Taro's Quest - FAQ/Walkthrough (Nintendo Entertainment System) (English) Creation Date: 15 August 2017 Version: 1.0 File No. : NES-F-001 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Table of Contents =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-- 1- Introduction 2- Game and Story 3- Basics 3.1- Overworld display 3.2- Overhead display 3.3- Standard menus 3.4- Character Status screen 3.5- Battle system 3.6- Buildings 4- Quest #1 4.1- In the beginning (Ninja Village) 4.2- The Gravekeepers 4.3- Princess Hanna 4.4- The Kabuki Samurai 4.5- Getting the Log Bridge 4.6- Crossing the River 4.7- The Great Yaksa 4.8- Road to Port Town 4.9- The Red Ring 4.10- Outfitting Hanna 4.11- Exploring the sea 4.12- Isles Town 4.13- The Green Ring 4.14- Snowbound 4.15- The Blue Ring 4.16- Happo Revisited 4.17- Dark Tengu's Lair 4.18- Handing in the Paper Work 4.19- Dark Tengu (Final Battle) 4.20- Wrap Up #1 5- Quest #2 5.1- A New Beginning 5.2- Oni 5.3- The Beach and the way under 5.4- What the Fudo? 5.5- Over the Bridge and Far Away 5.6- An Ax a Day 5.7- A Chopping We Will Go 5.8- Who the Fox? 5.9- Buddha, Need Some Armor? 5.10- Quest for Crest 5.11- Hey, Mr. Talisman 5.12- Wrap Up #2 6- Quest #3 6.1- Just Like Starting Over 6.2- The Minor Bosses 6.3- Goma Get Me Some 6.4- Wrap up #3 7- Bestiaries 7.1- Quest #1 7.2- Quest #2 7.3- Quest #3 8- Items 8.1- Weapons 8.2- Accessories 8.3- Clothing 8.4- Amulets 8.5- Other items 9- Spells 10- Orbs 11- Level System 11.1- Taro 11.2- Hanna 12- Version History 13- Legal Section 14- Credits/Thanks/Other Stuff =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 1- Introduction =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- This is my first ever FAQ/Walk-through for a role-playing game (RPG). My original intention was to generate a sort of abbreviated strategy guide. I had read what was available on the game (Japanese and English versions) and came upon a number of things which were not covered by this documentation during game-play. Some of these things, such as accessing Hanna during the first quest, were significant enough, in my mind, to merit something more than just a "cheat". This, especially since it seemed to have a lasting impact on further game-play. However, the good folks at GameFaqs turned down the mini-guide. So, here I am, taking on this monumental task of putting together a full FAQ/Walk-through. Let this be a lesson to you kiddies out there - go big or go home! For starters, I will only be addressing the English version of the game. This means that the three readily available quests will be covered in a numerical sequence, as generated by the game. I specify readily accessible, because the real "third" quest can be presumably unlocked by tinkering with the game's programming values. I did not attempt this, seeing as how it reportedly has some wacky effects on the game and does not guarantee being able to complete it. As a side note, the Japanese version has four quests, for which the first three can be done out of sequence. Onto the game... =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 2- Game and Story =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= This game is called Taro's Quest, when, in fact, it comprises three quests (four in the Japanese version). Thus, the game should really be called Taro's Quests... Anyway, it was made by Jaleco Ltd. for the Nintendo Entertainment System and was released in 1990. The original version was only released in Japan. However, some well-meaning soul has produced an English version of which I've managed to get a hold of. Elements of the game will be commented on as they occur throughout game-play. I will try to cover as much stuff as I can as I encounter it. There really wasn't much in the way of side quests the first time I played through it. However, I will make an effort and see what else I can come upon as I go through it with a fine toothed comb this time around. Let's dig right into this game... The intro screen gives the option of starting a new game or continuing a saved one. At this point, both options will lead to the same sequence. There is next to nothing in the way of a back story. All you get is the appearance of a sort of guide, that I will refer to as Sensei, who sits on a mat and tells Taro : "Taro, welcome back from your training mission. Thank you for rescuing Princess Hanna. By the way, monsters are planning something treacherous. Please protect our country from them. Here, take this money to help prepare you for this dangerous journey." (Note that I will take the liberty of adding punctuation and correcting grammar where I think it is necessary.) And that is it. You are on your way... =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 3- Basics =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 3.1- Overworld display =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Upon leaving the Sensei's palace, you are in the overworld. Get used to this view. The vast majority of your travelling will be done in this fashion. Apart from accessing menus, which are covered in section 3.3, you only need to use the D-pad to navigate this aspect of the game. Visually, you will see buildings, trees, grass, rocks (presumably mountains) and plateaus (grass-covered mountains or hills). Further on, you will see rivers, desert and the sea. These are pretty much the basic features of the landscapes you will be travelling through. For the sake of thoroughness, you cannot walk through mountains, plateaus, rivers or the sea. You will, in some quests, acquire items that permit you to get past some of these obstacles. A building on the overworld can either represent a single structure or a whole town. To enter a town or building, simply walk on it. Caves and most other sites can also be accessed in the same fashion. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 3.2- Overhead display =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The overhead display is very much like the overworld one. However, the view is much more up close and varies with your location. Once again, you only need the D-pad to navigate through it. Overhead displays are present in towns, caves and dungeons (any building with a maze-like structure). In towns, everything but buildings are an obstacle. Once again, to enter a structure, simply walk onto it from the south side (door). In caves and dungeons, everything but treasure chests are an obstacle. Treasure chests, which can also be present in overhead town views, can be opened by walking onto them and using the SEARCH option. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 3.3- Standard menus =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Whether in overworld or overhead view, you can always access the standard menus by pressing A. Once A is pressed, the view changes to display the vital statistics of usable characters and the standard options available. Press B to return to the full screen overworld or overhead view. The vital character statistics displayed are level (L.), health (H.P) and magic (M.P). The HP and MP numbers displayed are current values, not the character's maximums. Refer to the character status screen for those values. The options available are : TALK, MAGIC, ITEM and SEARCH. TALK : Press A to talk to any character Taro is facing during the game to begin a conversation. If no one is present, you will get this message : "No person is present." (Having Mr. Catfish in your party generates a couple of funny comments on his part.) Following the conversation, or lack thereof, press A or B to return to the options menu. MAGIC : At this point, pressing A will get you this message : "Taro can't use magic yet!" Sadly, this is true. Taro gets his first spell at level 5, whereas Hanna gets her first one at level 3. However, once magic is available, simply select the spell you wish to use and then, if applicable, the target you wish to use it on. Pressing A confirms the choices and pressing B permits you to backtrack. A little note on the differences in magic between Taro and Hanna. Hanna's spells are all listed in her MAGIC option. For Taro, however, offensive spells are obtained through the use of ORBS. And so, to use one of Taro's offensive spells, one must open the MAGIC menu, select the ORBS option and then choose which offensive spell to use, plus the spell's target. ITEM : Items can be acquired through purchase, by battling enemies, by finding them in chests or by performing certain deeds. Using the ITEM option generates five more options : LOOK, EQUIP, DROP, USE and TRADE. Here are their uses : ? LOOK : Permits you to take a look at character inventories. Select which character's inventory to inspect. Press A to switch between characters and B to return to the original menu. ? EQUIP : Activates a sub-menu asking which character's item you wish to equip. After selecting the character, a sub-sub-menu asks which type of item you wish to equip. The options are : WEAPON, ACCESSORY, CLOTHING and AMULET. Take note that all items are character specific and can only be equipped by either Taro or Hanna. Equipped items also have effects on character attributes (STR, SPD, DEF, AGL or SKL). - WEAPON : Weapons include knives, swords, bows, etc. - ACCESSORY : Accessories include helmets, tiaras and similar objects. - CLOTHING : Clothing includes armor, robes and cloths. - AMULET : All amulets are identified as such in the game. (Ex. Amulet of the Moon) Upon making the selection for the type of item to equip, you are taken to a screen which only shows that type of item in the character's inventory. A circle shows which item is already equipped. Move the arrow to the item you wish to equip and press A to select the item and B to confirm. Pressing B at any other time permits you to backtrack. ? DROP : Activates a sub-menu asking which character's item you wish to drop. Once the character is selected, his/her inventory is opened. Circles indicate which items are equipped. Move the arrow to the item you wish to drop (even equipped items can be dropped). Press A to confirm dropping the item. (Note : there is no message asking something like "Do you really want to drop this item?". This has, on a couple of occasions resulted in my dropping items which I wanted to hold onto. Vital quest items cannot be dropped. Dropped items cannot be recovered. So beware!) Pressing B permits you to backtrack. ? USE : Activates a sub-menu asking which character's item you wish to use. Once the character is selected, his/her inventory is opened. Use the arrow to select which item to use. Some items can only be used in certain situations, such as battle or in the overworld. ? TRADE : Activates a sub-menu asking which character's item you wish to trade. Once the character is selected, his/her inventory is opened. Use the arrow to select which item to trade. Pressing A automatically sends the item to the other character's inventory, if there is a free inventory slot. Keep in mind, when you are dealing with items, that each character has only nine usable inventory slots. This can pose a challenge at the beginning, when only Taro is available, but becomes easier to manage when Hanna shows up. SEARCH : Using this option automatically searches the area upon which Taro is standing. This option can be used anywhere in overworld and overhead views. It is also used for opening treasure chests. I do not think that the direction in which Taro is facing has any bearing on whether he finds anything. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 3.4- Character Status Screen =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The character status screen can be accessed whenever you are in overworld or overhead view by pressing START. The following character information is available on this screen : ? Picture and name; ? Level #; ? Money available (this is the total for the party); ? Total experience points; ? Maximum HP (as determined by the character's level); ? HP (current value when consulting the status screen); ? Maximum MP (as determined by the character's level); ? MP (current value when consulting the status screen); ? STR (strength); ? SPD (speed); ? DEF (defence); ? AGL (agility); ? SKL (skill). The character attributes (STR, SPD, DEF, AGL and SKL) all have an effect in how a battle will unfold. Strength (STR) is the character's power. The higher the STR value, the more damage the character will deal. Speed (SPD) determines the character's turn in a battle. The higher the SPD value, the better the chance of attacking before the enemy. High values also permit either surprising an enemy or even dealing multiple attacks in one turn. Defence (DEF) is the character's defence rating. The higher the value, the less damage an opponent will deal. Agility (AGL) is the character's ability to evade attacks. The higher the AGL value, the better chance of having the enemy miss during an attack. This does not happen very often, regardless of the value. AGL can be considered a secondary attribute. Skill (SKL) is the character's ability to hit an opponent during battle. The higher the SKL value, the better chance of landing a blow on the enemy. Some weapons have particular abilities which manifest themselves more often with a high SKL value. (Ex. Blade of Buddha's divine attack) Note : Press the A button to toggle between Taro and Hanna and B to exit. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 3.5- Battle System =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The vast majority of the battles in this game are generated randomly by having your characters walk about in both the overworld and in the caves and dungeons. Upon triggering a battle, the screen changes to show your characters' vital statistics at the top, an image of the enemy and a message indicating the enemy's name with a mention of its appearance. Press A to enter the main battle screen. Note that you never encounter more than one enemy at a time. This screen comprises five options for Taro and six for Hanna. They are : FIGHT, MAGIC, ITEM, RUN, DEFEND and PRAY (exclusive to Hanna). Here are their descriptions : FIGHT : Self explanatory. Your character uses their equipped weapon to strike a blow on the enemy. MAGIC : Permits your character to access a sub-menu where a spell is selected and then a target is chosen. This is valid for healing, disabling and attribute boosting spells. Remember to access the ORBS option in Taro's sub-menu to select an offensive spell. ITEM : Gives access to the character's inventory, where items can be used for various purposes. This includes both healing (ex. Fruit, Burger) and damage-dealing (ex. Living Sword) items. Take note that some weapons, such as the Life Bow, can be used as an item during combat to restore some HP. RUN : This is an escape option. If the battle is not going your way, try running away. I have not attempted this very often and so do not know the percentage of success in actually fleeing. DEFEND : This option makes your character take a defensive stance whereby any damage dealt by the enemy is reduced due to your character being more prepared for the attack. I did not use this option at all and so do not know if it increases the percentage of being able to avoid an attack. PRAY : This option is exclusive to Hanna. It involves her praying to some deity or other in order to favour your characters by a boost in some way. Right away, I can attest that this works maybe 15 to 20 percent of the time. Not a huge percentage, I know, but in prolonged battles, it can mean the difference between success and failure. When it does work, the aforementioned boost can be to STR, SPD, DEF, AGL or SKL. (There is also the possibility that some HP or MP will be restored instead.) The kicker is that the boosts are cumulative throughout the battle. So the longer the battle lasts, the better your characters will become if you have Hanna praying regularly throughout. Following the battle, there is the possibility that your enemy has dropped a Tazura Chest which contains an item. You have the option of opening the chest or not. (It is sometimes better not to open it.) Once the item is revealed, you can decide if your party takes it and who carries it, if there is an available inventory slot. Finally, there is the indication of how many EXP and $ are earned and your party is returned to either the overworld or overhead view. Important note : When you successfully defeat a boss, your party's HP and MP will be automatically maxed out after the battle. Use this to your advantage whenever possible. