his team) was under orders to keep safe a group of scientists researching Ember Alp and its eruptive nature; at some point, the Captain misguided his own team, leading to a horrific fate for his men and the scientists; the Captain has since been left on duty for the remainder of the Peril Isle mission, but is slated to be relieved of his military position upon returning to the mainland. Mario informs him of the party’s own tale; afterward, the Captain receives an order (through a walkie-talkie) to leave the island now that he is in range of transport; instead, the Captain decides to divulge to the party that the military force on Peril Isle had also received orders to collect a mystical energy source emanating from the volcano’s magma chamber for research, though the military’s efforts were halted by an unknown force from within. Deducing that the energy source is connected to the Meteor Shard, Mario asks the Captain to join their cause, and he agrees.
The Captain orders the evacuation of the island. As you sneak away from the fleeing crowds and back into the jungle, Bloopz reemerges and follows you with intent of pulling another practical joke; however, you catch him before he can do so. The Captain refuses to allow Bloopz to leave the party’s sight, as Bloopz’s knowledge of what the party is doing could compromise their efforts to reach Ember Alp without the authorities knowing. Bloopz responds positively to being brought along for the “ride” and effectively joins the party. The Captain explains that the military force will likely close off passage to Ember Alp from their base before evacuating, and therefore the party will need to find an alternate route through the jungle instead of the one they took from the base. Bloopz suggests taking a route through a different section of the jungle; he opens a hidden path through a pair of bushes.
The new section of the jungle is full of rivers and waterfalls; you make use of swinging vines as well as Bloopz’s abilities in traversing the waters. You solve new puzzles and face new foes; many of the foes are aquatic: the most ferocious of them is a Bulky Blooper which erupts from the waters when you near the end of your jungle journey. After defeating the creature, you continue onward, arriving at Ember Alp. The mountain is tall and rocky: in its higher regions, you can get a nice view of the island; your ascent is met with new challenges and foes. As you near the entrance into the mountain, a Mega Mole bursts from the mountain’s surface, and a battle ensues. Afterward, you enter Ember Alp’s interior, Charcoal Chamber: puffs of smoke emit from its boiling magmas; its glowing flames light the charred caverns; fiery fiends roam through; charred platforms are used to hop across pools of magma; spinning fire bars are set throughout.
An ominous voice continually warns you to leave; the party ignores it. You make use of all your latest abilities as you face the chapter’s most difficult challenges. You eventually reach the source of the ominous voice: a reptilian sorcerer named Magimo; enraged by the party’s presence, he explains that he found the Meteor Shard many years ago; he took it into the volcano and used its power to turn the volcano into his own personal hot tub; he reveals that he has caused many of the eruptions, attempting to drive people from the island, and is responsible for the forces which convinced others from venturing into the volcano. He refuses to give up the Meteor Shard, and so a battle ensues. After defeating him, you obtain the second Meteor Shard.
“The key to great power lies in our reunion.”
End of chapter.
Magimo opens a pipe near by and escapes into it. You follow him through and arrive at the resorts; there, the military forces have returned, and are informed by the Captain of the situation; Magimo is captured and turned over to the authorities. Your assist in finding the volcanic eruptions’ source earns the Captain a pardon for his ordering the island’s evacuation; still pained by his past failures, the Captain decides to remain in the party for the duration of your quest, hoping that he may eventually be killed in battle. You take a (now available) ferry back to the city and use the newfound Meteor Shard at the crater; you learn that the next location is Eerie Grounds (you also receive the “The key to great power lies in our reunion” message again.)
The abilities offered by the Captain and Bloopz bring you further through the sewers and to a battle with a Pipe Piranha, however, your path to Eerie Grounds is eventually blocked, and a large flat switch must be stomped in order to continue. In the city, you participate in a sliding race against a large penguin; after winning, Mario is rewarded by the penguin with the Super Boots. Back in the sewers, you use the new boots to stomp the switch, opening a passageway to a pipe which leads to…
Chapter Three
Eerie Grounds is massive, barren, dusty, silent and empty of other characters (friendly and fiendish); dozens of rusted gravestones are spread throughout; multitudes of dead and dying trees surround the cemetery; the sky is dim. Deep in the cemetery is a large, gray crypt: its door has three locks. Goomburt recalls the tales of the Eerie Grounds and Uncanny Crypt: In medieval times, a prince was murdered in a group of robbers’ (failed) attempt to steal a precious jewel he possessed; the prince was buried inside Uncanny Crypt; as the tale goes, whoever opens the doorway to the crypt would only find terror. Goomburt presumes that the crypt before them is Uncanny Crypt; Koopy says that he is prepared for anything and insists on going into the crypt to search for the Meteor Shard. You explore the massive graveyard, searching through tombs and completing puzzles in search of the three keys which unlock Uncanny Crypt’s doorway. After finding them, you unlock the crypt’s door: horror becomes unleashed.
A mob of spirits erupts from the crypt and spreads across the grounds. Koopy marches into the crypt while a pack of Stormy Specters grab the rest of the party; afterward, the specters pursue Koopy into the crypt. He stands unfrightened against them, so they call out to him in his parents’ voices: horrified, he mindlessly runs through the crypt in a panic until he becomes lost in one of the rooms and regains his senses. Koopy scrapes up his courage and decides to find the party on his own. You take control of Koopy temporarily: his only field abilities are walking and his usual shell toss (and conveniently, the crypt is full of ground save blocks which Koopy can hit with his shell); he must fight battles alone, though he can run away from them. The crypt is webby and musty; the rooms are lit by ghostly torches. During your search for the party, you find an engraving on a wall: an inscription which states that a group of powerful spirits hold a tool which will aid in successfully conquering the Prince (you may also find other inscriptions which tell of events of the Prince’s time period as well as give hints and clues to finding hidden passages in the crypt and cemetery.)
You find each party member in a different room; the specters have set up a different puzzle for you to solve for each one. After a party member is rescued, he leaves to meet up with the rest of the group elsewhere in the crypt; after all of the party is reunited, your control is returned to Mario, and a battle with a Dark Bones ensues. Afterward, Koopy tells the group of the inscription he read, and the party decides to head back and search for the tool-holding spirits in the cemetery. The cemetery is now overrun with bustling spirits; friendly Boos have set up a shop and an inn for your usage. You eventually locate the Stormy Specters who captured the party earlier; they are also the same ones spoken of in the inscription. They form one last puzzle for you to solve as they attempt to frighten and separate the party again; after you solve it, you battle them; after you defeat them, they drop a chest; you open it and receive the Super Hammer.
Using the newfound weapon, you are able to smash blocks within Uncanny Crypt and find further passage through. You make use of your abilities as you face the crypt’s most difficult challenges and delve more deeply through. At the bottom of the crypt is the Prince’s tomb: his spirit emerges and hostilely tells you that he and his people have spent the past centuries sleeping in the crypt; they have now been awakened to protect the Prince’s precious jewel from all trespassers and grave robbers. A battle ensues; after you defeat him, he becomes amazed and admits you worthy of taking his jewel; with that, he returns to his slumber. You open his tomb and find in the hands of his corpse, the jewel: it is none other than the Meteor Shard.
“The key to great power lies in our reunion.”
End of chapter.
A pipe appears: it brings you back to the entrance of Eerie Grounds. (Oddly enough, none of the riotous spirits have returned to their slumber despite their Prince having done so.) You return to Phrost Crater: (the familiar message, “The key to great power lies in our reunion,” is heard again) Mario is given the next location to visit: the outer space above the Phrost City territory, known as the DK-81 Sector. Goomburt states that a space station, Starman 1985, lies within this sector and wonders if the Meteor Shard has somehow ended up there.
Back in the city, you locate the spaceship launch site; a spaceship is scheduled to launch soon, however, the cold temperatures of the city have frozen the spaceship’s engine. Mario offers to the crew to help start the ship up, and is brought to the engine room. You use the Super Hammer on the engines a few times, effectively firing them up. You are allowed free passage to the station any time as a thanks from the crew. You enter the passenger room, and the spaceship launches.
Chapter Four
The spaceship docks in the east side of Starman 1985. The station is oval-shaped with two levels; it is mostly made of aluminum; the floor is emerald tiled and illuminated by lights underneath; there is a rest area and a store. You are taken on a brief tour of the station and eventually brought to its zoological holding cells in the station’s middle section, where the station’s head scientist is displaying creatures, including Jelestrials which are being energized and mutated by the Meteor Shard via a device constructed by the scientist; he informs that the Meteor Shard is causing an increase in the power of the Jelestrials’ abilities and believes that he is on the verge of making a propulsion in technology. Mario asks the scientist for the Meteor Shard, and the Captain warns against the dangers of using the it for experimentation; however, the scientist ignores them, even after Mario goes as far as to explain the Princess’s plight; the scientist says that he has no intention of giving it away, especially not until he has performed more research on it. The Space Patrol force aboard the station is of no assist, as it cannot legally take the Meteor Shard unless a significant danger has presented itself. Bombore suggests that the party will figure something out after taking a rest.
You are awoken by the sound of blaring alarms ordering evacuation of the station; however, upon arriving at the docks, you find that the ships have been crippled; you are stranded. A panic ensues: you follow the scientists as they flee through the station and take refuge in a small storage room; there, only the party and the scientists are accounted for; the station’s crew and the Space Patrol force are missing. The scientists suggest that any others survivors are likely on the station’s west side, as the power has been cut off in the station’s middle section. The head scientist explains that the evacuation was ordered because the creatures escaped their captivity and went on a rampage through the station; he further states that the Jelestrials are very clever: they must have figured out how to cut off the middle section’s power, most likely to separate the station’s passengers and make them easier for attack. The Captain proposes a plan to eject into space and float around to the west side in order to rescue the passengers stranded there.
Jelestrials and other escaped foes run berserk through the station as you make your way to an airlock at the station’s east end. There, you find hanging on a wall a protective spacesuit; you equip it and eject from the airlock. Throughout the pitch black of Sector DK-81, you sight many particles of dust speeding past; you float down from the station to a series of rocky, creviced asteroids: many of the smaller ones twist and turn, making them difficult to traverse; some move more quickly than others. Many foes wander them; you occasionally dodge meteor showers. In one of the larger, more stationary asteroids, you locate a chest containing the Extra Paper. This new tool aids as you head westward across the asteroids; when you reach the station’s west end, you enter through a ventilation shaft.
You search throughout the station’s east section and bring the scattered, injured Space Patrol together; the Captain takes charge of them and helps them to regain their fighting spirits. After the force is completely reunited, Geiger counter needles start swinging; the Jelestrials are attempting to unleash lethal radiation upon the group. While you are already wearing a protective suit, the Space Patrol is not; the Captain directs them through a passage and into a room with protective suits in time before lethal dosages contaminate the rooms. Afterward, you face the station’s most difficult puzzles and challenges as you find and rescue crewmen; they help to restore power throughout the station, clear out lethal radiation, and repair other significant damage caused by the Jelestrials; you are allowed to remove your suit after the radiation is cleared. After all power to the station has been restored, the Space Patrol manages to maintain control of the staggering Jelestrials, however, they are unable to find the pack’s leader, the Jelestrial Alpha.
At the holding cell area, the head scientist finally agrees that using the Meteor Shard to power up the creatures is too dangerous, and surrenders the Meteor Shard to the Space Patrol; shortly thereafter, the Jelestrial Alpha bursts into the room, swipes the Meteor Shard, and energizes itself with incredible power. A battle ensues; after you overpower the creature, the Space Patrol yields the Meteor Shard to the Captain.
“The key to great power lies in our reunion.”
End of chapter.
The Space Patrol gives salute to the Captain. The transport ships are repaired, and you head back for Phrost City. The scientists ponder as to how the Jelestrials escaped captivity; in a flashback sequence, Bombore is revealed to have secretly released the creatures and crippled the ships in effort to make the Space Patrol believe that the Meteor Shard had powered the creatures too greatly, leading to their escape, and therefore forcing the Space Patrol to confiscate the Meteor Shard. Upon returning to the crater, you learn of the new location to visit (as well as “The key to great power lies in our reunion.”) The new location is set in a clump of forestland slightly northeast of the city: Bombore identifies this as the location of the secretive Factory X, an urban legend (as noted by Goomburt).
Seemingly reluctantly, Bombore tells you how to get to the factory, however, he does not tell how he knows of it; he instructs you into a shady building in the city, where you must knock out an accountant Goomba with your hammer. Afterward, Bombore reads off the accountant’s computer a mysterious code and location within the sewers. (If you somehow already know of this information, you may skip the accountant assault sequence.) In the sewers, the tools which you have gained since your last visit allow you to further explore: you eventually reach a location with ceiling switches. Using the Extra Paper, you are able to extend upward and hit them. (If you looked at the code from the accountant’s computer, you should know the correct order in hitting the switches.) Afterward, a new pipe is revealed, which leads to…
Chapter Five
The factory is well-concealed by the forest; surrounding vegetation is corroded by pollution from what you will eventually learn to be underground smokestacks. Despite Bombore’s reluctance, you enter the factory and witness its secrets at work: sparks and smoke expel as kidnapped slaves are forced into harsh and dangerous labor, operating large machinery and gear; they are producing illegal mechanical products; brutal overseers use whips and other torture devices to keep the slaves working. You are soon captured by security; while being held captive, you sight a Bob-omb named Bombruze interrogating and torturing one of the factory’s employees in regards to mismanagement in product shipment. Afterward, Bombruze recognizes Bombore and contacts the factory chief, Unco.
