Paper Mario: Chapter 8 -- A Star-Powered Showdown! -- Part 3

It's time to finally deal with Bowser! Go upstairs in Peach's Castle and Peach will call for help. Bowser is in his Clown Copter. He's glad to see Mario because he's been a distraction for far too long. He wants to squash him again. The battle starts. Bowser has 50 HP and 1 defense power. His attacks vary in their attack power. His fire breath has an attack power of 8 and his jump and smack attacks have 6. He'll use the Star Rod to increase his defense. Use the Star Beam each time he does to negate it. He can also use the Star Rod for a shockwave attack that can hit your party member or heal 20 HP. Hit him with your best attacks, like Power Bounce and Electro Dash and you'll win. You'll get 38 SP.

Bowser says Mario's battling wasn't bad and wonders how he got so strong. Mario's still just an annoyance to him and that was just a warm-up battle. He takes Peach and flies out the broken window. Follow him to the roof and go through the west door. There's a Save Block here, the last point before dealing with Bowser again. At this point, I am level 24, with 45 HP, 40 FP, and 30 BP> The badges I have equipped are Power Bounce, Dodge Master, 2 Power Plus badges, Defend Plus, 2 Damage Dodge badges, Last Stand, and Close Call. This limits the number of attacks I can do, but I like the ability to hit multiple times with Power Bounce. Choose whatever badge combination suits you. Go up the stairs and outside. Cross the bridge and Bowser hits a switch that makes the bridge fall away. Peach says to be careful. Kammy Koopa says Mario fell into their trap. They weren't foolish enough to just sit back and watch Mario save the Star Spirits. They built a device into this arena that increases Bowser's power to a point where the Star Spirits' power can't compare. He's truly invincible thanks to her efforts. The machine powers up and the eyes on the arena light up. The spikes start spinning and energy spirals to the center of the floor and makes Bowser larger. It's time to battle again.

This time, Bowser has 99 HP, 2 defense power, and the power of each attack has increased by 2. He'll use the Star Rod, but when Mario uses Star Beam, it doesn't work. Outside the battle, Peach wants to help Mario, as he'll be defeated if things continue the way they are. She asks someone to help Mario. Kammy Koopa tells her to keep quiet. Twink flies in and knocks her off her broom, then unties Peach. Kammy Koopa battles Twink, who's not afraid. Twink's sole attack is Dash. When you first use it, it does nothing. Peach helps out by using Focus. Kammy Koopa summons a large block to hit Twink. The next time Twink uses Dash, it has 1 attack power and when Kammy Koopa attacks again, his defense increases. Eventually, Twink gets stronger to the point that he has 4 attack power and Kammy Koopa's attack is useless. She remembers that  Stars get their powers from the wishes of people. Twink defeats her. She says she failed Bowser. Twink and Peach still need to save Mario. Twink tells her to make a wish to give more power to the Star Spirits, while thinking of the Mushroom Kingdom, Star Haven, and Mario. Twink will help Mario while Peach makes her wish. Twink hits Bowser. Eldstar appears, saying that power is flooding in. Twink will help the Star Spirits as the wishes of Peach and the Mushroom Kingdom will give the Star Spirits enough power to match Bowser's strength. The Star Beam powers up to Peach Beam, and now includes Twink.

The battle starts up again and Mario's fully healed. I used Watt as a party member throughout the fight, using Electro Dash to bypass Bowser's defense and Turbo Charge to power up the Power Bounce attack. Bowser's slap attack can poison Mario and if his Star Rod attack connects, it can hit party members and power Mario down, making Turbo Charge run out. He can strike Mario with lightning that has 9 attack power. He can also heal 30 HP. Keep attacking with your most powerful attacks and stay healed and you'll eventually defeat him.

Mario gets the Star Rod back and Bowser shrinks down to his normal size. The arena and Bowser's Castle explodes and Bowser and Kammy Koopa are blown away. The Star Spirits protect Peach and Mario and take them to her castle. Mario hands over the Star Rod to Eldstar, who thanks Mario. The Star Spirits will use the Star Rod to bring peace and grant wishes. The stars praise him for his courage. Perhaps Bwoser will behave himself, but the chances of that are slim. They praise Twink for rising to the occasion and is now a grown-up star. They will return to Star Haven and this is good-bye for now. Twink thanks Mario and was honored to help. He hopes to see Mario and Peach again and grow into a respectable star. Peach thanks him for his help and calls him a stellar friend. The Star Spirits and Twink fly off as Peach's Castle lowers back into place.

Back at Mario's house, Luigi marvels at the story of how Mario took back the Star Rod. Peach's Castle is back in place and everyone is safe. Mario came through like always. He's been back for a few days, but it still feels like he's on an adventure. He wonders about his party members. Goombario and Goombaria are playing in Goomba Village when Parakarry delivers a letter for Goombario. It's an invitation from Peach to a party at the castle. Bombette's in Koopa Village, Bow is in her mansion, Watt's in Shy Guy's Toy Box, Sushie's in the jungle of Lavalava Island. Lakilester and Lakilulu are in Flower Fields, and Kooper and Kolorado are in Shiver City, about to explore the Crystal Palace. Parakarry delivers invitations to all of them. Kooper hesistates, but Kolorado tells him to go. Parakarry also has a message from Kolorado's wife, telling him not to come home. She's furious that he left on an adventure without telling her. He leaves for home immediately, leaving his assistants confused. Mario and Luigi also get an invitation. Luigi runs on ahead to deal with something top secret.

