Paper Mario: Chapter 3 -- The "Invincible" Tubba Blubba -- Part 2

Enter Tubba Blubba's castle with Bow at your side. There are UFO-like creatures called Sentinels that guard the foyer. If they catch you, they'll take you outside the castle, which can be advantageous when you want to reach the Save Block quickly. When they pursue you, have Bow make Mario transparent until they stop pursuing you. Spin dash quickly to the door on the left. There are Clubbas in the hallway. Some of them are sleeping, so you can snake past them if you walk slowly. If you want to battle them, they have 8 HP and give 2 SP. They'll hit you with their maces. Don't jump on them without the Spiky Shield badge. Go through the far left door on the back wall. There's a Star Piece on the table you can reach by jumping on the chair. Go through the west door.

There's a Star Piece on the table you can't reach yet. You can hear snoring here, and it's not just the Clubbas. Go through the left door on the back wall and go down the stairs. There's a panel on the floor. Spin jump on it to reach the basement. There's a chest with a key. Drop down to find a Heal Block and a Boo. He came to the castle with friends to find Tubba Blubba's weak point. He says there's something important in Tubba Blubba's room on the highest floor and to not fight him. Take the door to the left to the base of a different set of stairs. There's an upgrade block here. I upgraded Bow. The stairs lead to the table with the Star Piece you can't reach. Go the foyer and unlock the east door. Saving is a good idea.

To the right of the door is a set of stairs to the second floor. There are Sentinels at the top of the stairs near the west door. The door leads to a hallway over the foyer. Go west. In the middle of the hallway is a crack in the wall different from the others. Bombette can break the wall. Go through the hole in the wall and you'll find three panels. Break the back left panel first, which is over a spring. Spring back up to the second floor, then break the back right panel. This will drop you down onto the table below. Use Parakarry to cross the gap to reach the D-Down Jump badge. Spring back to the second floor. Return to the hallway and dodge the Sentinel. Go through the back left door into a room filled with spikes. When the spikes retract, move quickly to the right. When they're about to appear, use Bow to become transparent. At the far right is a chest with a key. Return to the hallway and go west.

The door leads to a room with a broken railing. Approach the railing from the left and drop down onto the table below with the Star Piece. Return to the second floor and push the clock on the back wall to the left. This reveals a hidden doorway. There are coins on the bed and a drawer is pulled out. Pull out the lower drawer to the right to form stairs, then cross the gap with Parakarry. Grab the coins and climb up the shelves to the left. There is a hidden area to the left with the Mega Rush badge. Return to the hallway and unlock the west door. At the base of the stairs is an item block with Maple Syrup. Go up the stairs and through the door.

Tubba Blubba is in the hallway and smells something fishy. The floor will shake as he gets closer. Hide with Bow until he turns around, then walk east until he turns around. Only move when he's not looking. Go through the door on the back wall and you'll find an area filled with sleeping Clubbas. Quietly walk past them to the left to get the key. Sneak past them and return to the hallway. Unlock the east door, which leads to a Save Block and a Heal Block. Defeat the sleeping Clubbas in the back room of the previous hallway if you like. When you're ready, go east into Tubba Blubba's room.

Tubba Blubba will walk into the room soon after. Mario hides and eavesdrops. Tubba Blubba says he may be in trouble because the Star Spirit escaped and someone suspicious is in the castle. He doesn't want Bowser mad at him. Despite being invincible, he thinks Bowser is scary, because Bowser can return him to normal. He decides to take a nap. Nearby is a chest. Open it and a key appears. This is Yakkey, a "faithful and chatty follower of Tubba Blubba". Yakkey guards Tubba Blubba's valuables. Soon, Yakkey realizes the obvious that Mario is not Tubba Blubba. Yakkey asks if this means Mario's stealing the magical key that unlocks Windy Mill at the foot of Gusty Gulch and find Tubba Blubba's secret. If you answer "No", Yakkey calls you a terrible liar. Yakkey calls for Tubba Blubba and wakes him up. He wakes up and chases Mario. Run for it!

