Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door -- Save the Princess. Save the Kingdom. Go on a Treasure Hunt.

The story begins:
"Ahem! Today... I'm going to tell you the story of the Thousand-Year Door. An awfully long time ago, in a strange and far-off land, a big bustling town thrived. It was a town where all people lived very happy lives. And it was said that the town was very prosperous. But one day... tragedy befell this blessed place. A great cataclysm struck the town and its people. Darkness filled the skies, and the earth roared and shook. It was as if the very world had come to a violent end. And in but a single night... the town sank into the depths of the earth... Many moons rose and set... Stories of the town passed into the pages of fairy tales... And when the town's site no longer held relics of its past... people gathered at that spot and built a new town. But word soon spread among the people who moved in... that an ancient city lay deep underground... and that a magnificent treasure rested there. Indeed... This is the tale of the fabled treasure of Rogueport. Yes, this is where it begins, in the sea town of Rogueport. The tale of the quest for the legendary treasure... and the Thousand-Year Door... starts here."

Princess Peach finds herself in the bustling center of Rogueport without Toadsworth watching over her, paranoid. She came here on vacation, but was stuck with him. She wants to go out on her own and see things of interest to her. Now that she's by herself, she notices that Rogueport has a distinct vibe. Some one calls out to her. It's a merchant with a wise assortment of wares. Peach takes interest in a pretty box and wonders what's inside. The merchant says that, according to legend, inside is a map of the location of a legendary treasure. The box's lock is magical and will only open for one with a pure and noble heart. The merchant can't open it. The merchant makes her a deal: if she can open it, she can have its contents. Peach agrees and opens the box. A bright light shines.

At Mario's house, Parakarry delivers the mail. Luigi gets it and tells Mario it's from Peach. It reads "Hello there, Mario! I am now on holiday, traveling in the Mushroom Kingdom. In my travel, I came into possession of a mystical map... a treasure map, actually. It was inside a box I got from an old merchant in a town called Rogueport. But since it would be too difficult for me to try to go find the treasure all by myself... I thought you could help me hunt for it! You will, of course, won't you? I've included the map with this letter, so please bring it with you when you come. I'll meet you at Rogueport. (That means you MUST come!) -Peach"

Mario checks out the map she sent, then travels by boat to Rogueport. Press (A) to start the prologue.

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 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: 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.

Paper Mario: Chapter 6 -- Dark Days in Flower Fields -- Part 1

Mario has arrived in Flower Fields. A voice asks who he is. The giant tree is talking to him. The gate to Flower Fields is part of him. He is the Wise Wisterwood, the oldest tree in Flower Fields. He knows of Mario's quest and says the Star Spirit may be here. Unfortunately, Flower Fields is in trouble. Huff N. Puff invaded recently and brought many clouds to the sky. It's been dark and cloudy ever since, because the sun doesn't rise. The plants here are weak and fading. Huff N. Puff took a Star Spirit captive. Mario says he'll defeat Huff N. Puff. Wise Wisterwood says that Huff N. Puff is in the sky, on Cloudy Climb. Mario can't reach him without a Magical Bean or something that grows high. A flower named Petunia may have a Magical Bean, so Mario should find her. She is due east of here.

Where Wise Wisterwood is, there are six paths out of the area. Go due east first to find Petunia. You'll encounter Crayzee Dayzees, enemy flowers with 8 HP and 4 attack power. They will sing, which can hurt Mario or make him fall asleep. Guard when they're done singing, meaning when no more musical notes appear. They may run away if their HP gets low. They give 2 SP. Also in the area is a bee called a Bzzap! Some of them hide in trees. They have 3 HP, but 6 attack power. They can sting Mario, which may poison him, or send a swarm of smaller bees to attack individually, in quick succession. This may shrink Mario. They give 2 SP.

Go east and the music will become intense. There are several Monty Moles in the area, around an angry flower. This is Petunia. Talk to her and she'll tell you that there's no sun, so she doesn't have any energy. She's starting to droop and the Monty Moles are biting her roots. If they aren't stopped, they'll eat her seed collection. She asks Mario to get rid of them. These ones have 12 HP and 3 attack power. They still just throw rocks. They give 2 SP. There are 4 of them. There's also a Crayzee Dayzee behind the tree, but you don't have to deal with it. Once you defeat all of the Monty Moles, Petunia will give you the Magical Bean. She says not to plant it (even though the description says it's twitching as if to say "plant me right now!"). As a seed, it can enjoy freedom. It can't move once it's been planted. So, Mario definitely shouldn't add Fertile Soil and Miracle Water to it and plant it. Hit the tree in the area to get some Red Berries. Keep at least one in your inventory. To the left of Petunia is a hidden panel with a Star Piece. Return to Wise Wisterwood, then go southwest.

There's a red flower guarding a gate. He won't let Mario through, but he can be bribed with something delicious. Give him a Red Berry and he'll open the gate. Here, you'll find Ruff Puffs, small clouds that will attack you. They have 10 HP, 4 attack power and give 2 Star Points. Hit the green tree for a couple of Yellow Berries. Keep at least one in your inventory. Go west. There's a flower by a Crystal Tree. Her name is Posie and she has a long nose due to the fertile soil in the area. She gives some to Mario. Return to Wise Wisterwood and go southeast.

