Stuff like that reminded me of hitting the chain link in the first fight with Bowser on the chandelier in SMRPG
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Bowserās Theme
A report, Your Evilness: Mario defeated the Goomba King. Heās heading for Toad Town now.
I used the Star Rod to make him a king because he begged meā¦ And Mario whips him so easily? What a wimp!!
Please, please, Your Vileness! Try to be calm. Goomba King is small-time. I had a feeling heād fail. It doesnāt matter, because while you hold the Star Rod you are definitely invincible. You could beat Mario with one claw tied behind your back.
Please, donāt worry yourself. Each is held separately. And each is carefully guarded by your handpicked subjects. Even Mario canāt save all seven of the Star Spirits.
Hmmmā¦
Yeah, it would be really crazy if Mario travelled to each area holding a Star Spirit, defeated each guardian there, rescued all seven of them, and managed to use their powers to find a way to counter the effects of the Star Rod. Good thing that definitely wonāt happen during the course of this game, right?
Hey, itās about the journey, not the destination.
If Mario somehow reaches there, can the Koopa Bros. defeat him?
You may notice a slight resemblance to four other shelled creatures styled after ninjas. Iām sure this was completely unintentional.
That Goomba King was gigantic, and even he couldnāt beat Mario.
Yeah, the Goomba King was huge, but he was a total wimpola! Weāre nothing like him! See, what weāve got going on is the power of teamworkā¦ Together, we can put the hurt on Mario in seconds flat!
Excellent! Thatās the spirit! Sell it, Koopa Bros.!! Show our king that special attack you do so well!
Yes, maāam!
Thatā¦ This isā¦ Ohhhhh!!!
Mario wonāt have a chance if you finish him with that attack!
Weāll take him, King Bowser!
By the way, my Koopa Brosā¦
ā¦Uhā¦nobody, sirā¦ You know, weāre here and soā¦
Ah, the outskirts of Toad Town. To the east is Toad Town. If we go west, weāll reach my hometown, Goomba Village.
Meanwhile, Mario is just one screen away from finally reaching Toad Town.
This question block has a new item, the Sleepy Sheep. It does what it says it does. Handy for facing a large number of enemies, especially early on when group attacks are still limited.
Near the end is a tree holding a giant spring. A simple hammer pound will knock it loose, leading you toā¦
ā¦the Hammer Throw badge. This takes 2BP and lets you spend FP to attack flying and back-row enemies with the hammer. Itās not really that useful right now since you wonāt be facing anything that both flies and has spikes for a long time, and by that time there will be other, more useful badges and items to counter them.
Thatās it, so itās time to finally arrive at Toad Town.
This is the west entrance to Toad Town. In case you couldnāt tell, itās the main gate. The fancy gate and the star emblem on the ground are symbols of this fair town. Goomba Village, where my house is, is a brief journey west from here. Youāll find a very smart Toad named Russ T. living in this town. He knows lots of useful information for adventurers. Youāll also find shops that sell various items. Oh yeah! Thereās also a Dojo.
Toad Town is the central hub of this game. There are other towns, of course, but youāll be coming back here a lot to go to whichever new place you need to go to next.
Thereās also a lot to this place. Goombario has only explained the stuff in this screen, thereās more to the town but for this update weāll only be checking out the west side of town.
The town is in an uproar! The princess kidnapped! The very castle uprooted! Itās bedlam! I really donāt know what we can do about all thisā¦
As soon as we come in, this Toad runs up to us and starts proclaiming how doomed everyone is. Alright, then.
This Toad is always standing in front of the gate. Is it his job, maybe? He looks as if heās asleep on his feet, but he actually knows quite a bit about the town.
Again, this is where I remind you that Goombario has unique dialogue for every single NPC in the game, and there sure are a lot of them just in Toad Town.
But before we continue, we should probably check in at our place first.
I wonder what my brother Mario is doing right nowā¦
And youāre all right! After all that castle craziness, I was really worried about you. I ran outside just as the earthquake started, so I managed to escape in time.
Oh? And who are you?
Iām Goombario. Nice to meet you!
See, someone has to look after this house, so I canāt leave. Oh well. Take care of Mario, OK?
This is Luigiās excuse for not joining us. As the game progresses, heāll be killing time doing various activities around here. At least heās actually in the game this time, unlike SMRPG.
Honestly, itās not until Superstar Saga and this gameās sequel that Luigi really shines. More on that when I hopefully cover the sequel, though.
Anyway, letās get the Tattle for this area.
Itās your house! Cool! Nice landscaping! I like my house, but yours is even nicer. Did you do the decorating yourself?
Heās Luigi. I donāt have to say anything about him, do I? Heās your brother!
There isnāt much to do at the Mario house. You can look at some stats, though some are currently hidden as we havenāt unlocked everything yet. You can see weāve got a lot of badges and star pieces to collect, though!
Otherwise, we can read old letters and rest. Thatās it for now, letās go back and check out Toad Town.
No castle! Horrors! Only a hole remains! Our beloved castle! Where is it? Spread the word! Outrage!
This Toad is always very excited about whatever news he has. Heās a little crazy. Even so, itās a good idea to listen to him. He may be a little excitable, but he always has news.
Everyone in town is suffering, and yet my heart cares for nothing but you, my sweet. Does that make me wicked?
My heart is the same, my love. It cares for you, none other.
As you may expect, some of the regular text is great as well.
