--------------------------------------------- Earthbound Strategy Guide Author: Kylohk System: Super Nintendo Entertainment System Date: 8th January, 2013 Version 1.2 --------------------------------------------- Table of Contents: 1. Introduction 2. Updates 3. Getting Started ---a. Story ---b. Characters ---c. Basics ---d. Fighting Techniques 4. Setting out to Save the World ---a. A Rude Awakening ---b. Cult Crashing Time ---c. The Band and the Zombies 5. Help Arrives from Far Away ---a. Trekking Across the Snowland ---b. From the Desert to the Metropolis ---c. A Tropical Getaway 6. More and More Exotic Places ---a. It's Time for a Reenactment of Sahara-Earthbound Style! ---b. Dark and Scary, and Water that is Way too Deep ---c. What on earth, is that a Dinosaur? ---d. Ness' Journey of Self Discovery 7. The Final Stretch 8. Stuff that may Interest You ---a. Various Miscellaneous Tips ---b. A Review of Boss Battles ---c. My Review of a Review 9. Conclusion ---------------- 1. Introduction ---------------- In the 2 Super Smash Bros. released so far, there has been this kid in a red cap, wearing a yellow and blue striped shirt and blue shorts. His weapon of choice is a baseball bat. But where does he come from? He's a psychic boy from the Earthbound series, bearing the name Ness. But what on earth is Earthbound? It seems that this game was released for the SNES back in 1995. It is a RPG with a modern attitude, but was rejected by the masses due to its rather outdated graphics. Since I have a SNES, I can just get an old Earthbound cart from eBay for a low price and see what the fuss is all about. Sure, the graphics may seem like that it belongs to the old NES, but the sound really is up to date. The game is really fun, and that's what matters, right? So, I think I will write a guide for this game, and make it rich in spoilers! It's spoiler richness that makes guide writing fun for me. --------------- 2. Updates --------------- Version 1.2: It's been a while, but I have improved the prose of around half of the guide. Version 1.1: Replayed the game with a new leveling strategy. So, the level of characters would have been changed. Added a new section called "My Review of a Review", where I analyzed one of the reviews of EarthBound in GameFAQs. ------------------- 3. Getting Started ------------------- The starting screen of the game features a large UFO zapping down on a ruined town, and it says "the Battle Against Giygas" beneath the name of the game. Press start to begin. --------------- a. Story --------------- For Ness, an average 13 year old boy living in the outskirts of the town of Onett, life seems uneventful. But then, a large meteorite fell from the sky one night, landing with a loud bang near his house. This wakes up Ness, who attempts to go and investigate, only to be asked to change into his ordinary clothes by his mom. He finds Pokey, his nasty neighbour messing around with the police. Pokey promises to report any findings to him and urges him to go back to bed. Later in the night, he is awakened again, this time by a loud knock on the door. Pokey barges in, saying that he lost his brother Picky, and asks Ness to help find him. Having fought their way through some wild animals, the two find Picky sleeping by the meteor. Just as the three are about to get back, they hear a loud buzzing noise, coming from an alien bug called Buzz Buzz who came from the future. Buzz Buzz speaks of impending destruction of the Earth at the hands of Giygas, and believes that Ness is the chosen one who will defeat him. It is believed that two other boys and one girl will help Ness defeat Giygas. To defeat Giygas, Ness must be wise, brave and rely on his friends. Ness, accompanied by Buzz Buzz, then escorts Pokey and Picky back to their home, where Pokey's mom mistakes Buzz Buzz for a dung beetle and swats him dead. Before he passes away, Buzz Buzz gives Ness a Sound Stone and tells him to visit 8 special locations in the world known as "Your Sanctuary", where he can record 8 melodies. This allows Ness to unit his power with the Earth, which can channel the power and multiply it. With this knowledge in hand, Ness begins his adventure. --------------- b. Characters --------------- There are a total of 4 playable characters in the game, whose names can be set by you when you create a new game. This guide assumes that you make use of each character's default names. So, the chosen four will be referred to Ness, Paula, Jeff and Poo. Ness: Ness is the chosen one from the town of Onett. As the star of the show, he is the silent protagonist, which is common in RPGs back then. He loves to play baseball, and prefers to take his bat and cap into battle. Ness has the highest HP out of the Chosen Four. When it comes to psychic powers (PSI), Ness has a single powerful Ness specialises in support powers which heal him and his friends, hypnotize and paralyze his foes and so on. Hence he would be hitting your enemies with his baseball bat most of the time, stopping to heal every now and again. Ness' PP is usually a third of his HP total. However, as the game progresses, the HP to PP ratio will eventually become 1.4 to 1. And at that point, his PP will increase faster than his HP, so ultimately, the PP and HP will be much closer to each other. The only weaknesses of Ness are that he is the slowest character in the group and will miss home every now and again. That's when phone calls to Mom are useful. Paula: Paula is the only female character in the group who wears a pink dress and wears big red hair bow which also serves as armor. She comes from Twoson, where her parents run the Polestar Preschool. Paula draws quite a bit of publicity with her psychic powers, much to her overprotective father's chagrin. Paula is a light and fast fighter, with the lowest HP in the game and the second highest speed. She specialises in offensive PSI powers, sporting three different elemental abilities which deal a lot of damage for the PP consumed. That and the fact that her PP is basically the same as her HP, and would eventually overtake it imply that you should mainly have Paula use PSI powers. When she has to deal physical damage to her enemies, Paula hits them with her frying pan, which deals moderate damage. Jeff Andonuts: Jeff is the short sighted son of a famous scientist who resides in a far away island country called Winters. While he may have spent most of his childhood in a boarding school away from his father, Jeff seems to have inherited his father's talents, as he is smart enough to create useful new items from broken things found all over the place. Jeff has the second lowest HP out of the Chosen Four and is the second slowest as well. He is also the only member of the group that cannot use psychic powers, relying on guns and lasers as his main weapons instead. This is compensated by a set of exclusive items that can only be used by him, and some of those can really pack a punch in battle, potentially making him the best physical attacker in the game! In addition, the lack of PP also means that Jeff is immune to certain PP draining attacks and the loss of concentration. Prince Poo: OK, I wonder whose idea is it to create such a ridiculous name for a noble prince. Poo comes from a far eastern country called Dalaam, god knows where that is. In spite of having such a horrible hairstyle, he is hot with the ladies there. Poo has meditated and trained himself under the ancient Mu code, enabling him to use psychic powers. Poo is the well rounded character of the group, being the fastest attacker that can deal considerable physical damage, who has the second highest HP, the widest variety of psychic attacks and support abilities with one particularly powerful trick up his sleeve, as you can see later in the game. Of course, Poo's PP is not as high as Paula's, with the same 3:1 HP to PP ratio as Ness. Poo's main weakness is that he is very picky with food and equipment. Every single type of food barring one will restore only 6 HP to him. In addition, there is a grand total of one item for each of his four equipment slots that can raise his stats! --------------- c. Basics --------------- Button Configuration: Control Pad: Move Around Start Button: Move to Main Menu when the game says "Press Start" Select Button: Cancel Selections, Bring up Current Status L Button: Check items, Talk to People R Button: Rings the Bell when Riding the Bike A Button: Confirm Selection, Open Action Menu X Button: Opens up Town Map, if the Town is mapped The Action Menu: Whenever you are walking around in the field, you may run into things that are of interest like shopkeepers or gift boxes. To interact with those things, you either press the L button to have the action chosen for you. You can also press A to open up a window that allows you to pick a course of action. "Talk to" allows you to talk to the person, "Check" allows you to have a close look at the item. "PSI" allows you to use your PSI healing or teleportation skills to heal someone in your group or teleport to somewhere else. "Goods" allows you to use items you have collected, either on your own members, or to give items to someone, in or out of your group. "Equip" allows you to equip your group members with armor and weapons. "Status" is there for you to see the stats of your group members. Equipment: To improve your characters' attack and defensive power, you get to equip up to 4 things per person. Each character is entitled to have one weapon and 3 types of armor or accessories equipped. There is Body Armor and Arm Armor, as well as a "Other" slot. Whenever you are choosing an item to be equipped, you will see the effect the item will have on your character's offense or defense stat, so be careful of downgrades. Poo has a dedicated set of weapon, armor and accessory. Equipping any other items will lower his stats! What a picky guy. Saving: To save, you must find a phone to contact Dad. He will tell you how much you have in the bank, as well as the EXP required for each character to advance to the next level. Black phones are free, while the green ones cost $1 to use. Character Statistics: Selecting the Status option allows you to see the stats of each character in the group. Use the D-pad to scroll left and right. There are many interesting stats for you to look at. The sad thing is stat when a character levels up, the stats will not increase uniformly. Sometimes, you may level up, only to find that your HP has increased by 1! Level is the state of experience your character is in. When a character collects enough EXP, he will level. Note that the EXP required to level up increases in the order Ness < Paula < Poo < Jeff. This also means that if allowed to level up normally, Ness will have the highest level and Jeff will have the lowest. This may lead to power imbalances. Hit Points and Psychic Points are representing your characters' health and ability to use psychic powers. Jeff is stuck with zero PP. On the other hand, Next Level tells you how much EXP is required to level up. Offense, Defense and Speed are 3 obvious stats. Note that the former 2 can vary depending on what stuff your character is equipping. Guts on the other hand, refers to the chance of your character dealing Smash attacks on the enemy. Smash attacks are like critical hits, they deal several times the ordinary damage on the enemy. This is a bonus for you, but a nightmare if the enemy manages to hit you with one! Vitality and IQ are two rate determining stats. Vitality determines how fast the character's maximum HP increases. IQ, on the other hand, determines how fast the character's maximum PP increases. Jeff may be the highest IQ, but he has no PP. So, what are the uses of this stat? Well, as Jeff becomes more intelligent, he gets to be able to fix more and more complex items, turning them into more and more powerful weapons. Finally, luck determines how often you miss your item in battle. Bats and Fry Pans have a miss rate of 1 in 16. The Sword of Kings and the guns used by Jeff always hit, if the enemy does not try to dodge. Stat enhancing capsules: You will find some items ending with "Capsule" in the levels. Capsules are items that increase one of the drinker's stats by 1. There are capsules like Speed capsule (Use on Ness), IQ Capsule (Use on Paula), Vital Capsule (Use on Jeff), Guts capsule (Use on Poo) and Luck Capsule (Use on Ness). The Rock Candy, on the other hand, randomly increases a stat by 1; I would recommend that you give this to Jeff. Status Ailments: Like all RPGs, Earthbound is no short of illnesses that will affect the characters. Here are all of them. There are many different items to heal different ailments, as well as different cure-alls, but for the sake of item conservation, I suggest you use the PSI Healing Spells. The hospital is also used to deal with various ailments. Depending on how you are ailing, the Doctor, Nurse or Healer will be of help. Solidify: Your character cannot move for one and only one turn. This is a minor hitch really, but if you are facing strong bosses, delaying their attacks by 1 turn can make all the difference with this ailment. Lose Concentration: This ailment is only of an issue to Ness, Paula and Poo. In this state, you cannot use any PSI attacks, so might as well bash until the battle ends or when you can concentrate again. If Jeff has this ailment, consider it to be a bonus that the other 3 don't have it. Mushroomize: When an enemy scatters spores at you, a Mushroom will grow on your head! This mushroom makes you feel flunky and may cause you to hit yourself or your friends. Outside of battle, the control scheme will go nuts! This cure may be profitable, since certain people will buy the mushroom off your head for $50 if you talk to them. Possessed: Certain ghost like enemies can possess you with a mini-ghost. This mini-ghost becomes one of your group members, but will do annoying things like hitting you or solidifying you. To remove a ghost, enter the hospital and find a healer. Ask to be Purified. *****CURED BY HEALING ALPHA***** Cold and Sunstroke: Certain enemies can fire beams that cause nighttime stuffiness. Then, you will catch a cold and lose a small amount of HP very turn, as well as while walking in the field. (The screen flashes with a red color). Sunstroke is only obtained while walking in hot deserts for too long. The effects are the same as having a cold. Sleeping: When asleep, you cannot attack nor do anything and the only thing you can do is to wake up. It may take several turns, but when the battle ends, you will automatically wake up anyway. In order to induce sleep in an enemy, attack with PSI Hypnosis. *****CURED BY HEALING BETA***** Poison and Nausea: The typical Poison is back again. There is also Nausea, which is a close relative. Both ailments cause you to lose HP during each turn and intermittently outside battle, just like when you have colds or sunstroke. However, the rate of HP loss is much faster at 20 HP per round or per red flash. So, hurry up and heal up! To poison an enemy, you can throw snakes or vipers at him. Snakes may or may not poison the enemy while Vipers always does it. To induce Nausea, throw a pair of dirty socks out at the enemy. Crying: Certain enemies can attack with tear gas style techniques, thus making tears come out. When that happens, your accuracy in physical attacks is drastically lowered. But PSI accuracy is unaffected. You will be cured automatically when the battle ends. (No one gets depressed that long.) You can make enemies cry by using PSI Flash. Feeling Strange: This is like the confused status in Pokemon. You get dizzy all the time, and may not be sure of who you are hitting. So, there is a danger that you can hit your own ally with a lethal weapon. When that happens, don't do anything until you are cured, unless it's an emergency. You can also induce this status at the enemy by using PSI Brainshock or Flash, depending on who you are. *****CURED BY HEALING GAMMA***** Numbness and Diamondize: These are both immobility ailments, so the character cannot attack using physical attacks. The latter is often induced by glaring. For the former ailment, you can still use PSI powers, for the latter, you can't. To induce Numbness on an enemy, use PSI Paralysis or Flash Beta. I'm sorry, but you can't diamondize anyone. The Healers in Hospitals are the most useful at this point, since they can either soften (Diamondize) you or restore feeling (Numbness). Unconsciousness: When a character loses all HP, he will be knocked out. He appears as an angel in the field, and all menus will appear red. You should revive him with a Cup of Lifenoodles or by visiting a Hospital and talking to the nurse. But be prepared to pay the doctor's fee. ----------------------- d. Fighting Techniques ----------------------- All RPGs always involve battles with enemies. In Earthbound, we make use of the turn based battle system. Each character, friend and foe selects a move, and they make their moves in turns with the fastest character moving first. This process repeats until everyone has moved. Then the next round of moves comes up. Simple, right? Engaging enemies: Whenever you are in the field, you will find people and animals moving around. If the person moves erratically and seems to be coming after you, then he is most likely an enemy. To engage him, run into him. If you approach an enemy from the front or side, the swirl will be black and both sides will engage in battle. While the screen is swirling, other nearby characters may join in and help. If the enemy approaches you from behind, the swirl will be red. Uh-oh! This means that the enemies get to give you a surprise attack, and can have one free turn without you retaliating! This is particularly dangerous if more than 2 enemies engage you this way. On the other hand, if you manage to approach the enemy from the rear, you get a green swirl, which means you get the surprise attack. This is especially good if all of the Chosen Four are present, allowing you to deal a lot of damage up front. Sometimes, if your levels are high enough, you can see the screen flash briefly, and then the You Win message will appear. That's it, free EXP without needing to battle! This trick is especially handy against Criminal Caterpillars and Master Criminal Worms, which always try to run away, but give massive EXP when caught. The automated victory may also occur if you get a black swirl, but the level difference needs to be even higher. The Battle Menu: In battle, all the enemies will be lined up in front of you at the top of the screen, in front of some weird moving background. The 4 characters' HP, PP and status ailments, if any will appear at the bottom. You get to pick a course of action in the order Ness --> Paula --> Jeff --> Poo. The battle menu holds different choices, depending on which character you are. Bash or Shoot will cause your character to attack using a physical attack. Goods allow you to pick an item, from healing items to the powerful Multi Bottle Rocket in battle. Defend holds your character in a defensive position, minimizing damage received. PSI (Ness, Paula, Poo) allows you to use a PSI power against the enemy. Auto Fight causes the game to randomly generate a course of action for you. Run Away causes your group to attempt to escape. "Pray" is a command exclusive to Paula. She will pray, and generate a random effect that can be good or bad for the group. (For example, she may revive everyone, friend or foe.) "Spy" is exclusive to Jeff. This rather important command allows Jeff to analyze an enemy of your choice, giving his stats and PSI vulnerabilities, if any. "Mirror", Poo's exclusive command allows him to copy one of the enemies. But he can't copy certain enemies, like Giygas! He who Hesitates is Lost: One noticeable feature of Earthbound is that when one of your group members take damage, his HP meter drops the same way as those gas meters. The numbers roll on a wheel until the total HP is deducted. This may not matter when you have few HP, but if you have hundreds of them and are dealt a mortal blow, it will take a while for it to reach zero. In that case, act quickly and heal the character or heal him. Either way can prevent him from being unconscious. (The HP meter stops moving when all enemies are beaten.) EXP Gain: When the enemy is defeated, the entire group will be awarded with EXP, which is divided evenly among all the members of the group that are not unconscious. If a character is knocked unconscious during battle, his share of the EXP will be distributed evenly among the other survivors. Therefore, if Ness, Paula, Jeff and Poo are in battle, and Ness and Paula are knocked out, Jeff and Poo will gain twice the normal amount of EXP gained of the amount gained when Ness and Paula were present. Since Jeff and Poo level up slower than the first 2 characters, this technique is useful in catching up levelwise. Since Ness has loads of HP, the best places to catch up are places where there are enemies that use Flash or poison. Either way, Ness can get unconscious quickly, allowing the other 3 to catch up. -------------- PSI Techniques -------------- There are a total of 4 types of PSI techniques. Offense, Recovery, Assist and Other. The former 3 can be used in battle. All PSI moves cost PP (Psychic Points) to use, which are difficult to replenish when you are out in the field. So, when you know that you cannot visit a hotel, completely revitalise your group or regain PP by any other means for a long time, it is best to use physical attacks over PSI. *****OFFENSE***** Rockin Alpha/Beta/Gamma/Omega (Ness) PP Needed: 10/14/40/98 Rockin is Ness' exclusive PSI move, and is also his only move that is guaranteed deal direct damage to the enemy. Ness simply concentrates, and shoots out his mind's energy in a large blast, hurting all enemies. No enemies are strong or weak against this attack. The Omega version of the attack can only be obtained when Ness' conquers his own self, and his powers fuse with the Earth's. That explains the insane requirement. Please note that the actual name of this move is based on your favorite thing. The default selection is Rockin, so the move will be called Rockin by default. Being a novice PSI user, this attack does not deal that enough damage for the PP consumed. Given Ness' relatively low PP supply, you should not use this move unless you are in a rush to defeat the enemy or you are close to a hotel or other places where you can rest to restore your group. Instead, resort to bashing your enemies with your baseball bat and save the PP for the more valuable healing moves. Flash Alpha/Beta/Gamma/Omega (Ness) PP Needed: 8/16/24/32 Flash is again, Ness' exclusive move. It gives out a flash of psychic energy, giving all enemies a great shock. I really doubt that this move should be categorized as an Offensive move. The higher the Greek letter, the more powerful the effects, although they do not work most of the time. Alpha causes the enemies to cry or feel strange. From Beta onwards, Flash may kill enemies in one blast and has the additional possibility of numbing the enemies. The chance of taking out the enemy with Flash increases with the level of attack used, but I would not take my chances most of the time. Fire Alpha/Beta/Gamma/Omega (Paula) PP Needed: 6/12/20/42 As a locally famous psychic user, Paula can manipulate the three main RPG elements and is the only PSI user that can play with Fire! When Fire is used, Paula pushs a wall of flame into the enemies, damaging an entire row of them. When you face a large group of enemies, they may be arranged in up to two rows. When that happens, you have the option to hit the front row or back row. As an attack that deals damage to multiple enemies, Fire is much more PP efficient than Rockin, hence will be the move of choice if you are faced with a large group of enemies that do not deal great damage individually most of the time. If you are facing one or two enemies, you should only use Fire if they are resistant to Freeze, and if three or all four group members are available. Don't bother using your PP and bash them instead! Freeze Alpha/Beta/Gamma (Paula and Poo), Omega (Paula) PP Needed: 4/9/18/28 Freeze is the standard single target PSI attack of this game that can be used on an enemy of your choice. The user will freeze the area the enemy is standing in and deal concentrated damage, with a chance of solidifying him for one turn. Only Paula can learn the most powerful version of this move, which should be saved for bosses. Given Paula's high total PP, Freeze Alpha and Beta should be her most commonly used PSI attacks. Thunder Alpha/Beta/Gamma (Paula and Poo), Omega (Poo) PP Needed: 3/7/16/20 Paula and Poo have the ability to induce lightning strikes on the enemy. The number of strikes increase from 1 to 4 as more powerful versions of this move are learnt. The big problem is that due to the lightning bolt's random nature, there is a high chance of it not hitting anyone. But if it does hit, it can remove the enemy's shields. So, use this as a substitute of the Neutralizer if you don't have it. It seems that you have a higher chance to hit an enemy the more you are facing. When there are 4 or more enemies, this attack will definitely hit. Starstorm Alpha/Beta (Poo) PP Needed: 24/42 This is why all those years of Mu training Poo paid off. Poo will split his psychic energy in distinctive packets and unleash a meteor storm upon the enemy. Both versions are learnt from an old master through special events. Starstorm deals heavy damage to all enemies you are facing at a relatively low cost compared to Rockin. This move has got to be Poo's redeeming feature, since he joins as a low level. Starstorm Beta is learnt a little too late in the game and you are not likely to need to use it since there are other substitutes. In most cases, Alpha is powerful enough already for the Prince's use. *****RECOVERY***** Lifeup Alpha/Beta/Gamma (Ness, Poo), Omega (Ness) PP Needed: 5/8/13/24 This is the HP recovery technique for Ness' group. Both Ness and Poo can use the first 3 versions, which heal a single group member of your choice. Alpha recovers about 100 HP, Beta recovers about 300 HP, and Gamma fully restores the target's HP. As for Omega, it restores around 400 HP to everyone in the group! This is particularly useful when you are dealt a insanely powerful area blow (like Starstorm). Use this IMMEDIATELY and you should be able to save everyone before anyone goes unconscious. Healing Alpha/Beta/Gamma (Ness, Poo), Omega (Poo) PP Needed: 5/8/20/38 This is the status ailment curing move. This time, Poo gets the strongest variant only. The higher the level, the more serious the ailment that can be cured. The first versions heal a single group member of your choice, while the final version is the most useful since it can allow Poo to revive all unconscious group members with full HP, making Cups of Lifenoodles obsolete. The only drawback is that it takes too much PP. Magnet Alpha/Omega (Paula, Poo) This move allows Paula and Poo to drain PP from enemies to replenish their own. Magnet Alpha drains PP from a single enemy while Omega works on all the enemies you are facing. Certain areas of the game have enemies with PP with weak attacks (Attack Slugs, Foppies etc.) which attack you in large groups. Their PP is ripe for your harvest. You can quickly refill Paula and Poo's PP meters by fighting a group of these enemies, draining their PP as you do so, allowing them to respawn after they are defeated and doing this again and again! *****ASSIST***** Hypnosis Alpha/Omega (Ness) PP Required: 6/18 This move attempts to puts an enemy of your choice to sleep. The Omega version attempts to put every enemy you currently face to sleep. While many enemies may wake up after a turn, deferring their attacks by one turn may make all the difference. Paralysis Alpha/Omega (Ness) PP Required: 8/24 The Alpha version of this move attempts to paralyze an enemy of your choice. This is most likely to work on those enemies which are vulnerable to the attack. Otherwise, you are most likely going to be wasting your turn. Omega attempts to paralyze all enemies that you are facing. Since the enemy is unable to use physical attacks when paralyzed, paralyzing enemies that can only use such attacks would allow you to casually beat them to death with impunity. Shield Alpha/Beta (Ness, Poo, Paula), Sigma/Omega (Poo, Paula) The Shields are very confusing protection moves. Since some protect you from physical attacks, and some protect you from PSI. Since PSI attacks can often deal mortal damage to your group, I find Paula's Shield Sigma to be the most useful. That shield protects everyone with a psychic shield, which nullifies all damage dealt by enemy PSI attacks for a few hits. Now not even Starstorms are much to fear! Offense Up/Defense Down Alpha/Beta (Paula) PP Required: 10/30/8/24 These two moves increase the damage dealt to the enemy. This is because it either increases your attack power or lower the enemies' defense. The Alpha versions of both moves are inflicted on an enemy of your choice while the Beta version works on all the enemies you are currently facing. Brainshock Alpha/Beta (Poo) PP Required: 10/30 Poo can use his psychic powers to twist the mind of the enemies, attempting to make them feel strange. This move is most likely to work on enemies that are susceptible to Brainshock. The Alpha version is inflicted on an enemy of your choice while the Beta version is inflicted on all enemies you are currently facing. *****OTHER***** Teleport Alpha/Beta (Ness, Poo) PP Required: 2/8 PSI Teleportation allows Ness and his friends travel any major area he has visited. There are 10 total areas that can be teleported to. PSI Teleportation seems to be making use of the same mechanism of the Delorean in Back to the Future. You have to reach a certain speed before you can warp. This is why you will need to have considerable running space for Alpha to be used. If things are tight, try turning around with the D-Pad. Beta is much easier to carry out, since you only need to run around in circles to acquire the desired speed. --------------------------------- 4. Setting out to Save the World --------------------------------- It is time to set out to destroy Giygas. Insert the cart into the slot and turn on the SNES. At the main menu, select Start New Game. You get to select the text speed, the sound setting, the "flavor" (color) of the windows. I prefer mint flavor. Then you get to name your main characters, dog and your favorite food and thing. This guide assumes you select the default names. Wow! Let's start. -------------------- a. A Rude Awakening -------------------- It is the year 199X, in a small town in Eagleland called Onett. Since the national symbol of the United States is the American Bald Eagle, I will not be surprised if Eagleland is the equivalent of the United States in the real world. It is in the middle of the night. We now come to Ness' House. Ness is fast asleep. Suddenly, there was a loud noise of some large object hitting the ground at high speed. That wakes Ness up. You get out of bed and investigate with your pajamas. You can now control Ness. Move Ness out of his bedroom, and into the corridor. Enter the first room you see. It's your sister Tracy's room. Open the gift box for a Cracked Bat. Equip it to increase Ness' offense by 4. Then get out and go downstairs. Talk to your Mom down there. "What was that noise?" she asks, "You don't seem scared. Are you nuts? And now you want to check it out? You'll sneak out of your room anyway, even if I asked you not to. At least change out of your jammies before you go." Remember, a good mother is an understanding one! You will be in your room again, fully dressed. Now get out. If you talk to the man wearing glasses, he will tell you that a meteorite landed nearby, and he wants to be the first to get there. So, go south along the path. There are plenty of policemen around this place. The one gift box you will find contains a Bread Roll. This is food, a healing item in Earthbound. Don't bother with Lier X. Aggerate yet. Just keep moving until you reach another roadblock with Pokey, your pesky neighbour boy. Pokey is bugging the cops. He shifts the blame into you. Go back to bed for now. Another night passes, or does it? Later that night, someone knocks on your door. Go and answer it. Pokey barges in. "Hey! Listen to what I got to say! When I took Picky to the place where the meteorite landed. Oh, good evening ma'am, you are looking lovely as usual. *snicker* Anyway, as I was saying, the police that were guarding the meteorite landing left suddenly to deal with the Sharks. You know the Sharks? They are the local ruffians, and they are going wild. Suddenly, I noticed that Picky was gone. I blame the cops, it certainly wasn't my fault at all. When my dad gets back, I know I'm gonna get it. You're my bestest friend, will you help me find Picky?" Just say yes or Pokey will force the issue any way. As suggested, say goodbye to your mom in order to change clothes. Get out with Pokey now. Pokey suggests that you go out front while he follows at a safe distance. What a wimp. Let's go out together. Suddenly, the phone rings. It's your dad. He tells you that he can create a record of your adventure when you phone him, so you save by calling dad. There are only 3 types of enemies here. The runaway dogs, the spiteful crows and the coil snake. These aren't much of a threat, except that they will be faster than you for now. Runaway dogs drop bread rolls while spiteful crows drop cookies. Head back to the impact site, fighting the wild animals in the way. The Coil Snakes are really not worth it since they give only 1 exp. When Ness hits level 2, he will learn PSI Lifeup Alpha. You find Picky asleep next to the meteorite. "Wha! Oh! You woke me up. Pokey! I've been looking all over for you. You see, Pokey got scared and ran away. Well, I'm glad that you are ok at least. Let's go home now, I bet Mom and Dad are worried about us. Geez! Sometimes I wonder which of us is the big brother." Picky joins you, attempt to leave. Suddenly, Pokey says, "Ness! Do you hear a buzzing that sounds like a bee flying around?" Say Yes. That buzzing creature appears from the meteorite! The bee introduces himself. "A bee I am not, I'm from 10 years in the future. And, in the future, all is devastation. Giygas, the universal cosmic destroyer sent the horror of eternal darkness. However, you must listen. Where I am from, there is a well known legend that has been handed down from ancient times. It says, 'When a chosen boy reaches the point, he will find the light. The passing of time will shatter the nightmare rock and will reveal the path of light.' You see, it is my opinion that you are that boy, Ness. This I believe. Giyga's monstrous plan must have been set in motion somewhere on Earth. If you start to confront the enemy immediately, you may have time to counter the evil intentions of Giygas. Three things are of the utmost importance: wisdom, courage and friendship. The legends of ancient times tell of 3 boys and 1 girl who defeat Giygas. I will tell you more later. Go now! And do not be anxious about the future. You have much work to do, Ness." Tell Buzz Buzz that you have understood him and he will join you. Pokey then hopes that he would not be one of those 3! What a wimp. Fear leads to the Dark Side, Pokey! Get back home now. As you are nearing the house, a bright beam of light shoots down from the sky. It's a Starman Junior. "It's been a long time, Buzz Buzz. You've been successful in foiling Giygas' plans. But, Buzz Buzz, you must now surrender. You're no longer a hero, just a useless insect. I'll stomp you hard!" It's time to fight! Boss Battle! Starman Junior (16 EXP) This first Boss Battle really is laughable. This Starman Junior is a show off. He uses many types of PSI attacks on you. However, Buzz Buzz will always strike first. He uses the PSI Shield Sigma instantly. This blocks all PSI Attacks. Then, you can just bash away until he falls! Ness should reach level 3, and gain a big boost in HP. "Whew! I was taking a big chance there," Buzz Buzz says, "He came from 10 years in the future to kill me, so we can't relax yet. From now on, you'll be fighting enemies sent by Giygas, as well as humans who have evil thoughts. They'll definitely make trouble during your adventure. Animals are also become violent due to Giygas' influence over their minds. It is the truth, so listen!" Enter Pokey's house first. It's to the left of your house. Talk to the father, Aloysius Minch. He apologizes for the trouble his kids gave you. He herds them into their bedroom for a beating! He then comes down and hopes you leave soon, he claims that your dad borrowed more than $100000 from him, and now he is living in poverty! Meanwhile, the mother, Lardna Minch will come over and say that her husband is too lenient with the children. She sees Buzz Buzz. She thinks it's a dung beetle! She stomps it flat. This is when Buzz Buzz, our so called messenger from the future gets mortally wounded! Pathetic. Talk to Buzz Buzz. "Agh! I was much weaker than I thought. So you must now begin your adventure. See you..." Before saying goodbye, there is something else, "Oh! I just remembered. Listen to my final words. To defeat Giygas, your own power must unite with the Earth's. The Earth will then channel your power and multiply it. There are 8 points that you must visit. Make these places your own. Each of these locations is "Your Sanctuary". One of them is near Onett, it's called the "Giant Step". Go there first, do you understand?" Say yes, and let Buzz Buzz rest in peace. "Before I pass on, I want to give you something. It is the Sound Stone. You record the melodies of the 8 Your Sanctuary locations into this stone. It is an awesome item." He offers to repeat the story once more. Say no this time. It's dawn outside now. You get the Sound Stone. Get out. It's now morning. First go back to your house and talk to mom. Let her heal you by cooking you Steak. You should be photographed by a genius photographer as you attempt to enter the house. Say fuzzy pickles! Also phone Dad to save. Then head south through the eastern path down to the town itself. ------------------------ Dealing with the Sharks ------------------------ Ness' Level: 3 The first building you will come to is the library. Enter and talk to the receptionist to borrow a Town Map for free. Now you can see the Town Map by pressing the X button. Get back out. Go southwest along the dirt path and you will come to the Burger Shop. There is a trash can outside. Check it for a Hamburger. It's amazing that you can still eat such stuff. Inside the Burger Shop, you will find a selection of food available. Now, whenever I list food items in a shopping catalog, I will only write descriptions on the foods which I think are hot, or worth the money. The rest will only be displayed with the price. *****BURGER SHOP***** Can of Fruit Juice ($4), Cup of Coffee ($6), Bag of Fries ($8) Hamburger ($14, restores 60 HP) **HOT!** Now you know. The shop to the left is a Drug Store, this is where you buy drugs to cure ailments and new weapons. I prefer the latter, since PSI Healing can be used instead of drugs. So, whenever I find vendors selling drugs, their catalogs will not be revealed. It seems that whenever you select an item that is an upgrade, the character that can be upgraded will have a flashing box. Once you have bought it, you can equip it instantly, and sell the old weapon. Also, each weapon and armor's stat boosts will be shown, and the value shown is the increment relative to the item already equipped, so Offense +4 below means that the Tee Ball Bat will increase Ness' Offense by 4 over the Cracked Bat. *****ONETT DRUG STORE***** Cracked Bat ($48, Already Equipped) Tee Ball Bat ($48, For Ness, Offense +4) Yo-yo ($29, For Everyone) Baseball Cap ($19, For Ness, Defense +5) Copper Bracelet ($98, For Ness, Defense +5) Get out of the shop, and continue heading south, past the City Hall and you should find the hospital. It's called the Bush Hospital! Thinking what I am thinking? Go right and you should find the Mach Pizza branch. It's not open. The building to the right is the Game Arcade. This is where the Sharks hang out. There are 3 types of sharks, the Yes Man Junior, who attacks with a hula hoop, a Pogo Punk who engages you in a Pogo stick (and also drops burgers), and the Skate Punk, who is capable of delivering heavy damage by shredding fiercely on a skateboard. (He can also call for help, which may summon another Shark to his aid) The funny thing is, whenever you defeat a Shark, they will become tame. What do you think they are, animals? Enter the Game Arcade when you are at level 4 (while realizing Paralysis Alpha). There are Sharks hanging around. Some of them will fight you. There is one on the ground floor, and one on the first floor. When they are beaten up, get back down to the ground floor and talk to the Shark guarding the door. Tell him that you do not want to be a member to arouse him! Tame him! When you reach level 5, you should get another massive HP boost. This should be what you need to beat the head of the Sharks, as seen behind the door. In the backyard, you see the leader and a robot. Talk to the leader. "I'm Frank, you are? C'mon, can't you at least say your name?" He is definitely provoking you. Let's attack this boss. Boss Battle! Frank Fly (50 EXP) and Frankystein Mark II (76 EXP) Frank Fly, like any other gangster head can taunt you with something nasty, lowering your Guts. He also brandishes his knife to slash at you. He can also come out swinging. The funny thing is, Frank Fly may waste his turns saying things nasty, while you beat him to a pulp. After this, Frank will try to be fail-safe. "Fool-proof Frank can't be beaten. And this is Frankystein Mark II!" Now, you have to beat his robot too. This robot attacks in alternate turns, generating steam between punching and tearing attacks. The latter attack deals more damage, but fortunately you can have a turn to heal since he has to rest between attacks. When his robot is beaten, Frank Fly will surrender. You should be at Level 6. "This is my first defeat," He says, "Fool-proof Frank is now just failure Frank. I know you've been asking around, so I'll tell you about Giant Step. It seems quite a powerful spot. Some kind of special power is stored there that allows certain people to perform wondrous feats. However, a monster sucked up all the energy in that spot. It is difficult to get to Giant Step, that's all I know. I suggest you collect more information on your own. The entrance to the Giant Step is behind the touring entertainers' shack. Pirkle, the Mayor of Onett has the key to the shack. Ness, you've become stronger than I. Your adventure is just beginning." Leave the dejected gang leader in his misery and enter the Town hall. Get to the second floor and talk to the mayor. He's wearing sunglasses. He will give you the key to the shack since you have beaten the Sharks (To elaborate, punch their heads off, spit into their eyes and made then wet their pants). He then says that he will not be responsible for any injuries you sustained there! Agree and the key is yours. Before getting to the Giant Step, I suggest you rest at home, and phone Dad to save, then go to town and stock up on Hamburgers. --------------- Giant Step --------------- Ness' Level: 6 It seems that once Ness is at Level 6, all wild animals in Onett will be scared of him. You may be tempted to get free EXP from them, but don't. Your main objective right now is to keep Ness' level down so a character that will join him later won't be lagging too far behind. To get to Giant Step, follow the dirt path outside the library to the west. You will come to the Entertainers' Shack. Talk to one of them and he will reward you with a Travel Charm. It does nothing but to defend Ness against Paralysis. Since no enemies can paralyze you yet, this item is useless and can be ignored. Use the key to the shack and you can enter and exit through the other side. Then enter the cave for the first dungeon. In this cave, go as I ask you to. Try to minimize contact. There are Attack Slugs, Black Antoids and Rowdy Mice here. The latter are very annoying due to their high Guts. Their biting attacks frequently end up being Smash attacks. Black Antoids deal a lot of physical damage for ants, and can call for help! Try to avoid those 2. Attack Slugs are punching bags. Up to 4 may attack at once, but one bash can defeat one. Keep going to the left until you see the rope by the opening. Climb up. Go right and find the rope. If you get to level 7, you should get another large HP boost of around 13. Climb up to the next level and head left. If there are lots of black dots on screen, then they most likely will be Attack Slugs. You will then come to an opening. Go through. Finally, the outside again! Go left and to the opening there. If there is a Magic Butterfly, use Lifeup to heal yourself fully and then walk into the butterfly to regain 20 PP. Enter the cave there. There may be Attack Slugs or Black Antoids. Check you status. Try to reach level 8. Then you can learn PSI Rockin Alpha, an important move to defeat the boss you have to face later on. There is a gift box here as well. There is a Hamburger inside. How kind. Then go through the opening you find. You will be in small room. Beat any enemies you find and go to the left. Right now, Black Antoids may be defeated in 2 bashes. The next room has a long rope placed against a wall. Climb up. It's a long climb, but you will eventually reach an opening blocked by a shiny light. Talk to the light and the Your Sanctuary boss fight will begin. It's a Titanic Ant! Boss Battle! Titanic Ant with 2 Black Antoids (759 EXP) It's the first serious boss fight. The fight for Your Sanctuary. This Titanic Ant is not alone. He is helped by 2 Black Antoids. For the first go, use PSI Rockin Alpha on the enemy trio. This blast should knock out the 2 Black Antoids and deal some damage to the Titanic Ant as well. Then it's a boy to ant battle! Now, it seems that the Titanic Ant knows how to cast PSI Defense Down Alpha on Ness. But honestly it's a waste of turn since Ness' Defense is not that low. At other times, the Titanic Ant will bite you, dealing around 20 HP damage a blow. Continue to use Rockin Alpha until you run out of PP. (You should be able to use it once more.) If you are dealt a mortal blow, the rolling hit point system most likely can't save you, since you have too little HP. So, anticipate defeat and heal yourself first beforehand. (You should heal when you have 40 HP left.) Other dirty tricks by the Titanic Ant include Magnet Alpha and Shield Alpha. Fortunately, the former is rather useless when you have exhausted all PP to begin with, and that gives you a chance to deliver a free hit. Don't be surprised if you get defeated. Level 8 is a very weak level to face this boss. But I have succeed thanks to my food supply (and some luck!) You should be at level 9, and your HP will get another 10+ boost. The light disappears. Go through the opening. You are at the top of the hill, and some tranquil music is played. Walk over to the giant footprint on the ground. It's the Giant Step. You hear a part of a tune (In the tones DGABBD'AAB, the ' refers to one octave higher), and your health is restored. You will catch a glimpse of a small cute puppy. The melody is recorded. You can now leave, and explore the remainder of the cave I told you to ignore earlier. Don't fight any unnecessary battles here. You are to keep Ness' level low at the moment. The enemies are now scared of you, and will try to keep away, so it really helps. When you are on the second level of the initial cave, enter the opening by the rope. There is a Gift Box with a Cold Remedy inside. Use it when you catch colds. Then enter the room on the right side of the bottom level. There is a Skip Sandwich in the present. A Skip Sandwich recovers 6 HP and allows for fast game play for a short time. (You move faster, but still cannot outrun many enemies. What's the point?) Once you get outside, a cop will stop you. He asks you why you still enter the cave when there is a sign that tells you not to. He asks you if you can read. It does not matter how you respond. He will still require you to report to the police station. Before doing that, save by calling Dad and stock up on even more Hamburgers. Head to the far southeast of the town to find the Police Station. There is a senior looking policeman with some blue on his black cap. He's the captain, so talk to him. "Why is the road to Twoson closed? An emergency, of course. at times like this, kids like you should be playing Nintendo Games. (Ha ha! Subliminal Messaging at its best!) Anyway, are you sure you want to go to Twoson?" Say yes, of course. "Okay, follow me."
This captain takes you to a room at the far end of the police station. Hey, 
there are 5 burly cops in the room here. "Show me what you got! See if you 
can get past five of my best men!" He leaves you to brawl with the cops. You 
have to bash and take out 4 cops. They either use normal attacks or crushing 
chops, which deal more damage. (And quite frequently too!) Try not to use 
any PSI. You may pick up Hamburgers from the Cops. When the 4th cop is 
defeated, the 5th policeman will get scared and run off. Now, captain, you 
must realize that asking your officers to beat kids up is against police 
regulations. I think you should be reported! "There's no way I can beat you 
in a straight competition, so get ready for my Super Ultra Mambo-Tango-
Foxtrot Martial Arts!" It's time to fight the captain!