There's a yellow flower guarding the gate here. Give him a Yellow Berry and he'll open the gate. There are thorny vines here, so be careful. Jump over the vines, then have Parakarry help you cross the larger gaps. There are many Crayzee Dayzees here, and rarely, you'll find an Amazy Dayzee. They are yellow and sparkly, and will try to run away from you. If you managed to engage them in battle, they have 20 HP, 20 attack power, and 1 defense power. Most of the time, they will runaway instead of attacking, so the attack power isn't much of a concern. If you want to challenge it at this point, equip badges that will give Mario powerful attacks. If Mario and his party member can do a total of 20 HP worth of damage on their first turns, you'll be okay. Otherwise, you'll have to get lucky and hope the Amazy Dayzee attacks instead of running away so you can attack again. It's worth it, though. Defeating the Amazy Dayzee will give you about 42 SP. This particular area is a great place to find them. To keep finding them, leave to the east and return until you see one to the left of the tree. It can also appear on the ledge to the left, but it's easier to deal with near the tree. Hit the tree for Blue Berries. To the right of the tree is a Star Piece hidden in the flowers. If you are in good shape in terms of health and flower points, you may battle the Dayzees on the ledge. There's a Super Block to the far left. I upgraded Bow. Go east.

There's a drained pool here. Drop down into the pool and get out using the stairs, then go east. There's another pool here, with a flower sitting at the bottom. Her name is Lily and she's throwing a pity party. The spring went dry because Huff N. Puff took the Water Stone. Water flows from this stone and fills the pool. She needs water to recover or else she'll wither. She hopes for a handsome prince to rescue her. She then sees Mario. She says to herself he looks more like a plumber than a prince, but won't be choosy. She asks him to retrieve the Water Stone. Hit the tree in the area for a Jammin' Jelly. Return to Wise Wisterwood, then go due west.

There's a blue flower here who'll open the gate if you give him a Blue Berry. You'll find Lakitus and Spinies here. The Spinies are the ones you'll have to deal with. They have 5 HP, 4 attack power and 3 defense power. Flip them to reduce their defense power to zero or use Watt's Electro Dash. They will roll up and slam Mario. They give 2 SP. While in the area, do not break the brick block near the spring. Have Watt reveal two invisible blocks, one of which is directly above the brick block. Use the spring to land on the invisible block after you hit it, then jump to the brick block. Hit the invisible block above it for a Shooting Star. Go west.

There are a couple of Lakitu here looking for something. They lost the Water Stone, which they need for the Puff Puff Machine. They notice Mario and start a fight. They have 12 HP and 3 attack power. They throw Spiny Eggs at Mario or onto the ground. The ones on the ground become Spinies. The Lakitu give 2 SP each. In the area is a hedge maze that can be tricky to navigate. You can walk around in the low hedges and pass through parts of the tall hedges. Your goal is to reach the pipe in the middle. To do so, enter the hedges, walk north, cut through the tall hedges and walk west until you're north of a section of low hedges that run due south. Go south through the tall hedges and then go east. You should be near the center pipe. Approach the center pipe from the east, going through the tall hedges. The pipe will take you to the west exit. Go back into the hedges from the west side to reach a brick block with many coins, then go west.

There's a flower here, a Rose Spirit named Rosie. She's upset that she's in full bloom and no one's there to admire her beauty. She shows off the Water Stone the Lakitu dropped. Mario wants the Water Stone badly. Mario explains the situation and Rosie is not sympathetic. The Water Stone is hers. She says Lily competes with her in beauty and wouldn't mind if Lily was gone. She will only part with it if Mario brings her something more beautiful.

Go back to Posie (southwest of Wise Wisterwood). Posie says Rosie's a little self-involved. Posie says her roots are connected to the roots of the Crystal Tree, so she can shake the roots to make a Crystal Berry appear, in an unladylike manner. Take the Crystal Berry to Rosie, who happily casts aside the ugly Water Stone. She says to let Lily know that it was she who saved her. Take the Water Stone to Lily and put it in the center of the pool. Water flows from the stone, filling the pool with water. Lily is happy and gives Mario the Miracle Water. She says to get the sun in the sky again. Go west and swim in the pool in this area with Sushie to reach the blue tree. Hit it to make Bubble Berries fall from it. Go back to Wise Wisterwood and save.

Paper Mario: Interlude After Chapter 5

In her castle, Peach tells Twink that she wants to sneak out again. Twink says she's become so bold, when he originally thought she was gentle and delicate. Peach emphasizes that she is delicate and is behaving just like the Ministers taught her. Hit the switch on the wall and you'll end up on the other side of the revolving door. Deposit any badges you have into the chest, then go downstairs, then to the door on the left.

A Koopatrol is on the other side of the door and immediately notices her. A Hammer Bro walks up, saying it isn't so bad if Peach wanders around because she can't escape from the castle. The Hammer Bro asks Peach to be the third member in the game they're about to play. He won't tell Bowser about her sneaking out if she participates.

The game they're about to play is the 64th Trivia Quiz-Off, brought to you by Koopa Korps. The host is Mr. Hammer. He'll ask 10 questions. Answer the most to win a fabulous prize. There is also a participation prize. If you have the answer, press (A). The questions are as follows:

1. What's the name of the boss inside the volcano on Lavalava Island? Lava Piranha
2. Where did Master Huff N. Puff imprison the Star Spirit? Flower Fields
3. What's the name of the scary round monster living in Dry Dry Ruins? Chomp
4. How would you get to Flower Fields? Pass Flower Gate
5. What's the name of the person who King Bowser really loves? Princess Peach
6. What thing is most deeply related to Flower Fields? Flower
7. What's the name of the most admirable, invincible, most downright cool guy around? Bowser (No, really, the answer is not Mario. Bowser's minions wrote the questions.)
8. What's the name for the ghosts who live in and around Forever Forest? Boo
9. What's the name of the area just to the south of the post office in Toad Town? The Flower Garden
10. Where is Peach's Castle now? On Bowser's Castle

Many of the questions are less than subtle hints about where Mario should go next. If Peach wins, she'll get a Jammin' Jelly, an item that restores 50 FP. Regardless of who wins, Peach will get the participation prize, the Sneaky Parasol. If Peach faces someone and press (B), Peach will transform into them. Mr. Hammer makes her promise not to use it to sneak out, as no one would know it's her. Bowser walks in, wanting to play the game. Peach tries to sneak out. Mr. Hammer breaks the news that the game is over. Bowser is disappointed, then surprised when he notices Peach in the room. He orders them to take her back to her room. The guards apologize when they pick her up.

