The Brothers Duomazov

Macross: Eien no Love Song

2011-12-02T04:03:00.000-08:00

~ MACROSS: ETERNAL LOVE SONG ~

NCS/Masaya

Super CD-ROM

1992

I never thought such a thing would be possible, but in Eternal Love Song, I found a strategy game that I actually really enjoy. It's reminiscent of fellow NCS/Masaya product Langrisser in matters of gameplay and presentation, but it's much, much better in so many different ways.

The strategizing here involves taking advantage of the myriad weapons (and, in some cases, various forms) at the disposal of your mecha. Each type of machine has its own strengths and weaknesses, of course, but they can all dish out serious damage if you place them prudently about the battle zone, make optimal use of their special limited-ammo armaments, and remember to take into consideration their respective attack ranges. This isn't the boring rock-paper-scissors sort of bullshit that Langrisser wallows in with its soldier-archer-horseman system (which often has pods either produce all-out massacres or find themselves unable even to scratch their opponents). Practically everything can lay a solid beating on everything else here, but you need to be discreet when deciding if the time is right to unleash a mighty missile attack or separate from your fleet and soar across the field.

Another advantage of the ELS system is that it doesn't land you in Langrisser-type situations where you have to drag troops across the map just so that they can fight the enemy breed they're "suited for." And while terrain bonuses and penalties are present here, the battlefields are wide open for the most part, so there are no ridiculous sequences a la the Langrisser scenarios that require players to squeeze their whole damn cavalry through a corridor or across a bridge that's two tiles wide. I'm sure some serious-minded strategy-game fans would say that these things make ELS too simple or easy compared to "masterpieces" like Langrisser, but I say they make it a lot more fun to play.

Of course, the Macross theme doesn't hurt, as fans of Robotech and Super Dimension Fortress: Macross will find a lot to like about Love Song's plot. The first half of the LS tale is basically a retelling of one of the anime's most significant sub-stories. It focuses on the fiery Misty, a highly skilled Meltrandi pilot who micronizes herself to mingle with and spy on the enemy Earthlings. She eventually discovers the delights of human culture and ends up falling for a micronian ace (sound familiar?). The second half has you settle some old scores from 2036, so be prepared to encounter a few longtime friends and foes if you've played through that game.

It all climaxes with a string of intense outer-space showdowns, one of which involves the launching of a "Minmay attack" (Mari Iijima's incredible "Do You Remember Love?" augments the action).

The cinemas detailing the intriguing story are pretty good, certainly superior to Langrisser's, and there are lots of them (one preceding each of the twenty-nine missions in addition to opening and ending sequences). The in-game map screens are par for the strategy-games course visually, but the side-view unit-vs.-unit skirmishes (which play out automatically) feature multi-layer scrolling and large ships and mecha.

Sadly, you'll need to turn off the combat sketch-scenes after a while or the missions will last way too long for even the most patient person to sit through. You'll never feel the need to turn off the outstanding audio, though. Love Song's soundtrack features its fair share of remixed Macross stuff, but most of the tunes are original, not to mention fantastic. The melodic hooks and rockin' riffs are all atmospheric and memorable.

ELS failed to change the way I view its peers; I didn't rush out to buy more strategy games after conquering it. It was so enjoyable, though, that it established itself as the only one I'll ever really need. Still, I can't help but wish there were a Southern Cross game just like it.

Magicoal

2011-11-06T13:18:00.000-08:00

~ MAGICOAL ~

NEC Home Electronics / HUNEX / Human

Super CD-ROM

1993

Magicoal appears to be an action-RPG in the Zelda vein, but rather than having players go around slashing things to pieces, it has them employ a myriad of magical powers to complete various tasks. Indeed, while blade wielding has its place in the playable characters' skill sets, the game's hack-and-slash mechanics are somewhat lacking, and approaching missions with the mentality that enemies must be carved up will lead to a very clunky experience. You'll enjoy far more success and have a great deal more fun if you set about eliminating your foes via magical means: call on gigantic claws to emerge from the turf, summon elemental spirits to turn the tide of battle, and sic relentless fire dragons on your hapless adversaries.

The misfit spellcasters who take center stage here don't begin their journey as masters of magic. You must be vigilant to acquire knowledge of the most effective spells. Make sure to scour every nook and cranny of each town and cave you come across, and don't allow any NPCs to scuttle off before they've conversed with both of the gregarious protagonists. Incantations the heroes learn are documented and explained in a "book" you may peruse at your convenience.

While you'll need to do plenty of exploring and experimenting in order to fill out your spell tome, the quest itself is fairly linear. Your two-wizard caravan travels from one (usually mazelike) area to the next. Even if you're unable to read Japanese, only a few zones will prove difficult to get through, with the simple solution to any given conundrum often being to examine every inch of wall for the sake of stumbling upon "secrets," be they obscured entryways or buried trinkets. Be aware that an underground waterway will stand as an exit-less tomb unless you think to destroy two seemingly purposeless statues, and a certain bumbling young sorcerer will refuse to be of any assistance to you unless Melvy (the female member of your duo) has in her possession a particular item at precisely the right time. Maintaining amiable relations with your characters' newfound acquaintances is essential for making headway in some sections.

Even if you tackle the game without another player's assistance, both wizards will be at your command and ever available for you to switch between. While Magicoal manages to avoid devolving into a nigh-unplayable dual-character absurdity a la NES X-Men, you'll often notice your computer-controlled ally acting like an idiot (standing in place while firing at a beast on the other side of a wall or stumbling face first into attacks unleashed by enemy creatures) if left to his or her own designs. Some boss fights can be arduous experiences if your dimwitted companion sabotages your efforts by blundering around.

While its gameplay is anything but refined, Magicoal is an appealing game aesthetically. Its visuals are bright and colorful, its music calls to mind the brilliant Emerald Dragon soundtrack at times, and its many cinemas frequently offset mediocre character sketches with chuckle-eliciting skits.

Be prepared for some trying times if you have a go at Magicoal sans the aid of another player. But there really is a lot to like about it, and its makers clearly put a great deal of heart and effort into their creation.

Body Conquest II

2011-10-28T11:06:00.001-07:00

~ BODY CONQUEST II ~

Games Express

HuCard

1993

What little effort Games Express was willing to devote to this project primarily went towards mimicking Dragon Quest. There's little visual evidence to suggest that Body Conquest II is actually a PC Engine game and not some shoddy Famicom release. So archaic are the field visuals here that fellow PCE antiquities like La Valeur would take on the sheen of modern, glitzy Square productions if lined up in comparison.

Revolting primitivity pervades BC2's audio as well. GE delivered an overworld theme sure to drive adventurers batty as it calls to mind the rightly maligned Xevious soundtrack with its high-pitched instrumental antics. Similarly vexing are the VCS-caliber sound effects, many of which are simply unnecessary, including a horrid "thud" that accompanies every instance of inadvertent contact with stationary objects. Prepare to hear thud after abhorrible thud as you attempt to make heads or tails of the logic-defiant village constructions.

Don't expect the land's labyrinths to be easily navigable either. The difficulty you have making your way through these drably drawn dungeons will likely stem from GE's implementation of the old "limited visibility" trick. It's not like they bothered to provide any interesting puzzles for players to solve as a reprieve from dull tunnel touring.

Of course, there will be plenty of battles for you to participate in as you poke around the abodes of your enemies. And, of course, Games Express put together an all-girls lineup of adversaries for you to contend with. The strange-looking females don't stand much of a chance, as your valiant lady slayer is a quick study when it comes to learning techniques that bring most clashes to an abrupt conclusion when utilized.

The fact that your foes can be dealt with quickly and easily is a very good thing considering how slowly events unfold otherwise. Regardless of the hero's dilly-dallying nature and refusal to do anything but stroll leisurely about the countryside, there isn't enough of an adventure here to make for a lengthy experience. BC2 is a simple mimicker that counts on elements of smut to entertain nutcases who are intrigued by promises of pervertedness. If you are such a nutcase, though, know ahead of time that while the text (which is in Japanese) contains plenty of smut-speak, the only visual elements that will satisfy your hunger for naughty fare are the bare breasts and butts that a few of the combatants flaunt. There's also this, uh, "coming-of-age" scene:

Basically, RPG fans and oddball deviants alike will find that there's little to look forward to here. There is a happy ending to cap the archaic mush, but you might as well take a gander at that now and dismiss the game from there in favor of the many superior HuCard RPGs that you can play instead.

Fushigi no Yume no Alice (Alice in Wonderdream)

2011-10-23T06:13:00.000-07:00

~ ALICE IN WONDERDREAM ~

Face

HuCard

1990

With horrid controls and a fantasy-land setting that belies its devilishly unforgiving nature, Wonderdream reminded me at once of the Genesis dud Fantasia. Its own creators ultimately admitted that Fantasia was a regrettable, unfinished rush job, an abomination so clunky and unpolished that players couldn't help but feel they were fighting a losing battle as they haplessly bumbled into one beating after another. Whether Face hadn't the time nor the resources to shape Wonderdream into something playable or if they simply were content to release what they might've proclaimed a "high-level challenge" is something we may never know, but their "efforts" led to a debacle that brought back that "losing battle" feeling for me. Alice is a stumbling, incompetent heroine who struggles to perform even the basic mascot-platformer bounce-on-their-heads technique, resorts to a terribly weak and silly-in-concept "howl attack," and slides about a land that contains no shortage of thin columns and bottomless pits.

While Wonderdream's dreadful gameplay reminded me of fear-inducing Fantasia, the environments it had me explore called to mind a number of other 16-bit efforts. Faussete Amour's pastel-shaded countryside, The Legendary Axe's log-laden rapids, Rastan Saga II's distant woodland structures, Chiki Chiki Boy's dense jungle, and Castle of Illusion's cake-'n-candy realm all have drab counterparts here. (Castle even lends clownish foes to Face's atrocity.)

The allusions might as well have been dashed completely as, ironically enough, you'll spend a great deal of time traveling through a shadow-blotted rendition of the Wonderdream realm, the darkness brought on by a magical spell that allows you to spot otherwise-invisible goodies. Why Face couldn't simply have placed these very-typical items out in the open (but perhaps in hard-to-reach locations) rather than resorting to this "secrets in the dark" nonsense is yet another mystery that will likely go unsolved.

Solving the game itself actually shouldn't be beyond the capabilities of most decent players; incantations that grant Alice temporary invulnerability and super-human leaping ability make even the toughest boards mere poorly designed formalities; and while the gameplay is anything but smooth, the journey itself is nothing if not short. Despite the low number of levels they created for players to blunder through, Face chose to recycle lame-the-first-time-around ghost and crocodile mini-bosses across multiple sub-levels. Major foes don't muck around: they typically flood the screen with bouncing baubles of peril as Alice attempts to fight back sans her spell-casting ability.

Were someone to request a few words on positive elements that Wonderdream brings to the table, I'm afraid I would be unable to deliver any. Actually, its level-two tune is quite pleasing to my ear. That one track is all I like about it, aside from the alluded-to-earlier brevity of the unenjoyable quest it asks us to undertake.

Gulliver Boy

2011-10-19T18:47:00.000-07:00

~ GULLIVER BOY ~

Hudson Soft / Wai Wai Company

Super CD-ROM / Arcade CD-ROM

1995

Gulliver Boy deserves more attention than it typically receives, as it's a great RPG that features some of the most impressive cinemas to be viewed in a Duo game. It doesn't matter (to me, at least) that these amazing FMV sequences are shown in relatively small rectangular windows or that the video itself is somewhat grainy. The mini-movies Hudson produced for GB still represent quite an achievement, and they're noteworthy for both their advanced quality and the events they depict. There's some enchanting storytelling to become immersed in here, with every plot point handled in stylish fashion, whether the order of the day is humor or destruction.