Unco comes to the room and seems pleased to see Bombore as if he were an old friend, though Bombore is less than happy with their reunion; the two leave to speak privately; afterward, Bombore escorts you to the laborers and forces you to join them; he tells you this was the “safest” arrangement he could make. Mario questions how Bombore knows of the factory and its inhabitants. Bombore explains that he was once a favored enforcer within the factory, trained in dealing with pain and psychology for his job of brutalizing and interrogating, by any means necessary, any who were working unsatisfactorily; years ago, the factory was closed due to an incident which damaged much of the factory and killed many of its inhabitants; Bombore and other surviving workers were relieved of their duties and forced back into the real world; Bombore moved to Secluded Swamp in order to live in isolation, hoping to make peace with himself as he began to be pained for the evils he committed.
Bombore is surprised to see the factory running again; he has taken the job of enforcer again so that he can attempt to find out more of what’s going on, while you are forced to endure the pains of living under the whip of the factory. You spend your labor in Level 1 (the factory has 4 levels): you make use your abilities in order to operate machinery which powers mechanisms of the higher levels; you spend the little amount of rest you are allowed in a corner (which you may think of as a free inn of sorts); you form bonds with fellow slaves during work (while the overseers aren’t looking, of course.) Over time, Bombore learns that Unco’s interest in running the factory was renewed after a peculiar rodent gave him an unusual amulet which helped him in reorganizing and restarting the factory. Unco shows the amulet to Bombore: it is none other than the Meteor Shard. Bombore divulges this information to you, and then helps you and the other laborers to initiate a revolt against the factory crew.
You use the machinery you have previously worked with against your foes as well as to open further passage through the factory. Before leaving Level 1, you battle with a prototype robot, Mex 2.0. Afterward, you climb to Level 2: it heavily consists of machine presses, conveyor belts, and molten metals. You eventually find a chest which contains the Extra Weight, a tool which aids you through the rest of the level and your climb upward. The work in Level 3 mainly consists of robot construction. Partway through the level, you are confronted by Bombruze, and yet another battle ensues.
After defeating him, you continue onward through Level 3; it contains the factory’s most difficult puzzles and challenges. On Level 4, you explore Unco’s own personal workroom and living room before reaching a large room where he awaits you; Unco hops into a massive Mex Mega robot, and a battle ensues. After you defeat him, his machine explodes, and the fifth Meteor Shard drops to you.
“The key to great power lies in our reunion.”
End of chapter.
A near by switch opens a pipe back to the factory’s exterior. While the other laborers escape and start to spread the truth of Factory X to the outside world, you return to the crater. There, you receive the location of the next Meteor Shard: in the west of Secluded Swamp (you also hear, “The key to great power lies in our reunion” again.) You return to the swamp and use new tools and abilities gained since Chapter 1 to explore new regions and face new foes; in the west of the swamp, you eventually reach the location of a circle of strange statues. Using your various tools on them, you cause each statue to release a beam of energy, each of which conjoins to form a large bubble. When the bubble is finished, you hop into it.
Chapter Six
You emerge from a small bubble and behold the world before you: it is a bizarre place; the surface is made of cheese, the sky is teal-colored, the clouds are made of various hygiene products; it is full of random objects (often food products) of various sizes, and pools and rivers of vegetable oil; occasionally, the weather is rainy with purple raindrops; random phenomena (such as roaring laughter in the skies) occasionally occur as well. Bloopz becomes intrigued and engrossed in the world. There are no foes and only a few puzzles present as you make your way through. You eventually stumble upon a small, eccentric civilization: the people are known as Benevols, and they are blue and heart-shaped; they speak only one word per sentence. Your presence causes a ruckus among them, and they force you to take a strange test: you are brought into a building, and a large dummy is unexpectedly sprung forth; it becomes apparent that it was a test of the party members’ reactions; as Bloopz responded with amusement, the Benevols declare Bloopz to be the only passer of the test, and therefore, the king of the Benevols.
Bloopz responds positively to his new title. The Benevols are eager for him to see his new castle, so you head on toward it. The Benevols’ village is comprised mainly of blue, cube-shaped houses; there is an inn and an item shop. The castle itself is blue and small; after you enter, Bloopz asks the Benevols about the Meteor Shard; they do not seem to know much of it. The Captain grows frustrated with Bloopz’s light-hearted approach on the matter and begins to argue with him, causing a spectacle. The Benevols subsequently declare the Captain to be a lawbreaker for his overly serious tone and opposition to the king; they banish him from the kingdom, despite Bloopz’s insistence against it.
Bloopz and the rest of the party refuse to be parted with the Captain over such a trivial matter, so they join him in his exile. Outside of the Benevols’ region, you are met with more challenging puzzles and wandering foes: among them is the Chibbles, a chocolate chip variation of Nibbles which hides in the vegetable oil rivers. You travel across the rivers, climb floating candy canes and hop from clouds until reaching a new region. The denizens of this new region are known as the Malevols: they are red and pitchfork-shaped in appearance, and have a similar dialect to the Benevols. They declare Bloopz and the rest of the party to be outlaws due to Bloopz’s kinghood of the Benevols, so they capture you; you are brought before the Malevol Monarch, and you spot the Meteor Shard being worn by him as a necklace.
The Malevol Monarch sentences the party to be tomato-ed into “oblivion”; you are placed in a prison cell to wait until time for the sentence. While there, Bloopz comes to accept the reality that the world (either) is not completely jokes and fun; he confesses that he used to be more formal when he was younger, and he was often subject to practical jokes by his peers; so, as he grew older, he decided to appreciate lightheartedness, and eventually grew very fond of it. The Captain tells Bloopz that his experience on this journey with him has actually made himself more appreciative of humor and lightheartedness, but warns to approach a subject seriously when the situation calls for it, and urges Bloopz to stand up and fight against their captors. Bloopz conjures a plan to escape the cell, tricking one of the guards into opening the cell door, and the party escapes. As you run through the prison, you come under attack from the Malevols. You eventually find a chest containing the Ultra Boots, which aid in your escape from the prison.
As the Malevols block the way you came, you are forced to take an alternate route back to the Benevols’ region. Once you have returned, Bloopz iterates to the Benevols the Captain’s earlier words in the prison, convincing them to join in battle against the Malevols. Afterward, the two forces march out of their respective territories, meet in the area between their regions, and engage in battle: they fight by bombarding each other with various objects, sending bodies flinging across the battlefield. After struggling through the combating forces, you arrive back at the Malevols’ territory; the Malevol Monarch flees into his castle, and you are forced to find 2 keys hidden in the village in order to unlock the doors to the castle. The village is similar in appearance to the Benevols’ village, though it is mainly red in color; the village’s innkeeper and shopkeeper are unfriendly to you and prevent you from using their residences; you explore a few houses and complete a few of puzzles as you find the keys. After you unlock and enter the monarch’s castle, you complete a few final tests before reaching the Malevol Monarch, afterward which a battle ensues. After defeating him, you receive the sixth shard.
“The key to great power lies in our reunion.”
End of chapter.
A chocolate-coated pipe leads you back to the site of the battle; the Benevols have been victorious and overtaken the Malevols; Bloopz advises the Benevols to learn to fend for themselves and gives up his kingship. You return to the Secluded Swamp; near by the bubble leading to Weird World is a switch which can be reached by using the Ultra Boots, activating a pipe back to the sewers. (Additionally, you may also inform the outpost dwellers of the new world they can go to.) You return to Mr. Biggs’s apartment in the city to give him the shards, however, you find that he and the Princess have vanished. You then proceed to the crater, (“The key to great power lies in our reunion,”) and Mario is informed that the final shard is in the northwest location on his map, where there is seemingly nothing of note but some trees. In the city, the large penguin offers a more challenging race; after winning, you are rewarded by the penguin with the Ultra Hammer. Your new hammer and new boots allow you to discover in the sewers a few final areas as well as a pipe which leads you to…
Chapter Seven
You arrive outside of the entrance to Biggs Laboratory. The seemingly small entrance becomes much larger when you enter: you find a large staircase leading deep underground. The laboratory is five levels; you will descend them in your journey through. On Level 5 (the highest level), you discover a vast array of Mr. Biggs’s grotesque experiments: they are seemingly vegetative until you approach them, afterward which they come to life and spring toward you in attack. They are perhaps the most difficult foes of your adventure.
Partway through your journey, Goomburt collapses; you bring him into a near by medical room, where you manage to resuscitate him; Goomburt thanks you, but does not wish to discuss what happened to him. As you continue your journey, he eventually collapses again, and you resuscitate him once again; afterward, Mario convinces Goomburt to tell him the truth of what has been happening to him. Goomburt finally admits that he is not as fit for action as he would like to pretend: he reveals that before he joined the quest, he was diagnosed with a condition which would likely lead to his death in the near future; he further states that he had spent much of his life gaining knowledge of the world in hopes of being a grand adventurer, similarly to Mario, and was even once a plumber himself; however, he was never allowed to accomplish anything beyond that, anything truly great, mainly due to society’s view of Goombas being frail; this adventure is what he has been waiting to be on his entire life. Goomburt feels his condition worsening, and does not believe he will live for much longer. Wanting to finish the adventure, Goomburt presses Mario to carry on.
The laboratory is full of experimented foes, as well as computers and other electronics (some of which have been badly damaged by the rampant experiments); during your descent, you face the adventure’s most difficult puzzles and challenges; experimentation rooms often consist of ice, molten metals, or pools of water; another variation of the Nibbles, Nibblex, lurks the waters; you may think of the medical rooms as free inns. In Level 3, you discover the horrific experimentation performed on the Princess’s loyal retainer, Toad. You engage in a brief battle with “Toad-X”. At the end of Level 1, you cross over into Biggs Tower.
You spiral up the tower and face several more challenges; the experimented foes have found their way into the tower as well. In your ascent, you discover Mr. Biggs’s living areas, including an entire level devoted to various classic Nintendo games (which also proves that Mr. Biggs is a closeted gamer!) As you reach the 2nd-highest level, you find Mr. Biggs and the Princess, as well as a strange piece of paper. Mr. Biggs is short on discussion and makes no effort to explain his recent actions, instead dropping the seventh Meteor Shard behind the piece of paper. Mr. Biggs departs to the tower’s highest level with the Princess, as the paper forms into one of his most powerful experiments, the Reshaper. After defeating it, you collect the seventh and final shard.
“The key to great power lies in our reunion.”
End of chapter.
You reach the tower’s highest level, just as Mr. Biggs, with the Princess in tow, takes off in a rocket; the ceiling opens, making way to the surface. You hop in another rocket and launch out of the tower; you wreck it in Phrost City, where you find that the city has become overrun and terrorized by Mr. Biggs’s experiments in your absence; they have set up new objects blocking way through the regular passages of the city. You are forced to find new passages down the sewers and up through the buildings, facing your adventure’s final challenges; you eventually make your way to the top of the clock tower, where Mr. Biggs’s final force, the Ultimiserine, stands in the way of a console; after defeating the foe, you use the console to open passage back to the crater. Once there, the Meteor Shards and the energy emanating from the crater combines into one. The crater delivers a new message to Mario,
“We are reunited. The key unlocks the doorway to great power.”
Mr. Biggs arrives in his hovering vehicle, with the Princess trapped in her own; he refuses to fulfill his promise of freeing the Princess, and is excited to find that no new great power has been unveiled, claiming that things are just as he expected. Mario questions him as to his sudden twist in his intentions. Mr. Biggs explains that throughout his life, he has desired to change the world in the way he feels is best for it; he believed the only way to do this was with force and weaponry; he learned of and studied the legend of the Meteor Shards, and came to the conclusion that the “great power” promised could be used as the ultimate weapon in world domination; he also studied the history of the world in an attempt to find out what the great power was, and came to only one conclusion.
Mario is the great power. Mr. Biggs had studied the records of Mario’s adventures, and observed that Mario had unusual abilities and was often connected to mystical energies in his adventures; Mr. Biggs sent Mario on this latest adventure to collect all of the Meteor Shards, even forcing him to collect ones which he already found first in order to test Mario’s abilities; with Mario having survived through this long and perilous journey with all Meteor Shards intact, Mr. Biggs is now utterly convinced that Mario is the legendary weapon he has been seeking.
Mr. Biggs states that he intends to use Mario as his tool in his conquest of the world; as he anticipates, Mario defies him, so Mr. Biggs converts his hovering machine into a large anthropomorphic robot, and tells Mario that he will perfect him through discipline. The final boss battle ensues. After a rough, two-phase battle, Mr. Biggs is defeated once and for all.
The Princess is released from her hovering cell and has a heartfelt reunion with Mario. She thanks the entire party for their efforts.
A severely weakened Goomburt collapses to the ground. With his last breaths, he says, “Sound work, everyone.”
Shortly thereafter, a massive, unidentified flying object whirls down into view above the crater. A light sea green ray glows from the UFO as a tall, green Being floats down from it and collects the restored Meteor; the Meteor transforms into energy and beams up into the UFO. The Being gives the party a bow, and grabs Goomburt’s body as it rises back up into the UFO. The party and the Princess watch as the UFO departs.