Back on Lavalava Island, Misstar is thankful that they escaped the volcano safely. Kolorado is still upset about missing the treasure. Misstar chastises him, saying no treasure is more valuable than life. She also says that Lavalava Island was imperiled by Bowser's men's meddling. The eruption will subside and the island will be the same as before. She gives Mario more Star Energy and the new ability Smooch, which restores 20 HP. Misstar is thankful and wishes Mario success. She returns to Star Haven. Kolorado returns to Yoshi Village, dejected.

Go through the village to reach the jungle. Go west to reach the chest with the Volcano Vase, the treasure. Talk to the Bub-ulb and he'll tell you he gave the seed to Kolorado. Return to the village to give the Volcano Vase to Kolorado. He's joyful, calling Mario the "cat's meow". In return, he gives Mario the last Magical Seed and calls the trip a success. He now wants to return to Toad Town. Heal and save and make sure you have the Spiky Shield badge equipped. When you're ready, go and board the whale. He'll leave just as Jr. Troopa reaches Lavalava Island with a yell. He swam the whole way here. He still wants to beat Mario, but soon notices that Mario has already left. He swims after him.

When they reach Toad Town, Kolorado announces that he shall never again travel by tuna and he will be returning home. Jr. Troopa finally arrives, declaring that he will never swim again in his life. He wants to battle Mario once again. Because he is tuckered out from swimming, he loses half his HP, leaving him with 20 HP. He also has 6 attack power and 1 defense power. To make life difficult, he grows wings and has a spike on his head. Some party members can easily reach him, namely Watt, who's Electro Dash bypasses defenses. If you have the Spike Shield badge equipped, Mario can use jump attacks. Otherwise, use items or Star Powers. He'll attack with a dive kick. Once you defeat him, you'll get 22 SP. He then realizes that flying to and from the island wouldn't have reduced his HP and he might've defeated Mario.

When you try to leave the port, you'll see Goombaria and Goomama. Bring out Goombario and they'll tell him that they're proud of him. Leave the port and go to the train station to deliver a letter to Dane T. He has a letter for his uncle Frost T. in Starborn Valley. We'll deliver it later. Go to Russ T., the Toad who translated the Shy Guy's note, and deliver the letter. He'll give you a Star Piece. Go into the Toad Town Tunnels and go to the mansion. Deliver a letter to Igor, who runs the shop in the basement. He'll give you a Star Piece. Heal and save outside the mansion, then return to the tunnels.

Use Sushie to swim across the water east of the blue pipe that leads to the mansion. When you reach the other dock, Super Blooper will appear. It has 70 HP and 5 attack power. It can produce Blooper Babies or charge up, turning red in the process. The Blooper Babies have 6 HP each. When they appear, use a Shooting Star or Star Storm to get rid of them. You'll get 25 SP when you defeat it.

A switch will appear. Hit it to make the blue pipe to Lavalava Island appear. Go east in the tunnels. There are Dark Koopas here. Go east again and you'll see an area with some invisible blocks. Go through the pipe on the right to an empty room. Have Bombette blow up the right wall to find the hideout of Rip Cheato. He'll sell you mystery items for 64 coins each. Some are worth the deal, others are not (like Dried Shrooms). Go through the pipe in this room to reach the inside of the locked house in Toad Town. The key is in the upper left corner, so unlock the door to leave.

Koopa Koot has some more favors to ask of Mario. First, he lost his glasses somewhere in Koopa Village. They're in the shrub with the flower near the Toad House. Your reward is 1 coin. Next, he asks for a Lime. They can be found in the oasis in Dry Dry Desert. The reward is 3 Star Pieces. After that, he wants a Kooky Cookie. Have Tayce T. cook with a Koopa Leaf and a Cake Mix, then bring it back to him for 1 coin.

If you're feeling confident, you can try to take on the Master of the Dojo one more time. This time he has 99 HP, 10 attack power and 1 defense power. Equip the Zap Tap badge (obtained from Merlow), have Watt as your partner, and keep a Repel Gel on you. His attacks are very strong, and he can hit multiple times in a single attack for massive damage, unless the Zap Tap badge is equip. The badge will shock him, only allowing him to hit once (and it does a little damage). Have Watt power up Mario's attack, and use Electro Dash to get past his defense. Power Bounce works well. Be sure to heal when you need to. Smooch comes in handy here. Use the Repel Gel to dodge attacks for a few turns. Keep at it and you may defeat him. He'll say you've bested the strongest of fighters and award you the Diploma. Heal and save.