Boss Battle! Captain Strong (492 EXP)
Captain Strong has some weird self-improvement moves. By losing his temper, 
he can increase his offensive power. The Submission Hold is the most lethal 
attack, and can take out 40 HP off you! That's the best he can do. Coming 
out swinging is his standard attack. If you have 20 or more PP, use Rockin 
Alpha twice on him and he should be beaten. You should be at Level 10 now 
and should have realized Healing Alpha.

"I didn't think you would do so well against the Onett Police Force. You 
want me to open the road to Twoson? Hang on for a sec, I will radio my staff 
and give them the word." Captain Strong now whips out his radio. "Strong 
here, do you read me?" He says, "Hey! It's me, Captain Strong. Okay, listen. 
A kid named Ness will be there in a few minutes. He's a kid in a Red Cap. I 
want you to open the road to Twoson for him. I know that. I know that! Don't 
ask me why, just do it! That's an order. Strong out." The road to Twoson 
will now be open. "Well kid, I'm not going to question you now, but I do 
want to see you again. Good luck!" See ya, Captain!

Before going to Twoson, go back to your house and rest there. But what's 
this? While you are sleeping, someone is communicating with you using 
telepathy! "Ness? Ness! Ness! I'm a friend you have never met before. My 
name is Paula. Can you hear me calling you? I am Paula." Who's that? Sounds 
like a girl's name. There is only one way to find out. On to Twoson!

----------------------
b. Cult Crashing Time
----------------------
Ness' Level: 10
I wonder why a friend whom you have never met would have known you. She must 
have looked up the yellow pages or something. To get to Twoson, go all the 
way to the south of Onett, and get onto the dirt path to the southeast of he 
Game Arcade. Follow it through the woods and you will find a Gift Box with 
another Hamburger in it. Then continue south until you reach the end of the 
path. Walk through the trees to reach Twoson. There should be some Attack 
Slugs and/or Black Antoids, which are simply afraid of you. Don't fight them 
for now. Keep Ness' level low. There are also Rambling Evil Mushrooms, whose 
signature attack is to scatter spores, causing Ness to be Mushroomized! If 
that's so, the cure is in the Hospital next town.

---------------
Twoson
---------------
The color of the trees has changed to a dull green, and the music is more of 
the tranquil jazz type, with a few bars quoted from the Beatles' song 
Yesterday. You are in Twoson now! Walk south along the dirt path, ignoring 
any enemies you find if possible, and you will reach the main road and hotel. 
If you have low HP, you can always rest for a fee ($50 per person). There is 
a Black Phone and an ATM Machine inside too. Save if you like.

The shop to the right of the hotel is the Cycle Shop. You can rent a bike 
for free if you like, although I do not recommend doing so, since this bike 
cannot squeeze through tight spots, and cannot outrun enemies. Besides that, 
when other characters join you, you can't ride the bike. The entrance of the 
shop is another photograph spot. The next building is the Twoson Department 
Store. It sells a wide range of goods from food to equipment.

The first floor seems to be the Food Fare. There is a Bakery and a Burger 
Shop. These are the food items on sale:

*****TWOSON DEPARTMENT STORE FOOD FARE*****
Cookie ($7), Bread Roll ($12), Skip Sandwich ($38), Lucky Sandwich ($128)
Can of Fruit Juice ($4), Cup of Coffee ($6), Bag of Fries ($8)
Hamburger *HOT!* ($14, Recovers ~60 HP)

The most worthwhile food at this point is still the Hamburger. I won't try 
the Lucky Sandwich, since the recovery is randomized. With such prices, I 
wonder if they are using Hong Kong Dollars here in Earthbound. Get up to the 
second floor. There is a toy shop on the second floor. There are 2 
attendants. Talk to them for their goods offered.

*****TWOSON DEPARTMENT STORE TOY DEPARTMENT*****
Cold Remedy ($22, Cures Colds)
Teddy Bear *HOT!* ($178, Takes Damage for the Group for a while!)
Tee Ball Bat ($48, Already Equipped by Ness)
Fry Pan ($56, Equipment for Paula)
Slingshot ($89, Weapon with Higher Miss Rate than the Bat, not worth it.)
Cheap Bracelet ($98, Already Equipped by Ness)
Baseball Cap ($19, Already Equipped by Ness)
Ribbon ($89, Boys don't wear Ribbons!)

As you can see, the only item worth it right now is the Teddy Bear. They act 
as a dud party member, and when the enemy attacks, they will hit the Teddy 
Bear instead of you. Attacks that only cause status ailments will be 
completely nullified! The Teddy Bear has limited HP though. With the money 
you have, 2 Teddy Bears would be good enough. Now, let's leave the store.

The path leading north leads to the Hospital. You don't need to go there now. 
Just go east, past the Chaos Theater. A band named Runaway Five is the 
spotlight. Don't bother with them now. Go south and enter the park. It's the 
Burglin Park. Inside, there are hawkers selling various stuff.

I will scan the stalls in the park starting from the top row. There is a guy 
in pink at the top selling condiments for your food. Whenever you eat food, 
a condiment is sprinkled on it. Depending on the combination, the HP 
recovery will be enhanced or weakened.

*****CONDIMENT STAND*****
Ketchup Packet *HOT!*($2, Works on Hamburgers), Sugar Packet ($3), Tin 
of Cocoa ($4), Carton of Cream ($4), Sprig of Parsley ($2), Jar of Hot 
Sauce *HOT!*($3, Works on Pizza), Salt Packet ($2)

I assume that you can use common sense to figure out which condiments to put 
on which foods. For example, ketchup goes with Hamburgers, and Sugar Packet 
goes with sweets, etc. You know you have made the right choice when the food 
tastes pretty good. An egg seller can be found in the second row from the 
top. You buy eggs, make them hatch into chicks and resell them for profit. 
But eggs take time to hatch.

On the top row from the stone path, there is a guy in sunglasses selling ome 
sort of useless junk, but don't over look any of them.

*****JUNK SELLER*****
Defense Spray ($500, increases Defense for a while)
Rust Promoter ($89, damages all metallic enemies engaged)
Travel Charm ($60, protects against Paralysis only, pointless)
Copper Bracelet ($349, For Ness, Defense +5)
Broken Spray Can ($189, Useless for now)
Broken Iron ($149, Useless for now)

As the guy says, a scientific guy could make better use of the things he 
sells. So you must wait until the scientific guy joins you before the bottom 
2 items become useful. The guy to the right sells a For Sale Sign for $98. 
Now, whenever you wave the sign in the field, someone will come and buy 
stuff from you. Take it if you like, but I prefer not to. Since not all 
useless items will be bought. There is a baker to the right selling the 
following items:

*****BURGLIN PARK BAKER*****
Cookie ($7), Bread Roll ($12), Skip Sandwich ($38), Lucky Sandwich ($128)
Can of Fruit Juice ($4), Cup of Coffee ($6)

Last but not least, the woman sells bananas, while the masked man sells 
rulers. 

Once you are done browsing, go all the way to the right. A man on the roof 
of the management hut will jump down. "Wah ha ha ha ha! Why don't we chat 
later after we have locked horns!" It's Everdred, the park's manager! This 
guys attacks or wastes a turn knitting his brow. Several bashes combined 
with 2 Rockin Alpha attacks should do the trick. Ness should reach level 11 
at this point. This man will not chat with you. "Yes, I'm Everdred, boss of 
Burglin Park. When I jumped off the roof, I twisted my ankle. Anyway, I lost 
and nothing will change that. You know, you're pretty strong. Yeah, I know 
you want to find out about a girl named Paula. She went off to a secret 
hideout in the Peaceful Rest Valley. A chubby boy and a weird guy in a blue 
outfit have kidnapped her, though. They said they were going to make Paula 
some sort of human sacrifice. They were definitely hard core strange. You 
know, she might be gone already. You'd better hurry. If you save Paula, be 
sure to come back here. Okay? Don't forget. Everdred then returns to his hut.

It is time to enter Peaceful Rest Valley to find Paula. Go south along the 
road, and get past the Polestar Preschool. This is where Paula lives. But 
she's not there. Go south to the two huts marked Orange Kid and Apple Kid. 
Orange Kid's house may look tidier, but don't finance him. Instead, enter 
Apple Kid's house and take the Broken Machine out of the trash can. Someone 
can fix it in the future. Talk to Apple Kid.

"Well, I sort of neglected doing my housework. I know it's a bit of a pig 
sty but anyway, I'm Apple Kid. I haven't taken a bath in quite a while, so I 
am a bit smelly. By the way, I'm starving, do you have something to eat? If 
you do, can I have some?" Answer yes and give him a Hamburger.

"Thanks, you seem very nice. Uh, I wonder if... Maybe you would like to 
invest some money in my inventions? Yes! Yes! Yes! Oh. Excuse me, I mean 
thank you. By the way, I really could use $200." If you are really short of 
cash. Then you must fight to raise the required amount. Then come back.

Once you have given him $200, the mouse will block the exit. Talk to him. "I 
am a mouse," he says, "No one has given me a name yet. You took care of my 
master. In return, I want to give you this. Please take it and say nothing." 
It's a receiving phone. It's used to receive phone calls only.

Now, get back north, and go east, past the Bus Station. Follow the dirt path 
through the woods and into the cave. You will encounter new enemies called 
Mobile Sprouts. These guys have the ability to scatter seeds, spawning even 
more of them. Get out on the other side and you will arrive in Peaceful Rest 
Valley.

The music is menacing here. The girl hanging around the tunnel exit is a 
mushroom picker. If you get mushroomized, talk to her and she will buy the 
mushroom off you for $50. Keep moving north, and you will find the path 
blocked by an iron pencil statue. How to get out of this predicament? Let's 
head back for now. When you have gone back to Twoson, you would have 
received a phone call from Apple Kid, who claims to have a new invention.

Apple Kid is in Burglin Park. You can find him to the south of the stalls. 
He's got a Pencil Eraser, which can eradicate all pencil shaped figures in a 
second. Just don't use it near a shop that sells pencils! With this, we can 
rub the pencil statue out and continue our way in Peaceful Rest Valley. 
Cross the bridge.

Move to the right, and run along the water. Then get up to the ridge. Hug 
the south of the ridge and you will find a Gift Box with a Luck Capsule 
which can be drunk to instantly raise your Luck by 1. Then go left and down 
south, along the river. Your objective is to avoid as much contact as 
possible. At the next open area, move right along the narrow path. If you 
are unlucky, you will encounter Territorial Oaks. The Oak's attacks are not 
a major problem, what it does when you defeat it is. When defeated, an Oak 
will burst into flames, and deal heavy damage to Ness and the Teddy Bear. 
Whenever you fight a group of enemies with an Oak, make sure that you defeat 
the Oak last so as to minimize the damage caused by the flames.

Cross the next bridge. Go north. In this narrow path, it is hard to avoid 
contact. There are Li'l UFOs and Spinning Robos here. They both can fire 
beams that cause Colds. Go north, and if you see oak trees moving about, 
move until they are out of sight and come back and check if they are gone. 
If they are still there, repeat until they vanish.

At the next junction, go east. Then go south. When the path is clear, 
quickly duck into the cave. Go through the tunnel and into the Happy Happy 
Village.

--------------------
Happy Happy Village
--------------------
Ness' Level: 14
Welcome to Happy Happy Village. Blue is in at the moment. That's the slogan 
of the Happy Happist cult. The music here sounds so hypnotizing! Every one 
is obsessed with the color blue. Perhaps Eiffel 65's Blue song can be their 
cult's anthem. (I'm Blue and da be dee ba dee ba, etc...)

Let's walk around and see if there are any goods that are worth it, although 
I doubt you have to cash! There are Insane Cultists prowling around, who can 
attack you with blue paint or call for more cultists to join the fun. Avoid 
all contact for now. Stick to the northern edge of the village. There is a 
self service stand that sells bananas at $5 each and Fresh Eggs at $12 each. 
It is possible to have no self-discipline and steal the Eggs without paying 
anything and watching them hatch into chicks which can be sold for $12 each!

NOTE: If you do that, don't talk to the Unassuming Local Guy in green hiding 
behind the tree to the south. He's monitoring the self-service stand. He 
will fight you if you don't pay up! He will moralize even if you win.

The building to the northeast is the Blue-Blue Drugstore, where all their 
goods are blessed! What on earth! Again, only equipment is listed.

*****BLUE-BLUE DRUGSTORE*****
Sandlot Bat ($98, For Ness, Offense +7)
Fry Pan ($36, For Paula)
Copper Bracelet ($349, Already Equipped by Ness)
Holmes Hat ($59, For Ness, Defense +5)
Ribbon ($89, For Paula)

Save by calling Dad and enter the cave to the north. There may be Insane 
Cultists inside. I suggest you reenter until they disappear. Go out through 
the other side to find a cabin. You hear a rather "worried" tune, and a girl 
is trapped inside with her Teddy Bear. Is it Paula? Talk.

"Who?" The girl asks, "Are you Ness? Ness! I'm so glad it's you. I had a 
dream that a boy named Ness is my destiny." Does that mean that she will be 
your future wife? "I know it's hard to believe. Therefore, I knew you would 
rescue me. If you didn't come, I would have to try and bust out of here." 
Lazy girl. She'd rather wait for you in the cell than to rendezvous with you 
somewhere else. You can't open the door. You will have to get the key from 
Carpainter. He's got it hidden away. I heard Carpainter can control 
lightning. In that case, you should wear this Franklin Badge. I'll wait 
until you return. Come back here and get me out once you have defeated 
Carpainter. Don't worry about me, just kick like I know you can!"

An early motivational statement made by the damsel in distress. Let's get 
out and back to the village. Hey, Pokey and 2 Insane Cultists are waiting 
for you outside! "Hey Ness! You're just here to bother me, aren't you? You 
can all me Master Pokey, since Mr. Carpainter made me an important person in 
Happy-Happyism. You should join us, but I know you won't. I'm glad I joined. 
I'm not going to fight you, but these guys will. Later potater!" The 2 
Cultists and the Spiteful Crow then confront you!

If you are at level 14, each Paint Attack should deal about 10 HP damage. 
Your first step will be to deal group damage by Rockin Alpha. It's likely 
you will have to fight more Cultists as planned since they can call for help. 
In the worst of cases, you may have to fight Cultists A to F!

I wonder why Pokey will betray you. Maybe it's because you are the chosen 
one, so to fit in, the enemy has decided to choose the nastiest person 
possible in your neighborhood to be his head lackey! It's time to call Dad 
and save, and head to the large cult building in the middle of the village. 
As you can see, there is a large congregation of Insane Cultists.

To make your way through the crowd, you will have to talk to certain ones to 
make them move out of the way. You should go south. Then talk to the guy 
that is the rightmost in a row of 3 with a space to the right to make him 
move. Then talk to the person in front and you will find that he is chanting 
green instead of blue! You can now reach the giftbox. It contains a Skip 
Sandwich.

Go and talk to the Cultist to the lower left hand corner of this tight area 
and make him move. Then talk to the next person blocking the way. This time, 
you MUST fight him. He asks you, the unmasked fellow to not go to heaven! 
We'll see who's going to heaven now! Now that the path is clear, you can go 
through the door to the left and up the stairs.

Talk to the man in front of the golden statue. "Thanks for coming! I've been 
waiting for you. I need your assistance to help make the world blue and 
change it to a happy and peaceful society. Will you be my right hand 
assistant?" Just say no. "If you don't want to be my right hand assistant, 
left hand is just fine. Just kidding! Your existence is a problem for my 
eligion. Defy me, and I'll end your pitiful game!" He tries to blast you 
with lightning, but the Franklin Badge you are holding deflects it! It's 
time to fight!

Boss Battle! Mr. Carpainter (1412 EXP)
Mr. Carpainter's signature attack is the Crashing Boom Bang attack. Two 
thunderbolts will be unleashed against you with each attack, but they rarely 
hit. Even if one does, the Franklin badge will bounce it back to him and 
hurt him! He can also attack with Paint and heal himself using Lifeup Alpha. 
My strategy is to bash, no PSI needed. After all, if any Crashing Boom Bang 
Attacks bounce back onto him, he will be dealt 70+ damage. This is an easy 
battle.

Now, the old man explains himself. "You see the Mani Mani statue behind me. 
Since I got the statue, I have been doing peculiar things. Please forgive me, 
if you can. I just wanted to have a normal life." You were not living a 
normal life just now, eh? "I apologize to everyone. Here's the key to open 
the jail in the mountain cabin where Paula is being held. Take the key and 
go." You now have the Key to the Cabin.

As you get out, pokey runs over to you. "What a horrible nightmare. I 
somehow woke up. Ness, let's be friends again. Please answer me, I promise 
to be good." Now you must have rejected him as he then follows up and says, 
"Hah! I lied, see you, sucker!" before running off! Get back and free Paula. 
Paula is pleased now. "Thank you Ness! You're just like what I imagined you 
to be. I'm sure that some people in Twoson are worried about me. Getting 
there may be dangerous, but we can do it if we combine our strength. I'm 
able to use a little psychic power that is actually pretty deadly. Let's 
head back to Twoson!" Paula comes out with her Teddy Bear.

You may want to return now, but there is something else you need to do. See 
the cave to the east of the village? It's a cave leading to the Your Second 
Sanctuary Location, Lilliput Steps. Enter the cave and train Paula. This is 
because, she is starting at level 1! You better buy as much equipment for 
her at the Blue-Blue Drugstore before hand!

---------------
Lilliput Steps
---------------
Ness' Level: 15     Paula's Level: 1
While training Paula, I suggest that you stay near the exit of the cavern, 
so you can get back out and rest when you need to. There are lots of Moles 
which are playing rough, and their most damaging attack is to scratch you 
with their sharp nails. These Moles drop Croissants. Fortunately the Teddy 
Bear is there to take the strain for a while. Another enemy is Mr. Batty. 
They attack most of the time, and can size up the situation, causing 
hemselves to feel strange. Now, I really feel strange about this too!

If Paula is knocked out, try to get away. Get back to the village, and enter 
the house in the southeast part next to the Healer, and have the Nurse 
discharge Paula. By the way, I have found a way to level the playing field 
with the 2 characters. The trick is to head back to the path leading to 
Peaceful Rest Valley when Paula is at around level 10, and have a Spinning 
Robo give Ness a cold, and then walk around until he collapses. With this 
trick, Paula will collect EXP by herself, and can get twice the amount as 
when she and Ness are both conscious. Since Ness cannot collect EXP while 
unconscious, Paula can catch up. Level up until Paula is one level above 
Ness, and then find the clinic in the Valley and revive Ness.

The nice thing is that Freeze Alpha is quite a powerful move. It can take 
out a mole in one blast. So make sure to use it often when Paula levels up. 
When you get weary, enter the farmhouse at the southwest part of the Village 
with the cow and talk to the man inside to rest for free. Every now and then 
your Dad will remind you to call him, so do it and save. When Paula is at 
level 13, I believe that you can go and engage the boss.

Go right from the entry area and through the gap. Go east at the junction 
for the Giftbox with a Croissant in it, and then go south. At level 18, Ness 
will realize Flash Alpha. Now, go east. You will reach a split path with a 
pond in the middle. Choose either path. You should start encountering Mighty 
Bears now. Fortunately these guys have less than 170 HP so that a blow from 
Ness' baseball bat combined with a Freeze Alpha from Paula should take one 
out. Go north and then west. There may be another Mighty Bear in the way. 
Kill it and go south. There are more enemies here, so defeat them and 
continue west along the path. 

You will eventually arrive at another fork with enemies waiting for you in 
the middle of both paths, so take your pick. If more than 3 enemies are 
present, use Rockin Alpha. There should be a Gift Box with a PSI Caramel at 
the end of the north branch. Each PSI Caramel restore 20 PP to the person 
eating it. You will find the light guarding Your Sanctuary to the right. 
Talk to it to fight the Mondo Mole.

Boss Battle! Mondo Mole (2896 EXP)
This giant Mole is extremely mean. He is resistant to both Fire and Freeze 
attacks, and can tear into you, inflicting about 90 damage on Ness at once. 
Given the large amount of punishment he can take, is it a hopeless battle? 
Not really! This Mole is vulnerable to paralysis and can only use physical 
attacks. Therefore, have Ness use Paralysis Alpha on the first turn while 
Paula stands guard to reduce the amount of damage taken in case she is 
targeted. Once paralyzed, Mondo Mole is completely helpless. Sure, she can 
increase his Offense using Offense Up, but what's the use if you cannot 
attack at all? Now all you have to do is to take your time and bash him 
until he is defeated!

Go out to the grass, and you will see lots of footprints there. Walk forward 
to listen to the melody. The melody this time goes like this: G (pause) GBA. 
Only 4 tones, rather short. You now briefly have a vision of a baby in a red 
cap. I guess this is part of your memories. I wonder what Paula is going to 
say when she finds out. (She might say, "Aww! How cute!")

Head back out of the cave to Happy Happy Village, engaging all the enemies 
that are now scared of you on the way. There will be a high incident of 
Green Swirls, and you may be able to beat them all up before they can even 
blink! When Ness' level is 20 and Paula's level is 17, try not to fight too 
often, or the third character will have a lot of work to do to catch up 
before he joins you two. It's time to save and leave.

We have to retrieve some items we missed in Peaceful Rest Valley. Go west, 
and go south at the next junction. You will end up on a long path leading to 
a cliff with a Gift Box. Inside is a Cup of Lifenoodles. This is the revival 
item of Earthbound. It gives the now conscious person full HP. Go north at 
the next junction. You may have to fight several baddies on the way. At the 
dead end, there is a Gift box with a Hard Hat inside. Equip it on Ness. It 
increases his Defense by 5 over the Holmes Hat. At the open area cross the 
second bridge, go south. There is a Gift Box with a Bomb inside to the right. 
Another Gift Box to the left holds a Croissant. It seems that the Broken 
Bridge is fixed. You can leave the fast way! But first go north and up the 
ridge for a Gift box with a Travel Charm. You can sell this for cold hard 
cash later. Head back to Twoson first.

At Twoson, enter the Mach Pizza branch and talk to the lady. She will give 
you the phone number of Mach Pizza. You then can all them to deliver a Pizza 
in 3 different sizes to you! A Pizza from them delivers group healing powers. 
So stock up on them when you have 3 members. Enter the Polestar Preschool 
and talk to Paula's dad. He's worried sick!

"Oh Paula! Ness, thank you so much! You must be the boy who will save the 
world, like in Paula's dream. Paula, I'm sure you will be a big help to Ness. 
It's not every day a father allows his daughter to embark on a journey to 
save the world." Paula reassures her dad, "Dad, don't worry about me. Ness 
and I will be able to take care of ourselves. In Threed, the next town, we 
will meet another friend. If the 3 of us can combine our power, no one can 
beat us. Now wipe your eyes, blow your nose and smile before we take off." 
"Goodbye Paula, don't worry, I won't cry anymore." 

I can't imagine what the scene will be like if FMVs are used. A father 
crying over his daughter isn't a very common thing, you know! It's time to 
head to Threed, only that the tunnel leading there is blocked by ghosts. Who 
can help you get through it? The Runaway Five of course! There is a slight 
problem though, they are stuck at the local theatre due to a large debt they 
owe to the management, so it's time to bail them out.

NOTE: If Ness is unconscious at this point, Paula's Dad will say, "Where's 
Ness, he isn't here. I want to thank him. You know, I bet he's the boy you 
dreamed will save the world. Paula, I am sure you will be a big help to Ness. 
It's not every day a father allows his daughter to embark on a journey to 
save the world." Paula reassures her dad, "Dad, don't worry about me. Ness 
and I will be able to take care of ourselves. In Threed, the next town, we 
will meet another friend. If the 3 of us can combine our power, no one can 
beat us. Now wipe your eyes, blow your nose and smile before we take off." 
"Goodbye Paula, don't worry, I won't cry anymore."

----------------------------
c. The Band and the Zombies
----------------------------
Ness' Level: 19     Paula's Level: 19
When you leave the Preschool, someone outside will tell you that Everdred 
wants to find you. So go to Burglin Park and meet him in his office. 
Everdred is expecting you. "I was going to ask you to be my partner, but I 
know you will refuse. It's written all over your face. If you accepted, I 
was going to give you some money. Actually, I can't keep the money now 
anyway. Let me give this to you. It's 10000 dollars. "Use the money anyway 
you like. You cannot refuse my generosity. Just accept it. Now I plan on 
looking for the evil Mani Mani Statue that Lier. X Aggerate unearthed in 
Onett. I'll see you at another time, in another space." 

You have received a Wad of Bills. But how should we spend this cash? And how 
exactly did Everdred get all that cash? Aha! I guess he must have stolen it 
somewhere and is trying to launder it by passing it on to you!

Go to the Chaos Theater now. Talk to the Runaway Five leader in red. "You 
are with a girl today. Ya must be really popular. How about introducing her 
to my band mate? He's right there." Talk to the man in black. "hey, ya came 
with Paula. Then you deserve a present, playboy! Here's a Backstage Pass. 
You can get into our shows with this!" You can now watch shows for free in 
the theater! As you try to enter, the photographer will swoop down and take 
a picture of you two.

Before entering, enter the Department Store to sell your useless items. 
Once inside the foyer of the theatre, present the Backstage Pass to the 
attendant and she will let you through. Inside the theater, go all the way 
to the left and talk to the girl there. She really wants to see the Runaway 
Five, and wants you to take her backstage. You agree and you will enter the 
door on the left to meet the band. Talk to the leader in red. He's got some 
horrible debt blues. "If I had 10000 dollars, I could pay off my debts and 
move on to the next town. I wonder if our bus still runs. It may have rusted 
out." Get out and watch the show. Remember that you need $10000, and the 
bills add to exactly that amount. 

The show starts. "Yeah! That's right! Tonight, you got the Chaos Theater 
soul men comin' at ya! Rockin' and rollin' live on this here stage for a 
limited time only!" Is limited time referring to "for all eternity if you 
don't overcome your debt"? "The World's greatest bluesmen, the Runaway Five! 
And here they come! Oh yeah! Baby!" The singing is done without voices! It's 
just some jazz and dancing around on the stage. Why is there an extra guy on 
stage with the keyboard? If you don't have voice acting, at least have the 
lyrics printed out in a text box! I give this show a 5 out of 10. Lame! 
Cough cough heck!

Get out and head for the manager's office to the left of the foyer. Walk up 
close and show him the Wad of Bills. "Yipes! You surprised me. Now I'm not 
sure what to do. I got the money of course, and now the Runaway Five are 
free to leave. I've got no complaints now that I have my money." At this 
point, the Runaway Five will bust in and thank the manager. They are so fast, 
it seems like that have been waiting at the door for this announcement.

"Well, what do you know? This little nipper took us from a nightmare to a 
dream." "Ow! This means that we get to get out of this dump!" "I'm a good 
driver. Come! I'll show you." "All right, let's move on to the next town. 
I'm sure our hunk o' junk will take us there." "I didn't make a spectacle of 
myself, didn't I?" The music changes to a happy one!

Outside the theater, the Runaway Five will allow you to hitch a ride on 
their coach. It's so noisy that no ghosts can bother you. This allows you to 
travel through the tunnel down south, past the Ghosts to Threed. "Hey! 
Sidewalk, step out of my way!" I quote one of the Runaway Five members. The 
roads do have such sharp turns here. It's amazing that such a hunk o' junk 
can make it through.

---------------
Threed
---------------
Ness' Level: 19     Paula's Level: 19
What a horrible blue atmosphere. Let me guess, it's night time in town 
number three Threed. You two will be dropped off outside the hospital. 
"Looks like we have to say goodbye for now," the leader says, "This town 
seems pretty gloomy, but I'm sure you can light up this place with your own 
little brand of sunshine." He enters the van. The driver says, "Hope to see 
you again sometime. Look for us singing at some theater in Fourside!"

You have parted ways with the band for now, but remember that you will meet 
them in City No. 4, Fourside. Threed has been invaded by zombies. If you go 
left and enter the pink house, you will find a con man who used to work for 
the zombies. He tells you that the zombies are the minions of Master Belch, 
who in turn works for Giygas.

It's time to liberate the town. But first things first, go to the Drug Store 
to the left and search for any upgrades to your current equipment. It's 
weird that they sell weapons in drug stores. I wonder if they can sell more 
contraband, like weed.

*****THREE DRUG STORE*****
Minor League Bat ($399, For Ness, Offense +11)
Thick Fry Pan ($198, For Paula, Offense +10)
Hard Hat ($298, Already Equipped by Ness)
Insecticide Spray ($19, Deals Group Damage to Insects)
Copper Bracelet ($349, Already Equipped)

Not many new things to choose from. But if you please, consider buying an 
insecticide spray or two, as there are insect enemies nearby. Get out, and 
go all the way to the right. There is a trash can by the house. Inside is a 
Skip Sandwich. If you talk to the Unassuming Local Guy to the northwest, he 
will tell you that due to the zombie invasion, they cannot get to Twoson or 
Fourside. However, there is a path hidden beyond the graveyard.

Go northwest to the hotel to the north of the circus. There is a messy guy 
there, and he says that a suspicious woman has been seen talking with the 
zombies. Before finding her, maybe we should check out the graveyard first. 
Go northwest (again) and try to avoid contact with the enemies. The white 
moving trashcans either hide stinky ghosts or Putrid Mouldy Men. The former 
are more annoying since they are resistant to bashing and can possess you! 
As for those flies, they are simply No Good Flies which can be hurt by 
Insecticide Sprays.

In fact, there is a Spray in the lone real trash can in the graveyard. It 
seems that the hidden path is blocked by 2 Urban Zombies. One stares into 
your soul, and one looks you over! Go back to the hotel. There is a man to 
the left of the bus stop. He says that some chick is standing in front of 
the hotel. Is that the woman who can talk to the zombies? Let's go and find 
out. This woman with sunglasses runs into the hotel as soon as she sees you, 
so follow her inside. Hmm, the music sounds rather twisted. Something's not 
right, I can feel it. The woman runs further into the hotel. Before you 
continue your pursuit, phone Dad to save.

Follow the woman into the hotel room. To your surprise, you find Urban 
Zombies, Zombie Possessors and Zombie Dogs in the room. They close in on you 
and... WHAM! Ness and Paula are knocked out. You are losing consciousness, 
what could be the fate of Ness and his friend? You two wake up in an 
underground cave. Try to open the door, but it's locked. Paula uses her 
psychic powers to enlist the help of someone far away.

"I'm calling out to you who I've never met," Paula transmits, "I'm calling 
our friend who we have never met. Jeff! Jeff! We need your help! I am Paula 
and I am with another friend Ness. We are trying to contact you!" Who is 
this mysterious Jeff fellow? Let us find out!

------------------------------
5. Help Arrives from Far Away
------------------------------
Here's the situation. Ness and his new friend Paula enter Threed during a 
zombie invasion. They find a suspicious woman and followed her into the 
local hotel. What they didn't know that the woman is a zombie summoner and 
the whole thing is a trap! But hope is not lost yet. Paula has used the same 
way she contacted you to contact another stranger from far away to save them! 
God knows how she knew things in advance! Help! Jeff!

--------------------------------
a. Trekking Across the Snowland
--------------------------------
You are shown an aerial view of a Stonehenge in the middle of a winter 
wonderland. This is Winters, a country to the north. Aha! Judging by things, 
Winters can be considered to be Great Britain in the real world. Meanwhile, 
the island where Jeff lives, must be one of those remote islands in Scotland. 
The scene now zooms into the gates of a school. It is the Snow Wood Boarding 
House. A blond boy wearing glasses and his best friend are fast asleep. Jeff, 
the boy with glasses hears Paula's call.

"I am Paula, and I am with another friend Ness. We are trying to contact you. 
If you hear me, please wake up and head south! Only you, though far away can 
save us, Jeff. Please hear my call and begin heading south. Jeff! You are a 
friend who we have never met. But you are our one and only hope!"

Jeff wakes up to the message, allowing you to play with him. Tony will wake 
up when you attempt to leave the room. "Jeff! Where are you going in the 
middle of the night? You know the dorm rules, right? If you get caught, you 
will get punished big time. What's wrong, Jeff? All right, there must be 
some reason that I do not understand. I won't stop you. But it's dangerous 
to leave without taking anything along. Hey, I think there is some stuff in 
the locker room that you should get. I'll help you get out of here."

Tony will join you for now, so get out of the room to the dorm lounge. Hey, 
three of the students are walking in place! They must be high in caffeine. 
The students of a sea monster named Tessie, Cave Boys at Stonehenge, and 
even a secret base beneath Stonehenge. Enter the room to the left of yours. 
The student inside is preparing for Tony's birthday party which takes place 
tomorrow. He's hand wrapped each Cookie by himself. Feel free to act the 
meanie and nick all the Cookies. He's not going to stop you.

Go downstairs next. On the ground floor, enter the room to the left, which 
is a lab. Maxwell, a resident professor is in the lab, let's talk to him. 
"Oh, Jeff and Tony. You startled me. Are you looking for a late night snack? 
I'm having some trouble with my project. If only Dr. Andonuts, Jeff's father 
was here. He'd be able to provide a great deal of help. I heard he's an 
astounding person. He was the first leader of our Ultra Science Club. I 
heard he's greater than Einstein or Heisenberg. Rumor has it that he's very 
strange. If you're heading for the locker room, take this key along. It's a 
little bent though." You now have a bent key. "If you leave, call me, and 
I'll record your adventure. It's like saving the game. Ha ha ha ha!

Guess what? The professor is called Maxwell. But is he the great great 
grandson of James Clark Maxwell? Try to use the bent keys on the lockers and 
you will find that they don't work at all. Go back to Maxwell.

"Ha ha ha! The key didn't work, did it? I thought that it might be the case. 
So I just invented the... 'Machine that Opens Doors, especially if you have 
a slightly bad key.' I am sorry for you inconvenience. If you are Doctor 
Andonut's son, you should be able to repair small tools and make them useful. 
Just try to keep a positive attitude." It's the Bad Key Machine. With this 
machine, go and open each locker. One of the locker has a Holmes Hat in it. 
It increases Jeff's Defense by 10. Another has a Broken Air Gun inside. It's 
fixable in the future. The final locker has a Pop Gun inside. It increases 
Jeff's Offense by 16.

Important Tip! Fixing Broken Items
Make sure you take Maxwell's tip seriously. Jeff's IQ may seem useless since 
he has no PP, but it is a measure of his intelligence nonetheless. The more 
intelligent Jeff is, the more broken items he can fix. So whenever you pick 
up a Broken Item, give it to Jeff. All it takes is one night's rest for Jeff 
to fix the weapon or battle item.

Now that you are fully equipped, go out. Tony will form a step at the gates. 
Talk to him once more to get out. "Okay, now use me a step to climb over the 
gate. Well, I'll say goodbye for now. I don't know where you are going and 
why, but remember, we are best friends forever." Jeff jumps over the gate 
and it's time to trek through the night.

---------------
Winters
---------------
Jeff's Level: 1
I guess it's back to step one for our little near sighted hero. Jeff starts 
at Level 1, and your mission for now is to train Jeff so that he is at level 
terms with Ness when he joins up. It's recommended that you raise him a few 
levels above 20, as Ness and Paula both level up faster than Jeff. Now, 
enter the shop outside the school.

The stuff on sale are VERY EXPENSIVE, and since you only have a dollar, 
don't even think about them. Sell the useless Ruler and Protractor and talk 
to the woman. She offers to give you the monkey for free if you buy a pak of 
bubble gum from her. Just pay her $1 for the gum. With this, go over to the 
Monkey and give him a piece of gum. This Bubble Monkey will chew the gum and 
blow a bubble before following you do the time being. 

As instructed by Paula, head south. Just follow the path and battle the 
piteful Crows and Runaway Dogs. Don't try to fight the Gruff Goats yet since 
they can ram you hard! Although Jeff cannot use PSI, the gun he is using is 
rather powerful, since it can take out a Spiteful Crow in one shot! The same 
goes for Runaway Dogs. So, it's time for Jeff the animal killer to jump into 
action.

Important Warning! Bubble Monkey's Behavior
Bubble Monkey does not walk around with Jeff all the time. He can sometimes 
lag behind, and if an enemy touches the Bubble Monkey, you most likely will 
get a Red Swirl, allowing the enemy to get a preemptive strike. This is 
particularly dangerous if a Gruff Goat engages you.

You will eventually reach a tent. Talking to one of the people inside will 
offer you tea. This allows Jeff to regain his full strength again. As you 
are fighting, you may end up with an excess of food. You can always sell 
them in the shop for quick hard cash. If you save enough, you can buy some 
equipment as well. Here's the catalog of the Best Friend Drug Store. (I 
guess many people who do drugs try to share in parties by asking if you are 
"best friends" with him! The irony.