The screen fades to Mario’s house. Mario finishes explaining his latest adventure to Luigi. Afterward, the two realize that it is time for them to go to a party, and they leave.
While they are on their way, you are shown a montage of where the rest of the party is now:
-Koopy and Bombore have started a company dedicated to helping the poor
-The Captain has a job as a physical education teacher at a school
-Bloopz has gained fame as a comedian on television
Mario and Luigi arrive at Yoshi’s Village on Lavalava Island. The Yoshis are holding large party in celebration of all great things in the world. Many guests have been invited, including Mario, Luigi, the Princess, and even Bowser. As night falls, Mario and the Princess sit on a beach and stare up into the stars.
Up in those stars, two shadowed figures, a tall one and a considerably shorter one, gaze out a window and upon the world.
By Axemblue4
Game Information
System: Wii
Story
Parakarry flew down to the Mario Brothers’ house, carrying a letter in his hand.
“Emergency mail call! Hurry!” he shouted.
Barely one second later, both brothers were dashing out of the house, and onto the dirt road in front. The Paratroopa handed the letter to Luigi. It was not folded, and looked as if it had been written in a hurry. Luigi read it aloud,
“URGENT - Please come to the Toad Town Port immediately! The Princess is gone! Help us, Master Mario! - Toadsworth”
~~~~
Upon arriving at Toad Town Port, Mario was met by Toadsworth and several Mushroom Retainers.
“Master Mario! Thank heavens you’re here. The Princess left on the Sea Stork ship just minutes ago. She was meant to be taken to Lavalava Island for a meeting with the Yoshi Council, but the Stork swerved in the wrong direction and eventually out of sight.”
“We’re told that the captain and most of the crew of the Sea Stork were not even at the port yet,” added one of the Mushroom Retainers.
“Perhaps someone else stole the ship and kidnapped the Princess. Oh dear! You must find her, Master Mario!”
Another Mushroom Retainer joined the group.
“The Phrost City authorities have reported that the Sea Stork was seen near the shores of the Phrost City territory!”
“It’s off to Phrost City, then, Master Mario. Hopefully, we can find out the meaning of this kidnapping and return the Princess safely back to the Mushroom Kingdom.”
Mario gave two jumps of acknowledgment, and then walked toward the docks. A new adventure had just begun.
Controls
(Main Game)
Control Stick: Move
A: Jump, Talk, Examine, Open
B: Hammer
Z: Party Member’s Ability
C: Spin Dash
D-Pad Up: View Items
D-Pad Left: View Party Members
D-Pad Down: View Journal
D-Pad Right: View Badges
1: Create New Shape
2: View Saved Shapes
-: Status Display (Displays HP, FP, coins, etc. in a bar at the top of screen)
+: Menu
(Shape Creating)
Motion Sensitivity: Move Glove/Scissors
Control Stick: Turn Mario
D-Pad Up / D-Pad Down: Zoom Forward and Backward
D-Pad Left / D-Pad Right: Move Camera Left and Right
A: Grab, Cut, Confirm Selection
B: Close Shape Creating Menu, Cancel Selection
(Menus)
Motion Sensitivity / Control Stick / D-Pad: Move Cursor
A: Confirm Selection
B: Previous Menu, Cancel Selection
Menu
Status: View your HP, FP, BP, coins, Star Pieces, play time, et cetera
Badges: View your badges, equip and un-equip them
Party Members: View information about and swap your Party Members
Items: View your items and important items, use items
Shapes: View and swap the shapes you have made
Journal: You get four more categories to choose from,
-Map: Map of the Phrost City territory
-Meteor Shards: View information about the Meteor Shards you have
-Tattle Info: View enemies that Goomburt has tattled on
-Recipes: View Spice E. recipes that have been made for you
Party Members
Goomburt
Description: A middle-aged Goomba with graying hair, a gray mustache, beard and eyebrows, as well as a celadon flat cap. Despite his age, he is quite active, and is eager to go on a perilous adventure with Mario to prove it. He has learned much during his life and will give you many words of wisdom over the course of your adventure.
Field Ability: Tattle - He will tell you about near by people, places, and things. That seems to be the only thing Goombas are good for, doesn’t it?
Attacks:
Head Bonk: Goomburt will jump up and slam his head onto a foe.
-DMG: 1 (Super: 2), (Ultra: 3)
-FP: 0
-Action Command: Press A as Goomburt hits the enemy.
Tattle: Goomburt will tell you information and stats about an enemy.
-DMG: 0
-FP: 0
-Action Command: A circle will form around every enemy, and a cursor will move across the screen. Press A when the cursor enters the circle of the enemy you want to learn about.
Multibonk: Goomburt will bonk an enemy multiple times (If there are multiple enemies, then he will bonk the others as well). If an Action Command is unsuccessful, the attack will end. When there are multiple enemies, Goomburt will attack each enemy once starting from the closest on the left and to the furthest on the right. When he has bonked the last enemy on the right, he will return to the first one from the left and repeat the cycle. He grows increasingly faster with each bonk.
-DMG: 2 (Ultra: 3) (per bonk)
-FP: 3
-Action Command: Press A as Goomburt hits an enemy.
Confusion Kick: Goomburt will kick the closest enemy in its side. If Action Command is successful, he will kick off of the enemy, causing the enemy to have the Confused status effect, and onto the next closest enemy. Goomburt will kick off of each enemy and onto the next until the final one has been kicked, or until an Action Command has been unsuccessful. The Confused effect will last for 3 turns.
-DMG: 3 (per kick)
-FP: 4
-Action Command: Press A as Goomburt hits an enemy.
Koopy
Description: A Koopa Troopa wearing a yellow shell, bandana and shoes, and is covered in bruises and cuts. An adolescent, he is rebellious, and has spent much of his life surviving on his own. He sees Mario’s adventure as an opportunity to leave the unpleasant world he lives in. Although he has much to learn of adventuring, his skills will nonetheless prove to be helpful assets during your journey.
Field Ability: Shell Toss - Koopy will enter his shell and launch himself straight forward, returning to Mario on completion. Hold Z down while Koopy is mid-launch to bring him to a stop - he will spin in place until you release Z, afterward which he will resume completion of the launch.
Attacks:
Shell Toss: Koopy will enter his shell and launch himself at the nearest enemy on the ground.
-DMG: 1 (Super: 2) (Ultra: 3)
-FP: 0
-Action Command: A horizontal gauge with a red “star” circle in the middle will appear on the screen. A cursor will move from the left of the bar to the right, and then reappear from the left again to continue the cycle, passing through the star circle as it does so. Hold the control stick to the left to charge the attack, release the control stick to send Koopy across the stage. The more times the cursor moves through the star circle, the more force the attack will have. For best results, release the control stick while the cursor is within the star circle.
Power Shell: Koopy will enter his shell and dart to the other end of the stage, inflicting damage upon all ground enemies as he does so.
-DMG: 1 (Super: 2) (Ultra: 3) (per hit)
-FP: 3
-Action Command: A horizontal gauge will appear on the screen. A light inside the gauge will continuously fill the gauge and deplete itself. Hold the control stick to the left and release when the gauge is fully filled.
Flare Shell: Koopy will enter his shell, and a flame will ignite on it. He will dart to the other end of the stage, inflicting damage upon enemies he makes contact with. If Action Commands are successful, then Koopy will turn backward after reaching the end of the stage, and dart back toward the left, and then back again toward the enemies, and so forth. The flame will cause a Burn effect on enemies. The effect will last for 3 turns.
-DMG: 2 (Ultra: 3) (per hit)
-FP: 4
-Action Command: A vertical gauge will appear on the screen. You will have a few seconds to flick the control stick left and right repeatedly to fill up the gauge. How long the attack will last will depend on how much of the gauge was filled.
Shell Surf: Koopy will enter his shell, and Mario will hop onto it. Koopy will dart to the other end of the stage, inflicting damage upon all enemies he makes contact with, and Mario will continually jump from Koopy’s shell onto an enemy, and then back onto Koopy’s shell as he continues to move. If Action Commands are successful, then Koopy will turn backward after reaching the end of the stage, and dart back toward the left, and then back again toward the enemies, and so forth, as Mario will continue to jump onto enemies until he fails in Action Command or Koopy’s attack ends.
-DMG: Koopy’s is 3 (per hit); Mario’s is whatever his Jump DMG normally is
-FP: 8
-Action Command: Up to six horizontal “circle” gauges will appear on the screen. You will deal with one at a time. Each circle on a gauge will quickly light up in succession, a red “star” circle being last. You must hold the control stick toward the specified direction until the last circle lights up. If you are successful, another gauge will appear. If you fail, no more will appear and the attack will commence. For every successfully lit circle, Koopy will dart across the stage. As he does so, Mario will jump onto enemies. Press A as Mario lands on one to safely bounce back to Koopy’s shell.
Bombore
Description: A dark red Bob-omb with a black imperial mustache and wearing a boater. He is on a personal journey to find his path, and is not very open about his past, leaving much of it unknown. He is quite intelligent, and his understanding of the mind as well as his explosive abilities will be much-needed assets in your adventure.
Field Ability: Bomb - Bombore will be ignited and take a few steps forward. Press Z to make him explode. An explosion can destroy some things, such as cracked walls and boulders. If you do not press Z as he is walking, he will eventually explode on his own.
Attacks:
Bomb: Bombore will walk in front of the nearest ground enemy and explode.
-DMG: 1 (Super: 2) (Ultra: 3)
-FP: 0
-Action Command: A horizontal gauge will appear on the screen. Hold A until the gauge fills completely.
Lash Lasso: Bombore will, with whatever invisible “arms” Bob-ombs have, pull out a whip-like object and lash it toward the nearest ground enemy, inflicting damage. If Action Commands are successful, the whip will also tie itself around the enemy, which Bombore will then swing toward the next nearest enemy, inflicting damage upon and possibly causing a Dizzy effect for both foes. The effect will last for 3 turns.
-DMG: 1 (Super: 2) (Ultra: 3) (per hit)
-FP: 5
-Action Command: A horizontal gauge will appear on the screen. Press C repeatedly to fill it. If the gauge has successfully been completely filled, the “lasso throw” will be implemented into the (otherwise just whipping) attack.
Injury Inflictor: Bombore will throw devices, “Injury Inflictors”, upon the nearest targets. The Injury Inflictors will cause damage for the recipients after the end of a turn for 3 turns. The amount of Injury Inflictors thrown depends upon the success of Action Commands.
-DMG: 2 (Ultra: 3) (per Inflictor)
-FP: 5
-Action Command: A horizontal gauge will appear on the screen. There are three sections within the gauge: the red section (left), the yellow section (middle), and the green section (right). You must fill up the gauge with the light that appears on the far left. To do so, alternate between pressing B and C rapidly. After a few seconds, the attack will commence. If the light completely filled the gauge, three Injury Inflictors will successfully reach their targets. If in the green section, two Inflictors will reach their targets. If in the yellow section, one Inflictor will reach its target. If in the red section, none will reach their targets.
Huge-O-Gen Bomb: Bombore will walk toward the enemies and, if Action Commands are successful, explode in a massive blast, affecting all of the enemies.
-DMG: 3
-FP: 8
-Action Command: A horizontal gauge will appear on the screen. Press A rapidly to fill it.
Captain
Description: A brown-shelled Koopa Paratroopa, wearing a pair of black goggles and a gray cap. He was the captain of a group of Paratroopa soldiers until a mission which ended in serious failure. Now in a broken and embittered state, he joins the adventure in hopes that it will get him killed. He has useful tactical and combat knowledge and skills to provide.
Field Ability: Carry - The Captain will grab Mario, carry him a short distance through the air, and drop him. Press Z rapidly to make the Captain carry Mario a longer distance.
Attacks:
Shell Shot: The Captain will enter his shell and launch himself toward a foe.
-DMG: 1 (Super: 2) (Ultra: 3)
-FP: 0
-Action Command: Hold the control stick to the left. While doing so, the Captain will rapidly move his aim up and down. Release the control stick to launch the Captain toward where he is aimed.
Shell Shield: The Captain will pull out a specialized Koopa shell armor and throw it to Mario for use for one turn. How little damage Mario receives from enemies during that turn will depend on how successful Action Commands were.
-DMG: 0
-FP: 4
-Action Command: A horizontal gauge with a star circle in the middle will appear along with a needle which rapidly moves left and right above it. Press A to stop the needle. The closer to the middle the needle is, the stronger the defense will be.
Ambomb: The Captain will toss “Ambombs” into the ground. If a ground enemy walks over one, it will explode. The number of Ambombs in the ground depends on how well Action Commands were executed.
-DMG: 2 (Ultra: 3) (per Ambomb)
-FP: 4
-Action Command: A horizontal gauge with three circles will appear on the screen. Rapidly move the control stick left and right to brighten a circle. When one is brightened, you will be able to brighten the next in succession. Brightening a circle will take several control stick movements and you will have only a few seconds to perform the Action Command. An Ambomb will be tossed into the ground for every brightened circle.
Mini-Blaster: The Captain will pull out a miniature Bill Blaster and fire miniature Bullet Bills at foes.