This Toad claims that he and his girl are in love. But just the other day, he told me he liked a different girl! What a cad!
Those Toads are in love. Theyāre so in love, they donāt even notice whatās going on. Unless you like seeing public displays of affection, I wouldnāt talk to them. Theyāre shameless.
When you canāt carry any more items, itās a good idea to go to a shop like this and ask them to hold items for you. You can even claim the items at any other shop. Pretty convenient, huh?
This Toad always stands in front of the shop. He knows all about items. He never moves, as far as I can tell. Maybe heās trying to get a tan.
You have a hard inventory limit, but you can store your items at shops and withdraw them later. Or more likely, store them and then leave them there for the rest of the game. Really, you should try more to use the items you have.
The Degree, Mario. The Degree shows how strong you are. Ha ha haā¦ I have it. I fought at the Dojo over there and got it from The Master. I am one bad Toad!
This Toad has tried his skills at the Dojo. That takes gutsā¦ Someday Iām gonna try it all by myself.
You can go home through that pipe in front of the main gate over there. You can enter the pipe by standing on the edge and pushing down on the Control Stick. Say, why donāt you give me a tour of your house someday?
He doesnāt seem to have any particular reason to be at the Dojo. Heās not fighting. He just loiters around, checking out the fighters. Maybe he just likes watching tough guys. I bet heāll cheer for us if we challenge The Master.
Over here are two more creatures blocking the entrance to the Dojo. We wonāt be fighting here for awhile.
Our Master was a strong man. He is going to come back a very, very strong man. We will wait here, right here, until our Master returns. Waiting is part of our training.
Heās one of the trainees whoās always at the Dojo. His name is Lee. Heās like an older brother to Chan. Lee respects The Master above all else and hangs on every word he says.
Unless our Master isnāt here, in which case the Dojoās closed. A letter just arrived saying The Master will return soon. We will train again soon!
Thatās Chan. Heās one of the trainees who seem to always be at the Dojo. He worships The Master. I mean, itās all well and good for Chan to admire The Master, but I prefer Mario!
Named after Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan. They did the same thing with the Hitmonās in Pokemon.
Weāll loop clockwise, talking to this trio and then entering each building before we end the update.
How could such a thing happen? Whatā¦ Whatāll become of Princess Peach and the others who were in the castle?
She is the oldest of these three Toad sisters. Apparently they call themselves the āThree Beautiful Sisters.ā I personally donāt think theyāre that attractive, but I guess for Toads, they are. Goombas and Toads think about beauty in different ways, I guess. What do you think, Mario?
Feel free to debate the merits of viewing Toad beauty through a Goombaās perspective.
She is the second oldest of these three Toad sisters. Apparently they call themselves the āThree Beautiful Sisters.ā She obviously works pretty hard with makeup to look gorgeous. I guessā¦ kind of cuteā¦ What do you think, Mario?
She is the youngest of these three Toad sisters. Apparently they call themselves the āThree Beautiful Sisters.ā She says sheās cute. I definitely think sheās the cutest of the three.
At least we know Goombarioās power rankings of Toad Sister Cuteness. Though next update weāll learn what Goombarioās type really is.
This will have to wait until much, much later.
Which is a shame, because this Star Piece will be taunting us for a long time.
In here is a regular Toad family.
Sheās the homemaker here. Sheās ordinarily very relaxed and easygoing. Since her lazy husband is home, sheās working harder than ever right now. The housework piles up every day, but somehow she manages it all with no help. Where does she get the energy?
Everything was shakingā¦ the groundā¦ the housesā¦ I fell right over! It was so horrifyingā¦ that Iād just like to forget it ever happened.
This family man ordinarily works at Peachās Castle. He was on his day off when the castle disappeared. Talk about your basic lucky coincidence! Wow! Heās a very reliable worker at the castleā¦ but he never does chores around the house.
But now the castleās gone, so heās at home. When I said Iām glad 'cause Dadās at home, I got scolded. ā¦Whatās up with that?
Heās one of the Toad kids. He likes his father so much that he always tries to sneak into the castle. Heās about the same age as I am. We sometimes play together when I come to Toad Town. I guess heās a pretty good friend of mine.
Butā¦Mom told me I had to be a good boy and stay home. How come?
Heās a Toad kid who wants to be really powerful. He thinks that having power solves everything. His way of thinking is a little bit different from mine. Heās a good enough guy, though, when we play together.
Ah, nothing like debating your philosophical differences to bring two playmates closer together.
Up to the north end is a pretty helpful guy.
The music changes dynamically when you visit different areas of Toad Town.
Of course I know who you are. Iām the wise Toad, Russ T. Pleasure meeting you. As you can probably tell, I love books and read all the time. Because Iām so well read, I know all sorts of interesting facts. Whenever you visit with me, Iāll be happy to share all of my knowledge with you.
Heās Russ T. Everyone says heās the smartest Toad around. Heās always happy to share his vast knowledge with people. Heās filled me in on things plenty of times. He knows a lot of things I can only guess at.
This guy will spout out random facts and hints when you talk to him. Hereās one for now.
So it is told that far away, at the very top of the sky, there exists a Star Haven, where Stars make their home. In Star Haven, thereās a treasure called a Star Rod. According to legend, it was made with ancient magic. There are said to be Stars that are particularly strong and good-hearted. They are called Star Spirits. Using the magical Star Rod, these Star Spirits grant the wishes of everyone in this world. Thatās why, when we make a wish to the night sky and it comes true, itās all thanks to the Star Spirits and their Star Rod.