*****BEST FRIENDS DRUG STORE*****
T-Rex's Bat ($698, For: Ness)
Non-stick Fry Pan ($1480, For: Paula)
Coin of Silence ($2500, For: Ness, Paula and Jeff)
Picnic Lunch ($24), Skip Sandwich DX ($98), Lucky Sandwich ($128), Cup 
of Coffee ($6)

It seems that if you raise Jeff to just a little over Level 10, you should 
be able to get enough food to sell to get the T-Rex's Bat for Ness, provided 
that you sell your Big Bottle Rocket and Broken Spray Can since they are 
NOT needed now. Get the bat, and continue all the way south.

You will eventually reach another camp site. This time, it's been pitched up 
by the Tessie Watching Club. Every single member of this club is looking 
through binoculars, even when they are indoors! How do you expect to find 
anything when you are inside a tent? One of the tents has a phone inside, 
and another has a cook with stew for you. How can you cook while holding 
binoculars up! You will go to sleep after eating the complementary stew. You 
receive the following message from our damsel in distress Paula.

"You are a friend who I have never met before. Jeff, head south. I am Paula. 
If you hear this message, go to the south." Having woken up in the morning, 
go over to the small tip sticking out of the shoreline to the right. As you 
walk along the shore, the photographer will take a picture of you and the 
monkey, only that Jeff won't give the victory sign! At that brown circle, 
Bubble Monkey will blow a bubble with gum and float over to cause Tessie to 
rise. You get to board Tessie (a purple water dragon) and ride across the 
lake.

You alight on the other side of the lake. Go south and fend off any enemies 
you find. You will eventually reach a cave, which must be entered since the 
other path is blocked off by a pencil statue. The cave has a sign above. It 
says Brick Road. But I don't think there are brick roads inside caves. 
Inside, you will find a sign which welcomes you to Brick Road's modest 
dungeon! So Brick Road is a person's name! This place is merely a maze with 
different enemies about. The music sounds so un-dungeony, that's for sure!

First go left along the top path for a Giftbox with a Bread Roll inside. 
Afterwards, take the central path for another Giftbox with an Insecticide 
Spray inside. Take note of the new enemy Mad Duck. This Duck is so mad that 
he will try to induce PSI related ailments like disrupting your senses (lose 
concentration) and making something spin around (drains PP). Only that Jeff 
is a non PSI user! This is pointless. Afterwards, take the bottom path. 
There is a Giftbox in the way, but it's an enemy in disguise. It's a 
Worthless Protoplasm. It can call for help. It can also size up the 
situation, making itself feel strange!

There is a Giftbox to the right with a Broken Iron inside. Then go left and 
up. There is another Mad Duck. The next Giftbox has a Croissant inside. Then 
go left and engage the Worthless Protoplasm. The next Giftbox is guarded by 
a Rowdy Mouse. Take him out and get the Stun Gun, which increases Jeff's 
Offense by 8 over the Pop Gun when equipped. You can then dump the Pop Gun. 
This concludes this pathetic, er, modest dungeon. Phone Maxwell to save the 
game before leaving.

Talk to the dungeon's creator Brick Road outside. "Maybe it was too easy? My 
name's Brick Road, the dungeon developer. I've devoted my life to making 
dungeons. Well, by combining my skills and proper intelligence, I can become 
'Dungeon Man' the first combination of human and dungeon in history. Let's 
meet again once I have become Dungeon Man. Would you like a good night's 
rest?" Well, Mr. Road, I think you are pretty mad here!

If Jeff is at Level 11, he can fix the Broken Iron to become the Slime 
Generator. This battle item is used to solidify enemies will slime. Enter 
the next cave. There are Attack Slugs, denoted by black dots in this cave, 
and maybe a Rowdy Mouse. It seems that once Jeff hits level 11, the Rowdy 
Mice will be taken out automatically without need to fight at all. Meanwhile, 
a Hamburger can be found in the gift box at the western end of the first 
room.

The next room has nothing of interest but a few enemies. The third one has a 
few ropes here and there. There are also Ramblin' Evil Mushrooms, but they 
are kind enough not to Mushroomize Jeff. Climb up the first rope for a 
Giftbox with a Cheap Bracelet. Equip it on Jeff to increase his Defense by 5. 
The next rope is raised, so you should give the Bubble Monkey a piece of gum 
to have him float upwards and drop the rope down for you.

The Giftbox to the left holds a Bottle Rocket. At the top of the rope, you 
will find an opening blocked by light. It's another Sanctuary location. 
Since Ness is absent, you cannot fight the boss yet. However, you can always 
defeat the Mushrooms again and again to level up. Just let them reappear to 
gain as much EXP as possible.

The nice thing is that it is very easy to get automatic victories from those 
mushrooms. When you are at level 16, you can exit the cave. Outside, Bubble 
Monkey sees a female monkey and decides to date her! He leaves you alone in 
front of Stonehenge. Now I am sure that this place is a rip-off of the UK. 
The Cave Boys hanging around deliver generous EXP (618 each) and drop a 
Picnic Lunch every time they fall. This allows Jeff to repeatedly battle 
them to gain EXP even faster. 

It seems that the Cave Boys' attack usually deal around 12 HP damage to Jeff. 
They also have a high miss rate so dealing with them is not as hard as you 
think. The Cave Boys' HP is around 300 HP. This means that it will take 6 to 
7 shots to take them out, assuming each shot deals 40-55 HP damage. 
Sometimes, you will get a Green Swirl (Opening attack for you) even if you 
approach one from the front. If you walk into the center of Stonehenge, the 
photographer will take a picture of you.

When you are level 23, go far south to the lab. You will find Jeff's dad, Dr. 
Andonuts. Before talking to him, save and go upstairs to find a gift box 
with a Broken Pipe inside. Now, let's have a little father and son talk.

"Mr. Brick Road, the dungeon maker referred you, right? And not only that. 
What? Who? My son? Oh, I can't, I can't believe it. You're Jeff, my son. 
It's been maybe 10 years seen I last saw you." What? You neglected your son 
for that long! What an irresponsible dad. 

"I'm so glad you are such a healthy boy. Uh, those glasses look good on you. 
How about a donut?" It does not matter which choice you take, just answer 
yes. "Well, I was only offering, I would also like a donut right about now. 
Have you already checked out Stonehenge?" Say yes. "At least I asked. Okay. 
By the way, why are you here? Oh, I see. That Girl named Paula must have 
sensed that I was here. OK, I will try and help you out. I'm trying to make 
a Phase Distorter that can connect two points in space and time. It's still 
incomplete. I'll let you use another invention I call the Sky Runner. It's a 
little bit old and it will certainly help. When you board, always listen for 
the message that comes from your destination. You'll get there for sure if 
you listen to the message. The round machine over there is the Sky Runner. 
What do you think? Is it neat? Get in. Let's get together in 10 years or 
so." You must be ridiculous. You won't meet for another 10 years? This is 
too much.

Go to the left, and enter the spaceship like thing. That's the Sky Runner. 
It will take off, fly past a busy city, a vast desert before arriving at 
Threed. The Sky Runner detects Paula's signal and lands with an explosion 
into the cell.

Jeff is burnt to ashes, but he can still get up and introduces himself. "Man, 
oh, man, did that ever scare me! The Sky Runner, I guess it took a little 
damage while landing." You call that little, sound like heavy damage. "Oh 
well, you don't have to explain a thing. I'm Jeff. I came because you called 
me. I am not really strong, rather near-sighted, kind of shy and I tend to 
be a little reckless. This is the way I am. I hope you want to be my friend, 
okay?" The behavior of this guy is slightly better than Loid of the original 
Mother. At least he won't hide in a trash can in fear of bullies! If you say 
No, you will be considered to be making fun of him, so say yes.
"All right, let's get back to the journey then." Jeff joins you. You now 
have 3 characters. Jeff's at level 23 while Ness and Paula are at 19. This 
initial lead is needed since the latter 2 characters level up faster than 
Jeff, so this is a balancing measure. 

First, use the Bad Key Machine to open the door. Then if you have it, give 
the T-Rex's Bat to Ness and have him equip it. His Offense will increase by 
23 over the Minor League Bat! Get out and climb up the ladder. You will 
notice that you will have a lot of useless items in your inventory. But how 
can you get rid of them? Simple, phone home to Mom. Tracy will come and give 
you the Escargo Express' telephone number, allowing you to call her to 
arrange for a deliveryman to come and pick up the item. The deliveryman can 
retrieve up to three items at a time at a cost of $18.

Spend the night at the hotel. Jeff should be able to repair the Broken Air 
Gun, turning it into the Magnum Air Gun. This increases Jeff's Offensive 
power by 12 over the Stun Gun. If you go down to the circus, you will see a 
dark skinned guy wearing sunglasses. He is a black market dealer 
specializing in contraband. He sells a Toy Air Gun, but that is inferior to 
the Magnum Air Gun. His bombs may come in handy though. 

Go to the far south of the town and you will find a tent. A nearby sign says 
that no tents may be erected without permission. I wonder what's it doing 
there? Examine the tent and it will glare evilly at you. It's a Boogey Tent! 
For some reason, this tent can use the Defense Spray to increase its defense. 
Paula should use Fire Alpha while Ness and Jeff resort to physical attacks. 
When the tent is defeated, it will reveal a Trash Can with a Jar of Fly 
Honey inside.

With the Fly Honey in hand, walk around a bit and Apple Kid will call you. 
"Hello, this is Apple Kid. I just wanted you to know that I finished a 
pretty unique invention. I'm not sure if it will help you or not. It's 
called Zombie Paper and it can be used to trap zombies. It works kind of 
like flypaper. All you need to do is to place it on the floor of a tent or 
something. You've seen at least one tent around right? And the zombies get 
stuck to the paper when they move around the tent. You can catch a lot of 
zombies this way. In fact I bet you could get rid of all the zombies that 
are terrorizing the area with this paper!" This will help Threed a lot.

"Anyway, I have asked the Mach Pizza delivery man to deliver the zombie 
paper to you, Ness. You should get it pretty soon. I've never actually seen 
a zombie, but if there are any, Zombie Paper would be very useful. I'll be 
calling you if I am coming up with anything else."

Just walk around until the Mach Pizza delivery man comes up. He will 
automatically assume you are Ness and present you with the paper. Place the 
Zombie Paper inside the main circus tent and spend a night at the hotel. 
During that night, all Zombies will be attracted to the paper and get 
themselves stuck, allowing you to enter the hole beyond the western 
graveyard, which is where you have to go next.

Please note that the graveyard will still have No Good Flies, Putrid Moldy 
Men and Stinky Ghosts. It seems that Putrid Moldy Men are vulnerable to 
Freeze attacks, while the Stinky Ghosts are vulnerable to Fire. Climb down 
the hole and follow the underground path. You finally get to fight Urban 
Zombies and Zombie Dogs. Watch out for the Zombie Dogs' poisonous fangs. 
Their biting attacks are also deadly to Paula, who has only 70-80 HP. In 
addition, Urban Zombies can also blow you with arctic cold breath, giving 
you a cold.

Since Ness has not learnt Healing Beta yet, you will need to buy Vials of 
Serum from the Drug Store. Zombie Possessors can reach out with their icy 
hands, solidifying the target. They can also possess you with Mini-Ghosts!

The first room has an empty casket. Go along the next path. The next room 
has a casket with a Silver Bracelet inside. Let Jeff equip it. It increases 
Jeff's Defense by 10 over his Cheap Bracelet. Continue along the tunnel 
until you reach some slimy blob blocking the way. He can talk!

"Gyork! Gyork! Since you had Fly Honey, I considered you a friend. But 
actually, you are just a commoner. I am the mortal enemy of your kind." It's 
a Mini Barf! His most annoying attack has got to be his stinky breath. He 
can make all 3 of you cry, and lowering your accuracy. Paula should resort 
to Fire Beta, if she has reached level 19. Once you are all crying, let Ness 
and Paula resort to PSI, while Jeff continues "trying" to shoot the Mini 
Barf. This Mini Barf can waste lots of turns with his bad breath, so damage 
should be small. When Paula Reaches Level 21, she will learn Offense Up 
Alpha.

It seems that this Mini Barf wants to eat your Fly Honey, that's all. Master 
Belch and him both like Fly Honey. Get that? Climb up the ladder. You hear 
the same menacing music of Peaceful Rest Valley, and you find a food vendor 
that sells Croissants, Calorie Sticks and Coffee. Buy some Calorie Sticks 
for later. This vendor will tell you that there is a village full of weird 
people nearby called Saturn Valley.

Since this short stretch is going to be rather tough, with large groups of 
enemies attacking in quick succession, let me list out the enemies you will 
meet and their PSI vulnerabilities.

Red Antoid: Fire, Freeze
Farm Zombie: Fire, Flash
Armored Frog: Freeze, resistant to physical attacks
Plain Crocodile: Freeze
Violent Roach: Freeze

Notice how most of the enemies are vulnerable to Freeze. However, the enemy 
most worth using Freeze on should be the Armored Frog, since he is resistant 
to physical attacks. A single Freeze Beta should take one out. Meanwhile, 
Red Antoids tend to attack in pairs, lined up nicely for a single Fire 
attack.

The first Giftbox you will find along the path holds a Bomb. The next holds 
a Protein Drink. You will eventually come to an opening to a cave, maybe 
guarded by a Plain Crocodile. The most notable attack is the tail swing hich 
deals heavy damage. Enter the cave and you will find a tunnel infested with 
Violent Roaches! These Roaches can solidify you by spreading their wings, 
god knows how that works. When Ness reaches Level 22, he should learn a new 
Rockin move, Rockin Beta.

There should be a small room in the cave with a Bottle Rocket inside. You 
will arrive at Saturn Valley once you exit the tunnel at the other end.

---------------
Saturn Valley
---------------
Ness' Level: 22     Paula's Level: 22     Jeff's Level: 24
This village is the hometown of the Mr. Saturns, those yellow fuzzy 
creatures that speak funny. The music sounds like some weird gypsy melody. 
Enter the hut to the right to find Dr. Saturn. He can heal all status 
ailments from your bodies, even if you are possessed. The hut to the left of 
the doctor's is the hotel hut. The Mr. Saturn inside will kindly allow you 
to sleep for free!

Once you are refreshed, get out and go to the right. There should be a 
Giftbox on top of a ladder with a Rust Promoter inside. Enter the large 
opening on the hillside to find three trash cans inside. There is a 
Protractor, Sudden Guts Pill and a Broken Spray Can inside. Once you have 
picked up those items, go out and climb up the ladder to the cave to the 
left to find several Mr. Saturn inside. Talk to one and he will tell you 
about the secret base behind the Grapefruit Falls. The secret password is to 
stand in front of the door and not do anything for 3 minutes. Another Mr. 
Saturn by the ladder will offer to trade you a Horn of Life for $1780. 

Climb up the ladder to the next level. There is a ladder leading to another 
hut. It's a shop! Withdraw money and let's see what they have got for you. 

*****SATURN VALLEY SHOP*****
Insecticide Spray ($19, Damages all Insect Enemies)
Stag Beetle ($8, Shocks the enemy, preventing it from moving)
Refreshing Herb ($80, Heals most Status Ailments except Paralysis, 
Diamondize, Possession and Unconciousness)

Peanut Cheese Bar ($22)
Horn of Life ($1780, Heals all Physical Ailments, can be used to trade)
Secret Herb ($380, Heals all Physical Ailments)
Picture Postcard ($2)

Bionic Slingshot ($449, For All, Not Worth It)
Travel Charm ($60, For All, Protects against Paralysis)
Great Charm ($400, For All, Defense +1, Protects against Paralysis and 
Increases Speed, not worth it)
Silver Bracelet ($599, For All, Defense +6)
Red Ribbon ($179, For Paula, Defense +5)

I do not recommend buying Great Charms, since the Defense Increment is too 
small and that there are still not enemies that paralyze. Call Escargo 
Express to deposit useless items, and then get back out of the village. Head 
north for the Grapefruit Falls. There should be a photographic moment here. 
Then walk behind the falls and to the left. You will be told to say the 
password. Just don't do anything for 3 minutes, and you will be let in. It 
is Master Belch's hidden base!

--------------------
Master Belch's Base
--------------------
Ness' Level: 22     Paula's Level: 22     Jeff's Level: 24

This is where Master Belch manufactures his Fly Honey using kidnapped Mr. 
Saturns. Here are the enemies you will encounter along with their 
vulnerabilities.

Farm Zombie: Fire, Flash
Foppy: Fire
Mostly Bad Fly: Fire, Freeze
Slimy Little Pile: Paralysis

Farm Zombies tend to attack up in larger groups with up to four of them 
coming at you at once. When that happens, three of them will be arranged in 
a line, allowing Paula to hit them with Fire simultaneously. Although those 
green Slimy Little Piles can be paralyzed by Ness easily, I would rather not 
bother with that since a single Freeze Alpha and a physical attack is 
usually enough to bring one down.

Foppys are moving red jelly creatures which attack in large groups of up to 
five. Since they have low health, weak physical attacks and cannot use PSI 
against you for the first few turns, have Ness and Jeff casually take them 
out one by one using physical attacks while Paula drains their PP using 
Magnet Alpha to replenish her PP supply.

Go to the left. There is a Slimy Little Pile. He asks if you have Fly Honey. 
Say yes and you can pass without having to fight. Enter the room to the 
right of the ladder. There may be 4 Farm Zombies waiting for you on the 
other side. There is a Trash Can with a Bomb inside, so it seems. Get out 
and climb down the ladder. You may find a new red jelly like enemy called 
Foppys these things are vulnerable to Fire, so you can melt them, but 
bashing is more effective unless there is a large row of them.

Down that level, there should be another ladder heading down to another door. 
That room has 2 trash cans with an IQ Capsule and a Broken Laser. Have Paula 
drink the IQ Capsule and give the Broken Laser to Jeff. To the left is a Fly 
Honey manufacturing line. The 2 Slimy Little Piles are talking about their 
leader. One mentions that it is hard to imitate the voices Belch makes, 
another thinks that Master Belch is working for some kind of guy called 
Giygas. The Mr. Saturn at work are tired but happy.

Continue to the left to deal with the Foppys. After that, climb up the next 
ladder to engage a Slimy Little Pile and Mostly Bad Flies! Mostly Bad Flies 
are just well, upgrades of No Good Flies. At Level 24, Ness will learn 
Healing Beta. Now you can say goodbye to poison! Just watch out for the 
mucus (solidifies) of the Slimy Little Piles. The room there is guarded by 
more Mostly Bad Flies and a Slimy Little Pile. The trash cans contain a 
Vital Capsule, a HP Sucker and a Calorie Stick. Have Jeff drink the Vital 
Capsule, and give him the HP Sucker, since only he can use it. The HP Sucker 
leeches HP from a single enemy in battle, making it a useful recovery item 
for Jeff.

Get down and continue left. The next room has a Magic Butterfly that can 
reappear again and again as you reenter. So, use this opportunity to 
recharge your PP. Continue left and take out anything that gets in the way. 
Before reaching Master Belch's room, the Slimy Little Pile on guard will 
stop you. "Aren't you the Fly Honey delivery boy? What's the password! It 
doesn't mean I don't trust you. Just say it! Say it now! Someone so quiet is 
either extremely shy or extremely dangerous. What a suspicious fellow!" You 
have to fight him now! Ness should have said that he will stand still doing 
nothing for 3 minutes!

With this threat eliminated, enter Belch's room. Talk to Master Belch.

"Burp! So you are Ness? I see, gyork! Gyork! Gyork! There is a prophecy that 
a boy will destroy Master Giygas. Heeg! Heeg! Heeg! You make me laugh so 
hard. It Master Giygas were to be scared of someone, he would have to be 
worse than the greatest evil. I'll take you down big time, so be prepared 
for the worst fight of your life! Get ready to feel the true pain of true 
nausea! Come on, let's go!"

Boss Battle! Master Belch (4170 EXP)
Be prepared for the Worst Battle of your life my foot. As soon as the battle 
begins, throw the Fly Honey out at Master Belch and he will be too busy 
wolfing down the Fly Honey to fight. Then you can just repeatedly bash him 
until he is down! The only danger is that Master Belch can throw his 
nauseating breath at you at the first turn, making you nauseous. If Ness is 
nauseous, don't heal him, just keep on fighting until Ness goes unconscious, 
then the other 2 characters can get a lead in EXP over Ness.

"Looks like it's an even fight, burp! But, Master Giygas has managed to get 
the Mani Mani Statue into Fourside. The city will soon be in worse condition 
than living in your own puke! Suffer Spanky!" So, this means we will have to 
deal with Fourside next, but first let's get out of here through the door 
behind Master Belch. Meanwhile, if Paula reaches Level 25, she will learn 
Thunder Beta. You will be on a new level of Saturn Valley which leads to a 
new cave that can be explored.

Go back down and talk to one of the Mr. Saturn in the cave. He will give you 
a Cup of Lifenoodles, a Stag Beetle and a Mr. Saturn Coin. Equip the latter 
on Paula to increase her defense by 22 over the Red Ribbon as well as 
increasing her Luck. She should be given priority since her defense is the 
worst! You can then sell the Red Ribbon and buy several Secret Herbs before 
leaving.

Rest in the hut and get back up to the cave. It's another of Your Sanctuary  
called Milky Well. You can always drink coffee with a Mr. Saturn and be told 
a motivating speech that scrolls down the screen. In addition, Paula will 
learn Magnet Omega at level 24, which absorbs a small amount of PP from all 
enemies you are currently facing in battle, which will come in handy on your 
way to the Milky Well.

--------------
Milky Well
--------------
Ness' Level: 24     Paula's Level: 25     Jeff's Level: 26
You can find three types of plant enemies here: Tough Mobile Sprouts, 
Ranboobs and Struttin' Evil Mushrooms. Here are their weaknesses.

Tough Mobile Sprout: Fire, Freeze, Paralysis and Brainshock
Struttin' Evil Mushroom: Fire, Freeze, Brainshock
Ranboob: Fire

This has got to be the most annoying luck based dungeon in the game. The 
difficulty of this dungeon depends entirely on the number of Struttin' Evil 
Mushrooms you encounter. Whenever you fight a group of enemies with 
mushrooms in it, have Paula use Fire Beta immediately and hope that you 
manage to defeat all mushrooms at once. If any mushroom survives, let's hope 
that it will not scatter spores, and it does, let's hope it only poisons its 
target!

If anyone gets mushroomized, there is nothing you can do about it but to go 
all the way back to the doctor in Saturn Valley. Sure, you can continue with 
mushrooms on your heads, but your group members will very often wipe each 
other out on your way to the boss, so it's not worth the risk. On the other 
hand, once you have defeated all mushrooms in the current group of enemies 
you are facing, or you are lucky enough to face only Sprouts and Ranboobs in 
a battle, you can simply take your time, letting Paula replenish her PP 
using Magnet Omega and Jeff replenish his HP using his HP-Sucker.

Fortunately, this dungeon is quite short. All you need to do is to fight 
through the first tunnel and the following opening area and then you will 
reach the boss' chamber. You will find a Gift Box with a Coin of Slumber 
there, which should be equipped on Jeff so as to increase his Defense by 20 
over the Holmes Hat and increases his Luck.

You will come to the boss of Your Sanctuary. It's a Trillionage Sprout!

Boss Battle! Trillionage Sprout (11345 EXP)
This gigantic evil sprout is supported by 2 Mobile Sprouts, so for the first 
turn, Ness should use Rockin Beta while Paula uses Fire Beta. As for Jeff, 
he should start by launching his Big Bottle Rocket, which should severely 
damage the Trillionage Sprout, if not outright defeating him. This boss has 
two nasty tricks: An evil glare that diamondizes his target, and Paralysis 
Alpha, which can be particularly devastating to the non-PSI user Jeff 
(especially if he is paralyzed before he could launch the rocket!). In that 
case, this is when your Secret Herbs come in handy.

If the Trillionage Sprout survives your first round of attacks, another 
Rockin Beta and Fire Beta should be enough to take him out. 

Victory should guarantee an instant level up. Inside Your Sanctuary, you 
will hear a tone at the fountain with D'BB. You thought you heard your 
mother from far away, she said, "Be a thoughtful, strong boy." The melody is 
recorded. You can now get out and beat some scared monsters along the way! 
Have fun! When you leave the cave, you will be photographed again by this 
spinning guy.

Now, when you sleep in the hut when Jeff is at level 28, he can repair 
Broken Spray Cans to turn them into Defense Sprays. This spray increases the 
Defense of the entire group in battle. However, he cannot fix more than one 
at night. Head back to Threed. At level 27, Paula can learn Shield Sigma, a 
group psychic shield.

---------------
Threed
---------------
Ness' Level: 26     Paula's Level: 28     Jeff's Level: 29
The place is bright and happy again, and the music becomes rather dull. Go 
to the bus stop on the circus' side of the road and take it to Fourside. The 
bus will be stopped by a heavy traffic jam in Dusty Dunes Desert, forcing 
you to alight and walk in the desert on foot!

-------------------------------------
b. From the Desert to the Metropolis
-------------------------------------
This part of the journey is as cliched as those films people trek through 
the desert to reach San Francisco! Now that you are forced to go off road 
due to the traffic jam, you should enter the Drug Store to buy some 
equipment.

-------------------
Dusty Dunes Desert
-------------------
Inside the Drug Store, you will find that the old man is selling Wet Towels 
along with other drugs. Wet Towels are used to cure sunstroke, but surely 
you can reuse a wet towel by dipping it in water or something? Anyway, the 
man behind the counter will sell the following stuff:

*****DUSTY DUNES DRUG STORE*****
Mr. Baseball Bat ($498, For Ness, Downgrade)
Thick Fry Pan ($198, Already Equipped by Paula)
Deluxe Fry Pan ($598, For Paula, Offense +10)
Silver Bracelet ($599, Already Equipped)
Coin of Slumber ($1500, For Ness, Defense +15)

Head north and there is a contraband dealer. Let's see what he's got.

*****DUSTY DUNES CONTRABAND*****
Zip Gun ($425, For Jeff, Offense +4)
Bomb ($149), Bottle Rocket ($29, for Jeff), Rust Promoter ($89)

I know it's annoying, but the Magnum Air Gun cannot be sold or dropped. So, 
you must have the Escargo Express delivery man to take it. When you are 
walking in the sand, you will notice the group members sweating. This means 
that they are feeling the heat, and will have a chance of getting Sunstroke. 
Press the B button to check the characters' status. If you see the icon of 
the sun next to a character's name, he has got Sunstroke and needs to be 
cured by Healing Alpha. At level 27, Ness will learn Hypnosis Omega, which 
attempts to hypnotise all the enemies he is currently facing in battle.

Speaking of which, here are the enemies you are going to face in this desert, 
along with their vulnerabilities.

Smiling Sphere: Fire, Hypnosis
Crested Booka: Hypnosis
Cute Li'l UFO: Brainshock
Skelpion: Fire, Freeze, Hypnosis
Bad Buffalo: Fire

Smiling Spheres can hit all three of you at once with Fire Alpha and self 
destruct when destroyed. Therefore, you should put it to sleep if you 
encounter one as part of a group of enemies and fight it last. Scorpions 
come in the form of Skelpions, which sometimes use Thunder Alpha against you. 
Fortunately the thunderbolts never hit and will be reflected back to the 
Skelpion if it hits Ness. In any case, a single Freeze Alpha will make quick 
work of one. In addition, Skelpions sometimes drop vials of serum which sort 
of act as compensation for their poisonous stings.

There are also enemies called Crested Bookas. Another enemy is the Cute Li'l 
UFO, which wear ribbons and sometimes drop Pizzas when defeated. Those 
Pizzas are different from the ones delivered by Mach Pizza in that only one 
person can eat one at a time.

As for mammals, there are desert wolfs, not the desert fox Rommel. They can 
attack with poisonous fangs. So watch it. Bad Buffalos are even worse than 
Gruff Goats with their tearing into you, dealing over 100 HP damage. Bad 
Buffalos are vulnerable to Fire and drop Wet Towels.

Keep going to the far northwest of the desert to find a Double Burger, which 
helps you recover about 90 HP. Keep going east along the north edge and 
there will be another Giftbox with a Cup of Lifenoodles. If you go south, 
you will find a couple suntanning! Don't mistake them for corpses, they say.

Tip! If you go far south to the rocks, you may find a green caterpillar that 
is trying to keep away from you. It's a Criminal Caterpillar. Run after it 
and engage it. You may have to chase it around to the northern edge of the 
desert where it becomes trapped. A green swirl should appear, giving you an 
automatic victory and 10128 EXP each! 

Go east from the suntanning couple for an oasis and a Giftbox. Inside is a 
Skip Sandwich DX. At level 29, Paula can learn Defense Down Alpha. If you go 
a little northeast from the oasis, you will find a sign saying that a 
dropped contact lens is lost nearby, and if found, please present it to 
someone on the 1st floor of the Fourside Bakery. For your information, the 
lens is represented by a glare to the northeast of the sign. You can take it 
and return it, but all you get are a pair of dirty socks that cause the 
enemy to feel nauseous, so it's not worth it.

Go north for another Giftbox with a Double Burger. Keep going east for the 
east end of the desert. There is a Gift Box with a Sudden Guts Pill inside. 
With that, go southwest until you see a miner. He is looking for buried gold, 
but he's starving. Let's give him food. He promises to give you the gold he 
finds. Enter the shack. Talk to the miner inside to stay for the night. Save 
by calling Dad, then head out and southeast, back to the main road. Enter 
the tunnel. On the other side, you will find a suspension bridge, and the 
music has changed to a cheerful one. It's the buzzling metropolis of 
Fourside! (Oh, and it's time to widen the lead of Jeff, exp wise with Ness. 
Since Ness is catching up. If he's got sunstroke, let him go unconscious. 
Let Jeff and Paula level up and widen the gap. When you are done, use a Cup 
of Lifenoodles to revive Ness and go on to Fourside.)

---------------
Fourside
---------------
Ness' Level: 27     Paula's Level: 30     Jeff's Level: 31
You will cross a long suspension bridge to reach Fourside, I guess Fourside 
is the equivalent to San Francisco in the real world. Speaking to the locals 
reveals that the city has undergone rapid development since Geldegarde 
Monotoli, a former real estate agent, has hit it big; in fact he is so big 
that he has control over the entire police force! If you try to enter the 
Department Store and you will be informed that it is currently closed, with 
a load "Gwaargh" sound. Speaking to the old man outside will reveal that 
strange things have happened inside the store since Mr. Monotoli has taken 
charge of the cirt. How can you sell you redundant items? Use the For Sale 
sign if you have it.

First things first, go to the hotel to withdraw some money before making 
your way to the Topolla Theater to watch the Runaway Five show. There are 
not many enemies in this city, just some Mad Taxis, Crazed Signs and some of 
the cranky locals. Mad Taxis are notable for their exhaust fumes which make 
you cry. The cost of a ticket in Topolla Theater is $30. Buy a ticket and 
show it to the usher to be let in.

This theater looks even more luxurious than the one in Twoson. Go all the 
way left to the door there. Talk to the doorman to be let in to see the 
Runaway Five. Now, talk to the lead Runaway Five in red. "Again, we've been 
cheated by the theater owner. We're stuck here with a phony contract. Oh 
Yeah!" No good. They are not very smart in the commercial world, aren't they? 
I guess their stupidity has been circulated among the Union of Dishonest 
Theater Managers! Hee Hee... Also, talk to one of the band members and he 
will tell you that he suspects that you will need their help to reach Mr. 
Monotoli, so keep that in mind. For now, let's watch the show.

"Have I got a bombshell for you tonight, kids! aaaaaAAAAAH!!! Ka-Boom!! The 
Runaway Five!!! Yeah!! 3-2-1-Go!" Watch the show now! Again, only music, but 
no singing at all. How sad. What's with the bald guy? Is he a backup? Get 
out now. Talk to the Manager. She says, "So you are a Runaway Five fan, huh? 
What? Excuse me? No, no! This band owes me a million bucks. If they break 
their contract, they will be in big doo doo with the police. The police 
would probably say 'Hey you guys!' Or something like that. Unless you are 
ready to pay a million dollars on their behalf? You'd have to find buried 
gold, or you would never be able to pay such a huge sum of money." Laughter 
follows.

I wonder how can they run up a debt of 1 million that quickly. Since you 
need buried gold to buy out the Runaway Five's contract, head back to the 
desert.

-------------------
Dusty Dunes Desert
-------------------
Ness' Level: 27     Paula's Level: 30     Jeff's Level: 31
Go to the mines, where the excavation has begun, attracting a crowd. Go down 
to the hole and talk to the miner, Mr. Montague. "I didn't have a problem 
until this. I found a maze. Lots of monsters appeared, so I cannot proceed. 
There are 5 big moles! If I beat the monsters, I can continue on. I think I 
have a bleeding ulcer from worrying too much. I'm helpless to really do 
anything." Calm down, Napoleon!

It's up to you to destroy the 5 Guardian Diggers that are guarding this cave. 
Go north to find some new enemies here, like Thirsty Coil Snakes, Mad Ducks, 
Gigantic Ants and Noose Men. Here are their weaknesses:

Thirsty Coil Snakes: Freeze, Paralysis
Noose Man: Fire, Brainshock
Mad Duck: Fire, Freeze
Gigantic Ant: Fire, Freeze

Thirsty Coil Snakes can bite you, poison you with their fangs and also coil 
around you, preventing you from fighting. If you don't want to risk getting 
poisoned, have Paula use Freeze Beta to take one out in one hit. Gigantic 
Ants can drain your PP with Magnet Alpha and attack with their poison 
stinger. They are vulnerable to Fire and Freeze attacks. Noose Men are 
notorious for their binding attacks which stop you from moving.

Go north and take the right path. There will be a ladder leading down. At 
the bottom, go left. There is an alcove there guarded by a giant mole known 
as a Guardian Digger. He claims to be the 3rd best! It seems that Guardian 
Diggers are equipped with a Power Shield. They are also vulnerable to Freeze 
attacks, so Freeze Beta will come in handy. It may be possible to give out 
one hit KOs with Freeze Beta. It seems that there is an IQ capsule in the 
Gift Box. Have Paula drink it, increasing her IQ.

Climb up the ladder to the left. Follow the path until you reach the 
junction. If you would like to rest your characters, go east to return to 
the first fork you have approached upon entering the mine and thus the exit.

Otherwise, go south to continue through the mine. Man, this place is 
infested with Thirsty Coil Snakes. Maybe Gatorade will do them good. There 
is a Big Bottle Rocket in the next Giftbox. At the next junction, first go 
north. Climb down the ladder. You will reach another room with a second 
Guardian Digger, he also claims to be the 3rd! Use Freeze Beta and Flash 
Alpha to take care of him. The Gift Box behind the Guardian Digger holds a 
Coin of Defense. Equip it on Jeff. It increases his defense by 10 over the 
Coin of Slumber. At level 29, Ness can learn Paralysis Omega. He can now 
paralyze every single one of his enemies.

Go left. There is an alcove with a Giftbox with a Calorie Stick inside. When 
Paula hits level 31, she can learn Freeze Gamma. Climb up the ladder at the 
far end to get back to the upper level of the cave. The first Giftbox you 
find to the right holds a Teddy Bear. At the next junction, go right to find 
an open area with Exit Mice. A Picnic Lunch and a Croissant can be found in 
the two gift boxes. I have a hunch that you should be low on PP at this 
point. Consider taking an Exit Mouse and have him lead you to the exit. Then 
rest inside the miners' shack.

Oh, it seems that once Jeff's IQ reaches 28, he can fix his broken laser and 
turn it into a Laser Gun which increases his Offense by 8 over the Zip Gun. 
Head back into the mine and take the left path at the first junction to 
reach the Exit Mouse junction. (Keep going left.) Note that there are 
4 paths on the junction, and the left, north and southern paths have not 
been explored. Go left first and then south at the T-junction that follows. 
There is a ladder, but ignore it and go left first to find the 3rd Guardian 
Digger, who's claiming that his strength falls between the 4th and 2nd 
strongest of the 5 masters! Give him the Flash and Freeze (this time Gamma) 
treatment. The Giftbox he is guarding holds a PSI Caramel this time round. 

There is always a danger that you will be engaged by a large mob of Noose 
Men as you turn back. (I once engaged 5 Noose Men and 1 Mad Duck at once!) 
But using Rockin Beta and Fire Beta will ensure they drop like bowling pins. 
Climb down the ladder to find a gift box with a Super Bomb inside.

Get back up to the Exit Mouse junction and go south. You will first come to 
a Gift Box with a Bomb inside. This is a long path, but you will eventually 
reach the so called 3rd master of this hold. Freeze and Flash! There are 2 
Giftboxes this time with a Luck Capsule and a Platinum Band inside. Have 
Ness drink the capsule and equip the Band. It increase his defense by 25 
over the Silver Bracelet! Head back to the Exit Mouse Junction and use an 
Exit House to leave quickly. Go and rest one more before hunting down the 
last Guardian Digger.

When Jeff's IQ hits 30, he can fix the Broken Pipe to form the Shield Killer, 
which can be used to take down any shield the enemy equips. Head back to the 
mine and take the northern path at the Exit Mouse Junction. You will find an 
alcove with a Gift Box which can be opened for a Secret Herb. Watch out for 
the mob of Noose Men coming to get you. Fortunately, they are all 
conveniently lined up in a row for you to burn. 

It's time to fight the last Guardian Digger, who claims that you have 
defeated the strongest master of this hole, the second strongest master of 
this hole, the fourth strongest master of this hole and the weakest master 
of this hole. He also brags about the advantages of being third. Well, the 
only advantage you have is that your untimely demise is delayed by the 
annoying maze. Flash, agent Ness! Freeze, buster! Jeff can try out the new 
Shield Killer if you like. But hey, 1 Freeze Gamma terminated the Guardian 
Digger in one blast! That's the end! The enemies are gone for good.

Check out the Gift Box for a Guts Capsule. Take it and have Ness drink it. 
Then get back to the junction and use an Exit Mouse to get to the exit fast. 
You will be photograph once you emerge from the mine. Talk to Mr. Montague. 
"You've gotten rid of the monster? Good job. Ok, from here on, just let me 
dig. You'll see, I'll find the buried gold. Before I start digging I will 
set a careful plan of action." While he is planning, head back to Fourside. 
On the Golden Gate Bridge wannabe, Geroge Montague, Geraldo Montague's 
brother will come in his bulldozer. He says that they have not found any 
gold, but found a diamond. He will give it to you. This is just perfect for 
paying off the Runaway Five's debt!

---------------
Fourside
---------------
Ness' Level: 31     Paula's Level: 33     Jeff's Level: 33
Enter Topolla Theater. Go over to the manager. (Up close, not across the 
counter) and give her the Diamond. "That diamond! You're going to pay with 
that diamond? Okay, that's fine. I will rip the contract. Don't tell anyone 
about the diamond. Now the Runaway Five are free! You should thank me. That 
Diamond was worth, maybe $50." Yeah, right! "So I gave you a bargain." At 
this point, the Runaway Five will run out and announce their departure.