Near the Toad House, you'll find Kolorado. He says he can't go home because Kent C. Koopa is blocking Pleasant Path and charging a toll of 100 coins. He's a strong Koopa. Kolorado is going to look for a secret way into the village. Instead of telling him about the Toad Town Tunnels, go east to challenge him. He's a giant Koopa wearing glasses. Tell him twice that you want to fight and he'll battle you. He has 70 HP, 3 attack power, and 6 defense power. He'll slowly attack Mario and his partner with his shell, causing the partner to sit out a few turns if you don't successfully guard. He'll also stomp Mario with 10 attack power. He's difficult to beat unless you make him fall asleep. Sleepy Sheep or Lullaby will work. Then, flip him over on his shell and stomp his tail, his weak point. Once again, have Watt power up Mario, then use Electro Dash. Keep at it until you defeat him and get 20 SP. He says Mario must be really strong and runs away crying. Return to Toad Town, heal and save.

Across the road from the Toad House is the Flower Garden, tended to my Minh T. There are some Bub-ulbs here from Flower Fields, saying Flower Fields is in a state of despair due to Bowser's minions. Minh T. says to get to Flower Field, you need four kinds of seeds only Bub-ulbs have and you need to find them. We already have them, so hand them over so she can plant them. They bloom instantly. The archway in the middle lights up and flowers flow through it. A door appears and Mario can go through it to start the next chapter.

Paper Mario: Chapter 5 -- Hot Hot Times on Lavalava Island -- Part 2

Once Mario enters the volcano, a Piranha Plant sees him and sounds the alarm. He leaves to alert the boss. Go east at the bottom of the slope. Kolorado is here and says he senses danger. He jumps on a nearby rock that starts sinking, but he doesn't get off the rock. The lava burns him and he decides to follow Mario's lead. Jump on the rocks quickly to keep them from sinking. The large rock ahead won't sink. Wait a while and a rock will appear. Jump on it and it will take you to another rock. Equip the Ice Power badge now. There are Lava Bubbles here. They have 9 HP and 4 attack power. They can attack your party member, rendering them unable to attack. Use ice or water attacks for extra damage. They give 2 SP. Once on the other side, equip the Spiky Shield badge and go east.

There is a zipline here. You can drop off at any time by pressing (A). Doing so with good timing will allow you to reach certain things. You'll find Spike Tops in the area. They have 4 HP, 3 attack power, 4 defense power, and give 2 SP. You can flip them over to reduce their defense. Like Buzzy Beetles, fire attacks have no effect on them. Use Watt's Electro Dash to get rid of them quickly. While wandering around, use Kooper to get a POW Block. Go east and you'll find some fire bars. Past them is a Super Block. I upgraded Sushie to Ultra Rank. Return to the previous area and drop down to a Save Block. There's a zipline here as well. Drop down with good timing to reach the Fire Shield badge. Equip this one as well if you can. Drop down and go west.

You'll be in a long tunnel with gas near the ceiling. Don't worry about the gas, just follow the tunnel. Go west. Near the entrance to the tunnel is an invisible block with a Life Shroom. In the middle of the room is a river of lava. Use Parakarry to cross the river at the top. There are three blue blocks here. Push them into the river to form a bridge and staunch some of the lava's flow. Cross the bridge, drop down and cross the narrower channel of lava. Go west. There's another river of lava and two blue blocks nearby. Push the blocks into the lava so they form a line partway across the lava. Stand on the farthest block and have Parakarry carry you across. There are more Lava Bubbles here. They may be accompanied by Red Magikoopas. They have 11 HP and 3 attack power. They can also charge up their allies' attack or run away from battle. Deal with them quickly. Go up the stairs and drop down to reach a large chest. This contains the Ultra Hammer, which powers up Mario's attack and allows Mario to break metal blocks. There's a metal block nearby so you can try it out.

Go back to where the Save Block is and break the metal block so you can go east of the Save Block. Kolorado is here, saying the treasure is on the other side of the block. To the east is a zipline. Kolorado fails to use it and runs off the ledge. Take the zipline almost to the end before dropping down to find an upgrade block. I upgraded Watt. When you head back to the zipline, you'll see Kolorado flailing about on his shell. He says he's investigating the floor more closely. Take the zipline to the end to go east. A rolling spiked rock will chase you down the tunnel.

Once you exit the tunnel, cross the lava, dodge the fire bars, and go east. There's another spiky rock at the top of some stairs with metal blocks. You can't reach the metal blocks, so walk far to the right. Kolorado says that the treasure should be nearby, but they must go farther. There's a blue block here, so push it all the way back to where the metal blocks are. Use this to reach and break the metal blocks. Once all of them are gone, the spiky rock will start rolling. Run out of the way to where Kolorado is. The spiky rock will hit Kolorado before breaking a hole in the wall. Go east.

There's a Heal Block here and a Save Block below. Go due east from the Heal Block (without dropping down) and you'll find item blocks with a Super Shroom and a Maple Syrup, but no treasure. Return and save, then walk due east from the Save Block. The Piranha Plant from before appears, saying that Mario is still here and he's searching for the Star Spirit. It leaves to report to the boss. Go east to the lava pool.