Go into Toad Town and you'll see many people here. Go to the castle and you'll find guests from the ill-fated party here. Talk to one of the Bumpties and he'll says that Herringway's working on a new novel based on Mario's adventures. He's going to call it "Paper Mario". Go into the castle and Peach says she's happy everyone's here. The Star Rod is in its rightful place and there is peace once again. She thanks Mario and his party, as well as everyone who helped out. She appreciates their help. Peace in the Mushroom Kingdom is her heartfelt wish. It's now time to celebrate. Luigi reveals his top-secret assignment: to lead the celebration parade. Roll credits!

I had a fun time playing Paper Mario. It was a fun game and I look forward to playing its sequels. I hope you enjoyed reading about it and I hope you enjoy reading about Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, which is next.

Paper Mario: Chapter 8 -- A Star-Powered Showdown! -- Part 2

After unlocking the door in the room with the Save Block, go east and you'll find another guard door. It won't let Mario pass, unless he can pass its quiz, giving him only one chance. Its minions will appear from three doors on the back wall, run around briefly, then go back through the doors. Mario must answer 5 of the guard doors questions correctly, and he can only miss two. Miss more and there will be dire consequences.
1. How many Koopas were there? 3
2. What color of Shy Guy were there three of? Red
3. Who came out of the middle entrance? Red Shy Guys
4. How many Goombas were there? 2
5. How many arms did you see? 4
If you get three incorrect, it'll have you battle 3 Anti Guys at once. Either way, the guard door will let you through. It feels the shame of being defeated by Mario. Go east.

You'll end up outside. It's a little foggy here, but that doesn't affect anything. There's a Super Shroom in an item block and a Maple Syrup in another. There are enemies here. Go up the stairs on the right and drop down for a Jammin' Jelly. There are more Magikoopa up here, so be careful. Go west.

The door takes you back inside, into a room with some stairs. Go west on the current level to reach another prison cell. Battle the Koopatrol for the Prison Key so you can open the cell. You can fully heal here. The room up the stairs and to the west leads to a small puzzle room. Drop onto the lower platform from the stairs and have Bombette hit the switch. This will raise a couple of platforms so you can jump across. Go west to get an Ultra Shroom. The room to the east at the top of the stairs has a locked door. Go up the stairs in this room and go east. There's another switch here to make part of the floor rise. Stand on the part of the floor with gray tiles that's next to the stairs, then have Bombette hit the switch. The part of the floor you're standing on will rise up and you'll be able to cross. Go east for a Castle Key to unlock the door to the west.

The door leads to a room with some sconces on the back wall. Some are higher than the others. Take note of the pattern and go east. In the next few rooms, there will be four doors. Go east through the door that matches the pattern. What you need to do is go east using the following doors in order: upper, lower, lower, upper, lower, upper. You'll reach an area with more enemies. Go east and you'll see Peach at the door. She saw a chance to run and took it. She says there's no need to fight Bowser and will follow you. She's a bit slower than Mario, so at some point, she'll end up off screen. Look back to check on her and you'll see a Duplighost. It runs back to the door, where you'll find Peach. Hit Peach a few times to reveal her to be a Duplighost in disguise and battle it.

Go east and you'll reach yet another guard door. It wonders how Mario go there. After congratulations, it says it has better defenses than the other guard doors. The Koopa Bros. appear and ask if Mario remembers them. The guard door will let Mario through if he can beat them. The Koopa Bros. say they have more power and are now calling themselves the Super Ultra Mighty Koopa Bros. the Great. Jr. Troopa rushes in and knocks them away. He says it was a pain finding Mario in here. He wants to setting the score with one final battle. He has 60 HP, 8 attack power, 2 defense power and can change his form. First, he'll have a spike and wings. After a few attacks, he'll start using magic. His lightning attack has 9 attack power. He can also heal 10 HP. He'll give 25 SP on defeat. Jr. Troopa says he'll beat Mario next time and runs off. The guard door is confused because the Mario defeated the guy who defeated the Koopa Bros., but it's not sure if that means Mario beat the Koopa Bros. It decides there's no big difference between the Koopa Bros. and Jr. Troopa and lets Mario through the door. It's fine with it because it doesn't think Mario can defeat Bowser. Go east and you'll find yourself outside Peach's Castle.

Go inside the castle. It's quiet. Too quiet. The entire first floor of the castle is empty. Go through the door on the left that's up a short flight of stairs. Save the Toad in the wardrobe and he'll open up a makeshift Toad House in that room. At least it has a real bed. Go through the top stairs to the second floor. Go into the library, which is also empty. Climb up the piles of books to the second level to reach a Life Shroom. Go upstairs when you're ready.

Paper Mario: Chapter 8 -- A Star-Powered Showdown! -- Part 1

The Star Ship has landed on Bowser's Castle and docks near some Clown Copters. There's a Save Block nearby. Leave the area and you'll find yourself outside the castle. The front door is locked. Cross the bridge over the lava river and go east through the door. There's a Koopatrol here. They're the highest ranked guards of Bower's army. They have 8 HP, 4 attack power, and 3 defense power. They have spiked helmets and charge up their attacks sometimes. The charged up attack has 10 attack power. They call also call in reinforcements. They give 3 SP. Defeat this one for the Castle Key. You can see Toads imprisoned on the other side of the wall, but you can't do anything now. Go to the front door and open it.