"Sorry about bein' such troublemakers!" "We won't be so gullible anymore. 
Well, our friends are waiting, baby." "Let's just do this one last show and 
get out of here." "All right! Thanks again." Then the lyricist will perform 
a little song that ranks with those of Cacophonix. (The bard in Asterix. No 
one appreciates him, perhaps he's too advanced in time.) "Money, that's what 
I want. Money, that's what is hot. Money, that's what I want. Money, that's 
what we ain't got 'cept freedom, freedom, freedom is what we really sought!" 
He tries to repeat but is dragged out!

Enter the theater and watch this one last show. "Welcome to the final 
Runaway Five performance at the Topolla Theater! It's gonna be a great show. 
We're so good that it makes me... think that those kids by the door will wet 
their pants! Those kids are hip, baby!" The Runaway Five start performing. 
In the middle of the performance, the lead pair takes a woman in a black 
dress out and they perform together. At this point, the Runaway Five van 
entered via auto-pilot. They board and drive off the stage! Let's get back 
out and explore this city in detail.

If you go to the northwest, you will find a pink building with a sign 
outside. It seems that the building is used to design an Earthbound 2, and 
is only accessible by APE staff. Well, those guys have finally delivered by 
releasing the sequel to Earthbound, Mother 3 for the GBA in 2006!

Drop some useless items and head to the Department Store now. It should 
finally be open.

Inside, withdraw cash until you have $4000. Talking to the mouse reveals 
that it is worried that the lights will go off soon. Take this into account. 
Get to the first floor. We have the Food Fare on the first floor. There is 
the condiment cart, the Burger Shop and Food Shop.

*****FOURSIDE DEPARTMENT STORE FOOD FARE*****
Can of Fruit Juice ($4), Cup of Coffee ($6), Bag of Fries ($8)
Hamburger ($14), Double Burger *HOT!* ($24, Restores 90 HP)

Boiled Egg ($9), Bread Roll ($12), Croissant ($18), Banana ($5), Picnic 
Lunch ($24)

Ketchup Packet *HOT!* ($2, Works on Double Burger), Sugar Packet ($3)
Tin of Cocoa ($4), Carton of Cream ($4), Sprig of Parsley ($2)
Jar of Hot Sauce *HOT!* ($3, Works on Pizza), Salt Packet ($2)

This is just ridiculous. Condiments are supposed to come free with the 
food! Go through the door to find the contraband dealer.

*****FOURSIDE DEPARTMENT STORE CONTRABAND*****
Hyper Beam ($850, For Jeff, Offense +10)
Bomb ($149), Super Bomb ($399)
Bottle Rocket ($29), Big Bottle Rocket ($139)

Stock up on Big Bottle Rockets if you want. Then get up to the second floor. 
Second Floor is the drugs and tool department. Here are the goods for sale.

*****FOURSIDE DEPARTMENT STORE DRUGS AND TOOLS*****
Cold Remedy ($22, Heals Colds), Refreshing Herb ($80, Heals a Variety of 
Basic Ailments), Protein Drink ($38), Calorie Stick ($18)

Deluxe Fry Pan ($598, Already Equipped by Paula)
Chef's Fry Pan ($1198, For Paula, Offense +10)
Silver Bracelet ($599, Already Equipped or Downgrade)
Gold Bracelet ($2799, Upgrade, but you are better off not upgrading now)
Insecticide Spray ($19, Damages Insect Type Enemies)
Toothbrush ($3), Protractor ($2)

You may be tempted to buy 2 Gold Bracelets, but I don't recommend doing so. 
Seeing that Ness has a more powerful Platinum Band, it may be wise to wait 
for that instead. Go up to the third floor. This is the Toy and Sports 
Department. There is another ATM near the escalator.

*****FOURSIDE DEPARTMENT STORE TOYS AND SPORTS*****
Sandlot Bat ($98, For Ness, Downgrade)
Minor League Bat ($399, For Ness, Downgrade)
Mr. Baseball Bat ($499, For Ness, Downgrade)
Baseball Cap ($19, For Ness, Downgrade)
Trick Yo-yo ($998, For Anyone, Pointless Inaccurate Item)
Coin of Slumber ($1500, For Anyone, Downgrade)
Coin of Defense ($2000, For Ness, Defense +10)
Red Ribbon ($179, For Paula, Downgrade)
Defense Ribbon ($389, For Paula, Downgrade)
Teddy Bear ($178, Damage Protection Item)

It seems that only the Coin of Defense is worth buying. I ought to complain 
to the manager for the poor selection of goods here! Let's make your way out. 
Suddenly, as the mouse predicted, the light goes out and some green monster 
snatches Paula away! An eerie voices echoes through the public address 
system. "Your attention please, would the customer from Onett, Mr. Ness, 
please proceed to the office on the fourth floor. That was customer Ness, 
4th floor office. Gwaaaaaaaagh!" Whoever is making that announcement must be 
some freak. Climb up the escalators to the 4th floor. 

You need to fight some evil goods, namely Mystical Records, Musicas and 
Scalding Coffee Cups. Each of these enemies has a nasty attack. Mystical 
Records can heal themselves using Lifeup and charge into you, dealing over 
80 HP of damage. Musicas are known for their electric shock attacks, which 
is Thunder Beta in all but name. Fortunately the electric bolts can be 
reflected back at them using the Franklin Badge if they happen to hit Ness. 
As for the Coffee Cups, they sometimes spill red hot espresso at you, which 
deals around 80 HP of damage to both of you!

Since you have lost the only elemental PSI user, there is no need for me to 
list the vulnerabilities of the enemies you will be facing for the time 
being. In any case, it would be wise to open the first round of attacks with 
Rockin Beta if you encounter multiple enemies to take them down quickly. 
After all, PP is not much of an issue since all you need to do is to reach 
the manager's office on the top floor.

Try to avoid contact while ascending. As you get to the second floor, the 
PA will announce, "Ness, Customer Ness, please hurry to Paula. 
Gwaaaaaaaagh!" He's mocking you, Ness! Battle is unavoidable in the third 
floor. Prepare yourselves! Sometimes, the enemies will wait for you at the 
top of the escalator to give you a Red Swirl attack! As you approach the 
door of the office, the PA speaks out one more time. "Ness, Customer Ness, 
Gwaagh! Gwaagh!" Enter the office.

Prepare yourselves. You will find the monster sitting behind the desk. He 
taunts that this Department Store will be your grave and you will go to 
heaven. Let's fight the Department Store Spook.

Boss Battle! Department Store Spook (12146 EXP)
This guy really is a PSI Guy. He can cast Freeze Beta, Lifeup Alpha and many 
other moves. You must be fast. While Ness resorts to Rockin Beta, Jeff 
should launch Big Bottle Rockets and Super Bombs at him. If you are fast 
enough, you should not take too much damage. When you have defeated him, the 
Department Store spook mentions Montoli before dying.

The lights go back on. For a photo, go behind the back row of toys in the 
toy section (the one closer to the vendors) to make the photographer appear. 
Buy a Big Bottle Rocket for Jeff if he doesn't have any, leave the 
Department Store and go over to the cafe at the northwestern end of the city. 
Inside the cafe, talk to the woman to the right. She says there is someone 
making a loud noise outside. Let's go out and investigate. Hey, it's 
Everdred! Talk to the messy man to the right and bribe him with food to make 
him move aside. Talk to Everdred.

"Aren't you Ness? I can't see too well... Everything's blurry." Everdred, 
sniff, don't die! "You are Ness, aren't you? It's me, we met in Twoson. 
Everdred from Burglin Park. You must remember, I am the best thief around. 
That Carpainter in Happy Happy Village was hiding something strange. I stole 
it, and thought about selling it to the big city. An old wise man called it 
Mani Mani. It is a strange colored doll looking thing. Ohh, I am in pain and 
Montoli tricked me and stole it from me! He tricked a thief!" 

I guess you can't win them all, Everdred! "He wanted me out of the way 
because I know his secret. He gets his evil power from that statue! Listen! 
I will tell you only once. At the cafe, check behind the counter. I said I'd 
tell you only once. But if you insist, I will tell you once more. Do you 
wanna hear it again?" Say no. "Before I go, here's my last haiku poem: When 
on your way out, be sure that you say goodbye then lock the door tight. This 
is my final request. Don't follow me. I must be on my way. So long."

Everdred leaves. Yay! He's alive! Reenter the cafe and check behind the 
counter. What's going on! 

---------------
Moonside
---------------
Ness' Level: 32     Jeff's Level: 34
You enter a rather black world. It's the mirror city of Fourside, Moonside! 
You will fry your brain if you stay too long, so beware! Everything's gone 
the other way round. Yes means no and vice versa. Make sure you take this 
account when answering. Get out of the cafe. There are enemies like Robo-
pumps and Enraged Fire Plugs. The former wastes 3 turns counting down from 3 
before throwing a bomb at you and starting another countdown sequence. The 
Enraged Fire Plug can spray a burst of water to damage both of you at once.

The Hospital and Hotel are both at the northeast of this dimension. Take 
note of the man standing outside the hospital as you will have to talk to 
him later. There is a Double Burger in the Giftbox to the right of the 
hospital. It seems there are abstract art and Dali's Clocks as well! These 
objects attack in crazy ways like freezing your time, but are not as much of 
a threat as the Robo-pumps and Enraged Fire Plugs. These two enemies drop 
PSI Caramel, which will be handy for Ness.

Go to the southwestern corner of this dark world. There is a Giftbox to the 
far west, but it is out of reach. To get there, talk to the man with 
sunglasses. He says "Hello and Goodbye!" and warps you there. The Giftbox 
holds a Protein Drink. With this, talk to the man in this area to warp back. 

Go to the right of the Montoli Building to find the path leading to the 
entrance blocked by a bearded man. He says he cannot let you past because 
you don't have a man with connected eyebrows and a gold tooth with you! Now, 
let's go to the hospital and talk to the hunky man outside to warp to the 
next area. 

You will find a Giftbox in front of you with a Night Pendant inside, which 
should be equipped on Jeff to raise his Defense by 15 and protect him from 
Flash Attacks. Talk to the man to warp to the next isolated area. There is a 
Handbag Strap in this corner of Moonside. Grab it, talk to the man and warp. 
The next item you will find is Secret Herb, which should be held by Ness. 
Talk to the woman and you will find that she thinks that she should care for 
Mani Mani before all else. Talk to the man in glasses to say goodbye, but 
only after a confirmation message. Remember that no means yes, so say no 
when he asks if you are sure. 

You will come to a room with 2 men, one of which is invisible. You can still 
see the silhouette of the invisible man though, so talk to him. He asks, 
"Can you see me?" Say No! "Ha ha, you can, huh? He he, you have become a 
real Moonsidian, haven't you. Talk to the other man, and he will be mad that 
you are interrupting him when he is doing nothing. You are sent back to the 
Hotel. Get out and head to the Montoli Building. But what is this? Someone 
invisible is following you!

"It's me, you can see me, right? There is something interesting about you, 
so I am going to follow you. Don't worry though. If you get into a fight, 
I'll stay out of it." Continue on your way and this invisible man will brag 
about his connected eyebrows and gold tooth. This is just what we need to 
convince the man by the Monotoli Building to move out of the way.

Rest up and head over to the Monotoli Building. Talk to the man guarding the 
building and he will ask the invisible man out for a drink, allowing you to 
reach the entrance of the Montoli Building. The Mani Mani Statue can be 
found outside the building. Talk to the man standing outside the building 
and he will say, "Don't do anything to me, I'm not Montoli!" before fleeing. 
So that's the all powerful Mr. Montoli! Check the statue to trigger a boss 
battle!

Boss Battle! Evil Mani-Mani (14070 EXP)
This is the statue that has caused so much trouble for many people all this 
time. Although the statue is golden, it appears pink in front of you. Start 
by having Jeff launch a Big Bottle Rocket at the statue and have Ness attack 
with Rockin Beta. This should take over 500 HP off the statue, which is over 
half of its total health. For subsequent turns, have Ness continue using 
Rockin Beta while Jeff resorts to shooting and the statue should be 
destroyed in another turn or two. 

The worst thing this statue can do to you is paralyzing you, which should 
not be a problem if Ness were paralyzed since it will not stop him from 
using Rockin. If Jeff is paralyzed before he can fire the rocket, use the 
Secret Herb on him to allow him to move. If you destroy the statue quickly 
enough, you need not worry about the Statue's other attacks, like the 
glorious light, which functions the same way as Flash Beta with the chance 
of instantly knocking Ness and/or Jeff out. But Jeff needs not worry, since 
he has the Night Pendant equipped if that happens.

When Ness hits level 34, he will learn Shield Beta. After the Mani Mani 
statue is destroyed, you will return to the real world, inside the store 
room of Jackie's Cafe. The Mani Mani Statue is now in pieces. So, it was a 
device that generated illusions. If you talk to the mouse in the warehouse, 
you will be told that you have been wandering randomly inside the warehouse 
all this time! So Moonside is nothing but an illusion projected by the evil 
statue. Thank god that the illusion device is scrapped. Rest at the hotel, 
and continue on your little urban adventure. As you leave, you receive a 
call.

"Hello! This is Apple Kid. I have come up with another wacky invention that 
I think has real potential. Maybe you won't, but anyway. It's called the 
Gourmet Yogurt Machine. It makes many different flavors of yogurt. The 
problem is, that it can only make trout-flavored yogurt right now. So, I am 
having the machine delivered to you via Escargo Express. It's coming 
Neglected Class. Hopefully, you'll get it soon. Yeah, everything is..." 
Something explodes. "Uh, I got some problems here, go to go! Bye!"

Trout Flavored Yogurt, how disgusting! You see a monkey outside the cafe, 
which gets burnt running into the wall! Talk to him and he will tell you 
that Talah Rama has finished fasting and wants to meet you. He is at the 
west end of the Dusty Dunes Desert, inside a cave with lots of monkeys. 
Having said that, he will use his teleportation to leave this place. 

After this, the Escargo Express deliveryman will come with the Trout 
Flavored Yogurt, only that he has dropped it on the way! You will have to 
get it! A third person now comes. It's Electra, Mr. Montoli's maid. (The 
maid who's "maid" to order! Ha ha!) "Hello! I heard you were talking about 
trout flavored yogurt. I'm a maid who serves Mr. Montoli, and I'm looking 
for Trout Flavored Yogurt to give to our special guest. If you know anything 
about it, please tell me! I've been searching and searching."

So, the next objective is to get to the desert again to Talah Rama's cave. 
Rest at the hotel and get out to the desert. We are going back and forth a 
lot around here. It's getting annoying!

-------------------
Dusty Dunes Desert
-------------------
Ness' Level: 34     Jeff's Level: 35
Walk along the road until you get to the west end of the desert. Then go 
north until you find the ladder leading down by the monkey. Before you climb 
down to Talah Ramah's cave, make sure that you have a Picnic Lunch and a 
Skip Sandwich in your inventory. It will also help if you have 3 free spaces 
in both Ness and Jeff's inventory. You find 2 doors that are blocked by 
monkeys. It is time for one fun puzzle! Bribe the Monkeys!

Puzzle Time! Bribe the Monkeys
To make the monkeys move out of the way so you can proceed, you will have to 
give them food and other items. When you go through, you will find a chest 
with an additional item. These can be used as bribes to later monkeys. To 
help you go through each area, I will number the rooms. Let's consider the 
room you are now in, Room 1.

In Room 1, give the left monkey a Picnic Lunch and the right monkey a Skip 
Sandwich. The left door leads to Room 2, and the right leads to Room 3. You 
will get a pizza before Room 2. In Room 2, the left monkey will want the 
Pizza. The right monkey will ask for a Wet Towel. Give the Pizza to the left 
monkey to access Room 4. You will find another pizza on your way to Room 4. 
In Room 4, you come to a dead end. The monkey there tells you that you will 
find Dragonite in one room. He gives you a Fresh Egg. If you need to, you 
can come back and ask for more.

Head to Room 3. You will find a Wet Towel before reaching Room 3. There may 
be some sprout enemies here, but they do look scared! Take them out with 
Green Swirls. In Room 3, the left monkey will want a Pizza, while the right 
monkey wants a Protein Drink. Give the Pizza to the left monkey to access 
Room 5. Before going to Room 5, consider returning to Room 2 to bribe the 
monkey with the Wet Towel to reach Room 6. You will find a Ruler and a 
Hamburger before you reach Room 6. In Room 6, both monkeys love Hamburgers. 
Bribe the monkey to the right first. You will reach a room with a chest. 
Inside is a Flame Pendant which should be equipped by Ness so as to raise 
his defense by 15 and protect him from Fire Attacks. Head to Room 5.

You will find a Protein Drink before reaching Room 5. In Room 5, the left 
monkey wants a Hamburger while the right one wants a King Banana. Since you 
don't have any at the moment, go back to Room 3 and bribe the right monkey 
with a Protein Drink. Enter Room 7. You will get a Hamburger before hand. In 
Room 7, the left monkey wants to measure something. Give her the Ruler. The 
right monkey wants a Fresh Egg to cure his speech problems. If the Fresh Egg 
has hatched, you will go back to Room 2 and take another one. Enter the 2 
rooms. One has a King Banana, while the other one has a Neutralizer. It is a 
powerful battle weapon for Jeff since it disables any effects of PSI on 
everyone, so if the enemy has a shield up, this thing can cancel it without 
fail at all.

Head back to Room 6 to bribe the left monkey. There is a trash can with a 
Broken Tube inside. Give it to Jeff. Head to Room 5. Bribe Man K. Man the 
right monkey with the King Banana to reach Room 8. Before reaching Room 8, 
you will find a Hamburger and a Picnic Lunch. Go back to Room 5 and bribe 
the left monkey to enter the room with a Bag of Dragonite. This items turns 
the user into a dragon for one turn, who can deal massive damage. Head to 
Room 8. There is a pencil statue in the way. Use the Pencil Eraser to remove 
it. You will enter Talah Rama's Room. Open the 2 chests for a Cup of 
Lifenoodles and a Brain Food Lunch. The latter is a powerful food item that 
recovers a large amount of HP and PP at the same time. A future character 
will rely heavily on it, you'll see.

Talk to Talah Rama. "The truth of space and time moves through the universe 
like a wave," he says, "Truth speaks through space and time and makes itself 
known to human beings. I was waiting for you, and you came. This was estined 
to happen. In truth, all is pre-determined. Ness, Paula, Jeff and Poo, when 
these 4 powers gather, twisted space will bring back peace to the world. Do 
you understand? It doesn't matter. Proceed as you wish. Open the treasure 
box and take what is inside with you. Did you come in search of this? 
Someone left it behind in this hole." So, it was that irresponsible 
deliveryman! You will get the Yogurt Dispenser.

Talah Rama continues, "The adventure that lies ahead will not be easy. I'll 
give you a special skill to move through space as you wish. Learn the skill 
from the monkey over there. Would you like to learn this special power?" Say 
Yes. "That's wonderful, speak to the monkey over there." Talk to the monkey 
and he will offer to teach you teleportation. Get out now.

Talk to the left monkey outside and follow him to the road. Talk to him 
again and he will give you a demonstration. So, Teleport Alpha involves 
running and accelerating to a fast speed until you reach the place you are 
thinking of. It's just like Back to the Future. You will have to reach 88 
mph to warp to the past or future. Of course, in this game, you can only 
warp to places you have been to! With your acquired Teleport Alpha, teleport 
back to Fourside to find Paula. Oh by the way, since you have the 
Neutralizer, things like the Shield Killer and Counter-PSI Unit will become 
obsolete. Deposit them with the Escargo Express.

Buy a Big Bottle Rocket for Jeff before making your way to the Monotoli 
Building. Electra the maid will be waiting for you outside. Talk to her and 
she will happily snatch your trout-flavored yogurt maker before you can even 
respond! She tells you to meet her in her room on the 48th floor. So let's 
get there now.

Take the lift to the 47th floor and change lifts there. The guards in that 
lift lobby are not so nice. Since they are bound to shoot suspicious people 
down on sight with a machine gun! It seems that the elevator lady of the 
next lift knows about you, so you and Jeff can continue up this private lift. 
The music changes to an eerie one. Go through the door. In the hallway that 
follows, a robot will confront you and ask for the secret code. Since you 
don't have it, you will have to fight this Sentry Robot!

The annoying thing is that these Sentries can call for help. They often fire 
beams at you, or just ticks. Another dangerous weapon of these guys is their 
Bottle Rockets. You may have allowed Jeff to use them and they are only fun 
when they are not fired at you! Fortunately, they also sometimes drop Big 
Bottle Rockets. There are bathrooms in this hallway which cannot be entered. 
In addition, there are also 4 doors here. Each pair leads to a room. It 
seems that it is possible to avoid contact with the Sentry Robots, since 
they are slow. The 2 doors to the left are to be your target.

There is a door leading north which leads to another Sentry Robot guarding a 
Sudden Guts Pill. The left door leads to another green room with 2 doors 
leading north and another Sentry Robot. The left door leads to a room with a 
Vital Capsule which should be drunk by Jeff. Go through the door to the 
right for the next room.

Go through the northern door to arrive at Electra's room. She will serve you 
Trout Flavored Yogurt. Ewww, this isn't an Iron Chef cook out, you know! Get 
out and go left. Brace yourself... In the next room, a tiny robot approaches 
you. He makes some weird mechanic sounds and a boss battle begins! It's the 
Clumsy Robot!

Boss Battle! Clumsy Robot (16189 EXP)
The name may be misleading, but do not underestimate this guy. He mostly 
wastes turns cleaning the floor and losing bolts, but when he does attack, 
he can pack a wallop! Take the missiles and beams for instance. Another 
frustrating feature of the Clumsy Robot is that every now and then, he will 
eat a Bologna Sandwich to fully recover his HP! This is purely a battle of 
attrition. Resist the temptation to use the Big Bottle Rocket or Rockin Beta 
and keep bashing and shooting until help arrives. The PSI should be reserved 
for medical purposes. All of a sudden, some guys rushed into the room. You 
hear the Runaway Five tune! It's the Runaway Five! It's just as one of the 
band members prophesized!

Lucky quickly ducked behind the robot. "I flipped the switch, and it 
stopped," he said. "Geez, what a loser robot. It was so easy to stop. That 
was quick thinking." So, if you want to defeat the robot, just have someone 
distract him while another turns it off! Ha ha! We really are fools!

While the Runaway Five are on standby, go through the double doors to find 
Paula with Monotoli, who begs for mercy. "Stop! That's enough! Please stop! 
I give up! I really do!" Your health gets restored as Monotoli breaks down 
by Paula, who says, "Ness! You finally made it here. I'm fine. I believed 
you would come and save me." She believes in you! "Mr. Montoli isn't such a 
bad person. Take some time to listen to him." Let's talk.

It's quite a sobering story... "Look at my skinny arms, thin body and grey 
hair. I've become so weak since I lost the Mani Mani Statue. I'm sorry I 
kidnapped Paula. I haven't done anything to her." Is that so? "Paula is a 
nice girl." He turns to Paula. "Paula. Return to Ness. I'm sorry I created 
so much trouble for you." Paula is back with you!

"I'll tell you everything. The Mani Mani Statue creates an illusion. It 
attracts evil spirits and weakens your heart. The power scared me so much, 
so I hid the statue in the warehouse at Jackie's Cafe. I often went there to 
pray." That was just like the Happy-Happyist cult! "Cryptic words appeared 
to me while I was in the illusion. Ness, your name appeared on the cryptic 
messages. 'Stop Ness, do so by your own hand.' Or, 'Don't let them go to 
Summers.' Or, 'Make sure they know nothing of the Pyramid.' I don't fully 
understand the messages, but someone obviously doesn't want to go to 
Summers.' Evil Giygas or something, I could hear his name. Anyway, the evil 
side will be in trouble if you go to Summers. Oh! On the contrary, you 
should definitely go to Summers, especially because they don't want you to 
make it there. Would you like to hear the whole story again?" Of course not! 
"Summers is located across the ocean. Take my helicopter. I will open the 
door to my heliport." Montoli pushed his stuffed bear and a secret door 
opened. "You must go on! Ness, this is your destiny. Paula, it's time we 
said goodbye. Take care."

Climb up the stairs and go through the hallway to the heliport. Try to board 
the helicopter, only to find that Pokey is already inside! He takes off 
before taunting you again, "Ness, you pin-headed idiot, you're just a half 
step too slow. I'm getting outta here! Since Montoli has become a plain old 
man again, I have no more use of him. This helicopter will really come in 
handy. Looks like you are the world class loser again!" Come back and fight, 
you coward! It's a pity that Jeff will not try to blow him out of the sky 
with those Bottle Rockets of his.

Get back down and leave and Paula will have a vision telling her to go back 
to Threed, where the Runaway Five will gladly give you a lift to. The music 
changes to a happy one! Get out of the building now as it's time to hitch a 
ride back to Threed, the revitalized town. Meanwhile, Apple Kid phones you, 
saying that he has discovered the enemy of you and humanity. To stop him, he 
has to invent a Phase Distorter. As a result, he will head to Winters to 
work with Dr. Andonuts.

---------------
Threed
---------------
Ness' Level: 36     Paula's Level: 33     Jeff's Level: 36
Now that you can teleport, let's return to Onett to tie up a loose end. 
Withdraw $7500 from an ATM and following the path leading west from the 
hospital. You will find a house overlooking the sea. Talk to the estate 
agent outside and he will offer to sell it to you for $7500. Buy the house 
and go inside to find it in a complete shambles. Yes, there is a nice sea 
view, courtesy of a complete lack of wall facing north! Stand in front of 
the couch for a photograph.

In addition, if you examine the chest of drawers, you will find a funny 
magazine article about a speeding guy lying to a policeman who pulled him 
over. The man claimed that his wife is in labor. Since his wife had a big 
stomach, the officer believed him and offered to escort them to the hospital. 
Naturally, the man refused, claiming that the baby is a demon child!

Now, teleport back to Threed, return to the cemetery and find the Sky Runner. 
Check the wreck. "Ah! Here's the problem, and it's not tough for me to fix. 
Hang on a second or two." Jeff will fix it in a jiffy! (No pun intended) 
"There! That should do it! Now, if we board, the Sky Runner will take us 
back to Winters. With Dr. Andonuts' help, I can modify the machine and fly 
to Summers. If Dad, I mean Dr. Andonuts, is not available, I will have to 
figure it out by myself. Anyway, let's go back to the lab in Winters." You 
will now fly to Winters.

---------------
Winters
---------------
Ness' Level: 36     Paula's Level: 33     Jeff's Level: 36
This time, the Sky Runner will NOT explode. As you alight in the lab, the 
Bubble Monkey's wife will come to you and thank you for taking care of her 
husband. In addition, the Bubble Monkey will come and hint you of something 
in the cave to the north of Stonehenge before leaving. With this information, 
go and talk to Jeff's dad. 

"Oh! You surprised me! You are Ness, aren't you? Jeff wets his bed 
sometimes." What? "But other than that, he's a good boy. Take care of 
yourself and Jeff! The Bubble Monkey said that there is a cave to the north 
of Stonehenge. I've known about it for a long time. The locals call the area 
'Rainy Circle' but I haven't been there. I wonder what's inside the cave. 
While you are checking out that place, I will work on remodeling the Sky 
Runner. Yes, my coworker, Bigfoot dislikes violence. He's such a nice guy, 
and he loves people. He often shares his beef jerky with me."

Get out of the lab and enter the cave. There is a shiny light there, 
remember? Talk to it and start the fight for Your Sanctuary!

Boss Battle! Shrooom! (32108 EXP)
This boss must be exclamatory, since he's got an exclamation mark by his 
name. Although this thing is vulnerable to Fire, Freeze Gamma deals more 
damage than Fire Beta, so use that instead while Ness and Jeff resorts to 
physical attacks (the latter should start by firing a Big Bottle Rocket as 
well). Freeze Gamma has the additional benefit of sometimes solidifying the 
enemy. Like many other mushroom enemies, this boss can scatter spores, which 
either mushroomizes or poisons one of you (consider the latter to be a 
blessing in disguise)! He can heal himself with Lifeup Alpha. Other than 
that, he just uses normal attacks. If Ness is mushroomized, don't use Rockin 
moves or you may regret it. For the levels you are at, this battle should be 
only moderate in difficulty.

There is a chance that the Shroom! Will provide enough Experience for 2 
consecutive level ups for Ness and Paula. Oh, and if Ness hits level 38, he 
will learn Flash Beta, which has the chance to either make the enemy cry, 
feel strange, numb or go completely unconscious. The effects are random 
though, so I would not count of it. 

Go through the opening to find a puddle with rainwater constantly coming 
down on it. Walk to it to heal and listen to the melody. This time the tunes 
are as follows: GBD'C#C#D'. Note that the # represents one semitone higher, 
so it's a C Sharp. You will catch a whiff of Steak for a second. Your work 
here is done, go back to Jeff's dad to see if his is. (You can also fight 
some Strong Crocodiles and Elder Battys, they are scared of you since you 
have beaten their boss.)

"Oh Ness!" Jeff's Dad says, "Jeff wets his bed sometimes, but apart from 
that, he's a good boy. What? Hmm... it sounds like you found something out. 
I finished remodeling the Sky Runner. You can leave for Summers whenever you 
wish. It shouldn't break this time. Well, maybe..." You hear that? It 
SHOULDN'T break this time! Can we believe in Dr. Andonuts? Enter the Sky 
Runner to find out. It's time to head to Summers!

----------------------
c. A Tropical Getaway
----------------------
It seems that the Sky Runner ran out of fuel prior to landing and crashed 
onto the beach! Hope you are insured, Jeff, looks like a total write off! 
Anyway, welcome to this lovely resort. My guess is that this is the 
equivalent of the Italian port town of Naples.

---------------
Summers
---------------
Ness' Level: 38     Paula's Level: 35     Jeff's Level: 38
Let's get off the beach and have a look at the shops by the road from left 
to right. As you walk by the hotel, you will be photographed by the 
photographer. You will find that nothing is free here; even the hotel is 
fitted with payphones! The next building you will find is the Restaurant. It 
accepts takeaways! Let's see what delicacies they have.

*****SUMMERS RESTAURANT*****
Chef's Special ($298), Pasta di Summers ($128) 
Kraken Soup *HOT!* ($648, Full HP Restoration)
Royal Iced Tea ($78), Can of Fruit Juice ($4), Cup of Coffee ($6)

$78 for Iced Tea? That's daylight robbery! OK, it may not be that bad if 
that were New Taiwanese Dollars though. The Kraken Soup, although expensive 
is excellent since it guarantees complete HP restoration. It is made from 
the fin of a sea monster known as Kraken, so it's like Shark's Fin Soup, one 
of Hong Kong's expensive delicacies. But what's a Kraken like?

It seems that Crazed Signs and Mad Taxis roam the streets here. However, 
they can be easily beaten just by bashing. Consider fighting them if you run 
out of money, which is very likely soon. You will come to the goods shop 
next. It sells equipment that is not the strongest, but the most expensive 
of the game. Here's the catalog, is it worth it? I will tell you after the 
list.

*****SUMMERS EQUIPMENT*****
Big League Bat ($3080, For Ness, Offense +6)
Chef's Fry Pan ($1198, Already Equipped by Paula)
Lucky Coin ($6000, For All, Offense +10 over Coin of Defense, +3 over Mr. 
Saturn Coin, so not worth it for Paula)
Gold Bracelet ($2799, For All, Downgrade for Ness)
Platinum Band ($6899, For All, Already Equipped by Ness)
Diamond Band ($9998, For All, Defense +10 over Platinum Band, so not worth 
it for Ness, Defense +35 over Silver Bracelet)
Super Plush Bear ($1198, A tougher diversionary item than Teddy Bear)

As you can see, the Lucky Coin does not offer a large increase in Defense 
over the Mr. Saturn Coin. So, the person who has the Mr. Saturn Coin should 
not take the Lucky Coin. As for the Diamond Band, it costs almost $10000 and 
provides only an additional 10 units of defense over the Platinum Band. 
Now that one of the characters has the Platinum Band equipped, he should not 
be given the Diamond Band. So in short, you should buy Ness' weapon, 2 Lucky 
Coins, 2 Diamond Bands. Buy a Super Plush Bear if you need to. Now, it seems 
that all of this will cost you $35076! This is only after my saving plans 
offered above! (It will cost you another $15998 if you resort to all 
upgrades, ignoring the money obtained by selling old items.)

You will find Club Stoic next, which requires a reservation to get in. You 
will get the telephone number later. I checked the dictionary. Stoic means 
"member of ancient Greek school of philosophy which sought virtue as 
greatest good and control of one's feelings and passions". Hmm, I guess it 
must be a club for some nerds! The Scaraba Cultural Museum is next, but you 
don't have to enter it now. After that, you will find the Hospital.

Continue to the right for the port town of Toto. There is a shop there which 
sells food items and Coins of Defenses, nothing too special. A house to the 
right has a person with sunglasses inside. Talking to him will land you the 
secret phone number of the Stoic Club. I guess that's all you need to know 
before having to turn back. As you get out, you will get a phone call from 
Jeff's friend, Tony.

"Hello? Jeff. Oh, happy day! I finally got a hold of you. Oh Jeff! Hi! It's 
me, Tony. I'm collecting player's names for a school project. You know, 
players just like you. That's right, you, the person holding the controller. 
Would you register your name, please? Don't spell your name wrong!" You get 
to register your own name. Although this seems weird, this name is 
significant in the final stages of the game, since the group may have to 
call the player to help them! If you are too shy to register your own name, 
you can just type in nonsense or just enter the name of a celebrity or 
political leader. I will just type in George W. Bush! You get to confirm 
your name. So select OK again.

"I apologize for any trouble this may have caused you. Don't put my friend 
in any dangerous situations, okay? I worry about him, I really do. Well, 
talk to you later. Jeff, I hope I can see you when I am feeling up to it. 
From T-O-N-Y. You got that? I have been on the phone too long." You then 
hear a long series of goodbye phrases. Man, this Tony really is passionate 
about Jeff. Such close friends.

Before phoning Stoic Club, talk to the sailor standing in front of the sea 
below. He can offer you a boat ride, but he is concerned about his wife, 
since she is so deep in with Stoic Club and her making of Magic Cakes that 
they have no more mutual interests to discuss! Does this call for a divorce? 
Let's help him. Phone Stoic Club to book a table before entering.

It seems that this place is where people discuss philosophy but no mention 
of Greece is found. Here are some interesting quotes:

"Didactically speaking, seminal evidence seems to explicate the fact that 
your repudiation of entropy supports my theory of space-time synthesis. 
Of this, I am irrefutably confident." "You guys can't envision the final 
collapse of capitalism? Incredible!" "Mmmmm. I think it's a very complicated 
issue. Oh sorry! I was sleeping." "The show? It has already started. 
Everyone stares at the stone on the stage and philosophizes. Doesn't it 
sound stupid?"

The dark-skinned waiter is the only sane person in this place. He says that 
people will pay just to have some quiet time to discuss over a glass of 
water. The most important quote is definitely that of the moustachioed man 
at the table. He says, "You know, I really want to eat some Magic Cake. It's 
a mysterious work of art. I can't get that cake off my mind. There's only 
one woman who can make Magic Cake. She's hanging out in this club. Yeah, 
she's over there by the entrance. Anyway, the absolute irony and study of 
self-identification is blah blah blah... I don't know what to do!"

This guy seems to be addicted to Magic Cake. Talk to the woman by the door. 
"I have finally awakened the inner me, the true self. The patrons of this 
club are able to stare into their own souls hard enough to burn a hole in 
their psyche. I'm now confident enough to stare at the real me, the true 
self, and burn the impression into my super ego. My id is telling me. What? 
What? Magic Cake? You came all this way just to eat my Magic Cake?" Answer 
yes. "I see, OK. Why don't you stop by the cart out on a beach later?" The 
woman leaves. Leave and get out to the beach. If Ness reaches Level 39, he 
will learn Lifeup Gamma.

You will find her by a cart by the beach. She claims that this is the best 
Magic Cake, and it's made from all leftover materials. Enjoy! This is when 
the whole world spins. What exactly is in the cake anyway? Pot? You all pass 
out, meanwhile, in some distant land far away, someone leaps into action. 
But has the eating of Magic Cake any connections between these two seemingly 
unrelated events?

---------------
Dalaam
---------------
Poo's Level: 15
We come to the imperial palace of Dalaam, a country in the far east, where 
Prince Poo is called into action. Poo's master says, "Prince Poo, the time 
has now come for you to undertake your final trial. Go to the 'Place of 
Emptiness' and endure this final test. I am praying for your success in the 
final stage of your training." This is when you get to move. Examine the 3 
boxes in this room for a Brain Food Lunch, a Cup of Lifenoodles and a Brain 
Stone inside. Use the phone on top of the man's head to save before exiting 
the palace. It seems every single woman here is attracted to Poo!

The music here sounds very Chinese. Walk down the hill. The first house on 
the way has a Bottle of Water inside, which restores PP for Poo. The third 
house down from the hill has a Jar of Delisauce inside. This is the ultimate 
condiment as it works on ANY type of food. The next house to the left is a 
shop. But inside, there are boxes with a Bottle of Water and a Bowl of Rice 
Gruel inside. At the bottom of the hill, there is a cave to the left blocked 
by rabbit statues. Ignore that for now and turn right.

Talk to the master at the base of the Place of Emptiness. He says he has 
completed Mu training before leaving with the wind. Climb up the rope to the 
top and meditate. A girl will try to discourage Poo, but don't move at all. 
Eventually, the Old Master will appear to test you. It's like a battle scene.

"Prince Poo, I am the spirit of your ancient lineage. To complete your trial, 
I am going to break your legs. You will lose the use of them. Do you accept 
this?" Say yes. Your HP drops down to 21. "So, Prince Poo, you cannot walk, 
as your legs are broken. Next, I will tear your arms off. I shall then take 
your arms off and feed them to the crows. The taking of your arms, do you 
accept this?" Say Yes. Your HP drops to zero!

"Ah, Prince Poo, Without legs or arms, you can only lie there. Now, I'll cut 
your ears off. You do not mind me taking your hearing away, don't you? Do 
you accept this?" Say yes! You can only read the spirit's lips now. "So, 
Prince Poo, No legs, no arms, no sound. By floating words through the air, I 
must ask you. Do you care if I take your eyes? Do you want to live in 
eternal darkness? I shall steal your sight. Do you accept this?" It may 
sound crazy, but do say yes. The world goes black.

"So, Prince Poo. Now, I can only communicate directly with your mind. Your 
mind is all you have left. In the end, I will take your mind, though you 
probably won't allow that, do you? So, you can't answer, you can't even move? 
Are you sad, are you lonely? If you lose your mind, you also lose any 
feelings of sadness. Do you accept this? I will take your mind, Prince Poo, 
know that I will possess it." This is when you wake up!

A master will come and tell Poo that he has completed his training. Return 
to the palace and speak to your Old Master. "I am proud. You have completed 
your Mu training. There is nothing more to teach you from the holy writings. 
Prince Poo. I shall relay a message to you from eternity. The evil entity 
that controls all wickedness is preparing for the greatest struggle of all 
time. The only ones who can challenge the entity are 3 boys and 1 girl. One 
named Ness is the leader of the four. One of the boys is you, Prince Poo. 
Now that you have completed the training, search out Ness at once. For all 
beings, for the earth itself. I pray for growth in the might of the four. 
Poo's level will increase by 3. He will learn Shield Beta, Teleport Alpha 
and Teleport Beta. This is when Poo will use Teleport Beta to get to Summers 
and find you guys.