The graphical goodness extends to in-game elements: towns, sprites, and maze areas all look fantastic. The overworld graphics aren't impressive at all, but the more involved I got in Gulliver's quest, the less attention I paid to their inadequacy.

Most battles are provided with gorgeous backdrop art, and the creatures you wage war with are detailed and well drawn, even if the designs themselves are often of the unalluring sort.

A flick of your II-button turbo switch will enable you to plow through the scrums in effortless fashion. Gulliver and his allies level up extremely quickly, so it's easy to stay one step ahead of their adversaries. Plus, you can see most roving monsters on the field screen, so it's often possible to avoid combat entirely if you're just not in the mood to fight.

There are plenty of other little things that add to the fun of the experience. Portraits of the bosses in their daunting glory are often replaced mid-battle by ones that show the villains battered and beaten.

You'll briefly engage in mecha combat of the bump-and-run Ys variety while exploring an underground tunnel network.

And while most of the music is merely inoffensive chip fare, there are some entertainingly wacky vocal numbers to enjoy.

Considering all of the things that GB's designers did well, it's somewhat surprising that they dropped the ball with an element they probably thought would make for a novel hook. You can purchase goods and sell 'em off later for considerable profit, but money is of little use in the game. You don't need to buy traditional RPG articles; hell, you can even dodge the fee that's charged for resting at inns, as saving is free and your characters are automatically healed whenever you load your game up.

But the mishandling of commerce turned out to be inconsequential. I was thrilled to discover a sea-buried sum of 500,000, not because I needed the cash for anything in particular but because it was a neat event that added to the game's charm. There are remarkable, atypical locations to visit, as the processions meld Dickensian tales of young-rogue adventuring and old-Europe exploration with intrigue of the sci-fi ilk, along with fantastic cinemas to watch and memorable confrontations to partake in. The combination makes GB worth picking up if you're at all into lengthy adventure games.

The Measure of a Turbo Badass

2011-10-01T23:41:00.000-07:00

Typically stereotyped as unwashed misfits and greasy-haired cast-offs, video-game players nonetheless fancy themselves the boldest of blokes when putting a blade to a notorious boss or venturing through a famously difficult area. It's no surprise, then, when a victorious adventurer pumps his fists in joy or emits expletives denoting utter, hard-earned triumph. While it's debatable how much real-world applicability lies in the brands of skill, perseverance, and problem-solving ability required to slay a Gleeok or smash a Goomba, there certainly is some element of each of the aforementioned traits on display when a game-based challenge is overcome. There's no need to mythologize the feats of gaming nerds, but there's nothing wrong with these "heroes" giving themselves a small pat on the back for overcoming daunting odds in breaking through pixelated obstacles.

Of course, there's only so much satisfaction to be had in gloating over the crushed corpse of a Ganondorf. Conquerors seeking accolades find that their tidings of accomplishments are received quite warmly on the internet, the figurative kingdom for a noble knight of gaming. And when assemblages of glory-seeking geeks exchange ledgers of their achievements, feelings of competitiveness and compulsions to one-up one another develop covertly beneath the obligatory "Congratulations" messages. Contests are inevitabilities in such environments, with the participants as fired up for score swapping as they would be for any anticipated real-life event.

A stoked nerd prepares to annihilate his competition in a Spriggan high-score contest.

Indeed, emerging from a forum showdown with a blue ribbon to flaunt becomes such a priority for proud game-war battlers that they frequently resort to dishonest means in the name of achieving notoriety. Ignorant or dismissive of the sad element of irony that accompanies their actions, our fire-in-their-eyes heroes don't hesitate to save-state their way to a deceptively high number of clears. They devote more time to studying tactic-revealing videos than they do to sussing out enemy patterns on their own, with top-tier scores to show for their "efforts."

Well, these gaming Mark McGwires can have their asterisk-saddled records. Those looking to take a virtuous path to game-dweeb glory can accept the challenge laid out here by the biggest Turbo nerds of all: The Brothers Duomazov. Make legitimate runs through the games enumerated in this altogether goofy (but valid and substantive) piece and your accomplishments will have trumped what even the most devious save-state abuser and Youtube-surfer can boast about. Your bronze bust will have its place in the halls built in tribute to the greatest PC-Engine-playing badasses.

I suppose we shouldn't present a list of trials without first explaining how said list was conceived. Let's establish at once that consensus as to what merits a praiseworthy accomplishment means little to us. Any warrior worth his game pad will tell you that Exile: Wicked Phenomenon can be completed by an utter clod provided that said clod is capable of being patient and putting in the slightest bit of thought for the sake of outwitting dopey enemies (regardless of how many hits those plodding enemies can withstand). And this list is not simply some "toughest games" compendium. It's hard to get through 250 rounds of BoxyBoy, but there isn't much virility involved in examining a bunch of grids for the purpose of placing squares atop dots. True warriors know how to prioritize, know that in some endeavors lies greater glory than in others. We must keep in mind that accepting and even overcoming a challenge does not a badass make.

Only one of these gun-wielders is truly a badass.

In case the above visual demonstration fails to make our parameters clear, I'll now spell them out in the most overt way. Conquer the games we list, and you will have displayed the following qualities that any true badass must be in possession of:

~ DETERMINATION ~

No matter the length of your résumé indicating previous achievements, some tasks will require of you that one thing feared by pseudo-warriors everywhere: practice.

~ FORTITUDE ~

Bona fide gaming champions can't simply pick and choose the challenges they accept. Sometimes, enduring unimaginable pain is necessary to prove their true mettle.

~ INTELLIGENCE ~

Warriors of legend didn't simply maim and murder. They were sharp enough to discern the correct path to travel, clever enough to perceive the light of a solution in the most opaque conundrum.

~ GUTS ~

Difficult stages and enemies tend to get inside players' heads after dealing them a few heavy thrashings. Those who don't wilt in the face of the seemingly unvanquishable are those who stand a real chance at achieving greatness.

~ TALENT ~

Brains, heart, persistence... yes, those are all wonderful things. But there's nothing that can replace innate skill. And there are few things that can beat refined skill.

And now to present the twelve games that stand between the standard sour-faced, poor-postured nerd and Turbo immortality. Slaughter the dozen and you will have displayed an incredible blend of the virtues cited above, hence proving yourself worthy of PCE avatarhood.

~ SINISTRON / VIOLENT SOLDIER ~

You'll make it past the halfway point and believe that victory is at hand. Then a savage storm of asteroids will obliterate you. VS's merciless take on the final level allows for not a single instance of lost focus.

~ RAYXANBER II ~

Quips voiced by legions of incompetent players account for Ray 2's reputation for being unbeatable--and those brutes didn't even make it to the game's greatest stretches of horror: the web-world of the fourth round and the narrow corridors of the sixth.

~ THE LEGEND OF XANADU ~

Simply overcoming the language barrier can prove too daunting a task for adventurers unable to read Japanese. Fiddle your way through overworld fetch quests to access surprisingly difficult sidescrolling strips. It'll be your wits, not your blade-wielding skill, that you'll need to rely on in the fiendish (and famously enormous) final tower.

~ ASTRALIUS ~

As horribly painful an experience as you are ever likely to endure. A flutist-led covey of inept weaklings and mollycoddles contends with bands of brutal adversaries while you yourself cope with unforgivable design flaws.

~ LAST ARMAGEDDON ~

There are ways to break the game and render the initially formidable enemy forces hapless and helpless. But chicanery won't get you through the billion-hall dungeons or enable you to locate obscured event points.

~ MIGHT AND MAGIC III ~

The sheer size of M&M3's world and the depth of its play system will annihilate the aspirations of faux warriors before they even have the chance to engage the unfathomably powerful beasts who reside in the trap-laden labyrinths.

~ ALTERED BEAST ~

Those raised on the leniency of the Genesis rendition are in for a horrifying surprise with the unforgiving, thought-demanding HuCard version. A trip through the CD take--that of the castrated bosses--does not suffice for the attainment of badassery.

~ SHAPE SHIFTER ~

The crybaby killer. Great rewards and an incredibly tough final boss (who crushed even the designers who created him) await those willing to wipe away the tears and put in a little practice.

~ NEXZR ~

Approach this no-nonsense shooter impetuously and you'll be stomped on at once. Figure out when to depend on your reflexes and when to devise stratagems, and then hope that the schemes you come up with suffice.

~ SUPER RAIDEN ~

The final strip of this ten-level marathon hosts enemies that harbor no pity for those who make a single misstep. One lapse is all it takes for a player to find himself with no other option but to begin the long journey anew.

~ TATSUJIN ~

Mini-boss bands fire projectiles that surge through space at ridiculous speeds. There's practically no time for you to react to their attacks, let alone counter them effectively.

There you go: the twelve games that constitute the most intense test imaginable of a Turbo player's staunchness. (And no, our count is not off: Sinistron and Violent Soldier are considered separate trials due to certain differences between the two.)

Now to coronate the true badasses and do away with the pretenders. Count up the number of cited games you've cleared, and proceed to find out your standing within Turbo badass hierarchy.

~ SISSY ~

0 games completed

The Mousse rating means you'd best stick with the "charm," flutes, and lollipops of harmless SNES efforts. You can't cut it in the realm of the PC Engine.

~ POTENTIAL BADASS ~

1-3 games completed

The Ranma rating means you may have crashed your way through a shooter or followed a walkthrough to the end of an adventure, but you've still got some work to do before earning respect from the elite.

~ DEVELOPING BADASS ~

4-6 games completed

The Janne rating means you've made progress worthy of commendation. Your ability seems obvious, but it's not yet clear if you possess but a specialized brand of talent or if you can overcome a variety of the Turbo's greatest challenges.

~ POWERFUL BADASS ~

7-9 games completed

The Higgins rating means you've established yourself as a force to be reckoned with. You're on the cusp of keeping company with the most mythical of Turbo warriors.

~ MEGA BADASS ~

10-11 games completed
The Guy Kazama rating means you are a true legend in TurboGrafx circles and one of the mightiest heroes ever to have torn through a video adventure.

~ ULTIMATE DUOMAZOV-LEVEL BADASS ~

All 12 games completed

The Lee Pappas rating means that you are worthy of Turbo deification. Even the most famous of all Turbo champions, the Brothers Duomazov, would accept you as their comrade in game-nerd battle.

The only players known to have achieved Duomazov-level badassness are, well, the Duomazovs themselves. For those who aspire to reach an unreachable level of excellence, your quest now lies before you. It's time to discover exactly what you're made of... but, you know, don't forget to have fun and not drive yourself crazy while trying to conquer games that are nearly unconquerable. Otherwise, you might end up like this guy:

And that wouldn't be a good thing.

Summer Carnival '93: Nexzr Special

2011-09-24T23:43:00.000-07:00

~ NEXZR SPECIAL ~

Naxat Soft / Inter State/Kaneko

Super CD-ROM

1993

As much as I enjoy Nexzr, I wasn't sure that I'd find Special's exclusive timed modes particularly worthwhile. I'm usually not a big fan of caravan mini-strips, as the whole "blast up tiles and collect orbs" concept doesn't thrill me, and I don't have the patience to muck around and stumble upon tricks necessary for earning super-high scores. Thankfully, Special's special modes don't ask you to do much tile obliterating. For the most part, you can concentrate on free-for-all blasting, setting the heavens aglow with flashy explosions as you proceed.

The large cruisers and wily missile-launching mecha featured in the main game show up to assault you in the timed events, as do a couple of new boss-type opponents. Nothing about the score-centric procession is challenging, but it's extremely fast paced and quite enjoyable.