Inside, you'll find more Koopatrols. Go east and you'll encounter Hammer Bros. They have 12 HP, 5 attack power, and 1 defense power. If their hammer hits you and you don't guard, you'll shrink, halving your attack power. When they're low on HP, they'll hurl several hammers in quick succession, so guard repeatedly. They give 3 SP. Go east. In this room is a door with a talking Bowser head. It's a guard door to keep suspicious types from entering. Tell it you want to go through and stand in front of it. It will open a trap door that drops you into an impenetrable prison with some Toads. There's no escape, but the guard door says it will let Mario through if he can escape and return. The Toads in the room tell Mario to save Peach. Use the Heal Block and have Bombette blow up the east wall. She says the material here is weak and easier to blow up than the Koopa Bros. Fortress. Go east, save, and go east again.

There are platforms in the lava here. Cross the lava and go east. On one platform will be a small set of stairs. Stand on the bottom step and have Kooper hit the switch. This makes a platform move through the lava. Up ahead is another switch, but Kooper can't reach it. Use Lakilester to cross the lava and hit it. Jump and cross the lava with Parakarry to reach the east doorway. In this room, there are items on the platforms, but you can't reach them. Use Lakilester to cross the lava to the next platform you can reach. Up ahead, is a moving platform. Lava will flow onto it, so have Bow make you transparent. Have Lakilester take you over the lava and through the back door. The lava is flowing from here. Go up the stairs and you'll see some Koopatrols and a Magikoopa near a switch. They must not let Mario hit the switch. Battle them all at once. The Magikoopa has 11 HP, 6 attack power, and knows the spells of all other Magikoopas. They give 3 SP. Once you defeat them, hit the switch and the lava stops flowing. It hardens and cools, so you can walk on it. You can now reach the items in the area. Go all the way to the west to go outside the castle. There's an item block on the way with a Life Shroom. Outside the castle are some rocks with an item block that contains the Deep Focus badge. Go back inside and through the back door in the area west of the locked door. There's a chest here with a Castle Key. Go back east to unlock the door on the east wall.

The door leads to a dark part of the castle, where is seems to be crumbling. You'll need Watt to see and battle. There are Bony Beetles here. Goombario can't use Tattle in the dark, but they have 8 HP, 3 attack power, and 4 defense power. Their attack power increases to 5 when they have their spikes out. Attack them to make the spikes retract. They give 2 SP. The path splits ahead. For the first part, cross using the top path. For the second part, the back path has an invisible block with a POW Block, but you want to cross using the middle path. Go west. The first path split here is like the one before: there's an invisible block with a Shooting Star on the back path and you'll cross using the middle path. On the next split, take the back path and drop down, then go west.

This will take you into a room with a stone block with Bowser's face on it. Push it to a reveal a door on the front wall. This will take you back to the guard door. It's amazed Mario returned and thinks it's a dirty trick. It lets him through. The guard door leads to a room with stairs. Go through the east door on the first floor. There's a Koopatrol guarding a prison cell with more Toads. Battle it for the Prison Key to unlock the prison. There's a couple slabs of rock hanging from chains in the room. They serve as beds, so you can take a nap here in this makeshift Toad House. Return to the room with the stairs, go up the stairs, then go west. There's a shop here.  At the top of the stairs to the east are more enemies, and the path forward.

Go east from here and you'll reach a couple of tall rooms. One of them has a locked door. Spring up to the next level. Pull the chain to partially fill the rooms with water. Swim west with Sushie and hit the switch. Spring up and blow up the east wall with Bombette. Go east and Tornado Jump on the switch to reveal a couple of alcoves in the back wall. Walk in the alcoves to the right and pull the chain. This will fill the rooms with even more water. Return west and swim to the left for the Castle Key. Pull both chains again to drain the water so you can unlock the door.

The door leads to an area filled with gold Bullet Bills, called Bombshell Bills. They have 3 HP and 6 attack power. As their HP drops, their explosions get bigger. They give 1 SP. Take them out quickly and try to avoid more battles. At the end are a couple of Bomshell Bill Blasters. They have 10 HP and 4 defense power. They do not attack directly, but fill the area with Bombshell Bills. They give 2 SP. Watt is a good choice here. Unfortunately, there are more Blasters and more Bombshell Bills as you climb the stairs in the area, so be careful. At the top of the stairs, go east.

You'll find Dry Bones here. They have 8 HP, 4 attack power, and 2 defense power. They throw bones and can rise back up after being defeated. You must defeat them all at once or use fire attacks. If they appear alongside other enemies, defeat the other enemies first. They do not give SP if you defeat them normally. Push the right Bowser block to the right to reveal a doorway on the back wall. This hallway will take you to a room with a locked door and a save block. Push the left block in this room to the left to reveal a hallway to a room with a Heal Block. Return east and push the block near the other open doorway to the right to reveal a new doorway. There is nothing through the other doorway. This doorway leads to the Castle Key. Return to the room with the Save Block and unlock the door.