---------------
Summers
---------------
Ness' Level: 38   Paula's Level: 35   Jeff's Level: 38   Poo's Level: 18
Poo introduces himself to Ness. "My name is Poo. I am the one who will fight 
beside you. I am the servant of Ness. I will obey Ness. Ness! My life is in 
your hands." You now have all 4 characters. You must take note that Poo is 
an extremely picky person. He does not like any foreign foods. Anything fed 
to him that is not a Brain Food Lunch will only give him 6 HP. Meanwhile, 
Brain Food Lunch will completely restore his HP and restore most of his PP. 
As for equipment, Poo can only benefit from items that end with "of Kings". 
Any other item equipped will lower Poo's stats!

Head to the museum and pay $12 for the admission fee. Go upstairs to find a 
door blocked by a man. He says the room is being remodeled. Bribe him with 
Poo's gem and you can enter the room.

The room has a hieroglyph and two live artifacts that you must beat first. 
They are shattered men. They are vulnerable to paralysis, so Ness can stop 
it with Paralysis Alpha, allowing you to bash them with impunity. You may 
get Mummy Wraps from these enemies and beating one will grant Poo a boost to 
level 21, allowing him to learn Magnet Alpha. Meanwhile, at level 24, he 
will learn Brainshock Alpha. At level 37, Paula will learn Fire Gamma.

Check the hieroglyph and Poo can read it. It seems that there is a place 
called Deep Darkness, and it is shrouded. A Hawk Eye will pierce the dark. 
The Sphinx of Scaraba now watches over the pyramid, waiting for a hero to 
come. To enter the pyramid, one must dance in front of the Sphinx in a star 
pattern. (You will understand what I mean later.)

Poo gets an idea. "Ness, let's go to Scaraba! The pyramid is the key!" Get 
out of here now. Before you leave, the man by the hieroglyphs will give you 
a Hieroglyph Copy for studying hard (in bribery lessons!). As you are about 
to leave the museum, the phone rings, so let's answer it.

"Hello! Is this Mr. Fork of the Scaraba Cultural Museum? It doesn't sound 
like you. Well, I'll quickly tell you my story, since I am a busy, busy man. 
I found something so extraordinary that mere words could not do it justice. 
What do you mean, 'who am I'? Don't you recognize my voice? It's me, Mr. 
Spoon from the Fourside Museum of Natural History. Look Mr. Fork, I am not 
exaggerating this find. I'm telling you, it's fantastic! It's outrageous!" 
What's going on over there? Go back to Fourside.

---------------
Fourside
---------------
Ness' Level: 39   Paula's Level: 36   Jeff's Level: 38   Poo's Level: 24
Rest at the hotel if necessary and enter the Dinosaur Museum. Pay the 
admission fee and go to the far left of the exhibition hall. If you walk up 
close to the dinosaur skeleton, the photographer will come and take a 
picture of you four.

Talk to the man in front of the door and he asks you to bring him an 
autograph of the singer Venus at the Topolla Theater. So, enter the Theater 
and watch the show. "Oh, baby baby baby! Don't make me hurt so bad! These 
guys are all stone cold gone for you. Ow! You cute, sexy thing, you! Baby! 
Sing to me! Sing to me only! Baby! Venus! Just sing, and I can die a happy 
man! Baby! I wanna hold you tight. Venus! Baby! Boo hoo hoo! Venus!" Venus 
sings on stage, and you will see how Mr. Spoon is so crazy about Venus that 
he climbs on stage to go after her, prompting security to throw him out.

While Venus is singing, you cannot even hear her words. Once the show is 
over, enter Venus' room to the far left of the theatre hall. Talk to Venus 
and shed will sign her autograph on a banana peel and kiss you! Let's get 
out and give this Signed Banana to the man in the museum. The man tells you 
that there is a manhole behind the door leading to a monstrous rat in the 
sewers! Enter and see for yourself! 

Since Poo is underlevel, it will be a good idea to train him here by 
fighting enemies near the exit. Then you can get away with ease when things 
go bad. These are the enemies you will find in the sewer along with their 
weaknesses.

Filthy Attack Roach: Fire, Freeze, Paralysis, Brainshock
Stinky Ghost: Fire, Flash, Paralysis, Hypnosis
Deadly Mouse: Fire

Filthy Attack Roaches are known for their continuous attacks, where they hit 
one of you twice. Both hits have a chance to be Smash attacks, so watch out. 
Just like the ordinary Attack Roaches, these guys can also spread their 
wings to solidify one of you. In addition, these pests are quite good at 
dodging your physical attacks.

Stinky Ghosts can possess you, so have Ness paralyze them as quickly as 
possible. Once paralyzed, those ghosts would be completely helpless and can 
be taken out last with simple bashes. Deadly Mice are deadlier than the 
Rowdy Mice. Their standard biting attacks still have a high chance of being 
Smash attacks and they can also poison you with their poisonous fangs as 
well.

If you go left, you will find a trash can with a Croissant inside. Ugh. If 
you go right along dry land, there is a room with a Broken Iron inside. 

There are Stinky Ghosts (upgrades of Smelly Ghosts), Deadly Mice (Upgrades 
to Rowdy Mice), Filthy Attack Roaches (Upgrades to those roaches near Saturn 
Valley). There really isn't anything new here! Use Fire and Freeze on the 
first, Bash the other 2. At level 27, Poo will realize Magnet Omega. When 
you are getting weak, go back to the hotel to rest. Go and get some Big 
Bottle Rockets for Jeff by the way.

At level 40, Paula will learn Offense Up Omega. When Poo hits level 34, you 
can explore the rest of the Fourside sewers. If Jeff's IQ reaches around 38, 
he can fix the Broken Iron, turning it into the Slime Generator. This thing 
solidifies the enemy for a turn. It's up to you as to whether to store this 
or not. I prefer to store this, since it's not very useful against bosses. 
If there were only an item that would cause numbness.

At level 33, Poo will realize Freeze Gamma. Start wading in the tranquil 
waters of the sewer and go right. Climb up the next ladder you see, and go 
all the way to the left for a room. There is a Broken Spray Can inside, 
which can be fixed for a Defense Spray. Follow the dry path and go right to 
the next area. Get back into the sewage and continue right. At the next 
ladder, climb up the ladder and go left. Walk along that extremely narrow 
path, beating back any enemies in the way, and enter the room.

There is a Magic Butterfly inside. Ahh, you can escape into ecstasy here. 
Just keep entering and leaving to refill your PP. After this, get to the 
left for a Trash Can with a Rust Promoter DX. Now, go all the way to the 
right and to the next area. There is a room to the right by the barrels. 
Inside is a Broken Bazooka. Give this to Jeff as it will prove useful once 
he fixes it! At level 37, Poo will learn Healing Gamma. It's now possible 
for him to revive your fallen characters.

Reenter the dirty water and go right. Climb up the ladder for dry land. 
There is shiny light blocking the ladder that leads up. It's the boss of 
Your Sanctuary. Talk to the light to encounter the Plague Rat of Doom!

Boss Battle! Plague Rat of Doom (28818 EXP)
This is just fantastic, outrageous! A giant sewer rat is guarding this fifth 
Your Sanctuary location. Whatever this thing is, it is quite resistant to 
physical attacks. So Ness, Paula and Poo should resort to Rockin Beta and 
Freeze Gamma respectively. As for Jeff, he should use the Big Bottle Rocket. 
One Rocket is capable of dealing over 500 HP damage to the Plague Rat of 
Doom. In fact, this battle is easy. All I had to do was to repeat the 
strategy above twice and the Plague Rat of Doom is nothing but history. So, 
I don't even know what other attacks this giant rat has to offer! That's it, 
folks! You can always do things the hard way by not using Big Bottle Rockets 
until Ness is down if you like to balance the levels a little bit.

Ness got an insanely high HP boost at level 48. In fact, he gained 40 HP! 
Now, let's climb up the ladder as there is a melody to record. Walk over to 
the lump of rock. GBAD', this is the melody of Magnet Hill. You will see a 
baby's bottle, but for only an instant.

Check the box for a Rabbit Key. You may be out in the open now, but you 
cannot teleport away. You must get back out of the sewers, and out of the 
museum before you can really get to Dalaam. When you leave the museum, you 
will be photographed by this genius photographer. There is some business to 
take care of. Of course, you better go and deposit your useless junk 
beforehand! Oh, and at level 49, Ness will learn Rockin Gamma. Now, go and 
teleport to Dalaam. It's on the second page of the towns list.

---------------
Dalaam
---------------
The Levels of the Characters (N,Pa,J,Po): 47,44,44,40
I have decided to use a new method of listing the levels of the 4 characters 
in the game. The levels of the characters are displayed in the order Ness, 
Paula, Jeff, Poo. Attempt to enter the palace and you will be photographed 
again. Walk to the throne and another picture will be taken of you. Talk to 
Poo's master to recover all HP and PP. Then save using the head phone! Go 
out of the palace, and head down to the Dalaam Restaurant, which accepts 
dollars. I wonder if they accept MasterCard! Here's the menu. It's a bit 
rustic.

*****DALAAM RESTAURANT*****
Bottle of Water ($4, Restores a little PP), Bowl of Rice Gruel ($88)
Jar of Delisauce *HOT!* ($300, Improves the flavor of ALL foods!)
Brain Food Lunch *HOT!* ($800, Completely restores Poo's HP, and quite a lot 
of PP, restores a lot of HP for everyone else)

I always wonder what Brain Food Lunch is. Since Brain Food may be referred 
to Fish or Carrots, I would say that Brain Food Lunch is actually Fish 
Fingers with Carrots. This stuff is Poo's fodder, stock up these for him. Go 
down to the bottom of the hill and use the Carrot Key on the rabbit statues 
to make them disappear, allowing you to enter the cave of the Your Next 
Sanctuary. (Sorry, but this is how I make it grammatically correct.)

For an oriental country, the music of this dungeon sounds a little high-tech. 
Let's have a little scouting run on the enemies in this place. Here are the 
weaknesses of the enemies in this cave.

Thunder Mite: Fire, Freeze
Tangoo: Flash
Kiss of Death: Hypnosis
Conducting Menace: None

There is the Thunder Mite. They are so weak that bashes from 3 faster 
characters can take them out, and they don't even get to have their turn! 
But even if they attack, I guess they will be using moves along the lines of 
Thunder Beta. (Which can be deflected by the Franklin Badge.)

The Tangoo looks like a genie with a blowpipe. He can attack with physical 
attacks, or blow sleep-inducing or poisonous fumes through his pipe. Second 
hand smoke is definitely bad here! (If Ness is poisoned, let him go 
unconscious. The remaining 3 can then catch up with him levelwise.) Now, it 
seems that Thunder Mites and Tangoos often attack you together. If that 
happens, priority should be given to taking down the Thunder Mite first. 
Since Tangoos also have PP, you can ask Paula and Poo to use Magnet Omega on 
them to replenish their PP, which makes Poo a self sustaining healer as well. 

You can stay here for a long time and level up until Paula is 2 levels above 
Ness. For instance, Ness is at level 48 when he copped it, you now have to 
get up to Level 50 for Paula. Oh, and I have also found that Tangoos carry 
Snakes. It may be wise to keep one for the boss battle later on. When Ness 
is out, make sure that Paula has the Franklin Badge since she will be 
vulnerable. Another thing, if you are getting weary and must rest, you 
should teleport to some other town since Poo's Mu master will revive Ness.

Another thing I found is that if Ness is unconscious, he will be temporarily 
revived in any photographic moments to give the V sign at the photographer!

Now, the Conducting Menaces are really menacing. This is because aside from 
the Thunder attacks, they get to Flash you, which has a chance of knocking 
any of you out instantly. (Let Ness go unconscious if you want the other 3 
to catch up.) Fortunately, they are vulnerable to Freeze, allowing the 
elemental PSI users to take those guys down fast. This is just the tip of 
the iceberg.

Climb up the rope near the entrance. You will find a hole at the top which 
should be jumped through. Drop down to the level below to find a present 
behind you with a Sudden Guts Pill. You will then be given a choice of 3 
holes to drop down on. Pick the left hole and you will drop down into a room 
with a hole and a gift, which can be opened for Rock Candy. This sweet 
randomly increases one stat of the person eating it. Give this to anyone you 
like, making sure that he sprinkles Delisauce on it to double its effect. 
Drop down the next hole.

In this room, ignore the hole for now and go left for the entrance to the 
Your Sixth Sanctuary Location! Talk to the light and fight. It's the dynamic 
duo of Thunder and Storm!

Boss Battle! Thunder and Storm (32257 EXP)
These guys are quite weird. They are so close brothers that they entangle 
each other, thus making them only one target. These guys seem to be 
vulnerable to Freeze. All I had to do was to have Ness eat the Bag of 
Dragonite, Paula and Poo to use Freeze Gamma, and Jeff to fire a bottle 
rocket and over 1500 HP was taken from them in the first round, before they 
could even retaliate! (They were solidified, this explains it.) After this, 
I asked Paula to use Freeze Gamma again, and this took 350+ HP off Thunder 
and Storm and that finished them off! No damage was taken at all!

This concludes this super easy fight. Don't ask me what attacks this tangled 
mess uses. My guess is something along the lines of Thunder Beta and Gamma, 
and possibly some Flash action. (Oh, if you don't have any Dragonite, just 
use Flash Beta for Ness. The boss is vulnerable to Flash)

At Level 46, Paula will realize Freeze Omega, the most powerful Freeze move 
of them all. Meanwhile, at Level 41, Poo will learn Thunder Gamma. At level 
46, Poo will realize Lifeup Gamma. At level 51, Paula will realize Shield 
Beta.

When Jeff's IQ hits 46, he can fix the Broken Bazooka, thus creating the 
Heavy Bazooka! This has got to be the best offensive item exclusive to Jeff 
in the game. The Heavy Bazooka never runs out of ammo, hence using it will 
be the same as using any physical attack. It deals significantly more damage 
than his standard physical attack (and pretty much everybody else's) and 
comparable damage to Freeze Gamma to the enemy of your choice, as well as 
dealing moderate splash damage to up to two adjacent enemies (to your 
target's left and right). Furthermore, it never misses, even when Jeff is 
crying! This basically makes Jeff the best physical attacker in the game!

Therefore you should have Jeff fire the Bazooka instead of shooting his 
lasers from now on. In addition, Paula and Poo most likely will not have to 
use their offensive PSI against most regular enemies, allowing you to save 
PP for heals and the toughest fights.

Go through the opening and onto a Pink Cloud. The melody will be recorded as 
follows: E'BAGE. You will have a short vision of seeing your mother when she 
was young. Now that the melody is recorded, it's time to leave. Drop down 
the hole to find a gift box with a Bracer of Kings, which should be equipped 
on Poo to increase his Defense by 30. Climb up the long rope to the right 
and exit. You can always have lots of Green Swirls on the enemies before 
leaving! Warp to Fourside to buy some more Big Bottle Rockets, and then warp 
all the way back to Summers.

---------------
Summers
---------------
The Levels of the Characters (N,Pa,J,Po): 49,51,52,50
Under my new strategy, the levels of all 4 characters are much more closer. 
This helps to balance the powers a lot! Go over to the port town and you 
will be photographed as you walk along the harbor. 

Caution!
There is going to be a nasty battle ahead. At this point, I assume that you 
have at least one Bag of Dragonite, right? If that is the case, give a bag 
to Poo before you do anything else!

Speak to the sailor and he will thank you for turning his wife back to 
normal. As a token of gratitude, he will then take you on his boat for $80. 
The cruise is uneventful, barring a short stop due to the captain being 
seasick. As night approaches, a giant green sea monster will appear and 
attack the boat. It's the Kraken.

Boss Battle! Kraken (19817 EXP)
The Kraken is a giant sea serpent that is extremely lethal. Firstly, his 
standard fire breathing attack will hit all four of you and deal mortal 
damage to anyone who is not protected from fire attacks (especially Paula, 
Jeff and Poo which have lower HP than Ness). He also can cast Flash Beta 
that often takes one of you out instantly. Consider yourself lucky if the 
Kraken uses his Crashing Boom Bang attack as there is a chance that a 
thunderbolt will strike Ness, who reflects it back to him.

Speed is vital for this battle. For the first turn, Ness should use his 
physical attack, Paula should use the highest level of Freeze she has, Jeff 
should use a Big Bottle Rocket and Poo should use the Bag of Dragonite (use 
the highest level of Freeze he has if you do not have any Dragonite). This 
should deal the maximum damage to the Kraken and solidify him if you are 
lucky. No matter what the Kraken throws at you, continue the next turn with 
physical attacks and Freeze and the Kraken should be defeated, assuming that 
no one gets knocked out with Flash Beta. Keep your fingers crossed!

The captain of this ship is surely impressed. "Oh, man! I thought you guys 
were just everyday little kids, but you defeated the Kraken! I also helped 
in the battle. I threw my slippers at the beast." Yeah, like that's going to 
help a lot! "Maybe you didn't notice." You continue on and eventually dock 
at the northern shore of Scaraba. It's a desert out there.

-------------------------------
6. More and More Exotic Places
-------------------------------
It's a busy town near the seashore, just like Alexandria, Egypt. But there 
is no famous lighthouse here. Anyway, you have finally come to the parts of 
the world where it is exotic. Since there are many pyramids out in the 
desert, I would consider Scaraba to be the equivalent of Egypt.

----------------------------------------------------------
a. It's Time for a Reenactment of Sahara-Earthbound Style!
----------------------------------------------------------
This part of the adventure also reminds me of the movie Sahara. Deserts are 
often involved in incredible treasure hunts and this part of Earthbound is 
not an exception. It even included the wackiness of that movie, since 
everything is wacky to begin with. Therefore, it's Time for a Reenactment of 
Sahara-Earthbound Style!

---------------
Scaraba
---------------
Level of Characters (N,Pa,J,Po): 50,51,52,50
Let's walk around town. The first building to the left is the clinic. This 
is where you get healed of any ailments. The next house is a residential 
house, nothing else. There is a man sitting on top a rope to the right who 
will tell you that there is a man specializing in making dungeons and has 
become Dungeon Man! He lost the key to the Dungeon Man though, so you will 
have to find it yourself in the desert. The man to the right warns you of a 
nasty chubby kid. It's Pokey! So he's been here.

Go south and check the next row of houses, the first of which is an inn. 
There is a Contraband Dealer inside, sitting by the table. What has he got?

*****SCARABA CONTRABAND*****
Bomb ($149), Super Bomb ($399)
Bottle Rocket ($29, For Jeff), Big Bottle Rocket ($139, For Jeff)

I don't need any explosive stuff yet, thank you. Order a Pizza if you like. 
The deliverymen seem to be as efficient as DHL here! The next is just an 
ordinary house, the one after that is a grocery store. Let us enter and see 
what he has to offer. He accepts Dollars, don't worry about it.

*****HASSAN'S SHOP*****
Wet Towel ($24, Cures Sunstroke), Vial of Serum ($58, Cures Poison)
Secret Herb ($380, Cures a Large Variety of Ailments)
Sudden Guts Pill ($500, Temporarily Increases the Guts of the User)
Protein Drink ($38), Banana ($5)

If you are confident that you can make do with Healing Gamma, don't buy 
anything here. Let's get out and take a look around the market place. The 
guy with the turban and dark skin is Red Snakes, who sells snakes, of course! 
There are 3 things offered. A Snake for $220, a Viper for $550 and a Vial of 
Serum for $58. The Serum is there to cure poisoning caused by the snakes. 
Ordinary Snakes do not poison all the time while the Viper does. Buy a Viper 
and save it for future boss battles. The man directly to the south is a 
condiment vendor. All condiments are offered except Delisauce.

The man to the south of that vendor sells some items that may be useful for 
you. Why don't we have a look?

*****SCARABA SOUTHWESTERN HAWKER*****
Big League Bat ($1380, Already Equipped by Ness)
Platinum Band ($3899, Downgrade)
Defense Spray ($500, Temporarily Increases Defense in Battle)
Crystal Charm ($600, For Paula, Defense +2, Protects against Paralysis, 
Increases Speed)
Broken Cannon ($218, For Jeff to Fix later)
Piggy Nose ($300, To Search for Magic Truffles in Deep Darkness)

You should buy the Crystal Charm for Paula and the Broken Cannon for Jeff 
before moving on. The man to the right sells a Snake Bag, the price of which 
has been marked down to $98 from $290! Now you have an unlimited supply of 
Snakes to use. Let Jeff carry that since he's the gadget boy. The final 
vendor to the south sells more Scaraba delicacies. Here's the menu.

*****SCARABA SNACK HAWKER*****
Bean Croquette ($12), Molokheiya Soup ($20), Kabob ($54), Boiled Egg ($9), 
Fresh Egg ($12), Cup of Coffee ($2), Bottle of Water ($4)

With all of this, we can get out to the desert and have some fun! (Battle as 
a mean to wait for Pizza to arrive, they take so long!) Just watch out for 
sunstroke! We have Grest Crested Bookas, Dread Skelpions, High Class UFOs 
(Pink in color!) and Beautiful UFOs (with hair ribbons!). You should know 
how to deal with these, since they are just upgrades from their weaker 
versions. But here is a list of their weaknesses anyways.

Great Crested Booka: Hypnosis, Resistant to Fire
High Class UFO: Fire, Brainshock
Beautiful UFO: Brainshock
Dread Skelpion: Fire, Freeze, Hypnosis
 
It seems that Beautiful UFOs drop Kraken Soups and Vials of Serum. Dread 
Skelpions tend to drop Ketchup Packets. Yummy. Your target will be the large 
pyramid to the south, but let's do some fighting before we enter there, 
since it may be tough. At level 45, Poo will learn Brainshock Omega.

There is an additional bonus here. If you walk around, you may find red 
worms which tend to run away from you. They are Master Criminal Worms, which 
will automatically surrender once you give them the Green Swirl. You will 
get an insane amount of experience for defeating one. In fact, you get 20643 
EXP. 

Go south to the pyramid. There are 5 panels which you must step on. As you 
can remember from the hieroglyphs, you have to move in a star pattern. First, 
step on the top circle, then the lower left, then the upper right, then the 
upper left, and finally the bottom right. Step on the top circle one more 
time. "Warriors, enter now. Search for the Hawk Eye." The pyramid opens up, 
so let's go in and explore. You will get photographed before that.

Here are the enemies you will find in the pyramid along with their 
weaknesses:

Arachnid!!! Fire, Freeze, Paralysis, Brainshock
Guardian Hieroglyph: Fire, Hypnosis
Lethal Asp Hieroglyph: Freeze, Paralysis, Hypnosis
Petrified Royal Guard: Paralysis
Fierce Shattered Man: Paralysis

This pyramid is populated by Arachnids!!! Notice the 3 exclamation marks. 
These are upgrades of the Arachnids with 2 exclamation marks. If two line up, 
use the Heavy Bazooka on them! They did not even get to fight back due to 
the Bazooka's insanely high power. (Sometimes, it can be more powerful than 
the gun) They may drop beef jerky. Poo will learn Shield Omega at level 51. 

Climb up the stairs and go through the next door. The hieroglyphs will start 
to come to life now! There are Guardian Hieroglyphs and Lethal Asp 
Hieroglyphs. The former can give you colds, and the latter can poison you 
with his venom! Amazing! The former is vulnerable to Fire and can use 
Thunder Alpha. The biting attack of the Lethal Asp Hieroglyph is lethal, 
especially to Paula. So watch out for her. Fortunately, Lethal Asp 
Hieroglyphs are sensitive to Freeze, maybe it's because they are hieroglyphs 
of cold blooded animals

The first casket you see holds a Viper. Take it, go through the next door 
and climb up the stairs. You will encounter a Lethal Asp Hieroglyph and a 
Guardian Hieroglyph. Climb up the next set of stairs for another Lethal Asp 
Hieroglyph. The next room seems to be a tomb guarded by Guardian Hieroglyphs 
and a moving casket! The moving casket represents a Petrified Royal Guard. 
Both of these enemies are vulnerable to Paralysis. After the body becomes 
numb, you can bash to your heart's content.

Notice that there is another door to the left. Go through it to find a set 
of stairs leading up. Fight your way past hieroglyphs until you reach a 
small room with a casket with a Bag of Dragonite inside. Get back down to 
the tomb and go through the right door. You may now encounter Fierce 
Shattered Men. You have dealt with the weaker version before. They are still 
prone to Paralysis. Climb down the stairs. The next room has one Guardian 
Hieroglyph and two caskets. There is a Speed Capsule and a Cup of 
Lifenoodles in the caskets. In the next stairway, there is a Lethal Asp 
Hieroglyph guarding the hallway. At the bottom, you find a casket blocking 
the door. It won't budge. Check it and battle!

It seems that you are facing the Guardian General. Have Ness bash, Paula and 
Poo use the highest level of Freeze they have and Jeff fire the Heavy 
Bazooka. This should be enough to take him out, allowing you to enter the 
room he is guarding, which has a secret switch guarded by Hieroglyphs and a 
Petrified Royal Guard. There is a Rain Pendant inside the casket in this 
room. Let Paula equip it to raise her Defense by 13 over the Crystal Charm 
and protect her from Freeze attacks.

Step on the switch before returning to the burial chamber. At level 52, Poo 
will learn Healing Omega. Now he can revive unconscious members with full 
Health. Meanwhile, if Ness hits level 53, he will learn Healing Gamma.

It seems that the mummy has moved, revealing a hole which can be jumped 
through. There is something on the platform. It's the Hawk Eye! Pick it up, 
fight the Hieroglyph and get out. There is a hole leading down again. The 
casket in the room that follows holds a Diamond Band, which should be 
equipped on the person without the Diamond Band in Summers to raise his 
Defense by 10 over the Platinum Band. Drop down to the room below and face 
even more Hieroglyphs. You will then come to a long hallway. Fight your way 
through the enemies to reach the exit. At level 54, Paula will learn Defense 
Down Omega.

You are outside! Please be aware that moving a few more steps forward will 
trigger an event where Poo leaves you for the time being. Therefore you can 
always reenter the pyramid and fight some more monsters if needed. Now, it's 
time for a level check, since you are at the south of Scaraba.

Level of Characters (N,Pa,J,Po): 53,53,54,53
Walk a few steps forward and the Star Master will come down to meet you. 
"Well done," he says, "You have made it!" You regain all HP and PP. "We 
finally meet, Prince Poo. The Stars foretold that I will meet you here. So 
now it's time to show you the way of the Starstorm. For a while, you must 
live away from your friends and live with me. Do you understand? There is 
only one answer. I must stop you here even if you don't wanted to. Stay with 
me for a while, do you understand?" Poo agrees.

He says, "It is important that I study and learn the Starstorm. It will be 
the most helpful to us. Once I learn it, I will meet up with you, Ness. 
Trust me, I will see you again." The Star Master says, "It depends on Poo's 
efforts. It will determine the reuniting of the group. Be faithful, and wait 
until the time comes!" The two whiz off.

You are now reduced to a party of 3. There are new enemies here. Namely the 
Maruder Octobot. These guys can coil around you, thus solidifying you in 
addition to firing their beams at you. These guys are vulnerable to Fire, 
but there is no need to cast Fire since you can take one out within a turn 
using a combination of physical attacks and the Heavy Bazooka. There is a 
vendor with a camel who sells contraband. Let's have a look.

*****SCARABA SOUTH CONTRABAND*****
French Fry Pan ($1790, For Paula, Offense +20)
Crusher Beam ($1150, For Jeff, Offense +14)
Multi Bottle Rocket ($2139, For Jeff, a Stronger Bottle Rocket)
Bazooka ($950, For Jeff, Downgrade compared to Heavy Bazooka)
Bottle of DX Water ($198, Restores more PP than Bottles of Water)
Beef Jerky ($70)
Secret Herb ($380, Heals a Variety of Status Ailments)

I suggest you only buy the Fry Pan and the Beam. You don't need the Multi 
Bottle Rockets right now and they are hell of expensive. Talk to the man 
with the spear to the south for the Key to the Tower, allowing you to enter 
Dungeon Man, who is to the northwest. You can always slay more enemies on 
the way. But take note that any EXP gained will contribute to the widening 
of the gap with Poo! The large rocky structure in the middle of the desert 
is the Dungeon Man. Use the key on him and you can enter. When Paula is at 
level 54, she will learn Defense Down Omega.

You are now inside Brick Road's body! The music sounds horrible. Go left and 
rest at the bench if you need to. If Jeff's IQ is 49, he can fix the Broken 
Tube to form the Hungry HP Sucker. This item is Jeff's recovery item, as it 
can suck HP from the enemy and give it to you! Certain guides say this 
weapon is useless, but I find it to be effective. There is also a clinic, a 
pay phone and an ATM here. Withdraw $10000. This is because you won't be 
seeing any ATMs for a long time!

The enemies here are the same ones found in the Fourside Department Store. 
Return to the T-junction and go right. At the next junction, go right for 
the Molokheiya Soup. Take the middle path for a Cup of Lifenoodles. Now, 
pick the left path. The next chest you find contains $5. Take the right path 
now. There are 2 gift boxes which contain a Super Plush Bear and a Snake. 
Take the left path for to find a number of ropes. Climb up the third rope 
from the left.

There may be new enemies called Lesser Mooks on this floor. They are 
upgrades of the Department Store Spook and are vulnerable to Fire. If you 
take them out quickly enough, you need not worry about their Freeze attacks, 
although the Super Plush Bear is going to protect you from taking any damage 
at all most of the time. Pick the right path at the junction, the left path 
only leads to $10. Climb up the rope. On that level, you will find 2 
Giftboxes, one with a Pizza and another with a Sudden Guts Pill. A third box 
by the next rope holds a PSI Caramel. Climb up the rope to the next level. 

This is just a zoo of enemies. There are Mad Ducks, Gruff Goats and Slimy 
Little Piles on display. A chest by the resting bench holds a Wet Towel. 
Climb up the rope to the next level. You will find Dungeon Man's face on the 
wall. Talk to him. "Welcome!" He says, refilling your health, "Long time, no 
see. Mr. Jeff, we met in Winters a long time ago. I'm Brick Road. Dr. 
Andonuts finally made me Dungeon Man." Your dad must be mad, Jeff. "If you 
want I will come with you guys for a while. The 'Return Hole' is over there. 
Jump in that hole and then walk out." Drop down the first hole you see. Then 
drop down the next one. You will come to an IQ Capsule before the final hole, 
which should be given the capsule to Paula. Drop down the hole to get back 
to the lobby and leave.

Dungeon Man will follow you around, packing a punch in battles. Go to the 
far south and Dungeon Man will get stuck between the palm trees. "Oh no! I 
am getting caught in the palm trees. I cannot move. Well, if I cannot move, 
it is okay. Ness, it makes me sad, but I must say goodbye here, at my 
eternal resting place. This is where you part ways. Go south to the shore, 
and talk to the native there. He says that Deep Darkness is beyond this 
shore. To get there, you must use a submarine, or you will sucked down to 
the bottom if you swim! But where can you find the sub?

Talk to the Dungeon Man, who says he has one in his old vehicle collection. 
Reenter him and go to the room with Brick Road's face. Get past the return 
hole and jump into the next one. It's the Goodbye Exit! Goodbye! On your way 
to the collection, you will run into a Talisman Ribbon which should be 
equipped by Paula to raise her Defense by 10 over the Lucky Coin. Go and 
check the sub so that Jeff can fix it. You will all travel in the submarine 
on to the dark swamp known as Deep Darkness! (Sing Yellow Submarine by the 
Beatles if you like, since this sub is yellow!)

--------------------------------------------------
b. Dark and Scary, and Water that is Way too Deep
--------------------------------------------------
The submarine trip is uneventful, but Jeff decides to keep the submarine 
close to the surface, since the periscope is seen at all times. I don't get 
the native's word. How can you be sucked in if it's just a stretch of water 
that separates you from the opposite shore? Anyway, time to land.

---------------
Deep Darkness
---------------
Level of Characters (N,Pa,J): 55,55,55
With my new strategy, the levels of the 3 characters are even at this point. 
Let's try to keep it that way from now on. This means that Ness and Paula 
will have to take turns going unconscious when they start to widen their 
leads with Jeff. The music here sounds like that of 60s monster movies. This 
is not so bad, actually. Deep Darkness looks like the equivalent of Darkest 
Africa. Just watch out for enemies like snakes and even stronger crocodiles. 
The depth of water varies. If you wade in the deeper (darker) regions, 
health will slowly be drained from the characters inside. So move to 
shallower regions as quickly as possible if you are forced to enter such 
places. Of course, if you want to deliberately let Ness or Paula go 
unconscious, stay in the deep water until they both drown.

The bird on his perch can be used as a telephone to save. There is a large 
deep area, don't be discouraged, keep going to the right. There will be a 
friendly contraband dealer here. Let's see what he's got!

*****DEEP DARKNESS CONTRABAND*****
Combat Yo-yo ($1148, For All, Weapon Downgrade)
Super Bomb ($399)
Multi Bottle Rocket ($2139, For Jeff, Most Powerful Rocket of All!)
Rust Promoter DX ($289, Damages Metallic Enemies)

The only thing worth getting is the Multi Bottle Rocket, buy two of those as 
there is a tough boss ahead. Go up to the hill and you may find Moles 
Playing Rough. I guess they finally learnt the meaning of fear! There is a 
businessman in glasses who has travelled from one of the world's strongest 
economic powers to serve this small rural village. Excellent! He acts as 
both the vendor and healer. Let's see what this guy has.

*****DEEP DARKNESS BUSINESSMAN*****
Diamond Band ($5198, Already Equipped by Everyone)
Charm Coin ($3000, Downgrade for All)
Secret Herb ($380, Heals a Wide Range of Status Ailments)
Beef Jerky ($70), Cup of Noodles ($98), Protein Drink ($38)
Bottle of DX Water ($198, Cures a Considerable Amount of PP)

If you like, buy some water as it's good for Paula. Go to the right and talk 
to the monkey who asks you to teach him how to teleport. He will try to 
teleport in a tight squeeze, run into something and get burnt on the first 
try. He then tries again and succeeds! You get the Monkey's Love as a reward, 
which summons monkeys to help you in battle. The monkey may pin down the 
enemy, solidifying him.

Now, get back to the water and go south, watching out for the deep water. 
You will then reach the dark parts of Deep Darkness. Use the Hawk Eye and 
everything can be visible again! The next Giftbox there has a Banana inside. 
Walk past the next stretch of deep water and you will find a scuba diver. He 
is acting like an ATM, but will charge you a 100% handling fee for any 
withdrawal! So don't bother withdrawing anything!

You will come to dry land again. This is where the enemies start to appear. 
Here is a list of their weaknesses. Most enemies seem to be vulnerable to 
Fire here. 

Even Slimier Little Pile: Paralysis
Big Pile of Puke: None
Hard Crocodile: Fire
Zap Eel: Fire
Pit Bull Slug: Fire, Freeze, Paralysis, Brainshock
Demonic Petunia: Fire, resistant to Freeze
Hostile Elder Oaks: Fire
Manly Fish: None, resistant to Fire

Since this is a swamp, you would not be surprised to find two variants of 
slime enemies. There are Even Slimier Little Piles and Big Piles of Puke 
(which are parodies of Master Belch). Even Slimier Little Piles can call for 
help, hence you should paralyze them as quickly as possible. They sometimes 
drop Multi Bottle Rockets, of all things! Big Piles of Puke, just like 
Master Belch, can make you nauseous. Since they have no weaknesses, take 
them out quickly. They sometimes drop an item called Meteotite, which is 
useless but can be sold for $2000. This is where your For Sale Sign comes in. 
It is amazing how people are willing to wade into the swamp to buy things 
from you!

As for wildlife, you get to fight Hard Crocodiles (Upgrades of Strong 
Crocodiles) notorious for their bites and tail swings which deal a lot of 
physical damage, Zap Eels, and Pit Bull Slugs. Zap Eels are electric eels 
which give electric shocks consisting of two bolts per turn. The Franklin 
Badge comes in handy here! Pit Bull Slugs are just as useless as attack 
slugs, and tend to attack in groups. They cannot use PSI for the first few 
turns, forcing them to resort to weak physical attacks. Their PP is ripe for 
Paula's harvest using Magnet Omega and their HP is all there for Jeff to 
absorb using his Hungry HP Sucker while takes his time wiping these little 
things out.

As for plant life, you have Demonic Petunias and Hostile Elder Oaks. Demonic 
Petunias are very large red flowers that roam the place. They seem to be 
resistant to Freeze, so have Paula try Fire instead. Watch out for their 
extinguishing blast since it affects your group the same way as Fire Beta 
does. Also watch for Hostile Elder Oaks, upgrades of Territorial Oaks which 
still self-destruct! Always remember to take those meanies out last.

Continue north through the deep waters, go northwest and you will find a 
Giftbox with a Beef Jerky inside. Go west for a strip of dry land a bird and 
another Giftbox with an IQ capsule inside. Let Paula drink the IQ capsule to 
give her PP another boost during the next level up. Stand near the bird to 
have another photo taken of you. Now, go all the way south.

You find the wreck of a helicopter on the next piece of dry land. It's the 
one stolen by Pokey from Fourside! Jeff finds that this helicopter has NO 
engine. A Giftbox with another Cup of Lifenoodles can be found to the south. 
I have 3 already at this point since no one has gone unconscious for a long 
time! Continue deeper into the swamp.

This is one long stretch of deep water! There will be a Souvenir Coin at the 
left corner of the next piece of dry land which would raise Ness or Jeff's 
defense by 30 over the Lucky Coin. Considering that Ness has over 100 more 
HP than Jeff, let Jeff take it. At this point, you will find even meaner 
enemies. They are the Manly Fish, the Manly Fish's Brother, Even Slimier 
Little Piles and Pit Bull Slugs.

Manly Fish are resistant to Fire, and attack with spears. At the junction to 
the north, first continue to the north. Pit Bull Slugs are upgrades of the 
Attack Slugs, and they attack in groups. A little Fire Beta and Heavy 
Bazooka fire should get rid of them all. There is another Giftbox in a 
corner to the far north with a Rock Candy inside. Have Jeff eat it. Now, get 
back to the junction and go right. This is a really long path with deep 
water, so HP will be draining from you 3 for a while. 

Hey, there is a red pile of puke blocking the way. He looks rather familiar. 
"You may have forgotten but, burp! I'm the return of Belch. I've fought you 
before. Peeyou! Don't you remember my ripe odor? Belch has trained more and 
has returned much stronger. Burp! Belch has also changed his name to Puke! 
Bark! Vomit! Barf, barf, chuck, chuck! Drown to death in puke! Don't you 
think that's an insanely masculine taunt to throw at you?" Well, not really, 
it makes you sound stupid! Let's fight!