The boss appears. It's Lava Piranha. He says Mario and his partners are the bad guys, here to steal the Star Spirit. Mario will get hurt before it lets that happen. Lava Piranha got to control the volcano in exchange for trapping the Star Spirit. The battle starts. Lava Piranha has 40 HP, 5 attack power and breathes fire, but slowly. It has two Lava Buds, each with 8 HP and 4 attack power. They breathe fire or seeds at Mario. They will wilt when they run out of HP, but can be regenerated. Stomp on it and use attacks like Electro Dash, Power Bounce, and Smack to deal with the Lava Piranha. You'll also want to get rid of the Lava Buds so they can't attack you. Once Lava Piranha runs out of HP, it will fall into the lava and 15 Star Points will appear. Lava Piranha will be reborn, but this time with fire, with the same amount of HP. After you get in one attack, Kolorado rushes in to save the day, but falls in the lava, saying he can't do anything more to help. This is Sushie's time to shine! If she's Ultra Rank, she gets an attack called Tidal Wave. Press the buttons that appear on screen quickly and she'll swim around and fill the battlefield with water. This will do a lot of damage to Lava Piranha and get rid of the Lava Buds. Attacking with Snowman Dolls or with the Ice Power badge equipped will make this part of the fight fairly easy. Once you defeat Lava Piranha for a second time, you'll get 30 Star Points.

After the battle, Kolorado says there's nothing between them and the treasure. He runs off to the east. The Star Spirit's card appears from the lava.

End of Chapter
Venturing deep into the steaming Mt. Lavalava, Mario and friends plucked the Lava Piranha... and rescued the fifth Star Spirit, Misstar from a fiery fate. But the "treasure" Kolorado is looking for is yet to be found. Wherever could it be? What's that...? Something... strange... is going on around here...

Back in the volcano, the ground is shaking. Misstar says they should get out of the volcano, so head east. Kolorado is complaining that he can't find the treasure. Go upstairs and Kolorado will join you. He thinks Misstar might be the treasure, or some sort of starfish. He's still looking because the adventure's not over until the treasure is found. He thinks the Lava Piranha had it, so he tries to go back, The ground starts shaking violently and he dismisses it as kids playing with fireworks. He then notices that the lava is rising. Misstar says the volcano will erupt soon, so they can't go back and must leave another way. She feels a breeze come through a crack in the wall. Use Bombette to break the wall. Go through the wall and you'll see a chest on a pillar Kolorado can't reach. He says he'll risk his life to get it. Misstar picks everyone up and takes them out of the volcano. The volcano erupts and the treasure flies out, landing in the jungle near the Bub-ulb.

Paper Mario: Chapter 5 -- Hot Hot Times on Lavalava Island -- Part 1

The whale ferries Mario and Kolorado across the sea and eventually reaches Lavalava Island. Kolorado sees Mt. Lavalava off in the distance and runs off. There's a Stopwatch behind a shrub. You'll find small ferns on the island that give Mario hearts when he touches them. They're called Heart Plants. There are blue Spinning Flowers on this island Mario can stand on and float in the air. Press [Z] repeatedly to float higher. In this area, you can reach coins this way.

Go southeast. Hit the coconut tree for a Coconut. You can throw these at enemies with 1 attack power. Up ahead is a Fuzzy attacking Kolorado. It's a Jungle Fuzzy. Jungle Fuzzies have 7 HP and give 2 SP. They have 2 attack power and will keep attacking and draining HP until the action command is performed. This means you have to repeatedly press (A) until the meter is filled. Save Kolorado and he runs off again. There's a letter on the nearby rock. It's addressed to Igor, the shopkeeper in the mansion in Forever Forest. Go east to Yoshi Village.

The village is full of Yoshis going about their lives. Talk to the Yoshi Kids and you'll find they're up to something. Sushie, the purple Cheep-Cheep will stop them, as she is in charge of keeping an eye on them. Talk to the red Yoshi Kid with Parakarry to deliver Dane T.'s letter. He has a letter in response. Heal in the Toad House if you need to and save, then go east into the jungle.

There's a cry for help once you enter the jungle. It's Kolorado getting himself into trouble again. He's being attacked by a Spear Guy. Spear Guys have 7 HP, 3 attack power, and give 2 SP. They'll either point their spear at Mario or up in the air. Do not attack them with the hammer when the spear is pointed at Mario or you'll take damage. They will stab Mario with the spear or throw the spear at him. After throwing the spear, they become normal Shy Guys. Once you save Kolorado, he runs to the right, where you can see the entrance to the volcano. Unfortunately, it's blocked by a river of lava. He decides to return to the village for clues, but not before a false alarm call for help as a joke.

In Yoshi Village, the Yoshis are panicking. The Yoshis will tell you that the Yoshi Kids went missing, probably into the dangerous jungle. They aren't thinking straight, so they're not much help. Talk to the chief, the one wearing the feather. He'll try to calm the other Yoshis down and asks Mario to help find them. Go northwest of the item shop to enter the jungle.

Check the nearby shrubs to make them part. There are a lot of dangerous enemies here, many of which are disguised as plants. Avoid checking out the shrubs that are blue in color. These are M. Bushes, sneaky enemies with 8 HP and 3 attack power. They have a poisonous bite and give 2 SP. Hurt Plants look like Heart Plants, but you can't tell them apart until you touch them. They have 8 HP, 2 attack power and give 2 SP. Their bite is also poisonous. Go east.

Sushie calls out to the Yoshi Kids. Cross the log bridge to the island and you'll see Sushie in a tree. Hit the tree with the hammer multiple times. She's thankful for the help. She fell into the Yoshi Kids' trap. Sushie says the jungle is dangerous for Mario as well. Mario explains that he's helping to find the Yoshi Kids and Sushie wants to team up and join the party. If you stand on docks, she can swim with her. Press the same button to dive. She has a jump attack called Belly Flop and can spray water with Squirt. Use her power to reach a Star Piece. On the same island, hit the tree for a letter. There's a Bub-ulb on the island, but he says the seed is not ready yet. Go west.

