Mario and Luigi: Dream Team -- Part 28: Bowser's Rainbow Rank

The bros have just defeated Antasma and have breached the castle's defense set up by Corporal Paraplonk, Sergeant Guy, and Private Goomp. At the top of the stairs past the elevator is Peach, in a cage. She calls to the bros. Before the bros can reach her, Bowser destroys the floor in front of the cage. Starlow and Dreambert tell Bowser to relinquish the Dream Stone. Starlow backs away. Bowser says he'll use the Dream Stone to make the bros disappear. He tries, but Starlow and Peach zap him with beams of good thoughts. Dreambert tells them to destroy Bowser and the Dream Stone, saying it's better destroyed than in Bowser's hands. They ramp up the power and the Dream Stone shatters. Bowser isn't ready to give up and inhales the Dream Stone fragments. He doesn't find them palatable. They transform him into a larger, rainbow version of himself. Dreambert and Starlow try to stop him, but he's too powerful. Dreambert fully heals the bros. Bowser's enjoying his new power and is going to take over the world. The battle starts.

You can attack Bowser or either of his arms. Attack his arms first so he can't use them. Take out the left arm first as the right one will block Bowser's head. Bowser will summon minions and some meat that he'll inhale in the background. Shy Guys will bounce over the bros, Bob-ombs will explode if landed on, and Koopas will go into their shells. Stomp the shells to hit the enemies behind them. After a couple of turns, Bowser will return. He will chase the bros with three rows of flames. Jump over the flames when he moves. He'll also jump, creating a shockwave to dodge. He'll also summon a Dreamy Shy Guy Airtub that will chase a bro, spewing fire. Jump to dodge. The other bro is on board, so hit their button to deal with the Shy Guys. The flame may shrink the bro. Bowser can summon a hammer which will hit a bro and unleash a shockwave. He'll target the bro by flipping a coin. Counter with the hammer. Bowser can also breathe fire and split into two while doing so. Jumping to dodge at the same time won't work. Attacking Bowser's head after dealing with the arms will do critical damage. Bowser will pick up a bro and throw him. Press the other bro's button repeatedly to line up with the other bro to catch them. This battle can take a long time, especially if Bowser frequently heals. Hit him with your best Bros. Attacks. He has around 2400 HP.

The Dream Stone shatters again, returning Bowser to normal. The bros hit him into the cage, then away from the castle. The impact opens the cage and Peach thanks the bros. She thinks everyone on the island should be safe now, but the castle starts collapsing. Everyone retreats. The bros have to go back the way they came, so back down the rainbow ramp. Bob-ombs will drop in from the sky. They catch up and most of the castle has already collapsed. The castle, along with their escape route, falls away. The piece of stone they're standing on breaks apart and falls. The Zeekeeper catches Mario, Luigi, and Peach. As they fly off, the castle explodes.

In front of Pi'illo Castle, Peach asks if the bros are okay. The Zeekeeper drops in, saying it was cool that he caught them at the last second. He's feeling pretty good, so everything he's done is on the house, meaning the bros won't have to find 80 million coins. Toadsworth appears, saying he was worried sick. Dreambert, Eldream, and a couple of Pi'illos appear with a bottle of something. Dreambert says is the dust that burst from Bowser. Peach apologizes for destroying it, but Dreambert says the Dream Stone can be restored. The Zeekeeper zaps it with a beam and it turns into a giant coin, a Dream Coin. Dreambert is shocked. The Zeekeeper gives the advice to not rely on the Dream Stone or other things, but to rely on oneself and each other. He says to use the Dream Coin to make all dreams come true. He flies off, declaring his love for coins. The Zeekeeper flies through the Dream Coin, shattering it into many smaller coins that rain down. Broque Monsieur says it's the ultimate tourist attraction. Peach finally gets Dreambert's attention and he recovers from his shock. Peach thanks him and thinks the Pi'illo Kingdom can be revived. He says they will take the advice of the Zeekeeper and restore the kingdom with their own hands. He thanks the bros and tells them to enjoy Pi'illo Island on the ultimate vacation. The bros agree.