Boss Battle! Master Barf (31264 EXP)
This is really an easy battle given the level you are on. It is possible to 
win without the enemy being able to retaliate! Ness should bash, Paula 
should use Freeze Omega, while Jeff fires a Multi Bottle Rocket. The rocket 
should deal over 1500, and possibly over 1800 HP damage, leaving Master 
Barf critically injured. All of a sudden, Poo will swoop down from the sky. 
He uses his new power, Starstorm! With this Starstorm Alpha, Poo sends a 
little meteor shower onto Barf, cutting him into several pieces. That's all 
for Master Barf! Bye-bye now! It seems that Starstorm Alpha is able to deal 
about 350 HP damage, so it's still peanuts compared with Jeff's Multi Bottle 
Rocket! Poo is back for more!

Master Barf will drop a Casey Bat. It is the most powerful bat for Ness, but 
it is also deadly inaccurate. 3 out of 4 swings will miss! Don't use it at 
all! Go north and west for dry land and enter the cave. It is a village of 
some primitive tribe of small green creatures called the Tendas.

---------------
Tenda Village
---------------
Level of Characters (N,Pa,J,Po): 56,57,57,53
The Tendas are really shy people. Everyone is afraid to talk to you! However, 
there is one corner with a phone, TV and trash can. Search the trash can for 
a Death Ray, which raises Jeff's Offense by 18 over the Crusher Beam. At 
level 57, Paula will learn Thunder Gamma.

There is a hole in the northern part of the village where you can rest for 
free if you talk to the Tenda standing outside. A large dining table can be 
found in the south of the hole. Talk to the Tenda chief (he is the one with 
the horns) and he will tell you how they are all shy and that there are 
rumors of a book that teaches people to overcome shyness which would prove 
useful to the tribe.

Go to the southwest of the village and you will find a giant rock besides 
two Tendas. Talk to the left Tenda and he will claim to be the only Tenda 
that is not shy. He says the hole next to him leads to a cave with several 
talking boulders. However, since there is also a horrible monster in the 
cave, they have blocked the hole with a boulder. The Tenda to his right is 
strong enough to remove the boulder, but he is way too shy to listen to you. 
As a result, you will need to help the Tendas overcome their shyness using 
the book mentioned by the Tenda chief earlier! Phone Dad to save and Escargo 
Express to deposit some useless items. Leave this village for now and you 
will receive a phone call from Apple Kid once outside.

"Hello, it's been a while since we talked. This is Apple Kid. We're having 
beautiful weather here. I'm now at Dr. Andonuts lab here in Winters. The 
doctor doesn't seem to be around right now, but I am just working on my 
Eraser Eraser Machine." Suddenly, he screams over the phone. "Hey! Oh no! 
What are you doing to me? Who are you?" The line is dead at this point. 
Something nasty is going on in the Andonuts Lab! Orange Kid will also call 
you, telling you that Apple Kid has the book called Overcoming Shyness. This 
means you will have to save Apple Kid to get the book. Let's teleport back 
to Winters!

---------------
Winters
---------------
Level of Characters (N,Pa,J,Po): 56,57,57,53
You will find Bubble Monkey's wife outside the gates of Jeff's school, who 
will tell you that her husband is by the lake playing with Tessie. In 
addition, Maxwell is also hanging around outside the gates. Talk to him and 
he will tell you that Tony is missing. This makes 3 people missing, Dr. 
Andonuts, Apple Kid and Tony. Go south to the shore of the lake. Tougher 
enemies have appeared, now that Giygas' forces have started to see you as a 
major threat. Here are their weaknesses.

Wooly Shambler: None
Whirling Robo: Freeze, resistant to Fire
Lesser Mook: Fire

New enemies include the Wooly Shambler, Whirling Robo. Wooly Shamblers are 
alien enemies that fire beams. They are vulnerable to Freeze attacks. 
Whirling Robos are upgrades of Spinning Robos. The latter are particularly 
tough against physical attacks. There are also Lesser Mooks, whom you may 
have met before. These 3 enemies are tough, but not rewarding in terms of 
EXP. You can rest in the tent on the way. 

Talking to the members of the Tessie Watching Club will reveal that one of 
their members, Sebastian has been kidnapped! Afterwards, talk to Bubble 
Monkey and he will summon Tessie for you.

Ride this lake monster to the other side of the lake. March over to the 
Brick Road, this time using the Pencil Eraser on the pencil statue blocking 
the shortcut, allowing you to skip this annoying maze. Go through the next 
cave and on to Andonut's lab. The Pencil Eraser is useless now, so have 
Escargo Express store it up. Note that Escargo Express has limited storage 
space, so you may have to have excess items delivered so you can throw them 
away. At level 61, Ness will learn Flash Gamma.

Enter Andonut's Lab and talk to the mouse, who tells you that Apple Kid has 
finished the Eraser Eraser machine before giving it to you. With this gadget 
in hand, return to Stonehenge. See the hole in the middle? Enter and climb 
down the ladder and go through the door that follows. The hallway is blocked 
with an iron eraser statue, which can be removed using the Eraser Eraser so 
that you can explore this secret base.

Here are the enemies inside this Stonehenge Base and their weaknesses.

Mook Senior: Fire, Hypnosis, resistant to Freeze
Starman: None
Atomic Powered Robot: Freeze
Starman Super: None
Military Octobot: Fire

Firstly, you will be facing the next rank of Mooks, the Mook Seniors who 
attack you with either Fire Alpha or Freeze Beta. The latter really hurts if 
your attacked party member is not protected against Freeze. These guys are 
also smart enough to heal themselves and their mates using Lifeup Alpha. To 
make things even worse, these Mooks can glare at one of your group members 
with their eerie eyes, diamondizing him!

There are two ways to defend against those PSI attacks. The first is to win 
the battle as quickly as possible so that your group members will take much 
less damage than they would have if you end the battle quickly enough. The 
second way is to ask Paula to use Shield Sigma to completely protect 
everyone from those attacks, which would be a good idea if you feel that the 
battle will take quite a while.

You will also find Starmen here. These guys approach you through teleporting. 
When you see one disappear, he is likely to appear in the middle of your 
group. Therefore have Ness turn around facing the people behind him. As the 
Starman appears, he is likely going to have turned his back on you, allowing 
you to start the battle with an opening attack. The funny thing is that you 
are often able to win instantly if you get a green swirl given the level of 
your group members! If they do get attack, they usually fire beams at you. 
Simply bash away.

Another enemy is the Atomic Powered Robot, a support unit. These robots 
sometimes fire beams at you, but they usually replenish fuel supplies, 
healing one of their allies in battle. Since they explode upon defeat, you 
should always take them out last.

Go along the purple path and through the door that follows. There are 2 
paths for you to take. I assume you take the left path in this guide.

Go through the door at the end of the path and you will arrive at a junction 
with a gift box with a Spicy Jerky inside. Take the upper path to return to 
the previous area. The lower path is where you have to go next. Go through 
the door that follows to arrive at another junction. The right path leads to 
a Giftbox with a Guts Capsule inside. I think this will be good for Poo, 
since he's lacking in this department.

It seems that at this point, the Starmen are sort of afraid of you as they 
tend to teleport away from you! Use this to your advantage to have more free 
EXP. Go south now. There are even more Starmen in the way. Sometimes, 2 of 
them will confront you at once. In this case, Green Swirls are vital in 
delaying their. At level 55, Poo will realize Thunder Omega. This will allow 
4 consecutive thunderbolts to hit the enemy. At the next junction, take the 
northern path for a Cup of Lifenoodles before taking the right path.

You are now inside the base itself, which is guarded by Starman Supers, who 
are tougher than the riff raff you fought earlier. These guys can call for 
help from other Starmen. In addition, they always have a psychic power 
shield in place at the start of a battle, so any PSI attacks will be bounced 
back at you. Therefore, you should ask Jeff to use the Neutralizer to remove 
the shield before you start using PSI on one.

At level 60, Paula will learn Shield Omega. It seems that these enemies are 
still pathetic. A Green Swirl will defeat one automatically. There is a 
reason to stick around fighting Starman Supers. 1 out of 128 Starman Supers 
will drop the Sword of Kings, the only weapon that Poo can benefit from (it 
raises his Offense by 30). In addition, this will be your only chance to get 
the sword as those Starman Supers will be gone for good once you shut down 
the base. So, stay on this level and fight Starman Supers until you get the 
sword. (If you can't get it no matter how many times you try, you can always 
give up.) There is a Broken Harmonica in a Giftbox to the far right, which 
should be given to Jeff. 

At level 67, Ness will learn Flash Omega, the ultimate Flash move. It has a 
high chance of defeating all enemies against you. Meanwhile, at level 64, 
Paula will realize Fire Omega. It took me a long time to get the Sword of 
Kings. I lost count of how many Starman Supers I took down. By the time I 
found it, my group is insanely powerful. The levels of Ness, Paula, Jeff and 
Poo are 68, 64, 63 and 60 respectively. This can surely roll over any 
enemies that dare to come and challenge me! Climb down the ladder.

Once you have reached the level below, go right for a Giftbox with a PSI 
Caramel inside. How convenient. Use it to fill up Ness or Poo's PP gauge, as 
they are the healers. Continue right and climb down to the level below, 
where you should continue to go right until you reach a door. You will find 
two exit mice in the room that follows. Get an Exit Mouse before going 
through the door to the right. You are now in some weird passage that lights 
up and goes out every now and then. Go right and follow the path for a 
Giftbox with a Broken Trumpet, which should be given to Jeff so he can fix 
it in the future. Go back to the first junction and head north for another 
path.

There are two more items for you to nab. The first Giftbox you see contains 
a Pixie's Bracelet that should be equipped by Ness to increases his Defense 
by 10 over the Diamond Band. The Giftbox to the right holds a Speed Capsule 
which should be drunk by Ness. Head back to the parallel path and go right 
for another door there. Oh, by the way, it seems that there is a new enemy 
in this room that I have not mentioned. It's the Military Octobot. They give 
6402 EXP each, and use beams. Since your characters are so strong, beating 
them into scrap metal has not been easier. Who cares that they are 
vulnerable to Fire anyways?

What on earth! There are lots of people trapped in stasis tubes, only that 
they are still fairly conscious! Tony, a member of the Tessie Watching Club 
called Sebastian, a Mr. Saturn, Dr. Andonuts, a dark-skinned bearded guy, 
the Apple Kid and a New Age Retro Hippie are trapped inside them. Let's see 
what these guys have to say. Tony is crying out for Jeff. The Mr. Saturn can 
breathe inside the liquid while the bearded guy cannot. Apple Kid hints of 
something in the next room. The New Age Retro Hippie mutters that he can't 
last much longer. But what is in the next room?

There is only one way to find out. You see the power core of this hidden 
base, guarded by another Starman. Talk to him. "You are much stronger than 
*whirr* our intelligence indicated. We are not *beep* prepared for that 
eventuality. The prophecy from the *click* Apple of Enlightenment may be 
true, but you must not *whirr* underestimate us." This guy definitely has 
natural intelligence but with those mechanic sounds, I guess he's a lot like 
Darth Vader! It's time to fight!

Boss Battle! Starman Deluxe (40131 EXP)
In most cases, using one Multi Bottle Rocket will be enough to take out the 
Starman Deluxe. Simply ask Ness, Paula and Poo to bash and that's about it! 
If you do not happen to have a Multi Bottle Rocket, you should ask Paula to 
put up Shield Sigma during your first turn to nullify the damage of 
Starstorm Alpha that is very likely going to be used against you. Afterwards, 
you are free to bash away and use your Bazooka. Don't bother using the 
Neutralizer since it will also neutralize your own shield!

When Ness reaches level 70, he will learn Lifeup Omega. This Ness exclusive 
move helps EVERYONE in the group recover around 400 HP, which will save a 
lot of PP in the long run. Once the Starman Deluxe is defeated, the 
Stonehenge Base stops functioning and the prisoners are freed from their 
green tubs. 

Now that he is freed, Dr. Andonuts will continue his work on the Phase 
Distorter. Probably that was why he has been kidnapped. Talk to the Mr. 
Saturn and he will give you a Saturn Ribbon, which raises Paula's Defense by 
30 over the Talisman Ribbon. Talk to Apple Kid and he will tell you that he 
thinks there is a 7% chance of you rescuing him. In addition, he tells you 
that he has returned the book Overcoming Shyness to the Onett Library.

With that knowledge, use the Exit Mouse to make a quick exit and teleport 
back to Onett. Search the bookshelves of the library until you find the 
Shyness Book. Then you can warp to Deep Darkness and find the Tenda Tribe. 
(Note: If Jeff's IQ reaches 60, he can fix the Broken Trumpet. It will be 
converted into the Defense Shower. It's like the Defense Spray, but it has 
unlimited uses! Take note of this.)

---------------
Tenda Village
---------------
Level of Characters (N,Pa,J,Po): 65,65,64,62
Give the Shyness Book to the Tenda Chief. He is the one with the horns 
by the table. It seems that holding the book already helps the chief 
overcome his shyness! What a fast learning. It will take some time for 
the others to understand the concepts though. The Chief gives you some 
Tendakraut in return. At this point, you get photographed. Meanwhile, the 
Chief asks you this. "George W. Bush, George W. Bush, are you sure that 
this is the correct player's name? If it's not right, you can change it." 
I won't change the name again. Just click OK to confirm the name.

Go north and speak to the Tenda there. He will let you rest for free! Jeff 
should be able to fix the Broken Harmonica to create the Baddest Beam. 
This increases his Offense by 8 over the Death Ray. Chuck the Death Ray 
away. Go to the northwestern corner of the village. The Tenda there is 
running an item shop. But he uses a barter system! You need to trade using 
Horns of Life. To get Horns of Life, you will have to buy them off the 
Mr. Saturns in Saturn Valley. If you have followed the instructions given 
by the guide, you should have bought one and have it stored in the Escargo 
Express' storage lockers. Have it delivered and trade. Here are the items 
offered: Plain Roll, Plain Yogurt, Plain Roll, Spicy Jerky, Bag of 
Dragonite, Talisman Coin, Hall of Fame Bat. It seems that you don't get 
to choose what you want. The higher the item up the list, the earlier it 
will be offered for trade. This means that to get the Hall of Fame Bat, 
you need 7 Horns of Life! Not worth it indeed. Don't bother.

Go south and talk to the Tenda standing by the rock. He will show you his 
strength. He throws it away, revealing a rope that leads down. Climb down 
there for the Your 7th Sanctuary Location. There is a Talking Rock below. 
He tells you the rocks here don't talk much. The ones that provide the 
most important information are found in somewhere known as the Lost 
Underworld. Go through the door now.

This place is infested with Fobbys. They are upgrades to Foppys, but they 
are still pathetic. Up to 6 will attack at once. However, they will line 
up in a row, allowing Paula to take them all out with a Fire Gamma. Follow 
the path to the left, ignoring the ladder for now. You may run into a swarm 
of Fobbies around the corner. It will be a nice massacre. There is a hole 
to the left. Drop down. The Giftbox in this room has a Super Bomb inside. 
In this room, you will meet Uncontrollable Spheres and Conducting Spirits. 
They are upgrades of enemies you have seen in the past. The former still 
self-destructs while the latter now can use mean moves like Flash Beta, 
which may take some of you out in one blast. If two of them attack at once, 
priority should be given to taking out the latter. You may want to stick 
around battling Uncontrollable Spheres. 1 Sphere in 128 will drop a Broken 
Antenna. Sure, it's junk, but there must be a reason for it to be rare. 
You can skip this if you like. At level 75, Ness will learn Rockin Omega.

Go to the right and climb up the ladder. You are back on the main path 
again. More Fobbys for you to take apart. How fun! Go left beyond the hole 
and climb down the ladder. There is another ladder at the end of this 
passage. 
Open the Giftbox on the way for an IQ Capsule. This is perfect for Paula. 
Climb up the ladder at the other end. It's a dead end with a Giftbox. There 
is a Diadem of Kings, this is for Poo. It increases his Defense by 20.

Tip! Operation Catch Up
As you can see, the Conducting Spirits can use Flash Beta, there is always 
a chance that they can wipe you out in a single blast. Since Jeff has a 
Night Pendant, he cannot be affected, so you may want to let Conducting 
Spirits knock out Ness and Paula, leaving Jeff and Poo. Then, get back 
up to the top level and fight those Fobby cannon fodder. Since there are 
fewer people beating them, the total EXP gain will be shared only between 
2 people, allowing Jeff and Poo to each get massive EXP, thus catching 
up to Ness quickly. Save often, though. The 2 characters should be able 
to self-sustain. Poo can use Magnet Omega to drain PP from up to 6 Fobbys 
at once while Jeff can regain over 150 HP using the Hungry HP Sucker. While 
you are doing this nasty stuff, stay near the entrance area.

Tip! Operation Catch Up Version 2
On the other hand, under the new strategy, Ness, Paula and Jeff should 
be at the 60s level wise at this point. If you want a balanced level at 
this point, try to raise Paula until she is 2 levels ahead of Ness, then 
let her go unconscious, then raise Poo until he is another 1 level ahead 
of Paula, then, it's more likely for the levels to stay balanced in the 
long run, I mean it. 

Since Ness is at Level 65 when I started this, I will try leveling Paula 
to level 67 before I let her go unconscious as well. Poo will be leveled 
up to level 68 before reviving Ness and Paula. Head north at the junction. 
You will come to another ladder heading down and a Giftbox with a Luck 
Capsule inside. Have Poo drink it. If you have guts, you can always climb 
down the ladder without reviving the two. There are Hyper Spinning Robos 
here. You know what to expect from these upgrades. Walk along the path, 
and you will come to an alcove. There is a Rock Candy in the box. Feed 
it to Jeff and have a random stat up.

Go to the left for a ladder in the middle of the path. Climb up. It's 
another 
area with Fobbies. Consider this to be Jeff and Poo's pit stop. Let the 
HP and PP sucking begin. The Giftbox in this small room contains a Cup 
of Lifenoodles. There is a hole for you to drop down. It leads to the 
previous level you were on, only to the far northwest. The first Giftbox 
you will find holds a Luxury Jerky. Climb up the ladder to the right.

You are back in Fobby heaven. The Sanctuary Boss, marked by the light is 
to the left. To fight him, Ness MUST be conscious. So, you will have to 
revive Ness and Paula beforehand. Before doing so, go left for another 
Giftbox. There is a Rabbit's Foot inside. This increases your speed in 
a big way while protecting you from Paralysis Attacks. The big problem 
is that you will have to compromise Defense to do so. You may want to 
backtrack through the other ladder to get a Bottle of DX Water. When you 
are ready, revive Ness and Paula and talk to the light. Fight!

Boss Battle! Electro Scepter (65410 EXP)
This thing looks like some weird metallic bolts. You heard it. It's Electro 
Scepter. He specializes in electric style attacks. This is where Ness' 
Franklin Badge comes in handy. Take note that Poo and Paula are faster 
than Ness and Jeff. So, for the first go, have Poo and Paula use Thunder 
Omega and Thunder Gamma. One of the 7 bolts must hit the Electro Scepter 
and neutralize his shield. The character will take some damage but you 
should have no more worries after that. If you have the Neutralizer, use 
it at the first go instead. Jeff's Multi Bottle Rocket should deal over 
2000 HP damage to the Electro Scepter. For the second go, it's weapons 
free. Ness bashes, Jeff uses the Bazooka, Paula uses Freeze Omega and Poo 
uses Starstorm Alpha. All of this should take it down. I must say I don't 
know what this enemy may use, since all he has is just ONE go, and all 
he did was trying to use the Hungry HP Sucker. (Other attacks including 
the use of the Shield Killer)

With the threat down, go through the gap and to the hole. Drop down to 
find Lumine Hall. This is Your 7th Sanctuary Location. This place looks 
like a disco cave. Keep walking until you are stopped. Ness' thoughts will 
slide slowly along the wall. It's a marquee display. "I'm Ness... It's been 
a long road getting here... Soon, I'll be... Soon, I'll be... Soon, I'll 
be... 
Soon, I'll be... What will happen to us? W...what's happening? My thoughts 
are being written out on the wall... or are they?" Hee hee, you find out 
what's going on eh, Ness?

This is the seventh melody. GBAGF# is the melody. Your Sound Stone records 
the melody of Lumine Hall, and you can leave by going left. You see a vision 
of your father holding you.

--------------------------------------
c. What on earth, is that a Dinosaur?
--------------------------------------
As you fall, you hear the sound of people going unconscious. You find your 
group as small as ants on the TV screen. The music sounds like that of 
a Jurassic world. It seems you are in the Lost Underworld, where dinosaurs 
still roam! Arrgh! Oh, just kidding.

---------------
Lost Underworld
---------------
Level of Characters (N,Pa,J,Po): 67,69,71,68
I always thought Ness and company are descending to hell here. In fact, 
it is just a reference to the Lost World: Jurassic Park! Let's walk around. 
There will be periodic quakes here. When that happens, some hot springs 
will erupt. Blue ones recover HP while pink ones recover status ailments. 
Or, for enemies, we have Wetnosaurs and Chompasaurs. The latter are tougher 
and have a Power Shield up, use the Neutralizer. The former can stomp you, 
while the latter bites. Ouch! At the same time, 1 in 128 Chompasaurs hold 
a Magic Fry Pan, Paula's ultimate weapon.

Go northwest and you will find a Giftbox near the mountain range. It 
contains a Brain Food Lunch. Go right for a "Safe Area" that houses a 
parakeet that allows you to call Dad to save.

Go northeast. Check the area to the right first. There is a Giftbox with 
a Horn of Life by the southeast and one with a Sea Pendant to the northeast. 
Let's have Jeff equip it. His defense will be increased by 5 over the Night 
Pendant. This Pendant protects Ness from Fire, Flash and Freeze attacks. 
Go west now. You should find a Guts Capsule by the ridge to the north. 
It holds a Guts Capsule. Further to the west is an enclosed area. As you 
walk by the door, the Tenda boss will smell your Tendakraut, take it from 
you and let you in. This small community features a phone parakeet, a money 
lender (Like an ATM, charges a 100% handling fee.)

It seems that to rest, you need to pay $400 here. One of the Tendas will 
play a game called Store. Except this is real! New items are offered.

*****LOST UNDERWORLD STORE*****
Ultimate Bat ($2298, For Ness, Offense +14)
Holy Fry Pan ($3480, For Paula, Offense +20)
Shiny Coin ($4000, For Ness, Defense +20, Increases Luck)
Horn of Life ($1780, Heals many Status Ailments)
Mammoth Burger ($98), Luxury Jerky ($210), Bottle of DX Water ($198)

The weapons and the Shiny Coin are to be bought. Talk to the Talking Rock. 
This one does provide vital information regarding future plans.

"You finally came, Ness. Finally, you talk to me. Listen carefully, Ness. 
I'm going to tell you something very important. You may want to take notes, 
ready? You're the chosen one. Your destiny is not only yours. It's the 
destiny of the whole universe. There will be a time in which all of you 
in the universe will overlap each other. It's not necessary to understand 
now. Do you remember 'Giant Step' in Onett? That is one of 'Your Sanctuary'. 
It is a spot which gives you power and allows you to realize all your skills. 
There is a monster which protected it. The monster was influenced by the 
power of that place. You must have beaten those monsters. You must reach 
all of the eight power spots in the world. When the Sound Stone records 
the melodies of all eight power spots, you can finally see 'Your World'."

"I'll tell you all of the power spots. 1. Giant Step in Onett. 2. Lilliput 
Steps in Peaceful Rest Valley near Twoson. 3. Milky Well in Grapefruit 
Falls in Saturn Valley. 4. Rainy Circle found by Jeff in Winters. 5. Magnet 
Hill at the edge of the city by Fourside. 6. Pink Cloud which Poo knows. 
7. and... Lumine Hole where the shiny lichen lives in the cave. 8. A new 
place is now going to be opened up to you. Fire Spring, located southwest 
of here. Listen to the melodies of all 8 power spots. If you do not fail, 
you may upset Giygas' plans. Understand Ness? The time will come. The time 
when the destiny of you and the whole of the universe will overlap. It 
is fast approaching." Hear that? Go southwest.

The next cave you find is not the right one. Keep going south. You will 
run into a Giftbox along the way. It holds a Cloak of Kings. It increases 
Poo's defense by 20 again. There is another safe area, and to the west 
is the entrance to the Fire Springs.

Fire Springs is a volcanic cave. There are Soul Consuming Flames around. 
These are just live lava. They deserve a cool down with Freeze. They may 
drop Meteotite. These are to be sold for a high price. There are also 
Psychic 
Psychos and Major Psyshic Psychos. Take these guys down fast. Their PSI 
powers are deadly. They are resistant to both Fire and Freeze. The latter 
has a 1 in 128 chance of dropping a Star Pendant. Another enemy is the 
Evil Elemental. They are weak enough to be taken out by bashing. Just don't 
be possessed by a mini-ghost. If you are possessed, you have to let a 
Psychic 
Psycho use Fire on you. Then the Mini-Ghost will certainly fade away.

Enter the first room you see. There is a Giftbox guarded by some Psychic 
Psychos. The Major ones are included. The Giftbox has a Speed Capsule inside. 
Have Ness drink it. Climb up the first rope you see.

You will reach another opening in the wall. This is actually some short 
connecting hallway to the right. Climb down the rope for another Giftbox. 
Inside is a Bag of Dragonite. Head back down to the main path and go right. 
It seems that path is blocked by the lava, so you will have to divert 
through 
the small hallway to the north. You will come to a rope. Before climbing 
up, go to the right. There is a Cherub's Band inside. Equip it on Paula. 
It will increase her Defense by 20 over the Diamond Band.

Climb up the rope now. You come to a junction. There are 2 hallways and 
a rope to climb up. Climb up the rope first. There is a Horn of Life in 
the room above. Now, get down and enter the room to the left. There is 
a Magic Butterfly here. Use it to replenish your PP. Finally, go through 
the right hallway. More ropes for you to climb up. Another hallway is 
waiting for you at the top. Go through the first opening you see. You can 
then use ropes to climb to another Gift Box. Inside is a Moon Beam Gun. 
It increases Jeff's Offense by 12 over the Baddest Beam.

Get back to the main path and go left. Go through the door. Climb up the 
ropes and you will meet the boss of the Fire Springs. It's the Carbon Dog.

Boss Battle! Carbon Dog --> Diamond Dog (84435 EXP)
When I fought the Carbon Dog, Ness' Level is 71, Paula's is 72, Jeff's 
Level is 74 and Poo's level is 71. As a result, every one struck the Carbon 
Dog first. For the first go, Ness should bash, Paula and Poo should use 
Freeze Omega and Starstorm Alpha while Jeff fires his Heavy Bazooka. If 
all hits connect, you should be able to deal around 1000 HP damage to the 
Carbon Dog. The Carbon Dog may just bite you, or he will spray fire, 
wounding 
you hard. At the second go, I suggest you let Ness use Rockin Gamma while 
Jeff uses the Neutralizer. 

Why is that? When Carbon Dog takes a little more than 1600 HP of damage, 
he will give out a rainbow of colors. He becomes a Diamond Dog, and a Power 
Shield will be erected. Diamond Dog has a total of around 3300 HP. The 
Neutralizer serves to remove the shield instantly. After the Shield is 
gone, it's weapons free! Have Jeff fire a Multi Bottle Rocket. I assume 
you have one. This deals another 2000 HP of damage! I don't care what you 
use at the next turn, but the 2000 HP of damage with the damage done by 
Freeze and Starstorm during the transition from Carbon Dog to Diamond Dog 
will allow Diamond Dog to be defeated in another round.

This concludes the battle for Your 8th Sanctuary Location. Go through the 
door. Walk over to the small volcano to record the melody of the Fire Spring. 
Before doing so, make sure Ness is carrying a Viper AND a Franklin Badge, 
if possible. There is only one tune, G. You have the feeling that you are 
being watched by yourself as a baby. How strange.

-----------------------------------
d. Ness' Journey of Self Discovery
-----------------------------------
Then, the 8 melodies of the Sanctuaries will be fused together to form 
a complete melody. It's like this: DGABBD'AABG (pause) GBAGBD'C'#C'#D'D' 
(pause) BGBAD'E'BAGEGBAGF#G. Play it on the piano if you wish! But the 
melody in the game sounds funky. The world goes a little black and white 
at this point. Have we gone back to the 50s? We have Ness walking along 
a path to a house. The Sound Stone melody is played gently, sounding like 
a music box. The scene changes to the interior of Ness' House.

It seems that the dog King is still a puppy. The scene moves to the upstairs 
hallway. Inside Ness' room, you see a cradle, it's Baby Ness. We hear the 
parents talking. "Ness, hmmm... I think Ness is the right name for him." 
Says Mom. "Ness, he smiled just from hearing his own name. Do you think 
he likes his name?" Asks Dad. "Try putting that red cap onto him. Ha ha 
ha! It's too big, but it looks good on him." "I hope King won't be jealous 
of the baby." "Let's celebrate with some Steak. This baby will grow up 
to be a hard worker, just like you." Dad then says, "I don't think he needs 
to be rich or famous, but I want him to be a thoughtful, strong boy." 
"That's 
odd, the baby bottle that he pointed at seemed to move a little bit. 
Hmmm..." 
So, Ness is born with psychic powers. The music then changes to a funky 
one, and Ness dons his pajamas and appears in a weird world. It's Magicant, 
the world of Ness' mind.

---------------
Magicant
---------------
Ness' Level: 72
Since Ness' mind is only accessible to Ness, any other characters will 
NOT be available for use right now. You can talk to people everywhere, 
and it seems that doing so will change the color of this place. Go south 
and enter the buildings. The right one is a shop which specializes in 
Puddings and Pendants. Magic Puddings are $680 each, and Earth Pendants 
are $4000 each. The former helps Ness recover 40 PP, while the latter 
increases Ness' Defense by 1 over the Flame Pendant. It also protects 
against Fire, Flash and Freeze attacks. You better buy one more for Paula. 
Since Jeff already has the Sea Pendant, he won't need it.

DO NOT allow Tracy to store the extra Earth Pendant for you. It cannot 
be recovered once you regain consciousness. It seems the building to the 
left of the shop is the ATM and Phone Booth. Continue to the left, past 
the Urban Zombie, Master Belch to reach the next area. Don't worry, there 
are no enemies yet. There are lots of kids here. There is a hotel too. 
The Giftbox to the left holds a PSI Caramel. Pokey will be sitting on a 
couch to the north. He complains that he has no luck, and wants to be 
friends 
with you forever! Continue north along the path until you reach a house. 
There is a grave outside. It's that of Buzz Buzz. Inside the house, there 
are some bird like creatures called Flying Men. Talking to one will make 
him join you. Note that these guys can be killed.

With the Flying Man, go right to the next region. It's the Sea of Eden. 
The music here is different, and there are many enemies. Loaded Dice are 
definitely the meanest. They ALWAYS call for help, and enemies fought in 
the past will come and attack you. They are represented by moving Giftboxes, 
when you approach Giftboxes, move slowly and see if they move too. If they 
don't move at all, then you can go and pick up the item, also Giftboxes 
never appear in the middle of the path.

At the first junction, go east. You will find yourself by a Giftbox. If 
you talk to yourself, he will give you his Baseball Cap. It's useless. 
Just get the Bag of Dragonite in the Gift and head back. Go north. From 
now on, I suggest you try to avoid all contact with enemies. If you see 
enemies up ahead, move until they are out of the screen and move back until 
they are gone.

At the next junction, there is a Goddess Band to the north. It increases 
Ness' Defense by 20 over the Pixie's Bracelet. Go back south and head east. 
Continue to use all those bends and pillars as cover from the enemies as 
you slip past them all. Relatively more harmless enemies are Electric 
Swooshes represented by a pair of eyes. They only attack with Thunder type 
attacks which can be deflected by the Franklin Badge. Another one is the 
Mr. Molecule, represented by a question mark. They cannot use PSI for the 
first few rounds, enabling you to take them out before they become a real 
threat. You will come to a real Giftbox. There is a Magicant Bat inside. 
This increases Ness' Offense by 12 over the Ultimate Bat. Around the next 
corner, you will see a congregation of question marks. Take the Mr. 
Molecules down. Just be careful not to hurt your own brain, Ness!

After that, there is also the danger of the French Kiss of Death. These 
lips can poison Ness by giving the kiss of death. Continue to the right 
and open the Giftbox for a PP restoring Magic Tart. You may find Carefree 
Bombs now. These guys attack with bombs, and can cause major pain. The 
teleportation device is just attack. It's a curly thing. Check it.

Hey, you are neck deep in water. Is this the Sea of Eden, or is this your 
cerebrospinal fluid? Go right, and then north. After that, head west, 
hugging the wall to the south. Try your best to avoid the Krakens. You 
will see a small island with a statue. Sneak up to it and check it. He 
claims to be the evil part of your brain, and you can't beat him. You are 
the one who forced him into being, Ness. Now it's time to force him out 
of existence. Let's battle Ness' Nightmare!

Boss Battle! Ness' Nightmare (89004 EXP)
It's the evil part of Ness that you have to overcome. It is a lot like 
the Mani Mani Statue. This battle assumes that you have saved the Viper 
from earlier. So, at the first turn, throw the Viper out to poison Ness' 
Nightmare. At the first go, Ness' Nightmare will definitely use Shield 
Beta. He is protected, but he is guaranteed to lose HP every round due 
to the poison. After that, Ness' Nightmare will start to use all the PSI 
moves that Ness has learnt against you. 

Sometimes, he will emit a glorious light. Keep on bashing and taking damage 
from the Power Shield, that's what you can do. Don't bother using PSI. 
Save the PP for Lifeup Beta. This is because the enemy can also use this 
to heal himself, only that he will not use any Healing moves to take away 
the poison. When he starts to use Rockin Omega, you have a reason to be 
worried. Quickly heal before you are taken out! (To be precise, use Lifeup 
Gamma when your HP drops below 150. Remember the system of Rolling Hit 
Points in this game.) Another strategy is to hypnotize him time after time 
and let some HP be lost while he sleeps. After some bashes, Ness Nightmare 
would have stopped moving. You have conquered yourself!

You will be rewarded with a generous amount of EXP, about 89004! You will 
hear a familiar sound from the center of the Sea of Eden. "Giygas' goal 
is to destroy you. Listen carefully! Everything in the universe could be 
destroyed at the hands of Giygas. But he and his followers are also in 
trouble. The Apple of Enlightenment has foretold that Giygas' attempt will 
fail. It is because of the existence of a boy named Ness. That's me! 
Listen."

This really is a shocking revelation. You are talking to yourself inside 
your brain. "Free your mind and KNOW what you must do. Your destiny has 
already been decided. You, I, where should we go? You know deep within 
the reaches of your mind. Saturn Valley. Yes, go to the place where the 
Mr. Saturn live. You'll get something new there. Soon, Magicant will be 
no more. We must be quick!" It really IS your own voice, telling you to 
go to Saturn Valley at the double.

At this point, the 8 Your Sanctuary Locations are giving their power to 
you. Ness is filled with the Power of the Giant Step. Ness' Speed increased 
by 5! Ness' Vitality increased by 5! Ness is filled with the Power of the 
Lilliput Steps! Ness' Guts increased by 5! Ness' Luck increased by 5! Ness 
is filled with the Power of the Milky Well! Ness' Speed increased by 5! 
Ness' IQ increased by 5! Ness is filled with the Power of the Magnet Hill! 
Ness' Vitality increased by 5! Ness' Luck increased by 5! Ness is filled 
with the Power of the Rainy Circle! Ness' Guts increased by 5! Ness' IQ 
increased by 5! Ness is filled with the Power of the Pink Cloud! Ness' 
Speed increased by 5! Ness' Guts increased by 5! Ness is filled with the 
Power of the Lumine Hole! Ness' Luck increased by 5! Ness' IQ increased 
by 5! Ness is filled with the Power of the Fire Spring! Ness' Speed 
increased 
by 5! Ness' Luck increased by 5!

Wow, this is such an INSANE stat boost. But there is more! Instantly, your 
mind clears and you realized you have possessed great power! At that moment, 
your psychic powers rapidly expanded! Ness gains 200000 EXP! Ness' level 
is now 77! Offense went up by 1! Sweet! Maximum HP went up by 150! That 
rocks, maximum PP went up by 350! And finally, he had the power of Teleport 
Beta! You make all the hidden powers your own. You absorbed the power of 
the earth into his heart and Magicant is no more. You can wake up. Your 
friends are waiting for you! And my, they are in for a surprise since they 
will find their leader has gone a little too far up the river with those 
insane boosts. They will probably ask Ness if he has had too many steroids!

At this point, Ness alternates between different Your Sanctuaries, spins 
around while the scene changes until he wakes up, surrounded by his friends. 
The Sound Stone is now gone. Paula comes up. "What happened, Ness? You've 
been unconscious for a long time." Jeff says, "You kept saying something." 
Poo says, "Saturn Valley? What's waiting for us there? Anyway, we need 
to teleport."

---------------------
7. The Final Stretch
---------------------
You 4 arrive at Saturn Valley. Before doing anything, let's check Ness' 
stats, shall we? Ness has 750 HP, 550 PP! This makes up a HP to PP ratio 
of 1.37 to 1! Now, his Vitality is 53 while his IQ is 58. This means that 
his PP is catching up. Let's go and see what's in store for you.

Level of Characters (N,Pa,J,Po): 77,73,74,72
It seems that Jeff's Dad, Apple Kid and Geraldo Montague have constructed 
some device shaped like a Mr. Saturn. Talk to Dr. Andonuts. "Yahah! The 
Mr. Saturns are incredible folk. And the Apple Kid, he is a most exceptional 
young man, very different from other kids." I smell envy in Jeff's eyes! 
"Anyway, the prototype Phase Distorter has been stolen. Someone resembling 
a pig wearing clothes took Mr. Saturn captive and stole the device!"

Talk to Apple Kid. "Excellent, excellent! Everything proceeded as planned. 
Dr. Andonuts, Mr. Saturn and I worked together and finally completed the 
Phase Distorter. The purpose of this device is to enable instantaneous 
travel through time and space. In this prototype, you can only travel to 
different points within the same time period. It is able, however, to search 
out the locations of enemies. Right now, it is indicating the presence 
of enemies in the Lost Underworld!"

Board the Phase Distorter. But it breaks down, and you come out smoked. 
"Hmm... it doesn't work. Something seems to be missing. But that one 
material 
cannot normally be found on the earth. The material I am think of came 
from a meteorite that fell when I was much younger. Have you seen a 
meteorite 
anywhere recently?" Answer yes! "Eureka! That's it. With even just a piece 
of the meteorite, I can synthesize the material Zexonyte. I doubt that 
your mortal enemy Giygas or whatever, will allow you to go to Onett and 
get a piece of the meteorite. By now, Onett is in his evil hands. You must 
go though, so take every possible precaution. The Mr. Saturns have 
introduced some of their new developments in their shop. Please check them 
out before you leave. I wonder what Onett is like in this point in time?"

Before going to Onett, have the Earth Pendant delivered to Paula and have 
her equip it. This way, Ness, Paula and Jeff are resistant to all Fire, 
Flash and Freeze attacks. Poo is still vulnerable though. Let us go to 
Onett, this means war, Giygas!

---------------
Onett
---------------
Things don't look good. Giygas definitely has sent his minions to control 
the town. Every building except your house is barricaded and Ghosts of 
Starman, Evil Eyes and Mechanical Octobots. The former are the meanest 
since they ALWAYS use Starstorm Alpha in the first go. 1 in 128 Ghosts 
of Starman carry Goddess Ribbons. Evil Eyes like to cast Brainshock Omega, 
and glare at you to diamondize you. They are vulnerable to Freeze. Rest 
at home if necessary, and fight your way to the meteorite. Check the 
meteorite and you can pick up a Meteorite Piece. With this, teleport back 
to Onett, or you can just stay behind to fight more enemies beforehand.