There's a Spear Guy on an island with a badge block. The badge is the Power Quake badge. Go west while swimming and you'll reach an island with a Spear Guy and a Super Block. Upgrade Sushie. Swim to the other dock in the area and you'll here crying. Part the shrubs, battle the M. Bush, then check the shrub behind it to find the red Yoshi Kid. He's scared because they were playing hide-and-seek, but the M. Bush trapped him here. He's sorry he disobeyed Sushie and heads home. If you go southwest, there's a shortcut to the beach where the whale is waiting.

Go north and part the shrubs. There's a coin over plant. Ignore the plant as it will hurt you. Hit the tree for a Fright Jar. Go west while swimming. Dive down into the water for a Star Piece. Get on land and hit the log to make a bridge appear. Cross the bridge and talk to the blue Yoshi Kid. He was "it" in the game, but he couldn't find anyone and got lost. He asks Mario to be "it" and find everyone because he's going home. Don't hit the tree unless you want to battle a Jungle Fuzzy. Return to the previous area and go east.

Hammer another log to make a bridge. There's a statue of a raven here. Go to the south dock and go south. The purple Yoshi Kid is sleeping in a tree. Use a hammer to knock him out of the tree. He took a nap in the jungle and thinks it's not so bad, but he's lonely. Make another bridge, which will take you to the village. Return to the area with the raven statue and go east. The yellow Yoshi Kid is being attacked by Putrid Piranhas. They have 12 HP, 3 attack power, and give 2 SP. They can bite Mario or try to poison him with their poison breath. Beat them and the yellow Yoshi Kid is thankful and sorry. Return to the area with the statue.

Near the entrance to the jungle is an island with a high wall and a blue Spinning Flower. Use it to reach the top, where a Spear Guy is. Part the shrubs to reveal a pipe. The pipe takes you into a dark cave. Use Watt to see so you can reach the green Yoshi Kid. He was spinning on the Spinning Flower and ended up in here. He couldn't find a way out. Now that all give Yoshi Kids have been saved, return to the village.

Talk to the chief Yoshi near the raven statue on an island in the village. He's thankful Mario saved the Yoshi Kids and no expression of gratitude is enough. Kolorado told him that they wanted to go to Mt. Lavalaava. He says he'll show them the way and gives Mario the Jade Raven. The Yoshis ask Raphael the Raven, the island's master, for help. He lives in the depths of the jungle. To find him, they must place the Jade Raven into Raphael's statue, but it's difficult to find. Sushie wonders why Mario is going to such a dangerous place as Mt. Lavalava and doesn't approve of it. Mario explains and she's touched by the romantic story of saving Peach. She'll stick with him, as she loves taking care of others and Mario will need her help.

Go northwest into the jungle, cross the split log bridge, then north again. This will take you to the statue, which is on the north side. Place the Jade Raven into the statue and it moves, revealing a path to the north. There are several trees with vines here. Pull on the vine of the far left tree for an Egg and the one near a pink flower reveals the path to the north. There are blue blocks and a water spout. Push the blocks over the water spout to make it appear somewhere else. Once you cover all of the holes in the ground, the water spout pushes a giant rock out of the way, revealing a path to the north. Plug up that water spout so you can continue. Once again, you'll find more vines. They make a Fire Flower, a Mushroom, and Fuzzies appear, as well as the path to the north.

In this area, you'll hear someone laugh. There are three Putrid Piranhas here and they're joined by a white Magikoopa. The Magikoopa has 11 HP, 3 attack power, and gives 5 SP. It can heal other enemies, so deal with it first. Defeat all of them for 11 SP, then go east.

You'll see a giant tree. Go through the doorway and save. Go up the stairs, which lead to a door. On the outside, climb up the vine circling the tree to the very top. You'll find the Happy Heart badge here. Partway up the tree is a doorway back inside. Take the stairs up to the top of the tree. There's a giant Raven in the nest that talks like he's on a CB radio. His call sign is Raphael the Raven. It's been a while since anyone came. Mario explains the situation and Raphael says he knew Mario was coming, due to a message from the stars. He'll give Mario something later. He caws for Ravens and they drop in. He explains the situation to them and they all jump off the tree. Follow suit and jump off the tree as well. Raphael raises the tree root so they can go east.

The Ravens are working on a tree. Kolorado appears. The Ravens build a zipline to the volcano and a basket to reach the tree where the zipline is. Kolorado goes first. Raphael calls him bold and certifiably nuts. The item Raphael mentioned earlier is the Ultra Stone, which can upgrade any Super Ranked party member to Ultra Rank, increasing their attack power and giving them another attack. He says ranking up party members is the key to success, as a Star Spirit told him in a dream. Take the basket to the zipline and use that to reach the volcano's entrance, where there is a Heal Block. Go inside.

Paper Mario: Chapter 4 -- Trials in the Toy Box -- Part 2

When you arrive at Green Station, you'll notice four Star Boxes, red, green, blue, and yellow. If you hit them from left to right, you'll get four coins. Hit the boxes in almost any other order, and four Shy Guys will pop out. Go southeast and return to reset the blocks. Go southeast and you'll see Kammy Koopa place Peach's last choice to guard a chest.

This part of the Toy Box is filled with moving conveyor belts and wire fences. Use Bow's power to go through the fences so you can reach the Shy Guy holding the Mystery Note. Defeat it to get it, but you can't read it. To the right is the slot machine. Getting two or more coin panels will get you some coins, two or more Shy Guy panels will make Shy Guys appear, and two or more stars will make mushrooms appear. Farther right are moving platforms. The brick block over the pink area has many coins, but the platform moves away from the brick block. Cross the gaps with Parakarry. There's a blue building next to the moving platforms. When the platforms lower, you can go inside for a Star Piece. Cross over to the building's roof and open the chest for Russ T.'s Dictionary. Leave the Toy Box to return it to him.