And it makes for the perfect complement to the main game. Nexzr isn't as difficult as, say, Sinistron or Rayxanber II, but it's a tactical shooter that you can't simply blunder your way through, and if you're new to it or haven't played it in a while, progress will likely come piecemeal. So after a wonderfully taxing sit-down with the core game, it's nice to be able to switch over to the anything-goes caravan strip. (But, indeed, I'm always happy to revisit the main game and find that it lives up to the high billing I afford it.)

The unavoidable question is, Which one makes for the most sensible acquisition, "regular" Nexzr or Special? Well, if I could own only one, I'd probably pick the original, as its cinemas strike hard. But I must admit that Special has higher replay value thanks to its well-executed carnival modes, not to mention that it's usually a little cheaper. In a perfect world, we'd have the caravan material and the cinemas all on one disc. As it is, a loony fan like me would suggest acquiring both versions. But, either way you go, you're sure to be getting one of the best shooters that the PCE has to offer.

Nexzr

2011-09-23T09:20:00.001-07:00

~ NEXZR ~

Naxat Soft / Inter State/Kaneko

Super CD-ROM

1992

Nexzr is a no-nonsense novice stomper, an excellent but demanding shooter that requires good reflexes along with a good bit of scheming. Its challenges are always fair, but be warned that it employs a checkpoint system of resuming play after death, and it doesn't hesitate to hurl you back quite a ways should the enemy forces manage to annihilate you. It actually is magnanimous in some respects: available for you to acquire are myriad brands of effective auxiliary armament, including killer drones that relentlessly pursue and blast up your opposition and energy beams that home in on and tear through adversarial craft.

A good memory helps as much as a good laser cannon, but while Nexzr can indeed be viewed as a "thinking man's shooter," don't believe for even a second that it's an R-Type-like plodder. There's plenty of bullet evasion to be performed while you're trying to recall which enemies will show up where, and some intense stretches focus solely on pure shoot-and-weave action, the most notable of which has you flank an enormous battleship while fending off shield-bearing sentry-bots.

End-of-stage duels pit you against mechanical gladiators as memorable as any other 16-bit-shooter bosses. Particularly impressive is a speedy contraption that litters your path with mines as you chase it down a corridor and then halts to don armor and assail you with laser beams and scythe-like projectiles.

Interestingly, the mini-bosses that halt your advancement and initiate mid-level showdowns are tougher than their enormous commanders, as they find crafty ways to limit the space in which you can maneuver.

But Nexzr's finest featured battle is its very last battle, a true man-to-man slugfest as opposed to a typical "obliterate a wall/cannon/spaceship" sort of exercise.

My one complaint about the game is that every stage except the sixth employs an outer-space canvas.

(And the sixth is a decent-looking but somewhat typical "base.")

If you hold your fire while navigating Stage 6's claustrophobic stretch of corridors, the tiny bug-like machines will kindly leave you be. Good luck getting your drones and your other foes to adhere to the ceasefire.

Some variety in the backdrops definitely would've been welcome. The outstanding soundtrack, on the other hand, offers a great deal of variety, applying touches of hard rock to an upbeat and exciting score. It comes off as a melding of T's-style instrumentation and Falcom-brand melodies, featuring an irresistible hook in Stage 3, a dark dirge in Stage 4, and a nostalgia-inducing lead in Stage 6.

The cinemas also strike a nostalgic chord with me: I can't help but think of Robotech: The New Generation/Genesis Climber Mospeada while witnessing Nexzr's tragic opening sequence and "Bernard vs. Corg"-like final engagement.

I acquired Nexzr quite a few years ago and played through it at once. I quite enjoyed the experience and continued singing the game's praises as the months and years passed; and upon meditating on the matter, I concluded that it's my favorite PCE CD vertical shooter.

Might and Magic III: Isles of Terra

2011-09-18T15:03:00.000-07:00

~ MIGHT AND MAGIC III ~
Hudson Soft / New World Computing
Super CD-ROM
1993

Might and Magic III is no dawdler or word mincer. It immediately grants you notice that it'll be giving you a difficult time: the city in which you begin your quest is not inhabited by harmless, bumbling townsfolk, but by vicious sludge beasts and rat monsters. You'll hack your way beyond the village walls only to find yourself choosing between destinations where you'll be as unwelcome as you were in the vermin pit you just exited. From scheming kings to self-serving mercenaries, even the non-bestial denizens of Terra want nothing to do with you, save for the instances when you can aid them in their own pursuits of wealth and power. Feelings of loneliness and isolation are sure to set in when you play M&M3. It's a good thing, then, that the adventure is so rewarding that the player inevitably ends up just fine with experiencing those feelings.

Before you can reap any rewards, however, you'll have to come to terms with the enormity of the task you're given here. The islands of Terra constitute a realm that's both gigantic and extremely mysterious. You're granted the freedom to explore said realm in any way that your strength and wit will allow you; there is no pre-determined sequence of events that the game holds your hand through. There are so many missions to undertake, labyrinths to delve into, riddles to solve, and creatures to slay that some players will conclude almost at once that the challenge of M&M3 is daunting and overwhelming to the extent that the game is nigh inaccessible. That these players will miss out on the intense encounters and fascinating surprises that come with accepting said challenge is truly a shame.

But I can understand why some might find the game to be utterly perplexing. Options are aplenty even before one embarks on one's quest, as simply determining the covey of characters who'll make up the featured fellowship demands study of the strengths and weaknesses of various classes and races. A solid group of pre-set would-be world savers is available for those unwilling to head-scratch their way through notes on proficiencies, but know now that taking the time to make sound early decisions can pay dividends in matters of convenience down the road.

Whatever the complexion of the party you put together, outfitting your selected warriors is sure to prove enjoyable. There are dozens upon dozens of items that can be purchased or discovered throughout the lands of Terra. Though continually having to bring up and wade through equipment-management menus can prove irritating, there's a great deal of fun to be had swapping weapons and trinkets amongst the heroes and developing a band of fearsome monster slayers. The wide variety of enchanted articles that can be acquired via thorough exploration makes each foray into a treasure-stocked dungeon seem like a worthwhile endeavor.

Registers of obtainable skills and spells match the equipment list in length. Nothing is simply handed over to you, however. Accept the challenge issued by warrior-eradicating villains to earn membership to guilds that sell spell scrolls. Pay to be mentored in the ways of the arts by those who are most proficient in them. Avoid melee scrums with titans capable of obliterating your hard-earned weaponry. And don't forget that your own soldiers are hardly emotionless; they themselves can succumb to heartbreak. Even leveling up, a typically simple matter, calls for trips to village training grounds.

Bear in mind that these affairs are all peripheral. Dungeons comprise the true meat of the adventure, the heart and soul of the game itself. Terra's dreaded labyrinths are horrible places that frequently present you with abstract riddles to solve and dire choices to make.

But it's the incredibly powerful creatures that inhabit these places that make even M&M veterans quiver and proceed with great trepidation. The dark, dank corridors are ruled by cyclopes, liches, minotaurs, and other frightful, nearly indomitable monstrosities.

You'll be ripped to shreds in some fights, but combat will remain interesting and exciting no matter how many beatings you endure. Your party can spot approaching creatures from a distance and launch missile and magical attacks as soon as a threat is detected. Of course, their opponents can respond in kind.

This element of chasmal war-waging adds to the intensity of certain encounters. At times, you'll find yourself desperately hurling everything you've got at a hard-charging beast in the hopes that you can eliminate the mighty abomination before it reaches you.

Count on the abomination being animated and well drawn, and count on being treated to detailed, appealing visuals throughout every stage of your quest. The music, with its powerful, throbbing drums, is also excellent.

Enjoy the aesthetics. Bask in the glory that comes with achieving notoriety for jobs well done, with killing creatures thought to be unbeatable. Nothing comes easily in this kingdom. Overcome all obstacles and you'll truly be deserving of the title of Champion that the game bestows upon you.

Super Air Zonk

2011-09-04T18:46:00.001-07:00

RED/Hudson Soft - 1993 - U.S.A.

Super CD-ROM

When Super Air Zonk was originally released and for years following, I had been under the impression it was simply a "Super" enhanced CD version of the cartridge-based game Air Zonk. It's a shame, really, as had I known it was an actual sequel I would've picked it up back then instead of years later after it had doubled in price.

Even once I learned it was a true sequel, I wasn't exactly chomping at the bit to pick it up as by then all accounts had it pegged as a poor excuse for a followup. To be perfectly honest, and I'm a little embarrassed to admit this, my first exposure to SAZ was via the Wii's Virtual Console. To be blunt, I wasn't exactly thrilled with the five minutes I spent with it and decided everything I'd heard had been more or less accurate.

A year or so later I managed to pick up an actual copy of the game for my Duo at a halfway decent price and decided to give it another chance. A real chance. To my surprise, the game wasn't quite as bad as first impressions had led me to believe.

A few plays later and I found myself actually starting to dig the game. See, the main problem with this second episode is that it's such a different experience than its predecessor. The original Air Zonk was the epitome of the perfect chip shooter. The boss face-offs were fast-paced and epic and Zonk was often bombarded with veritable floods of enemies to contend with all while a brilliant chiptune soundtrack pounded away behind the action, heightening the sense of excitement.

Super Air Zonk, on the default difficulty especially, starts off at a seemingly lackadaisical pace by comparison. The odd "rockabilly" soundtrack only serves to augment the "laid-back" atmosphere, at least initially. SAZ never achieves the intensity of the original; boss battles are fought at a virtual stand-still while your opponent lumbers leisurely about the screen. This is the aspect of Super that hurts the game the most, in my opinion, the sense of urgency that pervaded Air Zonk is nowhere to be found here.

For no good reason that I can determine, you are allowed to choose the order in which you play the first four (of seven) stages.

This time around, you'll need to rescue your friends from the clutches of evil before they can join you.

Friends all have unique attack techniques when separated from Zonk.

The choice of a rockabilly soundtrack for an Air Zonk game was a strange one to be sure, and probably a poor one at that. It took numerous playthroughs, but many of the tracks have grown on me, and I can appreciate how some of them actually accent the wackiness of the action. Still, there are a number of tracks that just seem ill-fit for this sort of game.

One major area of contention involves Super Air Zonk's visuals. It's hard not to compare Super to part 1, which featured many layers of parallax scrolling in each and every level. On the other hand, multiple layers are far less common in part 2 and indeed seems to be the exception rather than the rule. This doesn't bother me nearly as much as it seems to bother other people, since on the whole the backgrounds mostly look great regardless and those that don't feature any parallax work just fine without it.

One area has you exploring a TV set in a studio...

...while another has you facing off against the aquatic ranks of Sandrovitch's army.

One glaring exception being the flat, poorly designed "Doublehead Stage." A bit of parallax would've done wonders for poor ol' Doublehead.

It's easy to see why the game gets a bad rap based on first impression comparisons to Air Zonk. Despite this, there are certain elements of Super that are unquestionable improvements over the original. There is no delay when you lose a life, for example, waiting for Zonk to fall off the screen and respawn. Your life supply is simply decreased by one. While you don't get to hand-pick your "buddy" for each level in this episode, once you rescue him he sees the battle through to the end with you. More importantly, you have the ability to combine and separate with him at will. Last, but certainly not least, I find the "charge attack" works much better here than in part 1. After holding the fire button for a specific duration, Zonk will automatically charge up and emit a ring of destruction upon release of the button, obliterating anything within a certain radius.

Many of the boss designs live up to the Air Zonk standard...

While others leave you wondering, "What the fuck?"