---------------
Saturn Valley
---------------
Level of Characters (N,Pa,J,Po): 79,74,76,73
Give the Meteorite Piece to Jeff's Dad. "Oh yes! This is fantastic! What? 
Well, I've never actually seen this incredibly rare element before. It 
is very intriguing. All right, leave everything to us, and you get some 
rest." Spend the night in Saturn Valley. The next day, talk to Jeff's Dad 
to learn more about Phase Distorter Version 2. It repairs your biological 
functions and saves your game. When you are optimally outfitted, you can 
go. Although there is a chance that you cannot return. Talk to Jeff's Dad 
again to confirm that you are ready. Then you can enter and warp.

You are in the Lost Underworld, in some isolated area. Go right and the 
Star Master will approach Poo and grant him the power of Starstorm Omega! 
This is truly the best of the best there is. You will find a Mr. Saturn 
beside a wrecked Phase Distorter prototype. Where is he? Well, he has gone 
to the past. Examine the wreck to find a Horn of Life. Go north to a dead 
end and return. Another Phase Distorter will arrive, and Jeff's Dad will 
come out with Apple Kid.

"The Phase Distorter has been completed. We could finish it quickly because 
of Mr. Saturn's incredible scientific skill. Giygas is attacking from our 
exact location, but he is attacking from many years from the past." Wow, 
a long range time attack. Talk to Apple Kid. "You must warp to the past 
and fight, but..." But what? Talk to Dr. Andonuts again. "This is very hard 
for me to tell you, but..." He walks off to the dead end. What's wrong.

Go and see what's wrong with going back to the past. "In order to defeat 
Giygas, who is attacking from the past, you must warp to the past. This 
can be done by the way of Phase Distorter 3. However, the machine cannot 
warp living things, I mean lifeforms. Life is demolished in the process 
of warping. The only way to accomplish the time travel is to transfer your 
brain 'program' into a robot, and send the robot to the past. The transfer 
means that your spirit will go with the robot while your body is left behind. 
I cannot promise that your spirit will come back after the battle in the 
past. Yet, you must understand that you four are the chosen ones. Do you 
still wish to face Giygas by traveling to the past?" Of course say yes!

"You accept this while knowing that you may have to return to your current 
form, right?" Yes. "I see, you really have your mind set on this. Let me 
take a good look at you now. Ness, please give me that red cap. Ready, 
stand by." At this point, you four's bodies are being engineered.

"Ness! Paula! Poo! Jeff, my son. There is no turning back now. Ness, 
activate the Phase Distorter 3 by your own hand, thereby following youw 
own destiny. Will you do so?" Yes. "Only a few people know of your amazing 
courage, but the number of people you save through that bravery is immense. 
I feel very fortunate, to be present at the beginning of this monumental 
undertaking." This is when you come to the past, to 198X!

In the past, walk to the left in your robot shells. The Ghosts of Starman 
are here, as are Nuclear Reactor Robots. There are also Ultimate Octobots 
and Wild 'n' Woolly Shamblers. Ultimate Octobots can generate a mysterious 
electric field that may numb you. This is one tough stretch. Try not to 
use PSI too often. There is a Legendary Bat in the Gift Box. It increases 
Ness' Offense by 21 over the Magicant Bat. You will eventually come to 
a large ball at a dead end. Use it to warp to the next area.

There are even more enemies in the next area. Outrun the enemies if you 
must and warp on. In this area, we have Final Starmen! I have no idea what 
they use, since I was able to kill them before they get a chance to fight 
back. But I guess they may use Starstorm Alpha. No matter how strong the 
enemies are, if you can get a Green Swirl, any single enemy will be defeated. 
You will soon come to an opening in the wall. Enter. You are getting very 
close. The path now resembles the cerebrum of the brain. And what is waiting 
for you at the end of the path? It's some large mass with a large circle 
in the center. Your face appears in the middle of the circle. It's Giygas!

That's not all, Pokey appears, inside some mechanical device. Let the 
taunting begin! "Ness! Are you surprised? It's me, Pokey. I assist only 
the strong and able. That's Pokey! You guys look pathetic." Actually, I 
also think these guys look pathetic in their robot shells. At least they 
should learn from the film Robots and make robot casings that look like 
Ness, Paula, Jeff and Poo in real life! "The Apple of Enlightenment has 
made a prediction. But I won't let what the Apple of Enlightenment predicted 
take place. You guys will be beaten by Giygas." Says who?! "Giygas will 
be stronger, a more powerful entity than each other. Why? 'Cause of me." 
So Pokey is the root of evil all along. "I was led by Giygas, and now I'm 
here. The Apple of Enlightenment can't predict this. Master Giygas. No, 
Giygas is no longer the wielder of Evil. He has become the embodiment of 
evil itself which he cannot control on his own." So, power does corrupt! 
"He is the Evil Power." It's time to fight!

Final Battle! Giygas with Heavily Armed Pokey
This battle is divided into 3 parts. The first part involves Heavily Armed 
Pokey and Giygas together. In the first part, all attacks should be focused 
on Pokey. Poo should use Brainshock Omega in the first go, Paula should 
use Freeze Omega, Jeff should fire the Heavy Bazooka while Ness bashes. 
The two enemies will feel strange, thus helping them kill themselves. 
Giygas himself will attack with Rockin moves. You should be able to deal 
around 900 HP damage before Pokey discharges a very stinky gas. This lowers 
everyone's offense by 11-15 units. In the second turn, Paula and Poo should 
use Freeze, Jeff should use the Heavy Bazooka while Ness resorts to Rockin 
Gamma. Heavily Armed Pokey should get to charge forward, dealing around 
250 HP to one of you, but by the end of this turn, Heavily Armed Pokey 
will start to get fed up with dealing with you. He taunts you.

"I understand you guys are already claiming to be heroes. Well, it's a 
gazillion years too early for you to oppose Giygas. You must feel pretty 
stupid to keep fighting without even knowing what Giygas looks like. If 
you were to see Giygas, you will be so petrified with fear, you'd never 
be able to run away! That's how scary it is. So, do you want me to turn 
off the 'Devil's Machine'?" Yes, certainly, I always want to know what 
Giygas looks like. Come on! I'm all yours! "Well, be prepared to be amazed!" 
Wow, I must be so excited right now that I can hardly breathe!

In the second part of the battle, Giygas resembles some purple ring like 
waveform. "So, isn't this terrifying? I'm terrified too." Great! You must 
be pathetic if you get scared by some stupid waveform! "Giygas cannot think 
rationally any more, and he isn't aware of what he is doing right now. 
His own mind was destroyed by his incredible power. What an all-mighty 
idiot!" If you know he will become a retard, why did you turn off the 
machine? 
"Yep, that's what he is. You will be another meal to him!"

You now can really damage Giygas, so it's time to be weapons free. Poo 
should use Brainshock again if Giygas has got over it. Ness should use 
Rockin Gamma, while Jeff resorts to the Heavy Bazooka. Paula should use 
the Freeze treatment. Giygas is acting a bit unusual, "Ness..." he mutters. 
From now on, he will attack using random PSI attacks, in a way that you 
cannot comprehend their true form! If Poo and Paula would use Freeze again 
and again, Giygas may be continuously solidified, and hence won't be able 
to fight back as often. After some effort, Pokey will appear again.

"Heh heh heh heh, you must really be at the end of your rope. In this 
bizarre 
dimension, you four are the only force fighting for justice. And here you 
stand, waiting to be burned with all the rest of the garbage of this 
universe. 
That's so sad. I can't help but shed a tear. You know, my heart is beating 
incredibly fast. I must be experiencing absolute terror. Do you want to 
scream for help here in the dark? Why not call your mommy, Ness? Say, 'Mommy, 
Daddy, I am so frightened! I think I'm gonna wet my pants! I know you have 
telepathy or something, so try and call for help, you pathetically weak 
heroes of your so called justice! No one will help you now! Don't worry, 
your pitiful suffering will be over soon!"

Pokey basically gave you the hint for the third and final part of the battle 
against Giygas. He asks you to call for help, and who knows how to call 
for help? Paula! Her prayers will call for help from the heavens, and that 
should do the trick. So, for this part of the battle, Ness and Poo should 
try to keep Paula's HP up while Jeff spies on Giygas, uses the Hungry HP 
Sucker or whatever. You will be interested in what happens during the 
praying. People you met from all over the earth will help here.

Paula prays from the bottom of her heart. "Please give us strength, if 
it is possible, please. Somebody, help us." Back in Saturn Valley, the 
Mr. Saturns, Geraldo Montague, Jeff's Dad and Apple Kid came together. 
All of the Mr. Saturn felt a new startling feeling they had never 
experienced before, and they all started praying for the safety of Ness 
and his friends. This prayer causes Giygas' defenses to become unstable.

Giygas cries, "Ness, Ness, friends..." He attacks in an unknown way. Don't 
give up and pray again. You find the Runaway Five in Summers, and one is 
flirting with a girl on the beach. Suddenly, they all come out. One of 
the Runaway Five members felt something stop him, and he prayed fervently 
for the safety of Ness and his friends." This prayer deals 46 HP to Giygas.

Continue praying. "Please give us strength. Speed this prayer to all the 
people of the earth." The scene changes to outside Polestar Preschool in 
Twoson. Paula's father runs into the school, calling Paula's mom and the 
3 kids out. It seems that Paula's father somehow heard his daughter's voice, 
and prayed sincerely for the safety of Paula and her friends. This attack 
deals 97 HP damage to Giygas.

Giygas starts to go nuts, repeating Ness so many times. He attacks. He 
complains that it's not right, and how it hurts. Pray. "Please give us 
strength," she says, "Anyone who can hear our plea, help us." Who will 
answer the call this time? The scene changes to the dorms of Snow Wood 
Boarding House. Tony runs out of his room to the people hanging out in 
the lounge. He calls Maxwell up as well. Tony is anxious about Jeff, and 
he prays strongly for the safety of Jeff and his friends. This prayer's 
effect is more substantial than the previous one, as 238 HP of damage to 
dealt to Giygas. Next turn is up.

Giygas grunts several times and says that he feels good. He attacks! 
Continue to pray. "Please grant us power," she whispers, "Anyone who can 
hear our plea, help us." It's the Imperial Palace of Dalaam. 3 young women 
stand together outside the palace. It seems one of them had a dream in 
which Poo died. This raises her concern about Poo. They begin to pray for 
the well-being of Poo and his friends. 395 HP of damage dealt to Giygas!

Giygas must be feeling high, as he comments on how good he feels before 
attacking. Let's pray again. "Please grant us strength! Anyone who can 
hear out plea, we ask for this." It's the Burger Shop of Onett. Frank Fly 
is eating with his girlfriend. Suddenly, he recalled Ness' shining face, 
and he began to pray to diligently for the safety of Ness and his friends. 
This one deals a whopping 786 HP of damage to Giygas!

Giygas continues to complain that it is not right. Continue praying. 
"Please grant us power! Speed this prayer to the people of the earth." 
It's night time in Onett. Ness' mom and Tracy wake up from their sleep 
and come down to the living room. Ness' mom is feeling terribly uneasy, 
she begins to pray for the safety of her son and his friends. The power 
of the prayers has increased exponentially, this time 1687 HP of damage 
is dealt to Giygas. He must be feeling real pain now.

Giygas has gone so nutty that the screen looks like a TV screen that is 
malfunctioning. The image is so fuzzy. I guess we need a specialist to 
fix the antenna, eh Giygas? Paula is having problems with her prayers. 
"I cannot think of anyone else. Someone, anyone, please help us." Paula's 
call is absorbed by the darkness. Is there hope at all? Giygas continues 
to go berserk and repeats Ness again and again. He gets a free hit on you.

Don't give up, Paula. Continue to pray. "Someone, can you hear me? Please, 
give us strength!" Paula and her friends' call touched the heart of G------ 
-.-us-.  G---g---------- prayed for the safety of Ness and his friends, 
having never met them before. This mystery person's prayers did Giygas 
good. 2850 HP damage to Giygas! -e-rge -----sh kept praying. Now, 5525 
HP is dealt to Giygas. -eo-g- W. Bush kept praying. Now, 11525 HP of damage 
is dealt to Giygas! George W. Bush continues to pray. 21150 HP of damage 
is dealt to Giygas. At this point, Giygas cannot take it anymore. He starts 
to break down. The image of the screen starts to grow blurry.

Pokey appears one last time to taunt you. "Ness! Now I... well... It's going 
to seem like I'm running away. But perhaps I'll sneak away to another era 
to think about my next plan. It's a good bet that we will see each other 
again. All right! I'll be seeing you! So now which of us do you think is 
the cool guy?" Certainly not you, Pokey! He vanishes. Giygas starts to 
flicker. The screen eventually goes out after a long flicker. That turns 
Giygas' TV off. You've been watching too much!

Your robotic bodies are destroyed by the blast. Your spirits drift out 
to find their owners. They eventually did and Poo, Jeff, Paula and Ness 
wake up back in Saturn Valley. The war against Giygas is over. Poo comes 
up to say goodbye. "Our travels together end here. I must return to Dalaam, 
and use this experience for the good of my country. Ness, Paula, Jeff, 
let me demonstrate a strange power before I go. I realized this power as 
a child. PSI Farewell! Now! I'll see you again someday." He teleports away, 
dropping 3 Giftboxes. Now, Jeff comes up and hugs Ness and Paula.

"Paula, Ness. It was great to hang out with you guys. It really was. I'm 
glad I had the chance to use some of the theories that I have been studying 
so hard. It's remarkable. If, just maybe. Well if you two get hitched 
someday, maybe I'll be the one that fixes your broken electronic devices." 
Note that the one of the meanings of the word hitch is tied up. So, Jeff 
may indirectly mean that "If you two get engaged someday, maybe I'll be 
your best man, Ness." I like this catchy phrase. "I'm going to stay here 
for a while and see if I can learn more from Dr. Andonuts. I mean, from 
my dad. So it looks this is goodbye for now, my friends."

Paula asks if you will escort her home. It does not matter which choice 
you make. She will come with you. The 3 Giftboxes contains a letter to 
Jeff from Tony, a letter to Paula from the kids at the Polestar Preschool, 
and a letter from Ness' mom. Let's read them, shall we?

Letter from Tony: Dear Jeff, Everything is going great here. I wish I could 
have gone with you on your adventure, even just part of a way, but instead 
I am just sitting here, waiting for you in Winters. I want to see you as 
soon as possible. I can't wait to see your cheerful face. I bet your glasses 
are dirty. If you come back, I'll clean them for you. Like I said, I am 
waiting for you. Yours truly, Tony. PS. Don't show this letter to anyone!

Letter from Kids: Dear Paula, how are you doing? I'm fine. I'm fine too! 
So are me! Me also! Me okay. Please come to play with us at the Polestar 
Preschool. Oh yeah, one more thing, bring us some presents if you have 
any. Sincerely, your friends at the Polestar Preschool.

Letter from Mom: Dear Ness, how are you? Since you left home on your journey, 
things have changed around here. For example, I don't have as much laundry. 
Also, we don't seem to eat as much steak as we used to. I heard you defeated 
some universal evil character-what was it, Googi or something like that? 
Well, that sounds really great! I want to hear more details, so hurry home, 
ok? Tracy, King and I are waiting for you. Love, Mama.

Now, you can warp around the world, talking to the people and see how they 
have changed now that Giygas is defeated. In Winters, Maxwell and Tony 
will be hanging outside the Snow Wood Boarding House. Maxwell tells you 
that Jeff has just called telling him that he is staying with his dad to 
develop a new theory. Tony complains that Jeff has not called and reminds 
you to tell Jeff to call him. The most important thing to do is to send 
Paula home. Teleport to Twoson.

Walk over to the Polestar Preschool. Paula thanks you. "Ness, thank you 
for escorting me home. There was something I wanted to tell you, but I've 
forgotten it. I'm sure I will remember by the time I see you again. Well, 
I guess this is it. Goodbye." It's obvious what Paula has forgotten. She 
definitely wants to say that she loves you! Talk to Paula's Dad. "You are 
a very strong young man. My opinion of you has changed. Perhaps you should 
continue dating Paula. Just treat her right. Come by and visit anytime 
you like. You can even sleep on the living room couch instead of the one 
in the den." Continue dating Paula, Ness!

When you are done exploring, go home. Talk to Mom and she will show you 
the photo album. You can then have a look at everyone you saw in the game! 
Then the credits roll. You fall asleep. You are woken up by a knock again. 
It's Picky, Pokey's brother. He tells you that he received a letter from 
his brother Pokey. He says that there is no stamp, no postmark and no return 
address in the envelope, and it is not the time for the mailman to come 
yet. Pokey seems to be wanting revenge in his letter. So he is the chosen 
one of the dark side! It is the end, or is it?

-------------------------------
8. Stuff that may Interest You
-------------------------------
This is where I include some in-depth information about the game, in 
particular the ways to use the food, some rare items and so on. But don't 
expect me to add lists of every item, since the exact stats of everything 
are of no concern to me. (Just buy upgrades, upgrades and upgrades!)

------------------------------
a. Various Miscellaneous Tips
------------------------------
Food for Thought:
I know that there are many types of food available in the game. However, 
which ones are the most cost effective. Now that I usually resort to Lifeup 
whenever Ness and company are hurt, but this should help those people who 
like to eat food to replenish health. I do this in real life!

From the start of the game from up to the point when Jeff joins you, I 
suggest you rely on Hamburgers. Hamburgers cost $14 each and recover about 
60HP. This means that it's one dollar for 4.29 HP. Not a bad ratio. 

When Jeff has joined you, you may consider some group healing items. Pizzas 
come in three sizes, small, medium and large. I assume Large Pizzas are 
10 piece sets, as in the United States. (Our Large Pizzas in Hong Kong 
have only 8 pieces, and so are the equivalent of medium). Large Pizzas 
take up one space each, and can help Ness, Paula and Jeff recover 240 HP 
at a time. This makes a total of 720 HP. Since a Large Pizza costs $238, 
this means that each dollar recovers 3.03 HP, not a bad ratio at all.

Once you reach Summers, and Poo has joined you, I assume Ness and Poo have 
enough PP between them to Lifeup any one completely. However, if you still 
want to use food, you may want to buy Kraken Soup. Each bowl can completely 
restore Ness, Paula and Jeff's HP. At $648, you recover HP completely. 
Of course, it is more worth it for Ness than Paula since Ness' HP meter 
is much larger.

You may wonder at this point: Why hasn't kylohk mentioned Poo at all? This 
is because Poo is a special character. He is so picky that he cannot stand 
any food that is not from his own country. Most effective foods for Ness, 
Paula and Jeff will restore 6 HP to Poo. Poo must rely on Brain Food Lunches. 
The good thing is that this Fish Fingers with Carrots set completely 
restores Poo's HP and restores around 70 PP most of the time. So, you might 
as well stock up on Brain Food Lunches for him.

There are also foods that restore PP. The most common one is the Magic 
Tart, bought from the woman who used to make Magic Cakes in summers. Each 
one recovers 20 PP to the eater. For Poo, you can always stock up with 
Bottles of DX Water. This drink recovers 40 PP for Poo only! Any food seems 
nice, but once Ness has learnt Lifeup Omega, I am sure that any food will 
be pointless to have, since you can rely on PSI.

Using Condiments Effectively:
Earthbound features condiments to go with your food. There are condiment 
vendors found everywhere. They sell you different condiments at very low 
prices. But not free. When a character has both a condiment and a food 
in his inventory, using the food will cause the condiment to be sprinkled 
on to the food. When the correct combinations are made, the HP gain is 
increased. If the incorrect combinations are made, the HP gain may be 
lowered. So, let me list each condiment and make a comment on each of them.

These are the condiments with their prices:
Ketchup Packet ($2), Sugar Packet ($3), Tin of Cocoa ($4), Carton of Cream 
($4), Sprig of Parsley ($2), Jar of Hot Sauce ($3), Salt Packet ($2), Jar 
of Delisauce ($300)

Ketchup Packet *HOT!*:
The inclusion of ketchup is mandatory in McDonald's and many other burger 
shops across the world. It's because, burgers and fries just taste better 
with it on it. Ketchup can enhance the flavors of Bags of Fries, Croissants, 
Hamburgers, Fresh Eggs, Double Burgers, Bean Crouquettes, Magic Truffles, 
Beef Jerky, Spicy Jerky, Luxury Jerky and Mammoth Burgers. This is a 
recommended condiment since it works with Hamburgers early in the game.

Sugar Packet:
Sweet stuff can be made to be even sweeter by a packet of sugar. Tea is 
often served with sugar as well. Sugar Packets work with Bread Rolls, PSI 
Caramel, Calorie Sticks, Magic Tarts, Rock Candy, Plain Yogurt and Magic 
Pudding. It seems that this condiment is sort of designed for all those 
PP restoring items, but since the increment will not be as significant 
as the HP restoring food, I don't recommend getting these.

Tin of Cocoa:
Cocoa is supposed to be mixed in with milk to make hot chocolate, and yet 
they consider this to be a condiment. Cocoa works with Cookies, Skip 
Sandwiches, Skip Sandwich DXs, Gelato de Resort and Plain Rolls. These 
are all low HP recovering foods, so this makes Tins of Cocoa useless.

Carton of Cream:
I expect cream to be used on sundaes, but there are no sundaes in this 
game. Carton of Cream is supposed to be used on Lucky Sandwiches, Popsicles, 
Bananas and Trout Yogurts. No hot items are included. Don't bother.

Sprig of Parsley:
Sprigs of Parsley are often used for decoration in western courses, and 
as garnish in cocktails. They have a limited range of foods affected in 
this game, and most of them aren't even western. Sprigs of Parsley work 
on Peanut Cheese Bars, Bowls of Rice Gruel and Piggy Jelly.

Jar of Hot Sauce *HOT!*:
I must confess that it took me a long time to realize that the hot in this 
sauce refers to spicy. Jars of Hot Sauce may have a limited range of Cups 
of Noodles, Pizza and Pasta di Summers, it is still hot since this can 
help Large Pizzas be more effective than before.

Salt Packet *HOT!*:
Salt is an important compound in everyday life. Sodium chloride, that's 
what it is. Goats like salt too, and Gruff Goats occasionally drop these. 
Salt Packets can be used on Boiled Eggs, Picnic Lunches, Chef's Special 
and Brain Food Lunch. This also means that salt is good for the brain, 
particularly Poo's brain, since Poo's exclusive food can be enhanced.

Jar of Delisauce *HOT!*:
Delisauce is a Dalaam specialty costing as massive $300 per jar. The good 
thing is that it works with anything and every food in the game. But I 
still recommend picking these up from Giftboxes than buying them.

1/128 Items:
In the later stages of the game, you can pick up certain rare items from 
tough enemies. They are so rare that one in 128 of that type of enemy has 
them. Here are all the 1 in 128 items in the game. Since finding those 
items can be tedious, I recommend only finding the Sword of Kings, since 
that is Poo's one and only weapon.

Sword of Kings is found by beating Starman Supers in the Stonehenge Base. 
You must find it before beating Starman Deluxe, or they will all be gone. 
The Broken Antenna is found in Lumine Hall by beating Uncontrollable 
Spheres. This can be fixed by Jeff to form the Gaia Beam, the most powerful 
weapon in the game for Jeff. Magic Fry Pans are obtained in the Lost 
Underworld by beating Chompasaurs. The Star Pendant is found in the Fire 
Spring on a certain Magic Psychic Psycho. The Goddess Ribbon is found in 
a Ghost of Starman late in the game, while the Gutsy Bat is found 10 years 
in the past on a certain Bionic Kraken.

Paula's Prayers:
Paula must be a devout Christian, having a guardian angel and all. She 
is so devout that praying will generate many fantastic effects that can 
either be good or bad to everyone, friend or foe. God shows impartiality, 
so it seems. Here are all of Paula's Prayers and their effects.

Dazzling Light: (Neutral)
This type of prayer sends a very bright light into the battlefield. This 
light has the effect of Flash Beta, and will hit everyone, including 
yourselves in battle. Sometimes, the people affected will be knocked out, 
since this is the effect of Flash Beta. Enemies sometimes use this too.

Golden Light: (Beneficial)
You will like this one. A single character in the group will have all of 
his HP refilled. Of course, this light is rather rare in appearance.

Heavy Air: (Harmful)
The air is so heavy that all participants in battle can hardly breathe. 
As a result, everyone, friend or foe's defense will be lowered.

Mysterious Aroma: (Neutral)
This weird smell is actually that of a sleeping gas. Every participant 
in battle, friend or foe will be put to sleep. Now, it's up to you to get 
up before the enemy, or else, the effects will be harmful.

Mysterious Light: (Beneficial)
This type of light affects your own group only. Ness, Paula and Poo will 
recover some PP, but not the enemies. So this is good.

Rainbow Colored Light: (Neutral)
It's the rainbow, a sign of revitalization. Every fallen participant in 
the battle will be fully revived. This will be beneficial if 2 or more 
members are knocked out, but this will not be so if you have just defeated 
a very strong enemy out of the opposition.

Sheet Lightning: (Beneficial)
A sheet of lightning will zap a certain enemy, and if he is zapped, he 
will also suffer from the effects of Flash!

Thunder: (Harmful)
This Thunder is not like that of the PSI Thunder. This is just another 
name for Brainshock for all participants. Everyone, friend or foe may feel 
strange. This will prove to be very dangerous if everyone of you cannot 
act normally, and kill each other in the battle.

Warm Light, Very Subtle Light: (Beneficial)
This is the most common effect of praying. A little HP will be restored 
to everyone. Very Subtle Light restores twice as much HP as the former.

Jeff's Exclusive Gadgets:
What makes up for Jeff's inability to use PSI is his ability to fix broken 
objects and turning them into weapons and other useful gadgets in battle. 
There are many things that only Jeff can use, and they make him just as 
powerful, or even more powerful than Ness at times. There are so many things 
that may clog up his inventory, so I will only list the things that are 
worth allowing Jeff to carry.

Firstly, Jeff should have a Neutralizer on him. The Neutralizer is found 
inside Talah Rama's cave, this item neutralizes the effects of PSI on 
everyone, friend or foe. Since Shields is PSI, using the Neutralizer will 
neutralize any Power Shields or Psychic Power Shields the enemy is using, 
and allowing you to have a clear shot at the boss. This is also useful 
when the enemy has increased their Offense through PSI.

Jeff should also have a Hungry HP Sucker in his inventory at all times. 
A Hungry HP Sucker is obtained by fixing a Broken Tube at IQ level 36. 
This move takes HP from all enemies and gives them to Jeff, this makes 
it an effective recovery item for Jeff. The amount of HP sucked is directly 
proportional to the maximum HP of the enemy. Even if you are up against 
say 6 Fobbys, and you suck 20-30 HP from each one, you still should have 
recovered 150 HP, which is a lot for Jeff.

A third item that Jeff should carry is the Defense Shower. A Defense Shower 
is obtained by fixing the Broken Trumpet at IQ level 40. This little shower 
increases Defense of everyone in the team, and can be used again and again. 
If you must, use this repeatedly until your group's Defense are tough enough 
to withstand any attack.

There is a fourth gadget that works well as a supplementary weapon for 
Jeff. It is the Heavy Bazooka. It is obtained by fixing the Broken Bazooka 
at IQ level 45. This one deals damage to the target, and delivers area 
damage (slightly lower) to the 2 enemies that are next to it. This means 
Jeff can hurt 3 enemies at once with this weapon. An advantage of this 
over the guns Jeff uses is that they still work considerably well against 
enemies that are resistant to physical attacks. (eg. Stinky Ghosts)

Jeff has one ultimate weapon. It comes in the form of Bottle Rockets. Big 
Bottle Rockets deal over 500 HP to the target, while the Multi Bottle 
Rockets deal over 2000 HP to the enemy. Since I have yet to see a boss 
with over 4000 HP, (Diamond Dog only has around 3300 HP), a single Multi 
Bottle Rocket is bound to deal over half damage to the boss, and making 
him an easy kill for you mates. Therefore, Jeff should carry at least 2 
Multi Bottle Rockets with him most of the time. Note that these things 
are highly explosive, and it is definitely illegal to sell explosives in 
the open market. To get these weapons, Jeff must go and buy them off 
Contraband Dealers. These guys have dark skin and wear sunglasses.

----------------------------
b. A Review of Boss Battles
----------------------------
Here's where I list out all the Boss Battles of Earthbound. If you fight 
and level up as instructed in this guide, most normal battles would not 
be much of a challenge to you. It's the Boss Battles that require skill 
to win. Here are the battles with their difficulties. Difficulty is 
classified by 5 stars. The more stars, the harder it is. 

Starman Junior (16 EXP)     Difficulty: *
This first Boss Battle really is laughable. This Starman Junior is a show 
off. He uses many types of PSI attacks on you. However, Buzz Buzz will 
always strike first. He uses the PSI Shield Sigma instantly. This blocks 
all PSI Attacks. Then, you can just bash away until he falls!

Ness should reach level 3, and gain a big boost in HP. "Whew! I was taking 
a big chance there," Buzz Buzz says, "He came from 10 years in the future 
to kill me, so we can't relax yet. From now on, you'll be fighting enemies 
sent by Giygas, as well as humans who have evil thoughts. They'll definitely 
make trouble during your adventure. Animals are also become violent due 
to Giygas' influence over their minds. It is the truth, so listen!"

Frank Fly (50 EXP) and Frankystein Mark II (76 EXP)     Difficulty: **
Frank Fly, like any other gangster head can taunt you with something nasty, 
lowering your Guts. He also brandishes his knife to slash at you. He can 
also come out swinging. The funny thing is, Frank Fly may waste his turns 
saying things nasty, while you beat him to a pulp. After this, Frank will 
try to be fail-safe. "Fool-proof Frank can't be beaten. And this is 
Frankystein Mark II!" Now, you have to beat his robot too.

This robot attacks in alternate turns, generating steam between punching 
and tearing attacks. The latter attack deals more damage, but fortunately 
you can have a turn to heal since he has to rest between attacks. When 
his robot is beaten, Frank Fly will surrender. You should be at Level 6.

"This is my first defeat," He says, "Fool-proof Frank is now just failure 
Frank. I know you've been asking around, so I'll tell you about Giant Step. 
It seems quite a powerful spot. Some kind of special power is stored there 
that allows certain people to perform wondrous feats. However, a monster 
sucked up all the energy in that spot. It is difficult to get to Giant 
Step, that's all I know. I suggest you collect more information on your 
own. The entrance to the Giant Step is behind the touring entertainers' 
shack. Pirkle, the Mayor of Onett has the key to the shack. Ness, you've 
become stronger than I. Your adventure is just beginning."

Titanic Ant with 2 Black Antoids (759 EXP)     Difficulty: ***
It's the first serious boss fight. The fight for Your Sanctuary. This 
Titanic Ant is not alone. He is helped by 2 Black Antoids. For the first 
go, use PSI Rockin Alpha on the enemy trio. This blast should knock out 
the 2 Black Antoids and deal some damage to the Titanic Ant as well. Then 
it's a boy to ant battle! Now, it seems that the Titanic Ant knows how 
to cast PSI Defense Down Alpha on Ness. But honestly it's a waste of turn 
since Ness' Defense is not that low. 

At other times, the Titanic Ant will bite you, dealing around 20 HP damage 
a blow. Continue to use Rockin Alpha until you run out of PP. (You should 
be able to use it once more.) If you are dealt a mortal blow, the rolling 
hit point system most likely can't save you, since you have too little 
HP. So, anticipate defeat and heal yourself first beforehand. (You should 
heal when you have 40 HP left.) Other dirty tricks by the Titanic Ant 
include 
Magnet Alpha and Shield Alpha. Fortunately, the former is rather useless 
when you have exhausted all PP to begin with, and that gives you a chance 
to deliver a free hit. Don't be surprised if you get defeated. Level 8 
is a very weak level to face this boss. But I have succeed thanks to my 
food supply (and some luck!) You should be at level 9, and your HP will 
get another 10+ boost. The light disappears.

Go through the opening. You are at the top of the hill, and some tranquil 
music is played. Walk over to the giant footprint on the ground. It's the 
Giant Step. You hear a part of a tune (In the tones DGABBD'AAB, the ' refers 
to one octave higher), and your health is restored. You will catch a glimpse 
of a small cute puppy. The melody is recorded. You can now leave, and 
explore 
the remainder of the cave I told you to ignore earlier.

Captain Strong (492 EXP)     Difficulty: ***
Captain Strong has some weird self-improvement moves. By losing his temper, 
he can increase his offensive power. The Submission Hold is the most lethal 
attack, and can take out 40 HP off you! That's the best he can do. Coming 
out swinging is his standard attack. If you have 20 or more PP, use Rockin 
Alpha twice on him and he should be beaten. You should be at Level 10 now 
and should have realized Healing Alpha.

"I didn't think you would do so well against the Onett Police Force. You 
want me to open the road to Twoson? Hang on for a sec, I will radio my 
staff and give them the word." Captain Strong now whips out his radio. 
"Strong here, do you read me?" He says, "Hey! It's me, Captain Strong. 
Okay, listen. A kid named Ness will be there in a few minutes. He's a kid 
in a Red Cap. I want you to open the road to Twoson for him. I know that. 
I know that! Don't ask me why, just do it! That's an order. Strong out." 
The road to Twoson will now be open. "Well kid, I'm not going to question 
you now, but I do want to see you again. Good luck!" See ya, Captain!

Mr. Carpainter (1412 EXP)     Difficulty: **
Mr. Carpainter's signature attack is the Crashing Boom Bang attack. It 
attacks twice in a row, but they rarely hit. Even if they connect, the 
Franklin badge will bounce it back to him and hurt him! He can also attack 
with Paint and heal himself using Lifeup Alpha. My strategy is bash, no 
PSI needed. After all, if any Crashing Boom Bang Attacks bounce back onto 
him, he will be dealt 70+ damage. An easy battle.

Now, the old man explains himself. "You see the Mani Mani statue behind 
me. Since I got the statue, I have been doing peculiar things. Please 
forgive me, if you can. I just wanted to have a normal life." You were 
not living a normal life just now, eh? "I apologize to everyone. Here's 
the key to open the jail in the mountain cabin where Paula is being held. 
Take the key and go." You now have the Key to the Cabin.

Mondo Mole (2896 EXP)     Difficulty: ****
This giant Mole is extremely mean. He is resistant to both Fire and Freeze 
attacks, and can tear into you, inflicting about 90 damage on Ness at once. 
Besides that, Mondo Mole can recover HP! The best course of action is to 
use Rockin Alpha for Ness while Paula bashes. If you are feeling lucky, 
use Thunder Alpha for Paula, and hope that it hits. There is no easy way 
out of this one. It's a battle of attrition. If the Mondo Mole puts up 
a Shield, then Ness should resort to bashing while Paula continues to use 
Thunder to break the shield apart. In fact, Paula dealt the final blow 
in this battle, when all hope is lost!

Master Belch (4170 EXP)     Difficulty: *
"Burp! So you are Ness? I see, gyork! Gyork! Gyork! There is a prophecy 
that a boy will destroy Master Giygas. Heeg! Heeg! Heeg! You make me laugh 
so hard. It Master Giygas were to be scared of someone, he would have to 
be worse than the greatest evil. I'll take you down big time, so be prepared 
for the worst fight of your life! Get ready to feel the true pain of true 
nausea! Come on, let's go!"


Be prepared for the Worst Battle of your life my foot. As soon as the battle 
begins, throw the Fly Honey out at Master Belch and he will be too busy 
wolfing down the Fly Honey to fight. Then you can just repeatedly bash 
him until he is down! The only danger is that Master Belch can throw his 
nauseating breath at you at the first turn, making you nauseous.

"Looks like it's an even fight, burp! But, Master Giygas has managed to 
get the Mani Mani Statue into Fourside. The city will soon be in worse 
condition than living in your own puke! Suffer Spanky!" So, this means 
we will have to deal with Fourside next, but first let's get out of here 
through the door behind Master Belch.

Trillionage Sprout (11345 EXP)     Difficulty: ***
This gigantic evil sprout is supported by 2 Mobile Sprouts, so for the 
first turn, Ness should use Rockin Beta while Paula uses Fire Beta. This 
Trillionage Sprout can use Flash Alpha, and make you all cry or feel strange. 
This is not a problem with Ness and Paula since they use PSI. But it is 
going to affect Jeff. For any subsequent turns, Ness and Jeff should use 
physical attacks and Paula will continuously use Freeze Beta.

This should guarantee an instant level up after the victory. At level 27, 
Ness will learn Hypnosis Omega. At level 25, Paula will learn Thunder Beta. 
Enter Your Sanctuary. You hear a tone at the fountain with D'BB. You thought 
you heard your mother from far away, she said, "Be a thoughtful, strong 
boy." The melody is recorded. You can now get out and beat some scared 
monsters along the way! Have fun! When you leave the cave, you will be 
photographed again by this spinning guy.

Department Store Spook (12146 EXP)     Difficulty: ****
This guy really is a PSI Guy. He can cast Freeze Beta, Lifeup Alpha and 
many other moves. You must be fast. While Ness resorts to Rockin Beta, 
Jeff should launch Big Bottle Rockets and Super Bombs at him. If you are 
fast enough, you should not take too much damage. When you have defeated 
him, the Department Store spook mentions Montoli before dying.

Evil Mani Mani Statue (14070 EXP)     Difficulty: ***
Although the statue is golden, it appears pink in front of you. This thing 
is a psychic generator. It can cast Paralysis Alpha. If it's Ness who's 
paralyzed, continue with Rockin Beta, although you may have to use a Secret 
Herb as soon as possible to neutralize the numbness. Sometimes, the statue 
will emit a pale green light, nullifying the effects of PSI on anyone. 
It's not very difficult. It's the status ailments that are so troublesome.

After the Mani Mani statue is destroyed, you will come back to the real 
world, inside Jackie's Cafe. You see the shattered statue. So, the Mani 
Mani Statue is a device that generated illusions. If you talk to the mouse 
in the warehouse, you will be told that you have been wandering inside 
the warehouse doing nothing at all! So Moonside is actually an illusion. 
Thank god that the illusion device is scrapped. Rest at the hotel, and 
continue on your little urban adventure.

Clumsy Robot (16189 EXP)     Difficulty: ****
The name may be misleading, but do not underestimate this guy. He mostly 
waste turns cleaning the floor and losing bolts, but when he does attack, 
he can pack a wallop! Take the missiles and beams for instance. Another 
frustrating feature of the Clumsy Robot is that every now and then, he 
will eat a Bologna Sandwich to fully recover his HP! This is purely a battle 
of attrition. Keep bashing and shooting until help arrives. The PSI should 
be reserved for medical purposes. All of a sudden, some guys rushed into 
the room. You hear the Runaway Five tune! It's the Runaway Five!

Lucky quickly ducked behind the robot. "I flipped the switch, and it 
stopped," he said. "Geez, what a loser robot. It was so easy to stop. That 
was quick thinking." So, if you want to defeat the robot, just have someone 
distract him while another turns it off! Ha ha! We really are fools!