IāM GOOD THANKS.
Last thing today is the shop.
Youāll get prices and descriptions here. Three items weāve already seen, and three new ones. The POW Block does less damage than the Fire Flower, but itās very useful for shell enemies like Koopa Troopas. The far left is the Fright Jar, which can scare off enemies, and Honey Syrup, which recovers a nice 5FP.
I buy a POW Block for now.
If we choose to buy, he tells us to go next to the item to buy it. Sell is obvious, Check/Claim is how you store/recover stored items.
That Toad runs this shop. He buys, sells and checks items. If you donāt manage what youāre carrying well, you may not be able to hold everything. Check items when you can.
Next time, we finish exploring Toad Town and finally make our way to Shooting Star Summit.
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This brings me backā¦ havenāt played this game in a long, long time. I remember it had a very cute and clever TV ad when it came out.
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Click Here to open the update!
Today weāll begin exploring the eastern half of Toad Town. Thereās actually a good chunk more but itās currently inaccessible.
This is the central area of Toad Town, a plaza in front of Princess Peachās Castle. Pleasant Path begins to the east of here. This used to be a bustling area before Bowserās attack. Guests at the castle were always in and out. And tourists came from all over to see the castle. The wizard Merlon also lives around here. If you get stuck, his fortune-telling might just help you out! Thereās also a Toad House where you can take a short rest and a post office where you can pick up mail for your party members. Also, over by the flower garden, thereās a guy named Rowf whoās opening his own specialty shop.
You get all that? Because you better have.
Another Star Piece.
The worst of it happened in the center of town. It seemed to rain wood. As a result, we canāt get to the southern part of town. The train station, the portā¦ many important things lie south. Not being able to get there is a great inconvenience to me and to everyone.
Heās a Toad who often thinks about going south. Maybe his girlfriendās there. Or maybe he just has a lot of friends from that area. Heās pretty chatty.
So weāre locked out of the south for awhile, but thatās OK because thereās already plenty to do and discover here.
[quote]Princess Peach Kidnapped!!
Castle Uprooted!!
A few days ago, Princess Peachās Castle was stolen. She was inside and is presumed kidnapped.
The whereabouts of the princess are unknown, and where the castle once stood there is now a gaping hole in the ground.
According to witnesses, the castle rose into the sky.
As soon as we get new information, weāll post follow-up reports on this board.[/quote]
Thereās a bulletin board that gets updated as the game progresses. Thereās also a secret bulletin boardā¦on the other side of this one.
[quote]Iām scribbling on the back of the Notice Board. How naughty!
I heard Mario was defeated by Bowserā¦ How ominousā¦[/quote]
Toads really love to gossip. I guess their lives are incredibly boring?
You never been? Just go through that blue gate there and bear right at Peachās Castle.
This guy often knows rumors. Heās counting on you, Mario. You wonāt let him down, will you?
Gotta save the princess so we donāt disappoint the yellow toad. This is the one and only reason I am still playing this game. I donāt think I can live with myself if the yellow toad is disappointed in me.
Heās weird. He also happens to be as stubborn as a mule. He rarely comes out. As weird as he is, though, his talent is no joke. He can read the stars. He even predicted that youād come back safe and sound!
This friendly Toad loves to run his mouth. Heās a bit of a gossip.
You can find out whatās where in Toad Town by checking out the signs. What am I telling you this for? Iām sure you know itās smart to read all the signs you see.
This Toadā¦ Iāll tell you a secret. Heās a huge fan of the princess. He told me once that he has a big collection of her photos. What a lovesick foolā¦
I donāt know whatās sadder, obsessing over a princess or obsessing over road signs.
Iām not a big fan of this road sign. Itās too cluttered and hard to read. Iām only going to give it two stars on my road sign ranking app.
Merluvlee tells fortunes. Sheās really good at finding Badges or Star Pieces. When you take Star Pieces to Merlow, heāll trade them for Badges. These two could help you, no? You ought to go meet them.
This guy knows tons of gossip. His favorite subject is the brother and sister who live on Shooting Star Summit. Sometimes itās tough dragging information out of him. But then again, sometimes itās worth it if youāre curious.
Weāll meet those two in a bit. Meanwhile, I bet if you made a word cloud of this gameās script, āgossipā would be one of the largest words. Seriously, 80% of these Toadsā descriptions are āLoves to gossip.ā
Next isā¦oh. Alright, then.
Yeah, you shouldnāt go.
Nope, no go.
Sorry, but no.
Of course, each of these guys has a unique Tattle.
Heās a funny color for a Toad. Iāve never seen him before.
Heās a funny color for a Toad. He reminds me of someone, thoughā¦ But who?
Heās a funny color for a Toad. You know, I donāt think I want to know this guy. He looks like bad news.
Heās a funny color for a Toad. He looksā¦a little off. Heās trying to be cool, but heās failing big time.
Next is a Toad House. This guy has the same dialogue as the other Toad House guy, but Goombario of course has new Tattle text.
This is the manager of a Toad House. These havens are all over the world, usually manned by a Toad. When youāre exhausted, you should stay and recover.
Just watching her from a distance makes me happy!
It seems like this Toad is always in love with someone. Right now, he likes Minh T. I think heās in good spirits. As long as he can be near her, heāll be happy.