Russ T. lives in the house near the pipe to Mario's house. Return the Dictionary for a Star Piece as a reward. Talk to him again and he'll translate the note, which is written in the Shy Guy language. It says to hit the blocks in the following order: yellow, green, red, blue. Heal up and return to Green Station. Hit the blocks in the correct order. Panels from the wall on the other side of the tracks fall down to fill in the gap in the tracks. The star blocks disappear. Go east to the Red Station.

Take advantage of the Heal and Save Blocks, then go southwest first. There's a lot of platforming here, including a Ferris wheel. Hit the invisible item block between the two item blocks for the Deep Focus badge. On the tall green block in the back is a Super Block, but all of our party members have been upgraded. This is about to change. Have Bow out, then go west.

To the west is a dark room. Someone says that someone's in the dark and it's Mario. It's a Big Lantern Ghost and he won't let Mario go. The battle starts and he says he'll take care of Mario quickly, then return to his darkness. He hates the light and will take Mario to the deep dark. When it's dark, all you can target is the lantern. Have Bow smack the lantern to make the light brighter. Repeated hits make the light brighter. The Big Lantern Ghost says that it's so bright, which isn't good. When the lantern is at its brightest, the Big Lantern Ghost will shine its light on Mario and his party member. If you don't guard, your party member will be blinded and temporarily unable to do anything. Now that the light is bright, you can target the Big Lantern Ghost. He has 40 HP and an attack power of 5. The light attack has an attack power of 2 on Mario, regardless of whether he guards, but guarding will protect party members. After hitting him for one or two turns, he'll dim the lantern's light by blowing on it. Attack the lantern again to restore the light. He gives 15 SP when defeated. He then runs off, leaving the lantern behind. Check it out.

The lantern talks, saying it wants out. Hit the lantern with the hammer to free a Li'l Sparky named Watt. She's happy to be free and recognizes Mario, calling him a hero. He saved her from the lantern ghost and to make it up to him, she'll go with him. She heard the Shy Guys say that Mario's trying to save Peach from Bowser. She joins the party. She can illuminate dark areas and reveal the location of hidden blocks, even with the lights on. She can shock enemies with Electro Dash or paralyze them with Power Shock. Oddly enough, she kind of likes the dark. Leave the room and use the platforms and Parakarry to reach the Super Block to upgrade Watt right away. Use her power to reveal an invisible block with a Snowman Doll.

Return to Green Station, heal and save, then go southeast. Be sure to have some healing items on you. There's a Shy Guy that jumps over a wall when it sees Mario. Blow up the crack in the wall with Bombette, which will knock the wall over. A bunch of Shy Guys are on the other side of the wall and they run away screaming. Use Watt to locate an invisible block, then hit it. Stand on it, then send Koooper to retrieve a Shooting Star. Avoid battling and go east into a dark room. The Shy Guys are still screaming. They say to run for it and break through the wall. Follow them.

There's a Shy Guy dressed in military dress here. He's General Guy and he has the Star Spirit. As long as they keep the Star Spirit secure, Bowser lets them do whatever they want. He says Mario's trespassing and that the treasures in the Toy Box are for Shy Guys only. His army charges at Mario. First up is the Shy Squad, a group of 15 Shy Guys. Each Shy Guy has 1 HP and 1 attack power. One Shy Guy will be lost from the squad for every 1 HP of damage the squad takes. This will reduce their ability to attack. When they attack, each Shy Guy gets to attack and they move quickly. Repeatedly guard to reduce the damage Mario takes. When there are about 8 or so left, or if you happen to defeat them, they'll run off, General Guy will appear, and say the Shy Guys must stand their ground. He'll send out his next wave in front of his tank so you can't attack it. This wave is made up of two Stilt Guys, which have 7 HP each and 4 attack power. They'll try to jump on Mario. Using attacks that shake the ground will turn them into normal Shy Guys, but you can also just defeat them when they're on stilts. After you defeat the Stilt Guys, the third wave will be of Shy Stack, four Shy Guys stacked on each other like the Koopa Bros. They have 10 HP and 1 attack power for each of the Shy Guys in the stack. They attack with slingshots. Spinning attacks will knock members out of the stack. Once you defeat these guys, General Guy will now battle you. General Guy has 30 HP , 2 defense power, and will throw bombs at Mario with 4 attack power. He can also use the light bulb on his tank to shine a light with 5 attack power. It will blind your party member if you don't guard. To keep this from happening, first target the bulb. It has 1 defense power, which is completely useless against Watt's Electro Dash. Power Bouncing also works. After the bulb breaks, he can no longer use this attack and you can focus your attacks on him. He says his defenses are useless, your attack is too powerful, and that you're breaking the rules of war. Your hammer can get past his defense, but a basic attack won't do much damage. When you defeat him, his tank falls apart and you get 33 SP. The Shy Guys run off screaming. Watt is happy that she got to beat them up. The Star Spirit's card appears.

End of Chapter
To save the fourth Star Spirit, Muskular, Mario and team disbanded the gang of Shy Guy toughs. Slowly, it seems as if the life force is return to the once bleak night sky... But the stars won't truly shine until the Star Rod is wrested from Bowser's evil grasp. Three Star Spirits still await rescue. Where in the world are they being held?

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.