Up in the air, Bowser, Kamek, Goomp, Guy, and Paraplonk are flying on the Clown Copter. Bowser wants to fly faster, but Kamek wants to lay low for a while. Bowser blames Antasma for their failure. He says the minions did pretty well by their usual standards, which is the best compliment they'll ever get out of Bowser. Bowser says he will keep kidnapping Peach over and over until he's successful. Losing and giving up are not options. The minions declare their undying loyalty while Bowser says he'll be back. He calls Luigi by his name for once when coins start raining down. The minions get excited and jostle the Clown Copter, making it drop out of the sky. Roll credits!

At the end, you get some game stats. Here are mine:
Time to Clear: 65:46
Mario and Luigi's Final Levels: 43
Excellent Rate: 85%
Block-Recovery Rate: 94%
Enemies Defeated: 6036
Escapes: 1
Times KO'd: 28
Times Damaged: 1548
Mushrooms Eaten: 140

For finishing the game, I unlocked the Jukebox and Hard Mode. This was a fun and imaginative game. I had a great time playing the latest game in my favorite part of the Mario series. Aside from the technical difficulties, I wished that Fawful had made an appearance somewhere. This was probably one of the longer games in the series. I hope you enjoyed the summer of Mario and Luigi as much as I enjoyed playing the games. Stay tuned to see what game is next.

Mario and Luigi: Dream Team -- Part 24: Zero-Gravity Castle

After saving all the Pi'illos to be found on the island and finding the Zeekeeper, the bros are ready to deal with Bowser and Antasma. When you're ready, go east of the Mushrise Park Entrance. The Zeekeeper will appear, saying he's scouted the castle. The bros hop on his back and he flies off. Soon, they approach Neo Bowser Castle. Goomp, Paraplonk, and Guy are cleaning up the place and notice the Zeekeeper's approach. They try to guess at what it is, which makes the Zeekeeper enraged. It unleashes the Wakebeam. The barrier shatters and the castle starts falling. It lands east of Pi'illo Castle, making it easier to reach. The Zeekeeper says to head due north of their current location. He's out of shape after not firing the Wakebeam in a long time, so he's going to rest. Starlow and Dreambert are ready to take on Bowser and a Shelltop is ready to take customers at a new shop location.

Go north and you'll find Neo Bowser Castle, with a Shelltop's shop set up at its entrance. Activate the warp pipe and save the Pi'illo in the nearby pillow. This is the last one that needs to be saved. Talk to Eldream. He says the Pi'illos are forever in the bros' debt. Dreambert says they've earned a permanent place among the Pi'illos. Eldream calls the Zeekeeper, who rewards the bros with his aid in battle. Eldream gives the bros 10 Attack Pieces, unlocking the attack Zee Egg, initiated by Mario. The Zeekeeper will fly with the bros and unleash a Wakeorb. Keep the Zeekeeper in alignment with the Wakeorb using the Circle Pad. Mario and Luigi will appear and hammer the orb with their respective buttons. This will unleash a rainbow of devastation on the enemies below.

Return to Neo Bowser Castle and enter. Goomp, Paraplonk, and Guy say that Bowser's okay with the castle falling and that hanging around a purple vine growing through the fence drains fatigue away. They like the fact that it drains fatigue, but think it's suspicious and has a strange energy coming off of it. The bros interrupt their conversation and the minions prepare their special attack, Lethal Retreat, and leave. On the right is a switch that is activated by a high jump. Use the Ball Hop to activate the switch, which opens the gate. Go north. Kamek welcomes them to Neo Bowser Castle. He uses magic to mess up the paths to the other rooms. Antasma appears, telling Kamek to follow him into the dream world. Kamek says he's the only way to restore the paths to normal and that they'll never find him. Starlow says they can find Kamek in the dream world if Luigi sleeps behind the gate, but they have to open it first. There's a camera block on the southwest island. Take the northeast exit.