Yes, Nintendo, this is definitely behavior that should be encouraged.
Hello! My name is Minh T. Please enjoy the beauty of this flower garden. Iāve heard thereās a lovely flower we donāt have here. Supposedly, Bub-ulbs have the only known seeds.
If you find a Bub-ulb, could you get seeds for me? Iāll plant them in this flower garden and raise them lovingly.
She takes care of flowers. Her name is Minh T. Nobody can match her skill at growing flowers. She must have a green thumb. Flowers feel Minh T.'s love and show it in their blooms.
She even has her own theme music that overlays the Toad Music. Finding these seeds is a long-term thing, so best to ignore it for now.
Rowfās the name. Iām starting me up a little business in Toad Town. Iām still setting up, though. I wanna see you back in here when we open, all right?
This guyās pretty funky. His name is Rowf. He sells Badges. He travels all over the world, buying and selling things. Iām a little jealous.
Dadās preparing to open the shop soon, so I guess you gotta wait a little while.
This is Rhuff. Heās Rowfās kid. He looks just like Rowf, right? Heās supposed to be helping, but it looks like heās a painā¦ Hmmm, well, itās Rowfās problem.
Later on, we can spend coins for badges here. Thereās usually a decent selection, but of course they can be rather pricey.
Next up, the Post Office.
His name is Parakarry. Heās a Paratroopa who works for the post office. Heās well known for being the slowest mailman around. A slow mailman? That canāt be good.
Same Koopa that delivered the brothers their letter at the beginning of the game.
You can read any letters that arrive for you or for your other party members. Please drop by now and then to check and see if youāve received any mail. Wellā¦
Progressing the plot will net you mail for Mario and his various partners. Right now, Goombario just got himself a letter.
This one being from the Goomba Bros. we beat up earlier.
Here you go.
[quote]Goombario,
You were a lot stronger than you looked. We figured you were just some punk Goomba hanging around with Mario.
Anyway, you proved yourself to us. And you showed us that being good is as important as being strong. Soā¦
When you come back, do you think maybe we could beā¦friends? Please say yes!
Weāll be waiting!
Red & Blue Goomba Bros.[/quote]
Weāll keep the letters for you. Come on by anytime you want to read some letters.
This Paratroopa looks extremely serious. And stubborn. And hardheaded. If you have a letter coming, heāll give it to you. I wonder if he has one for me.
Most of these letters are flavor text but theyāre usually still enjoyable reads. Iāll definitely pop in here every now and then to read more of them.
The last building in this part of Toad Town is closed. If we try going southā¦
Unfortunately, itās impossible to go to the south side of town with all this scattered wood. Donāt worry. Weāre restacking it as quickly as possible. I know itās inconvenient, but please bear with us while we get everything in order.
This Toad is diligent and very hard working. He has a great work ethic. I heard he has a bit of a crush on Merluvlee, who lives on Shooting Star Summit.
Both the south and east exits are closed off, so all we can do is go north to Shooting Star Summit.
Peachās Castleā¦used to be here. Thereās not even a trace of it now. How awful!
Completely lifting a castle into the air did makeā¦a bit of a mess where it used to be.
I was in the castle when it started to shake, but my lightning-quick feet got me out. I know Luigi made it out with maybe a few othersā¦ But everyone else was taken.
Heās a Toad. He never fails to go for a walk, even if itās nasty out. He also loves cleaning for some reason. He cleans like crazy!
Seriously how do you know these things, this is starting to get creepy.
Next screen begins our trek to Shooting Star Summit.
This place feels strange and mysterious, doesnāt it? If we go east from here, weāll eventually get to Shooting Star Summit.
At this point, shooting stars start falling and some pretty sweet music starts playing.
An adequate road sign. Concise and to the point. Three stars.
This is not a road sign because itās not on a road, so I refuse to review it.
I will follow its advice, however.
This is the house of an amazingly gorgeous woman, the fortune-teller Merluvlee. Merlow, who collects Star Pieces, also lives here. This house pulses with psychic power. Can you feel it? It feelsā¦weird. It feels like Iām floating on some sort of spiritual cushion.
Anyway, thereās quite a bit you can do here. That chest is empty and useless right now, but laterā¦
This spot is a little tight for fortune-telling. If you want your fortune read, talk to me over the counter.
Sheās a gorgeous lady named Merluvlee. I canāt believe Iām in the same room with her! She foresees events and uses her magic powers to find what youāre looking for. Sheās very accurate. I think Iām in loveā¦ Sheās incredible! Pinch me, will you, Mario?
So if youāre wanting more research as to what Goombas find attractive, well, there you go. Meet Goombarioās type, the knock-off black mage.
My name is Merluvlee. Iām a stunning fortune-teller. My noble calling is to read fortunes while looking absolutely ravishing. I can help you find what you seek. My twinkle star here will show me all thatās hidden. My, myā¦
This incredibly humble fortune-teller is actually quite useful. Sheāll tell you where to find star pieces and badges. This sort of fortune telling is great in the world of FAQs, because if you miss something it can be hard to track it down even with a walkthrough, so a hint as to where to go both comes in handy and also gives you reason to use these services. Much better than generic hints or whatever.
That said, no reason to really use these until the end-game, so I pass. As for Super Blocks, itāll be awhile before those are relevant, so ignore those for now.
And if you think Iām going to transcribe every single hint youāre crazy.