Paper Mario: Chapter 2 -- The Mystery of Dry Dry Ruins -- Part 2

Now that Mario's found the Dry Dry Ruins, go inside. A creepy voice calls out to Mario. He is Tutankoopa, the remorseless king of the desert. He tells Mario to leave or face disaster. Hit the Save Block and go east. There are several sarcophaguses in the next room. They open up to reveal Pokey Mummies. They have 4 HP and give 2 SP. They are poisonous, so guard against their attacks to avoid getting poisoned. In the middle sarcophagus is the Spiky Shield badge. Equip this immediately. This badge will allow Mario to jump on spiked enemies. Be sure to have many healing items and return to the Heal Block outside often. The path splits ahead. Drop down to the lower path and go east. The room only has a key and a doorway you can't reach. Grab it and go back to the room with the sarcophaguses, then take the upper path. Unlock the door and head east.

This room is filled with sand. Stand on the switch and the sand will drain into the room below. Return to the room below. The sand will allow you to reach the doorway. Go east. Tutankoopa says Mario isn't listening and that if he keeps exploring, he will become a mummy. There are Buzzy Beetles in the area. They have 3 HP and give 2 SP. They are immune to fire. Jump on them to flip them, eliminating their defense, just like Koopas. Go upstairs and cross the gap. Blow up the wall to go into the room to the east. Stand on the switch to make the sand drain from the room. Before you leave, grab the Star Piece in the corner. Drop down the stairs and go to the room below to the east to get a key. Leave the room and drop down to the lowest door in the area, then go west.

Go all the way to the left side of the room and hit the item block. Pokey Mummies will appear and the door will be blocked off. Swoopers may join the Pokey Mummies in battle. They are bats that like to hang on the ceiling. They have 4 HP and give 2 SP. You can't jump on them when they're on the ceiling. You can use earth tremors, Hammer Throw, or Parakarry to hit them. They'll then fly in the air, so you can jump on them. Defeat all of them for the key to the locked door on the left side. Go through it. Cross the gap and go to the west.

This is the puzzle room. Tutankoopa warns you not to go in here. What you need to do is stand on the switches to flip the stairs. The switches flip the all of the stairs of the same color. There are three levels here. Here's what you need to do: Go up to the second level. Hit the green switch and go up the green stairs to the third level. Hit the green switch, then go down the pink stairs to the second level. Hit the pink switch, then go down the pink stairs to the first level, the floor. Go up the green stairs, then the pink stairs, going to the left. Drop down and you'll reach a large chest. It contains the Super Hammer. This makes Mario's hammer attack more powerful and Mario can now destroy stone blocks.

Go back to the room where you were locked in with the Pokey Mummies. Go up the pink stairs, hit the switch, then go up the stairs to the right. Break the stone block to get the Artifact. Go east, go up the stairs, then east. There's a stone block in the room. Break it and the door closes and a chomp from the hieroglyphics comes to life. Grab the Pyramid Stone and battle the Stone Chomp. They have 4 HP and give 4 SP. They'll charge at Mario. Use the hammer to defeat them. The door opens.

Go west twice and down the stairs. There's a crack in the wall. Blow it up, go through it, then drop down. There's a Super Rank Block down here. I upgraded Parakarry. Blow up the crack to the left. Break the stone block, where a Stone Chomp is hiding. Battle it and get the Diamond Stone. Go east twice to enter a long hallway. There are Buzzy Beetles and a map of the Ruins here. Go east and hit the stone block. Stand on the switch to make stairs to the key appear. Spring up and go east three times, meaning the door at the bottom of the stairs on the right. Tutankoopa says to retreat or be in grave trouble. In the middle of the room, there are five Chomp statues. Go up the stairs and unlock the door. Stand on the switch to make the sand drain and take note of the Chomp statues here. They have a pattern: Triangle, space, Diamond, space, Moon. Keep this in mind, then drop down to the door below and go east across the sand. Break the stone block, grab the Lunar Stone, then battle the stone chomp.

Once you're done, return to the room with the Chomp statues. Approach the statues and place the stones in the same pattern as the statues in the next room: Pyramid Stone, space, Diamond Stone, space, Lunar Stone. The ground starts shaking, the Chomp statues' eyes start sparkling, and Mario and his partner start panicking. The music changes. Stairs appear that go below. Use the Heal Block at the bottom of the stairs. Go east. Tutankoopa will give you a final warning. Save and go east again.

Tutankoopa laughs and a headdress appears. It floats up and Tutankoopa materializes. He says Mario ignored his very scary warnings and says he shouldn't mess him, a faithful follower of King Bowser. He stands on a ledge and summons a Chomp. Tutankoopa has 30 HP. He'll throw shells at Mario and use magic. The magic may drop debris on Mario or himself, knocking him off the ledge. The Chomps he summons have 4 HP and 3 defense. They don't like Tutankoopa because he works them too hard. Mario should attack the Chomp if it's there, and the partner should attack Tutankoopa, or else you won't win the battle. Parakarry's Sky Shot is very powerful and useful here, as it can hit Tutankoopa on the ledge or the ground. Keep hitting him and you'll win. You'll get 28 SP from the battle. After the battle, a Chomp appears and chases Tutankoopa around. The card with the Star Spirit appears.

End of Chapter
Thus Mario and party unearthed the legendary Dry Dry Ruins deep within Dry Dry Desert/ They smashed Tutankoopa the Wizard and freed Mamar, the second of the wish-granting Star Spirits. But the enemies awaiting Mario grow ever stronger... and the challenges more difficult. What's in store for Mario and friends... Where will their adventure take them next?