Don't be surprised if you fly right through the game on your first or second run with it on the default difficulty. I've found boosting the difficulty level up to "Hard" makes for a better game and intensifies things just a bit.

Super will undoubtedly be a little jarring initially for players familiar with the excellent Air Zonk, but given time, I think even the most loyal AZ fan will find something of merit here. Players coming in fresh with no past Zonk experience will find a decent shooter, one that competently prepares them for the ultimately superior part 1. It's a shame what has happened to the U.S. TurboGrafx market, and unfortunately Super Air Zonk is one of the biggest casualties. It's now not uncommon to see the game selling for hundreds of dollars, and for no good reason. The good news is that the JP version, which I understand is virtually identical, is still affordable.

Tenshi no Uta II

2011-08-22T22:53:00.000-07:00

~ TENSHI NO UTA II ~
Riot / Telenet
Super CD-ROM
1993

There would be no big surprises this time. The first Tenshi no Uta was a stunner, a one-dollar toss-in equipped with the gameplay, soundtrack, story, and spirit of an all-time classic. Tenshi II would not be sneaking up on me in similar fashion; in fact, in light of its predecessor's incredible showing, I expected nothing short of excellence from it. Riot went with a safe and smart gameplan for II, delivering a product that relies on and succeeds via the strengths of its forerunner, a sequel broader in scope than the already-epic first chapter--if not quite as impeccable in execution. Once again, players are granted a seat placed far above the action, an advantageous perspective for exploring II's expansive realm and its many labyrinths. The sprites are not quite as lovably tiny this time, though everything is a bit more colorful, even bordering on cartoonish at times, both out on the field...

...and within the confines of combat.

Riot's artistic ambitions occasionally went awry: the only disappointing element of these new-look visuals is the extreme Ys-III-esque choppiness that riddles sporadic scenes plagued by ill-executed parallax. Areas that should've come off as beautiful are rendered slowed-up sludge-stretches instead.

Despite the graphical stumbling, it's fun to scout out each countryside township and dreary dungeon. As was the case with the first game's mazes, Tenshi II's feature a fair number of well-thought-out puzzles and dramatic story-advancing sketches. Never do they annoy with their many branches or frustrate with their numerous conundrums; the game shuns convolution and remains engaging throughout.

Offering convenience in matters of party management is one of the many reasons that the original Tenshi excels; its sequel makes a tradition of such handiness, even having departing party members leave their equipment behind with the warriors still under your control. Never will a character you spent lots of cash equipping abruptly dash off with expensive, newly acquired wares.

Fast-paced fighting is another of the first episode's strengths, and Tenshi II sticks with the player-friendly slugfest style for the most part. A number of the bullyish monsters here can prove to be very tough customers, leading to some longer-than-Tenshi-norm combat scenes, but battling seldom becomes irritating.

Among the coolest of those combat scenes is a showdown with the ogre who suffered limb severance at your party's hands in the previous game. The wily fellow shows up this time with prosthetics in place.

And he's not the only old friend you'll run into here. Riot devised a brilliant method of connecting this wonderful new plot with the adventure experienced by the original cast, even calling on certain stars to assume important guest roles in the name of achieving closure following the stunningly bleak turn the first story took at its end (which they went about accomplishing in very satisfying fashion).

You'll notice that said old friends are depicted in a vastly different way here. Indeed, while the cinemas in the first Tenshi did a nice job of establishing the featured fellowship as an extremely unlikely, goofy but endearing group of heroes, II's represent an enormous step forward with gorgeous artwork and exemplary animation. Particularly memorable is the surprise-laden ending sequence.

Prior to viewing that sequence, you'll do battle with a stern final boss to the tune of a catchy number reminiscent of Popful Mail's finest tracks. While you'll enjoy a significant dose of excellent red book audio before hearing that climactic tune, one of the most impressive numbers is the chip-produced, bass-driven battle theme. Greatest of all the tracks, though, is the one Riot employed for the game's final dungeon, a terrifying dirge backed by ominous chanting.

And as it just won't do for anyone to get stuck and be unable to hear that amazing track, I wrote up a strategy guide that players can check out if they're ever in need of assistance while making their way through the game.

And playing through the game is something I've done myself many, many times. Still, while my adoration for the first Tenshi never wavers, I tend to forget just how damn good its sequel really is. Each revisitation reminds me that this is actually a two-classic saga.

Tenshi no Uta II Strategy Guide

2011-08-22T11:13:00.000-07:00

~ INTRODUCTION

Tenshi no Uta II, believe it or not, is the sequel to Tenshi no Uta. And it rules. So let's play it!

~ FIELD MENU #1

Press button II to bring up the first field menu.

It's set up like this:

A - D
B - E
C - F

A allows you to use magic spells. They're divided up into four categories: Attack, Defense, Healing, and Other.

B lets you see items in your inventory. If you move the cursor next to an item and press button I, three new options will appear: Use, Swap (places with another item in your inventory), and Drop.

C is MEMO, where your characters can discuss important clues.

D lets you view the statuses of your characters.

E is for equipping and unequipping weapons, shields/gauntlets, headgear, armor, and miscellaneous accessories.

F is LOAD.

~ FIELD MENU #2

Press the Select button to bring up the second field menu.

The top option allows you to change out-of-battle message speed (0 is fastest). The middle option allows you to adjust in-battle message speed (again, 0 is fastest). The bottom option allows you to turn auto-battle on or off and to turn certain auto-battle options for your characters on or off. Frankly, I never bothered with auto-battle.

~ BATTLE MENU

The first battle menu has three options.

From top to bottom, they let you engage the enemy in combat, turn on the auto-battle option (and its various sub-options), or flee.

When you choose to engage the enemy in combat, a new menu appears.

It's set up like this:

A - C
B - D

A is for attacking.
B is for defending.
C is for using magic.
D is for using items.

~ GENERAL TIPS

You can revive characters and remove status effects by talking to druids and other healers who can be found in most towns (usually inside the buildings with crosses). There are also certain spells and items that can perform these functions.

You can restore your HP by staying at an inn. Save your game by speaking to the girls dressed in pink standing by the signs in most towns. (If you see only a sign and no girl, inspect the sign by pressing button I, and a girl will usually show up.)

If a treasure chest or character is obscured by a wall, you can see it by holding down the Run button. It's a good idea to hold the button down while you're exploring a new area so that you don't miss anything.

Characters continually leave and join your party. When a character leaves, all of his or her equipment is automatically unequipped, and it remains in your inventory.

Some NPCs say different things at night than they do during the day. This walkthrough identifies all of the important tasks (that I know of) that you must complete, but it's a good idea to talk to everyone in every town, both during the day and at night (and when I give directions to enter a town or castle, assume that I mean during the day unless I specifically note otherwise).

~ WALKTHROUGH

~ Town #1

Your character, Fate, is immediately joined by Shion. Go downstairs and talk to the guy to receive money (100).

You can't enter the small house in the NW part of town yet.

Leave town and spend some time earning XP and money to buy equipment from the weapons shop. Note that in addition to battle equipment, you can buy leaves and berries at the weapons shop. The leaves restore HP while the berries remove status effects. Also note that you don't have to stay at the inn to restore your HP in this town; you can go into the house just NW of the S entrance, talk to the girl, and answer "Yes" to rest.

When you're out in the field, avoid the dark poisonous marsh areas. You need a magic spell to walk over these and other types of hazardous spots without taking damage, and you don't have it yet.

It's a good idea to level Fate up to 5, since that's when he'll get some MP and a healing spell.

Once you've built up your strength a bit and purchased some new equipment, head SW to a tower.

~ Tower #1

Approach and inspect the door of the tower. An earthquake will take place...

...and then you'll be able to enter the structure.

As soon as you enter, head E into a little room that contains a chest (leaf). N of the entrance is a red door that you won't be able to enter for quite a while. Go just about all the way W of the red door and you'll notice a doorway to the S. Pass through it and into a little room containing a chest (berries). Head to the N part of the floor and then E, past the stairs and through another doorway leading S. You'll find another chest (leaf). Then head up the stairs.

Head to the NW part of the new floor. There's a small room with a chest (money--53). Go all the way S and then E, past the stairs and through a doorway. You can fall off the broken ledge here and end up back outside the tower, so be careful. Head E and then N to find another chest (leaf). Now head back and go up the stairs.

There's another broken ledge on the next floor, so take care. Head E and then N to two chests (armor for either character and a leaf). Then continue N and around to the boss, who's guarding a cell.

The boss is easy to beat: just keep hacking at him and heal if necessary (which it probably won't be).

After you beat him, enter the W cell and open the two chests (a helmet for either character [give it to Fate] and a leaf). Then enter the E cell and talk to the girl (Rhianna). A cinema will take place...

...and then Rhianna will join your party. She doesn't have much equipment (you can give her the armor you just got from a chest), but she does have some spells, including a healing one.

Exit the tower and head back to town. Do not rest yet. Buy a staff for Rhianna and save your game. Then enter the house where you usually rest. Talk to the people inside the house. Head upstairs. An event will take place.

When you resume control, head to the small house in the NW part of town that you couldn't enter before. Talk to the guy by the door. Now you can enter. Go down the stairs.

~ Underground Passageway #1

There isn't much to do in the first room. Just head down the next set of stairs.

Head N and then E into a different area. Go E and then N into another area. There's a fountain here; drink from it to heal your party.

You can go W or N into different areas here; go N. Go E and then N, and you'll come to a point where it appears you can go W or N into different areas, but both ways lead to the same room. Go N and head up the stairs.

There isn't much to do the next room, so just head up the next set of stairs. Tremors will cause rocks to fall on top of the stairs you just used.

You're back on the world map now. Head W across a bridge, and then N across another bridge. Just to the E is another town.

~ Town #2

On the second floor of the inn is a mysterious lady in a robe. This is Gia.

Enter the SE-most house. Shion will leave your party. Keep in mind that the equipment he had on will remain in your inventory.

Go back to the inn and speak to Gia. Now she'll join your party.

There's a huge tower in the NE part of town. You'll meet a druid on the first floor. If you walk up to him and speak to him, he'll perform the typical druid healing routine. But if you speak to him from across the counter, he'll offer you items for sale. The item that costs 1000 is a map of the world. You don't have to buy it right this second, but you'll want to acquire it as soon as possible. It makes traveling a lot easier. "Good" locations flash yellow while dungeons and the like are red.

As you might expect, you'll want to spend some time leveling up around town and buying new equipment. At this point, Rhianna should have an attack spell that costs 5 MP. This can damage multiple enemies at once and make the leveling-up process quicker and easier. She should also earn a healing spell that costs 4 MP. This spell removes status effects.

Head NE from the town to another tower. Inspect the door of the tower; you won't be able to open it.

Leave the tower area and head N to a castle.

~ Castle #1

You won't be able to enter through the front, so just go around either side.

You can rest in the house just to the NW of the tool shop. If you talk to the strange guy holding a guitar in the SW part of town, he'll play a little tune for you. Again, there's plenty of new equipment to save up for.

You won't be able to enter the castle itself because two druids are blocking the way. Return at night and the entryway will be clear.

Inside the castle, an event will take place, and a secret passageway will be revealed. When you resume control, step out from your hiding place, and another event will take place. You'll wind up in prison.

~ Prison Escape #1

Talk to the guy in your cell. This is Ronzo. Answer "Yes" to his question and he'll join your party.

Inspect the cell door and you'll be able to open it. Go around opening other cell doors and speaking with the prisoners; you'll receive XP when they escape. Head to the NE where you'll find a red barred door; Ronzo will open it. Go down the stairs. An event will take place and you'll receive more XP. Go back upstairs.