There are new enemies in the castle. Flaming Antasmatons will spin around in front of the bros while spewing fire. Jump to dodge. Fire Bros will throw a fireball into the air that will drop down on the next turn. Counter with the hammer. They'll also throw coins and fireballs. Jump to dodge. The switch is out of reach for the Ball Hop. Hit the Kamek block to show symbols on the map of how things are connected, meaning if you go through one hallway, which side of the path you will end up on. From the room with the gate, go north and get the Attack Piece, then go northwest. You should end up in the area that's west of the room with the gate. On an island in the lava to the southeast is another Kamek block. Side Drill to reach it. There are others in the northeast corner, the southwest corner. Go north.

Ball Hop through the rings. The platforms underneath the bros will break if they bounce on them twice, so keep moving. On the way, there will be a ring to the south. Take that path to reach a Kamek block. This reveals that you should take the southeast exit to reach the switch. Once you complete the original path, you'll reach solid footing, then find more rings that have split paths. The path to the south will take you to an Attack Piece. Go to the southeast and cross the lava using the yellow platforms, dodging the fireballs. This will take you to another Attack Piece. Spin Jump to the left to reach the switch. Return to the world with the gate. Get the Attack Piece.

It looks like Luigi will be napping on a Clown Car. Dreamy Neo Bowser Castle isn't so dreamy. There are Mechakoopas here. Hitting them will cause them to malfunction. They'll attack in lines, shooting fireballs at Mario. Dodge them by jumping or running. Any fireballs that Mario dodges will hit them. They'll also surround Mario and signal the order in which the groups will attack. They will run around Mario. Counter with the hammer. There are also Lakitu Rs and Spiny Rs.

Go through the pipe on the right. Kamek will fly off behind a wall. Go through the pipe to the right. Drop down and you'll find a Luiginary Work. Send Dreamy Luigi into the work, then press the button on the Clown Car in the real world. This allows Mario to swim around as if gravity was not there. Use the Circle Pad to steer and (A) to swim. Go through the pipe on the right. Hit the Red Coin block and collect the Red Coins to make a ! Block appear. This will give you access to a pipe on the right. Swim around the maze until you reach some bricks. Dreambert says to press (A) while sliding the Circle Pad towards the floor. Mario will push off from the floor, allowing him to leap with power. Follow the maze to the upper left corner, where the pipe is.

The chains in this room are the platforms. Go through the pipe on the right. Use the anti-gravity Work and carefully swim around the spikes. Follow the maze to the left to reach a ! Block that opens the path to the pipe and some bricks to break. The pipe on the lower left leads to the room where Kamek was. Swim down for the ! Block to open the gate. If you go into battle, the anti-gravity will have no effect. Heal and save, then go through the door. Kamek is here and says he won't fall in battle here. The battle starts.

Kamek will send out magic rings to attack Mario. Four of each will appear, but only one will attack Mario. Counter with the hammer. Circles attack from Mario's right, squares from his left, rightside-up triangles from the front, and upside-down triangles from behind. He'll make four copies of himself and they'll attack with magic. Run and jump to dodge the magic, then them. Keep an eye on the Kamek that laughs. That one is the real one. Use Luiginary Attacks. After a while, Kamek will walk away from the fight. The bros will not get experience from this fight. He says he'll escape to another dream world. Dreambert thinks something has changed in the real world, so they should return. Take the pipe on the left to the portal.

In the real world, Kamek's magic no longer affects the paths ahead. Go north, then east for an Attack Piece. Send Mini Mario through the north wall, then all the way to the right, then south for it. Return to the previous room, then go north. Stand on the Bowser symbol to make the elevator go up. Bowser is not thrilled that Mario, Luigi, and their friends are in his castle. Antasma says the castle is difficult to navigate, so the bros will give up long before reaching them. Bowser wants to conquer the world now. Antasma says they need some dream energy, this time from Bowser. His ambition and lust to conquer the world is bottomless and pure, leading to raw, powerful dream energy. Bowser agrees. Will Antasma stab him in the back while he's asleep?