Mister! You have any Star Pieces? If you do, Iāll swap some cool Badges for them!
Which Badges do you want to swap for?
Thereās a good number of badges we can buy. Obviously not going to describe all of them, but thereās a few solid ones, like Zap Tap (electrifies Mario, which hurts enemies that use contact moves on him), Flower Saver (reduces all FP costs by one), and Power Plus (boosts Marioās attack by one). Of course, theyāre also pretty pricey.
If you have any preferences, let me know! Iām not really invested in any of them quite yet.
Ahhā¦ Did you change your mind? I seeā¦
Heās Merlow. Heās about the same age as I am. I wanna play with him when we finish our adventure. I guess he trades Star Pieces for Badges. Merluvlee, whoās downstairs, is his sister. Heās so lucky!
How is he lucky to have a sister youāre attracted to, Goombario. Maybe you should take a cold shower or something.
This is Shooting Star Summit. Stars are reallyā¦uh, shooting. People say that this place, like no other, reaches up and embraces the sky.
Anyway, the upper path takes us to where we need to be.
Of course thereās a Star Piece here.
Otherwise, just a long circular path up that looks kinda cool in motion (but of course would also mean large GIFs so use your imagination).
Up topā¦
Heās an old Star Spirit. His name is Eldstar. He reminds me of my grandpa. Heās a revered person who lives in Star Haven, way up beyond the sky. Uhā¦a revered star, I mean. I wonder why heās here. He should be in Star Haven. And why does he look soā¦dim? I can see right through him.
Our job is to grant the wishes of good people from our home in Star Haven, a place high beyond the sky. Weāre going to tell you something incredibly important. Please listen carefully.
ā¦Bowser and his followers invaded our peaceful Star Haven. They stole our prized treasure, the Star Rod, which weāve cared for since the beginning of time.
For as long as we can remember, Bowser has been making wishes like, for instanceā¦
Of course, Stars ignore such selfish wishes. As a result, his wishes were never granted.
When he found out that we were ignoring his wishes, he came and stole the Star Rod so he could grant his own wishes. He seems content right now, mainly because he defeated you and captured the princess. Soon enough, though, I fear he will wish for moreā¦and then terrible things will happen.
We must get the Star Rod back from Bowser and return it to its rightful place! In order to do this, Mario, we need your help!
ā¦right now you are not strong enough to challenge Bowserā¦he has made himself all-powerful by making wishes with the Star Rod. He is terrible to behold!
ā¦we can give you the power to fight Bowser even with his newfound strength. With our help, you can prevail!
Alasā¦ Weāve nearly exhausted our power to talk to you. Although it looks like weāre there beside you, it is only an illusion. Weāre using all of our strength to communicate with you over a great distance. But even now, our strength is fadingā¦ Weāve been caught and are being held by Bowserās followers in different places throughout the Mushroom Kingdom. Please, Mario, first of all, you must rescue us!
ā¦we need your helpā¦ Please, Marioā¦
Do you think the princess is going to be all right? Iām really worried about her.
Weāve now got our objective. Mario must find and rescue the seven Star Spirits so they can use their powers to help Mario defeat super-powered Bowser. Of course, Mario doesnāt know where to start lookingā¦
Next time, weāll get a new perspective on this tale.
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At least thatās an in game explanation as to why everyone will talk with you. They like gossiping so much, they donāt care that theyāve already said everything when you talk to them again.
For badges, I was always fond of the heart/flower finder badges. Especially in this game, with its limited inventory, my JPRG hoarder syndrome kicks into full gear, so anything to reduce my reliance on items was good. I think I used the happy heart/flower badges to randomly get HP/FP in battles, but those were less reliable IIRC.
Click Here to open the update!
Today, weāll check in and see how Peach is doing.
Marioās probably hurtā¦ Everyoneās in prisonā¦ The Mushroom Kingdom will be destroyed if things continue the way theyāre going. Something must be doneā¦
Mario only helps those that help themselves.
Well, look whoās here.
Itās no use waiting for Mario this time, my dear! Weāre soooooo high above the sky right now. Even Mario doesnāt have a chance of reaching us up here!
You know the power that grants everyoneās wishes? Itās mine! Isnāt that just wonderful?
Nyeah hee hee hee! Imagine what itās like down in your kingdom! Your subjects must be so upset because their wishes arenāt being granted!
I am glad someone is standing up for the flagrant racism that Koopa-kind are subjected to over the years.
As youāll notice, while Bowserās doing all this because kidnapping Peach is his day job, Kammy has a chip on her shoulder and revels in being as cruel as possible. Her presence actually makes the ordinarily-aloof Bowser seem threatening since she has actual competence.
Of course, Iāll only grant requests that I likeā¦ Anyway, think about it.
Bowser, meanwhile, isā¦Bowser.
Bleah heh heh ho ha haā¦
Peach didnāt bother to say a thing during that whole exchange. I mean, whatās the point?
GLASS TAPPING
Huh?
So, uh, thereās a star right at Peachās door.
A rather tiny star, in fact. One with his own theme music!
My name is Twink.
Meet Twink. Heās probably named after the twinkle of a star, rather thanā¦nevermind.
I came from Star Haven to grant your wish! Itās our job to grant wishes, you know.
Oh! You came because I wished that somebody could help me?
Yes, of course!
Oh, thatās just great! Thank you so much for coming!