Head to the W side of the area. There's a sleeping druid by the stairs. Head up the stairs to a new area.

There are monsters in this area. Head E, then N, then W to the stairs.

In the next area, go N, E, S, W to more stairs leading up.

The next area is small. Head NE to the stairs. You'll emerge in that room where you were captured.

Head up the stairs in the NW part of the room. Talk to the two guys you find up there. The one on the left, Lamiam, is bad news...

Anyway, now that you have Ronzo in your party, you'll be able to enter the tower that you visited before coming here. So buy some new equipment if you'd like, and then head on over there.

An event will take place as you leave the castle.

~ Tower #2

At this point, Fate should have an "Other" spell that costs 8 MP. This allows your party to warp out of most dungeons and labyrinths.

Go N from the entrance and you'll see stairs leading down. Take them down and you'll end up in a small room containing a chest (boomerang).

Back upstairs, head all the way to the N and you'll find a chest (berries). There's a red barred door in the NE part of the floor. Open it and go up the stairs.

The room in the SE corner of the next floor contains nothing, but the one just to the NW of it has a chest (leaf). S of that one is a room with stairs leading up. Take them.

On the next floor, go into the doorway just to the E. You'll find a chest (leaf). There are small rooms on the E and W sides of this floor, but they contain nothing. The N-most room is where you'll find the stairs to the next floor. Take them up.

You'll see a bridge to the E that leads to the other half of this dual-tower structure. Just before the bridge is a chest (money--1024). Take the money and then cross the bridge.

When you reach the first room of the new tower, hold down the Run button. You'll see a chest to the S that's mostly blocked by the wall.

This chest contains armor for Fate. Take the armor and then go downstairs.

The room to the NE on the next floor contains nothing, but S of it is a chest (money--860). The stairs leading down to the next floor are in a little room in the NW part of the floor.

There isn't all that much to do on the next floor. The room to the SE contains nothing. The red barred door to the SW leads to the stairs that go down to the final floor of the tower.

Once you reach the final floor, the exit will be to the S, but don't leave yet. The little room to the NE contains a chest (money--651). The NW room has a chest containing a long sword, which either Fate or Ronzo can use. Once you've grabbed the contents of the two chests, go ahead and leave.

Your next destination is a town to the E and just a bit S.

~ Town #3

In the druid's building, there's a guy standing in front of a stairway leading down. Talk to him. He won't let you by.

Leave the building and head to the NE part of town where there's a lady in pink. Speak with her. Answer "Yes" to her first question and "No" to her second. Then keep talking to her, and keep answering "Yes" when she asks you something. When she stops saying new things, go back inside the druid's building and talk to the guy blocking the stairs. Now he'll let you pass.

There's basically a whole new town downstairs, including an equipment shop with much better stuff than what was being sold in the one upstairs. You might want to spend some time saving up cash for new equipment. Note that the enemies around here are pretty strong. Make use of Rhianna's 5-MP attack spell. Gia should also have a thunder attack spell that costs 6 MP and hurts multiple enemies (of the same breed lined up in a row) at once.

At some point during the leveling-up process, Fate and Rhianna should both learn an "Other" spell that costs 8 MP. (For Fate, it will be his second 8-MP "Other" spell.) This spell allows you to warp back to any town you've previously visited. If you warp back to the first town (the top one in the left column when you cast the spell), you'll find that it has been wrecked. Talk to the girl in the SW-most house, answer "Yes" to her question, and she'll give you a long sword.

When you're done leveling, head N into the desert. Keep going N until you see an oasis. To the E of the oasis is a new town.

~ Town #4

(For the record, I entered this town at night, but it probably doesn't matter.)

An event will take place as soon as you enter the town.

Gia leads you to a house in the NE part of town. Walk around and talk to people, and then head back to that NE house. Talk to the woman inside, answer "Yes," and receive armor for Gia.

Head W from the oasis town to a small structure by the mountains.

~ Desert Dungeon

Step inside of the structure. There are lots of sand whirlpools here. The ones on this floor are pointless: they lead to a room that contains nothing. Head to the NW part of the floor to find a chest (money--125). The NE part of the floor is where you'll find stairs leading down.

Avoid the whirlpools on the next floor as well, as they lead to the same dumb room. There's a chest containing a leaf in the NW part of the floor. The SW part is where you'll find the next set of stairs leading down.

The next floor is very small. Just go E a little and take the next set of stairs down.

Now you can either walk S into a whirlpool or head N. Step into the whirlpool, as it leads to a different room. Take the stairs up. Then go E a little and take the next stairs up.

In the next room, the upper half of the E wall is busted and leads to a secret passageway. Take the passageway E into another room. Go E and then N to arrive at a gate. Inspect the gate to open it. There are two chests (a sword for Fate or Ronzo and a potion to revive an ally). Go back through the secret passage and take the next set of stairs up.

There's a chest containing a boomerang in the SW part of the next floor. Get the boomerang and then step into the whirlpool to the E of the chest.

On the next floor, there's a sand drift just to the W that will take you back to the first floor if you step into it. If you want to keep going instead, then head E and then N. There will be an event, and then you'll have to fight another boss, a huge sand dragon.

Try to keep everyone in good shape during this fight, as the sand dragon has an attack that can deal a good 30 HP of damage to each member of your party at once. Both Fate and Rhianna should have healing spells, and Ronzo and Gia can use leaves if necessary.

I like to have Fate concentrate on healing with his magic, while Rhianna attacks with her 5-MP attack spell (and uses healing magic if necessary), Ronzo performs normal attacks, and Gia uses her 6-MP attack spell.

After the fight, leave the dungeon and return to the oasis town. There will be a cinema.

After the cinema, Gia will leave your party and run to the NE house. Follow her there. Walk around and talk to the other people if you want, and then leave the town. (Hold on to Gia's armor; she'll eventually rejoin you.)

From the oasis town, head S, then E, and then a little N to a new town. (You should have the map by now, so use it!)

~ Town #5

Enter the tool shop. Go downstairs and talk to the person down there. Say "Yes" and you'll receive a leaf.

You can rest for free in the large house atop the cliffs towards the rear of the town. Talk, shop, etc., and then leave.

Return at night. Talk to everyone and then rest in the large house. Leave the house and head S towards the town's entrance. An event occurs. Say "Yes" when prompted, and Fan will join your party.

Leave the town.

Go S across a bridge, then SW and across another bridge. Head a bit NE until you reach a little path that leads into the woods.

~ Mystical Woods

This place can be very weird and confusing, but the correct path to follow is actually pretty straightforward.

Follow the path until you can go either N or S. Go S and then W. Follow the path and go past the white spot on the ground. (You'll see some trees shift when you step on the spot.)

Keep following the path. Eventually, you'll be able to go either E or N. Take the E path, and then go N. Keep following this path. Ultimately, you'll enter a new area and discover a huge structure.

Enter the structure. Go N up the little stair set. Continue all the way N, and then go W up the next little stair set. There's a chest containing a leaf on the W side of this floor. Make your way to the SW part of the floor and step out through the doorway.

Head E into another doorway. You'll see a chest immediately to the S of the entryway; make your way around the walls to get to it. (It contains berries.) Make your way S from the chest while holding down the Run button, and you'll find another (obscured) chest (money--893).

Then go S and out the next doorway.

Head E and into yet another doorway. Go S and then E down the small stair set. Go a little S and then W up the next small stair set. There's a chest just to the NW. (It contains a shield for Fate or Fan, but both of them should already have better pieces equipped.) Go S out the doorway.

Follow the steps E, then N, then W into another doorway. Go N a bit to find a mirror. Take it and you'll be warped out of the structure, ending up back on the world map on the other side of the woods.

Look at your map to find your next destination. It's a castle to the S.

~ Castle #2

You'll be asked a question as soon as you enter. Answer "Yes." Ronzo will leave your party.

You can do some talking and looking around, and then enter the castle itself. A weapons shop and a druid are on the first floor. Go up the stairs in the middle of the floor.

Talk to everyone in the throne room on the second floor. Step outside the doorway to the S and onto the balcony. Go E and then N and down the stairs. Go down the next set of stairs as well. You'll find a room with another red door that you can't open yet.

Go back up to the second-floor throne room, and then head up the stairs to the third floor. Go S and then E and into a doorway. Talk to the guy in the room. You can read the books from off the shelves. Search the left-most bookcase in the back row to find an accessory (boosts AP by 3).

(Note: If you search the bookcase but don't receive the item, speak to everyone in the town and castle both during the day and at night, and stay at the inn. Then try again. ...Yeah, I know, I'm such a big help.)

Leave the castle and return to the world map.

Note that at this point you can warp back to the previous town, enter the tool shop, go downstairs, talk to the person, answer "Yes," and receive a spear for Fate or Fan. Warp back to the castle afterwards.

Enter the castle at night. Go to the inn. When the innkeeper asks if you'd like to stay the night, answer "No." Answer "Yes" to his next question. Shion will come dashing down the stairs. He'll run to his boat, where there's a knight standing guard.

Enter the empty little house to the E of the dock. An event will take place. Your party will hide in a crate and be transported onto the ship.

~ Shion's Ship

Search the nearby book to find a fairy who allows you to save. Just to the SW is a chest (leaf). Go S as far as you can, then go up the stairs.

Go all the way N and step through a doorway and you'll find another chest (money--530). Then go back through the doorway and head towards the SW. Take the stairs down.

There's a blue door to the SE that you can't open yet. Go further S and then E and up the stairs.

Go S and then W. You'll see a stairway. Don't use it. Go N, past the stairway, and you'll find another stairway. Use this one.

You'll see three purple barrels. Push the N-most one to the side. You'll fall down to the floor below and find two chests (a revive potion and a key for opening the blue doors). Open the blue door. Head S and then E and back upstairs.

Skip the first stairway again. Take the next one up again. Now you're in the room with the three barrels. Go N and open the blue door. You'll find a chest (leaf). Go up the stairs just to the SE of the chest. You'll find two more chests (berries, money--1512).

Now go back and take the stairway that you kept on skipping. Go a little NE and open the blue door. Go up the stairs.

Now you're on the deck of the ship. Go W and then N to confront Shion.

Another warrior will show up and knock Fate off the ship. Rhianna and Fan will dive in after him.

Fate wakes up in a new town.

He, Rhianna, and Fan are thrown into prison.

~ Prison Escape #2

When prompted, select "Yes" to have Fan play his guitar. Inspect the cell door, walk around the cell for a few moments, and Gia and Ronzo will show up and take care of the guards.

Ronzo then leaves, but Gia joins your party. Have her equip her old armor.

Head up the stairway just to the W. There are two guards in this area, but they're both sleeping. Go N and then E and up the stairs. Enter the little house and you'll find a chest (potion that heals all party members). Go back down the stairs.

Head back W, then go N and up the other set of stairs.

~ Town #6

Go ahead and talk to the townspeople. Shop if you want, and then leave.

Go W across the bridge and then N to another castle.

~ Castle #3

Walk forward. Say "Yes" when prompted. A path through the trees will open up. Head N through the main entryway.

There are five doorways that lead into the building: one in the center, two to the W of that one (and a little further back), and two to the E of it (also a little further back). Let's go ahead and walk through the W one (either one).

Go up the stairs and you'll end up on the roof of the building. Go S and then E to find more stairs. Take them down and open the chest (an item that allows you to warp to any town you've already visited). Go back up the stairs and go a little E to the other stairway leading down. Go down and grab the chest (armor for Fate or Fan).

Now go all the way back to the front of the building. Use the center doorway this time. You can open the doors inside without any problem. Get the chest in the NW-most room (money--2048). You can reveal a secret passage by pushing aside the bookcase in the NE-most room, but don't use it yet. Instead, walk to the W side of the room and take the stairs up.