Mario and Luigi: Dream Team -- Part 23: The Keeper of Zzzs

The bros have all of the Somnom Stones, allowing them to enter Pi'illo Temple. Go north twice from the tracks. Take the elevator to the temple's entrance. Past the Save Block is the temple. Heal and save. The area has a strong dream aura. Dreambert says this temple is their gateway to the Zeekeeper. There is something in the center of the temple that is preventing them from placing the bed. Hit it with the hammer and the temple will shake. The statue in the back crumbles, revealing Pi'illodium, a defense weapon created during the Pi'illo Kingdom era. It attacks.

Pi'illodium scans the bros, predicting a 120% chance of victory. It will send out many smaller Pi'illodium weapons into the background. It will shoot lasers at the bros, signaling which bro with pink rings on the ground. Jump to dodge. Pi'illodium will turn into a hammer, then count down until when it will attack. Counter with a hammer. It will also go into the background and volley the smaller weapons at the bros. Volley back with the hammer repeatedly. The remaining weapons will heal Pi'illodium. Pi'illodium will chase the bros, firing off weapons at the bros. Jump to dodge. Use Bros. Attacks on the wings. Once the wings are broken, it will fall to the ground, saying its chances of victory are slim. Its attack and defense are lower. Aim Slingsniper at its center to do critical damage throughout the fight. This is a difficult fight.

After the battle, Pi'illodium explodes and they set up the Ultibed. In the dream world, Bedsmith appears and floats away without noticing the bros. To the right, Bedsmith tells them there are in the inner reaches of Dreamy Somnom Wood, the most sacred area of the most sacred of dream worlds. Only those who sleep on the Ultibed can reach this place. The Zeekeeper is at the top of the tree. The tree is so tall, Bedsmith doesn't know how tall it is. He says it is easy to get lost and what looks like a dead end may not be an end and that there are many hidden paths.

Return to the left, go through the trees, and you'll see a pipe. It will take you to an area with a sign saying, "Look back and the path is lost." This means continue forward without turning back. The sign above it says, "Coins lead ever forward. Monsters point treasureward." Go to the right if you hear a buzzer for an item and a pipe returning you to the area with the signs. Follow the coins to more forward. Follow the monsters to reach treasure. The coin route will take you to an area to the right of the tree, which has an Attack Piece to the far right. Go left to reach the right side of the tree. Go through the pipe. Hit the orange ! Block to create a shortcut to the left side. This makes Bedsmith happy in his own special way, but he says he's joking and it's just a Pi'illo expression. Go to the right.

There are two Attack Pieces here we can't reach just yet. Go through the pipe on the right, then through the pipe on the left for an Attack Piece. Go through the pipe on the left from there, then drop down on the right pipe below. Go through it. This will take you to another part of the lower area to the right of the tree. Go right. There are Propeller Works here. Activate the Works, then push the crates to reach the ! Block. This will create platforms leading to the exit to the upper right. This leads to an area with a Red Coin Block. Activate the propellers, then hit the block. Ride the rising air currents to reach the Red Coins. Hit the ! Block that appears to make a platform appear. This allows you to reach an Attack Piece. Go left.

Use the tower and cone to reach items and coins. Use the Ball Hammer and ground pound to break the crates. Go to the lower left for an item and the lower right for an Attack Piece. Return, then go through the pipe on the bottom. Use the Tornado Work to clear away the leaves so you can see. There is an Attack Piece here. Hit the ! Block near the top so you can go farther to the left. Go left and through the pipe to reach another Attack Piece. Walk to the left to return to the tree. Hit the ! Block to make another shortcut. Go through the pipe in the tree, then go left. Use the Hookshot to reach the middle exit on the left. This leads to an Attack Piece.

There's a branch Work here. Use it to reach the exit on the left that's the second from the battle to reach an Attack Piece. Return and climb to the top for an Attack Piece and a ! Block that gives access to the pipe in the lower right corner. Take the pipe to an area with an Attack Piece. You can reach it by walking on the top ledge. This will unlock the Luiginary Attack Luiginary Typhoon. Press (B) to wind up and (A) to whip up the rope of Luiginoids to whip up a typhoon, then steer it with the Circle Pad into the enemies. Repeatedly press (B) to do extra damage. Go through the pipe on the left, then walk to the right and break the rock. Activate the propellers and climb up the walls. This will take you to a pipe on the right side.