The Star Spirits arenāt the only ones that grant wishes. There are a lot of people, after all. Thereās a whole caste system for these sentient stars that grant wishes. You think any old star could grant your wish? Thereās a complex bureaucracy to ensure wishes are granted efficiently with the utmost professionalism.
Think you can do it?
Uhā¦sorryā¦ Thatās a little much for a novice Star like meā¦ Maybe one of the honorable Star Spirits from Star Haven could grant a wish like that. Iām so sorry. Please, ask for something easy, something a small Star can do.
Everyone in my castle has been captured and I have to save them all as soon as possible.
Actually, I just got called up to the sky a day ago, so I canāt do big wishes yetā¦ If I were a more splendid Star, maybe I could actually helpā¦
Itās all rightā¦ Donāt be sad, Twink. Mario will definitely do something to save us all. Heās probably coming right now!
Of course Peach gets the rookie Star thatās on his first day.
Oh! Twink! Do you think you can find Mario? I want you to give this to him.
This is a Lucky Star, isnāt it?
So weāve finally found something Twink can do. Trust me, this thing is actually nice once Mario gets it.
Please tell Mario thatā¦
Of course! Iāll tell him your exact words, Princess Peach! Definitely!
And with that, Twink flies off to search for Mario.
You knowā¦Peach can float. That and heights donāt really seem to phase Mario. Plus weāve already established these guys are made of paper and can just flutter down.
Just saying.
Meanwhile, Mario and Goombario are heading back to Toad Town. Itās rather uneventful untilā¦
Ohā¦itāsā¦!? Youāre Mario, arenāt you!? Thank the Stars I found you!
How do you do? Iām Twink. Princess Peach asked me to bring something to you. Ahhhā¦ Yes, here it is!
So, if youāre familiar with the other Mario RPG games, youāll know a big gimmick of theirs is timed hits, i.e. pressing buttons while executing attacks to inflict extra damage, or to reduce incoming damage. Paper Mario is no exception, it just requires you to wait awhile before you can actually do them. Itāsā¦kinda dumb, really, but I guess Nintendo wanted to ease people into their battle system slowly.
Now that itās yours, you can use the āaction command.ā
In this case, itāll be easier for me to tell you about it if I show you.
OK. Let me explain. Let me seeā¦
Me? The nameās Goombario. Of course Iāll help!
Well, Mario and Goombario. Letās begin!
ā¦choose the Jump command and then decide which enemy you want to attack.
Once you decide on the enemy, the explanation of the action command will appear.
Press (A) at exactly this moment.
When you see āNiceā appear, it means youāve successfully used the action command!
OK! Here it comes, Mario!
Press (A) just before the attack strikes you.
Yes! You successfully used the action command. This will reduce the amount of damage you receive. Often youāll have to use different techniques to make use of the action command. It depends on the attack. Try attacking by Hammer.
OK. Move the Control Stick.
All right! You successfully used the action command!
Jump lets you attack twice, while Hammer boosts attack by one. This really separates the two attacks into two distinct tactical options. Hammer is much better for high-defense enemies, since the extra Jump counts as a separate attack (so an enemy with one defense would block both Jumps but take one damage from a actioned Hammer). Jumpās not as useful yet since Hammer is much easier to execute, but later on when you get attack upgrades, the extra Jump attack will lead to more overall damage than the upgraded Hammers. And of course different enemies require different tactics.
And it doesnāt stop there. All of Marioās badge moves as well as Marioās partnersā moves have action commands as well. For instance, Goombarioās Headbonk does two separate attacks just like Marioās Jump. And while Mario blocking damage is much more basic, you still have to watch the enemiesā attack patterns and learn the right time to defend for each enemy.
This is where the combat system really begins to shine and you get to start seeing the depth within.
Terrific! Youāll be much tougher in battle now.
What a foolish Star Kid!! I knew that if I followed you, Iād find Mario! If I defeat Mario right now, Iāll be famous! Iāll tell Kammy Koopa! Sheāll shower me with praise! Sheāll give me a raise!
So is Kammy in charge of Bowserās financials and paying his troops? How much does Bowserās troops get paid? Where does he get the money to pay them? Is the Mushroom Kingdom economy bolstered by Bowserās continued attacks on Peach? What are the tax ramifications of-
Hold on, I wasnāt finished yet!
ā¦Fine.
This is a Magikoopa. Magikoopas use magical rods. Magic attacks are no joke, Mario. Youād better take these guys seriously.
This is another tutorial battle of sorts, though this is still an actual battle. Itās just rather difficult to die here.
The Magikoopaās attacks are more intimidating than they seem. Mario still needs four hits to go down (five if you block most of them), and you have to pretty much actively try not to accumulate eight damage in four rounds of combat.
Especially with Power Jump. Power Jump has the same action prompt as regular Jump, but instead of a second Jump Mario simply does +1 damage. Still, thatās half his HP, and with Goombarioās help this battle is a non-issue.
ANOTHER FOE SLAUGHTERED
I know that youāll be able to defeat Bowser!
Iām not strong enough to really help her, but at least I can tell her youāre OK.
That wonāt be the last we see of Twink.
Called it.
āIām all right, so donāt worry about meā¦ā ā¦thatās exactly what she said. I get the feeling, thoughā¦that sheās very lonely. Anyway, Iāll do my best to help the both of you!
That also wonāt be the last we see of Twink.
OK, Mario, letās get down to business!
Sounds like a plan!
