Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door -- Interlude After Chapter 7

Bowser and Kammy Koopa are in Poshley Heights, looking for Poshley Sanctum's Crystal Star. Talk to Toodles and she'll say that Bowser's horns would make a great wall decoration. Bub will ask Bowser who he is. If you answer that he's Bowser, an evil king, he'll run away. Go up the Poshley Sanctum stairs and you'll find the door locked. Bowser stamps his feet and the lock falls off. He says rage really pays. Inside, he picks up the Crystal Star on the pedestal. Pennington appears, calling them common thieves. Bowser can introduce himself as a remorseless king, the Shadow Thief, or Koopa Koot. Either way, Pennington lets them keep it, as it's fake. Bowser drops it in shock and it breaks. Kammy says it must be real because of the posh, fancy display. They ask where the real one is. Pennington says he gave the real one to Luigi. Bowser says he has to be kidding as he can't believe Luigi beat him here. He calls the Mario Bros. annoying. Kammy calls their being outmaneuvered disturbing and wonders where the bros are heading. A Paragoomba breaks through a windonw and lands on Pennington's head. He reports that Mario has the seven Crystal Stars and that he's headed for the Thousand-Year Door. Kammy explains that there's a legendary treasure behind the door. Bowser is going there to ruin Mario. After they leave, Pennington congratulates Luigi, saying "Way not to fail!...yet."

In the X-Naut Fortress,  Mario's ally says they have the seven Crystal Stars, so they can open the Thousand-Year Door. They don't know where Peach is, but they should return to Rogueport and report back to Professor Frankly. Go west and take the elevator to sublevel 4. This is the level where Peach was held. Go east to TEC's room.

The lights flicker and TEC powers on. Its speech is hesitant as it asks if he's Mario. It says it's pleasant to meet him and that it is the main computer, TEC. It brought Mario here to tell him something about Peach. Unfortunately, most of its data was erased and its main power was shut down, so it's running on backup power with cached memory to stay operational. Mario already knows that Peach isn't here. TEC asks him to save her and says she's with Grodus in the Palace of Shadow. Its backup power is failing, TEC tells Mario to use the teleportation room to return to Rogueport. It will unlock the door, but Mario must hurry, as it barely has enough power to activate the teleporter. To do so, TEC will cease its AI functions and send power to the teleporter. This means TEC will cease to exist as an artificial consciousness, something it will gladly do for Peach. Until TEC met Peach, it knew nothing of love. Mario and his allies must not worry about it, as it is a machine. Mario must save her and tell her "Thank you" for it. It recalls a fading image of her in her room, then shuts off, reporting a system failure. It grows darker in the fortress, with only red lights to provide illumination.

Go to sublevel 2 and activate the teleporter. Leave, and TEC tells Peach good-bye. An explosion is seen on the moon. Mario's ally asks if he heard that. On the Rogueport side, the teleporter no longer works. In the underground ruins, Professor Frankly appears, saying Mario brought back the Crystal Star from the X-Naut Fortress on the moon. Mario's ally explains that Peach was there as well, but was taken to the Thousand-Year Door. Frankly says he smelled rank air, so he checked on the Thousand-Year Door and saw a suspicious person in a cape go through the door with Peach. Mario's ally says he told them the door wouldn't open without the seven Crystal Stars. Frankly knows this, but saw them go through the door. He has a bad feeling about this and thinks Peach is in danger. He'll go ahead to the Thousand-Year Door and Mario should head there as well without dawdling.

Well, I decided to dawdle. Luigi's in the inn on the top floor, with Blooey by his side, sporting a change in color. Luigi's done questing for now, saying he scaled Hatesong Tower and rescued Princess Éclair. He'll never forget this adventure, as it's too exciting. Hatesong Tower is on a jagged cliff that can't be climbed. The howling winds sounded like banshees singing songs of hate. This is the scariest place in the world and Luigi had to go there. He managed to reach the door, terrified, but the thought of Éclair gave him strength. His companions felt the same way and would be there until the bitter end. The door opened, revealing an inconceivable darkness. Luigi couldn't breathe to call out to Éclair. Even in the darkness, Luigi managed to see the most terrifying beast inside, the Chestnut King. He was monstrous and drooling puddles of toxic goo that melted the ground around them. Luigi was shaking, but faced the Chestnut King head-on. He dodged his fangs and jumped on his chest, whacking the Chestnut King with his hammer, which hit dead-center on his skull. Hope gave him power and he thought he could win if he risked it all on the next blow. The winds howled and Luigi advanced without mercy. Here's where the story becomes much less detailed. Luigi beat the Chestnut King, and the nightmare beast that came after it. He rescued Éclair and it was all over. He came back to Rogueport for a light lunch. Mario thinks there's more to the story, but Luigi says that's the end of that adventure, but his adventures will never cease. Blooey says the last battle was hairy and he was burned to a crisp, but he's relieved. He says to ask Luigi for the whole story.

There are a few more troubles at the Trouble Center.