There are clouds Mario can ride after activating the propellers. Grab coins as you cross the gap. If you fall, you'll land in the area just below. Go left to reach the pipe to this area again. On the other side of the gap is a pipe that will take you to the tree again. Go through the tree's pipe to reach Bedsmith. He says the bros are near the top of the tree, but must not let their guard down. He asks Dreambert for a reward for constructing the Ultibed. Dreambert freaks out and runs away. Hit the ! Block to lower the gate. Heal and save.

Activate the propellers to go to the upper left, walking on the trees. There's a rainbow-colored egg in the center. Hit it with the hammer. Light spills forth from it. Breaking the egg reveals the Zeekeeper in his colorful glory. He asks who disturbs his rest. He protects the Pi'illo Kingdom and will get rid of those who stand in his way. Dreambert tries to explain, but is blown away. Luigi starts cowering again. Touch the "L" and Luiginoids start swarming to protect the bros. The Zeekeeper finds this irritating. He tries to blow the Luiginoids away with his wings. The Luiginoids join forces to form giant Dreamy Luigi. The Zeekeeper chases Mario around, saying he is brave and nimble, but should give up. Just then, Dreamy Luigi drops down on his head.

The Zeekeeper accepts Luigi's challenge and flies off. Dreambert says to chase it. While chasing it, Luigi must duck or jump to dodge when the Zeekeeper swoops around. Dreambert says to grab the Zeekeeper and hold on. The Zeekeeper will drag Luigi, so slide down repeatedly to drag it down. Luigi will let go of a leg, so tap it when it's in range to grab again. After a while, Luigi will slam it into the ground. It will be dizzy, so attack now. You can do two attacks before it will take flight again, saying it underestimated Luigi. It also says it has yet to reveal its true strength. It will fly off and as Luigi chases it, it will cross dimensions. It will shoot energy beams at Luigi. Cross to the other side by tilting the 3DS to dodge. It will charge up for another attack that Luigi must dodge, then counter by ramming. The tilting can take a little while to get used to. After a couple of rounds of this, the dimension traveling will stop and they'll return to Dreamy Somnom Woods. It will summon an energy ball, and Luigi will throw tree stumps at it. Tap the energy ball to hit it, then do the same for the Zeekeeper. It will keep flying and toss bombs at Luigi. Touch the circles to hammer back the bombs. It will cross dimensions again, then will dive-bomb Luigi in Dreamy Somnom Woods. Some of its maneuvers will be more complex. Get his health low enough and use Finishing Bros.

The Zeekeeper says the bros fought well. He asks if things are going badly in the real world. Dreambert appears, which makes him change his tone completely. Dreambert says this is how the Zeekeeper really is. Mario explains what happened and the Zeekeeper is not thrilled that Antasma's up to no good again. He also says Bowser sounds like a nut job. Dreambert asks for his help, but he refuses, saying he's retired, old, and tired. He might be persuaded with a certain something. Dreambert thinks he means coins. He says if the bros can return to normal, Mario will give the Zeekeeper every coin he has. Since my current total is over 60,000, that's a pretty substantial amount. Mario silently disagrees. The Zeekeeper's considering it, but goes over the expenses: labor costs for dealing with a flying castle that needs a barrier smashed, a travel budget, hotel bill, complimentary robe, high-end meal, in-flight snacks, stipend for massages and leisure, and insurance. When he's done itemizing things out, it will cost approximately 80,000,000- that's 80 million- coins. Dreambert says this will be a piece of cake. I hope for his sake that Dreambert has a considerable amount of wealth in treasure stashed somewhere. Mario agrees to the price. The Zeekeeper's ready to imprison Antasma again and restore peace to Pi'illo Island. The Zeekeeper says to hop on his back and he'll waive the fee for the ride.

The Zeekeeper flies out of the portal. Starlow was picturing a more humble guardian. The Zeekeeper says he smells the foul stink of evil over the island. Dreambert asks him to blast the barrier, which the Zeekeeper says will take two seconds. He's going to check out the castle first. He'll wait for the bros at the woods' entrance.