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 3.6- Buildings =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= With some exceptions, most of the buildings encountered in the game can be entered. Below is a quick description of each type of building and its general use. Carrier Dog : This place is like a warping service where Taro pays a fee to return to any village he has already visited. This begs the question : Why don't dogs get attacked in this world? Gambling House : As its name implies, you can double the amount of money you bet when you visit this place. You need to wager on whether the combined value of the dice will even or odd. So, it's a fifty-fifty deal. Gates : These structures look like stand alone gates and usually contain a boss. Houses : Ordinary houses cannot be entered. Inns : Inns are used to rest your party and recover any lost HP and MP to their maximum values for your characters' levels. There are plenty of Inns dotting the landscape in the first two quests, so finding one should not be a problem. Inns are irrelevant in the third quest due to a loophole (intentional?) in the game's configuration. Item shop : This is where you can buy and sell items, including weapons and armour. Palaces : Most palaces only contain one person who has information for Taro. Some palaces are dungeons. Shaman : Enter here to save your journey or revive a character. Saving a game is free, whereas reviving a character requires a fee be paid. (A little side note about this Shaman character, her face is pretty much the same even when looked at upside down.) Also, if you try and revive someone before you get Hanna, Shaman answers this : "But the person I can revive is only somebody you love! You still don't have anybody like that..." Wow! Harsh, Shaman, pretty harsh! Finally, as you leave the Shaman building, you are informed of the EXP necessary to reach the next level. Always a useful thing to know. Shrine : Go to this building if an Evil Spirit is haunting one of your characters. You can either have the resident monk use Cure on the afflicted character or buy a Pure Water item for use in the field. Weapons shop : This is where your characters acquire weapons, clothing, amulets and accessories. You cannot sell anything here. Princess Hanna's Castle : All quests begin and end here. This is also where you recruit Hanna. Once she is in your party, you can come back here and rest for free. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 4- Quest #1 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 4.1- In the beginning (Ninja Village) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= So, there you have it. Taro is out on his own, having only 50$ in his pocket. No weapons, no armour. Just him against the world. Don't even try going back to the Princess Hanna's Castle! All you get is this message from the Sensei : "I'm confident you will succeed." And he tosses you right back into the unforgiving world. (Notice that you are on the northern path from the castle. The southern and western paths are for the other quests.) And what an unforgiving world it is! Just getting to the first town without being annihilated will be an ordeal! Well, with nowhere else to go, move to the northeast and then east to spot a cluster of buildings and a single building. Walk on the cluster of buildings and Taro is taken within Ninja Village. Refer to the following tables to see which buildings are available and which services they provide. Another table lists the people you will encounter (with their location) and what they say to Taro. NINJA VILLAGE - BUILDINGS Building Location Item/service Cash value Particularities Inn South-east corner Rest 4$ Restore HP and MP Weapons shop Southeast corner Shurikens 14$ Taro, weapon : +6 STR Cloth 16$ Taro, clothing : +31 DEF Robe 15$ Hanna, clothing : +26 DEF Item shop South-east of the palace Fruit 6$ Restores 20 HP Smoke Bomb 8$ Used to escape most battles Ninja Wing 30$ Returns party to the last town visited Shaman Northwest corner Save / revive 6$ The fee is for revival. NINJA VILLAGE - VILLAGERS Description of person Location Information Ninja in red South of the inn "Once upon a time, there were several mystic orbs. But they've been dispersed over the country. The monsters living in Torii are keeping them now. Get the orbs first to fight against the monsters." Ninja in red South of the weapons shop "If you put your journey on record to scroll at Shaman, you'll revive even if you die." Ninja in red Southwest of the lake "When you have some experience, head east to the gravekeepers." Ninja in red West of the lake "Equip yourself well here." Ninja in red Southwest corner "A carrier dog outside of this town will take you anywhere once you've recorded your journey in Shaman's scroll." Man in green and black House surrounded by water "Taro! We need your help! The Secret Book of Ninja has been stolen from us. Without it, monsters and demons will destroy us. Taro! Please get it back!" "Taro! Please get the book back fast!" Needless to say, use the inn if necessary and then head over to the weapons shop to get some Shurikens and Cloth. This pretty much wipes out most of your 50$, plus whatever you made on the way over to Ninja Village. Take a moment to equip your new items. Record your journey at the Shaman. (I will not repeat this. RPGs are notorious for needing to be regularly saved to avoid losing progress.) Visit the item shop to stock up on whatever your budget allows and then talk to everyone, including the guy in the green and black suit. Take note of any important information and exit the village. Oh, by the way, that single building to the east of Ninja Village is a Carrier Dog installation that charges 10$. Right now, the only destination available is Ninja Village. So, hold on to your hard-earned cash. Now comes the part all RPG players either love or love to hate - grinding! I suggest getting up to at least level 5, so that Taro can heal himself, before moving on eastwards. As Taro reaches level 5, there will be a short cut-scene : "Suddenly, the was air filled with light, Buddha appeared!" An image of Buddha with a raised hand appears. "Taro, you may feel uneasy with the power of the sword alone. I'll teach you Magic of Feed." Taro got Magic of Feed. "Your journey has just begun. Don't be discouraged and do your best." A similar cut-scene will occur every time one of your characters acquires a new spell. Once you've had enough of roaming about Ninja Village, it is time to move east. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 4.2- The Gravekeepers =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Go southeast of the Carrier Dog building and cross the bridge. Move east, through the mountains, and follow the tree line till you come upon a trio of buildings (Cluster #1). OVERWORLD CLUSTER #1 - WEST OF GRAVEYARD Building Location in cluster Item/service Cash value Particularities House (Woman) Southwest Information N/A "Cross the river near here using the Log Bridge." House (Man) Southeast Information N/A "Up ahead is the Village of Gravekeepers. One of the Orbs is located near there." Inn North Rest 5$ Restore HP and MP The river in question is to the northwest, but you do not have the log bridge. Simply hold onto this information. Let's concentrate on getting that Orb. I hung around this area for a couple more levels, cuz you know that orb isn't just going to be lying on the ground, waiting to be picked up... When you are ready, continue east, through the mountains. Past some trees, you will see desert and what appear to be gravestones. Cross the desert and ignore, for now, the gate-like structure to the south. Instead, head for the village to the northeast corner of the graveyard. A Carrier Dog place is located just southeast of the village (15$). This area is occupied by Wind Elementals, which are the toughest enemies you've faced yet. These foes are a pain because they can use magic (Magic of Evil Spirit). When successful, this spell causes Taro to be haunted by an evil spirit which "sticks" to him and drains HP (5 HP per step). You know that an evil spirit is haunting your party when you see a white tag next to the character's name or there is a sort of fire ball following you in either the overworld or overhead views. The latter is less apparent when Hanna is in the party and the spirit is haunting Taro. The evil spirit can be gotten rid of by three methods : casting the Cure spell (which is a ways away in this quest, since only Hanna can acquire it), using Pure Water or going to a Shrine to remove it. TOWN OF GRAVEKEEPERS - BUILDINGS Building Location Item/service Cash value Particularities Inn Southwest corner Rest 6$ Restore HP and MP Item shop Southeast of palace Fruit 6$ Restores 20 HP Smoke Bomb 8$ Used to escape most battles Burger 20$ Restores 80 HP Ninja Wing 30$ Used to return to last town visited Cake 50$ To be given to a shop owner Shaman Northeast corner Save / Revive 0$ / 10$ Record journey / Revive character Shrine Southeast corner Cure / Pure Water 3$ / 5$ Eliminates Evil Spirit Weapons Shop Southeast corner Shurikens 14$ Taro, weapon : +6 STR Spear 56$ Taro, weapon : +12 STR Bow 30$ Hanna, weapon : +6 STR Amulet of Uranus 32$ Taro, amulet : +30 SPD, +24 AGL Amulet of the Moon 28$ Hanna, amulet : +31 DEF, +41 SKL TOWN OF GRAVEKEEPERS - VILLAGERS Description of person Location Information Woman in violet Southeast of inn "If you are followed by evil spirits, go to a shrine to be cured or use Pure Water." Woman in violet West of weapon shop "This is the Town of Gravekeepers. Beware the evil lurking in the graveyard." Man in green Northeast of inn "The Secret Book of Ninja was stolen from Ninja Village." Red Ninja West of item shop "Taro, the Head Ninja requests that you cross the revier and meet Happo, a martial arts master." Woman in green North of item shop "Taro, why don't you go back to Princess Hanna's castle once?" "Don't attempt too much." (With Hanna) Man in green and black Northwest of palace "I made a bridge to cross the river, but a shopkeeper has taken it to clear my debt with him." Man in palace Palace "Welcome. The Secret Book of Ninja was stolen by Dark Tengu, an evil monster with tremendous martial arts skills. I can't help you. You must recover the book on your own." In a nutshell, sell your Shurikens, get a Spear and an Amulet of Uranus. Purchase whatever other items you may need. Visit the palace to advance the story. Talk to the man in green and black to learn who has a bridge. Most importantly, talk to the woman in green (near the item shop). She tells you to visit Princess Hanna's castle. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 4.3- Princess Hanna =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Most documentation I've read pertaining to this game specifies in no uncertain terms that Hanna is not available during the first quest. Really? If you've been following this walk-through, you've spoken to the woman in green in the Town of Gravekeepers. Take her comment to heart and return to Princess Hanna's castle. As soon as Taro enters, he is greeted by the Sensei and these comments : "Taro, perhaps you should take Princess Hanna with you. Surely, she can be of some help." Princess Hanna herself intervenes on her behalf : "Taro, please let me go with you." And there you have it! You've doubled your party and your inventory slots. The Sensei closes out the discussion with his usual : "I'm confident you will succeed." However, this will be the last time you see that message (at least in this quest), since any time you return to the castle from now on, you will instead be greeted with : "Welcome back. Now, take a rest." Your HP and MP will be completely restored, free of charge. Having a princess in your party does have some benefits! Take time to hang around Ninja Village to equip Hanna with a Robe and bring her up to level 5. Then it is back to the Town of Gravekeepers. Note : From here on, it is quite possible that former walk-throughs do not apply. I, myself have noticed significant changes during the first time I completed the game by unlocking Hanna in the first quest. And, mind you, I had gotten Hanna at level 23, when most of the quest was done. In the course of this second completion, we all may be in for a surprise. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 4.4- The Kabuki Samurai =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= In the Town of Gravekeepers, equip Hanna with a Bow and an Amulet of the Moon. Now head southwards to the gate-like structure. By this time, in my game, Taro was level 9 and Hanna was level 6. The Kabuki Samurai looks like a blue fox, wearing a blue robe and hiding beneath a pinkish cloth. He voices this challenge : "Come on, boy! If you want to get this orb, defeat me!" Ok. Lay on the physical attacks and you should be done with this guy in about 3 turns. Taro does between 20-23 in damage and Hanna deals between 8-10. For his part, Kabuki Samurai did between 3-6 damage and evaded a few attacks. His total HP is 65 or less. Kabuki's demise earns Taro the Orb of Thunder. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 4.5- Getting the Log Bridge =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Return towards the Town of Gravekeepers and go past it, to the northeast. You will find a single building that is a shop. Enter. The owner says : "What? You want to have the Log Bridge back? Ha, ha, ha...Bring me some cake and maybe I'll let you have it." I recall that there was some cake for sale in the item shop of the Town of Gravekeepers. Go back to this town, purchase the Cake and return to this shop. Hand over the Cake to the shop owner and he answers : "I like this Cake very much. Okay, I'll give you the Log Bridge." Unfortunately, once you've acquired the Log Bridge, this shop becomes unusable. Go to the bridge near Ninja Village. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 4.6- Crossing the River =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= From the eastern bank of the river, go north to the mountains and then proceed east and around them, to the northwest. You will enter an area where enemies appear to be boosted in comparison to what you've faced thus far. This is a good place to grind to level 10-12 for Taro and 9-10 for Hanna. Cross the river to its western shore by facing it where there is only a one- step width (that tiny peninsula is a good spot) and use the Log Bridge. Once across the river, visit the scattered buildings (Cluster #2). OVERWORLD CLUSTER #2 - WEST OF THE RIVER Building Location in cluster Item/service Cash value Particularities Gambling House Northwest Gambling 20$ Earn $ Happo's House West Information N/A "Welcome, Taro. I'm Happo. I've heard you are trying to recover the Secret Book of Ninja from Dark Tengu. He is more powerful than you and will slay you easily. I'll give you an ordeal, get back three magic rings, then I will give you an item that will help you defeat Dark Tengu." House (Man) East Information N/A "When you cross the river, beware the Rock Monster." House (Woman) Northeast Information N/A "You'll need a boat to journey through the cave in the woods." Inn South Rest 8$ Restore HP and MP Really? No mention of the first ring's whereabouts? Let's take a look at that cave in the woods. Travel to the west and you will see what looks like a hole in the ground. That is the cave (Cave #1). Enter. Once inside, you find yourself in an overhead view. Walk to the north and east. See that expanse of water? Taro cannot cross it just yet, but remember it. Take note that the cave is populated by Ninja Dogs and Killer Bears. Exit and return to the river. Move to the northern tip of the river and cross to the east. You'll be on a path between mountains. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 4.7- The Great Yaksa =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Follow the path to the east and north. Beware that you will encounter a Rock Monster at the path's narrow point (sort of a mountain pass). This is also the area where you will encounter the Wheel Golem. This enemy has the tendency to drop an item called ???Fruit. Do not use this item, since it is rotten fruit that causes damage to your character. The game indicates that it does 15 damage. But when Taro used it, he actually lost 21 HP. As soon as the mountains open to the east, continue along that path to reach a collection of four buildings (Cluster #3). OVERWORLD CLUSTER #3 - SOUTHWEST OF THE GIANT TREE Building Location in cluster Item/service Cash value Particularities House (Woman) Northeast Information N/A "A Bomb will destroy rocks that are in your way." House (Woman) Southwest Information N/A "The Red Ring is in a cave near here." Inn Southeast Rest 14$ Restore HP and MP Item Shop West Fruit 6$ Restores 20 HP Smoke Bomb 10$ Permits escape from most battles Sickle 100$ Weapon for Taro, +9 STR Ninja Clt 100$ Clothing for Taro, +48 DEF Robe +1 110$ Clothing for Hanna, +47 DEF Buy the Ninja Clt and Robe +1. The Sickle is not better than the Spear Taro should already have. At this point, it is recommended to get Taro up to level 14 or so. When you are ready, go directly north from the Inn and enter the gate-like structure. The Great Yaksa is the second boss you will face in this quest. He is a blue being with orange hair and a matching kilt. The Great Yaksa holds a trident in his left hand and what appears to be a wheel on fire in his right. He could be a mascot for the Detroit Red Wings NHL franchise. Be prepared for a much more physical battle than the Samurai. I had stocked up on some Eye of Vulcan items (which can be obtained from the Rock Monster) during the latest grinding period. Just as the Kabuki Samurai did, the Great Yaksa also challenges you with this message : "Come on, Boy! If you want to get this Orb, defeat me!" Each character can start by using an Eye of Vulcan and then have Hanna cast Strength on herself and Taro. That should make things easier. Following those two steps, just keep attacking him, while keeping an eye on your HP and healing as necessary. The Great Yaksa should be much diminished and defeated by six or seven rounds. Taro and Hanna had dealt an accumulated 120 points of damage before this boss cried uncle. The Great Yaksa's demise provides Taro with the Magic of Dark Mist, a second Orb. The Dark Mist is a kind of death spell which wraps an enemy in a dark mist and then proceeds to defeat it. I used it at least six times before getting any results. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 4.8- Road to Port Town =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= With the demise of the Great Yaksa, travel to the northwest from his lair. As the mountains open up, you will notice a cave and one building. The building is a Carrier Dog installation which charges 20$ per transport. Enter the cave (Cave #2). Enemies within include Ninja Dogs and Killer Bears. At the entrance, you are immediately presented with a split in the path. Going left will eventually bring you to an impassable block in the passage. Instead, go right to come across a wandering individual and a chest. The man dressed in green informs Taro : "Someone named Jirai is staying at a town far away from here." Which town is he talking about? Well, I can assure you it isn't one we've already visited. Stand on the chest and use SEARCH to get a Star of Power. Using the Star of Power during battle summons a guardian deity. This deity blocks all use of magic by enemies during a battle. Time to move on. To the north is a desert peninsula with a few trees. Not much to see there. Go east, past the Carrier Dog shack. By the way, your characters should each be about at least level 15 by now. Follow the linear path through the mountains until the path widens and you come upon a clearing. There will a single building in its centre. It's what I call the Lonely Shop. LONELY SHOP - FAR EAST OF CAVE #2 Building Location in cluster Item/service Cash value Particularities Item Shop N/A Fruit 6$ Restores 20 HP Smoke Bomb 10$ Permits escape from most battles Burger 20$ Restores 80 HP Ninja Wing 30$ Returns party to last town visited Bone 200$ Incentive for transport to Port Town Buy the Bone. You'll be needing it shortly. Move to the northwest of the shop and go around the inlet. Then head west to another lonely building. This is a Carrier Dog terminal that will only accept bones as payment for travelling across the sea to Port Town. PORT TOWN - BUILDINGS Building Location Item/service Cash value Particularities House North of Inn N/A N/A Inaccessible Inn West of entrance Rest 15$ Recover HP and MP Item Shop West of graveyard Fruit 6$ Restores 20 HP Smoke Bomb 16$ Permits escape from most battles Gun Powder 30$ Deals 20 damage to an enemy Burger 20$ Restores 80 HP Ninja Wing 30$ Returns party to last town visited Shaman North of Inn Save / Revive 0$ / 12$ Record journey / Revive character Shrine Northwest corner Cure / Pure Water 6$ / 8$ Cure of Evil Spirit / Buy Pure Water Weapons Shop East of entrance Shurikens 14$ Taro, weapon +6 STR Sickle 100$ Taro, weapon, +9 STR Ninja Bld 250$ Taro, weapon, +36 STR, +34 SKL Gauntlet 80$ Taro, accessory, +26 DEF, +16 AGL Ninja Mail 200$ Taro, clothing, +26 SPD, +70 DEF PORT TOWN - VILLAGERS Description of person Location Information Man in green West of entrance "In the plain north of here is a strange man." Man in green North of entrance, near middle "This is Port Town. We can cross the sea on a boat, but there isn't a sailor around right now." Man in green Near graveyard "I'm Jirai. You may have the bomb I hid near the well. It will break rocks in the cave." Ninja in red West of Item shop "Oyuu from Ninja Village went to find Kuri." Woman in violet Northeast corner "You can buy a magical bow at a shop near the town of Gravekeepers." Needless to say, get the Ninja Bld, Gauntlet and Ninja Mail. Next, speak to Jirai to learn the location of a hidden Bomb near a well. Search to the south of the well near the weapons shop to obtain it. The bomb is used to clear rocks that are blocking a path. Also, take note of information pertaining to Oyuu, Kuri and a magic bow (Hanna's most powerful weapon). Now that you have a bomb, where did you see a rock that needed to be cleared from a path. Yeah, Cave #2. But we first need to get out of this secluded spot. Apparently, we need to find a sailor... As you wander about the overworld, you will encounter your first enemy that is immune to physical attacks - the Dream Eater. Use the Thunder orb to wipe it out in one attack. Furthermore, this enemy drops a Tazura Box that may contain an enemy - an Earth Bug. Take note of the building to the east of Port Town. It is a Carrier Dog terminal that charges 20$ for transport. You can use this facility to get back to the town of Gravekeepers. However... You see that bare patch of grass surrounded by trees to the north of Port Town? Head over there to meet Mr. Catfish : "Long time no see! You're in quite a fix without a boat. Leave it to me. I own a submarine." Your party now has access to a Submarine and can cross the sea. If you want to try it immediately, walk to the east and go into the water. Yep, that red con tower and periscope is the Submarine. This vessel has limitations, however. It cannot navigate rivers and cannot pass through those blue and white swirls which border the seas. But it can cross a tiny body of water in a certain cave we walked through earlier in the game (Cave #1). =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 4.9- The Red Ring =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= With the acquisition of the Submarine and the Bomb, it is time to backtrack a fair bit and clear up a couple of things. First, go to Ninja Village, by using the Carrier Dog, and make your way to Cave #1. It is to the northwest, past Cluster #1. From the cave's entrance, make your way northeast and cross the lake. You will most likely encounter your first water-based enemies in this area. The water is infested with Great Vipers. Once you reach the north shore, head west and use Bomb on the rock blocking the path to the chest. Stand on the chest and use SEARCH to obtain the Sun Mirror. This item is used to redirect sunlight. Now leave this area and go to the east, back to the Great Yaksa's lair. Then head for Cave #2 to the northwest. I suggest being at least level 16 at this point. Upon entering, take the corridor to the left and use the Bomb on the rock blocking the passage. Follow the path to come upon four chests. They contain, from left to right, top to bottom : 64$, Fruit, 150$ and a Ninja Wing. Once you've collected these treasures, continue to the north and take the stairs. On the next floor, proceed to the east and follow the winding passage. Just as your party reaches the two chest at the end, a battle is triggered. This sub-boss is a Dragon that informs Taro : "Wait! The Red Ring is very close to here. But you must defeat me if you wish to have it." Start the battle by having Hanna cast Strength on both characters and then concentrate on attacks and healing when necessary. I got lucky with a lightning strike and the Dragon was gone in two turns. By the way, bagging this bad boy nets your party 1 EXP and 37$. Now head for those chests. The top one holds a Belt of Mage and the bottom one contains the Red Ring. The Belt of Mage is an accessory for Hanna and has a +32 SKL effect. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 4.10- Outfitting Hanna =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Now backtrack out of Cave #2. Once outside, make sure you have at least 550$ (which should not be a problem) and head south to Cluster #3. Then continue east to cross an arm of the sea to reach two buildings on the eastern shore. OVERWORLD CLUSTER #4 - SOUTH OF THE GIANT TREE Building Location in cluster Item/service Cash value Particularities House (Woman) North Information N/A "Life Bow gives you the power to recover from fatigue. Use it carefully." Item Shop South Fruit 2$ Restores 20 HP Life Bow 550$ Weapon for Hanna, +30 STR, Restores 40 HP when used as item The Life Bow is the most powerful weapon Hanna can get her hands on. Not only does it give her +30 STR (a major step up from the wimpy Bow at +6), but when it is used as an item (during battle only), the Life Bow restores up to 40 HP. Unfortunately, you can only purchase one (you get an out of stock message if you try to buy a second). Otherwise, Taro would also be able to hold one in his inventory and use it as needed. Also, take note of the price for Fruit in this shop. Not that we really need Fruit anymore... Now, you must have noticed that giant tree to the north. It is still off limits at this point. If you want, however, you can navigate that branch of the sea and travel northeast until you pass the Town of Gravekeepers and encounter those swirls that prevent further progress. Instead, make your way back to Overworld Cluster #2. Once more, make sure you have a hefty sum - 2500$ this time. From here, follow the river to its northern end and enter the sea. Navigate directly north to reach an island with a single structure on it. This is an Item Shop that sells only one item - the Knoiti Clt. This clothing carries a hefty price, but it gives Hanna +127 DEF and +80 AGL. It is the best clothing you can get for her in this quest. At this point, I would suggest hanging around the southern portion of the sea and grinding til at least level 19. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 4.11- Exploring the sea =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= After a sufficient interval involving levelling up, let's take some time to do a grand tour of the sea. From the northern end of the river, reach the island where we purchased the Knoiti Clt. To the southwest is a cove surrounded by mountains. So, there is nothing to do there. Travel up the western side of the island and continue west, along the rocky coast, until you come to trees where your party can make landfall. Go to that single building surrounded by mountains. The place is occupied by an old woman who says : "I'm the best divine in the country. You still lack experience. First, get over the ordeal M. Happo gave you." Needless to say, we'll need to come back here once we've acquired the three rings. Head back out to the sea. Keeping on a westerly course, we encounter more of those obstructing swirls. Follow this line of swirls for quite a while and you will wind up next to an island with mountains that form a cross-like shape. The enemies in this area are tougher than what you can handle at this point. This is another place we'll need to come back to. Keep following the swirls as they go north, east, north and east again. You will eventually see a desert peninsula to the south. Keep going east and there will be an icy mountain shore. Follow this shore as it goes south and east, until you encounter more swirls. There is a spot to go on land, but we are not ready just yet for this place. In keeping with the tour, go to the southern and start going west. You will eventually come upon the inlet where you needed a bone to have a Carrier Dog take your party to Port Town. Continuing westwards brings you to the aforementioned Port Town. Proceed west from Port Town and you will navigate between a desert peninsula, to the south, which leads to Cave #2 and the island mentioned two paragraphs ago. Keeping to the rocky shore on the south side brings you full circle to the island north of the river. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 4.12- Isles Town =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= So, where do we go next? From the island with the shop, go straight north and reach the island with the desert peninsulas. Land on the northern side of the island and walk to the town (southeast cluster). This is Isles Town. The other buildings are a Carrier Dog terminal (30$) and a castle. ISLES TOWN - BUILDINGS Building Location Item/service Cash value Particularities House Southwest corner N/A N/A Inaccessible Inn West of entrance Rest $25.00 Recover HP and MP Shrine Northwest corner Cure / Pure Water 6$ / 8$ Cure of Evil Spirit / Buy Pure Water Weapons Shop West of entrance Amulet of Mars 120$ Taro, +6 STR Amulet of Venus 120$ Hanna, +9 STR Swd of Falcon 1000$ Taro, weapon, Robe +4 500$ Hanna, clothing, +26 DEF, +16 AGL ISLES TOWN - VILLAGERS Description of person Location Information Man in green Centre "I saw several ninjas enter the castle lately. The town elder went there, too!" Man in green and black Northwest corner "Happo once battled Dark Tengu. He beat Dark Tengu using the Sun Blade." Man in green and black Southwest corner "My grandma is a fortuneteller. If you're in trouble, go see her. She lives in the west." Woman in violet South of Inn "Welcome to Isles Town." Woman in violet Southwest corner "Someone else is trying to find the Secret Book of Ninja. His name is Kuri." If you want to make Taro a wrecking machine, get the amulet of Mars and the Swd of Falcon. Stick with the amulet of the moon and the Knoiti Clt if you want to keep Hanna filling a "White Wizard" role. Plus, clearly we need to visit the castle and the Sun Blade is an important element in defeating Dark Tengu. I recommend grinding to level 20-21 before entering either the castle or the boss lair (gate-like structure). Here's a strategy that will pay off many times over. Get to level 20 and enter the castle, but grind near the entrance. Slay Giant Bears until one of them drops a Life Blade. This is the equivalent of the Life Bow, but for Taro. Note that it only gives +38 STR, so don't bother equipping it. However, it can restore up to 20 HP when used as an item in battle. You can put one in Hanna's inventory and still benefit from using the Life Blade. Although, it is useless if she already has the Life Bow, which restores 40 HP. (Refer to Section 4.10 - Outfitting Hanna.) This tactic also has the benefit of conserving your MP for spells other than healing. When your party is ready, enter the lair of King Tortoise located to the north east of Isles Town. This boss looks like Bowser on all-fours. You get the usual greeting : "Come on, boy! If you want to get this Orb, defeat me!" If your characters are at level 20 or higher, just plow into this Bowser wannabe with physical attacks and use items or spells to heal when necessary. Taro and Hanna will combine for 25-35 damage on this spiked turtle, while it will generally do between 10-12 damage, with the occasional spike above 20, to one character. My battle lasted seven rounds, with total damage inflicted at 197. The defeated Tortoise coughs up the Orb giving Taro the Magic of Fire Bolt. Although Fire Bolt is a powerful attack (it deals 80 damage), there seem to be many creatures that are immune to it. Either that or its hit ratio is very poor. In this area, Giant Bears and Fighters seem particularly vulnerable. Now let us storm that castle! Take the eastern path and go north to the stairs. On the second level, go west until you reach a chest. Search to pick up a Cursed Clt. This piece of clothing gives +93 AGL. It isn't really worth it if you're going for power. Backtrack to the entrance of the castle and take the western path to the stairs. On the second level, go east and meet the guy that is loitering in this castle full of enemies. He imparts the following wisdom : "The Blue Ring is in the cave at Devil's Isle. You will need lots of experience to go there." Forget about the Blue Ring for now. It's time to acquire the Green Ring. Note : I believe that the guy in the castle is actually referring to the Green Ring. This, since the Green Ring is the one located on an island. Plus, the Blue Ring is on a frozen continent. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 4.13- The Green Ring =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Make your way back to the island with the mountains that form a cross (this island is most likely Devil's Island. See the note is section 4.12.). My party was at level 22 by this point. If you want to minimize enemy encounters, approach from the eastern end of the cross and walk towards the centre. You'll automatically enter a dungeon. The path is relatively linear, so just follow it as it zigzags in a southerly direction. The enemies you will come across are pretty much the same as within the Isles Castle. They should be quite familiar to you at this point. As you come to a split in the path, you can proceed east or south. Both passages lead to the same place. Get to the chest and collect the Green Ring. Then use the stairs in the southeast corner to exit the dungeon. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 4.14- Snowbound =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Where to go next... Well, remember that eastern continent with snow-covered mountains? Head over that way and follow the rocky coast until there is a gap in the mountains. Make landfall and walk towards that lonely building. It is a Carrier Dog terminal which proposes transport for 24$. From this building, travel northwest and enter what looks to be a castle. Welcome to Snow Town. SNOW TOWN - BUILDINGS Building Location Item/service Cash value Particularities Gambling House Northeast corner Gambling 30$ 50/50 chance of earning money Inn West of entrance Rest 20$ Recover HP and MP Item Shop Southwest corner Fruit 8$ Restores 20 HP Smoke Bomb 18$ Permits escape from most battles Burger 22$ Restores 80 HP Ninja Wing 30$ Returns party to last town visited Shaman Southeast corner Save / Revive 0$ / 20$ Save game / Revive character Shrine Northwest corner Cure / Pure Water 6$ / 8$ Rids character of Evil Spirit Weapons Shop Southeast corner Sickle 100$ Taro, +9STR Spear 48$ Taro, +12 STR Shuriken +1 600$ Taro, +54 STR Cloth 16$ Taro, +31 DEF Iron Fur 700$ Taro, +96 DEF SNOW TOWN - VILLAGERS Description of person Location Information Man in white and blue Castle "Welcome to snow country. I have heard you seek the red, blue and green rings. Dark Tengu knows this too. He is the one who commanded monsters to attack you." Man in green and black Northwest corner "Melt the ice with the Sun Mirror to get to Oyuki's cave." Man in green and black Northeast corner "Beyond the ice field is the cave where Oyuki lives." Man in green and black Southeast corner "The Blue Ring is in a cave where Oyuki lives. Evil monsters have attacked that cave to get it." Woman in red North of Inn "I'm Oyuu from Ninja Village. I'm searching for Kuri, but I've had no luck. Please help me find him." When it comes to shopping for weapons and clothing, the only thing worth considering is the Iron Fur, which provides +96 DEF for Taro. In this case, you would trade the extra SPD from the Ninja Mail for more DEF. Also, in case you haven't been talking to the villagers (which you should always do because it can trigger some events such as Hanna's availability), it's time to find Oyuki's Cave. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 4.15- The Blue Ring =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Exit Snow Town and head to the northeast. Your progress will eventually be blocked by a greenish striped area. This is supposed to be an ice field. Use the Sun Mirror to melt it. (I guess it becomes some type of greenish slush.) Walk through the melted ice and continue south, then east. Enter Oyuki's Cave. You are greeted by a Djinn which declares : "Ha-ha, you're a bit late...The cave has already been taken over by us!" This cave is probably the most complex labyrinth yet, which isn't saying much... Begin by taking the path going north and follow it until you can go south to collect the contents of the chest. It is a Paw of Wyvern. Backtrack to the entrance and take the southern path. Keep to it until there's a small detour for a second chest. This chest contains a Tiara. With a rating of +79 SKL, it is the best accessory Hanna can acquire. Return to the main path and continue north until you come to an opening in the wall. This is where you'll meet Oyuki. She greets your party with this message : "Thank you for saving me. I will give you this Blue Ring to help you in your quest for the Secret Book of Ninja." If you attempt to speak to her again, she simply answers : "Good luck." However, remember this place. Exit the cave and return to Snow Town to rest and recover. Oddly enough, there isn't a Carrier Dog terminal directly next to Snow Town, so you must trek back to the shore you landed on to use one. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 4.16- Happo Revisited =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Do you recall who sent you on this whole three-ring quest in the first place? Yeah, it was Happo. Time to go back to Ninja Town and pay him a visit in that cluster north of the game's first town. As soon as you walk into Happo's house, you get this message from the elder : "Well done! Take this weapon, the Sun Blade. It will help you defeat Dark Tengu." Actually, the Sun Blade is the only weapon that can physically damage Dark Tengu. In line with that, the Sun Blade is the most powerful weapon that Taro can obtain. Its effects are +88 STR and +40 SKL. If you attempt to speak to Happo again, he says : "I'm sure you must defeat Dark Tengu." While we are at it, let's make another little detour. Remember that old woman in the lonely shack on the southwestern shore of the sea? (Refer to section 4.11 if needed.) It's time to see how she is doing. As you enter the shack, she informs your party : "I'm the best divine in the country. I can find you Dark Tengu's hideout. Allow me to concentrate for a moment...Ohmmmmmmmm...I see something...A tree, a big tree! You must cut down this tree with the Sun Blade." If you don't remember where this big tree is, it is located directly north of the shop where you purchased Hanna's Life Bow. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 4.17- Dark Tengu's Lair =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Head for the aforementioned big tree. Face the tree and use the Sun Blade. The tree disappears and a cave is revealed in its place. I suggest being at least level 23 before entering the cave. Once inside Dark Tengu's cave, you are confronted with another labyrinth. A dead-end lies to the west, so go east and then north to meet a ninja that is loitering in this cave. This is actually Kuri, who had gone on a quest to defeat Dark Tengu and recover the Secret Book of Ninja. When Taro talks to him, he responds in this fashion : "Taro, I found the Secret Book of Ninja, but was severely wounded by Dark Tengu. Take the book back to Ninja Village. Dark Tengu is too strong for you to defeat..." Go to the chest and claim the much talked about Secret Book of Ninja. You are now faced with a decision. Do you push on deeper into the labyrinth and face Dark Tengu now? Or do you heed Kuri's advice and turn back? Being at level 23, it is probable that you could beat Dark Tengu in a long drawn out battle, especially with Hanna at your side. However, there are a couple more things we can do to make this easier. I recommend turning back for now. Otherwise, go to Section 4.19. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 4.18- Handing in the Paper Work =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= With the Secret Book of Ninja in hand, return to Ninja Village and talk to the man standing in front of the house on the lake. He will answer : "The Secret Book of Ninja!!! You have recovered it!...Now I remember! Oyuki has Ninja Amr. I think you can use it well." If you talk to him again, he will simply say : "Dark Tengu is very strong." Where's Oyuki, you say? She occupies the cave northeast of Snow Town. This is where we got the Blue Ring. Head that way and make your way through the cave anew. When you reach the opening in the wall, Oyuki greets Taro with : "Welcome back! I'll give you this Ninja Amr. It will help you a lot." If you attempt to push the conversation further, all you get is : "Good luck." Ninja Amr is the best clothing Taro can acquire in this quest. Its effects are +104 DEF and +34 SKL. Your party is now ready for the final battle with Dark Tengu. For my part, I continued grinding to max out the character levels for the sake of completion of the levelling charts. If you wish to pursue the same objective, I suggest hanging around Isles Town and the nearby castle. Sailing the sea should also be adequate. As a side note, once your characters are level 28, enemies tend to run away with increasing frequency, thereby making it a pain in the butt to continue grinding. Also, despite what the Shaman says about your next EXP goal for levelling up, level 31 appears to be the maximum. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 4.19- Dark Tengu (Final Battle) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= If you aren't already there, return to the Giant Tree and once again use the Sun Blade on it. Enter Dark Tengu's lair. Make you way around the labyrinth (use section 4.17 if need be) to return to Kuri's position. From Kuri's position, continue to the west and go north at the next junction. (The western path leads to an empty chest.) Follow the northern path, which is pretty linear, until you get to an orange corridor going north, which seems to be a carpet with skulls on it. From this intersection, going north leads to Dark Tengu. If you head south, your party comes upon a pair of chests containing Gun Powder and a Burger. If you head east, the first passage going north leads to a chest containing Fruit. Following the previous path all the way east brings you to a room with three chests (Burger, Pure Water and Fruit). Once you've stocked up on whatever you need, return to the passage with the orange carpet. Head into the opening at its northern end to initiate the battle with Dark Tengu. This quest's final enemy greets you with these fine words : "Little Fool! The Secret Book of Ninja makes me all-powerful! Return it to me at once!!" You are permitted to chuckle a little in knowing that you've already unloaded the book in question - if you've followed my advice. Besides the fact that my characters are now at level 31, they were at level 25 or so the first time I fought this battle, I will use the same strategy now as I did then. Basically, since the only weapon able to deal damage to Dark Tengu is the Sun Blade, Taro's role is to relentlessly attack. That's it. You can throw in that Gun Powder if you want, but it will not be as effective as an attack. As for Hanna, she has a supporting role that includes casting Strength on Taro a couple of times at the beginning and then healing when necessary. Otherwise, she should be praying every opportunity she gets. Here's why. When her prayer is successful, which is probably once out of every ten tries, interesting things happen. Firstly, your characters might recover either some HP or MP. Secondly, they might get a boost in either STR, SPD, DEF, AGL or SKL. Even more important is the fact that these boosts appear to be cumulative throughout the battle. That being said, in the first couple of rounds, Dark Tengu might deal as much, if not more damage that Taro. However, as the boosts start to pile up, the damage he inflicts will diminish as Taro's DEF gradually increases. Also, if your party is lucky enough to get a few STR boosts, Taro's damage total will rise accordingly. Now, this is by no means an easy battle. Dark Tengu uses Feed a lot. I repeat - A LOT! His MP seems to be limitless and his Feed spell seems to restore much more than 20 HP. The advantage you have when he is using Feed, therefore using up his turn, is that Hanna keeps praying and getting those boosts without having to use her own MP. Also, do not forget to use Hanna's Life Bow, if necessary, to conserve her MP. Due to this repetitive nature of tactics, the battle winds up being long and even boring. But, just stick to it and you will see Dark Tengu fall. Here's how my battle went down : ? Total of 20 rounds. ? Dark Tengu used Feed 10 times. ? Hanna's Pray succeeded 2 times (SPD and DEF). ? Total damage done by Taro was 755. ? If Dark Tengu's Feed spell restores 20 HP (of which I am doubtful), his total HP is 555 (755 damage - 200 restored HP). Bear in mind that my party was maxed out at level 31. At level 25, I remember the battle being at least twice as long... =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 4.20- Wrap Up #1 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= As soon as Dark Tengu gives up the ghost, your party is whisked off to Ninja Village. Once there, you are surrounded by a crowd of ninjas clad in red and a few characters you've met during the quest. There is nowhere to go and talking to the red ninjas simply yields : "A splendid victory!" Talking to the ninja in green (who I presume is Yuki) results in : "You have the Ninja Village's eternal gratitude for defeating Dark Tengu. Oyuu and I are going on a journey." Yuki then moves out of the way and Taro can speak with Oyuu (I think) : "Kuri has also returned safely. It's my turn to train myself as hard as the princess did." Finally, as she steps to the right, you get to speak to the village leader : "Well done, Taro and Princess Hanna! There will be peace throughout the country once again...By the way, did you know that I disguised myself as Happo? Haw-haw!" What?!? I feel sooo betrayed!! Following that series of exchanges, Taro and Hanna are portrayed walking hand in hand on a beach as the sun sets. The accompanying text reads : "The Secret Book of Ninja has been returned to its rightful owners, but the journey of Taro and Princess Hanna is far from over." And with this, you are returned to the initial castle. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 5- Quest #2 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 5.1- A new beginning =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= As the title of this section indicates, this is as if you are beginning anew. Your party's characters are back to level 1 and all of your money and equipment has been stripped away. You are once more in the initial castle in the company of the guy I refer to as Sensei. He opens the conversation with : "Thank-you for retrieving the Secret Book of Ninja. I will record your journey to the scroll. Anyway, you must gain experience again to succeed in the next part of your journey. Take a rest before that. Bon voyage." After you simply gloss over the fact that your sensei can now speak some french, your party is then expelled from the castle and set upon the southeast path. You can always return to this castle to heal free of charge. Talking about money, the Sensei does allow you to begin with 100$. Proceed to the southeast to find a place to spend this cash. TOWN OF INNS - BUILDINGS Building Location Item/service Cash value Particularities House Southwest corner N/A N/A Cannot enter. Inn Near entrance Rest 4$ Recover HP and MP Item Shop Northeast corner Fruit 6$ Restores 20 HP Smoke Bomb 8$ Permits escape from most battles Burger 20$ Restores 80 HP Ninja Wing 30$ Returns party to last town visited Shaman South (middle) Save / Revive 0$ / 8$ Save game / Revive character Weapons Shop Northwest corner Shurikens 14$ Taro, +6 STR Cloth 16$ Taro, +31 DEF Robe 15$ Hanna, +26 DEF Blade 36$ Taro, +10 STR Bow 34$ Hanna, +6 STR TOWN OF INNS - VILLAGERS Description of person Location Information Man in green East "It's terrible! Edo City has fallen to monsters!..." Man in green Northeast corner "A Carrier Dog outside of this town will take you anywhere once you've recorded your journey in Shaman's scroll." Man in green North of inn "A priest in the east of town is looking for someone who will wipe out the monster." Man in green North (middle east) "Unfortunate soul! That man over there was transformed by monster." Man in green North (middle west) "You can get across the sea through the cave on the beach." Monster Centre "..." Woman in green Southwest corner "There's a cave at the southern point of the beach." Oddly enough, the Town of Inns only has one inn. Speak to all the people, including the monster (he doesn't bite), buy some stuff and exit the town to start grinding to level 4 or 5. Directly east of the town is a Carrier Dog terminal that will cost you 10$. Beyond that, still to the east and south, is a Lonely Shop #2 which sells an Egg Plant for 50$. Time to scrape some cash together... Once you've acquired the Egg Plant, return to Town of Inns and seek out the monster in the middle of town. At this point, using the Egg Plant permits you to access a sound test (there are 24 different samples). When you are done with the sound test, talk to the monster. It will eat the Egg Plant and transform back into a ninja who has this to say : "Thank-you. I'm Musashi. I went to Edo to destroy the monster, but was transformed like that by him. I would help, but everything I owned was lost on the beach." Leave town and travel to a single building located to the southwest. It contains some sort of monk who imparts this knowledge : "Welcome! Edo City is being destroyed by Nyudo King. We need your help desperately. A talisman exists which will drain the power of Nyudo King. You must find this Talisman and bring peace back to Edo City." And so the overall goals are outlined for this second quest. Find the Talisman and use it to defeat Nyudo King. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 5.2- Oni =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= From the monk's place, travel south and then east to reach a cluster of buildings. Overworld Cluster #5 Building Location Item/service Cash value Particularities House East Info N/A "You cannot go through the cave a little away from here because fallen rocks are in your way." House West Info N/A "It is rumoured an Egg Plant will restore those who were transformed by the monster to their original shapes." Inn North Rest 5$ Recover HP and MP Once your party has rested, head south and into the gate that forces an encounter with your first boss : Oni. This guy seems like a rehash of the Great Yaksa and can be pretty much dealt with in the same fashion. Attack, attack and attack. In my case the battle lasted 5 rounds and Hanna had to be healed once. Oni was dealt a total of 62 points of damage and coughed up the Blizzard Orb upon his defeat. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 5.3- The Beach and the Way Under =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Before you progress any further, I highly recommend getting Hanna up to at least level 7. Now that Oni has been tamed, go west until you hit the beach. Keep going until you reach the western shore and then head north. There is a single tree in the area. Stand on it and SEARCH to reveal a Bomb. Yep! This is the extent of everything Musashi claims to have owned. No wonder he failed...Regardless, the Bomb will do for now. From the tree, head southeast and enter the cave located in the woods. In keeping what we've been accustomed to, this quest's first cave (Way Under Cave) isn't any more complicated that the ones encountered in the first quest. Take note that the enemies here are a few steps above what you've thus far battled in this quest. It is recommended that your characters be at level 5 or 6. Upon entry, you'll see a path to the southwest (which is blocked by rocks) and an opening to the north. The opening to the north leads to a series of dead ends. Go southwest and use the Bomb on the rocks. Continue west and the path opens up to an area occupied by two people and three chests. Let's meet those peeps. The man in green says : "There aren't any brave warriors travelling to Edo City anymore." (Well that certainly helps. Maybe they should make sure that the passage is free of rocks instead of complaining.) For her part, the woman in violet reports : "We also fled from Edo City." Yeah, well, if you need me, I'll just be rooting through those chests. Speaking of which, the northern one contains Fruit, the western one a Smoke Bomb and the eastern one a Spear. This weapon is better than the Blade, so have Taro equip it. Return to the junction and follow the southern path to meet a ninja in red. He offers another scintillating bit of dialog : "This cave isn't very safe these days." Push past the ninja and to the west to reach another chest. This one yields Pure Water. Now head for the stairs that are to the south and exit this forsaken place. Your party appears on a new land mass across the sea. Travel south and east to come upon a loose cluster of buildings. Overworld Cluster #6 Building Location Item/service Cash value Particularities House North Info N/A "Fudo Town is located in the south." House Centre Info N/A "It's unbelievable! Nyudo King is bigger than Mt. Fuji." Inn South Rest 8$ Recover HP and MP =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 5.4- What the Fudo? =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= We obviously now need to get to Fudo. You should also be made aware that this area promises many encounters with the most annoying enemy thus far...the Parasol Claw! If you haven't already encountered it, you're in for a bad joke by this game's programmers! The Parasol Claw is well above your characters' abilities at this point. It will easily dodge half your attacks and itself deal 15-20 damage per turn, depending on your characters' levels. It can cast Evil Spirit, hence the reason for getting Hanna to level 7 (Cure spell). It can also use Magic of Puppet and Leech. Plus, it has over 140 HP. (Really!! This early in the quest?!) You almost have to treat it like a boss battle every single time. Get Hanna to use Reinforce and Pray while Taro hacks away at what looks like a cross between the Grinch and a deformed lamp. The upside is that this thing is worth 26 EXP and 80$. Yeah, you should run from this Claw whenever possible...Maybe even backtrack to Overworld Cluster #5 and grind some more. However, that option is painful at 2 or 3 EXP per enemy. I stayed close to Overworld Cluster #6, particularly the inn, and boosted my characters to at least level 10 before going forward. This is crucial, because at level 9 Hanna can cast Seal to counter the Parasol Claw's magic. This dramatically reduces the time those battles require. And then, when Hanna reaches level 10, she receives Dispel. This is a kind of death spell which is very handy when dealing with that frustrating enemy. When ready, ignore the bridge to the east and travel west, around the mountains and south. Once you've gone through the narrow mountain pass, keep going south until you see what appears to be a castle. That is Fudo Town. There is a Carrier Dog facility (12$) to the east. Enter Fudo. FUDO TOWN - BUILDINGS Building Location Item/service Cash value Particularities Inn Southeast corner Rest 8$ Recover HP and MP Item Shop West of entrance Fruit 6$ Restores 20 HP Smoke Bomb 8$ Permits escape from most battles Burger 20$ Restores 80 HP Ninja Wing 30$ Returns party to last town visited Shaman Southwest corner Save/Revive 0$/10$ Saves progress/Revives character Shrine Northwest corner Cure/Pure Water 6$/8$ Removes Evil Spirit/Purchase Pure Water Weapons Shop Southwest corner Chain Male 100$ Taro, +78 DEF Robe +1 150$ Hanna, +47 DEF Broad Ax 240$ Taro, +32 STR, Reduces available MP Amulet of Uranus 36$ Taro, +30 SPD, +24 AGL Amulet of the Moon 34$ Hanna, +31 DEF, +40 SKL Take note that equipping the Broad Ax will reduce Taro's available MP in a significant manner. At level 12, it goes down from 37 to 9. Although the +32 STR looks appealing, I avoided the Broad Ax due to the MP loss. FUDO TOWN - VILLAGERS Description of person Location Information Man in green East of Shrine "I hear that some descendants of the Fuma family who originally defeated the monster, still remain." Man in green South of castle "A powerful weapon was kept in this castle. It is called the Enma Blade." Man in green South of Weapons Shop "There is a wooded area beyond the mountain where the monsters live." Man in green Southwest of Item Shop "Welcome to Fudo Town." Man in green West of Inn "A man named Mr. Fox is living near here. He is rumored to be the person stealing from this town." Woman in violet Entrance "If you are followed by Evil Spirits, use Pure Water of go to a Shrine to be cured." (This advice comes a little late, no?) Woman in violet North of Item Shop "You're going to Edo to destroy the monster? How brave!" When you're done buying stuff and yakking it up with the villagers, enter the castle to have a brief conversation : "Please...We beg of you! Defeat Nyudo King, or he'll devastate our country. I wish I could give you the Enma Blade, but it was stolen by someone. If you find it, take it with you." Well! So much to thing about... If you travel directly northeast from Fudo Town, your party will come upon a lone house. Enter it to meet the presumed Mr. Fox. He does not greet you in a cheerful manner : "How dare you accuse me of being a thief! Impudent help!" I surmise that he meant to say "whelp". Also, one can't help accusing someone of being a thief if they act and dress like one (dark clothing and masked eyes). There isn't anything else to do in this area. Return to Overworld Cluster #6. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 5.5- Over the Bridge and Far Away =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Cross the bridge and go south. Follow the narrow path until you spot a building to the northeast. It is a Gambling House that requires a 10$ ante. Continue to the northeast to come upon a cluster of four buildings. This is Valley Town. VALLEY TOWN - BUILDINGS Building Location Item/service Cash value Particularities Carrier Dog South Travel 16$ Return to any town previously visited House West Info N/A "A long time ago, there lived a family known as Fuma who were weapon collectors. It has been told they hid their large collection in a cave somewhere." Inn North Rest 14$ Recover HP and MP Shaman East Save/Revive 0$/18$ Saves progress/Revives character I loitered around Valley Town til level 15. By that time, Hanna had learned Feed UP and battling the Master Ninja became much less problematic. Also, if you slaughter enough Dirt Golems, one of them should eventually drop a Sword of Luck (Taro, +34 STR, +37 DEF). This is a very good upgrade compared to the Spear and a healthy alternative to the Broad Ax. With level 15 attained, I then directed my party to the east, where there is a gate waiting to be explored. Upon entering, you are confronted with the Demon Spider. As before, Taro hacks away at the boss, while Hanna uses Reinforce on each character and then prays or heals as necessary. Her attacks are pretty useless against this enemy. My battle lasted seven rounds, with a total of 138 damage being dealt to the Demon Spider. Upon its demise, it leaves behind Magic of Sutra. This is another type of death spell that can be used by Taro. However, it doesn't appear to be too efficient. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 5.6- An Ax a Day =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= To the north of the Demon Spider's gate is a giant tree. If you walk into the right side of the tree, you end up in a town populated by monsters. Hence, I refer to it as Monster Town. MONSTER TOWN - BUILDINGS Building Location Item/service Cash value Particularities House East (middle) N/A N/A Inaccessible House (Boss) Northwest Kettle N/A Battle (see below) House Southeast corner N/A N/A Inaccessible House West (middle) N/A N/A Inaccessible Inn North Rest 14$ Recover HP and MP Weapons Shop Northeast corner Battle Amr 580$ Taro, +80 DEF Robe +3 260$ Hanna, +96 DEF MONSTER TOWN - VILLAGERS Description of person Location Information Monster East (middle, next to house) "These days, we are often wrongly accused of being evil monsters." Monster Enclosure (guarding) "Without permission of my boss, I can't give you the contents of the Tazura Box." Monster Enclosure (inside) "Search just south of the pond. There is an item there that will help you." Monster Southeast corner (next to house) "The boss of this village owns a very unusual kettle." Monster Southeast corner (next to well) "You must have the Crest of Fuma to pass through the Cave of Fuma." Monster West (middle) "Nyudo is dangerous. Be on your guard." When you've talked to pretty much everyone, including the monster guarding the enclosure (and yes, you can suddenly speak monster...), purchase any upgrades and head to the northwest house. This abode belongs to the boss and contains some sort of rebel Kettle against which you enter battle as soon as Taro enters the house. The name says it. Your foe is an animated kettle which appears to enjoy licking the floor. Maybe it's like an ancient Roomba gone rogue... The Kettle is fairly strong. It can inflict between 14 and 20 damage. My party fought for 4 rounds and inflicted 99 damage upon the Kettle before it became docile and the Boss made an appearance. The Alien lookalike seems peeved (Why doesn't this guy take on Nyudo?) : "No one has ever defeated my Kettle before! Examine the Tazura Box." So you now have permission to access the enclosure and search the Tazura Box within. Return to the monster guarding the enclosure. This time, when you talk to it, the reply will be : "Cut trees down with Ax to clear your path." Search the green chest to claim the Ax and do not forget to speak to the monster within the enclosure. Heed its advice and walk around to the pond's southern shore. Walk to the south of the tree on the shore and enter a hidden cave. This area contains eight chests. The contents of the top row, from left to right, are : Burger, Gun Powder, Bugle and Laugh-Gas. The contents of the bottom row, from left to right, are : Eye of Vulcan, Robe +2, Fruit and nothing. A short note on the Bugle. This is an item that, when used during battle, increases the PWR of your characters. Thereby permitting them to deal more damage. Since there is no PWR statistic, I suspect that it should be STR. By the way, remember that comment about using an Egg Plant to transform people back into their original form? I backtracked and purchased a second Egg Plant in an attempt to restore some of this town's monsters. Did not work...I guess they really are monsters. Yikes! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 5.7- A Chopping We Will Go =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Return to Valley Town. Head south and follow the mountains as your party first goes southwest and then southeast until your progress is blocked by a large tree. Use the Ax on it and continue following a path that leads south. You will come upon a cave. Your party can enter, but further progress is blocked by guards who demand : "Who are you?! People like you never come here. Leave immediately!" This is Fuma Cave. Remember it. We will come back when we have acquired the Fuma Crest. Backtrack to the Gambling House and travel north. (Just like the rocks that you bomb in the caves, the trees you chop always reappear...) Follow the path to another large tree and give it a whack with your new Ax. By the way, if you're like me, you are probably wondering when you will get the submarine and start wandering those high seas again. The short answer is you won't. There is no seafaring in this quest (or the third one for that matter). Nope, no delightful Mr. Catfish to yak it up with when there isn't anyone else about. Sigh... Once past the large tree, take the first path going east and then northeast to reach the Lonely Shop #3. LONELY SHOP #3 Building Location Item/service Cash value Particularities N/A N/A Fruit 6$ Restores 20 HP Ninja Wing 30$ Returns party to last town visited Burger 20$ Restores 80 HP Helmet 100$ Taro, +18 DEF, +20 AGL Tiara 100$ Hanna, +79 AGL Purchase those accessories and go back west, to the shoreline, and continue travelling north. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 5.8- Who the Fox? =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= You will soon come upon a house that is occupied by a real fox. This critter reports : "Three steps north of Mr. Fox's house is a place that should be searched." Return to Fudo Town and make your way to Mr. Fox's house. Stand three steps north of his house and SEARCH the ground to uncover the Enma Blade. Equipping this blade will give Taro +30 STR and +31 SPD. Personally, I preferred sticking with the Sword of Luck for its DEF bonus. Re-entering Mr. Fox's house to confront him with the evidence of his thieving ways is useless. Make you way back to the house with the actual fox. Speaking to the fox anew does not yield anything fresh. Travel east, through a small patch of desert, before turning north and then west. Go through another desert patch and veer north to reach a wide clearing. Notice the single patch of grass among the trees to the west. Go to it and your party will enter a hidden location that is occupied by a bearded man in a black robe. Talking to him results in : "Come back again when you have Amr of Buddha." Another detail to file away for later. Travel east. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 5.9- Buddha, Need Some Armor? =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Journey east, through a desert landscape with a multitude of gravestones, to reach Overworld Cluster #7. Overworld Cluster #7 Building Location Item/service Cash value Particularities House North Info N/A "We have gathered here to defeat the monsters, but without the Talisman, we are helpless." House Northwest Info N/A "I've been waiting for you. A priest in Town of Fuma a little bit away from here is holding the Talisman. But the Talisman alone won't save you. You'll need a special weapon, also without it, you can't possibly succeed." House South Info N/A "By holding the Talisman, you shall be protected from the evil magic of Nyudo King." Inn East Rest 15$ Restore HP and MP From Overworld Cluster #7, travel south on a fairly linear path that will take you to a gate. Do not enter it right away. Continue south to reach the Town of Fuma. Just south of that is a Carrier Dog terminal which charges 30$ for travel. TOWN OF FUMA - BUILDINGS Building Location Item/service Cash value Particularities Castle North (middle) Labyrinth N/A See comments below House Northeast N/A N/A Inaccessible Inn Southeast Rest 15$ Restore HP and MP Shaman Southeast Save/Revive 0$/20$ Save progress/Revive character Shrine Northeast Cure/Pure Water 8$/10$ Eliminate Evil Spirit/Buy Pure Water Weapons Shop Southeast Blade 34$ Taro, +10 STR Moon Blade 1000$ Taro, +50 STR, + 54 SKL Cloth of Mage 800$ Hanna, +77 DEF, +48 SKL Amulet of Mars 100$ Taro, +16 STR, +42 SPD Amulet of Venus 100$ Hanna, +16 SPD, +21 SKL TOWN OF FUMA - VILLAGERS Description of person Location Information Man in black Middle "A king - a descendant of the Fuma family - used to live in the castle. No one lives there now. The king possessed the Enma Blade." Man in black Northeast "I'm sorry. I gave the Talisman to a group of travellers. They swore they would defeat the monster and headed towards Edo City." Man in black Southeast (entrance) "A descendant of the Fuma family still resides in the cave. He still has the weapons his ancestors used." Man in green North of Inn "There used to be a king living in this castle. He was a descendant of the Fuma family. I'm not sure who lives in the castle now." Man in green North of Weapons Shop "Days ago, Samurai Musashi attacked Edo City. I'm not sure what happened after the battle." Man in green Southeast "This is the Town of Fuma." Man in green West (middle) "I hear there's something valuable still in this castle." If you want to make Taro an offensive powerhouse, go with the Moon Blade and the Amulet of Mars. To balance that, you might want to keep Hanna as defensive as possible by not changing any of her equipment. Following your tour of the town (we will get to the castle later), head north and enter the gate to encounter another boss - the Demon Knight. The Demon Knight looks like a flying monkey from the Wizard of Oz that didn't make the cut because he had two extra arms instead of wings. All four of his hands are wielding short swords. Anyway, it's time to demolish whatever ego this blue critter may have. You know the pattern by now. With my party being at level 16, Taro attacks while Hanna uses Reinforce, the Bugle and Pray, with the occasional Feed or Feed Two. With this sequence, my battle lasted 8 rounds and the Demon Knight bid good night after taking 162 damage. Upon his demise, he left behind the Orb of Atomic. Atomic is an interesting spell, in the sense that it deals 100 damage to an enemy and 25 damage to each party member. Now for Fuma Castle. Upon entry, you immediately realize that it is another one of those preschooler labyrinths. Follow the linear path until you can access the chest (Anex Card). I am not sure what this Anex Card does. Return upon the original path and continue north until you reach the entrance to another room containing a chest. As you enter the room, your party triggers a battle with another boss - Kabuki Man. This one looks like an evil doll which is having a bad hair day and is attempting pull its hair straight down. It voices its glee : "Hee hee. Another delicious human is trapped." (Uh, sure. Yeah. Trapped.) Once more, assume the usual tactical positions - Taro on offence and Hanna on defence. My battle lasted 10 rounds, with my party dealing out 168 in damage. The Kabuki Man dropped Shuriken (Wow! I really needed those!). With the Kabuki Man pushed off the stage, check out the chest to acquire Amr of Buddha. Leave the castle and make your way back to that empty patch of grass in section 5.8. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 5.10- Quest for Crest =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Back at the lonely patch of grass, enter it and speak to the man in black. He has this to say : "Stand on the bridge, and the Crest of Fuma will be with you." Do as indicated and you get this message : "Suddenly, light streamed from the Amr of Buddha. And the water was bathed in its light. Suddenly emerged from the pond...the Crest of Fuma." Do you remember where to use that crest? Yep, the Cave of Fuma. Let's head over there. In fact, if you talk to the guy in black again, he will confirm it : "Take the Crest of Fuma and go to the Cave of Fuma." This time, when you enter and encounter the guards, you get a friendlier message : "Deep inside this cave, you'll find weapons for destroying the monsters." After imparting this wisdom, the guards will part and permit access to the cave. Get ready for a fairly long walk past many statues. Also, despite being guarded, this cave is populated by monsters. After the statues, there is another rudimentary maze. Ignore the paths to the west and continue north. Bomb the rocks to proceed to the stairway. On the next floor, walk to the west and Search the first chest you come upon (Ninja Wing). Continue West to find two more chests. The left one contains Bld of Buddha, while the right one yields the Rod of Buddha. Wow! What a weapons cache...Two items! These items are, however, among the best weapons in the game. Particularly the Bld of Buddha, which has a Divine Light attack that acts as a death spell. Anyway, use the Ninja Wing to leave the cave. Make your way back to Town of Fuma. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 5.11- Hey, Mr. Talisman =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Keep travelling upon the winding southerly route until your party comes upon a pair of buildings. Overworld Cluster #8 Building Location Item/service Cash value Particularities Inn Southeast Rest 8$ Restore HP and MP Item Shop Northwest Burger 20$ Restores 80 HP Smoke Bomb 8$ Permits escape from most battles Ninja Wing 30$ Returns party to last town visited Not much to say about this place, except to make good use of the inn. Because of how far this inn is from our next major destination, I hung around this area and boosted my party up to level 20. Travel to the northwest and you will encounter another cluster of buildings and, north of them, a town. The Town is Edo City and the cluster is its suburb. Overworld Cluster #9 Building Location Item/service Cash value Particularities House Bottom row, Left Battle N/A Presence of Samurai House Bottom row, Right Battle N/A Death Ninja House Middle row, Centre Battle N/A Presence of Demon Head House Middle row, Right Battle N/A Presence of Samurai House Top row, Centre Battle N/A Presence of Samurai House Top row, Left Battle N/A Presence of Death Ninja House Top row, Right Battle N/A Presence of Demon Head Weapons Shop Middle row, Left Robe +5 3000$ Hanna, +127 DEF, +47 SKL Most of the buildings contain enemies that can be battled over and over again. This is great for grinding and for acquiring particular items you may want for the upcoming final confrontation. Take note that the Samurai enemies drop the Amulet of Pluto. This item is particular in the sense that when equipped on Taro, it also has an effect on Hanna and vice-versa. If Taro equips it, he gets +97 SPD and Hanna gets +103 SPD. If Hanna equips it, she gets +103 SPD and Taro gets +97 AGL. I personally preferred to keep the STR and DEF bonuses from the other amulets. Upon entry in Edo City, you can't fail to notice that there are many buildings. However none of the, except the castle, are accessible. So I will not bother listing them. There are, however, a couple of people to talk to. EDO CITY - CITIZENS Description of person Location Information Man in black Middle "You've come to kill Nyudo King? That's our quest, too. Unfortunately, we left the Talisman in the castle." Man in green East "Let's get out of this place! It's creepy!" Man in green West "By holding the Talisman, you shall be protected from the evil magic of Nyudo King." Note : At this point it is recommended that you read ahead to see what items you may want to have when you enter the final battle with Goma the Great. Consult section 6.3 for a look at the tactics involved in beating him. Whenever you feel ready, enter the castle to be confronted with another mind- numbing labyrinth. Begin by going west and north and then following the fairly linear path until the first real junction in the maze. Choose the northern path and it will lead to another fork where you can go north or south. Go south and proceed on this path until the next intersection. Go west. Upon entering the big room, go west again. Make your way to the chest to claim the Pure Water it contains. Return to the big room and, as soon as you enter it from the hallway, count five steps north and four steps east. Searching in this spot should yield the Talisman. Next, exit the large room through the southern exit and go east and north to another intersection. Go east and proceed to the next intersection, where you will also go east. Follow that long linear path all the way around to the north and west, until you come to a big room with a lone figure in the middle. This is Nyudo King! You need to talk to him to initiate the battle. Upon your bothering him, he says : "Where did you get that Talisman? Obviously, you're no mere mortal if you figured out my weak point. All right, I'll send you to hell as you wish!" And off we go... Nyudo King kinda looks like a one-eyed genie that is holding a horned staff. Battle this guy in the same way you've battled all the others. Taro does the fighting, while Hanna starts by using Reinforce on each character. She follows up with the Bugle and then prayer and then healing whenever necessary. Nyudo King's physical attacks start by dealing about 35 damage (after Reinforce it drops to 10-15). It is a good thing he uses Feed quite a bit. That keeps him busy while you slowly pile on the damage, heal up and accumulate bonuses from Pray. Also, be aware that Nyudo King can also use Magic of Thread. And he does, quite regularly on both Hanna and Taro. I entered the conversation that led to this smack-down with Nyudo King at level 20. The battle lasted 21 rounds and my party inflicted a total of 253 damage on that critter's blue hide. I was actually surprised at how brief this final fight was, considering how low my characters' levels were. The first time I finished the second quest, my party must have been at level 24 or so and the battle had seemed longer. Regardless, Nyudo King's butt has been kicked and you are left standing in the middle of Edo City's Castle. Time to make your way out. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 5.12- Wrap Up #2 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= You can heal up if you wish, but you shouldn't meet up with any enemies, seeing as how Nyudo King isn't of this realm any longer. Follow the reverse path as you travel north, east and then south to meet up with the first junction. Go west and south and continue going south until there is a branch to the east. Take it all the way to the south and then go west at the intersection. Follow this path back all the way to the entrance of the castle. Upon your exit from Edo Castle, you are greeted by a small crowd of people. The person to the right is Musashi : "I am Samurai Musashi, master of martial arts. I have come to help you...What?! You've defeated Nyudo King on your own?" Of the two guys blocking the path through the trees, the right one says : "Wonderful! I admire your skill!" He moves out of the way after having spoken. The left one also has an opinion no one asked for : "You are truly brave warriors." The last person from the greeting committee is standing to the south. Upon initiating a conversation with him, you get : "Well done! This team will prosper now that the evil has been eliminated." (What team? Did we save the Arizona Coyotes? Will they stay in Phoenix? And what about that evil...Is it a reference to the coach or management or even the league's commissioner? Soo many unanswered questions! And yes, I am a hockey fan. And...oh...that guy is still talking.) "Edo will grow and prosper. You guys are great! (Thanks, Tony the Tiger.) Taro and Princess Hanna. I will record your journey to the scroll." Thus ends quest #2. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 6- Quest #3 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 6.1- Just Like Starting Over =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Take note that some people consider this to be the fourth quest. Apparently a "third" quest is available through the manipulation of data values and whatnot. Seeing as how there is no sure way of even playing that "hidden" quest to completion, I did not attempt this. Therefore, sticking to the intended flow of the game's US version, what follows below is the official third quest. In keeping with the tradition, you begin this new quest by hanging out in Princess Hanna's Castle. The Sensei greets you anew : "By the way, probably because you defeated the monsters of the country, a place called Zakuro Island has been discovered recently. A powerful monster is said to live there. They call him Goma the Great. Taro! Princess Hanna! Nobody is able to defeat him! You're our only hope!" Taro and Hanna appear on the coast of the presumed Zakura Island. Thankfully enough, at the beginning of this quest, your party has managed to keep both its magic and equipment and its levels. However, nothing says we appreciate your valiant efforts more than being dumped in a hostile territory with no way to get back home. Make your way to the cluster of buildings. This is Overworld Cluster #10. (How recent is this discovery if these people have had time to set up shop?) Overworld Cluster #10 Building Location Item/service Cash value Particularities Inn Northwest Rest 5$ Completely recover HP and MP Item Shop Northeast Fruit 6$ Restores 20 HP Burger 20$ Restores 80 HP ???Fruit 2000$ Rotten fruit that inflicts damage Ninja Wing 50$ Returns party to last town visited Shaman South Save/Revive 0$/4$ Save progress/Revive party character I suggest sticking around the cluster and grinding till at least level 23 before heading north. You'll quickly get tired of the Death Warriors you'll face, but these guys are fairly easy and, to my knowledge, do not use any magic. Also, if you battle enough of them, you just might acquire a Star of Power that can serve in the final battle. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 6.2- The Minor Bosses =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= I enjoy using game features that can be exploited in ways which may not have been intended by the programmers. In the case of dealing with the string of four minor bosses before reaching the final cave, you have the modest advantage of getting completely healed and having your MP maxed out after every fight with a minor boss. And the bosses keep coming back. I therefore used this feature to stick around each boss's gate to fight each one over and over, until the party gained one level at each gate, therefore putting it at level 27 to face Goma. With the EXP values of the minor bosses, this goes fairly quickly. If you go the route of upping two levels per boss, your party comes out at level 31. My first battle with the Blue Dragon went nine rounds, during which my party, which was at level 23, dealt it 221 damage. As usual, Taro continually hacked away while Hanna started with Reinforce, followed by the Bugle and then either attacked or used healing. In regards to the Minotaur, I used the exact same tactic and my party walked away from the battle in 6 rounds after having dealt 222 points of damage. Since the minor bosses are more or less on the same level, the battle with the Red Dragon went even better. This one crawled away after 5 rounds and 228 points of damage. Be aware, though, that the Red Dragon uses Magic of Flame. Sometimes a couple of rounds in a row. The fourth minor boss is the Axe Master. He is kind of a let-down after the first three. My party dealt him 165 damage, excluding what he healed, over 8 rounds. Yeah, he does use Feed, but not too often. He may even throw in an occasional Leech spell if you battle him enough times. If you take the time to use Reinforce, he will do 1 to 3 damage per attack on Taro. Also, he gives a disappointing 16 EXP. Yawn... If you're still looking to level up, I suggest hanging around the Red Dragon some more. Otherwise, you'll be tangling with the Axe Master for way too long. When you've had your fill of these bosses, head east past the Axe Master's gate and enter the cave. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 6.3- Goma Get Me Some =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The cave is another of those simple labyrinths. This one is populated by Death Ninjas and Faceless. The latter are the only real challenge in this area, as they have enough power to be considered a minor boss. Using any sort of magic around him appears to increase the possibility of a massive physical strike (over 100 damage) on his part. Or maybe it is circumstantial. Travel west, past the walls and some statues. Here, there is a sort of bottle- neck where you must battle a Faceless in order to progress. Following the battle, keep going west to exit the cave. Your party emerges on Goma's private island. Enter the castle to face this final foe. You are confronted with another labyrinth. Cursed Warriors, Giant Snakes and Arch Demons make another appearance in this area. If you go east and north, your party can enter an area that contains two people. They both report, "Goma the Great is waiting for you." Actually, everyone in this area will relay this useless tidbit of information. Go north and follow the fairly linear path to the northeast corner and then west. When you get to a junction, it is obvious that going east leads to a dead-end. Go west and immediately north to trigger a battle with Mono Eye. Mono Eye looks like he could be Faceless' brother. And like Faceless, using magic around him seems to encourage a massive physical attack on his part. Treat him like a minor boss, trash him and heal up. Then go north for the final battle. How kind of Goma the Great to grace us with his presence...He greets your party with this message: "You two are the first people to come here. You must think you are pretty powerful. But I will show you what power is!" (Well, that certainly isn't going to do anything for the tourist industry in this region!) Well, I'm confident that you've mastered the drill by now. Taro Attacks while Hanna uses Reinforce for the first couple of rounds. Followed by using the Bugle. Be aware that Goma is good at avoiding attacks and heavy physical strikes can be liberally distributed by him. Also, he uses Magic of Flame, Rain of Needle and Shurikens. The second phase of the battle is to use whatever other items which may be of use. I am referring to Living Swd (inflicts 60 damage), Star of Power (blocks the opponents magic, probably the key item since Goma will try to use quite a bit of magic), Nail of Lord (increases STR) or Eye of Vulcan (increases DEF). I had one of each in stock. Following this, is the final phase of having Taro attack while Hanna heals and prays. In total, my battle lasted 21 rounds, with my dynamic duo having inflicted a total of 274 damage. Following Goma the Great's defeat, you hear the Sensei preaching : "Splendid Taro and Princess Hanna! Always remember, evil lives everywhere! Leave now...With the evil gone from here, this island will sink to the bottom of the sea!" =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 6.4- Wrap up #3 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= It is now time to heck the heck out of this castle. Use the same path as when you made your way to Goma. You will encounter the same people as earlier. They do not seem concerned with the sinking island : "Don't pity us. We will drown with our island. A small price to pay for ridding the world of evil." Upon exiting the castle, you get an image of Taro and Hanna enjoying the island's destruction : "Look! Zakuro Island is sinking..." In the next image, they are running towards a castle : "Let's head back to the castle, princess." That is followed by a bird's eye view of the land and an epilogue : "Peace and tranquility came to the towns and villages. Never again did people need to fear, for the world had been cleansed of all evil." (That is quite different than what the Sensei had spoken about after Goma's defeat...) END =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 7- Bestiaries =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Although many enemies in this game can be defeated through brute force, a number of them require an alternative approach. Apart from the bosses, which are also covered in their respective sections, here are the foes encountered throughout the game, in relation to the quests they appear in : =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 7.1- Quest #1 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Below is the table of enemies encountered during the first quest. MIN HP is the minimum damage done to the enemy before it was defeated. Enemy name MIN HP EXP value Cash value Items dropped Particularities Attack Dog 16 2 1$ Laugh-Gas None Arch Demon 130 29 70$ Uses Magic of Puppet Bear 82 7 12$ Gun Powder Uses Magic of Gun Powder and Leech Big Worm 53 2 8$ Giant Toadstool Cursed Warrior 105 32 68$ Burst Bld Cutter 25 16 30$ Gong Immune to physical attacks Dark Ninja 160 31 64$ Dark Blade Uses Magic of Feed Up Dark Priest 81 1 63$ Djinn 102 29 31$ Pure Water Uses Magic of Flame and Gun Powder Dream Eater 25 12 16$ Earth Bug Immune to physical attacks, Uses Magic of Puppet Earth Bug 47 5 12$ Fruit Evil Moth 100 15 32$ Star of Power Uses Magic of Leech Evil NInja 65 7 16$ Shurikens None Fighter 154 29 111$ Earth Bug Uses Magic of Evil Spirit and Leech Fish Lord 125 29 64$ Beard of Mage Floating Devil 13 2 4$ Fruit None Giant Bear 192 32 80$ Life Blade Uses Magic of Puppet , Rain of Needle and Resurrect Giant Snake 143 28 30$ Uses Magic of Evil Spirit and Resurrect Giant Toadstool 42 2 2$ Gray Fairy 98 16 56$ Great Viper 86 18 32$ Vampire Shell Uses Magics of Evil Spirit and Leech Great Yaksa 120 N/A N/A Orb of Dark Mist Refer to section 4.7 Half Demon 153 30 64$ Living Swd Hell Scorpion 69 15 40$ Paw of Wyvern Uses Magic of Resurrect Illusionist 140 21 64$ Robe +2 Uses Magic of Leech, Puppet and Transform2 (Half Demon) Kabuki Samurai 65 N/A N/A Orb of Thunder Refer to section 4.4 Killer Bear 48 6 14$ Laugh-Gas King Tortoise 197 N/A N/A Orb of Fire Bolt Refer to section 4.12 Kraken 68 12 21$ Lesser Demon 84 16 29$ Living Swd Ninja Dog 38 5 16$ Shurikens Regularly dodges attacks Priest 116 10 6$ Fruit Uses Magic of Feed, Seal and Thread Rock Monster 97 6 20$ Eye of Vulcan Shinobi Man 114 10 47$ Dagger Uses Magic of Shurikens and Thread Slime 7 1 1$ Snow Wolf 99 21 52$ Vampire Shell 81 20 56$ Gong Wheel Golem 64 4 18$ ???Fruit Uses Magic of Feed Wind Elemental 21 3 12$ Laugh-Gas Uses Magic of Evil Spirit =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 7.2- Quest #2 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Below is the table of enemies encountered during the second quest. MIN HP is the minimum damage done to the enemy before it was defeated. Enemy name MIN HP EXP value Cash value Items dropped Particularities Big Worm 30 2 8$ Giant Toadstool Cursed Warrior 105 32 68$ Burst Bld Dark Bishop 73 1 1$ Dark Bishop Uses Magic of Resurrect Dark Stalker 113 32 62$ Gong Death Ninja 158 32 95$ Uses Magic of Kamikaze Demon Head 65 28 58$ Uses Magic of Transform1 Demon Knight 162 N/A N/A Orb of Atomic Refer to section 5.9 Demon Spider 138 N/A N/A Orb of Sutra Refer to section 5.5 Dirt Golem 55 7 29$ Sword of Luck Uses Magic of Gun Powder Dragon Fly 148 32 75$ Living Swd Eater 12 2 2$ Fruit Earth Bug 36 5 12$ Earth Golem 38 4 6$ Flying Eye 149 31 144$ Dark Bishop Gazer 87 10 26$ Nail of Lord Uses Magic of Evil Spirit and Gun Powder Giant Toad 105 24 48$ Giant Toadstool 12 2 2$ Fruit Gelatinous Head 38 3 8$ Giant Toadstool Uses Magic of Feed Kabuki Man 168 52 180$ Shurikens Uses Magic of Thread Kettle 99 N/A N/A None Permits access to a particular Tazura Box Killer Wolf 66 5 18$ Gun Powder Marman 94 15 30$ Master Ninja 80 13 24$ Nail of Lord Uses Magic of Flame, Seal and Shurikens Mushroom Boss 26 3 4$ Night Stalker 91 15 32$ Laugh-Gas Uses Magic of Rain of Needle Nyudo King 253 N/A N/A N/A See section 5.11 Ogre 98 28 8$ Giant Toadstool Oni 62 N/A N/A Orb of Blizzard Refer to section 5.2 Parasol Claw 144 26 80$ Cursed Clt Uses Magic of Evil Spirit, Leech and Puppet Samurai 158 40 176$ Amulet of Pluto Slime 9 1 1$ Toad Boss 143 32 150$ Uses Magic of Flame Wisp 88 14 30$ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 7.3- Quest #3 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Below is the table of enemies encountered during the third quest. MIN HP is the minimum damage done to the enemy before it was defeated. Enemy name MIN HP EXP value Cash value Items dropped Particularities Arch Demon 130 29 70 Uses Magic of Puppet Axe Master 165 16 32$ Shurikens See section 6.2 Blue Dragon 221 160 100$ Shurikens See section 6.2 Cursed Warrior 105 32 68$ Death Ninja 158 32 95$ Uses Magic of Kamikaze Death Warrior 155 45 167$ Star of Power Faceless 219 168 250$ Uses Magic of Thread Giant Snake 143 28 30$ Uses Magic of Evil Spirit and Resurrect Goma the Great 274 N/A N/A See section 6.3 Minotaur 222 160 250$ Shurikens See section 6.2 Mono Eye 209 128 250$ Red Dragon 228 192 250$ Shurikens See section 6.2 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 8- Items =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= This section includes all of the items that I have come across in the game. The items are divided into five categories : Weapons, Accessories, Clothing, Amulets and Other items. Each table lists them in alphabetical order and includes information such as where or how the items were acquired (the number in parentheses is the quest), their value (buying and selling) and either their effects or uses. As a general rule, items can be sold for about half their purchasing value. Obviously, this does not apply to all items, since some are acquired through other means. In the case where an item is acquired through battle and the dropping of a Tazura Box by an enemy, that enemy is listed. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 8.1- Weapons =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Weapon name Where to get it Buying value Selling value Effects/uses Blade Town of Fuma (2) Town of Inns (2) 34$ 36$ 18$ Taro, +10 STR Bld of Buddha Cave of Fuma (2) N/A N/A Taro, +70 STR, Divine Light attack Bow Town of Gravekeepers (1) Town of Inns (2) 30$ 34$ 16$ Hanna, +6 STR Broad Ax Fudo Town (2) 250$ 90$ Taro, +32 STR, Reduces available MP Burst Bld Cursed Warrior (2) N/A 550$ Taro, +44 STR Dagger Shinobi Man (1) N/A 25$ Taro, +10 STR Dark Blade Dark Ninja (1) N/A 500$ Taro, +54 STR Enma Blade Mr. Fox's house (2) N/A 1$ Taro, +30 STR, +31 SPD Life Blade Giant Bear (1) N/A 600$ Taro, +38 STR, Restores 20 HP when used as an item during battle Life Bow Overworld Cluster #4 (1) 550$ 200$ Hanna, +30 STR, Restores 40 HP when used as an item during battle Moon Blade Town of Fuma (2) 1000$ 1000$ Taro, +50 STR, +54 SKL Ninja Bld Port Town (1) 250$ 110$ Taro, +36 STR, +34 SKL Rod of Buddha Fuma Cave (2) N/A 1$ Hanna, +32 STR Shurikens Axe Master (3) Ninja Village (1) Port Town (1) Town of Gravekeepers (1) Town of Inns (2) Blue Dragon (3) Evil Ninja (1) Kabuki Man (2) Minotaur (3) Ninja Dog (1) Red Dragon (3) N/AN/A 14$ 14$ 14$ 14$ N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 7$ Taro, +6 STR Shuriken+1 Snow Town (1) 600$ 200$ Taro, +54 STR Sickle Overworld Cluster #3 (1) Port Town (1) 100$ 100$ 50$ Taro, +9 STR Spear Town of Gravekeepers (1) 56$ 26$ Taro, +12 STR Sun Blade Happo (1) N/A N/A Taro, +88 STR, +40 SKL, Only weapon effective against Dark Tengu Swd of Falcon Isles Town (1) 1000$ 500$ Taro, +70 STR, +91 SPD Sword of Luck Dirt Golem (2) N/A 120$ Taro, +34 STR, +37 DEF =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 8.2- Accessories =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Accessory name Where to get it Buying value Selling value Effects/uses Belt of Mage Cave #2 (1) N/A 60$ Hanna, +32 SKL Gauntlet Port Town (1) 80$ 40$ Taro, +26 DEF, +16 AGL Helmet Lonely Shop #3 (2) 100$ 50$ Taro, +18 DEF, +20 AGL Tiara Lonely Shop #3 (2) Oyuki's Cave (1) 100$ N/A 50$ Hanna, +79 SKL =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 8.3- Clothing =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Clothing name Where to get it Buying value Selling value Effects/uses Amr of Buddha Fuma Castle (2) N/A 1$ Taro, +120 DEF, +37 SKL Battle Amr Monster Town (2) 580$ 250$ Taro, +80 DEF Chain Male Fudo Town (2) 100$ 38$ Taro, +78 DEF Cloth Ninja Village (1) Town of Inns (2) 16$ 16$ 8$ Taro, +31 DEF Cloth of Mage Town of Fuma (2) 800$ 700$ Hanna, +77 DEF, +48 SKL Cursed Clt Isles Castle (1) Parasol Claw (2) N/A N/A 20$ Taro, +93 AGL Iron Fur Snow Town (1) 700$ 250$ Taro, +96 DEF Knoiti Clt Island shop (1) 2500$ 800$ Hanna, +127 DEF, +80 AGL Ninja Clt Overworld Cluster #3 (1) 100$ 40$ Taro, +48 DEF Ninja Amr Oyuki's Cave (1) N/A 1$ Taro, +104 DEF, +34 SKL Ninja Mail Port Town (1) 200$ 100$ Taro, +26 SPD, +70 DEF Robe Ninja Village (1) Town of Inns (2) 15$ 15$ 6$ Hanna, +26 DEF Robe +1 Fudo Town (2) Overworld Cluster #3 (1) 150$ 110$ 50$ Hanna, +47 DEF Robe +2 Illusionist (1) Hidden Cave in Monster Town (2) N/A N/A 90$ Hanna, +32 SPD, +38 DEF Robe +3 Monster Town (2) 260$ 125$ Hanna +96 DEF Robe +4 Isles Town (1) 500$ 200$ Hanna, +63 DEF Robe +5 Overworld Cluster #9 (2) 3000$ 1$ Hanna, +127 DEF, +47 SKL =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 8.4- Amulets =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Amulet name Where to get it Buying value Selling value Effects/uses Mars, of Isles Town (1) Town of Fuma (2) 120$ 100 $ 60$ Taro, +16 STR, +42 SPD Moon, of the Fudo Town (2) Town of Gravekeepers (1) 34$ 28$ 12$ Hanna, +31 DEF, +40 SKL Pluto, of Samurai (2) N/A 1$ Taro, +97 SPD (Hanna, +103 SPD) Hanna, +103 SPD (Taro, +97 AGL) Uranus, of Fudo Town (2) Town of Gravekeepers (1) 36$ 32$ 10$ Taro, +30 SPD, +24 AGL Venus, of Isles Town (1) Town of Fuma (2) 120$ 100$ 60$ Hanna, +16 SPD, +21 SKL =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 8.5- Other items =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Item name Where/how to get it Buying value Selling value Effects/uses ???Fruit Overworld Cluster #10 (3) Wheel Golem (1) 2000$ N/A 1$ Rotten fruit that causes damage Anex Card Fuma Castle (2) N/A 80$ To be determined Ax Monster Town (2) N/A N/A Cuts large trees in the Overworld Beard of Mage Fish Lord (1) N/A 100$ Restores 40 MP when used in battle Bomb Port Town (1) N/A N/A Clears rocks blocking a path Bone Lonely Shop (1) 200$ 1$ Incentive for travel to Port Town Bugle Hidden Cave in Monster Town (2) N/A 80$ Use to increase PWR during battle Burger Fudo Town (2) Lonely Shop #1 (1) Lonely Shop #3 (2) Overworld Cluster #8 (2) Overworld Cluster #10 (3) Port Town (1) Snow Town (1) Town of Gravekeepers (1) Town of Inns (2) 20$ 20$ 20$ 20$ 20$ 20$ 22$ 20$ 20$ 10$ Restores 80 HP Cake Town of Gravekeepers (1) 50$ 1$ Trade this item for the Log Bridge Eye of Vulcan Rock Monster (1) N/A 80$ Increases DEF when used in battle Fruit Fudo Town (2) Lonely Shop #1 (1) Lonely Shop #3 (2) Ninja Village (1) Overworld Cluster #3 (1) Overworld Cluster #4 (1) Overworld Cluster #10 (3) Port Town (1) Snow Town (1) Town of Gravekeepers (1) Town of Inns (2) Eater (2) Earth Bug (1) Floating Devil (1) Priest (1) 6$ 6$ 6$ 6$ 6$ 2$ 6$ 6$ 8$ 6$ 6$ N/A N/A N/A N/A 3$ Restores 20 HP Gong Cutter (1) N/A 100$ Makes enemies run from battle Green Ring Island with cross (1) N/A 1$ Item for Happo's quest Gun Powder Port Town (1) Bear (1) 30$ N/A 20$ Inflicts 20 damage on enemy Laugh-Gas Attack Dog (1) Killer Bear (1) Wind Elemental (1) N/A N/A N/A 10$ Causes an enemy to burst out laughing and become temporarily ineffective during battle Living Swd Dragon Fly (2) Half Demon (1) N/A N/A 80$ Causes 60 damage in battle Nail of Lord Gazer (2) N/A 35$ Increases STR during battle Ninja Wing Fudo Town (2) Lonely Shop #1 (1) Lonely Shop #3 (2) Ninja Village (1) Overworld Cluster #8 (2) Overworld Cluster #10 (3) Port Town (1) Snow Town (1) Town of Gravekeepers (1) Town of Inns (2) 30$ 30$ 30$ 30$ 30$ 50$ 50$ 30$ 30$ 30$ 15$ Returns party to last village visited Paw of Wyvern Hell Scorpion (1) N/A 25$ Increases SPD when used during battle Pure Water Shrines Djinn (1) Eliminates Evil Spirit Red Ring Cave #2 (1) N/A 1$ Item for Happo's quest Smoke Bomb Fudo Town (2) Lonely Shop (1) Ninja Village (1) Overworld Cluster #3 (1) Overworld Cluster #8 (2) Port Town (1) Snow Town (1) Town of Gravekeepers (1) Town of Inns (2) 8$ 8$ 8$ 10$ 8$ 16$ 18$ 8$ 8$ 4$ Used to escape most battles Star of Power Cave #2 (1) Death Warrior (3) Evil Moth (1) N/A N/A N/A 80$ Summons deity that blocks enemy magic during battle Submarine North of Port Town (1) N/A N/A Used to cross certain bodies of water Sun Mirror Cave #1 (1) N/A 1$ Used to redirect sunlight =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 9- Spells =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= This section includes all of the spells that I have come across in the game. The following table lists them in alphabetical order and includes information such as who can use the spell, when it becomes available, its MP cost and its effects or particularities. Some spells are specific to one quest. The quest number is in brackets next to the spell. Take note that some spells used by your characters can also be used by enemies (ex. Feed, Seal) and that others are exclusive to enemies (ex. Thread, Puppet). Spell name Used by Becomes available MP cost Effects/particularities Bind (1) Hanna Taro Lv. 2 Lv. 12 4 Temporarily immobilizes an enemy during battle Chuckle Taro Lv. 6 5 Causes an enemy to laugh and become temporarily ineffective during battle Cure Hanna Lv. 7 6 Removes an Evil Spirit haunting a character Dispel Hanna Lv. 10 8 Launches an arrow of light which destroys enemy Erase Hanna Lv. 13 8 Eliminates the effects of all magic in the battle (Puppet, Seal, etc.) Feed Hanna Taro Lv. 3 Lv. 5 4 4 Restores 20 HP to one character Feed Two Hanna Taro Lv. 11 Lv. 12 8 Restores 30 HP to each character Feed Up Hanna Lv. 14 18 Completely restores HP to one character Flame Enemy N/A N/A Inflicts 40 damage when used in battle Flash Taro Lv. 11 6 Used to dazzle opponents with light to permit escape during battle Gun Powder Enemy N/A N/A Causes 16 damage to target Kamikaze Enemy N/A N/A Exploding enemy causes 25 damage to each character Leech Enemy N/A N/A Transfers 10-20 HP from one character to the enemy Puppet Enemy N/A N/A Permits an enemy to take control of a character in your party Rain of Needle Enemy N/A N/A Causes 30 damage to target Reinforce Hanna Lv. 4 6 Increases target character's DEF for duration of battle Resurrect Hanna Enemy Lv. 17 N/A 25 N/A Revives target character or creature with full HP Seal Hanna Lv. 9 6 Temporarily prevents an opponent from using magic during battle Shurikens Enemy N/A N/A Inflicts 20 HP of damage Strength (1) Hanna Lv. 5 7 Increase the strength of the target character for the duration of a battle Tempura (1) Hanna Lv. 6 8 Turns certain enemies into Tempura Thread Enemy N/A N/A Immobilizes an opponent during battle Transform2 Enemy N/A N/A Transforms the caster into a Half Demon =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 10- Orbs =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= This section includes all of the orbs that I have come across in the game. The following table lists them in alphabetical order and includes information such as how it was acquired, its MP cost and its effects or particularities. Orbs are specific to one quest. The quest number is in brackets. Orb name Acquired by MP cost Effects/particularities Atomic (2) Defeating Demon Knight 14 Causes explosion which deals 100 damage to enemy and 25 damage to each party member Blizzard (2) Defeating Oni 5 Inflicts 24 damage on an enemy Dark Mist (1) Defeating Great Yaksa 8 Wraps an enemy in a dark mist and defeats it Fire Bolt (1) Defeating King Tortoise 12 Inflicts 80 damage on an enemy Sutra (2) Defeating Demon Spider 10 Death spell Thunder (1) Defeating Kabuki Samurai 5 Inflicts 25 damage on an enemy =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 11- Level System =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= This section includes tables detailing how the characters progress through their experience levels. The tables include the level #, the necessary EXP to reach the level, Max HP and Max MP. The base values of STR, DEF, AGL and SKL also appear. As does the availability of any spells. Some spells are specific to a particular quest and the quest number is indicated in brackets. Keep in mind that there is most likely a variable that is applied to the progression of STR, SPD and AGL. These attributes do not increase in a steady manner. Also, when a character levels up, HP and MP is maxed out for all members of the party. Also, during the second quest, Taro and Hanna will level up at the same EXP amounts. This is contrary to the first quest (for which the tables are displayed below), where their EXP amounts for levelling up synced only at level 14. Finally,in pursuing the maximum experience level for each character, I seem to have lost about $40,000 when my characters went from level 30 to 31. Is this some kind of level luxury tax? It is a good thing that having money is pretty moot at this point. (Unless you've wasted your whole fortune away in those disreputable gambling houses and not purchased the proper equipment. Shame on you!) There is also the fact that once you've hit level 31, the game lets you believe that there is a level 32, since it gives you a new EXP amount to shoot for (65 535). However, upon reaching that amount, the EXP total simply resets itself to 2. It then starts accumulating EXP all over again, however, without any level increases. If you go to the shaman, you will get a message that you need over 65,000 EXP to reach the next level. Do not fall for it! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 11.1- Taro =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Level # EXP total Max HP Max MP STR SPD DEF AGL SKL Spells 1 N/A 14 4 1 7 1 5 2 N/A 2 10 22 7 2 7 4 7 5 N/A 3 21 30 10 3 8 7 7 8 N/A 4 38 38 13 4 8 10 7 11 N/A 5 56 46 16 5 8 13 8 14 Feed 6 80 54 19 6 9 16 8 17 Chuckle 7 130 62 22 8 9 19 10 20 N/A 8 200 70 25 11 9 22 10 23 N/A 9 255 78 28 12 10 25 11 26 N/A 10 384 86 31 14 10 28 11 29 N/A 11 576 94 34 15 11 31 12 32 Flash 12 784 102 37 17 12 34 12 35 Bind (1) Feed Two 13 1 024 110 40 18 13 37 12 38 N/A 14 1 632 118 43 20 14 40 13 41 N/A 15 2 189 126 46 21 14 43 14 44 N/A 16 2 905 134 49 22 15 46 14 47 N/A 17 3 818 142 52 24 15 49 15 50 N/A 18 4 969 150 55 25 16 52 15 53 N/A 19 6 402 158 58 26 16 55 16 56 N/A 20 8 168 166 61 28 16 58 17 59 N/A 21 10 317 174 64 29 17 61 17 62 N/A 22 12 902 182 67 30 17 64 18 65 N/A 23 15 971 190 70 31 18 67 18 68 N/A 24 19 569 198 73 33 19 70 18 71 N/A 25 23 733 206 76 34 21 73 19 74 N/A 26 28 484 214 79 35 23 76 20 77 N/A 27 33 830 222 82 37 23 79 20 80 N/A 28 39 756 230 85 38 25 82 21 83 N/A 29 46 221 238 88 39 25 85 21 86 N/A 30 53 159 246 91 41 27 88 22 89 N/A 31 60 473 250 94 42 28 91 22 92 N/A 32 65 535 - - - - - - - - =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 11.2- Hanna =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Level # EXP total Max HP Max MP STR SPD DEF AGL SKL Spells 1 N/A 10 5 1 3 1 4 4 N/A 2 14 15 11 1 3 1 4 7 Bind (1) 3 25 20 17 2 4 1 5 10 Feed 4 43 25 23 2 4 2 5 13 Reinforce (2) 5 68 30 29 3 4 3 5 16 Strength (1) 6 103 35 35 3 5 3 6 19 Tempura (1) 7 153 40 41 4 5 4 6 22 Cure 8 224 45 47 6 6 6 6 25 N/A 9 321 50 53 6 7 8 6 28 Seal 10 455 55 59 7 8 12 7 31 Dispel (2) 11 637 60 65 8 8 12 7 34 Feed Two 12 881 65 71 9 9 15 8 37 N/A 13 1 205 70 77 9 9 16 9 40 Erase (2) 14 1 632 75 83 10 9 19 9 43 Feed Up 15 2 189 80 89 10 10 19 9 46 N/A 16 2 905 85 95 11 11 20 10 49 N/A 17 3 818 90 101 12 12 23 10 52 Resurrect 18 4 969 95 107 13 12 24 11 55 N/A 19 6 402 100 113 13 13 25 11 58 N/A 20 8 168 105 119 14 13 28 12 61 N/A 21 10 317 110 125 15 14 28 13 64 N/A 22 12 902 115 131 15 14 30 14 67 N/A 23 15 971 120 137 16 15 32 16 70 N/A 24 19 569 125 143 17 15 36 16 73 N/A 25 23 733 130 149 17 15 36 16 76 N/A 26 28 484 135 155 18 16 42 16 79 N/A 27 33 830 140 161 19 17 43 18 82 N/A 28 39 756 145 167 19 18 46 18 85 N/A 29 46 221 150 173 20 18 48 20 88 N/A 30 53 159 155 179 21 19 48 21 91 N/A 31 60 473 160 185 21 19 54 21 94 N/A 32 65 535 - - - - - - - - =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 12- Version History =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Version 0.5 - Started FAQ on September 10, 2017. Version 1.0 - Completed the guide on December 9, 2017. Submitted to GameFAQs on December 9, 2017. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 13- Legal Section =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= This document may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this review on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. This document should only appear on GameFAQs and NeoSeeker, if you find this FAQ on another website, please inform me about this by e-mail at joselaflamme@gmail.com . This document is Copyright 2017 Jose Laflamme. All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 14- Credits/Thanks/Other Stuff =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -Thanks to the game developers and its producers from Jaleco for making the game. -Thanks to KeyBlade999 who wrote the FAQ I used to get through the game the first time around. -Below is an email address that can also be used for people who wish to make a donation to further my efforts in drafting future Guides and FAQs. For everyone who used this guide, thank-you for trusting my work. Paypal address : joselaflamme@gmail.com THE FUN NEVER, EVER STOPS. ==========================