Goldbub has something he wants delivered to General White. Get this one out of the way early, as it's a wild goose chase like before. Pick up the package from Goldbub in front of the blue house in Poshley Heights, then go to General White's house in Fahr Outpost. He's not there, but a Bob-omb in his house says he's in a cola bar in Rogueport. Go the inn in Rogueport and talk to the bartender. He says he went to the juice bar in Glitzville. That bartender says he went to Poshley Heights. Go to Poshley Heights and talk to Goldbub. He says General White was there to pick up his package from him, but left for Fahr Outpost. Go back to General White's house and wake him up to deliver the package. Return to Poshley Heights for your reward of 64 coins.

Gob lost his voice due to a cold and wants a Honey Candy for his throat. You can make one by cooking a Honey Syrup and a Cake Mix. Take it to him. He's the Bob-omb near the snowman in Fahr Outpost. Your reward is 20 coins.

Toadia wants to meet Luigi in person. She's near the fountain by Poshley Sanctum. Go talk to her, but equip the L Emblem badge to look like Luigi first. She can tell he's the real Luigi and freaks out. She thinks she's freaking him out, as well. She gives him a Choco Cake and the real Luigi appears. She calls the real Luigi an imposter. Luigi asks why Mario is dressed like him. Toadia says the real Luigi is so much like Luigi, it's creepy. She accuses the real Luigi of masquerading as Luigi to interrupt her special time together with Luigi. The real Luigi calls the situation a nightmare and leaves. Mario tells her not to worry about it. Toadia says she'll treasure the moment and wants to see him again.

Before we go to the Thousand-Year Door, there's something I'd like to do first.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door -- Chapter 7: Mario Shoots The Moon -- Part 1

The pipe takes Mario to an area covered in snow. Go east and you'll see Ice Puffs and Frost Piranhas. Ice Puffs have 9 HP and 4 attack. They can store energy for their ice breath attack, which can freeze you. Do not touch them when they're storing energy. Frost Piranhas have 10 HP and 5 attack. Their bites can freeze you. Fire is very effective on both enemies. There's a Star Piece behind a shrub near the front and a Shine Sprite behind the front tree on the left. Go east and you'll find an item block with the HP Plus P badge. Go east into Fahr Outpost.

Mario's ally wonders where the cannon is and suggests talking to the villagers. They have Russian accents and will dodge Mario's questions about the cannon. There's a Star Piece behind the front wall. Go east and you'll find a Shine Sprite on the right side of the right house. Go in the house to find a Star Piece behind some crates. There's an Inn Coupon behind the inn's stairs and an invisible panel to the left of the statue. Nearby is a green Bob-omb. He's the mayor of Fahr Outpost. He asks what business Mario has here and after Mario explains, says that there isn't a cannon here. Mario's ally says there's definitely a cannon here. Bring out Bobbery, as the Bob-ombs here only trust other Bob-ombs. Bobbery asks how he can lie as he saw a cannon the last time he was here. The mayor chastises him for talking about the cannon to non-Bob-ombs. They can't allow the cannon to be used for evil. Mario explains that they need to reach the moon or the world might end. The mayor considers it, but says they can't use the cannon because they need Goldbub's permission. He started the business of using the cannon to blast things to faraway places, but got rich and let business slide. General White operated the cannon and devoted himself to his work, but became depressed when he lost his job and left. Mario must find both.

Go to Poshley Heights and talk to Goldbub, in front of the blue house near the train station. Mario explains the situation and Goldbub says he owes him a favor or two. He hoped to resume the business of using the cannon someday. He stopped because Sylvia didn't like the noise. He says he needs a lot of money to operate the cannon. Tell him you'll give every coin you have. He's staggered to hear him say that and asks repeatedly if Mario is sure. He'll take all of Mario's money and give him Goldbub's Guide. He then says he was kidding about the money. It's a shame, he says under his breath, but he'll return it.

Now that Mario has Goldbub's permission, he needs to find General White, beginning a large wild goose chase. The last time Mario saw him, he was in Petalburg. He's not there anymore, but the Koopa that welcomes you into town says he left for a deserted isle. Go to Keelhaul Key and Pa-Patch says he just left for an arena. Go to Glitzville and the juice bar bartender says he went to a place with a large tree. Go to the Great Tree and the welcoming Puni says he went someplace dark. Go to Twilight Town and the resident standing between the inn and the mayor's house says he left, looking tired. Go back to Fahr Outpost and go in the right house on the east side. General White is asleep in bed. Wake him up by stomping him repeatedly. He says he's tired and just wants to sleep, as all is hopeless. He was looking for Mario so he could bring the cannon back online. When the cannon was shut down, he lost his life's work and had no reason to live. While he was traveling, he saw a fortune teller in Rogueport who told him to seek the man with a hammer, mustache, and a hat with a red "M", as he will fulfill his dreams. He says the fortune teller war right. He says to tell the mayor and leaves. Make any preparations you need, then talk to the mayor.

The mayor says to follow him to the west side of town. Mario falls through a shutter in the ground and General White takes command of the cannon's operations once again. The cannon rises up from underground and the Bob-ombs load into the firing chamber. The cannon fires and Mario blasts off. The Bob-ombs parachute back to the ground and the mayor wishes Mario luck.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door -- Interlude After Chapter 6 -- Part 2

The Excess Express arrives in Rogueport and Mario disembarks. Peach's email arrives, saying she's being held on the moon. She says the X-Nauts need something of hers to resurrect the demon's spirit, but the email is cut off before she typed what that was. Mario's ally thinks something may have happened to her.

