Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga -- Part 9: It's Officially a Mario Game

There are a few things to do in Little Fungitown. Go west, then go east by Spin Jumping on the mushroom platforms. There's an invisible block with a Hoo Bean here. There's another Hoo Bean on the leftmost mushroom in front of the Embassy. You can jump on the mushrooms from the wall on the right. There are shops for gear and items. One local mentions not eating food you're not used to. Many others mention the Game Arcade, which is on the east side of town. They mention the Invincishroom, a mushroom delicacy of 1-Up Mushrooms and Stars, which is the prize for beating the high score in the arcade.

Inside the arcade, there's only one game open: The Star 'Stache Smash, hosted by Geno. We need to beat the high score of 200 points to get an Invincishroom. Use the (A) and (B) buttons to tilt the tray to make items slide into the mouths of Piranha Plants on the sides. If a bomb goes into a Piranha Plant's mouth, it will close and the other will open. I got a score of 339. The owner of the arcade will give the bros an Invincishroom, a green mushroom with red spots. Mario eats it without sharing with Luigi. Mario turns green and collapses.

Mario is rushed to the Embassy. The doctor says he has Bean Fever. It afflicts travelers who aren't used to the region's food. The doctor is out of the remedy that can cure Mario. He'll turn into a bean in three days if he isn't treated. The doctor says that to the west is a dangerous place called Guffawha Ruins. Crabbie Grass, the cure for Bean Fever, grows there. Luigi eagerly volunteers to go in search of the Crabbie Grass, until the doctor mentions monsters in the ruins that do nasty things to their victims. Luigi becomes his cowardly self. It is all Peach can do to talk him into it. A trembling Luigi leaves the Embassy, unable to jump. There is only one place he can go: a house on the southeast corner.

A Koopa lives here called Psycho Kamek. He has the ability to perform hypnosis. After a deep breath, Psycho Kamek mentions that Luigi looks a lot like Mario and might be a fan of his. He'll turn Luigi into Mario. He starts the hypnosis. After the hypnosis is over, Luigi has a look in the mirror. His hats and clothes are red and he sounds like Mario. Luigi is now confident and can jump around. Return to Teehee Valley.

Go south past the Toads, then head west up a small stone elevator on the left. Go south. The path splits ahead. To the east, you'll be able to reach a Hoo Bean in an invisible block. Go south, then west. Go west again and you'll be in an area like Hoohoo Mountain. Go south, then north up the large stairs. Hit the red statue in the middle. It will crumble and Luigi must hit eight blue spheres. Do not hit the red ones. They will turn blue eventually. Try to hit them right after they bounce. The surrounding statues will make a white statue with a switch appear. Hit the switch to open the door ahead. Use electricity on the orbs to open the gate.

The enemies here are Chuck Guys (like Spear Guys), Limbo Bros, and Oucher Glasses. Cross the gap of donut lifts. There's a complicated puzzle ahead. You have to hit switches to make the lifts move around so you can reach the top. There are four levels. Hit either the blue or green switch on the first level, then hit the other switch on the second level. This should allow you to reach the fourth level, where the red switch it. Hit it, then go back down to the second level. Hit the blue and green switches again, and you can reach the door. Ahead is another challenge, where you must jump from moving platforms while avoiding flames. This opens the door to the Crabbie Grass. Ahead is a yellow pipe back to Little Fungitown.

Head back to the Embassy. Lightning will strike. This will zap Luigi back to normal, so he won't remember what he was doing when he was "Mario". Ahead, more lightning strikes. The Clown Copter appears and Peach is in it. A silhouette appears. Luigi thinks it's Bowser, but the silhouette thinks he's mistaken. It's Bowletta, the result of Cackletta's spirit entering Bowser. Fawful explains, "Cackletta's power has poured ino this Koopa who is king!!! The body is of the Bowser, but the mind is all of the Great Cackletta!" Bowletta is kidnapping Peach to use her voice. They fly off. Well, the Princess has officially been kidnapped. Go into the Embassy and cure Mario's Bean Fever.

Back at Beanbean Castle, Toadsworth scolds the bros over the kidnapping. Lady Lima brings in a message from Bowletta, on a Game Boy Advance. She wants the four pieces of the Beanstar in exchange for Peach's safe return. She will contact the bros once the Beanstar reforms. The bros have no choice but to follow Cackletta's demands. Prince Peasley knows the general areas where the pieces fell. They are marked on the map. He challenges the bros to find them before he does. The prize: 99,999,999,999,999 Mushroom Coins. Toadsworth suggests getting the piece in Teehee Valley first. We should do as he says; we can't access the other Beanstar pieces yet.

Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga -- Part 8: What We have here is a Failure to Communicate

There are orbs at the entrance to the Beanbean Airport. Go south and go past the attendants. Lady Lima has summoned the bros to the runway. Piranha Plants started growing on the runway, preventing Peach's plane from landing. Repairing them wasn't a priority with Cackletta running around.The bros must do something about it or her plane will keep circling or just return to the Mushroom Kingdom. The Piranha Plants are healed by fire, but weak to electricity, but this is not the proper way to defeat them. Have Mario drink water from one of the many waterspouts and spit it up on the Piranha Plants. Next, have Luigi zap the Piranha Plants, which will destroy them and a root attached to a giant egg on the runway. When all five are destroyed, the egg will crack completely and reveal Mom Piranha.

Destroy the two Piranha Plants first. Blue ones may appear, which are weak to fire and heal from electricity. When both are gone, hit Mom Piranha. She'll swing her vines, trying to trip the bros. She'll also shoot an energy ball at them, which they can hit back at her. She'll drop the Spiny Badge A, which allows a bro to jump on spiked enemies to deal damage.

Talk to Lady Lima once you've defeated Mom Piranha. The runway has been prepared and Peach's plane has a smooth landing. Back at the Beanbean Castle Gardens, Peach appears and can talk normally. She thanks the bros for everything they've done. Toadsworth says the bros shouldn't be startled by her ability to speak normally. Her voice was never stolen. Prince Peasley knew of Cackletta's plot and warned Peach in advance. Apparently, there was a decoy Peach that had her voice stolen while the Princess was safely in hiding. This decoy is none other than Birdo, whose voice made the Beanstar react strangely. So, everyone was in on the plot and had planned everything in advance, but didn't bother to tell Mario and Luigi, who thought the world was in grave danger. If they had let Mario and Luigi in on the scam, they could've just let Bowser go to the Beanbean Kingdom without the bros, let him duke it out with Cackletta, while strengthening the castle's defenses in preparation of the arrival of the victor, who would be after Peach. Peach apologizes for causing the bros such trouble. She was going to tell them, but Bowser beat them there.

In the meanwhile, Prince Peasley will search for the Beanstar pieces while Peach and the bros do some sightseeing. Go into the throne room where Peach will mention a town inhabited by Toads in the Beanbean Kingdom called Little Fungitown. She wants to pay a royal visit. To reach it, one must go through Teehee Valley, which is filled with dangerous monsters and is too dangerous for her. Only if Mario and Luigi escort her will Toadsworth allow Peach to go there. Mario agrees to take her. The bros are to meet her at the entrance to Teehee Valley in the northeast.

Exit Beanbean Castle Town to the east, then go directly north. There's a rock blocking the entrance. Go inside and Peach and Toadsworth will appear. Peach apologized earlier about causing the bros so much trouble, but she's about to cause much more. Peach will walk on a set path around the area. If she reaches the end of her path or the bros talk to her, she'll go the opposite direction. If she wanders out of site, she'll be kidnapped by Gritty Goombas. Go through the yellow pipe in the area to reach her. There are Gritty Goombas guarding her, but you can just walk past them. Talk to Peach and they'll return to the same area. She'll also be kidnapped if she runs into a Gritty Goomba while walking, so kill those off early on. While she's walking around, you will have to solve puzzles in some areas to open up the path ahead. Talk to Peach to make her change her path to buy you some time. If she makes it to the area's exit, she'll say, "That wasn't so bad!" Don't try to be slick or sneaky by letting Peach get kidnapped, going forward, and solving the puzzles ahead of time, then trying to find her in the pipe in the last area. It doesn't work. She must be present at all times. Soon, you'll come to an area with a Save Book. You're almost there. Peach walks ahead.

The bros follow her and hear her scream. A giant tree has her cornered. Two Toads try to get the other to save her, but don't. The bros rush in to battle with Trunkle. He'll wind up his arms and roll his fists at the bros. Block the attack with hammers. Hammer-based Bros. Attacks work best. Once you do enough damage, he'll split into four Trunkles. The one with the orange in its mouth is the one you need to hit. The little Trunkles will shuffle around, so try to keep track of them. Once you defeat it, the Toads will come out of hiding. They welcome Peach and the bros to Little Fungitown.

The Toads of Little Fungitown are surprised that Peach made it here so soon and that the bros are here. Peach goes on ahead to the embassy, so the bros can sightsee. I recommend going northeast, south, then west to find the green pipe.