Go through the hallway and Tubba Blubba will ground pound the hallway over the foyer, causing it to collapse. This crushes the Sentinels below. Go through the door. There are Boos here to help Bow out by holding the door shut once Mario exits the castle. Mario must run quickly to Windy Mill and leave the Boos behind. Tubba Blubba smells Boos. They hold Tubba Blubba inside the castle as long as they can.

While running through Gusty Gulch, do your best to avoid enemies. There's a Heal Block inside the village of Boos if you need to heal. Unlock Windy Mill with the mystical key that is Yakkey. Spin jump on the wooden panel on the well and drop down. Go east through the long tunnel and avoid the Hyper Goombas. The signs keep telling you to keep out. At the east end of the tunnel is a heart on a pedestal. It says it's the secret strength of Tubba Blubba. The Tubba Blubba in the castle is really a shell controlled by it. The Heart can't let Mario out now that he knows the secret. Mario now has to deal with a heart attack.

The Heart has 50 HP and 6 attack power. It can charge up and unleash a terrible attack with 12 attack power. Mario can't dodge this attack alone. When it charges up and starts glowing, have Bow out so she can use Outta Sight. The Heart will unleash smaller hearts to attack Mario. The Heart wants Bow to stick around so Tubba Blubba can eat her. Hit it with attacks like Power Bounce, Smack, and Shell Shot. Smack may be the better choice as it doesn't use FP. Get the Heart down to about 3 HP and it will flee, realizing it's in danger. Follow it out of the tunnels and out of Windy Mill. It will then reunite with its body. This is Tubba Blubba's true self. Unfortunately for Tubba Blubba, when his heart and body reunite, he is no longer invincible. After the beating the heart took, Tubba Blubba has a measly 10 HP. His attack power is 4 when pounding, except when he does his hip attack, which has 6 attack power. The battle is pretty easy and he'll give you 30 SP.

Tubba Blubba remembers that he's not invincible with his heart in his body, which is lame. He gives up and will give back all the ghosts he's eaten. Deep down, he's a sensitive guy trapped in a huge body. He doesn't want to be invincible if it means fighting guys like Mario. He then runs off. Bow is happy. She says she should tell the others not to scare Tubba Blubba, who was originally a coward. She feels that this was an invigorating and good learning experience. Bow wants to experience more of the outside world and will stay by Mario's side, this time with his permission. She returns the Star Spirit.

End of Chapter
After solving the secret of "Invincible" Tubba Blubba, Mario and party set free the Star Spirit Skolar. Now, with Tubba Blubba just a bad dream, the Boos are free to haunt to their hearts' content. Even the lonely wind echoing through Gusty Gulch seems to be celebrating the victory... at least for now. With newest party member Bow in tow, Mario and friends are ready to take on their next challenge.

Paper Mario: Chapter 3 -- The "Invincible" Tubba Blubba -- Part 1

After receiving an invitation to a mansion, Mario wanders into Forever Forest. The paths here are mostly round. There are four exits out of each area, one being the one you just came through. If you pick the incorrect path, then try to go back, you'll end up at the edge of Forever Forest near Toad Town. Check the areas near the exits to figure out which way is the correct path. The correct path's surroundings look different than the others. Check out the flowers by walking past them in the first area. The correct path is marked by flowers that move and make noise. It is on the opposite side of the entrance, two exits away in either direction.

In Forever Forest, there are two types of enemies: Piranha Plants and Forest Fuzzies. Piranha Plants appear from the ground unexpectedly, so watch your step. They have 5 HP and give 2 SP. They point their teeth upward, so jumping on them without the Spiky Shield badge equipped is a bad idea. They will bite Mario for their attack. Forest Fuzzies are like regular Fuzzies, but green. They have 6 HP and give 2 SP. They'll drain Mario's HP to heal themselves. They can also split to form new Fuzzies which have full health. Eliminate them quickly.