Open the door just to the NE and open the chest (spear for Fate or Fan). You can go up the stairs in the NE corner of the room, but they'll just lead to the roof and there's nothing up there.

Go back and use the secret passage beneath the bookcase down on the first floor. Step through the blue portal just to the W of the stairs you came down. Take the passage to a chest (accessory which boosts LC by 5). S of that blue portal are two entryways (facing N). Take the E one into a little room and open the chest (money--765). Then take the W one and proceed to the SW corner of the room, where you'll find stairs leading down. Use them.

Go N through the blue portal and continue N through another blue portal into a little room with a chest (money--573). Go SE through an entryway into another room with a chest (leaf). Go through the blue portal just to the NW of the chest and take the stairs down. Confront the dude in the next room and get ready to fight.

This boss can cause status effects with his "snake-shoulder" bite, and he also has an axe attack. But the truth of the matter is that he's simply outmanned. Those attacks strike only one party member, so it should be easy to keep everyone healthy while maintaining a continual assault.

After the fight, Raphael appears and talks to you. After the conversation, leave the castle. Head S from the castle and then W to the next town.

~ Town #7

There are stairs in the weapons shop, but you won't be able to go down them. Enter the house to the NW of the weapons shop. Talk to the person inside, and say "Yes" when prompted. You'll receive an item.

Inspect the well in the middle of the town, and select "Yes."

Step into the well.

~ Well Dungeon

Step on the tile to reveal a stairway leading down. Use it.

Go E and then take the first path leading N. Just to the E, you'll notice stairs leading up. If you use them, they will take you up to the weapons shop (in case you need to return to town for healing or saving). Just to the W is a chest (revive potion). From the chest, go a little W, then a little S, then a little W, and then N to another chest (shield for Fate or Fan).

Go back to the path leading N between the stairs and the chest that contained the potion. Go N and then W to a chest (leaf). Go back to the stairs leading up to the weapons shop (but don't use them). Go N and then E to find another chest (spear).

Go to the path running horizontally along the S part of the floor. Go E and then N. You'll see a chest to the W, so open it (money--1320). Go back to the path leading N. Head all the way N, and then go W. Go down the stairs.

Go W all the way to find a chest (berries). Go back E a bit and take the path N. When you can choose between continuing N or heading E, go E. Open the chest (money--330). Keep following the path and go down the stairs when you reach them.

In the next room, go N and go down the next set of stairs. Then go all the way N. Push the purple statue to the side. An event will occur: water comes bursting out of the wall.

Go back to the spot where you had to choose between going N and E. Go N this time. When the path splits, head W and open the chest (money--200). Then go E at the split. Follow the path and take the stairs down.

Walk N across the bridge and take the stairs down. Head N and take the next stairway down. Go N into the entryway and through the dark passage. Step to the end of the bridge. Now you'll have to face a boss, the Kraken.

At this point in my game, Rhianna had an attack spell that cost 6 MP and Gia had one that cost 8 MP. These spells absolutely annihilated the Kraken. Fan can perform normal attacks while Fate attacks and heals if necessary. But if you have those devastating spells for Rhianna and Gia, the battle will be a short and easy one.

You'll receive an item after the fight. Return to town. Talk to the person in the house NW of the weapons shop. When you leave the town, a ship will be waiting for you.

Head N in your boat. Directly N of the town you just left, you'll come to an island with a small structure. Don't bother stopping here. You need to go a little NE to a different island (use the map and you'll see where you need to go). Once you spot the entryway to the island cave, sail right up to it, and your party will step inside.

~ Island Cave

From the starting point, head E as far as you can, and then go N along the E wall. You'll find a chest (helmet for Rhianna or Gia).

Go back to the starting point. Head W this time, and go N along the W wall. You'll find another chest (money--654).

Go all the way N, and then go E, past the statue. Take the first path S that you come to after passing the statue. This path leads to stairs. Use them.

From the stairs, go N and then W. Make your way SW to a chest (leaf). Make your way to the NE part of the floor to find another chest (accessory that boosts AP by 3 for Fate, Fan, or Gia). Head to the NW part of the floor. You'll find a chest (town warp item) and the stairs to the next floor.

On the next floor, you'll see a tile and a statue just to the E, but they are useless right now. Make your way around to the N side of the floor and take the stairs up.

Head S. Skip the first stairway you see. Follow the path to the next stairway. Use this one. Head N across the little bridge of stones and step through the water. In the next room, go up the stairs.

Now you're in a puzzle room.

You have to push the four statues on top of the spots that are their respective colors. If you mess up, use the stairs to exit the room; when you return, the puzzle will be reset.

Here's how I beat it:

1) Move the green statue up until it hits the red one.

2) Step to the left, and then walk up and around the green and red statues until you're standing to the right of the green one. Push the green statue one spot to the left.

3) Push the red statue up one spot and then slide it over on to the red spot.

4) Push the blue statue to the right until it's even (vertically) with the yellow one.

5) Push the yellow statue up until it hits the blue one. Then push the yellow statue four spots to the left, then one spot up, then one spot to the left, then all the way to the top. Now slide it over onto the yellow spot.

6) Slide the green statue up onto the green spot.

7) Push the blue statue five spots to the left, then five spots up, then one spot to the right. Then slide it up to the blue spot.

A tremor occurs.

Go back to the room with the tile. Step on it and the water will be drained from the room. Make your way to the center of the room and get the item.

Now you can use the statues to teleport to various spots in the cave. Go back up to the stairway that you skipped before and use it. Use the statue to warp to a room with two chests (robe for Rhianna, leaf). Warp back out of the room and go down the stairs. Go back around to the stairway in the NE corner of the floor and use it. Use the statue to warp to a room with two chests (berries, money--893). To get to the chest containing the money, you have to walk W along the S wall.

Leave the cave and go back to Town #7 to heal and save. Then head W from the town in your ship past a bunch of islands to another town (use the map).

~ Town #8

Talk to the innkeeper. An event will take place: Fan will show you how to access the secret passageway that leads to the town proper. Go ahead in.

Just NW of the stairs you came down is a little house. Inside the house, you'll find three chests (staff, money--3, money--7).

Enter the large house NW of the save girl. Talk to the four people, inspect the map on the wall, and go downstairs. A little event will take place.

Inspect the two figures on the wall.

Enter the house W of the tool shop. Fan leaves your party, but gives you an item.

Talk and shop if you want to, and then leave. Get back in your boat. Go E to the SE-most town on the map.

~ Town #9

There's one huge building in the center of the area. It has a druid, an inn, a weapons shop, and so on.

Head up to the second floor of the building. You'll find two more of those red doors that you can't open yet.

Head up to the third floor. Here you'll meet Dewey, who has lost something. Search S of the barrel in the SW part of the room to find his lost item. Talk to him again. Say "Yes." He'll join your party.

Have him equip the item you just found for him as an accessory (+40 WS).

Talk, shop, look around, leave. Use your warp spell to warp to another town (once you select the spell, go to the second page of options and choose the one at the top of the left column). Your boat will warp with you, so don't worry about it.

You don't actually need to enter the town you warped to. Get into your boat and sail N. Again, you'll see that island with a small structure, but you still don't want to stop there. Instead, go W (and a little S) to the island with the Crystal Tower.

~ Tower #3

The enemies in here can be real pains, so you might just want to run away. There are better places to acquire XP.

Once inside, head E to find a chest (money--4096). Go N from there, through a blue door. Take the stairs up.

Head a little SE to the chest (gauntlet [an accessory for Fate that boosts AC by 5]). Go S and then W past the blue door. Head N while holding down the Run button and you'll see an obscured chest to the E.

Open it (revive potion). Go NW to another chest (leaf). Go down the stairs just to the E. Go SW to a chest (shield). Then go back upstairs.

Now go back to the blue door on the second floor that you walked past before. Open it, and go up the stairs. Go NE, through a blue door, and up the stairs.

You can fall into pits here, so be careful. Go S and then W. Intentionally fall into the pit in the SW corner. Go E to a chest (axe that can't be used by any current party member, so just hold on to it). Intentionally fall into the pit S of the chest and then make your way back up to the floor with multiple pits. Go to the NW corner of the floor to find a chest (money--369). Then intentionally fall into the pit just E of the chest.

Inspect the "big face" just to the NW on the wall. Say "Yes" when you're asked if you want to pull the lever. A tremor occurs.

Approach the statue to the S. You'll be warped to a different room. Walk N onto the star platform. Step on the tile in the SW corner of the platform. The platform will ascend to a new area.

Walk N up the red carpet. Enemies appear; defeat them. Take the red crystal.

Approach the statue in the S part of the room. You'll be warped back to the tower's entrance. Leave.

Now you need to head to the island that has the town with the secret passageway (Town #8). To warp there, cast your warp spell, go to page 2 of the options, and choose the one at the top of the right column. You don't need to enter the town itself. Head to the SE part of the island. Step in between the two stone monuments. Select "Yes." A bridge will be created. After you've crossed it, head N into a dungeon.

~ Island Dungeon

Head S. Select "Yes" to step onto the platform. After the platform ride, head S into a new area.

You'll need to press button I to get the orange things out of your way here. Go to the NE part of the floor for a chest (money--258). Head S and then W. Step into the entryway (it's facing N) to get to a new area.

Go E for a chest (armor for Fate). Head W. Go down the long stairway. Go E past the next stairway. Step behind the waterfall and into a new area. Open the chest (money--369). Leave the room.

Go down the stairway that you had skipped. Go SW and then down the next stairway. Go NE. Skip a stairway leading up. Step behind the waterfall into a new area. Open the chest (long bow for Fate, Rhianna, or Dewey. I had Rhianna equip it). Exit the room.

Go up the stairway that you just skipped. Step behind the waterfall into a new room. Open the chest (twelve leaves). Exit the room.

Go E. Step through the entryway leading N. Enter the doorway you come to.

Go a little E, then S, and then E to reach a central platform. Take the NE path to reach a chest (money--147). Go back to the central platform. Take the SE path and walk through the entryway into a new area.

Don't go down the stairway yet. Go a little E, then S, and then W to a chest (spear). Go back and go down the stairway. Go through the opening to the SE and walk down the long stairway. Head E to a chest (leaf). Keep going E. Go up the stairway and then up another. Walk through the passage while holding down the Run button and you'll see an obscured chest to the E.

Open it (town warp item). Go up the long stairway to the NW for a chest (money--1000). Go back down the stairway and then go through the entryway just to the E of it.

Proceed N to the top of the pyramid. Get ready for a boss fight.

This boss has an attack that causes about 30 HP of damage to each character. But you can make quick work of him if you have Rhianna, Gia, and Dewey use their most powerful attack spells. Have Fate handle healing duties. The other three should all have healing spells as well by now, so they can use them if necessary.

After the fight, inspect the sword in the stone. Select "Yes." Fate will pull it out.

Have him equip it. Leave the dungeon.

You need to go back to the town with the well. If you want to warp there, it's the town at the top of the left column on page 2 when you cast the warp spell. You actually don't need to enter the town. Get in your boat and head N to that island with the small structure that we've been skipping so far. Now's the time to enter the structure.

~ Small Sacred Structure

You need to place an item on each of the three statues. When you approach a given statue, you'll be asked if you want to place a certain item on said statue. The first question asks about a blue item. If you say "No," you'll be asked if you want to place a red item. If you say "No" again, you'll be asked if you want to place a brown item.