-DMG: 3 (per hit)
-FP: 5
-Action Command: Hold the control stick to the left. While doing so, the Captain will rapidly move his aim up and down. You will have a few seconds to select targets. Press A and a target will be set on where the Captain was aiming when you pressed the button. You can select multiple targets during this attack. The Captain will fire the Mini-Bills when the control stick has been released or when the time is up.
Bloopz
Description: A young teal Blooper wearing a green bowtie. Bloopz is a prankster. He loves to play practical jokes on others. He becomes accidentally dragged into the adventure, and decides to stay for the ride. He has some unique abilities which will prove to be useful during the quest.
Field Ability: Swim - When standing in front of a body of water, press Z to make Bloopz and Mario hop in. Mario will hold onto Bloopz while in the water. The control stick will move Bloopz across the surface of the water, and a press of A will make him leap through the air. Press Z again while in the water to dive into it. While underwater, use the control stick to move, press A to slightly rise upward (press A rapidly to eventually return to the surface), and press Z to slightly descend. To get out of water, simply jump back onto land from the surface.
Attacks:
Inkject: Bloopz will shoot a bubble of ink from his mouth toward a foe. If Action Commands are successful, the attack will have a Poison effect. The effect will last for 3 turns.
-DMG: 1 (Super: 2) (Ultra: 3)
-FP: 0
-Action Command: A combination of directions to move the control stick in will appear on the screen. Move the control stick in the correct directions in the correct order to make the Action Command successful. You will have only a few seconds to do so.
Caper Can: Bloopz will pull out a can and hurl various objects from it toward all foes. A bolt will cause 1 DMG, a spiked green ball will cause 1 DMG and a Poison effect, a Cheep Cheep will cause 2 DMG, anything else will have no effect on the enemy. A Poison effect will last for 3 turns. The number of objects hurled depends upon the execution of Action Commands.
-DMG: 0 - 2 (Super: 0 - 4) (Ultra: 0 - 6) (per object)
-FP: 2
-Action Command: A horizontal scale will appear on the screen. You will have a few seconds to press A rapidly to send a cursor across the scale. When the Action Command sequence has finished, the number the cursor is pointing toward will be the number of hurled objects. The largest number is 25.
Ink Overflow: Bloopz will hurl ink onto the ground. Ground foes will slip when walking across it and will be forced to conclude their turn. The number of turns the ink will be on the ground before fading depends upon the success of Action Commands.
-DMG: 0
-FP: 3
-Action Command: Icons of various buttons (A, B, C, Z) and control stick directions (up, left, right, down) will rapidly appear on the screen. You will have one second per icon to perform the correct command. If you fail, the attack will commence. If you succeed, another icon will appear. 0 - 4 successful commands will cause the attack to last for one turn, 5 - 9 will cause the attack to last for 2 turns, 10 - 14 will cause the attack to last for 3 turns, 15 - 19 will cause the attack to last for 4 turns, and 20 - 24 will cause the attack to last for 5 turns.
Hydro Jet: Bloopz will shoot a stream of water from his mouth toward a foe in an attempt to shoot them out of the battle.
-DMG: 0
-FP: 5
-Action Command: A horizontal gauge will appear on the screen. Alternate between A and C rapidly to fill it. The more filled it is, the more likely the enemy will be shot out of battle. Stronger enemies will be more difficult to force out.
Non-Playable Characters
Mr. Biggs: A gray-haired mouse wearing circular sunglasses and a brown bowler hat. Mr. Biggs is quite intelligent and knowledgeable of history. He seems to be polite, though he has abducted the Princess. He promises to return her after Mario has completed a difficult task of finding mysterious objects. Mr. Biggs claims that it is for the greater good of the world, which is something he greatly strives for.
Princess Peach: The kindhearted ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom. She holds a close friendship with Mario, and is kidnapped for that very reason. Mr. Biggs keeps her in an abandoned apartment, where you can speak with her at any time (as long as she is there). She may occasionally have some useful advice to give, or a replenish in HP if you are low on health.
Luigi: Mario’s brother. He is left behind in the Mushroom Kingdom, but later heads to the Phrost City territory for an entirely different reason. While Mario braves the perils of the swamps, a volcano and outer space, among other things, Luigi becomes a star and appears in several films produced in the Phrost City territory. Through some persuasion, he might be convinced to give Mario a hand in getting a part in some of his films.
Bowser: The King of the Koopas and longtime rival of Mario. He is not up to his usual evil acts, instead showing off his brawn in the Bowser Arena - a location within the Phrost Sewers, a place where foes go to fight. Bowser currently stands as the champion of the 100-Match Trial.
Spice E.: An egg person with features such as eyes and a cloak. If you bring an item to him, he can cook it into a different item, known as a “recipe”. When you have brought him the right important item, he will be able to cook multiple items together.
Galestial: A former astronaut who can be found in the city’s pub. He has many tips and tidbits to give you if you will listen. His information may be helpful or useless. He will often ramble of how he lost his astronaut license: his mental state was placed into question by authorities after he made claims about encountering and having conversations with an extraterrestrial who claimed to be searching for a “final piece” while on a space voyage.
Merlon: An elderly blue-robed wizard who lives in the city. He can upgrade a Party Member for 3 Power Stars.
Merluvlee: An indigo-robed magician who lives in the city. For 5 coins she will tell you where to go next during your adventure, for 10 coins she will tell you the location of Star Pieces, and for 15 coins she will tell you the location of Power Stars.
Merlee: A violet-robed magician who lives in the sewers. For 5 - 50 coins, she will cast “curses” upon you which will give you random bonuses during battle (such as increases in attack power, coins, etc.) How long the curse lasts depends upon how much you paid.
Fascino: A green-dressed merchant who wears much jewelry. He can be found wandering the streets of the city. He will trade badges for Star Pieces.
Frud Humbo: An orange-clad merchant who can be found in many places, including the city and the sewers. He sells items and badges at expensive prices. Some of his items are worth the cost, though others can also be purchased elsewhere at considerably cheaper prices.
Chet Rippo: An unusual person who hides under a trash can. His only visible features are two eyes peering through a hole in the can. For 39 coins, he will increase one of your stats of choice by two levels and decrease another of choice by one level. He can also switch a Party Member’s upgrade to a different partner for the same price.
Boots
Boots: These are already in your possession. They allow you to jump. They cause 1 DMG.
-Action Command: Press A as Mario hits the enemy.
Super Boots: They allow you to perform the Spin Jump. Press A to jump, and A again while in mid-air to flip through the air and slam to the ground. This jump can be used to destroy wooden panels and some other breakable objects. These boots also increase your Jump DMG to 2.
Ultra Boots: They allow you to perform the Helicopter Jump. Press A to jump, and spin the control stick while in mid-air to make Mario spin, causing him to rise through the air. He will continue to ascend as you continue to spin the control stick. This propulsion can be used to reach areas up high. Performing a Spin Jump while higher in the air will allow you to break metal panels. These boots also increase your Jump DMG to 3.
Hammers
Hammer: This is already in your possession. It breaks yellow blocks. It causes 1 DMG.
-Action Command: A horizontal “circle” gauge will appear on the screen. You must hold the control stick to the left. While doing so, each circle on the gauge will quickly light up in succession, a red “star” circle being last. The lighting process will end when you release the control stick. The more circles lit, the more powerful the attack will be.
Super Hammer: It can destroy stone (gray) blocks. Press B twice to increase the amount of force in the slam. This is called the Super Slam. The Super Slam can be used to destroy larger blocks. This hammer causes 2 DMG.
Ultra Hammer: It can destroy metal (pink) blocks. Hold B and spin the control stick to twist, then release to perform the Spin Hammer ability. The Spin Hammer can destroy red cylinders. This hammer causes 3 DMG.
Reshaping Tools
You have the ability to transform into different figures, useful and useless, something familiar such as a paper plane or something new such as a paper bowl; those are just two of the vast amount of things you can reshape into. With an array of different tools, you can change the shape, size, and weight of Mario into whatever suits your desire. The Reshaping Tools are, as follows…
Creative Glove: Used to grab and pull segments of Mario’s body.
Silver Scissors: Used to cut paper.
Extra Paper: Adds more paper to work with.
Extra Weight: Adds more weight to work with.
Press the 1 button while on the field to get started. The screen will pause and several icons will appear on the right side of the screen. The glove or scissors will be used as a cursor. You can swap the glove and scissors by clicking their respective icons on the screen.
When using the glove, press and hold A on objects to grab them, and when holding them, move the glove to drag them. If you have any paper you wish to discard, use the glove to drag it to the trash can icon, which will delete it. The scissors will cut through paper when A is pressed. Hold A to rapidly cut.
To change the weight of an object, grab whatever you want to become heavier and drag it to the weight icon. You can then set the weight of it by clicking the upward arrow or downward arrow buttons to increase or decrease the weight. The more weight your creation has, the heavier, more powerful, and less agile it will be. The Extra Weight will give a significant increase in amount of weight you can add to an object.
Once you receive the Extra Paper, there will be an additional amount of paper connected to Mario’s body, forming a large circular shape for you to cut and arrange a new form with when you open up the reshaping menu.
When you are finished, click the save icon. If you have not yet saved your new shape when closing the reshaping menu, you will be asked if you are sure if you don’t want to save. If you choose not to save a shape, you will be asked if you want to use it without saving it. If you select “Yes”, then you will be able to use it until you change back to your primary form, though it will not be saved. You can save up to 25 shapes. You will be required to give a shape a name before the saving process can conclude.
You can select a shape to change into from the pause menu. Pressing the 2 button will bring you to the Shape section of the pause menu automatically. Shapes can also be copied and erased from here.
While on your adventure, you may find directions or schematics for making new shapes.
Badges
There are over 100 various kinds of badges to be found in your adventure. Badges cost Badge Points (BP) to wear. Badges have various effects, including increase in stats, added abilities, among other things. Many badges from “Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door” have returned, as well as a few from the first “Paper Mario”. There are also several new badges as well. Badges can be equipped and unequipped from the pause menu (for quick access, press right on the D-pad). If you equip more than one badge of the same kind, it will increase the badge’s effect (for example, wearing two “Power Jumps” will increase the Power Jump’s attack power).
For your reading pleasure, here are a few 0-BP badges:
Attack FX B: Mario’s attacks make a bell noise.
Attack FX E: Mario’s attacks make an explosion noise.
Attack FX T: Mario’s attacks make a Thwomp grunt noise.
Attack FX W: Mario’s attacks make a wind gust noise.
Attack FX X: Mario’s attacks make a cacophony of distorted noises.
L Emblem: Mario’s hat and shirt become green.
F Emblem: Mario’s hat and shirt become white, and his overalls become red.
O Emblem: Mario’s hat and shirt become blue, and his overalls become red.
W Emblem: Mario’s hat and shirt become yellow, his overalls become purple, and his shoes become green.
Slow Go: Makes Mario move slowly.
Double Pain: Doubles the damage Mario receives.
A few BP-required badges:
Poison Slam: Allows you to use the “Poison Slam”, which can poison enemies if the Action Command is successful. (1 BP)
Air Conditioner: Prevents Mario from being frozen. (3 BP)
Energy Boost: If Action Commands are successful during an attack, Mario will receive one extra turn, though the effect of this badge will not apply during said extra turn. (4 BP)
HP Stealer: If Action Commands are successful during an attack, Mario will receive the HP that his targets lose. (4 BP)
Item Stealer: If Action Commands are successful during an attack, Mario will receive his targets’ items and badges (if they possess any). (4 BP)
Wrath’s Spirit: Mario will have an angry pose during battle. His attack will increase by 3, and he will be controlled by a rather unintelligent computer (to name an example of unintelligent behavior: the computer may have Mario jump on spiked enemies). The computer will only use standard Jump and Hammer attacks. Partners are still Human-controlled. (8 BP)
Items
You will find hundreds of various items in the adventure. Some can be found on the ground, some can be found in ? blocks, some can be purchased from shops, and some will be given to you by other characters. Items can be used to increase stats, attack enemies, defend your party, among other things. Some are usable on the field, though others are restricted to battles. You can only carry 10 items at once (though collecting certain badges may increase the maximum amount of items you can carry). If you grab one item too many, you will be forced to drop it or discard one of the items you are already carrying. Your items can be viewed from the pause menu (click up on the D-pad for quick access).
Recipes
Recipes are special items that can be cooked up by Spice E. Recipe items usually contain more power than average items. Bring items to Spice E. in order to have them baked into recipes.
Important Items
Important items have greater purpose. They will be needed to progress through the game, as well as finish some sidequests. Important items can only be used where they are needed, and cannot be dropped.
The laptop is an important item which you will start out with in the beginning of your adventure. You can use it for receiving and sending mail, as well as for checking websites or just typing anything that comes to mind in a word document.
A notable important item you may find while on your adventure is the Star Piece. There are dozens of them, often given as rewards for completion of sidequests. They can be traded for badges with Fascino.
Books also constitute as important items. They can provide interesting reads which may actually inform you of significant things you may encounter on your adventure or otherwise just make for entertaining short stories. You may find books lying around while on your adventure, and you can check out up to one from Phrost City’s library as well; you must return a book before you can check out another. Just as a recommendation for entertainment, a particularly interesting book tells of a planet which held psychokinetic power and later shattered to pieces.