Luigi's at the train station, with a unknown creature standing next to him. Luigi says his story this time around is sad. He went into Grimble Forest and found the domed Rapturous Ruins. The ruins were pure white from top to bottom, so he couldn't tell the walls from the floor. He went dead ahead to a chamber where a young boy sat. As he approached the boy, someone named Screamy appeared from out of nowhere. Screamy informed Luigi that the boy's name is Cranberry, and he would wake up for the child of fate. This didn't make any sense to Luigi, so he searched around for the compass piece. He got a tickle in his nose and let out a huge sneeze. This woke up Cranberry, who smiled at Luigi. Luigi could suddenly understand Cranberry's language. Cranberry told him he was the last of an ancient race called the Luffs, who guarded the Marvelous Compass for the last 1000 years. The compass had the power to see into the future, so the ancient Luff empire used it to rule much of the world. They were greedy and cursed by the compass. The empire collapsed. To prevent a repated of that fate, Cranberry broke the compass into 7 parts and hid 6 of them. He kept one and put himself to sleep until a worthy hero woke him up. Luigi is that hero. He gave Luigi the compass piece and he and the ruins vanished. Luigi added the piece to the compass, which pointed to the far north, where the dreaded Hatesong Tower stands. He heard Princess Éclair's voice more clearly than ever. He says he will rescue her and be super. He's in Rogueport making his final preparations for his final battle, but he's nervous. Screamy is the unknown creature standing next to Luigi. He wonders what future is plotted for them by the compass holder, as he must deliver something.

Go into the center square and stand under the large chest. Spring jump to knock it down. It contains the Ultra Hammer. Toadette appears, saying the Ultra Hammer increases Mario's hammer attack power and allows him to use a new technique. It's similar to the Super Hammer move. Hold (B) and rotate the Control Stick a lot, then release (B). He can use the Ultra Hammer to break stone blocks and use this new technique in battle. Toadette's sad because this is the last time she'll get to see him. She tells him to be careful and save Princess Peach. She leaves slowly.

Go back to the west side of town and enter the house on the right. There are a couple of Toads inside. Go to the second floor and roll out the right wall. This will take you into the backyard, where there is a Shine Sprite. Roll through the lower gap to appear in the drawer of the neighboring Koopa's house. Go to the underground ruins, from the west side, then cross the gap with Yoshi to the left. Break the stone block to reveal a blue pipe. Go east to where the buildings are. Ride the moving platform up and stand next to the pipe. Spring jump up to the pipe overhead, then climb to the right. Drop down when you're over the roof. Drop down to the roof to the right, then jump right to the pillar for a Shine Sprite. Go back, drop down, and stand on the red X. Spring Jump from here to reach a pipe. Go west and drop down to get the Flower Saver P badge. Go back, then through the pipe on the back wall. Drop down, then go through the opening to a pipe. Walk to the left to find a boat panel. Sail all the way to the east to find an area with many Spania, a Spunia, and a few Shine Sprites. Use the Spring Jump to get it. Return to the boat panel and walk to the east. Break the large stone blocks and hit the switches to make pipes appear. The right pipe leads to Keelhaul Key. The left one leads to Poshley Heights. The chest contains FP Plus badge. Go east twice, then up the pipe. Fly east, to the area where the pipe to Petal Meadows is. Spring Jump up near the left ledge and use the pipe above to reach it. Blow up the wall with Bobbery and go west. There's a chest on the other side with the Defend Plus P badge. Take the pipe to right to a pipe that leads to the background. Go inside the house to find a Star Piece. Go back near the west entrance, then use the boat panel to reach a Shine Sprite. Go to Merlon's to upgrade your party members. I upgraded Bobbery, Ms. Mowz, and Vivian.

There are a few new troubles at the Trouble Center.

Frankie is looking for something, but will tell whoever helps him in person. Talk to him on the west side, near the flowers. He says he lost his wedding ring after returning from Keelhaul Key. He lost it in town, on the east side. If he doesn't he'll have to tell Francesca he loves her 1000 times in a row, if not more. Go over to the east side, past the Trouble Center. Cross over the water in front of the bridge with Yoshi and you'll find it on the ground near the crates. Return it for the Gold Card, which opens up the Tube Mode game in the Pianta Parlor.

Chef Shimi needs ingredients for his latest mushroom dish. He needs a Golden Leaf, Keel Mango, and Mystic Egg. If you don't have these items, here's where to find them: The Keel Mango can be found on the west side of the jungle, near the pipe to the underground ruins. Hit one of the trees in the back to get it. For the Golden Leaf, go to Creepy Steeple. Go inside and go through the back door. Near the red switch is a gap in the fence. Flip sideways and walk to the right. You'll find a gold-colored tree. Hit it for the Golden Leaf. Go to the Great Tree in Boggly Woods and talk to Petuni. She'll ask Mario to play a game called Stump Petuni. Give her an easy question to answer, such as "Mario likes what person the most?", and she'll give you a Mystic Egg. Board the Excess Express (you'll end up in Poshley Heights) and give them to Chef Shimi. The reward is 40 coins.