Next time, we chat up the NPCs and spend the bare minimum effort on said business.
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I will never understand why this game takes so long to give you action commands. Oh well, this is still an excellent game regardless.
Thatās a good point. IIRC, all the other Mario RPGs let you use action commands, or their equivalent, from the get go, but might not explain them until a short while in.
I think it was really done to ease in the player and let them get comfortable with the battle system before throwing in the real meat. But Super Mario RPG let you use them from the get go, so I dunno.
Thatās my guess. The game really eases you into the battle mechanics slowly, throwing in the different types of goombas first to force you to vary Jump and Hammer attacks. Itās kinda clever to not overwhelm the player, but it makes replaying kinda tedious for the first bit since the gameās prologue is so slowly paced and, like you said, every other Mario RPG lets you use action commands almost immediately.
This game definitely takes awhile to get going, but one more update should close out the prologue and hopefully things will start picking up a bit.
Click Here to open the update!
Today weāre going to finish off the Prologue. But first, new NPC dialogue!
If you werenāt in the mix, I donāt know what kind of chance weād have. Iām rooting for you, Mario! Youāve got to save the princess and everyone else!
Once we get back into the town properā¦
Merlon was looking for you. He lives in that house with the spinning roof. He asked me to tell you to go meet him at his house. I was just about to go look for you, but here you are! Itās rare for Merlon to call somebody over to his houseā¦ Heās a bit eccentric. Even when he has visitors, itās rare for him to come out of the house at all.
Anyway, weāve got our next objective. Thatāll wait for a bit, though.
Seen 'em? Over by the Toad House? They look nasty. I hope they donāt pick a fight.
Most of the dialogue has shifted to the shady-looking Toads to the east.
Thereās also this. I canāt believe it!
Before he left, he said he wouldnāt return until he was incredibly strong. He must be pretty tough by now.
We can now enter the Dojo and fight there. Weāll get started on that in a bit.
Theyāre keeping Mario from going on his adventure!
Huh? What? Really? Why are they bothering Mario? Are they nuts? Thereās something weird going on hereāI know it.
What do you mean by weird? I, Felissa T., donāt understand whatās going on!
They donāt look trustworthy! Beware, people, beware!
But I heard that there are weird Toads blocking the way. Who could they be?
It seems the residents here have finally noticed those weird Toads at the east entrance. Wonder what took them so long.
Itās a lot of work! Awā¦ Look at my poor dear. I know heās sad that the castle is gone, but grieving forever wonāt do anything. He should try to find something that brings him joy. If you could, please say something to him, Mario.
Unfortunately, Mario canāt. Heās a mute and kinda has more important things to do.
Do you think itāll ever be like the old days around here?
But those trees all fell downā¦ Now thereās nothing to do.
Next, letās disappoint Luigi.
I have lots of talents, and I can jump really high andā¦
I donāt know whether Marioās a jerk or if Luigi just pretends Marioās going to say no ahead of time so he can get out of doing stuff. Itās probably the former until the Gamecube era defined Luigi into who he is today, which is the latter version now for sure.
Russ T. has some advanced controls which Iāll summarize below:
- Press Z while running to do a Spin Dash. It doesnāt really do anything though unless you have a specific badge or two equipped.
- Press Z in conversations to look at the previous message. Really neat feature more RPGs should have in this day and age.
- Press C-Up in the field to check stats without opening the menu.
- You can walk by slowly tilting the Control Stick.
Anyway, letās check out The Dojo.
There is no cowardice in choosing to run away from a superior foe. Of course, you will find some enemies that are impossible to escape, once in battle. Face them with bravery.
Yes, you can run from battles. Not much of a reason to do so right now though.
Each enemy has its own character and weak points. Sometimes you use your bodyā¦ Sometimes you use your itemsā¦but always, ALWAYS you must use your mind. Sometimes you will be surprised by whatās effective.
Someday what he said will actually be relevant for us.
As for the other guyā¦
Heās The Master of the Dojo. Heās been training students at the Dojo for years. My grandpa told me heās incredibly strong. He doesnāt look like it, though. I think he just got back from a long journey where he trained with fighters stronger than he is. What dedication!
I am The Master. I am the head of the Dojo.
wheezeā¦ Please pardon me. My health is rather delicateā¦ Every day we train in this Dojo to improve body and mind. If you have the purpose and the desire, you may challenge us.
You bet weāre gonna try!
Now, Chan. It is time for you to fight Mario.
As you say, Master!
Our first opponent is Chan.
This is Chan, of the Dojo. Heās training under The Master and is happy to fight us. Hammer attacks donāt work well, but you can turn him over with Jump attacks. Once heās flipped over, heās easy. No mercy, Mario!
Shelled enemies usually have high defense, but jumping on them will flip them over, rendering their defense to 0 and leaving them immobile for the round.
Chan will be forced to spend his turn propping himself back upright.
ā¦only to get flipped again. Headbonk counts as a Jump as well in terms of flipping shelled enemies.
Chan is incredibly easy between two Jumpers and Action Commands.
Chan, you must train harder. Very well. I give you this, Mario.
But weāre not done yet!
Now, Leeā¦ Let me see how you handle Mario.
Certainly, sir! I will defeat him, Master!
Lee can mimic your current partner. In this case, Goombario.
Do I really look like that? No wayā¦ Heāll use Headbonk and Tattle. He has the same skills as me. Of course, Iām much better looking and more debonair. And I hope that Iām stronger!