Place the red item on the W statue, the blue item on the N statue, and the brown item on the E statue. Inspect the water at the little stairway to the S. The water will be drained from the room. Walk through the entryway that appears. Step on the tile. You'll ride a platform down. Walk through the entryway in the S wall. Now you're in a maze.

Take the N path to a chest (money--631). You'll see another chest to the E; make your way over to it and open it (berries). Go back to the entryway. Head S and then NW to stairs leading down. Use them.

Head S and then E across a bridge. Head N across another bridge and W across another to reach a chest (money--1112). Go back E across the bridge and head N to another chest (money--214). From here, you can see a chest to the E and a stairway down to the W. To get to the chest, go all the way S, then E, and then N. The chest contains a sword for Fate. Then head towards that stairway you saw in the NW part of the floor. Use it.

Head E and then way S to a chest (armor for Fate). Head way W, then S, and then E to a chest (leaf). Go back W and then head N to a chest (staff). Keep going N to two chests (a potion that restores MP and money--711). Head E to a chest (leaf). SW of the chest is a little structure. Enter it.

Step on the tile in the next room and ride the platform down. Walk through the entryway to the S. Head N to a large entryway. Proceed N and approach the warrior in red armor. Say "Yes." Boss fight time.

His sword slice is pretty damaging, but only to a single party member at a time. Gia's 8-MP attack spell works well on him. All four of your characters should have 5-MP healing spells by now; Fate, Rhianna, and Dewey should also have a 7-MP healing spell. Fate can perform regular attacks while the rest use their strong attack magic. Any of them can be used for healing when necessary (but you should try to have Gia cast that attack spell every turn).

There's a cinema after the fight.

When play resumes, Dewey will no longer be in your party. Fate lost his most powerful sword during the cinema, so if you had it equipped, you'll have to reequip him with a different weapon. Go back through the maze. The statue room will refill with water when you reach it. You can reclaim those items from the statues on your way out. They can be equipped as accessories for various stat boosts.

If you want to, you can cast your warp spell to warp to a previous town (on page 1, choose the third one down in the right column), go downstairs in the town's tool shop, talk to the person, say "Yes," and receive armor.

Then use the warp spell again. Choose the top one in the right column of page 2. Enter the town. You'll meet up with Ronzo, who will join your party. You can have him equip the flame sword or axe that you've been holding on to, but you'll be able to buy something even better for him very soon.

Sail NW to the next (big) island. The next town is in the NW part of the island.

~ Town #10

Talk and shop as usual. Stay at the inn at night. A little event will take place.

You'll have to head SW to reach the next dungeon. There's a lot of poisonous marsh here. At this point, both Fate and Gia should have an "Other" spell that costs 2 MP. Cast it, and it will allow you to walk over hazardous terrain without taking any damage. It lasts for only a short time, though.

~ Mine

Head a little NW and up the small stairway. Then go W and down the long stairway. Pick up the mattock that's lying on the ground.

You'll need this to bust through certain walls, but Rhianna can also equip it as a second weapon.

Go back up the stairway and through the door just to the N.

There's plenty of hazardous red terrain around here. Use that 2-MP "Other" spell.

Head E. There's a N/S split in the path. Go N to find a chest (shield). Then head SE and out the doorway.

Outside, head N to a chest (revive potion). Then go SE into another doorway.

Head a little NE to a chest (money--242). Head S and outside to another chest (money--1460). Go back in, and head N. There's a doorway that leads outside in the NE corner.

Head S down the little stairway, then W across the bridge, and then N into another entryway.

Follow the path. It splits into two different paths, both leading S. Hold Run to see an obscured chest at the end of the path to the right.

The chest contains berries. Then take the path to the left. Head W to a large space with a lot of hazardous red terrain in the middle. There's a blue door in the NW part of the room, but don't go through it yet. Instead, walk N along the W wall until you reach an apparent dead-end. Press button I at the dead-end and select "Yes." You'll use the mattock to smash the wall.

Go through the dark secret passage. When you emerge, there will be a chest just to the N (armor for Fate). Head E for two more chests. One of them contains money (1020). The other contains a mirror that (I believe) allows you to avoid random battles for a short time when used. You can take up to ninety-nine mirrors from this chest.

Go back through the secret passage to the area with the blue door. Don't go through the door yet. Instead, go E of the blue door and hold Run to find another obscured chest (money--2020).

Now go back to the blue door and go through it. Head to the NW and out the doorway.

Outside, go up the long stairway just to the SE. Go a little N and into the doorway.

Head E. A little event will take place. Go N and you'll be accosted by the ogre boss from the first game.

Rhianna's 6-MP attack spell and Gia's 8-MP attack spell work very well on this guy. Fate and Ronzo can perform normal attacks. The ogre smashes the ground, causing damage to just one party member, so it should be easy to keep up with healing. Fate can handle healing duties.

After the fight, head N. Enter the doorway to find a healing room. Inspect the water and select "Yes" to drink from it.

Leave the healing room. Just to the SE of the doorway is another apparent dead-end that can be broken with the mattock (hold Run to see the spot).

Go through the passage to a chest (staff for Rhianna--equip it!).

Go back through the passage. Go W from the doorway. Skip the first path that leads N. Take the second path to another dead-end that you can smash.

This passage leads to a chest containing a sword for Fate or Ronzo.

Now take the path leading N that you skipped before. Keep following the path until you exit through a doorway.

Outside, go N and then W. Go up the stairway to a chest (money--2300). Then go back down the stairway.

Head E and up a stairway. A little event will take place. Say "Yes." You'll receive an item.

A cinema will take place.

After the cinema, you'll automatically leave the area.

At this point, you can warp to a previous town (first page, third one down in right column), enter the tool shop, go downstairs, talk to the person, say "Yes," and receive an accessory that boosts DX by 25.

Then warp back to the town you most recently discovered (page two, second down in right column). You don't need to enter the town. Hop into your boat and head N to another island. You'll have to park your boat on the E side of it. Once you've parked, head N to a new town.

~ Town #11

From the starting point, immediately head NE and cross the little bridge. Go a bit S to where the flowers are, and walk through the trees to the E. Keep following the path through the trees. When you emerge, head N and up the little steps. Go a little NW to find a stairway leading down. Use it. Talk to the people inside.

Go back to the town entrance. Talk to everyone in the town. (Note that there's another stairway leading down that's easy to miss. From the starting point, immediately head W to find it.) After you've talked to everyone, go back to that stairway in the NE part of town, the one you had to walk through the trees to get to. Talk to the people inside once again. Select "Yes" when prompted. Go back upstairs.

Find a fairy flying around E of the inn. Talk to her; she'll fly away. Return to the NE stairway behind the trees once again. Go downstairs and talk to the people inside. You'll receive a new bow for Ronzo.

Do some shopping if you want to, and then leave the town. Head SW to another castle.

~ Castle #4

Enter the castle. There are panels here and there on the walls in this place. When you touch one of them, one kind of barrier will be shut off while another will be turned on. There are yellow and black electrical barriers, and the yellow ones are on first.

Go NW. When you reach the yellow barrier, head E. Go N when you can, then W, S, and W to a chest (helmet for Fate). Go to the NW corner of the floor and up the stairs.

On the next floor, touch the panel on the wall. Now the yellow barriers are off, and the black barriers are on. Go back downstairs.

Go E and up another stairway. Hold down Run and you'll see an obscured chest just to the SW (and another to the SE that you'll be able to reach soon).

The one that you can open now contains a town warp item.

Go a little S and touch the panel on the wall (yellow on, black off). Go S and then NW to a chest (1919). Go E, past the yellow barrier. E of the barrier is an opening that you can step through (falling down to the first floor in the process). Go ahead and fall intentionally.

Go N. Touch the panel on the wall (yellow off, black on). Go N and then E and up the stairs.

Go W and touch the panel (yellow on, black off). Hold down Run, and SW of the panel, you'll see the chest that you couldn't get to before (accessory that boosts AP by 3). Go S and up the stairs.

Go N but don't go up the stairs. Instead, go around to the NE corner of the floor. Inspect the orange object. Select "Yes." You'll acquire armor for Fate.

Now go up the stairs. Grab the shield that's on the next floor (Fate can equip it), and leave the castle.

Now look at your map. See the small island way to the NW? Head there, and enter the town.

~ Town #12

Stay at the inn. A little event will take place.

Head to the SW part of town. A crowd has gathered by the entrance to a cave. An event will take place.

Go to the inn. When you're asked if you want to rest there, say "No," but say "Yes" to the next question.

Go to the NW-most house. Talk to the guy inside. Say "Yes."

Go to the inn. Say "Yes."

Go E across the bridge. Enter the first house you come to. Talk to the guys inside. Say "Yes" when prompted.

Go to the big house with the two swords on it in the NE part of town. Talk to the guy on the second floor.

Go back to the NW-most house. Talk to the guy. Say "No."

Cross the bridge. An event will take place. You'll receive a staff. Rhianna can equip it, but don't bother. Just use it as a healing item.

Shop if you want to. Be sure to get the armor that costs 6800 for Rhianna; it provides a huge AC boost.

Leave the town and head SE to another island. Enter the town there.

~ Town #13

Look around, talk, and shop if you want to. Enter the house N of the inn. Take the stairs down to an underground passage.

~ Underground Passageway #2

Walk a little SE and go down the stairs.

Go E. The path splits N and S, but it doesn't matter which way you go. The next time the path splits N and S, take the S route. Go E all the way and then N and down the stairs.

Go S all the way and then E. Step on the tile and go N across the bridge. Step on the tile on the other side of the bridge as well. Go towards the NE and follow the path. You'll cross another bridge. Go all the way E and up the stairs.

Go E, a little N, and then E. You'll see a path leading N, but skip it. Go all the way E and then N and up the stairs.

Go a little NE and then up more stairs. You'll wind up in a new town.

~ Town #14

Look around, talk, and shop (you can buy new armor for Ronzo). Then leave.

Head E and then a little S and into a cave.

~ Cave #1

The wyverns in here are very tough, so be careful. Remember to use that healing staff after every difficult fight.

Make your way to the NE corner of the first floor and go up the stairs. Make your way to the SE corner of the next floor and go up the stairs. Make your way to the NW part of the next floor and go up the stairs. Go a little SE and E through the opening. Go S and then try to enter the doorway. A warrior will confront you.

This guy has a fireball attack that can damage your entire party. He also has a couple attacks that damage only one character, but one of those attacks is pretty strong. Your strategy should be the same as usual up to this point. Gia can use her 8-MP attack spell and Rhianna can use her 6-MP attack spell while Ronzo and Fate perform normal attacks. Fate can take care of healing. And remember, if it's just a bit of healing that's needed, you can use the healing staff instead of magic.

After the fight, Shion shows up. Say "Yes." Then Lamiam shows up. Rhianna is captured.

Then Fan shows up and joins your party. Make sure to reequip him when you get a chance, because you probably have some stuff in your inventory that will be an improvement over what he comes with.

An event will take place, and then you'll automatically be transported out of the cave. And now you have an airship!

Now you need to head to a previous town. Use the town warp spell; go to page 2 and choose the third one down in the left column. Get into your airship and fly to the SE part of the island, where you'll find a cave on top of some elevated land.

~ Cave #2

Go N, W, and S to find a chest (money--456). Head N from there and you'll see a rock that you can push out of the way (it's quite noticeable) to reveal a secret tunnel. Head N through the tunnel and take the stairs down.

Head way S, and then take another stairway down.

Use the 2-MP "Other" spell to walk on the harmful terrain here. Head E and then N to reach a chest (shield for Fate or Fan). Then head back to the first floor.

Head to the NE part of the floor to find another stairway down. Use it.

Go W to the water. Follow the stream S while holding down Run. You'll notice an obscured chest (knife).