Toodles wants you to retrieve a magazine from Jolene. Talk to her in Poshley Heights, in the pink house. Go to Glitzville, and before you go inside the Glitz Pit, get the Shine Sprite with the Spring Jump. Talk to Jolene in her office and tell her the magazine must be returned now. Jolene read it because she was new to being a wrestling promoter. Take the Wrestling Mag back to Toodles for a Platinum Card to the Pianta Parlor. It opens up Boat Mode. Toodles says this is a popular magazine of celebrities.

The businessman forgot the security code to his briefcase. Talk to him near the hot dog stand in Glitzville and you'll find he's the Ratooey businessman you met on the Excess Express. He has a strange code: it's the number of chairs or objects you can sit on in the houses he's previously done business in. He's a chair fanatic. You'll have to count the number of chairs in Kroop's house, Flurrie's house, Don Pianta's office, and Toodles's house, counting the garden chair outside. The answer is 2625. Inside his briefcase is a prototype of his company's new product. After he unlocks the briefcase, he'll give you a sample of his company's top item: Hot Sauce.

Go to the Thousand-Year Door and the map reveals a building and a Crystal Star on the moon. Professor Frankly says the next Crystal Star is on the moon, but he doesn't know how they'll get there. He looks in a book and says to come back in three minutes. Come back and he says to use Fahr Outpost's cannon to blast to the moon. The Yoshi likes the idea. Frankly's not sure of the details, but says there's a pipe under Rogueport to Fahr Outpost, which is hidden for some reason. He says Mario needs the Ultra Hammer to reach it. He also says that the Bob-ombs in Fahr Outpost are a surly bunch, so Mario may need to negotiate with them. They only trust other Bob-ombs and rarely tell others the truth. Go underground on the west side and cross the gap with Yoshi. Go west, past the stone block, to reach the pipe to start the next chapter.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door -- Interlude After Chapter 3 -- Part 2

Mario is in the Glitz Pit, having just vanquished Macho Grubba. Jolene hopes for his success. Rawk Hawk says he won't fight dirty, will win fair and square, and never lose again. King K has Mario's back and will fight in the Glitz Pit again. Jolene now runs the pit, so there will be no more shady business. She invites Mario to return as a fighter any time. He has many fans, even though he gave up the champion's belt. Leave the pit, get a Star Piece from behind the phone booth, and return to Rogueport.

Peach's email arrives, telling of the X-Naut's plan to conquer the world. She says they need the Crystal Stars, but Mario must get all of them first. She'll gather more information in the meantime.

Luigi's on the west side of Rogueport, having just recovered the second compass part. He landed on the Strudel Continent and headed for Plumpbelly Village. When he reached the town, he could tell something was wrong. The mayor says the town is ruled by a giant snake named Hizza and required sacrifices. This time, the mayor's daughter was to be offered up. Luigi offered to go in her stead. The custom is that sacrifices are to be dressed as brides, so Luigi got dolled up. He says he looked good and fooled his foes. He reached Hizza's  lair, noting it was difficult fighting in a gown. Hizza has a second head on its tail. Luigi quickly fainted, then, once he woke up, distracted both of Hizza's heads. The heads reared up, fangs ready to attack, when Luigi deftly dodged left, leaving the mouths to smash into each other. Hizza vanished in a cloud of smoke. A shining plated fell down on the spot where Hizza's body was. It was a compass part, which pointed east to Circuit Breaker Island. As he was about to leave, the mayor asked him to stay and marry his daughter. Luigi thought she was cute, so he thought about it for a while, but snuck off the next morning. He says he heard a beautiful voice when the compass was activated. He thinks it's Eclair's voice. He will set sail from Rogueport soon.

Standing next to Luigi is a Bob-omb that resembles a cherry. His name is Jerry and he's from Plumpbelly Village. The reason he sounds so down is because he saw Luigi dressed as a bride, which he found to be more terrifying than the giant snake, Hizza. It scarred him so badly that he has a moral duty to stop him from dressing as a bridge ever again. He's sticking by Luigi to protect others from his fate.

There are three more troubles at the Trouble Center:
Jolene needs some cleaning done. Meet her in her office, and she'll initially think you're trying to become a fighter again. Rawk Hawk is again the champion. Mario's old registration is gone, so he'll have to start in the minor leagues. Her trouble is that she wants the garbage cleaned out from the storage room. In there, you'll find twenty Battle Shorts, dirty fighter's shorts that stink. Some of them are upstairs. Go through the door upstairs and you'll find a Star Piece hidden behind the right crate. Bring the Battle Shorts back to Jolene and she'll tell you to take them to Goomfrey in Rogueport. While you're in Glitzville, buy two Hot Dogs from the stand. Goomfrey is in front of Frankly's place. Give the Battle Shorts to him, then talk to Jolene for your reward of 30 coins.

Merlee wants the recipe for making Heartful Cake, which she forgot. She learned it from Toce T. in Petalburg. She lives in the right house on the east side of Petalburg and will tell you to cook Ruin Powder and Cake Mix. Return to Rogueport and go to the Pianta Parlor. This is the only place you can get Cake Mix. Either buy Piantas or win them, but you'll need at least 12 of them. Exchange 6 Piantas each for a Cake Mix. Get two and cook one of them into Mousse Cake. Talk to Merlee to tell her the recipe. She'll then ask for Cake Mix. Give it to her and your reward will be 30 coins.