Paper Mario: Interlude After Chapter 7

Peach stands on her balcony with Twink. She's wondering about Mario and if she's helping him. Twink says she is and she should be proud of her efforts. He knows she's been helping him and she'll talk to him before long. They go inside and Bowser walks in. He wants a friendly conversation with Peach, but she has nothing to say to him. Bowser says she's stuck with him for a long time, so she should get used to it. Peach tells him that Mario is on his way. Bowser counters by saying he's invincible. Kammy Koopa walks in, saying they have an emergency situation: Mario has saved all of the Star Spirits. He could come to the castle, so they must be ready. Bowser sets up an ambush in his castle. He offers Peach a front-row seat to watch Mario's defeat. He orders the guards to tie Peach up. Twink comes out of hiding and tells Bowser to stop. Bowser calls him confetti and swats him away.

Back outside the Crystal Palace, Kalmar thanks Mario and says he has done well. All of the Star Spirits have been rescued and are in his debt. Now he must challenge Bowser and Kalmar's power should help him. Kalmar gives him more Star Energy and a new Star Power, Up and Away, which turns all enemies into stars. Mario must go to Shooting Star Summit. The Star Spirits will prepare a route to Star Haven via the Star Way. Kalmar tells Mario to save this precious world before leaving for Star Haven.

Drop down from where the Save Block is to reach a Star Piece. Go back to Shiver City, and, on the way, you'll notice that Jr. Troopa is gone. Once in Shiver City, have at least 6 spots open in your inventory, then take a nap at the Toad House. When you wake up, you'll find four Mushrooms, one Ultra Mushroom, and an Iced Potato. The Toad says the floor was wet like snow melted on it. It's probably a present from someone, but whom?

In Koopa Village, Koopa Koot has one last favor to ask: defeat Bowser. Near the port in Toad Town is Club 64. The Pop Diva, Chantarelle hasn't sung in a while. The Toad next to her has written some Lyrics for her to sing, but they need music. There's a composer in the house next to the item shop in Dry Dry Outpost who will write a Melody for her. Return with the Melody and she'll sing the song. After her performance, you'll get the Attack FX D badge. Go to the part of town where the Dojo and the pipe to Mario's house is. There are some docks in the water. Swim across for a Star Piece. Go through the pipe on the island to reach a Super Block. I upgraded Kooper. Go into the Toad Town Tunnels and go the area with the balance platforms. Go through the upper doorway and ride the infinite platforms up to a new level. Walk to the right and drop down to an area with a Super Block. I upgraded Goombario.

When you've made your preparations, head for Shooting Star Summit. I recommend having Tayce T. make you a couple of Jelly Ultras, cooked from the combination of a Jammin' Jelly and an Ultra Shroom. These restore 50 HP and 50 FP at the same time. Adjust your badges and equip the Ice Power and Fire Shield badges. At the summit, the Star Spirits open the entrance to the Star Way. They will give Mario their remaining power so he can stand up to the power of the Star Rod. A sparkling path appears that takes you to the sky.

Star Way is a starry path high in the sky. It spirals around until you reach Star Haven. Up here, you'll find Embers, blue flame enemies. They have 10 HP and 4 attack power. They divide when they are attacked and can spit fire aimed at party members. There's only a few of them. At the top of the spiral, head east to Star Haven.

In Star Haven, the trees sparkle when you hit them. The stars here are thankful that Mario saved the Star Spirits. They call him a "Light saver" and that they should try "wishing on a Mario". There's a "Toad" House here run by a star. Up the stairs is an item shop. Go east to reach the Star Sanctuary. Eldstar says he finally made it and it's time to take the fight to Bowser. They give Mario a final power, the Star Beam. They say to use it whenever Bowser tried to power up with the Star Rod to drain its power. They give him another gift: the Star Ship, so he can reach the castle in the sky. The Star Spirits use their powers to help the Star Ship take off when Mario is ready. Below, the people of the Mushroom Kingdom see the Star Ship, think it's a shooting star, and star making wishes. Most of them are to see the Princess again, but one young Toad wants to eat tons of Shroom Cake. The Star Ship flies to Bowser's Castle and starts the final chapter.

Paper Mario: Chapter 7 -- A Star Spirit on Ice -- Part 2

Mario has just reached the Crystal Palace, where the last Star Spirit is being held. Go inside and go through the door on the front wall. There's a Save Block here and a red X. Go east and you'll find Swoopulas on the ceiling. They're Swoopers that drain your HP. Press (A) repeatedly to fill the meter to stop them from draining your HP. They have 8 HP and 2 attack power. They will hang from the ceiling unless you knock them from there with an earth-shaking attack. Bow and Parakarry can hit them on the ceiling. They give 2 SP. Go east again and you'll find a chest. It contains the Blue Key. Return to the main hallway.

In the main hallway, hit the red switch. This makes the floor with the doors move so you can now reach the blue door. Unlock it and go through it. On the right side of the room is a crack in the wall. Here is where the walls start blatantly lying to you. Have Bombette blow up the wall and you'll notice that a hole did not appear in the reflection, yet Mario and Bombette could walk through just fine. If you go back into this room, you'll see Mario and Bombette just standing around. Go through the wall and you'll find a brick block. Hit it for coins. In the middle of the room, there's a gap in the wall. You can walk through it to the other side, meaning the wall wasn't a mirror. Hit the brick block on this side for more coins, then bomb the left wall. Go through it and the other Mario freaks out that he's there. They reveal themselves as Duplighosts and battle Mario. There are two of them. After you defeat them, they say the real Mario is strong, then run off. Go west to the first part of the main hallway, with the switches.