This is actually nice because Lee mimicking Goombario is significantly weaker than normal Lee. Mario can simply block Leeās attacks here.
Lee in his normal formā¦can hurt.
This is Lee, of the Dojo. Heās training under The Master and is happy to fight us. He has mastered the art of disguise, so donāt let it faze you when he suddenly mirrors us. Remember, he canāt stay disguised forever. Donāt let his strange tactics throw you off guard, no matter how many times he transforms.
Again, you actually want him to transform since he ends up weaker that way.
Lee mimicks Goombario again, and I finish him off.
Whoa! Cool! You fought your way to a Second-Degree Card? Mario, youāre awesome!
Neither battle was that bad, so letās keep going!
So compared to the last two, the battle with The Master isā¦
Wellā¦
This is The Master. He owns the Dojoāand heās the strongest member. if heās the best in the Dojo, he must be pretty tough!
You read those stats? 50HP, 6 Attack?
Yeahā¦Weāre not quite ready for this one.
Weāll have to come back to this later.
Weāve exhausted the NPCs now. Letās try to progress.
Going to Koopa Bros. Fortress would be a huge mistake.
Definitely. Definitely donāt go.
Most of all, though, you shouldnāt go ask old man Merlon for help.
Youāre right, we should definitely not not do it.
Alright. Letās come back later.
ā¦How about now?
Wait a minuteā¦ That face seems verrry familiar to meā¦
Oh! Maybeā¦ Noā¦ Yes! It must be! Youāre Mario! Iāve been waiting for you! You shouldāve come earlier! Well, youāre here now. Come in.
When I was reading the stars the other day, an oracle came to me. What I discovered is very important, and it concerns you.
It is a very long story, but Iāll try to shorten it. Where should I startā¦?
ā¦but one day it happened.
ā¦suddenlyā¦a greatā¦
ā¦appeared and Iā¦
ā¦standing face to faceā¦
Then, the farawayā¦
the piousā¦
wasā¦raised me upā¦
ā¦was amazing.
ā¦I was still so young thenā¦
I believed in ā¦
Butā¦our hearts wereā¦
Huh?! Hey, Mario! Were you listening to me?
Ohā¦all right.
If you get lost during your adventure, you can come to me. I can predict the path you should take for a small price. Right now, your main goal must be to save Princess Peach as quickly as humanly possible, butā¦according to my second sight, your path must first take you to the great fortress of the Koopa Bros. To reach the Koopa Bros. Fortress, head east on the road in front of the Toad House.
Kinda hard to do that right nowā¦
But weāve got control of Mario again now, which meansā¦
Heās a stubborn and mysterious old man. His name is Merlon. He uses magical powers to look into the future. Iāve listened to his stories before and theyāre really long. I try to pay attention butā¦sometimes I fall asleep. Still, his fortune-telling is supposedly right on. I donāt know personally, but my Goompa told me.
Anyway, if we talk to Merlon againā¦
Thatās ridiculous! Such a thing has never been heard of! Never! Iāll get to the bottom of this. Follow me over there. Iāll see whatās going on.
Take off!
Hmmmm! You arenāt Toads, are you?!
ā¦Umā¦we donāt know what youāre talking about.
Howā¦Howād you guess it was us? We were perfectly disguised!!
At least the path is clear now.
You must pursue them to their hideout, the Koopa Bros. Fortress.
To get to the Koopa Bros. Fortress, youāll need help from a blue-shelled Koopa. This is a strange portent. In Koopa Village, you might find something that will clear it up.
Weāve got our next destination and goal! We are ready to start our adventure for real! This is where the game really begins!
AFTER I TALK TO MORE TOADS
Thereās a fork in the road, so watch the signs and be careful not to get lost.
You know that famous explorer by the name of Kolorado? He has a house there. Heās probably not there now. I heard that heās in the field exploring Dry Dry Desert.
Koloradoā¦yeah, heās certainly a character.
Those no-good schemingā¦ Dressing up as Toads to cause trouble is just plain rude. Iām lodging a formal complaint!
ā¦To whom? Who is going to accept this formal complaint?
Merlon will nudge you where to go next for a few coins should you ever get waylaid.
Those weird Toads who were blocking the road were actually disguised Koopa Bros. Merlon saw right through them. He figured it out instantly.
Wow! Thatās super! Merlon is so super. Really! He knows everything.
He knows everything? Soā¦ You think Merlon can find out about the secret place where I hide candy? Oh, no! What should I do!
ā¦Eat it?
The Mushrooms and Fire Flowers you can buy at a shop will help you survive.
Do you get paid by commission, orā¦
I love these two.
They fight for Bowser! Thereās even word that they work poor, innocent Bob-ombs like slave drivers. Marioās going to kick their shells in! Just wait! Attention, people! Listen up!
These guys really need jobs again.
Is that bad? I guess these Koopa Bros. are loyal to Bowser?
I have an idea, Mario! Why donāt we give them a taste of our Mario Bros. power! Iāll join you and togetherā¦
And thatās it! Next timeā¦
ā¦we finally begin Chapter 1!
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End prejudice against black toads!
On a more serious note, something I really wish is that the degree cards came with badges or star pieces or something related to gameplay mechanics.
Oh wow, Iāve never actually tried doing the dojo fights this early. Pretty cool that the Master has unique dialogue for dropping you in two attacks.