While your in the ruins under Rogueport, go near the entrance to the Thousand-Year Door and break the large yellow block. It reveals a doorway and a Star Piece near the pipe. Go west. The room has a Shine Sprite, a large block, and a couple of switches. Break the block so you can reach the rising platform. On the higher level, drop down to the switches and ground pound them. This will make pipes appear. The left one takes you directly to the Great Tree and the right one takes you directly to Petalburg.

Bub-ulber in Petalburg is craving a certain food. He's on the west side, on the center island. You'll have to cross the bridge to reach it. He wants a spicy Hot Dog, which you can get in Glitzville. Give him one and he'll ask for another. Give him the other one and he'll ask for Mousse Cake. Give him the Mousse Cake and he'll give you a Dried Bouquet as a reward. You can get more if you bring him more Hot Dogs.

Return to the west side of Rogueport and drop through the grate. Use Yoshi to cross the left gap to reach a Shine Sprite and a door. Go through the door to see a brown pipe and a sign that says it leads to Twilight Town. Try to go through the pipe and it will spit you out. Take the pipe near the door to the background platforms, where you'll find a Star Piece. Go to the Thousand-Year Door and the ruby Crystal Star will appear near a tall building in a forest. Professor Frankly's surprised by Peach's email and says the situation is more serious than they originally thought. He's been researching the treasure and found a source that says it may be the great cataclysm that sank the town. He says that the treasure may help them rule the world, so Mario can't let them near it. The entire world could be destroyed. Frankly looks at the map and tells them the next Crystal Star is in Twilight Town. He doesn't know much about Twilight Town, except it's dim and eerie, and there's a pipe to it under the west side of Rogueport. If you've already tried to go through, Mario's partner says that going through it was a failure. Frankly doesn't know what to do, but says that a resident of Twilight Town lives here, so they should ask him. His name is Darkly.

Darkly is behind the wall to the left of Merlon's. He's the gloomy guy. Ask him about the pipe and he'll tell you that you need to have something with your name on it to go through the pipe. He writes Mario's name on the seat of his overalls and writes his partner's name on them. He wishes them well and is rooting for them. Go back underground and through the pipe to start the next chapter.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door -- Chapter 3: Of Glitz And Glory -- Part 4

Mario has just become the champion of the Glitz Pit after unseating Rawk Hawk. He can now enjoy the luxuries of the champion's room. His party member mentions that they still don't have any clues about the Crystal Star, and despite his dirty tricks and threatening emails, Rawk Hawk doesn't know about them, either. They hear voices from somewhere and they seem to be traveling through the vent. X sends an email telling them to find the ghost in the champion's room. Make any preparations you need, and save. Climb up the presents and cross the gap to the doorframe, then to the vent using Yoshi. Use the Super Hammer move on the vent to break it. Crawl through the vent and you'll hear the voices more clearly. Something's in perfect condition and something is keeping someone's body in shape. The one who's talking is Mr. Grubba. King K saw him and he thinks Jolene and Gonzales are onto him. He will make them all disappear like the others, including Prince Mush. If necessary, he'll make Rawk Hawk disappear. He hides a paper in his desk drawer and locks up his office.

Break the vent the same way as before and drop down into his office. Check behind the plant and in his right desk drawer for Star Pieces. In the left desk drawer are some blueprints for a machine using the Crystal Star under the ring. It can be used to suck people's power, like what happened to King K and Bandy Andy. Grubba walks into the office and leaves, knowing that Mario knows.

Leave the office and you'll notice the arena is silent. You also can't leave. Heal if you haven't already and save. Go to the empty arena. Grubba's onstage, calling them fools for sniffing into his business. It's a dirt nap for them for learning his secret. The stage starts shaking and parts of it fall away. A machine with the real Crystal Star rises from below. Grubba uses the machine to suck power from fighters, keeping his body forever young. He muscles up, increases in size, gets spikes, and turns orange. Mario and his party are next.

It's time to battle Macho Grubba. Despite the arena being empty, there is an audience for this fight. Macho Grubba has 60 HP and 4 attack power. He has a pattern that he follows: increase the number of times he can attack, and then powers up. Pay attention to how he is powered up. Macho Grubba likes a good fight and says Mario has good showmanship. Power Bounce and Yoshi's Ground Pound work well. After a while, he says he had so many good moves in his day that some of them were made illegal. He can grow larger and increase his defense. He can also punch both Mario and his party member. Use Gulp to deal with the increased defense. He also may become dodgy, so he'll dodge attacks automatically. There are devices on stage that may blow cold air on to enemies, freezing them. You can still attack, but they can't. They'll also take a little damage each turn they're frozen. Take advantage every time this happens. Keep attacking and you'll get about 30 SP for winning. He can't believe he lost to someone without a perfect body and that it was a great fight.