On the Field
You will spend most of your adventure on the field, where you will perform most of your non-battle related actions in the adventure. You will talk to characters, solve puzzles, and defeat other challenges in order to progress through your quest. Here are a few things and places you will encounter frequently on the field:
Pipes: When you enter one, you will be transported to another area from the other end of the pipe. To enter one, you must stand on or against the pipe’s entryway, and tilt the control stick in the direction that it is going (for example, if the pipe is heading downward, tilt the control stick down).
Spring Boards: When you land on one of these, you will be launched upward.
? Blocks: A yellow block with a “?” on it. When you hit one, its contents will pop out, and the “?” on the block will vanish (as an indicator that you’ve hit it). Many float, and therefore must be hit by jumping underneath them. Others may be on the ground and can be hit with the hammer or some other ability.
Badge Blocks: A pink “?” block. These contain badges. Hit one to knock its badge out from it.
Power Star Blocks: Hit one to collect its Power Star. A Power Star can be traded to Merlon for partner upgrades.
Treasure Chest: Press A when standing in front of one to open it. Chests will usually contain an item, important item, badge, or occasionally something unpleasant.
Yellow Blocks: A large yellow block with little dot eyes. These usually block pathways. Destroy them with the hammer.
Stone Blocks: Similar to the yellow blocks, but gray. They must be destroyed with the Super Hammer or something more powerful.
Metal Blocks: Similar to the yellow blocks, but pink. They must be destroyed with the Ultra Hammer.
Large Block: A massively sized yellow block. They must be destroyed with a Super Slam or something more powerful.
Red Cylinder: Similar to the blocks in that they get in your way. Their appearance is that of a large red cylinder with little dot eyes. They must be destroyed with the Spin Hammer ability.
Wood Panel: These usually cover passages to underground. Destroy them with a Spin Jump or something more powerful.
Metal Panel: Similar to the wood panels, but silver. They must be destroyed by Spin Jumping from a high location such as when you are high mid-air after performing a Helicopter Jump.
Flip Panel: These are not easy to spot, as they match the appearance of the ground. If you pound the ground near one, it will give a slight bounce. In order to flip one, you must hit it with a Spin Jump or hammer. It will flip a Star Piece from beneath itself.
Heart Blocks: When you hit one, all of your HP and FP will be recovered. It will cost you 5 coins, however.
Save Blocks: Hit one and you will be given the option to save your game. When you return to the game after quitting or getting a game over, you will continue from the Save Block you hit last.
Shops: There is a shop in every town. In the shop, you can buy items with coins, sell items for coins, put items into storage, or claim items from storage. Some shops also do the same job for badges instead.
Inns: There is an inn in every town. Pay 10 coins to spend the night. Doing so will recover all of your HP, FP and Meteor Power (MP).
Battling
When you make contact with an enemy, a battle will begin. In battles, you and your foes will take turns performing battle-related actions. If you begin the battle with a “First Strike”, you will cause damage to your foes before your initial turn. You can perform a First Strike by hitting your foe outside of battle with a jump, the hammer, or a partner’s field ability. Also, beware of your enemies when outside of battle, as they can perform a First Strike on you with one of their attacks as well.
Keep an eye on your stats during your battles; you need HP to stay alive (you get a game over if Mario dies!), FP to use some abilities, and BP to apply most badges. You start the game with 10 HP, 5 FP and 3 BP; partners start out with 10 HP and share your FP and BP.
Your turn is usually the first in a battle. On your turn, you will be able to use one of the battle commands listed below.
Tactics:
-Swap Partner: Select a different partner to replace the one currently alongside you.
-Appeal: Turn the audience to your favor to replenish Meteor Power.
-Defend: Move into a defensive position to reduce the amount of damage you will receive during the enemy’s next turn.
-Do Nothing: Self-explanatory.
-Run Away: Attempt to escape the battle. A horizontal gauge will appear, which you must fill with light by rapidly pressing A, while an arrow above moves left and right. If the arrow is pointing toward a filled section when time is up, your escape will be successful.
Items: Use one of your items.
Jump: Perform a Jump attack. Some badges will make available more kinds of jumping attacks.
Hammer: Perform a Hammer attack. Some badges will make available more kinds of hammering attacks.
Shapes: Attack with one of your saved Shape forms. The amount of damage one will cause, which enemies it can harm, and how much FP the usage of it will cost depends on the size, weight, and shape of the form you select.
Special: Every time you recover a Meteor Shard, you will receive a new special ability. Usage of special abilities will deplete your Meteor Power.
Here is a list of the special abilities:
Refreshing Refection: Recovers your HP and FP. Heart and Flower icons will zip across the screen and a targeting circle will appear. Aim the Wii Remote at the screen to move the circle and press A to collect anything within the circle. Beware of Poison Mushroom icons, as they will prevent you from shooting other icons for a few seconds. This ability costs 1 MP.
Stamina Step-Up: Increases your attack and defense. Two long horizontal gauges with circles will appear on the screen. Each will have its own light moving from the left end of the gauge to the right end. Press A when the light of the top gauge moves through a circle and press B when the light of the bottom one does. The ability will conclude when you miss a circle or press a button at the incorrect time. For every successful button press for the top gauge, your party’s attack will increase by 1. For every successful button press for the bottom gauge, your party’s defense will increase by 1. The increase will last for 3 turns. This ability costs 2 MP.
Mean Beam: A star will appear on the screen and float about for a few moments. Aim your Wii Remote at the screen to move your targeting circle. Press A as many times as you can when the star is within the circle. After the star vanishes, an energy beam will blaze across the screen and damage your foes. The amount of damage dealt depends upon the amount of times you pressed A when the star was in the targeting circle. This ability costs 3 MP.
Gut Cutback: Decreases foes’ attack and defense. Two random button icons will appear on the screen. You will have two seconds to press both simultaneously. If successful, you will be given another button combination to press. For every four successful button presses, your foes will have another turn in which their attack and defense is decreased by one fourth of what it originally was. Decimal stats will round down, thereby making it possible for a foe’s attack and defense to decrease to 0. If this occurs, no more power will deplete upon future usage of the ability. This special ability costs 3 MP.
Snafu Flu: Causes status effects for you and your enemies. An icon of a random status effect will appear on the screen for two seconds before it disappears and another random icon appears. Press A to apply the effect for your party (whether it is Mario or a partner will be randomly selected by the computer), or press B and it will be applied to a foe (which foe it is applied to will be randomly selected by the computer). Status effects may be either beneficial or detrimental, so be careful of which effect you apply to whom. A status effect will only last for 1 turn. If an affected battler received multiple effects, then the next effect will commence after the previous finishes. This special ability costs 4 MP.
Betterment Banquet: Increases your HP and FP. Similarly to the Refreshing Refection, you must aim the Wii Remote at the screen to move a targeting circle as icons zip across the screen. This time, you must press A and B simultaneously to collect an icon. There are no Poison Mushroom icons this time, and there are larger HP and FP icons that can increase HP and FP by 5 each. This special ability costs 5 MP.
Abocalipse: A small star will rapidly vanish and reappear across the screen for a few moments. You must aim the Wii Remote at the screen, move the targeting circle over the star, and press A. You must be quick to click before the star disappears. An attack will commence afterward: a large meteor will crash onto the screen, dealing heavy damage to your foes. The amount of damage inflicted depends upon the amount of successful shots from the Wii Remote on the star. This special ability costs 6 MP.
For each Meteor Shard you collect, you will receive a new special ability and your maximum MP will increase by 1.
Your partner will start his turn after yours has finished. If your turn has not finished yet, you can switch the order of your turn and your partner’s by pressing Z. During your partner’s turn, he will be able use one of the commands listed below.
Tactics:
-Swap Partner: Select a different partner to replace the one you are currently playing as.
-Appeal: Turn the audience to your favor to replenish Meteor Power.
-Defend: Move into a defensive position to reduce the amount of damage you will receive during the enemy’s next turn.
-Do Nothing: Self-explanatory.
Items: Use one of your items.
Attacks: Use one of your attacks.
Merlon can upgrade your partners. An upgrade will increase the selected partner’s maximum HP by 5, double his attack power as well as give him an additional ability. After delivering a certain important item to him, Merlon can upgrade already-upgraded partners again, further increasing the selected partner’s maximum HP by an additional 5 points, increasing his attack power to three times half of the number it currently is, and giving him one more ability. A partner’s first upgrade is his “Super” upgrade, and his second is his “Ultra” upgrade.
Your foes’ turns will be next. A foe usually performs one of its regular abilities. If it possess an item, it may use the item in battle against you, or for itself or a fellow foe. If a foe possesses a badge, the effects of the badge will apply to the foe possessing it. After all of the foes’ turns have finished, you will start a new turn, and the cycle will repeat.
In the midst of battle, your, your partner’s or a foe’s status may be affected for the better or worse. Here is a list of status effects:
Allergic: Prevents being affected by another status effect.
ATK Down: Lowers attack power.
ATK Up: Raises attack power.
Burn: Causes damage for the victim at the end of every turn, lowers defense.
Charge: Raises attack power for the next attack.
Confused: Causes victim to perform incorrect commands.
DEF Down: Lowers defense.
DEF Up: Raises defense.
Dizzy: Lowers the accuracy of commands.
Dodgy: Allows the affected to avoid most attacks.
Electrified: Causes damage to a battler who uses a physical attack against the affected.
Fast: Allows the affected to perform two commands per turn.
Frozen: Prevents the victim from performing commands.
Gradual HP: Recovers HP gradually.
Gradual FP: Recovers FP gradually.
Invisible: Allows the affected to avoid all attacks.
Paralysis: Prevents the victim from performing commands.
Parasite: Causes the victim to lose FP at the end of every turn.
Poison: Causes damage for the victim at the end of every turn.
Sleepy: Prevents the victim from performing commands. The effect will end when the victim becomes attacked.
Slow: Forces the affected to perform actions every other turn.
During battle, you can increase the damage you cause by using “Action Commands”. These are performed by moving the control stick and pressing buttons in certain ways. Instructions on which way to move the control stick or press the buttons will appear while you are performing one of your abilities. If Action Commands are successful, a “Nice!” will appear above your target. Success in Action Command increases the success in the attack, and often doubles or triples (depending on how upgraded you are) its usual power. Action Commands can also be used for defense. Pressing A just before a foe hits you will decrease the amount of damage you receive by 1 point. Press B right as a foe hits you to prevent any damage from being taken and cause 1 point of damage for your attacker. Timing must be very precise. Defending yourself against status-ailing attacks may also decrease the amount of turns the effects last.
When you perform an Action Command very successfully, a small icon will appear next to your Meteor Power gauge. If you have two matching icons and successfully perform a third Action Command, you will be allowed to play the Bingo! Roulette. Match the third icon by stopping the roulette with the A button. If the three icons are a match, you will receive something, depending on what they are a match of. Three mushrooms will recover all of your HP, three flowers will recover all of your FP, three Meteor Shards will recover all of your Meteor Power, three stars will recover all of your HP, FP and MP, and three poison mushrooms will decrease your HP, FP, and MP by half.
Every battle is set in front of an audience. The more excited the crowd is, the more your Meteor Power will be replenished. Successful Action Commands will excite the crowd and draw in more spectators. Failed Action Commands will result in a disappointed crowd and possibly the departure of some of the spectators. Occasionally, a spectator will have something to throw to or at you. When this occurs, the Z button will appear below you. Pressing Z will cause you to attack the spectator. This should be performed when the spectator intends to throw something harmful toward you. If the spectator is holding something helpful, ignore the Z button. You can also get the crowd more excited by performing “Stylish” moves - pressing the A button at a precise time during the attack.
At the end of a battle, you will receive star points (SP) for all of the foes you have defeated. When you have 100 star points, you will level up by 1. In a level up, your HP, FP and Meteor Power will be completely replenished, and you will have the option of increasing your maximum HP, FP or BP by 5. As your level increases during your adventure, weaker foes will give less SP upon being defeated.
Areas
Your adventure takes place in what is known as the Phrost City territory. You will visit the territory’s many locations throughout your adventure. Major areas will be labeled on your map as you visit them.
Phrost City: A large city, the central location of the Phrost City territory, where you will access many of the regions you visit in your adventure. Irregularly from the surrounding regions of the territory, Phrost City has a very cold climate and is usually strewn in ice.
Phrost Crater: The site of where a meteor crashed into the earth near Phrost City long ago. The crater is said to possess a mystical energy.
Phrost Sewers: The city’s sewers are a large labyrinth of frozen sewage and pipes. In the depths, you will find many passages to new areas.
Secluded Swamp: A large, ferocious swampland west of the city. The swamp and its inhabitants are largely ignored by the rest of the Phrost City territory.
Murky Outpost: A small settlement within the Secluded Swamp. Most of its residents were driven out of the city by poverty.
Peril Isle: A large inhabited tropical island in the ocean southwest of the city. It features a jungle and an active volcano, as well as resorts for vacationers. (The “Peril Isle” label on your map mainly refers to the island’s non-volcanic regions such as the resorts and jungle.)
Ember Alp: Peril Isle’s volcano, which stands from the island’s west side. It is known for frequent eruptions which often result in the island’s residents’ evacuation from the island.
Charcoal Chamber: Ember Alp’s boiling interior. It is off-limits to unauthorized personnel and is largely unexplored.