In the second area, a creature will appear, telling Mario that the path ahead is dangerous and to turn back. Talk to it to inform it of your invitation to the mansion and it will let you through, saying to pay close attention to your surroundings or you'll wind up at the edge of the forest. It will give you a hint for this area: look at the inner trees. The correct path will have a hollow tree with strange glowing eyes. This path is the exit to the left. In the third area, the correct path is the exit to the left. The flowers look different. In the fourth area, walk to the left to find a path to the center of the area. There's a Bub-ulb here with a Magical Seed. Take the path to the right of the entrance. The tree here has a glowing red face. The fifth area has mushrooms that light up. The path that is two away in either direction has mushrooms that light up in a series instead of just once. The sixth area has flowers that fall away, except at the path two away from the entrance. In the seventh area, a sign marks the correct path to the mansion.

The mansion looms just ahead. Go through the gate and it will close behind you. The Boo from before appears, saying that his master is in the highest room on the third floor, then disappears. Heal and save, then go inside.

The mansion has a spacious foyer and stairs to the second floor, but not the third. Go to the second floor, because the door on the first floor is locked. You'll see several portraits of Boos. On the far right is a picture frame. Check it out and it will talk to you, saying that you must find what's missing from the frame. If you do, it will let you go to the third floor. It also says that Bow is a harsh Boo for testing her guests like this.

Go through the door on the right. Open the middle cabinet on the left wall (the others will crush you and you'll take damage). Boos will appear with a vinyl record. This is the first challenge. The Boos will move in a circle. One Boo will give another the record. Hit the Boo with the record to get it. You'll need to keep an eye on the Boo with the record. Follow it with your finger if you have to. Go next door to the left. There's a Boo guarding a chest who says he's bored. There's a record player in the left corner. Put the record on and tap the (A) button with good rhythm to play the record. It plays the Super Mario theme while the Boo dances away from the chest. Hit (B) to stop the record and go get open the chest when the Boo is near the record player. The chest contains the Weight. The Boo says Lady Bow will punish him, but Mario can't go anywhere without knowing how to use the weight.

Go down to the first floor and go to the couch. Jump on the brown cushion to bounce high up to the chandelier. Mario's weight will bring the chandelier down, which makes the china cabinet slide away, revealing a door. Use the weight to hold it in place. Open the newly-revealed door and go inside. Ignore the chest on the floor. It only lowers the chandelier to scare Mario. Go downstairs, then through the door on the front wall. Go through the door on the right, which falls away on the other side.

In this room is a giant chest on the right. Open it and more Boos appear, with a pair of green boots. Once again, you'll have to guess which Boo has the item, but this time, the Boos will toss the boots around, then move closer together, then apart. Keep a careful eye on the Boos, then hit the correct one with the hammer. This will give you the Super Boots. Mario's jump power increases and now Mario can do a spin jump by pressing (A) in midair. Use it to break through wooden panels in the floor. Test out this new ability on the panel to the left. This will take you to the shop in the mansion. The shopkeeper won't sell anything to Mario under the direction of Lady Bow. To the right is a blue switch. Hit it and a larger one appears. Hit that one and a giant one appears. Jump on the chair and crates to reach it, then spin jump on it. Stairs appear. Go upstairs to a room with a clock. A few steps in front of the clock is an invisible panel on the floor. Spin jump near it and you'll get a Star Piece. There are other such panels spread out in the Mushroom Kingdom. Go up the stairs, into the foyer, then into the door on the right.