Someone calls for the champion. It's Jolene and she calls him Mario. She thanks him for defeating Grubba and apologizes for getting them involved. She had to learn the arena's truth by any means. Her reason is she had a younger brother named Mush who'd do anything for her. Their family was poor, so Mush became a Glitz Pit fighter to support them. He suddenly went missing and she suspected foul play. She got hired on a manager so she could conduct a secret investigation. Once, she accidentally saw Grubba transform and almost gave up, until Mario appeared. She secretly guided him as the mysterious X, knowing Mario was the only one who could challenge Grubba. Jolene asks Grubba about Prince Mush, the first champion. Grubba says Prince Mush discovered his secret machine, so he had him disappear and that he's not around anymore. Jolene is upset at the news, but suspected as much. The machine powered by the Crystal Star spits out Prince Mush and brother and sister are reunited. Jolene gives Mario the Crystal Star so this never happens again. Mario's Star Power increases to 4 and he gets the special move, Power Lift.

End of Chapter
Glitzville's seamy underside was a dark, dangerous place seething with conspiracy... With the help of the lovely Jolene, Mario revealed Grubba's true identity... And acquired the third Crystal Star by defeated the monstrous Macho Grubba. Grubba had used the power of the Crystal Star to run his power-draining machine... What other hidden powers might the strange and mysterious items possess?

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door -- Chapter 3: Of Glitz And Glory -- Part 3

Mario just had an unexpected battle with Bowser in the Glitz Pit and his partner is freaked out that Bowser is here. Bowser leaves after his defeat, so continue climbing the ranks of the Glitz Pit.

17. Craw-Daddy is your next opponent, a Dark Craw. He has 20 HP and 6 attack. He carries a spear, which makes getting the condition of not using your hammer very unfortunate, which happened to me. Either reset the game or use Koops and Earth Tremor. You'll get 14 coins and rise to rank 4.

After the battle, X sends an email, telling Mario to go to the telephone booth on the pavilion. Rawk Hawks is outside the locker room. He says to stop stealing the spotlight, or Mario will get hurt. Perhaps he sent the hate mail. Go outside to the phone booth and you'll find the Storage Key. X sends a follow-up email, telling you to go to the storage room, which is to the left of Grubba's office. Unlock it and you'll find Ms. Mowz. Mario's partner asks if she made the noises the guards heard, but she insists that she's silent. She tells them someone else is here and that the arena has its secrets. Mario should be careful, or he'll end up like the souls upstairs. She found what she wanted, so she kisses Mario and leaves. X sends another email saying to find the staircase switch so they can reach the attic. Have Flurrie blow away the crates to reveal blocks. Break the ones on the right to find the Charge P badge. Break the ones on the left to reveal a switch. Hit it to make the stairs appear. Upstairs is a locked door, as well as a Shine Sprite. Hover from the middle crates to go left. Use the Super Hammer on the large block to reveal the HP Plus P badge on a crate (hover to reach it) and a hole in the floor.

Drop down into the crawlspace. You'll hear voices through a hole. Listen and you'll hear Mr. Grubba and Jolene talking. Mr. Grubba asks Jolene if anyone was found in the storage room. She says the storage room is secure and that precautions have been taken. In her opinion, it was likely a cat. Grubba says they don't keep anything important in there. He asks about King K. She doesn't know where he is, so they delete his spot on the roster, removing any official connections to him, KP Pete. They take the same steps with all fighters that go missing, which has been happening a lot lately. King K is the fifth one this year. Grubba heard that security thinks the pit is cursed. He tells Jolene to tell the others that King K went home for a while, because nasty rumors are bad for business. He asks Jolene why she disappears sometimes, but she says it's none of his business. He asks if she's heard of the Crystal Star. She's startled by the question, but denies hearing of it and leaves. Grubba mentions to himself that the Great Gonzales is the only draw he has left since fighters keep disappearing. Mario's party member speaks and Grubba hears them. Answer with a meow, a squeak, or a belch to make him think it's only a critter running around. If you choose to belch, he'll think it's a burping beetle. Grubba leaves the office. Walk to the left to find a vent. Flip sideways to drop back down into the storage room. Time to continue battling for the title.

18. Hamma, Bamma, and Flare are up next. They are trio of a Hammer Bro, Boomerang Bro, and a Fire Bro. The Hammer Bro has 7 HP, 4 attack, and 1 defense. The Boomerang Bro has 7 HP, 2 attack, and 1 defense. The boomerang it throws will hit Mario and his party member twice, so guard twice. The Fire Bro has 7 HP, 3 attack, and 1 defense. Its fireballs can burn to slowly reduce HP, like poison. When their HP gets low, all of them will attack repeatedly in a barrage. My condition was to not use the hammer. You'll get 14 coins and rise to rank 3.

After the battle, you'll get an email saying that this is your last warning to stop snooping around about the Crystal Stars. Otherwise, you'll suffer the same fat as the missing ones. After you reserve your next match, Jolene will bring in some cake from an admirer. Leave it alone.

19. Chomp Country is your next opponent. The team consists of two Red Chomps. They have 6 HP, 5 attack, and 3 defense. To beat them, use special moves, items, or Gulp. My condition was to let them hit me five times. You'll get 15 coins and rise to rank 2.