Eerie Grounds: A vast cemetery that lies in between the city and the swamp. It has been unused for many years and is visited rarely.
Uncanny Crypt: This crypt lies within the Eerie Grounds, its entry sealed. It is said to be the resting place of many medieval royalties.
Starman 1985: This space station resides above the Phrost City territory. It serves as an extraterrestrial research laboratory as well as a base for the Phrost City territory’s Space Patrol force.
Sector DK-81: The region in space where Starman 1985 resides.
Factory X: A mysterious factory, well-hidden, its inner workings virtually unknown.
Weird World: Cheesy surfaces, giant sand buckets, giant floating candy canes, vegetable oil rivers, shampoo clouds, and occasionally inexplicable laughter roaring from the skies. Things don’t get much weirder than this!
Biggs Laboratory: An underground laboratory built by Mr. Biggs, from within he conducts various experiments.
Biggs Tower: An underground tower connected to the Biggs Laboratory. It is Mr. Biggs’s primary lair.
Chapters
A transport ship brings Mario (you) to Phrost City, and the adventure begins.
Little of the city will be available to you at first, however, you will gain access to more of its areas as you progress through your adventure. Throughout the city are three item shops, one badge shop, and three inns. Other notable locations within the city include the port where your adventure begins, a library, a movie studio, a theater, a spaceship launch site, and a clock tower. Less notable locations are various residences (occupied and vacant), restaurants and pubs. The city’s environment is cold, featuring ice sprinkling the streets and tall buildings as well as slippery surfaces to be wary of. Occasionally, the city will have sleety weather.
Shortly into your adventure, you hit a dead end in an alley. As you turn to leave, a rodent in a hovering vehicle emerges from the exit. The rodent immediately introduces himself as Mr. Biggs, the perpetrator behind the Princess’s disappearance, and proves it by remotely bringing a smaller hovering vehicle in which the Princess is being held. Mario jumps into action, starting a very short-lived battle which mainly serves for the Princess to remind Mario of how to use his various commands. Your efforts to damage Mr. Biggs’s durable vehicle prove to be futile, and the battle ends.
Mr. Biggs assures that the Princess will be in good care as he holds her prisoner. He tells you that you will soon be off on a new adventure in which you will collect objects known as the Meteor Shards. Mr. Biggs shows you that he has already found one and tells you that you must collect six remaining ones, promising to release the Princess after you have brought them to him. Mario reluctantly agrees to his terms. Mr. Biggs instructs you to head northward for Phrost Crater; access to it has been closed off by officials, though Mr. Biggs knows of a passage you can take. The two of you head there.
In appearance, the crater is small and circular, made up of sparkling, light sea green-colored stone. At its center is a mound which emanates strong energy. When Mario approaches the mound, he receives from it a telepathic message of sorts:
“The key to great power lies within our reunion.”
Mario also receives a feeling which incites him to focus on a location on his map: Secluded Swamp. Mr. Biggs informs Mario that the Phrost Crater was created by a meteorite which is said to have held psychokinetic powers and that, upon impact, the meteorite shattered into seven shards which scattered across the territory. Mr. Biggs considers himself lucky to have found one of the shards. He claims that he did not receive the message that Mario received from the mound and states his belief that the crater’s energy is attempting to tell Mario that one of the shards is at Secluded Swamp. He speculates that the combined energy of the shards may be able to lead Mario to new shard locations. However, he refuses to allow his own shard to be used, for reasons which he will not state. Mario also asks (silently, as Mario never talks aloud,) why he wants the shards, to which he responds that he seeks the great power promised in reforming the meteorite and believes that it can be used to improve the world.
Upon returning to the city, Mr. Biggs tells you that he will be holding the Princess in an abandoned apartment near the alley you fought at earlier, and departs. As you are no doubt uncertain of how to reach the swamp, you go into a pub in search of information (as Mr. Biggs doesn’t give you any valuable information). In the pub, the individuals generally only have meager information to offer - that is until you meet a middle-aged Goomba sitting alone at a booth in a dark corner. Seemingly glum, he introduces himself as Goomburt, and lightens up when he recognizes Mario. Goomburt is very knowledgeable about things in the world and demonstrates this by guessing Mario is on an important quest as Mario often is. As the two become acquainted, Mario tells Goomburt of his present predicament, and Goomburt insists on joining the quest, telling you that his wisdom will be of great use and that his age is no hinder. Mario agrees, and Goomburt joins the party. He tells you that he once worked in Phrost Sewers and that there is a pipe leading to the swamp somewhere inside. He also informs you that one of his co-workers dropped an item in the sewers: something which will be of great use. With that, he reveals a pipe outside which leads underground.
Phrost Sewers is a series of dim, misty, grungy tunnels with frost seeping from the surface. Shady characters and illicit businesses are hidden in the depths, and unfriendly types lurk about. Obstacles block off passage through much of the sewers; Goomburt directs you through an accessible path. You eventually stumble into a crevice in which you find an old chest, inside it the Creative Glove. You use your newfound tool to return to the top, where you are ambushed by a Feeble Bandit: a short battle ensues. Afterward, you can use your new tool to reach a few new rooms as well as a pipe which leads to Secluded Swamp.
Chapter One
Secluded Swamp is vast with crooked trees towering over its muddy waters; leaves and overgrown plants floating atop, and fallen tree trunks lying in the depths. The weather is often foggy and occasionally rainy. Many ferocious foes crawl through the swamp: perhaps the most sly is the Nibbles, a metallic fish which chomps at whatever steps into the waters. You have a brief journey through the vile tracts before reaching civilization.
Murky Outpost is small, made up of a few huts: among them an item shop and an inn. When you arrive, the residents greet you coolly. From asking the settlers, you will learn how Murky Outpost became founded: Some time ago, the residents lived in Phrost City until they were driven out by poverty and forced to move into the swamp; many from the outpost’s younger generation were raised in the swamp. Little has been scouted out, mainly due to the dangerous and otherwise seemingly uncrossable terrains ahead: there is a stream near the outpost, blocking passage to the rest of the swamp; a blue switch has been spotted on the other side of the stream, but a projectile is needed to hit it.
You head out to view the blue switch and become ambushed by a Grand Fuzzy from a group of trees. After defeating the creature, you may head onward to see the switch (or you can skip this part and return to Murky Outpost early). Back in the village, Mario spots a group of adolescents: a single engages in a needless fight with a group of others. Mario breaks up the fight and takes the single, a Koopa Troopa named Koopy, aside to talk. Koopy states that fighting is what he has learned to do to survive and tells his story: He was born to a poor family; the house they were renting was eventually sold, and they subsequently were kicked out, driven to the swamp with many other poor folk; shortly thereafter, his parents were killed by the pernicious elements of the swamp, and Koopy spent the rest of his life without any true parental figures.
After finishing, Koopy becomes curious as to who Mario is and how he ended up in Murky Outpost. Mario informs him of his own tale, and Koopy becomes interested and sets his mind on journeying out of the village with Mario, insisting that he will be a help and can take care of himself. Mario agrees, and Koopy joins the party. You head onward for the blue switch, and Koopy uses his shell toss ability to hit it, opening a passage further into the swamp.
Secluded Swamp tests you with puzzles and foes: you make use of your various tools and partners’ abilities in your journey. You eventually stumble upon a sight of death: Dull Bones scattered about a series of islets in a particularly watery locale. Goomburt suspects that they were explorers before having their flesh was eaten by something carnivorous from the depths. You soon become forced into battle with a Red Bones and its companions. Afterward, shortly into your continuing trek, a large fish-like monster bursts from the depths, nearly swallowing you, and pursues you as you hurry across the islets. Upon reaching a seeming dead end near a patch of bushes, a Bob-omb emerges from them, separating them into an opening, and you barely escape through.
The Bob-omb introduces himself as Bombore and warns the party to be cautious of the swamp and its inhabitants: particularly the beast they just escaped, a nasty frequent he claims to have encountered many times. Bombore invites you to a small hut he lives in and explains that he had exiled himself to the swamp in an effort of self-discovery; he has lived in it for many years. Though he has not seen the Meteor Shard, he has experience in traversing the terrains ahead. Mario requests Bombore to join the party as a guide through the swamp, and Bombore agrees.
As you journey through the rest of the swamp, you face its most difficult challenges: Bombore’s abilities are essential in getting through. You eventually find the Meteor Shard, which is resting on a clump of leaves floating on the water. As you are about to collect it, the Bog Beast reemerges, swallowing the Meteor Shard, effectively increasing its own power with it. You have a showdown with the monster. After defeating the beast, it spits the shard out and cowers back into the depths below, never to harass you again. You collect the Meteor Shard, and it delivers a familiar telepathic message:
“The key to great power lies in our reunion.”
End of chapter.
Across the water is a mound of land with one final puzzle involving a blue switch. Using a row of tree trunks, you cross over the water, complete the puzzle, and hit the blue switch, causing the emergence of a pipe which leads to Murky Outpost. Once there, Koopy questions the importance of keeping the Meteor Shard and persuades Mario to give it to the denizens of the outpost for their own benefits. Goomburt asserts that the Meteor Shard is for rescuing the Princess and warns Koopy not to cross over any lines with Mario, at risk of being left behind. Koopy complies. Also, Bombore expresses that he would like to join in the rest of the adventure, believing it will bring him further in his own personal journey. With that, you head back for the pipe to Phrost Sewers.
In the sewers, you spot a crack in a wall, and Goomburt suggests that blowing it open may lead the party down a secret passage or some other location worthwhile. Bombore blows it open: the hole leads to a shortcut to Phrost Crater (or you could skip this and take the long route through the city). Once at the crater, the combined energy of the Meteor Shard and the crater telepathically incites Mario to head for another location on his map: Peril Isle (and you also hear the familiar “The key to great power lies in our reunion”). Upon returning to the city, you learn that the only ferry in the port heading for Peril Isle requires a ticket; it has already been sold. If you speak with bystanders, you will eventually learn from a penguin, the one who bought the ticket, that she dumped it into a nearby sewer grate after hearing of the island’s volcanic instability.
You cannot fit through the grate without the right shape-altering tool. Unless you have already further explored the main sewer and found the tool, then Goomburt suggests doing so. With Koopy’s and Bombore’s abilities, you will be able to further explore Phrost Sewers: a chest within the depths contains the Silver Scissors. After collecting them, a small battle with a Spiky Paragoomba and various other kinds of Goombas ensues. Back at the port, your new tool allows you to cut down in size and slip through the grate. After you find the ticket (and bounce back to the surface via springboard), you are allowed aboard the Peril Isle ferry, leading to…
Chapter Two
En route toward the Peril Isle resorts, the ferry becomes damaged by strong waves and starts to drift toward the volcanic region. While the ferry’s captain escapes with a tube, your party becomes knocked out by the waves. You awaken to find to find that the ferry, irreparably damaged, has drifted to Ember Alp. There, the party discovers a military force stationed. Among the force is a Paratroopa referred to simply as the Captain; he advises the party to wait with the force until a rescue ship arrives. Having little regard for authority, Koopy pushes for the party to take the route of the jungle to the resorts, and Mario agrees. The Captain reluctantly joins the party, stating that he will “escort” you to the resorts.
The jungle is lush with greenery, shaded by tall trees with brisk sunlight shining through the leaves. There are pits, often full of spikes, and roaming foes to beware of. You make use of the Captain’s abilities in your journey through to the resorts. Upon reaching them, you inadvertently walk through a string attached between two trees, causing a bucket of ink from above to spill on you. Snickering from the bushes, the perpetrator behind this practical joke reveals himself as a Blooper named Bloopz : a local apparently known for pulling nasty pranks on unsuspecting individuals. He scurries back into the jungle before the you can catch him.
The resorts are set near a sandy white beach with tall palm trees; a bright sun glistens over the blue ocean. The resorts are composed of an item shop, an expensive badge shop, a hotel (which functions similarly to an inn, but more fancily) a sunglass parlor (where you can borrow a pair of sunglasses which will darken the screen), a restaurant, and a small port from where you can leave the island via ferry (you will be given a permanent ticket forth and back to the resorts by your former ferry captain as a refund for the earlier ferry wreckage; though the ferries are not ready for further usage yet) as well as a few other, less notable locations.
After you finish visiting the port, Bombore notes that the Captain seems troubled and persuades him to explain his distress. The Captain reveals that he was formerly the captain of a team of Paratroopa soldiers; a military force (which included his team) was under orders to keep safe a group of scientists researching Ember Alp and its eruptive nature; at some point, the Captain misguided his own team, leading to a horrific fate for his men and the scientists; the Captain has since been left on duty for the remainder of the Peril Isle mission, but is slated to be relieved of his military position upon returning to the mainland. Mario informs him of the party’s own tale; afterward, the Captain receives an order (through a walkie-talkie) to leave the island now that he is in range of transport; instead, the Captain decides to divulge to the party that the military force on Peril Isle had also received orders to collect a mystical energy source emanating from the volcano’s magma chamber for research, though the military’s efforts were halted by an unknown force from within. Deducing that the energy source is connected to the Meteor Shard, Mario asks the Captain to join their cause, and he agrees.