Go through the back door and you'll find an item block with a Super Shroom. There is also a wooden panel on the floor. Tornado Jump on it and drop down. Go east twice from the room with the spring to reach a chest. It contains the P-Down, D-Up badge. Spring back up and go east to find a room with Duplighosts. Sometimes, Magikoopas of various colors may appear alongside them in battle. New ones include White and Gray Magikoopas. Each have 11 HP and 3 attack power. They can run from battle as well. Gray Magikoopas will make their allies temporarily transparent so you can't attack them. White Magikoopas will heal themselves and their allies. Healing a single ally restores 5 HP, but they can heal all allies, restoring 3 HP to each of them. Go east for a Shooting Star, then return to the main hallway. Leave the Crystal Palace through the front door and you can reach a small cave outside with a Star Piece. Go back inside, then go east so you can come in front of the wall, then go through the door on the front wall in the room with the switches.

To the right is a hole in the floor where the X was. Even though there is no mirror, what happens on one side affects the other. Drop down and go east. There's a crack in the east wall. Blow it up and five Bombettes return. They call each other imposters, but some of them speak differently. One of them has hearts, another stars, another many exclamation points, and the other is hesitant. The real Bombette does not do any of this. She's the second from the right. Hit the imposters with your hammer. They are Duplighosts as well, and run off. The real Bombette says if he had hit her, she'd bomb him while he was napping. She's happy he knew she was real and gives him a kiss. Go east to find a chest with the Red Key. Return to the main hallway and hit the blue switch to move the red door into position. Unlock it and go east.

In this room, there's a clear gap in the wall. Go east on the front side of the wall. There are White Clubbas here and statues on the other side. The first Clubba in the line says the Crystal King ordered him not to allow anyone to pass. Battle and defeat it to make the statue on the other side disappear. Defeat the other White Clubbas in the line to get rid of the statues, then go west. Go through the gap in the wall to the other side, then go east. You have a clear path to the door, so go east. There's a couple of red switches in the room that will flip part of the wall so you can go to the other side while standing next to the wall. To hit the switch, use Bombette, as you'll need a delay so you can stand near the wall. You can also blow up the east wall on the other side to reach a Duplighost with a chest containing the Triple Dip badge. Go east on the front side. You'll see White Clubbas pacing, with a Duplighost doing the same on the other side. Battle them if you wish. Go east on the side with the White Clubbas.

On the other side of the wall, you'll see Mario and Kooper walking to the right. Near the right wall, Mario will repeatedly kick Kooper's shell through a slot in the wall. Follow their example and more that just Kooper breaks through the wall. It's Luigi, Kolorado, Goompa, and Kolorado, and they all claim to be Kooper. Hit the imposters and Kooper will call them the worst disguises ever. The Duplighosts run away. Go through the hole in the wall. Go through the door on the front wall. The item block has a Maple Syrup and there's a hidden panel below it with a Star Piece. There's a large statue to the right. Return to the main hallway and go east. There's a large gap in this room. There's a switch on the other side of the wall. Kick Kooper's shell across the gap to hit the invisible switch on this side of the wall. This makes a bridge appear on this side. Go east.

There's a gap in the wall here, so you can go to the other side of the wall. Backtrack west to reach the door on the back wall. There's a smaller statue here. Push it to the left to reveal a hole. Drop down and go east twice to reach a chest with the P-Up, D-Down badge. Equipping this badge and the P-Down, D-Up badge at the same time will cause their effects to cancel out. Return to the front side of the wall and go through the door on the front wall. The large statue has been moved to the left, revealing a hole. Drop down and go east twice to reach a chest with the Palace Key. Return to the main hallway and go east until you reach the locked door.

The door leads to a room with Albino Dinos, white Dino Rhinos and statues of them. They guard the Crystal Palace and you must solve their puzzle to get them to reveal the door ahead. The statues towards the back must be moved onto panels on the floor. The statues can only be pushed in the direction that the Albino Dinos are facing. Talk to them from different sides to get them to turn the way you need them to, then push the statues. There is no wall here, so you can move freely back and forth. Once all three statues (and Albino Dinos) are on the panels, the door appears, along with some stairs. Go through the door to find a Heal Block and a Save Block. Once you are prepared, go east.

The door takes you outside. Walk up the snowy slope  and someone asks who comes to the Crystal Palace. The Crystal King appears, who has eyes, but no face. He won't let Mario save the Star Spirit. Instead, he'll defeat Mario and give Bowser an ice Mario as a gift. The Crystal King has 70 HP, 6 attack power, and 2 defense power. He'll summon Crystal Bits that he can launch at Mario. Each one will hit with 4 attack power, so clear them out. He'll also use a freeze attack to freeze Mario for a couple of turns. He can also heal himself, restoring 20 HP. When his HP gets low, he'll split into 3. Collectively, when they attack, they have an attack power of 8. Attack them all if you're not sure which one's real. If you attack them separately, you'll go through the fake ones. He can also split into 3 while floating in the air, so some attacks will not work. Multibounce works well for getting rid of the Crystal Bits, then Power Bounce to attack him when he's alone. Use Watt's Electro Dash to get past his defense power. Keep yourself healed and you'll eventually beat him. He'll give you 42 SP. He asks Bowser for forgiveness before he disappears and the last Star Spirit card appears.

