Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story -- Part 12: Chasing Butterflies

Now that Bowser has stopped the robot, we can explore the inside of it. It's called the Tower of Yikk. Take the elevator upstairs. There are some large, pink switches on the floor. Go north. There are several bookshelves, a monitor, and a Boo-shaped device. At the back is a book, which is blank. A wall goes up and the book moves on its own, revealing a holographic projection of a man that resembles the tower. He asks who has awakened him from his eternal slumber. He is called Yikk. He created the tower, among other things. Alas, he no longer walks this earth. He asks Bowser if he is tormented by the ageless riddle of Boo. He has researched the Boo and invented the Boo-ray Machine. Its light makes the inside of one's body visible. He tells Bowser to try it out. Step on the footprints and punch the button to turn the thing on. The inside of Bowser's body is projected onto the screen behind him. As Bowser puts it, "It's like a spotlight for my gut!" The trial is a success and Yikk lets Bowser use it as much as he likes.

On the inside, the Energy Hold is reacting. The light of the Boo-ray Machine makes the Boo-faced green barriers disappear. Now the bros can chase Wisdurm. With the light on, you can just barely see some platforms that allow you to go up in the next area. They are there, regardless of the light Turn the light on or off to manipulate the Boo platforms. In this area, you'll find an enemy called a Napse. They can split into two and will throw colorful energy balls at the bros. The energy balls will turn blue before the Napse throws them, so know which side they're on. In the next area, have the light off to climb the Boo platforms. There are some invisible platforms on the left. Go to the right, as the pipes don't take you anywhere. Use the pipe to the right as a cannon. The pipe to the left will take you to an area with an unusual door. Wisdurm will go through it and close it.

The key to this door has six pieces, making it shaped like a star. The green pipes below will take you to each piece. There's an Attack Piece in the lower left corner. The upper left pipe leads to a maze. With the light on, you can see the path of the maze, but not the bros and vice versa with the light off. There are enemies in the maze, including the Piranha Plorp. It will cover the battlefield in fog, then fire off red or green liquid at the bros. There are also POW, Defense, and Speed Peps that will power up the other enemies. Spin Jump into the next maze. The path ahead splits. The lower path will take you  to a block that makes two of the star pieces appear. The upper path leads to a block the bros must volley for four Attack Pieces. This is a fast block. Both paths lead back to the pipe you took here. Return and save. Shine the light on the Star Panel pieces to make them solidify. Pick up the piece.

Take the pipe on the upper right. Use the light to solidify the Boo platforms where you want them. They stop moving when solid. Use the blocks to go to the upper left, then Spin Jump into a tornado. Grab a shell, drop down, let the Boo platforms move, then hit the switch using the shell. This gives you access to a tornado. Cross the gap and hit the block for another piece of the Star Panel. Return to the main area, pick up the new Star Panel and save.

Take the center pipe and use the Star Panel to open a door. Go to the right and spin into the drills. This stimulates something in Bowser and gives Starlow an idea on drilling into the floor. Use Drill Bros to drill into the ground. Starlow mentions suspicious spots in the ground. There are Bean Spots marked by X in the ground in the Mushroom Kingdom and sparkling spots in Bowser. The drills allow you to go farther to the right. Drill into the red spot to make platforms appear. Pwallops, which are like Protobatters, appear here. Circle back to the door, go through it, then go right. Hit the switch on the right to make platforms appear. Go up, then hit the block for another piece of the Star Panel. Return, grab the panel, and save.

The pipe on the lower left has Boo platforms you must hit in the correct order. Turn off the light to see the order. It will become a moving platform, leading to another door opened by the new Star Panel. You'll get some nice items. Hit the block to make another piece appear. Return and save.

The pipe on the lower right has a maze for Mini Mario with three Attack Pieces. Leave to the left in the middle of the maze to hit a switch. This makes a pipe appear. The block to the left has the last Attack Piece. The new Special Attack is Super Bouncer. Luigi climbs on a large bouncy ball, Mario pushes him into the air, and Luigi lands. Rotate the ball so Luigi is not on the bottom. Press (B) when the ball lands. Spin Jump to the right to complete the Star Panel. Return, get the new panel, heal, and save.

When you're ready, go through the door. Wisdurm goes to the right. When the bros reach level 18, they rank up to Shine Rank, allowing them to shop at the Shine Rank shop in Toad Town. Go past the Boo barrier and the bros will attempt to sneak up on Wisdurm. They fail, so go to the right. There are invisible platforms on the right wall that you can use to reach a tornado. Use the tornados and air currents to go to the right, where there's another maze. Leave the room to the right, drop down, and go left back into the maze. Go to the right and drill under the blocks with arrows, then pop up underneath them to make the walls overhead disappear. Heal and save.

Wisdurm is ahead and the bros try once again, in vain, to catch her. She's had enough. She asks what they want with her. The bros explain. She sympathizes, but doesn't know why she should hand over a Star Cure to the likes of them. She acknowledges their persistence and will battle them for it. At the start, she puts up a meter. When the marker is to the far right, she'll transform into a larger Wisdurm with higher defense. There's a Magic Rod in her tail that will move the meter to the left, so attack it. She'll make a heart crystal appear. It will land on the bro who appears in its center. Knock it away with a hammer. She'll spew a trail of stars at the bros. When she takes enough damage, she'll use the Magic Rod to make the bros switch places, but not button commands, during this attack. She'll shrink a bro and chase him around. Counter repeatedly with a hammer. When she's small, she'll swing on a thread of silk. Counter with a hammer. Use Special Attacks when she's small and hit the Magic Rod instead of her when she's large.