Hop into the vase and you can run around as 8-bit Mario. You can't do much as 8-bit Mario, but it's an interesting Easter egg. Go back into the vase to return to normal. Pound the panel in the room to drop down to the library below. You'll land on the bookshelf. Go to the right and cross the gap to get Boo's Portrait. Jump down from the bookshelf and go left to leave the library, then make your way to the second floor. Check out the picture frame and return the portrait. He's thankful and will help Mario reach the third floor. Jump towards him to warp upstairs. Be careful up here as there is no railing.

There are two sets of doors on the third floor, but they all lead to the same room. Go inside and someone says they were testing Mario to see if he lives up to his reputation. A green Boo appears with bows, along with the Boo from before. The green Boo is Lady Bow and the Boo from before is Bootler, her butler. Bow needs a favor. She tells Mario about the area near the mansion, called Gusty Gulch. At the top of the hill is the castle of Tubba Blubba. He eats ghosts. The Boos tried attacking him, but he's invincible. They do know he has a secret and it's probably about his weak point. Bow wants Mario to find out his secret and defeat Tubba Blubba. Mario, in turn, will be rewarded with the Star Spirit that escaped. This Star Spirit is Skolar. He was too weak to return directly to the sky, so he tried to reach Shooting Star Summit and Star Haven, but got lost in the forest and was captured by the Boos. Bow says Mario would have to fight Tubba Blubba anyway to get the Star Spirit, but this way, he gets to help out the Boos. Bow says she'll go with Mario, which shocks Bootler. She says Mario needs her and can't reach the castle without her. Bootler wants to accompany her, but Bow tells him she's not a child and will be fine by herself. She joins the party, like it or not. She can make Mario become transparent in and out of battle. Stuff goes through Mario when he's invisible. Move to become visible again or hit the same button. She can also smack enemies.

Now that Bow is part of the team, you can now use the shop in the basement. This shop sells Life Shrooms and Super Shrooms, among other things. With Parakarry by your side, talk to the Boo in the foyer. This is Franky, and there's a letter for him. He has a letter for Dane T., a young Toad in Toad Town by the train station. We'll deliver that letter later. Go outside and save, then head east to the gate. Boos will open it for you. Go east to Gusty Gulch.

In the first area is a locked windmill. In the area are Hyper Goombas.  They have 7 HP and give 2 SP. Normally, their attack power is 2, but they can charge up and start glowing. This increases their attack power to 8. If more than one charges up and you can't defeat them all before they attack, have Bow use Outta Sight to prevent taking damage. Go east.

Here is a little village of Boos in Gusty Gulch. The Boos are surprised to see Bow, saying it's dangerous as Tubba Blubba could appear at any moment. Bow says she came to teach Tubba Blubba a lesson. He last came through yesterday and ate Herbert. The Boos are inspired by Bow's bravery. Talk to the Boos as they have helpful information, such as the fact that you can walk stealthily by moving the control stick slightly. This way you can avoid waking sleeping enemies. Another piece of information is that the key to solving the secret of Tubba Blubba is in the innermost room and to pay attention to the heart and body. Go east to another part of the village, where a Boo will tell you that in a dream he heard to turn and run away until he reached the tower with the spinning vanes. Another says that there's something important next to Tubba Blubba's bed. Walk farther to the east and Tubba Blubba will appear. Use Bow's power to become transparent. Unfortunately, the Boo that instructs you to do so doesn't hide and is eaten. Poor Stanley. Go east.

There are more enemies in this area. There are Hyper Paragoombas and Hyper Clefts. Hyper Paragoombas have 7 HP and give 2 SP. Hyper Clefts have 4 HP, 3 defense power, and give 4 SP. When charged, their attack power is 8. You can reduce their defense to 1 by flipping them with an explosion. Use Kooper to get the Dizzy Dial, hit an item block for some Repel Gel, which does the same thing as Outta Sight, and pick up the letter for Fice T., the guard at the edge of Toad Town near the Forever Forest. Go east. Cross the gap with Parakarry, grab a Super Shroom from the item block, and get some coins from the brick block. Go east to reach Tubba Blubba's castle and save.