End of Chapter
Mario has saved the last Star Spirit, Kalmar, from the Crystal Palace at the edge of the world. Now, with the seven Star Spirits together, he has the power to challenge Bowser... and the Star Rod. At last it is time for Mario's showdown with Evil King Bowser. Can Mario rescue Princess Peach and recover the Star Rod? Or will wishes forever go ungranted?

Paper Mario: Chapter 7 -- A Star Spirit on Ice -- Part 1

The pipe from the cold part of Toad Town Tunnels takes you to the center of Shiver City. The place is mainly populated by Bumpties. Talk to them and you'll find out that Starborn Valley is to the east and that there's scary monsters outside the city. There was also a suspicious individual in the city, who was complaining about the cold and wanting to find Mario. On the east side of the city, there's a frozen lake. You can crack the ice with a Tornado Jump, but a green Bumpty will warn you not to break the ice. Do it again and he'll kick you into the central part of the city. You can find Chuck Quizmo on the east side. Go to the west side of town and you'll find a Bumpty singing the Pengy Penguin Hop. In the song, it mentions snowmen in a line, with a bucket hat and scarf for each one. Go into the east house. Hop up the furniture and fireplace to reach the windows. Open them and walk outside. Cross the gap between the houses with Parakarry and open the window to go inside. There's a chest with the Attack FX E badge. Leave the way you came.

Go into the west house, which has a large snowman next to it. The purple Bumpty inside says that her husband is in the other room and Mario can go inside if he wants to talk to him. Go through the back door and there's a Bumpty wearing a hat, collapsed on the floor. Check the body and you'll find out that Mayor Penguin is out cold, and is holding a slip of paper that says "Herringway". The mayor's wife comes in and notices the mayor isn't moving. She runs off, calling for help and saying that the mayor's been murdered. It's a penguin murder mystery. She brings in help, in the form of the patrolling green Bumpty. He checks the body and agrees that the mayor has been murdered. The wife accuses Mario of the murder, saying he barged right in without permission. She says the mayor was alive until Mario showed. Mario pleads his innocence. The wife says she saw him and pegged him as the only one in the room. Mario's party member sticks up for him. The patrol Bumpty says they now have a backroom murder case, something he never trained for. They must find the real murderer, and this burden is placed on Mario. Yes, the suspect in a murder investigation must look for the real murderer. Mario can't leave town until he finds the real killer.

Go outside, where you'll notice a change in the music. The Bumpties will display a distrust of Mario, or will tell him about Herringway, a writer of mystery novels. He lives on the east side, but his house is empty. Now that the frozen lake is clear, Tornado Jump on it a few times to crack the ice completely. Swim with Sushie and dive underwater to get the Warehouse Key. Unlock the warehouse, which is next door to Herringway's. Inside, go up the stairs and spring through the chimney. Walk to the left and you'll slide onto Herringway's roof. Go through the chimney and land in the fireplace. A Bumpty with large eyebrows is here, asking why Mario's in his fireplace. He's Herringway, and surprised you found his secret room through the chimney. Mario explains the situation and Herringway claims he's innocent. He says he'll go to the mayor's house. Stairs appear so you can leave his house.

Go to the mayor's house, where the patrolling Bumpty notices Herringway. Mario explains that he found a piece of paper in the mayor's hand with his name on it. The patrol Bumpty says he didn't notice the paper, but checks again and finds it. He calls it a dying message and now knows why Herringway's novels are so suspenseful and exciting: he lives out his own plots. Herringway thinks this is ridiculous because he and the mayor were good friends. The Patrol Bumpty counters by saying that their friendship is a cover to avoid suspicion. Herringway says he wouldn't be so predictable. His alibi is that he's been working on his new novel in his house for weeks with no time to come over and kill the mayor. The wife still suspects Mario. Just then, the mayor starts twitching. He groans, then stands up. His wife freaks out. thinking he's a ghost. The Patrol Bumpty says that the backroom murder mystery is a wash, which is quite the plot twist. Mayor Penguin says he went to the shelf to get a souvenir for Herringway he picked up in Toad Town. He reached up, slipped, and hit his head. He says he'll regale Herringway with his stories about Toad Town later. Herringway agrees and says he has an ideal for a sequel to his novel. Patrol Bumpty tells the mayor to be more careful, as his accident had the city up in arms. After everyone leaves, the mayor welcomes Mario to Shiver City and gives him permission to leave the city. His wife says she knew Mario was innocent all along.

Go east out of town and you'll run into the suspicious person the Bumpties were talking about. It's Jr. Troopa, who's been waiting forever to find and battle Mario. He doesn't like the cold, so he'll beat Mario in record tie and go someplace warm. This time, he has 50 HP, 8 attack power, and 1 defense power. He says he took a magical course on the side and wields a wand. Use attacks like Power Bounce, hammer attacks, and Watt's Electro Dash. He'll give you 23 SP when he's defeated. If you leave the area and come back, you'll find him frozen in a chunk of ice.

Go east and you'll find snowmen in a line. Go east and you'll find some new enemies. The Frost Piranha has 10 HP, 4 attack power, and an ice breath attack that can freeze Mario. Ice attacks are not effective, but fire attacks work well. They give 2 SP. Gulpits have 12 SP and 2 attack power. They typically attack by picking up a rock and spitting it out. Large rocks have an attack power of 7, while small rocks have 5. You can target the pile of rocks to get rid of their ammunition. They give 3 SP. While you're in the area, pick up a letter located behind some ice. It's for Merlow on Shooting Star Summit. Up ahead are steps in the snow. At the top of the steps, someone says "Boooooooaaaaaah!" It's a sparkling ghost, telling Mario to turn back or it will eat him. Choose to fight and the battle will start. It's called Monstar. Goombario has no idea what it is, or what it's attack power is, but it has 20 HP. It will use a star-powered attack, which has an attack power of 1. Monstar asks if Mario's scared yet. It's a short fight. Monstar will give you 13 SP. When defeated, it screams "Noooooo! Run away!" and splits into many Star Kids that fly off.