After the battle, the Shady Koopa will be on the floor. He says his body went numb after eating the cake, meaning it was poisoned. Now that you have enough Shine Sprites, take the opportunity to return to Rogueport and upgrade your Yoshi.

20. Your last opponent in the major leagues is the Koopinator, a Dark Koopatrol. He has 25 HP, 5 attack, and 2 defense. He can also charge up his next attack. My condition was to not use FP. It has a spike, so don't jump on it. You'll get 15 coins and your rank will rise to 1. The next battle is for the championship.

Before you can reserve the championship match, X emails you, saying to remove the Gonzales posters in the lobby. Go to the lobby and you'll see that all of the posters have been replaces with Gonzales posters. Have Flurrie blow them away. The one you want is on the second floor, to the left of the double doors. Behind it is the Storage Key. X emails you to go to the second floor of the storage room. Go back to the storage room and unlock the door. Use the Yoshi to cross the gap between the crates and you'll hear a noise on the other side of a large block. Use the Super Hammer to break it and reveal Bandy Andy and King K lying on the floor, with flies buzzing around them. King K can't talk, but Bandy Andy says not to go near the ring when no one is around. Try to leave and you'll see Jolene behind the door. She closes the door. Leave the room and reserve the title match when you're ready.

Security will take you a different route to get to the ring, and takes you to an empty minor league locker room to wait. Grubba's onstage with Rawk Hawk, saying that he's excited for the match and that Gonzales made it through the ranks faster than Rawk Hawk. Inside the locker room, Mario discovers he's been locked in. If he doesn't make it to the ring in time, he'll forfeit the match. Go to the right wall and blow away the Peach poster. This reveals a hidden room with a TV. Go through the locker to reach the other major league locker room. It's also empty and locked. Go to the bathroom and stand on the toilet. The toilet will flush Mario through the plumbing to the other major league locker room, which is unlocked. Leave and save the game, then head for the arena.

In the arena, the crowd cheers for Gonzales. Rawk Hawk says Mario should've stayed locked up. He ordered security to lock Mario in there and sent the poisoned cake, but knows nothing about the Crystal Stars.

21. Rawk Hawk is the champion and final opponent. He has 40 HP, 3 attack, and 1 defense. He's good at aerial moves and doesn't fight fair. He can do a double flip that will hit both Mario and his party member, a slide kick that hits whoever is in front, and, after a while, will grab onto the rafters and shake them to make stage debris hit Mario and his party member repeatedly or heal himself. When he's hanging from the rafters, jump attacks can't reach him. Body Slam or throwing something will knock him off the rafters. He can also hang on the wall and dive. My condition was to use at least one special move. Power Bounce is a good move to use, as well as Yoshi's Ground Pound, if you upgraded him. He'll give about 12 SP on defeat, saying he lost to losers.

Grubba says he witnessed a miracle in this legendary bout. Gonzales is now the champion and gets the Champion's Belt. Jolene takes him to the champion's room, where there's a bed that restores Star Power.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door -- Chapter 3: Of Glitz and Glory -- Part 1

The blimp drops Mario off on the floating arena of Glitzville. On the left is a public phone where Mario can talk to various people he's met on his journey. On the right is a large, blue switch. Spin jump on it to make some stairs appear to the roof of the nearby building. This building is the juice shop. On top is a chest with the Power Plus P badge. Near the Glitz Pit is a family of rich Bob-ombs. They have some interesting things to say. Also near the Glitz Pit is a Shine Sprite you can't reach yet. On the side of the juice bar is an Inn Coupon. Inside the juice bar is a Toad with a pink-spotted cap and a single tuft of hair showing.

Go inside the Glitz Pit. The Toads on the left are looking for the former champion, Prince Mush. Ms. Mowz is here and surprised to see Mario. Go through the double doors to enter the arena's seating area. On stage is the champion, Rawk Hawk, about to battle a challenger. He defeats his opponent with a one-hit knock out. He wants a challenge and will take on anyone. He shows off his champion's belt, which has a Crystal Star on it. Mario's partner asks how Mario plans to get his hands on the Crystal Star. The only way to do it is to battle to the top. Talk to the guy in the suit at one of the doors and tell him you want to become a fighter. He'll tell you to talk to the promoter, Mr. Grubba. He'll let you past the door. There are a couple of Save Blocks in the hallway. Mr. Grubba's office is to the right of the locked door.

Go inside Mr. Grubba's office and he'll call you rude for barging in. Mario tells him he's an athlete that wants to fight and he changes his tone. He finds Mario to be a little skinny. He asks Mario if he wants to live the glamorous life of a champ. Mr. Grubba says that he fought his way to fame and riches, which are dynamite. He's set for life and opened the arena to help others make dreams come true.