The Captain orders the evacuation of the island. As you sneak away from the fleeing crowds and back into the jungle, Bloopz reemerges and follows you with intent of pulling another practical joke; however, you catch him before he can do so. The Captain refuses to allow Bloopz to leave the party’s sight, as Bloopz’s knowledge of what the party is doing could compromise their efforts to reach Ember Alp without the authorities knowing. Bloopz responds positively to being brought along for the “ride” and effectively joins the party. The Captain explains that the military force will likely close off passage to Ember Alp from their base before evacuating, and therefore the party will need to find an alternate route through the jungle instead of the one they took from the base. Bloopz suggests taking a route through a different section of the jungle; he opens a hidden path through a pair of bushes.
The new section of the jungle is full of rivers and waterfalls; you make use of swinging vines as well as Bloopz’s abilities in traversing the waters. You solve new puzzles and face new foes; many of the foes are aquatic: the most ferocious of them is a Bulky Blooper which erupts from the waters when you near the end of your jungle journey. After defeating the creature, you continue onward, arriving at Ember Alp. The mountain is tall and rocky: in its higher regions, you can get a nice view of the island; your ascent is met with new challenges and foes. As you near the entrance into the mountain, a Mega Mole bursts from the mountain’s surface, and a battle ensues. Afterward, you enter Ember Alp’s interior, Charcoal Chamber: puffs of smoke emit from its boiling magmas; its glowing flames light the charred caverns; fiery fiends roam through; charred platforms are used to hop across pools of magma; spinning fire bars are set throughout.
An ominous voice continually warns you to leave; the party ignores it. You make use of all your latest abilities as you face the chapter’s most difficult challenges. You eventually reach the source of the ominous voice: a reptilian sorcerer named Magimo; enraged by the party’s presence, he explains that he found the Meteor Shard many years ago; he took it into the volcano and used its power to turn the volcano into his own personal hot tub; he reveals that he has caused many of the eruptions, attempting to drive people from the island, and is responsible for the forces which convinced others from venturing into the volcano. He refuses to give up the Meteor Shard, and so a battle ensues. After defeating him, you obtain the second Meteor Shard.
“The key to great power lies in our reunion.”
End of chapter.
Magimo opens a pipe near by and escapes into it. You follow him through and arrive at the resorts; there, the military forces have returned, and are informed by the Captain of the situation; Magimo is captured and turned over to the authorities. Your assist in finding the volcanic eruptions’ source earns the Captain a pardon for his ordering the island’s evacuation; still pained by his past failures, the Captain decides to remain in the party for the duration of your quest, hoping that he may eventually be killed in battle. You take a (now available) ferry back to the city and use the newfound Meteor Shard at the crater; you learn that the next location is Eerie Grounds (you also receive the “The key to great power lies in our reunion” message again.)
The abilities offered by the Captain and Bloopz bring you further through the sewers and to a battle with a Pipe Piranha, however, your path to Eerie Grounds is eventually blocked, and a large flat switch must be stomped in order to continue. In the city, you participate in a sliding race against a large penguin; after winning, Mario is rewarded by the penguin with the Super Boots. Back in the sewers, you use the new boots to stomp the switch, opening a passageway to a pipe which leads to…
Chapter Three
Eerie Grounds is massive, barren, dusty, silent and empty of other characters (friendly and fiendish); dozens of rusted gravestones are spread throughout; multitudes of dead and dying trees surround the cemetery; the sky is dim. Deep in the cemetery is a large, gray crypt: its door has three locks. Goomburt recalls the tales of the Eerie Grounds and Uncanny Crypt: In medieval times, a prince was murdered in a group of robbers’ (failed) attempt to steal a precious jewel he possessed; the prince was buried inside Uncanny Crypt; as the tale goes, whoever opens the doorway to the crypt would only find terror. Goomburt presumes that the crypt before them is Uncanny Crypt; Koopy says that he is prepared for anything and insists on going into the crypt to search for the Meteor Shard. You explore the massive graveyard, searching through tombs and completing puzzles in search of the three keys which unlock Uncanny Crypt’s doorway. After finding them, you unlock the crypt’s door: horror becomes unleashed.
A mob of spirits erupts from the crypt and spreads across the grounds. Koopy marches into the crypt while a pack of Stormy Specters grab the rest of the party; afterward, the specters pursue Koopy into the crypt. He stands unfrightened against them, so they call out to him in his parents’ voices: horrified, he mindlessly runs through the crypt in a panic until he becomes lost in one of the rooms and regains his senses. Koopy scrapes up his courage and decides to find the party on his own. You take control of Koopy temporarily: his only field abilities are walking and his usual shell toss (and conveniently, the crypt is full of ground save blocks which Koopy can hit with his shell); he must fight battles alone, though he can run away from them. The crypt is webby and musty; the rooms are lit by ghostly torches. During your search for the party, you find an engraving on a wall: an inscription which states that a group of powerful spirits hold a tool which will aid in successfully conquering the Prince (you may also find other inscriptions which tell of events of the Prince’s time period as well as give hints and clues to finding hidden passages in the crypt and cemetery.)
You find each party member in a different room; the specters have set up a different puzzle for you to solve for each one. After a party member is rescued, he leaves to meet up with the rest of the group elsewhere in the crypt; after all of the party is reunited, your control is returned to Mario, and a battle with a Dark Bones ensues. Afterward, Koopy tells the group of the inscription he read, and the party decides to head back and search for the tool-holding spirits in the cemetery. The cemetery is now overrun with bustling spirits; friendly Boos have set up a shop and an inn for your usage. You eventually locate the Stormy Specters who captured the party earlier; they are also the same ones spoken of in the inscription. They form one last puzzle for you to solve as they attempt to frighten and separate the party again; after you solve it, you battle them; after you defeat them, they drop a chest; you open it and receive the Super Hammer.
Using the newfound weapon, you are able to smash blocks within Uncanny Crypt and find further passage through. You make use of your abilities as you face the crypt’s most difficult challenges and delve more deeply through. At the bottom of the crypt is the Prince’s tomb: his spirit emerges and hostilely tells you that he and his people have spent the past centuries sleeping in the crypt; they have now been awakened to protect the Prince’s precious jewel from all trespassers and grave robbers. A battle ensues; after you defeat him, he becomes amazed and admits you worthy of taking his jewel; with that, he returns to his slumber. You open his tomb and find in the hands of his corpse, the jewel: it is none other than the Meteor Shard.
“The key to great power lies in our reunion.”
End of chapter.
A pipe appears: it brings you back to the entrance of Eerie Grounds. (Oddly enough, none of the riotous spirits have returned to their slumber despite their Prince having done so.) You return to Phrost Crater: (the familiar message, “The key to great power lies in our reunion,” is heard again) Mario is given the next location to visit: the outer space above the Phrost City territory, known as the DK-81 Sector. Goomburt states that a space station, Starman 1985, lies within this sector and wonders if the Meteor Shard has somehow ended up there.
Back in the city, you locate the spaceship launch site; a spaceship is scheduled to launch soon, however, the cold temperatures of the city have frozen the spaceship’s engine. Mario offers to the crew to help start the ship up, and is brought to the engine room. You use the Super Hammer on the engines a few times, effectively firing them up. You are allowed free passage to the station any time as a thanks from the crew. You enter the passenger room, and the spaceship launches.
Chapter Four
The spaceship docks in the east side of Starman 1985. The station is oval-shaped with two levels; it is mostly made of aluminum; the floor is emerald tiled and illuminated by lights underneath; there is a rest area and a store. You are taken on a brief tour of the station and eventually brought to its zoological holding cells in the station’s middle section, where the station’s head scientist is displaying creatures, including Jelestrials which are being energized and mutated by the Meteor Shard via a device constructed by the scientist; he informs that the Meteor Shard is causing an increase in the power of the Jelestrials’ abilities and believes that he is on the verge of making a propulsion in technology. Mario asks the scientist for the Meteor Shard, and the Captain warns against the dangers of using the it for experimentation; however, the scientist ignores them, even after Mario goes as far as to explain the Princess’s plight; the scientist says that he has no intention of giving it away, especially not until he has performed more research on it. The Space Patrol force aboard the station is of no assist, as it cannot legally take the Meteor Shard unless a significant danger has presented itself. Bombore suggests that the party will figure something out after taking a rest.
You are awoken by the sound of blaring alarms ordering evacuation of the station; however, upon arriving at the docks, you find that the ships have been crippled; you are stranded. A panic ensues: you follow the scientists as they flee through the station and take refuge in a small storage room; there, only the party and the scientists are accounted for; the station’s crew and the Space Patrol force are missing. The scientists suggest that any others survivors are likely on the station’s west side, as the power has been cut off in the station’s middle section. The head scientist explains that the evacuation was ordered because the creatures escaped their captivity and went on a rampage through the station; he further states that the Jelestrials are very clever: they must have figured out how to cut off the middle section’s power, most likely to separate the station’s passengers and make them easier for attack. The Captain proposes a plan to eject into space and float around to the west side in order to rescue the passengers stranded there.
Jelestrials and other escaped foes run berserk through the station as you make your way to an airlock at the station’s east end. There, you find hanging on a wall a protective spacesuit; you equip it and eject from the airlock. Throughout the pitch black of Sector DK-81, you sight many particles of dust speeding past; you float down from the station to a series of rocky, creviced asteroids: many of the smaller ones twist and turn, making them difficult to traverse; some move more quickly than others. Many foes wander them; you occasionally dodge meteor showers. In one of the larger, more stationary asteroids, you locate a chest containing the Extra Paper. This new tool aids as you head westward across the asteroids; when you reach the station’s west end, you enter through a ventilation shaft.
You search throughout the station’s east section and bring the scattered, injured Space Patrol together; the Captain takes charge of them and helps them to regain their fighting spirits. After the force is completely reunited, Geiger counter needles start swinging; the Jelestrials are attempting to unleash lethal radiation upon the group. While you are already wearing a protective suit, the Space Patrol is not; the Captain directs them through a passage and into a room with protective suits in time before lethal dosages contaminate the rooms. Afterward, you face the station’s most difficult puzzles and challenges as you find and rescue crewmen; they help to restore power throughout the station, clear out lethal radiation, and repair other significant damage caused by the Jelestrials; you are allowed to remove your suit after the radiation is cleared. After all power to the station has been restored, the Space Patrol manages to maintain control of the staggering Jelestrials, however, they are unable to find the pack’s leader, the Jelestrial Alpha.
At the holding cell area, the head scientist finally agrees that using the Meteor Shard to power up the creatures is too dangerous, and surrenders the Meteor Shard to the Space Patrol; shortly thereafter, the Jelestrial Alpha bursts into the room, swipes the Meteor Shard, and energizes itself with incredible power. A battle ensues; after you overpower the creature, the Space Patrol yields the Meteor Shard to the Captain.
“The key to great power lies in our reunion.”
End of chapter.
The Space Patrol gives salute to the Captain. The transport ships are repaired, and you head back for Phrost City. The scientists ponder as to how the Jelestrials escaped captivity; in a flashback sequence, Bombore is revealed to have secretly released the creatures and crippled the ships in effort to make the Space Patrol believe that the Meteor Shard had powered the creatures too greatly, leading to their escape, and therefore forcing the Space Patrol to confiscate the Meteor Shard. Upon returning to the crater, you learn of the new location to visit (as well as “The key to great power lies in our reunion.”) The new location is set in a clump of forestland slightly northeast of the city: Bombore identifies this as the location of the secretive Factory X, an urban legend (as noted by Goomburt).
Seemingly reluctantly, Bombore tells you how to get to the factory, however, he does not tell how he knows of it; he instructs you into a shady building in the city, where you must knock out an accountant Goomba with your hammer. Afterward, Bombore reads off the accountant’s computer a mysterious code and location within the sewers. (If you somehow already know of this information, you may skip the accountant assault sequence.) In the sewers, the tools which you have gained since your last visit allow you to further explore: you eventually reach a location with ceiling switches. Using the Extra Paper, you are able to extend upward and hit them. (If you looked at the code from the accountant’s computer, you should know the correct order in hitting the switches.) Afterward, a new pipe is revealed, which leads to…
Chapter Five
The factory is well-concealed by the forest; surrounding vegetation is corroded by pollution from what you will eventually learn to be underground smokestacks. Despite Bombore’s reluctance, you enter the factory and witness its secrets at work: sparks and smoke expel as kidnapped slaves are forced into harsh and dangerous labor, operating large machinery and gear; they are producing illegal mechanical products; brutal overseers use whips and other torture devices to keep the slaves working. You are soon captured by security; while being held captive, you sight a Bob-omb named Bombruze interrogating and torturing one of the factory’s employees in regards to mismanagement in product shipment. Afterward, Bombruze recognizes Bombore and contacts the factory chief, Unco.
Unco comes to the room and seems pleased to see Bombore as if he were an old friend, though Bombore is less than happy with their reunion; the two leave to speak privately; afterward, Bombore escorts you to the laborers and forces you to join them; he tells you this was the “safest” arrangement he could make. Mario questions how Bombore knows of the factory and its inhabitants. Bombore explains that he was once a favored enforcer within the factory, trained in dealing with pain and psychology for his job of brutalizing and interrogating, by any means necessary, any who were working unsatisfactorily; years ago, the factory was closed due to an incident which damaged much of the factory and killed many of its inhabitants; Bombore and other surviving workers were relieved of their duties and forced back into the real world; Bombore moved to Secluded Swamp in order to live in isolation, hoping to make peace with himself as he began to be pained for the evils he committed.