Shrooom! (32108 EXP)     Difficulty: **
This boss must be exclamatory, since he's got an exclamation mark by his 
name. Although this thing is vulnerable to Fire, Freeze Gamma deals more 
damage than Fire Beta, so use that instead while Ness and Jeff resorts 
to physical attacks. There is also the chance of solidifying the enemy. 
Like many other mushroom enemies, this boss can mushroomize you with his 
spores. That's not all, the spores can be poisonous! He can heal himself 
with Lifeup Alpha. Other than that, it's just normal attacks. If Ness is 
mushroomized, don't use Rockin moves or you may regret it. For the levels 
you are having, this battle should be only moderate in difficulty.

Go through the opening. You see a puddle with rainwater constantly coming 
down on it. Walk to it to heal and listen to the melody. This time the 
tunes are as follows: GBD'C#C#D'. Note that the # represents one semitone 
higher, so it's a C Sharp. You will catch a whiff of Steak for a second.

Plague Rat of Doom (28818 EXP)     Difficulty: **
This is just fantastic, outrageous! A giant sewer rat is guarding this 
fifth Your Sanctuary location. Whatever this thing is, it is quite 
resistant to physical attacks. So Ness, Paula and Poo should resort to 
Rockin Beta and Freeze Gamma respectively. As for Jeff, he should use the 
latest weapon, the Big Bottle Rocket. One Rocket is capable of dealing 
over 500 HP damage to the Plague Rat of Doom. In fact, this battle is easy. 
All I had to do was to repeat the strategy above twice and the Plague Rat 
of Doom is nothing but history. So, I don't even know what other attacks 
this giant rat has to offer! That's it, folks!

Ness got an insanely high HP boost at level 48. In fact, he gained 40 HP! 
Now, let's climb up the ladder. There is a melody to record. Walk over 
to the lump of rock. GBAD', this is the tune. You will see a baby's bottle, 
but for only an instant. This is the melody of the Magnet Hill.

Thunder and Storm (32257 EXP)     Difficulty: *
These guys are quite weird. They are so close brothers that they entangle 
each other, thus making them only one target. These guys seem to be 
vulnerable to Freeze. All I had to do was to have Ness eat the Bag of 
Dragonite, Paula and Poo to use Freeze Gamma, and Jeff to fire a bottle 
rocket and over 1500 HP was taken from them in the first round, before 
they could even retaliate! (They were solidified, this explains it.) After 
this, I asked Paula to use Freeze Gamma again, and this took 350+ HP off 
Thunder and Storm and that finished them off! No damage taken! This 
concludes this super easy fight. Don't ask me what attacks this rather 
close dual uses. My guess is something along the lines of Thunder Beta 
and Gamma, and possibly some Flash action.

At Level 46, Paula will realize Freeze Omega, the most powerful Freeze 
move of them all. Meanwhile, at Level 41, Poo will learn Thunder Gamma. 
Go through the opening and onto a Pink Cloud. The melody will be recorded 
as follows: E'BAGE. You will have a short vision of seeing your mother 
when she was young.

Kraken (19817 EXP)     Difficulty: **
So, Kraken is a fire-breathing sea serpent. However, he can discharge 
electricity with his Crashing Boom Bang attack. It seems that Kraken is 
more vulnerable to Freeze than Fire, so Freeze Gamma is what Paula and 
Poo needs to use. As for Jeff, fire a Big Bottle Rocket. You should be 
able to beat this monster in two turns.

The captain of this ship is surely impressed. "Oh, man! I thought you guys 
were just everyday little kids, but you defeated the Kraken! I also helped 
in the battle. I threw my slippers at the beast." Yeah, like that's going 
to help a lot! "Maybe you didn't notice."

Master Barf (31264 EXP)     Difficulty: *
This is really an easy battle given the level you are on. It is possible 
to win without the enemy being able to retaliate! Ness should bash, Paula 
should use Freeze Omega, while Jeff fires a Multi Bottle Rocket. The rocket 
should deal over 1500, and possibly over 1800 HP damage. This leaves Master 
Barf critically injured. All of a sudden, Poo will swoop down from the 
sky. He uses his new power, Starstorm! With this Starstorm Alpha, Poo sends 
a little meteor shower onto Barf, and cutting him into several pieces. 
That's all for Master Barf! Bye-bye now! It seems that Starstorm Alpha 
is able to deal about 350 HP damage, so it's still peanuts compared with 
Jeff's Multi Bottle Rocket! Poo is back for more!

Master Barf will drop a Casey Bat. It is the most powerful bat for Ness, 
but it is also deadly inaccurate. 3 out of 4 swings will miss!

Starman Deluxe (40131 EXP)     Difficulty: ****
For the first turn, have Paula use Shield Omega. If you are faster than 
Starman Deluxe, every one of you four will be protected by a psychic power 
shield before the Starman Deluxe can fight. There is a reason why you have 
to put up this shield. This is because Starman Deluxe most likely will 
attack with Starstorm Alpha in his first go. This deals 300+ damage to 
each of you, severely injuring you all. If the shield is up, the Starstorm 
will bounce back at Starman Deluxe up to 4 times as he hits you one by 
one. These 4 reflected hits can defeat Starman Deluxe instantly. If he 
does not use Starstorm Alpha, it does not mean there is no quick way out. 
Starman Deluxe has no Power Shield, so physical attacks will hurt him. 
Have Jeff fire a Multi Bottle Rocket if he does not use Starstorm Alpha. 
This will heavily dent Starman Deluxe at this point.

When Ness reaches level 70, he will learn Lifeup Omega. This Ness exclusive 
move helps EVERYONE in the group recover around 400 HP. This will save 
a lot of PP in the long run. When you defeated the Starman Deluxe, the 
Stonehenge Base stops functioning.

Electro Scepter (65410 EXP)     Difficulty: **
This thing looks like some weird metallic bolts. You heard it. It's Electro 
Scepter. He specializes in electric style attacks. This is where Ness' 
Franklin Badge comes in handy. Take note that Poo and Paula are faster 
than Ness and Jeff. So, for the first go, have Poo and Paula use Thunder 
Omega and Thunder Gamma. One of the 7 bolts must hit the Electro Scepter 
and neutralize his shield. The character will take some damage but you 
should have no more worries after that. Jeff's Multi Bottle Rocket should 
deal over 2000 HP damage to the Electro Scepter. For the second go, it's 
weapons free. Ness bashes, Jeff uses the Bazooka, Paula uses Freeze Omega 
and Poo uses Starstorm Alpha. All of this should take it down. I must say 
I don't know what this enemy may use, since all he has is just ONE go, 
and all he did was trying to use the Hungry HP Sucker.

With the threat down, go through the gap and to the hole. Drop down to 
find Lumine Hall. This is Your 7th Sanctuary Location. This place looks 
like a disco cave. Keep walking until you are stopped.

Carbon Dog --> Diamond Dog (84435 EXP)     Difficulty: *****
When I fought the Carbon Dog, Ness' Level is 79, Paula's is 76, Jeff's 
Level is 80 and Poo's level is 75. As a result, every one struck the Carbon 
Dog first. For the first go, Ness should bash, Paula and Poo should use 
Freeze Omega and Starstorm Alpha while Jeff fires his Heavy Bazooka. If 
all hits connect, you should be able to deal around 1000 HP damage to the 
Carbon Dog. The Carbon Dog may just bite you, or he will spray fire, 
wounding 
you hard. At the second go, I suggest you let Ness use Rockin Gamma while 
Jeff uses the Neutralizer. 

Why is that? When Carbon Dog takes a little more than 1600 HP of damage, 
he will give out a rainbow of colors. He becomes a Diamond Dog, and a Power 
Shield will be erected. Diamond Dog has a total of around 3300 HP. The 
Neutralizer serves to remove the shield instantly. After the Shield is 
gone, it's weapons free! Have Jeff fire a Multi Bottle Rocket. I assume 
you have one. This deals another 2000 HP of damage! I don't care what you 
use at the next turn, but the 2000 HP of damage with the damage done by 
Freeze and Starstorm during the transition from Carbon Dog to Diamond Dog 
will allow Diamond Dog to be defeated in another round.

This concludes the battle for Your 8th Sanctuary Location. Go through the 
door. Walk over to the small volcano to record the melody of the Fire Spring. 
Before doing so, make sure Ness is carrying a Viper, if possible. There 
is only one tune, G. You have the feeling that you are being watched by 
yourself as a baby. How strange.

Ness' Nightmare (89004 EXP)     Difficulty: ****
It's the evil part of Ness that you have to overcome. It is a lot like 
the Mani Mani Statue. This battle assumes that you have saved the Viper 
from earlier. So, at the first turn, throw the Viper out to poison Ness' 
Nightmare. At the first go, Ness' Nightmare will definitely use Shield 
Beta. He is protected, but he is guaranteed to lose HP every round due 
to the poison. After that, Ness' Nightmare will start to use all the PSI 
moves that Ness has learnt against you. 

Sometimes, he will emit a glorious light. Keep on bashing and taking damage 
from the Power Shield, that's what you can do. Don't bother using PSI. 
Save the PP for Lifeup Beta. This is because the enemy can also use this 
to heal himself, only that he will not use any Healing moves to take away 
the poison. When he starts to use Rockin Omega, you have a reason to be 
worried. Quickly heal before you are taken out! After some bashes, Ness 
Nightmare would have stopped moving. You have conquered yourself!

You will be rewarded with a generous amount of EXP, about 89004! You will 
hear a familiar sound from the center of the Sea of Eden. "Giygas' goal 
is to destroy you. Listen carefully! Everything in the universe could be 
destroyed at the hands of Giygas. But he and his followers are also in 
trouble. The Apple of Enlightenment has foretold that Giygas' attempt will 
fail. It is because of the existence of a boy named Ness. That's me! 
Listen."

This really is a shocking revelation. You are talking to yourself inside 
your brain. "Free your mind and KNOW what you must do. Your destiny has 
already been decided. You, I, where should we go? You know deep within 
the reaches of your mind. Saturn Valley. Yes, go to the place where the 
Mr. Saturn live. You'll get something new there. Soon, Magicant will be 
no more. We must be quick!" It really IS your own voice, telling you to 
go to Saturn Valley at the double.

At this point, the 8 Your Sanctuary Locations are giving their power to 
you. Ness is filled with the Power of the Giant Step. Ness' Speed increased 
by 5! Ness' Vitality increased by 5! Ness is filled with the Power of the 
Lilliput Steps! Ness' Guts increased by 5! Ness' Luck increased by 5! Ness 
is filled with the Power of the Milky Well! Ness' Speed increased by 5! 
Ness' IQ increased by 5! Ness is filled with the Power of the Magnet Hill! 
Ness' Vitality increased by 5! Ness' Luck increased by 5! Ness is filled 
with the Power of the Rainy Circle! Ness' Guts increased by 5! Ness' IQ 
increased by 5! Ness is filled with the Power of the Pink Cloud! Ness' 
Speed increased by 5! Ness' Guts increased by 5! Ness is filled with the 
Power of the Lumine Hole! Ness' Luck increased by 5! Ness' IQ increased 
by 5! Ness is filled with the Power of the Fire Spring! Ness' Speed 
increased 
by 5! Ness' Luck increased by 5!

Wow, this is such an INSANE stat boost. But there is more! Instantly, your 
mind clears and you realized you have possessed great power! At that moment, 
your psychic powers rapidly expanded! Ness gains 200000 EXP! Ness' level 
is now 82! Offense went up by 1! Sweet! Maximum HP went up by 147! That 
rocks! Maximum PP went up by 359! Ness' Level is now 83! Offense went up 
by 1! Defense went up by 1! Vitality went up by 1! IQ went up by 1! Maximum 
HP went up by 15! That rocks! Maximum PP went up by 10! And finally, he 
realized he had the power of Teleport Beta! You make all the hidden powers 
your own. You absorbed the power of the earth into his heart and Magicant 
is no more. You can wake up. Your friends are waiting for you!

Giygas with Heavily Armed Pokey     Difficulty: *****
This battle is divided into 3 parts. The first part involves Heavily Armed 
Pokey and Giygas together. In the first part, all attacks should be focused 
on Pokey. Poo should use Brainshock Omega in the first go, Paula should 
use Freeze Omega, Jeff should fire the Heavy Bazooka while Ness bashes. 
The two enemies will feel strange, thus helping them kill themselves. 
Giygas himself will attack with Rockin moves. You should be able to deal 
around 900 HP damage before Pokey discharges a very stinky gas. This lowers 
everyone's offense by 11-15 units. In the second turn, Paula and Poo should 
use Freeze, Jeff should use the Heavy Bazooka while Ness resorts to Rockin 
Gamma. Heavily Armed Pokey should get to charge forward, dealing around 
250 HP to one of you, but by the end of this turn, Heavily Armed Pokey 
will start to get fed up with dealing with you. He taunts you.

"I understand you guys are already claiming to be heroes. Well, it's a 
gazillion years too early for you to oppose Giygas. You must feel pretty 
stupid to keep fighting without even knowing what Giygas looks like. If 
you were to see Giygas, you will be so petrified with fear, you'd never 
be able to run away! That's how scary it is. So, do you want me to turn 
off the 'Devil's Machine'?" Yes, certainly, I always want to know what 
Giygas looks like. Come on! I'm all yours! "Well, be prepared to be amazed!" 
Wow, I must be so excited right now that I can hardly breathe!

In the second part of the battle, Giygas resembles some purple ring like 
waveform. "So, isn't this terrifying? I'm terrified too." Great! You must 
be pathetic if you get scared by some stupid waveform! "Giygas cannot think 
rationally any more, and he isn't aware of what he is doing right now. 
His own mind was destroyed by his incredible power. What an all-mighty 
idiot!" If you know he will become a retard, why did you turn off the 
machine? 
"Yep, that's what he is. You will be another meal to him!"

You now can really damage Giygas, so it's time to be weapons free. Poo 
should use Brainshock again if Giygas has got over it. Ness should use 
Rockin Gamma, while Jeff resorts to the Heavy Bazooka. Paula should use 
the Freeze treatment. Giygas is acting a bit unusual, "Ness..." he mutters. 
From now on, he will attack using random PSI attacks, in a way that you 
cannot comprehend their true form! If Poo and Paula would use Freeze again 
and again, Giygas may be continuously solidified, and hence won't be able 
to fight back as often. After some effort, Pokey will appear again.

"Heh heh heh heh, you must really be at the end of your rope. In this 
bizarre 
dimension, you four are the only force fighting for justice. And here you 
stand, waiting to be burned with all the rest of the garbage of this 
universe. 
That's so sad. I can't help but shed a tear. You know, my heart is beating 
incredibly fast. I must be experiencing absolute terror. Do you want to 
scream for help here in the dark? Why not call your mommy, Ness? Say, 'Mommy, 
Daddy, I am so frightened! I think I'm gonna wet my pants! I know you have 
telepathy or something, so try and call for help, you pathetically weak 
heroes of your so called justice! No one will help you now! Don't worry, 
your pitiful suffering will be over soon!"

Pokey basically gave you the hint for the third and final part of the battle 
against Giygas. He asks you to call for help, and who knows how to call 
for help? Paula! Her prayers will call for help from the heavens, and that 
should do the trick. So, for this part of the battle, Ness and Poo should 
try to keep Paula's HP up while Jeff spies on Giygas, uses the Hungry HP 
Sucker or whatever. You will be interested in what happens during the 
praying. People you met from all over the earth will help here.

Paula prays from the bottom of her heart. "Please give us strength, if 
it is possible, please. Somebody, help us." Back in Saturn Valley, the 
Mr. Saturns, Geraldo Montague, Jeff's Dad and Apple Kid came together. 
All of the Mr. Saturn felt a new startling feeling they had never 
experienced before, and they all started praying for the safety of Ness 
and his friends. This prayer causes Giygas' defenses to become unstable.

Giygas cries, "Ness, Ness, friends..." He attacks in an unknown way. Don't 
give up and pray again. You find the Runaway Five in Summers, and one is 
flirting with a girl on the beach. Suddenly, they all come out. One of 
the Runaway Five members felt something stop him, and he prayed fervently 
for the safety of Ness and his friends." This prayer deals 46 HP to Giygas.

Continue praying. "Please give us strength. Speed this prayer to all the 
people of the earth." The scene changes to outside Polestar Preschool in 
Twoson. Paula's father runs into the school, calling Paula's mom and the 
3 kids out. It seems that Paula's father somehow heard his daughter's voice, 
and prayed sincerely for the safety of Paula and her friends. This attack 
deals 97 HP damage to Giygas.

Giygas starts to go nuts, repeating Ness so many times. He attacks. He 
complains that it's not right, and how it hurts. Pray. "Please give us 
strength," she says, "Anyone who can hear our plea, help us." Who will 
answer the call this time? The scene changes to the dorms of Snow Wood 
Boarding House. Tony runs out of his room to the people hanging out in 
the lounge. He calls Maxwell up as well. Tony is anxious about Jeff, and 
he prays strongly for the safety of Jeff and his friends. This prayer's 
effect is more substantial than the previous one, as 238 HP of damage to 
dealt to Giygas. Next turn is up.

Giygas grunts several times and says that he feels good. He attacks! 
Continue to pray. "Please grant us power," she whispers, "Anyone who can 
hear our plea, help us." It's the Imperial Palace of Dalaam. 3 young women 
stand together outside the palace. It seems one of them had a dream in 
which Poo died. This raises her concern about Poo. They begin to pray for 
the well-being of Poo and his friends. 395 HP of damage dealt to Giygas!

Giygas must be feeling high, as he comments on how good he feels before 
attacking. Let's pray again. "Please grant us strength! Anyone who can 
hear out plea, we ask for this." It's the Burger Shop of Onett. Frank Fly 
is eating with his girlfriend. Suddenly, he recalled Ness' shining face, 
and he began to pray to diligently for the safety of Ness and his friends. 
This one deals a whopping 786 HP of damage to Giygas!

Giygas continues to complain that it is not right. Continue praying. 
"Please grant us power! Speed this prayer to the people of the earth." 
It's night time in Onett. Ness' mom and Tracy wake up from their sleep 
and come down to the living room. Ness' mom is feeling terribly uneasy, 
she begins to pray for the safety of her son and his friends. The power 
of the prayers has increased exponentially, this time 1687 HP of damage 
is dealt to Giygas. He must be feeling real pain now.

Giygas has gone so nutty that the screen looks like a TV screen that is 
malfunctioning. The image is so fuzzy. I guess we need a specialist to 
fix the antenna, eh Giygas? Paula is having problems with her prayers. 
"I cannot think of anyone else. Someone, anyone, please help us." Paula's 
call is absorbed by the darkness. Is there hope at all? Giygas continues 
to go berserk and repeats Ness again and again. He gets a free hit on you.

Don't give up, Paula. Continue to pray. "Someone, can you hear me? Please, 
give us strength!" Paula and her friends' call touched the heart of G------ 
-.-us-.  G---g---------- prayed for the safety of Ness and his friends, 
having never met them before. This mystery person's prayers did Giygas 
good. 2850 HP damage to Giygas! -e-rge -----sh kept praying. Now, 5525 
HP is dealt to Giygas. -eo-g- W. Bush kept praying. Now, 11525 HP of damage 
is dealt to Giygas! George W. Bush continues to pray. 21150 HP of damage 
is dealt to Giygas. At this point, Giygas cannot take it anymore. He starts 
to break down. The image of the screen starts to grow blurry.

Pokey appears one last time to taunt you. "Ness! Now I... well... It's going 
to seem like I'm running away. But perhaps I'll sneak away to another era 
to think about my next plan. It's a good bet that we will see each other 
again. All right! I'll be seeing you! So now which of us do you think is 
the cool guy?" Certainly not you, Pokey! He vanishes. Giygas starts to 
flicker. The screen eventually goes out after a long flicker. That turns 
Giygas' TV off. You've been watching too much!

Your robotic bodies are destroyed by the blast. Your spirits drift out 
to find their owners. They eventually did and Poo, Jeff, Paula and Ness 
wake up back in Saturn Valley. The war against Giygas is over.

-------------------------
c. My Review of a Review
-------------------------
OK, when I read the stuff related to EarthBound in GameFAQs, and I found 
that most of the guides did not spoil too many of the game's details, and 
that is one minus. I personally enjoy chewing through mbrocket's long guide. 
At the same time, I would savor some of the reviews in the review section. 
Of course, the positive reviews are no fun to read. I'd prefer reading 
a negative review, since their rants are always amusing. Now, the true 
challenge is to find a negative review that provides detailed information 
to sort of justify their claims. Such a review is a review by Vyse the 
Determined. The title of the review is "A game misunderstood by many... in 
many ways." (Edited). This review gave the game a score of 5/10 and was 
posted on 25th April, 2005. I will quote his review, and analyze it.

First off, I will tell you how I can properly acknowledge the source in 
order to avoid plagiarism as stated in Pages 6 to 7 in a booklet published 
by the University of Hong Kong called "What is Plagiarism?". I will properly 
identify the source by giving the link to it:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/snes/review/R87175.html. The entire 
review will be marked by quotation mark, and the source will be clearly 
provided immediately after the review is quoted. So, here goes.

---------------
The Review
---------------
"A game misunderstood by many... in many ways. (Edited)

Earthbound...or "Mother" (whichever you prefer to call it) is a game that 
is loved and hated by many, but many people fail to describe this game 
in a way that the average individual can understand. I think it's important 
for me to share with you (the reader) just what goes on in this game, as 
well as problems you will most likely encounter. Let me share with you 
what you can expect to find in "Earthbound". Since this is a more 
"sensitive" title (like Final Fantasy and Dragon Warrior), I'm going to 
speak a bit out of my usual character forgive me on this one, folks.

Graphics: 5.5/10
This game was brought to the states in 1995, which was pretty late in the 
SNES' life. With that in mind, the graphics of this game are far from 
extraordinary. Many argue that this game belongs on an NES, and I would 
have to say that they aren't too far off on that opinion, but my take is 
that while half of this game slightly belittles what the SNES can do, the 
other half simply can't be embodied by the age-old Nintendo. This is 
technically the second game in the series, because the first (Mother) was 
made for the Famicom (Japanese Nintendo) and had a somewhat unofficial 
US name of Earthbound Zero. When traveling from town to town in Earthbound, 
the graphics are not leaps and bounds from its NES predecessor. Its 
simplicity and real to life appearance charms the masses, as the game was 
modeled to be a modern day RPG, something which is extremely rare to find 
oddly enough, even in today's society. An Rpg without a medieval setting 
or a futuristic theme captivated the players of this game, which is 
understandable. When you engage in combat in Earthbound however, you will 
see that this game would be virtually impossible to put on a Nintendo. 

The battle backgrounds have a interesting visage. Swirls of colors that 
seamlessly blend back and forth give the fights a subtle flair not found 
in most other Role-playing games. Its predecessor had combat scenes similar 
to the fabled Dragon Quest series (a black screen with monsters on it) 
on the Famicom while the SNES game had a battle design unique to itself. 
The attacks were "fancy" explosions of different shapes. Nothing really 
fancy, but it showed that it could still perpetuate a form that showed 
its individuality and gave off the usual emphasis of elemental properties 
and such found in just about any RPG. The enemy models are simple, but 
distinguishable. In a whole, this game has little stimulation, graphically 
speaking. It's a game for gamers who can see the aesthetic values of this 
game, and don't base it on preliminary observations. The fans and the haters 
are often at war with their views, neither side feeling it necessary to 
elaborate, only to let their hatred fester, which I find pathetic. Is this 
game misunderstood simple for its graphical aspects, Vyse? Perhaps, but 
there is much more to be said about this game. Even still, it's definitely 
not as bad as some other games I know in 1995...

Story: 3/10
Ironically, this has got to be one of the most original stories out there, 
but it is also quite trite. Think real life conspiracies for starters and 
you have the ground work already set up for Earthbound's story. Know 
anything about aliens, UFOs, Stonehenge, and Roswell? Probably not, if 
you're one of societies' more "normal" individuals. Earthbound combines 
science fiction with a taste of Japan's typical weirdness. The story and 
this game look so American on the surface that it's a work of art to think 
that it's not. You play with an ordinary kid (who by default is called 
Ness) who likes baseball and life seems good, when one night, a meteorite 
falls near his home, and it causes quite a commotion in his small town 
of Onett. From that second on, things are far from ordinary, as you grab 
your bat and go to see this meteorite with your fake best friend, Pokey. 
Not much is going on until something comes out of the meteorite and tells 
you that you have this great task you must fulfill. The being is the 
legendary Buzz-Buzz (yes, it's a fly) who is supposedly stripped of most 
of its power. 

Soon after meeting this fly, he is killed by Pokey's mom (swatted, like 
a fly) and you go home to think. Well, after little thought, you decide 
to travel the world with your "PSI" (psychic if you will) powers to look 
for three companions and "your sanctuary" locations, which Buzz-Buzz says 
you need to find to help you save the world from impending extraterrestrial 
doom. Your mom has no problem with you going off on your own to save the 
world, and your dad, whom you only know of by phone, gives you money and 
helps you save your game. From there, a lot of bizarre things happen, most 
which aren't too relevant to the story. You go around doing a lot of random 
good deeds, and sometimes, you get info on a "your sanctuary" location. 

Sometimes the game is so vague, you are left in the dark as to what you 
should do. It's pretty rare when your characters speak (Ness never speaks) 
and the story becomes strange to the point that it's ridiculous and doesn't 
make any sense. In those cases, the developers hoped the immense obscurity 
would leave players guessing and compel them to move on. Because of this, 
many people have turned their backs on this game. I don't wish to spoil 
the ending (the game kind of does that for you), but this game in the end 
was rushed and left the impression that they just wanted to get the game 
over with, which happens in about 65% of all games. Going back to my more 
laid back nature, all I can say was "what the hell were they thinking!?"... 
I won't say anymore on this subject.

Sound: 7/10
Perhaps the best part about Earthbound is its sound. Right from the time 
a person starts a new game file, they think this game has crap sound and 
graphics. The music is often catchy and the music suits most environments 
well. The battle music is something else though. It has several battle 
themes that differ depending on your opponent. Some of them are lame, but 
most suit this already strange RPG. The music in this game often sounds 
jazzy or techno-like, and considering the theme of this entire game, some 
thought was put into the music. If you don't like Jazz or Techno, don't 
even bother playing this game. Even with some okay music, this game is 
still hated by many. Fans use excuses as a shield and say that the haters 
are wrapped up in hype of Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger. Have they ever 
thought that a "hater" might have some valid points? Probably not. Every 
used copy with data I've played of this game over the years has not played 
the game longer than 5 hours. Even with the two I own, it's apparent to 
me that this game was not well liked. 

Gameplay: 3/10
This game's gameplay is almost laughable to me, but not because of how 
the game was designed; It was more because of how the game was programmed. 
This is the biggest reason people gave up on this game...which is also 
understandable. For starters, let me start by saying that it's at least 
original. You have four main characters, who at default are Ness, Paula, 
Jeff, and Poo. They each have their strengths and weaknesses...well, they 
each have their weaknesses. Since this game is also abused for being very 
difficult, let me describe Paula first. She has low Hp (Hit Points, or 
Health) and nearly low everything else, but High PP (Psychic Points, 
basically like Mp) I.Q (like intelligence) and basically she's supposed 
to be a wizard-type character. Problem is, She's generally horrible 
compared to Ness. Jeff is the "balanced" character, although he has no 
magical aptitude. His inventions can pack a punch, although his ability 
to invent isn't overly useful, and he primarily only helps himself. Problem 
here is, he's horrible compared to Ness. Poo is supposed to be the "super" 
character. He has moderate magic abilities (with low PP) and fair physical 
strength (only if you find his equipment). He's a bare-handed fighter, 
so you need to level him up to make him remotely useable. There's a problem 
with all of that though; He's useless compared to Ness (with the exception 
of his PSI Starstorm).

Sure, most RPGs have the strong, cool main character, so why am I comparing 
everyone to him? Heh heh...it's not just because he's so much tougher. There 
are BIG POWER IMBALANCES at work here. It's not just with Ness, but with 
the enemies and sometimes hellish bosses. Think about it for a second; 
the enemies are designed on the level that Ness can fight off some enemies, 
and give him a fairly difficult time. Okay...so what does that say about 
EVERYONE else? If Ness can hardly handle them, say sayonara to his friends. 
WAIT VYSE! How much stronger can Ness possibly be? Well my friend, in terms 
of RPGs and comparisons, Ness is stronger than virtually any main character 
in any RPG in existence. No joke. It's bad that he's MANY POINTS (at times,) 
of stats higher. The enemies at the end are so ridiculously powerful that 
you constantly run from battle. The others were dead centuries ago and 
Ness is DYING. Ha ha ha...Ness is DYING!? NESS IS DYING!! Don't get me 
started 
on those "Starmen" demons.

Then you have to talk about the character's relevance. Poo...you get him 
so "late" into the game, and he comes at a crappy level for when you get 
him. No...scratch that. All the characters that join come at crappy levels. 
It makes you feel like Ness was the only well thought out character. It 
shows the whole time you play the game. It's too obvious. It's funny though. 
Ness doesn't even beat the final boss...I won't say who does. The game has 
some interesting (albeit annoying) status ailments. Things like diamonize 
(like stone), colds (like poison), heatstroke (or whatever it was), 
mushroom (confusion, screwed up controls), etc. They were all a pain, even 
though mushroom has an interesting purpose. If you take it to the guys 
in the clinic, he gives you money for it. Ha ha ha... he wants shrooms. 
Anyway, 
the game has a few other luxuries and unique aspects to it, like buying 
items, using an ATM card (to go to an ATM machine to get money) using a 
"For Sale" sign (To get people to come out of NOWHERE to buy your stuff), 
to even ordering pizza and having a teddy bear be a decoy for you in combat. 
As unique as it all sounds however, the game is too fundamentally flawed 
to impress beyond the point of "It has potential". I think I've said enough 
for one review. One last thing though; The game CAN be VERY vague. You've 
been warned (again).

To Buy or Not to Buy?
NO. As much as this game costs in most places, you'll be lucky if you can 
buy this game at a price that's humane. If you find this for 5-15$, buy 
it, and sell it for 50$ if you don't like it. Test play it first, if 
anything.

Overall: 5/10 (Rounds Down)
Earthbound is a captivating game, but many go to the extremes in saying 
it's perfect, while others go out of their way to do this game harm. There 
is one thing that can be said about this game though; It is misunderstood. 
No one can truly know what motivates a person to think what they do. Some 
do it because of nostalgia, others do it out of ignorance, but I say what 
I do from experience. Until my next review, this is Vyse the determined, 
"keeping it real".

VtD: April 27, 2005"
(Vyse the Determined, 2005, at 
http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/snes/review/R87175.html)

---------------
My Analysis
---------------
First of all, the author Vyse the Determined gave the Graphics a 5.5/10. 
According to him, one of the main reason why the graphics receives criticism 
is that it is not very advanced for a game made in 1995. He states that 
the fans and haters of this game often "go to war with each other" over 
this issue. I must agree with him in this point. I once went to an 
Earthbound 
fansite called starmen.net, and the article of EarthBound blamed the poor 
sales of EarthBound in the United States due to the consumers cannot look 
beyond anything good unless it's eye-candy. So, Vyse does have a point 
here. However, the battle graphics look much better than the field graphics. 
The battle backgrounds are much crisper and livelier, that's for sure, 
but still, most consumers DO judge the game by the majority of screens 
that are in the field, so, that's bad, isn't it? So, people who want to 
appreciate this game are FORCED to look deep, so this may contribute to 
the author giving an average score in this aspect.

Now, for the story. Vyse thinks that the story may be original, but is 
also quite trite since all you need to do is to "think real-life 
conspiracies". The thing is, most games involve a good side fighting a 
bad side, so the bad side is definitely going to conspire in one way or 
another, right? In fact, conspiracy theories are one of the most used 
frameworks in plots of movies, so it's not a big problem that it's used 
often. As for the opinion that the flow of the story is so vague, I will 
also have to disagree. Most RPGs require the player to listen carefully 
to most of the things that other people tell the main character, and talking 
to everyone you see is definitely a must. Even if you are stuck in this 
game, it's not that hard to find the Hint Stand and pay a small fee to 
know where to go to next! In fact, if you explore everywhere in a town, 
you definitely can know how to proceed in this game.

There is one thing I would like to criticize this game for though. It's 
the lack of depth in the story. It seems that all the characters have little 
interaction with each other, and you don't get to see any intimate moments 
between any two characters, or an in-depth history on their backgrounds. 
Basically, characters join Ness, and listen to him unconditionally and 
don't offer any suggestions as to what to do. "The silent protagonist" 
definitely does not work well for a party based RPG. If it were the Legend 
of Zelda, it will be fine for Link since he's the only guy who plays an 
important role throughout the game. But for Earthbound, well, it's no good.

As for the Sound, I agree with Vyse the most part. The techno music and 
twisted music are all there to provide laughter for the gamer as they battle 
all sorts of weird things, and the battle themes definitely suit the enemy 
you are fighting. There is one issue with that section I don't understand, 
Vyse mentioned that in spite of some okay music, this game is still hated 
by many. But the problem is, he did not say any sound related issues that 
justify this point. Perhaps that statement should be placed in another 
section? Hmmm... I wonder. Has the sound got to do with why the game is 
hated 
by many? Which scores don't they like?

Now, for the GAMEPLAY. This is the part which I disagreed with Vyse the 
most. He claims that the roles of the characters are all stereotypical. 
But still, when there is a group of characters, isn't division of labour 
necessary to make the game interesting? I know there is stuff like job 
classes in certain RPGs, but it doesn't mean that every character has to 
have so many complex roles to make the game enjoyable though. Vyse says 
that all the characters other than Ness ONLY have their weakness, thus 
making the game difficult. Let's look at what he thinks of Paula, Jeff 
and Poo, ok?

Paula is the wizard type character since she has low HP but high PP, and 
low everything else but speed. According to Vyse, she's generally horrible 
when compared to Ness! But I disagree. Paula's high PP allows her to use 
her PSI skills as frequently as Ness bashes. Paula's Fire and Freeze deals 
much greater damage than Ness' Rockin when she targets enemies that are 
weak against those attacks, and her PSI moves are much more cost effective 
than Ness'. Paula also can set up psychic shields to hold off the enemies' 
PSI attack, so in what way is she horrible?

Now, for Jeff, the so called balanced character according to Vyse. He has 
no PSI abilities. I don't think his inventions are that useless. 2 of his 
inventions are particularly useful, in particular the Heavy Bazooka and 
Hungry HP-Sucker. The former can potentially deal much more damage than 
Ness' bash attack, and has area damage as well. The Hungry HP-Sucker drains 
HP from all the enemies you are facing, so Ness does not need to cast Lifeup 
on Jeff that often. His ability to help himself is one important factor 
in making him worthwhile to play! Finally, there's his super weapon, the 
Multi Bottle Rocket. It's able to deal over 1500 HP of damage to a boss, 
and this attack damage is far superior to Ness' bash even if he does land 
a Smash Hit. So, I ask you, in what way is Jeff horrible when compared 
to Ness?

Finally, Poo, the final character to join Ness. He has limited PP, so 
limited psychic abilities. One thing to say is that Poo is NOT a bare handed 
fighter. He does have a weapon called the Sword of Kings, that is very 
rare on only found on a Starman Super in the Stonehenge Base. It's hard 
to get, but even without that sword, Poo's Offense Stats are still high 
with a fast rate of increase, so once he's leveled up, he should be strong 
enough. Couple that with Poo's super high speed, you have a mean character 
that is in no way crap. (No pun intended) He may have limited PP, but he 
CAN recover PP from enemies using PSI Magnet, so it's possible for him 
to be self sustaining, so he's not that useless.

The reason why Vyse is comparing Ness to everyone else in the game is that 
there are severe Power Imbalances in the game. I agree with him here, but 
no matter how strong Ness is, the other 3 are still strong enough to fend 
for themselves. In boss battles, the other 3 characters still stand a chance 
to deal much more damage than Ness in many circumstances. Remember Paula's 
PSI, Jeff's Multi Bottle Rockets and Heavy Bazooka. I managed to get through 
many areas even if Ness is down, so he's not that essential. It's that 
the Your Sanctuary Bosses require Ness to be conscious, so it's not 
difficulty, but the rules of the game that impede your advance if you don't 
have Ness much of the time. 

I quote "The enemies at the end are so ridiculously powerful that you 
constantly run from battle. The others were dead centuries ago and Ness 
is DYING. Ha ha ha...Ness is DYING!? NESS IS DYING!! Don't get me started 
on those "Starmen" demons." Ness is dying huh? Note that due to the Rolling 
Hit Points system, it's possible to heal a character even if he's dealt 
Mortal Damage to prevent him from going unconscious. Besides, prevention 
is better than cure. If you can get a Shield Sigma up by Paula before that 
Ghost of Starman attacks, you are definitely safe from his Starstorm! 
Always look for a change of strategy before criticizing a game for being 
too damn difficult!

Now, about the relevance of the characters. Vyse mentioned that Poo has 
little relevance since he joins too late. A possible explanation to this 
irrelevance is due to Ness not talking at all. Since, the amount of 
interactions will definitely be low. The "silent protagonist" approach 
basically assures that only the first character is the well thought out 
character! So, he's right at this point. As for the problem with pathetic 
levels of other characters, I have a possible remedy to deal that problem. 
It is to let Ness go unconscious when the other characters are fit to fend 
for themselves, and have them fight easy to defeat, but rewarding enemies 
like Fobbies. Then, the other characters can get to catch up, and you will 
get a balanced party again. Now, of course, all ailments are a pain, and 
that's the point of ailments right? Fortunately, they are all easy to heal, 
using the Healing Spells.

As for the Rent or Buy part, I won't comment on it. But a smart consumer 
should not pay more than $20 for such an old relic. This is particularly 
true if it's second hand. If it's still sealed, then it can worth more, 
maybe not more than $30!

In conclusion, I agree with 60% of Vyse the Determined's review. It's just 
that I completely disagree with the Gameplay part. Of course, you are likely 
to find my counter arguments taking up lots of space in the analysis part 
since there really is nothing much to say if you already agree with someone, 
right? The bottom line is, I respect everyone's opinion  and won't stop 
people from saying bad things about a game. (unless they are offensive, 
of course!) It's the negative stuff that I enjoy to read all the time! 

---------------
9. Conclusion
---------------
Well, this concludes the guide of Earthbound. Earthbound is a dark horse 
in video games back in 1995, but still has attracted a very strong following. 
There is one particular fansite that Earthbound fans should visit. It's 
called starmen.net. It is named after the minions of the universal 
destroyer. Nintendo originally intended to release an Earthbound for the 
Nintendo 64, but it seems that Itoi's production team encountered a lot 
of difficulties while developing. Therefore, in spite of a playable demo 
of Mother 3 being available at Spaceworld, the game was finally cancelled 
in late 1999. This broke the hearts of all those Earthbound fans that are 
eagerly waiting. Poor guys. At least there is the option to download old 
SNES games with the Nintendo Revolution. Anyway, this guide is copyright 
2005 to the future by Alasdair Lo, and blah blah blah with all that legal 
stuff. No one may reproduce or copy this guide without my permission.