Go east to enter Starborn Valley. Merle is there to greet you. He, a couple of Toads, and some Ninjis care for Star Kids here. Follow him to his house. He apologizes for the Star Kids attacking Mario, saying they frighten strangers too keep Starborn Valley safe from Bowser's followers. They didn't expect Mario to arrive as soon as he did. Inside, he says that Star Kids are born here and raised until they can rise into the sky. The place's power has weakened and no more Star Kids can rise into the sky because the Star Rod was stolen. Fortunately, he knows that the last Star Spirit is being held in the Crystal Palace atop Shiver Mountain. The Crystal Palace was originally built to honor the stars, but faded from memory with time. No one knows how to reach it now. Merle does know that the path to Crystal Palace involved two items passed down through generations. He gives Mario the first item, an ordinary Scarf. He says the other item is in Shiver City. He mentions that there's a shrine on the path to the palace. He also tells Mario that "Truth lies not only in the eyes. Sometimes, even walls may lie." Mario must keep this in mind.

If you talk to the residents, you'll find out that one Star Kid is hiding. He's next to Merle's house, flipped sideways, so he's just barely visible. One of the Star Kid misses Twink, the last Star Kid to rise into the sky before the Star Rod is stolen. Talk to Frost T., the Toad with the green cap, to deliver the letter. He has a letter for Goompapa. If you deliver the letter to Goompapa, he'll give you the Lucky Day badge, ending the chain letter madness. Deliver the letter to Merlow on Shooting Star Summit. It's from Merle, his father. He doesn't write to him enough. He gives you a Star Piece, so you can trade it back to him for a badge.

Return to Shiver City and talk to Mayor Penguin. He'll give you the other passed-down item, an ordinary Bucket. While you're leaving the city, you may run into Chuck Quizmo again. Go to where the snowmen are. Two of them are missing items. Put them on the snowmen and the snowmen will thank Mario. Because Mario was kind enough to give him the items, they'll tell him their secret. They bounce out of the way and reveal a door. Go inside, where you'll find a Save Block.

Go up the stairs and you'll find a large gap. Drop down and Tornado Jump to break the ice. Hit the green switch to make the floor rise to the same level. You'll find more Frost Piranhas and Gulpits here. Up the stairs is a brick block. Hit it to break it, then Tornado Jump for an Ultra Shroom in an invisible block. Go east and use Kooper to hit a switch across a gap. When the shell returns, two Koopers are standing behind you. One of them runs to Mario's right and calls the other an imposter. The one on the left talks suspiciously, and suggests Mario hit the imposter with his hammer. Hit the one on the left. It is revealed to be a Duplighost, a ghost that can change its appearance. It says that Mario hitting him was luck because no instincts are that good. It battles Mario. Duplighosts have 15 HP and 4 attack power. They can also change into party members and use their attacks, but they seem to have less attack power this way. They give 2 SP. The Duplighost leaves when you defeat it.

Up the stairs are White Clubbas. They have 12 HP, 5 attack power, and can attack consecutively, meaning repeatedly hitting Mario with their maces. Ice attacks are not effective, but fire attacks are. Go up the stairs in the area for a Super Block. I upgraded Bombette. Go east and you'll find some items in the wall. If you take them, a wall will drop down in front of you. You must put something in its place to make the wall rise up again. You can leave the items alone and go through with ease. Go east and walk next to the back wall to slip behind the stairs. There's a crack in the right wall. Blow it up to reveal a chamber. Walk through the right wall to find a star-shaped stone in ice. The image of a woman appears. She is Madam Merlar, the ancestor of Merlon and Merle, and she's glad Mario found this place. The stars told her he'd come. She guards the way to the Crystal Palace, which Bowser's followers have invaded. She tells Mario a long story and he falls asleep. He wakes up at the end and his nose bubble pops. She says Mario needs the Star Stone to reach the Crystal Palace. She pulls it out of the ice and Mario takes it. Leave the chamber and go upstairs. Place the Star Stone in the wall and the floor rises up, sealing off the chamber forever. The floor separates into stairs that go up to the Crystal Palace. Go to the right at the top of the first flight of stairs to find the Mega Jump badge. At the top of the second flight is a Save Block. At the top of the stairs is a Heal Block. Go east to reach the Crystal Palace's front door.

Paper Mario: Interlude After Chapter 6

In her castle, Peach wants to try out the Sneaky Parasol she received from the 64th Trivia Quiz-Off. She might be able to escape with it. Hit the switch on the wall and leave the room. On this floor, the guards are not patrolling. Walk up the right staircase and press (B) while facing a Koopatrol guarding the door. On this side, he can't see you. Peach will transform into a Koopatrol. Talk to the Koopatrol and he'll let you pass. Go to the top of the stairs and talk to the guard at the door. He says the guard who was supposed to relieve him hasn't shown up. The guard is a Clubba. He asks for you to find them and send them here. He gives you the key so you can find the Clubba outside the castle. Before you go get him, go into the library. Talk to the Hammer Bro at the far end who's staring at the bookshelf. He's looking for a book, but not the one you're thinking of. To get you to go away, he'll give you a Shooting Star. Take it and the Jammin' Jelly from the Trivia Quiz-Off to the mysterious chest.