Bombore is surprised to see the factory running again; he has taken the job of enforcer again so that he can attempt to find out more of what’s going on, while you are forced to endure the pains of living under the whip of the factory. You spend your labor in Level 1 (the factory has 4 levels): you make use your abilities in order to operate machinery which powers mechanisms of the higher levels; you spend the little amount of rest you are allowed in a corner (which you may think of as a free inn of sorts); you form bonds with fellow slaves during work (while the overseers aren’t looking, of course.) Over time, Bombore learns that Unco’s interest in running the factory was renewed after a peculiar rodent gave him an unusual amulet which helped him in reorganizing and restarting the factory. Unco shows the amulet to Bombore: it is none other than the Meteor Shard. Bombore divulges this information to you, and then helps you and the other laborers to initiate a revolt against the factory crew.
You use the machinery you have previously worked with against your foes as well as to open further passage through the factory. Before leaving Level 1, you battle with a prototype robot, Mex 2.0. Afterward, you climb to Level 2: it heavily consists of machine presses, conveyor belts, and molten metals. You eventually find a chest which contains the Extra Weight, a tool which aids you through the rest of the level and your climb upward. The work in Level 3 mainly consists of robot construction. Partway through the level, you are confronted by Bombruze, and yet another battle ensues.
After defeating him, you continue onward through Level 3; it contains the factory’s most difficult puzzles and challenges. On Level 4, you explore Unco’s own personal workroom and living room before reaching a large room where he awaits you; Unco hops into a massive Mex Mega robot, and a battle ensues. After you defeat him, his machine explodes, and the fifth Meteor Shard drops to you.
“The key to great power lies in our reunion.”
End of chapter.
A near by switch opens a pipe back to the factory’s exterior. While the other laborers escape and start to spread the truth of Factory X to the outside world, you return to the crater. There, you receive the location of the next Meteor Shard: in the west of Secluded Swamp (you also hear, “The key to great power lies in our reunion” again.) You return to the swamp and use new tools and abilities gained since Chapter 1 to explore new regions and face new foes; in the west of the swamp, you eventually reach the location of a circle of strange statues. Using your various tools on them, you cause each statue to release a beam of energy, each of which conjoins to form a large bubble. When the bubble is finished, you hop into it.
Chapter Six
You emerge from a small bubble and behold the world before you: it is a bizarre place; the surface is made of cheese, the sky is teal-colored, the clouds are made of various hygiene products; it is full of random objects (often food products) of various sizes, and pools and rivers of vegetable oil; occasionally, the weather is rainy with purple raindrops; random phenomena (such as roaring laughter in the skies) occasionally occur as well. Bloopz becomes intrigued and engrossed in the world. There are no foes and only a few puzzles present as you make your way through. You eventually stumble upon a small, eccentric civilization: the people are known as Benevols, and they are blue and heart-shaped; they speak only one word per sentence. Your presence causes a ruckus among them, and they force you to take a strange test: you are brought into a building, and a large dummy is unexpectedly sprung forth; it becomes apparent that it was a test of the party members’ reactions; as Bloopz responded with amusement, the Benevols declare Bloopz to be the only passer of the test, and therefore, the king of the Benevols.
Bloopz responds positively to his new title. The Benevols are eager for him to see his new castle, so you head on toward it. The Benevols’ village is comprised mainly of blue, cube-shaped houses; there is an inn and an item shop. The castle itself is blue and small; after you enter, Bloopz asks the Benevols about the Meteor Shard; they do not seem to know much of it. The Captain grows frustrated with Bloopz’s light-hearted approach on the matter and begins to argue with him, causing a spectacle. The Benevols subsequently declare the Captain to be a lawbreaker for his overly serious tone and opposition to the king; they banish him from the kingdom, despite Bloopz’s insistence against it.
Bloopz and the rest of the party refuse to be parted with the Captain over such a trivial matter, so they join him in his exile. Outside of the Benevols’ region, you are met with more challenging puzzles and wandering foes: among them is the Chibbles, a chocolate chip variation of Nibbles which hides in the vegetable oil rivers. You travel across the rivers, climb floating candy canes and hop from clouds until reaching a new region. The denizens of this new region are known as the Malevols: they are red and pitchfork-shaped in appearance, and have a similar dialect to the Benevols. They declare Bloopz and the rest of the party to be outlaws due to Bloopz’s kinghood of the Benevols, so they capture you; you are brought before the Malevol Monarch, and you spot the Meteor Shard being worn by him as a necklace.
The Malevol Monarch sentences the party to be tomato-ed into “oblivion”; you are placed in a prison cell to wait until time for the sentence. While there, Bloopz comes to accept the reality that the world (either) is not completely jokes and fun; he confesses that he used to be more formal when he was younger, and he was often subject to practical jokes by his peers; so, as he grew older, he decided to appreciate lightheartedness, and eventually grew very fond of it. The Captain tells Bloopz that his experience on this journey with him has actually made himself more appreciative of humor and lightheartedness, but warns to approach a subject seriously when the situation calls for it, and urges Bloopz to stand up and fight against their captors. Bloopz conjures a plan to escape the cell, tricking one of the guards into opening the cell door, and the party escapes. As you run through the prison, you come under attack from the Malevols. You eventually find a chest containing the Ultra Boots, which aid in your escape from the prison.
As the Malevols block the way you came, you are forced to take an alternate route back to the Benevols’ region. Once you have returned, Bloopz iterates to the Benevols the Captain’s earlier words in the prison, convincing them to join in battle against the Malevols. Afterward, the two forces march out of their respective territories, meet in the area between their regions, and engage in battle: they fight by bombarding each other with various objects, sending bodies flinging across the battlefield. After struggling through the combating forces, you arrive back at the Malevols’ territory; the Malevol Monarch flees into his castle, and you are forced to find 2 keys hidden in the village in order to unlock the doors to the castle. The village is similar in appearance to the Benevols’ village, though it is mainly red in color; the village’s innkeeper and shopkeeper are unfriendly to you and prevent you from using their residences; you explore a few houses and complete a few of puzzles as you find the keys. After you unlock and enter the monarch’s castle, you complete a few final tests before reaching the Malevol Monarch, afterward which a battle ensues. After defeating him, you receive the sixth shard.
“The key to great power lies in our reunion.”
End of chapter.
A chocolate-coated pipe leads you back to the site of the battle; the Benevols have been victorious and overtaken the Malevols; Bloopz advises the Benevols to learn to fend for themselves and gives up his kingship. You return to the Secluded Swamp; near by the bubble leading to Weird World is a switch which can be reached by using the Ultra Boots, activating a pipe back to the sewers. (Additionally, you may also inform the outpost dwellers of the new world they can go to.) You return to Mr. Biggs’s apartment in the city to give him the shards, however, you find that he and the Princess have vanished. You then proceed to the crater, (“The key to great power lies in our reunion,”) and Mario is informed that the final shard is in the northwest location on his map, where there is seemingly nothing of note but some trees. In the city, the large penguin offers a more challenging race; after winning, you are rewarded by the penguin with the Ultra Hammer. Your new hammer and new boots allow you to discover in the sewers a few final areas as well as a pipe which leads you to…
Chapter Seven
You arrive outside of the entrance to Biggs Laboratory. The seemingly small entrance becomes much larger when you enter: you find a large staircase leading deep underground. The laboratory is five levels; you will descend them in your journey through. On Level 5 (the highest level), you discover a vast array of Mr. Biggs’s grotesque experiments: they are seemingly vegetative until you approach them, afterward which they come to life and spring toward you in attack. They are perhaps the most difficult foes of your adventure.
Partway through your journey, Goomburt collapses; you bring him into a near by medical room, where you manage to resuscitate him; Goomburt thanks you, but does not wish to discuss what happened to him. As you continue your journey, he eventually collapses again, and you resuscitate him once again; afterward, Mario convinces Goomburt to tell him the truth of what has been happening to him. Goomburt finally admits that he is not as fit for action as he would like to pretend: he reveals that before he joined the quest, he was diagnosed with a condition which would likely lead to his death in the near future; he further states that he had spent much of his life gaining knowledge of the world in hopes of being a grand adventurer, similarly to Mario, and was even once a plumber himself; however, he was never allowed to accomplish anything beyond that, anything truly great, mainly due to society’s view of Goombas being frail; this adventure is what he has been waiting to be on his entire life. Goomburt feels his condition worsening, and does not believe he will live for much longer. Wanting to finish the adventure, Goomburt presses Mario to carry on.
The laboratory is full of experimented foes, as well as computers and other electronics (some of which have been badly damaged by the rampant experiments); during your descent, you face the adventure’s most difficult puzzles and challenges; experimentation rooms often consist of ice, molten metals, or pools of water; another variation of the Nibbles, Nibblex, lurks the waters; you may think of the medical rooms as free inns. In Level 3, you discover the horrific experimentation performed on the Princess’s loyal retainer, Toad. You engage in a brief battle with “Toad-X”. At the end of Level 1, you cross over into Biggs Tower.
You spiral up the tower and face several more challenges; the experimented foes have found their way into the tower as well. In your ascent, you discover Mr. Biggs’s living areas, including an entire level devoted to various classic Nintendo games (which also proves that Mr. Biggs is a closeted gamer!) As you reach the 2nd-highest level, you find Mr. Biggs and the Princess, as well as a strange piece of paper. Mr. Biggs is short on discussion and makes no effort to explain his recent actions, instead dropping the seventh Meteor Shard behind the piece of paper. Mr. Biggs departs to the tower’s highest level with the Princess, as the paper forms into one of his most powerful experiments, the Reshaper. After defeating it, you collect the seventh and final shard.
“The key to great power lies in our reunion.”
End of chapter.
You reach the tower’s highest level, just as Mr. Biggs, with the Princess in tow, takes off in a rocket; the ceiling opens, making way to the surface. You hop in another rocket and launch out of the tower; you wreck it in Phrost City, where you find that the city has become overrun and terrorized by Mr. Biggs’s experiments in your absence; they have set up new objects blocking way through the regular passages of the city. You are forced to find new passages down the sewers and up through the buildings, facing your adventure’s final challenges; you eventually make your way to the top of the clock tower, where Mr. Biggs’s final force, the Ultimiserine, stands in the way of a console; after defeating the foe, you use the console to open passage back to the crater. Once there, the Meteor Shards and the energy emanating from the crater combines into one. The crater delivers a new message to Mario,
“We are reunited. The key unlocks the doorway to great power.”
Mr. Biggs arrives in his hovering vehicle, with the Princess trapped in her own; he refuses to fulfill his promise of freeing the Princess, and is excited to find that no new great power has been unveiled, claiming that things are just as he expected. Mario questions him as to his sudden twist in his intentions. Mr. Biggs explains that throughout his life, he has desired to change the world in the way he feels is best for it; he believed the only way to do this was with force and weaponry; he learned of and studied the legend of the Meteor Shards, and came to the conclusion that the “great power” promised could be used as the ultimate weapon in world domination; he also studied the history of the world in an attempt to find out what the great power was, and came to only one conclusion.
Mario is the great power. Mr. Biggs had studied the records of Mario’s adventures, and observed that Mario had unusual abilities and was often connected to mystical energies in his adventures; Mr. Biggs sent Mario on this latest adventure to collect all of the Meteor Shards, even forcing him to collect ones which he already found first in order to test Mario’s abilities; with Mario having survived through this long and perilous journey with all Meteor Shards intact, Mr. Biggs is now utterly convinced that Mario is the legendary weapon he has been seeking.
Mr. Biggs states that he intends to use Mario as his tool in his conquest of the world; as he anticipates, Mario defies him, so Mr. Biggs converts his hovering machine into a large anthropomorphic robot, and tells Mario that he will perfect him through discipline. The final boss battle ensues. After a rough, two-phase battle, Mr. Biggs is defeated once and for all.
The Princess is released from her hovering cell and has a heartfelt reunion with Mario. She thanks the entire party for their efforts.
A severely weakened Goomburt collapses to the ground. With his last breaths, he says, “Sound work, everyone.”
Shortly thereafter, a massive, unidentified flying object whirls down into view above the crater. A light sea green ray glows from the UFO as a tall, green Being floats down from it and collects the restored Meteor; the Meteor transforms into energy and beams up into the UFO. The Being gives the party a bow, and grabs Goomburt’s body as it rises back up into the UFO. The party and the Princess watch as the UFO departs.
The screen fades to Mario’s house. Mario finishes explaining his latest adventure to Luigi. Afterward, the two realize that it is time for them to go to a party, and they leave.
While they are on their way, you are shown a montage of where the rest of the party is now:
-Koopy and Bombore have started a company dedicated to helping the poor
-The Captain has a job as a physical education teacher at a school
-Bloopz has gained fame as a comedian on television
Mario and Luigi arrive at Yoshi’s Village on Lavalava Island. The Yoshis are holding large party in celebration of all great things in the world. Many guests have been invited, including Mario, Luigi, the Princess, and even Bowser. As night falls, Mario and the Princess sit on a beach and stare up into the stars.
Up in those stars, two shadowed figures, a tall one and a considerably shorter one, gaze out a window and upon the world.