When you defeat her, she transforms into a butterfly. This is her true form. She says the sages knew that the Dark Star would awaken and await the heroes. Their repeated meeting was destined by fate. She gives the bros the red Star Cure and opens access to a door. She asks that the bros stop following her as it creeps her out. Going through the door makes the Joint Tower appear.

In the Joint Tower, use the pipe as a cannon. Toadbert appears and uses the cannon as well. He says this region controls the body slam in Bowser. It doubles Bowser's weight when airborne, allowing him to slam into the ground with increased force. The bros must stimulate the pressure points after activating them by spinning the bones to the right. Bowser notices something's up. Stimulating the pressure points makes the tower collapse into another pressure point. Bowser feels great. Toadbert instructs Bowser that he must switch commands with [R], then use (Y) to become airborne. Hit (Y) once again to slam. He notices the voice change. Bowser can activate pink switches on the floor. use them to get out of the Tower of Yikk.

Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story -- Part 10: Hospital Showdown

After being blocked by the Dark Star, the bros return to Toad Town, where the shopping mall is open. The construction gates to the west have been cleared away. The bros are shocked to see Toad Town filled with blorbed Toads, the handiwork of Fawful. To the south is the shopping district. A Yellow Toad with a mustache presents the bros with a PR stunt. There are Mushroom Balls hidden around and the bros should find them and bring them back. They get to keep whatever's inside. Some of them are in invisible blocks, in the ground, or behind walls. There are 16 total. Mario gets a question mark over his head when one's nearby. One's underground by the south stairs. One is to the left of the green Mushroom Rank Gear shop and another is behind it. Go east and you'll find a badge shop. The young Blue Toad wants to play hide and seek. Find him a few times and he'll give you a Small Shell you can equip. In front of the south stairs is another Mushroom Ball and there's one behind the item shop, as well as one to the right of it. There's one behind the Badge Shop and another to the left. Another is behind the Toad at the top of the stairs on the east side. One is by the trees next to the PR Toad. Another is to the left of the clinic on the east side and another is west of the Star Rank shop. Behind the Shine Rank shop is another and there's one by its east wall. One is just north of the yellow pipe on the west side. Finally, one is on the west side on the middle level to the right of a Toad. They hold things like coins and items. The gear shops are organized by rank. You must achieve Shine and Star Rank to shop at their respective shops, which have better and more expensive gear.

The pipe leads back into the Toad Town Caves. Use Mini Mario to get a couple of items, one of which lowers the cost of Special Attacks.

When you're done shopping, save and heal, then go to the clinic on the top level of the east side, near the construction gates. Dr. Toadley's intern is dealing with a patient that's leaving. The bros talk to her, saying they both need to speak to Dr. Toadley. She says he can only see one of them at a time, unless they have an appointment. That could take a while with the number of blorbed Toads in town. She asks what health problem they're experiencing, as they both seem quite healthy. Mario acts out that he has a sore throat, which is a symptom of the blorbs. Luigi hams it up, acting out having chest pains that are more like a heart attack. She declares this to be an emergency, as the kingdom would be doomed if the bros get blorbed. She takes them to see Dr. Toadley, who looks more like a magician or fortune teller. Dr. Toadley asks questions, then immediately answers them. He says the bros have a grave illness caused a virus. Dr. Toadley diagnoses patients using a crystal ball imaging system. Inside the crystal ball, the identity of the virus is revealed: Bowseritis. Bowser appears, after regaining consciousness. Bowseritis takes a while to cure and will take ten days' worth of antibiotics. Bowser knocks the doctor away, saying that he will take the Dark Star and Peach's Castle.

The bros have to battle Bowser. He can use all of the Special Attacks he's acquired, punch, and breathe fire. Use Special Attacks. To dodge the flame attack, Starlow will circle the bros. Press and hold each bro's button to get him to safety. Let go when the attack is over. Don't do anything if Bowser snorts before he tries to punch, as he will safely fall over the bros. When he uses Goomba Storm, jump over all the Goombas that appear but do not jump. The flaming Goombas that have their heads pointed to the right are aimed at Mario. For Shy Guy Squad, volley Bowser back into the Shy Guys. Keep attacking until he's defeated.

Bowser says that wasn't his A game, either. After he leaves, the bros explain the situation to Dr. Toadley. He says the barriers in front of the castle cannot be knocked down. The crystal contains a message of Star Cures, three in all. They are held by three sages in the Mushroom Kingdom and can cure all the world's ills, including the blorbs. They should also give the bros the power to break the blockade. One sage is in a forest, which gives Bowser enough of a clue to get going, after calling Starlow just as annoying as Chippy. An image of the sage emerges and it's Durmite, also called Wisdurm. The bros leave and spot Bowser clearing out some barricades. This gives the bros access to the crack in the wall, which conceals a pipe back into Bowser. Go east twice for a couple of items. If you want to explore the kingdom some more before returning to Bowser, go south.

Once you return to Bowser, you wind up in the Pipe Yard. The small sage appears from the red, broken pipe. Mario and Luigi try to sneak up on her, but she gets away. She takes off for the Energy Hold. The bros cross all but the last mucus pool and she escapes under some blocks that have Boo faces. Starlow suggests staying put, as Bowser can't possibly get the first Star Cure anyway. Bowser goes south of Toad Town to Blubble Lake, looking for a way to Dimble Wood.