In the foyer, a couple of Koopatrols are chatting. One says that Kammy Koopa's building something over Peach's Castle. He thinks it might be a weapon to defeat Mario. Go downstairs and unlock the door. This leads outside Peach's Castle. There's another door, but it's locked from the other side, so there's no escape into Bowser's Castle. There's a Clubba sleeping here. Press (B) to turn back into Peach, then transform into the Clubba. Return to the top of the stairs and relieve the Koopatrol on duty. He's not too pleased. Go through the door, through the hallway with the broken window, through another door, and up the stairs. Go through the door at the top of the stairs and you'll reach the roof. The guards say you can't be up there, but it's too late for that. Walk to the left and Kammy Koopa will appear. She says that everything's ready and that they'll still be alright even if Mario shows up with all of the Star Spirits. It sounds like she has a contingency plan in place. She says it pays to expect the worst. She looks at Peach and says the Clubba is doing a fine job. She does a double take and thinks something's weird. The Clubba smells too nice. With some magic, she reveals that the Clubba is really Peach in disguise. She has the guards take her back to her room, without questioning how she was disguised.

Back in Flower Fields, the Star Spirit, Klevar, thanks Mario for saving him and Flower Fields. Now that Huff N. Puff is gone, the flowers can live in peace. They never would've seen light with out him. Now there's only on more Star Spirit to save. He powers up Mario with more Star Energy and a new attack, Time Out. It stops time and enemies. Klevar warns Mario to not be overconfident as Bowser also has power. There are even stronger enemies ahead, but everyone's depending on him. Klevar hopes their powers help. Klevar leaves for Star Haven.

Wise Wisterwood says Flower Fields is beautiful again. He thanks Mario, saying it was worth living so long to meet a man of his stature. He tells Mario to come see him again. Lakilulu is nearby. If Lakilester isn't by your side when you talk to her, she'll say that Lakilester acts tough, but is a pushover. Return to Toad Town.

While in Toad Town, I decided to challenge the Anti Guy in Shy Guy's Toy Box. He has 50 HP and 10 attack power. He has 12 attack power when he does an acrobatic attack. Have one or two defense increasing badges on. Use Power Bounce and Bow's Fan Smack to deal with him quickly. He'll give you 12 SP. The chest he guarded contains a Power Plus badge.

Koopa Koot has a few more favors to ask. First, a friend of his has a package for him. He's a Boo in Gusty Gulch. Since the Boos look very much alike, it's the one near the Save Block. You'll have to wait for it, so go talk to the other Boos. You'll learn about a pretty Boo named Victoria that was eaten by Tubba Blubba. She's back now and several Boos are vying for her attention. Talk to the Boo by the Save Block to get the package. Deliver it for one coin. Next, he wants a Coconut. Go to Lavalava Island and hit a tree with Coconuts to make one fall. Deliver it for one coin. Next, he wants a Red Jar. You have to go to Dry Dry Outpost and buy items in a specific order. He knows the order is Dusty Hammer, Dried Pasta, Dusty Hammer, and something else. The last item is a Dried Shroom. Li'l Mouser says that the order is a secret sign in an ancient will. He's required to give you the Red Jar. This time, Koopa Koot will give you 3 Star Pieces.

Return to Toad Town and talk to Merlon. There's a Ninji in his house. He's from Starborn Valley in the Shiver Region to the north. He says Merle has news for him. Merlon says that Merle is his son and whatever he has to say must be important. Somewhere underground is a pipe to Shiver City, which is near Starborn Valley. The Ninji goes on ahead to open the path for Mario.

Go into the Toad Town Tunnels. Drop down and cross the water with Sushie. Go east and cross the spikes with Lakilester to reach a pipe. Go through the pipe to an area with some Spinies. Walk around the area to the left and break the stone block. Go west to an area with Dark Koopas and blocks you can't reach. Go west again and hit a brick block so you can reach a spring. Spring to the left to reach a large chest. It contains the Ultra Boots. Mario's jump power increases and he can now perform Tornado Jumps. Press (A) to jump and press (A) again in midair. They allow Mario to jump a little higher. You can now hit blocks you couldn't previously. Hit the brick block on this side to reach the spring. Return east and hit the blocks near the back wall for coins. There's an invisible block in the middle with a Life Shroom.

Before you go in search of the pipe to Shiver City, return to where you enter the tunnels and go west twice. Take the pipe in the room to reach an area with platforms that act as a balance. Take the pipe to a room with metal blocks. Break them to reach a Super Block. I upgraded Lakilester. Return east, then cross the gap using the platforms to reach a doorway. Go through it and have Parakarry carry you across the gaps to reach a Star Piece.

Go back to the room with the spikes and go east. There are many invisible blocks here in a line. Hit them to make them appear, then jump on them to the other side. There's a blue door here that the Ninji has unlocked. The door leads to a pipe. The pipe leads to a part of the tunnel that's iced over. To the left is a Super Block. I upgraded Parakarry. Go upstairs to reach a pipe that starts the next chapter.