He gives Mario the tour, showing him the champ's room and the major league locker rooms, which are not as nice, but decent. Mario has to fight his way to the top. Sign the contract and Mario's officially on the roster. Mr. Grubba gives Mario the new name of the Great Gonzales. He calls Jolene into his office. She looks somewhat familiar. Jolene takes Mario to the minor league locker room, which is falling apart. If Mario wants out of here, he'll have to fight his way to the top. He can reserve matches using the terminal on the wall, which looks like a Game Boy Advance. Mr. Grubba will choose your opponents and the conditions of the battle, which must be met in order for your rank to go up. The conditions change for each battle, and if you reset the game, the conditions will be different. They include things such as not using special moves, using at least one special move, appealing to the crowd a certain number of times, not having Mario attack, letting the opponent hit you a certain number of times, not using FP, or beating enemies in a certain number of turns. I'll post examples of what happened to me. Beat a higher-ranking opponent to move your rank up. If you lose to a lower-ranking opponent, your rank will fall. If you fail to complete the condition of the battle, you'll next battle a lower-ranking opponent. When you reach rank 11, you have a chance at the major leagues. After a battle, sleep in the bed to restore HP and FP. Only the champ's bed restores Star Power.

1. The first fight is against the Goomba Bros. My condition was to appeal at least once. You'll have to battle five Goombas. Power Shell works well if you can use it. Once you win, Jolene will give you money for winning. In this case, it's 3 coins. Mario is now rank 19.
2. Next up are the KP Koopas. My condition was to defeat them in under 5 turns. There are two Koopas and one Paratroopa. They all have 4 HP, 2 attack power, and 1 defense power. You'll get 4 coins and your rank will go up to 18.
3. The Pokey Triplets are next. My condition was to not use items. You'll get 4 coins and become rank 17.
4. The Dead Bones are your next opponents. They are a bunch of Dull Bones. My condition was to not switch partners. You'll get 5 coins and become rank 16.
5. Spike Storm is next. They are a Lakitu and a couple of Spinies, but the Lakitu can throw more onto the field. The Lakitu has 5 HP and 2 attack power. It throws Spiny eggs. Don't stomp it when it's holding a Spiny egg. The Spinies have 3 HP, 3 attack, and 3 defense. You can't hurt them when they're rolled up. Flip them over to reduce their defense to zero. My condition was to not use FP. You'll get 5 coins and become rank 15.

After that fight, King K of the KP Koopas says that the hot dog stand is selling hot dogs made with eggs from a southern island. It may help win fights. You can do whatever you want between matches, so leave, save, and go outside. The egg is hopping around in front of the hot dog stand. The owner wants help catching it. It eventually hops up on top of the stand and falls asleep. Go on top of the juice shop and spring to the airplane panel. Fly to the egg to catch it. It seems to want Mario's help. Help it and the owner will let it go, saying people probably don't want to eat something that's been jumping around. It'll follow Mario around.

Go back inside and wander around the back hallways. Talk to Bandy Andy, the Bandit. He's been doing research on the Seven Wonders of the Glitz Pit. As him about them and he'll tell you. There's a sealed wall in the minor league locker rooms, which may contain the remains of fallen athletes. In one of the bathrooms is a man-eating toilet. There's a room where there's a second floor, but no stairs. Some people hear groaning in the room. In the champ's room, if you stand still, you'll hear voices from nowhere. When no one's in the ring, strange lights can be seen under the doors, which are locked. Sometimes, fighters disappear for no reason, never to return. He thinks Prince Mush was lost this way. Mr. Grubba is well toned, despite being past 60 and Jolene suddenly vanishes at times. Start reserving matches. The egg will remain in the locker room.

6. The Hand-It-Overs are next. They are Bandits and Big Bandits. Bandits have 5HP and 2 attack, while Big Bandits have 8 HP and 3 attack. They can bump into you and steal coins, but Big Bandits can steal items. My condition was to not use items. You win the fight if they flee. You'll get 6 coins and rise to rank 14.

After the battle, King K mentions a lovely lady at the juice shop. Talk to her and she'll say she longs for the return of Prince Mush. Check behind the bar for a Star Piece.

7. The Mind Bogglers are next, a Pale Piranha, a Pider, and a Dark Puff. My condition was to appeal at least once. You'll get 6 coins and rise to rank 13.

After the battle, King K says he's going to retire after his next battle, as his future isn't looking so good. He says not to forget him.

8. The Punk Rocks are next. They are Hyper Bald Clefts, with 3 HP, 2 attack, and 2 defense. They can charge up so their attack is 8. Use items, but not fire. My condition was to not use special moves. You'll get 7 coins for winning and rise to rank 12.
9. The Bob-omb Squad is up, with four Bob-ombs. They have 4 HP, 2 attack, and 1 defense. They get mad if they're damaged and will have a harsh attack waiting for you on their next turn or on your next attempt at contact. Hit them from a distance or with a shell. You'll get 7 coins and rise to rank 11.

After the battle, a new contender enters the minor-league locker room. His name is Sir Swoop, a Swooper. Jolene gives him the spiel and he signs up for his first match. Apparently his condition is to do a triple flip and meow.

10. Now that Mario is rank 11, he gets to challenge an opponent for a chance at the major leagues. His opponents are the Armored Harriers, a couple of Iron Clefts. Mr. Grubba makes up a bunch of insults to rile up the Armored Harriers. They have 6 HP, 4 attack, and their defense is unknown. No attack works on them because their defense is impenentrable. Their spikes are made of iron, making them very powerful. My condition was to not jump, not that it would ever be an issue. To win, you must hit one into the other, something you can't do now. Run away at any point to forfeit. You'll still get a coin for the battle, but you're stuck in the minor leagues, for now.