Go back N.

There are three stairways leading down on this floor: one to the NE, one to the E, and one to the SE. The NE and E ones lead to the same room where you can find a chest (town warp item). Get the item if you want it and then go back and use the SE stairway.

Go S and then E to reach another stairway down. Use it.

You're in a room filled with water now. Head NE to a chest (leaf). Head N to another chest. Try to open it. You'll be asked a series of questions. Here's what your answers should be: Yes, Yes, No, No, No, No, Yes. You'll receive a key that finally allows you to open those red doors.

Leave the cave.

Now let's open those red doors.

~ Red Door #1

The first red door is in the first tower you visited. To get there, warp back to the very first town, and then head SW.

The red door is just to the N of the tower's entrance. Open it and go upstairs. There isn't much guesswork to do here; just keep following the way and head up the stairways. Note that the enemies are pretty tough, so make good use of the healing staff. Some of the monsters even have instant death attacks. Fan should have 10-MP and 20-MP revive spells listed in his healing magic. You should also have some revive potions, but try to hold on to those.

When you reach the sixth floor, hold down the Run button and you'll notice an obscured chest just to the E of the stairs you came up.

The chest contains a staff; hold on to it for Rhianna.

You can keep going up to the top (the eighth floor), but there's nothing there right now, so just leave.

~ Red Door #2

Use your town warp spell. Your destination is on page 1, the one at the bottom of the left column. Enter the castle.

Go up to the second-floor throne room. Step out the doorway to the S onto the balcony. Go E and then N and down the stairs. Go down the next stairway as well. Go W to reach the red door. Open it and open up the chest (sword for Fate, Ronso, or Fan). Leave.

~ Red Doors #3 and #4

Use your town warp spell. You want the one that's the second one down in the left column on page 2. The red doors are on the second floor of the big building in the center of the town. Both red doors lead to chests (money--1980, heart-shaped piece of equipment that you should just save for now). Leave.

Now you need to fly your airship to a castle surrounded by mountains. Warp (page 2, bottom of left column). Then fly NE to find the castle (use your map).

~ Castle #5

Open the front door and enter. You can go E or W for a bit as soon as you enter, but both little paths lead to dead-ends. It looks like there are similar little paths leading E or W to dead-ends just above those, but there are actually doorways at the end of these ones. Go through the W doorway first. Open the chest (money--790). Then go through the E doorway. Go N through a doorway and then N through another doorway, and open the chest (axe).

Go a little W and you'll see stairs leading up to the next floor. Don't use them yet; instead, work your way to the NW part of the floor to find another chest (money--1400). Then go back and use the stairs.

Head to the NW corner of the floor to find a chest (money--2115).

Head SE of the stairs you came up to find another chest (revive potion). Go far W, then S, and then E to find a chest (armor for Gia) and stairs up. Use them.

Go N. You'll find three doorways that lead N. Use the E one first. You'll see stairs leading down, but skip them. Get the chest in the room to the SE (white ribbon, an accessory that boosts AC by 10, WS by 5, and LC by 10 for Gia). Now use the stairs to go down. Use the next set of stairs to go down as well. Open the chest (leaf).

Go back to the room with three doorways leading N. Walk through the middle one this time. Go W to find a chest (money--3600).

Now go back and use the W doorway. Head N. Go through the doorway to reach the NW corner of the floor. You can save and heal here.

(Note at this point that if Gia doesn't have a 20-MP revive spell listed among her healing magic, you might want to level up a bit until she earns it. She gets it when she reaches level 36. Fan has revive magic, but he'll be leaving your party soon, and right after he leaves, you'll enter a difficult area where the enemies can perform instant death attacks.)

Go E and then N through a doorway to reach a chest (revive potion). Then head E and take the stairway down.

Just keep following the paths and heading down more stairways. Eventually, you'll reach a room with a boat. Step onto the boat. After you're transported, head N to face a boss.

Gia can attack with her 8-MP attack spell while the others perform normal attacks. The boss can attack one party member with his legs, but it won't do much damage. One use of the healing staff can negate the attack (have Fan or Ronzo use the staff to heal). The boss can also damage all of your party members at once by spitting something at you, but it still won't cost you many HP.

There will be an event after the fight. Fan leaves your party. You can go back and step on the star to be taken to a new area. If you'd like to go back to the save room first, talk to Fan and say "Yes" and then step on the star. After you save, return and talk to Fan again, say "Yes," and step on the star.

The enemy groups are tough in this area, especially since your party consists of only three members now. Make good use of your healing staff. Some of the enemies can perform instant death attacks, so Gia's 20-MP revive spell will come in handy.

Go N through a doorway and then E all the way. Go S through a doorway to a chest (another heart-shaped piece of equipment). Go W and then S until you see two doorways to the W (one leads N, the other S). Go through the one leading N and you'll find a chest (berries--you can take up to ninety-nine of them). Go SE through a doorway and up the stairs.

Go N through a doorway and select "Yes" when prompted. An event will take place. Rhianna will rejoin your party, and you'll have to fight a boss.

The demon boss can hit one party member with his sword slash for a fair amount of damage. He can also hit one party member with his kick for a greater amount of damage. Rhianna should have a 12-MP attack spell that can do significant harm to him. Gia should use her 8-MP attack spell while Fate and Ronzo perform normal attacks. Ronzo can use the healing staff to heal people; Fate can contribute with healing magic if additional power is necessary.

After the fight, Shion will show up and an event will take place. Once play resumes, equip Rhianna. Then go back and talk to Fan. An event will take place, and you'll automatically be transported outside.

Warp to a previous town (page 1, third one down in right column). Enter the toolshop, go downstairs, talk to the person, say "Yes," and receive a shield for Fate.

Now you need to head back to Tower #1, which is SW of the town where this all began.

~ Tower #1 Revisited

Head straight ahead, through the doorway where there used to be a red door, and go up the stairs. Keep following the paths and going up the stairs until you reach the top.

An event will take place on the top floor. Proceed up the stairway and onto the platform. You'll watch a cinema...

...and then fight a boss.

This boss can use a magic attack on one party member for a fair amount of damage. He can also attack one party member with a sword, which deals less damage but can cause a status effect.

Note that with this guy and other magic-using bosses, Rhianna and Gia can steal their MP. Select the middle category of magic spells and then choose the spell that costs 0 MP in order to do this. You shouldn't have to do it during this fight, but it will definitely prove useful later in the game. The bosses can run out of MP too, after all.

For this battle, have Rhianna use her 12-MP attack spell, Gia use her 8-MP attack spell, Fate perform normal attacks, and Ronzo heal with the staff. If the staff's powers are insufficient at any point, others can contribute with healing magic. Rhianna should have a spell that costs 18 MP that heals everyone, although you shouldn't have to use it here.

After the fight, you'll end up in a different world, one that will prove familiar in many, many ways to fans of the first game.

~ The New World

You don't need to buy a new map. Your old map item will display the map of the new world.

There isn't any day-night switching right now. This world is constantly dark and rainy.

When play resumes, your party will consist of only Fate and Rhianna. You'll be in the house of a girl named Tiara.

~ Town #15

After the initial event, walk around town and talk to everyone. Inspect the sign and the save girl will appear. (Get used to stuff like this. The save girls like to act wacky around here.)

Visit the NW-most house and speak with Enya. Say "Yes."

Go back to Tiara's house and talk to her. You'll automatically rest, and then Tiara will join your party.

Check your inventory to see if you have anything good you can equip her with.

Visit Enya again. He has two things for you: a ring accessory for Fate or Tiara (boosts AP and DX by 30) and something to give to the King of Castle Montgomery.

If for some reason you actually still don't have the map, you can get one in the SE-most house. Talk to the person from the side (not from across the table).

Leave the town. You'll pass Kearu on your way out. A cinema will take place.

To get to Castle Montgomery, go E, then N across a bridge, and then E across another bridge.

~ Castle #6

When you're in the actual castle building, head to the NW corner of the first floor to speak with King Isaac III. Say "Yes."

Take the stairway leading down in the center of the first floor. You'll find yourself in a little maze. Go S, E, S, and W to a chest (money--1500).

Head to the NW part of this section of the maze. Go up the stairs. Go all the way E and take the stairway leading down. Go to the SE area of this section of the maze. Head N through a doorway to a chest (bow for Tiara).

Make your way to the W part of the maze and use the stairway leading up. You'll have reached the High Cross. Inspect it. If you select "Yes," you'll be transported to the old world. You'll need to head back up to the platform at the top of Tower #1 to return to the new world. You do not need to return to the old world.

Take a look around Montgomery, talk and shop if you want, and then leave. Head W past the mountains and then N to a tower.

(Note: On your way to the tower, you'll see another town. You don't need to go there yet. In fact, if you speak to a certain character in the town at this point in the adventure, your game will freeze.)

~ Tower #4

Head N and you'll see two stairways leading up. In the NW corner is a stairway going down; it leads to a heal room.

Of the two stairways going up, take the E one first. Go a little E and then N to a chest (accessory for Rhianna or Tiara--boosts AP, AC, and DX by 10). W from there is another chest (MP restore potion). Go back upstairs.

Now take the W stairway up. Head N and take another stairway up.

Head S, E, and N to see two chests. You can open only the one on the left for now, and it contains money (2468).

Go to the W-most yellow statue. Push it E into the small hole in the ground. A tremor occurs.

Go back downstairs. Go S and you'll see that the water has been drained from the room. Go to the SE corner and take the stairs up.

Head NW to a chest (leaf), and then head N and take the stairs up.

Go S, W, and S. Use the 2-MP "Other" spell to walk on the hazardous red terrain to the E. Once you're on the hazardous stuff, go N to a chest (revive potion).

Go back to the stairs you used to come up here. Go N from there and then W to stairs leading up. Use them.

Go E and then S. As you're heading S, you'll see a broken wall (facing S) to the W. Inspect it. It crumbles, revealing a doorway.

Go through to a chest (shield for Fate).

Go SE and take the stairs down. Open the chest (item to warp out of dungeons). Go back upstars.

To the W is a stairway leading up. Use it.

Head N and up the long stairway to a chest (blue orb, needed to get the ship). Exit the tower.

Now go to the town you skipped. (It's W of Montgomery, SW of the tower.)

~ Town #16

If you want to watch the snakecharmer act, say "No" to him until he lowers his price to 50.

Make your way S down the long stairway to the loading area by the water. One of the doorways here leads to a bar where you can play the betting game if you want to. Head W and then N. Enter the large house. Talk to the people inside and say "Yes" when prompted. Do anything else you want to do in the town and then leave.

Now you can use the ship. Get on it and you'll automatically sail towards the NW. Once the ship is parked, get off it and go W across a bridge and into the castle.

~ Castle #7

Speak with the king on the second floor of the castle building. Say "Yes."

While still on the second floor, head out one of the doorways to the S. Go W and then N and down the stairs. Take the next stairway down as well. Go S, open the blue door, and get the contents of the chest (revive potion).

Return to the king's room. Use the stairs to go back down to the first floor. Go N to a stairway leading down. Use it. Go towards the SE, open the blue door, and open the chest (MP-restore potion).

Go S and take the stairs up. You're out in the rain now. Head W until you're under the bridge. There's a stairway here that you can't see. Just walk around until you find it. (It's one step to the W of the NE-most point under the bridge.) The hidden stairway leads to a chest (armor).

Look around, shop, save, and leave.

Head N across a bridge. Make your way N to another town.

~ Town #17

Enter the SE-most house and talk to the person on the second floor. When you leave the house, a rather funny event will take place. Your party will chase Alef around until he bumps into Kearu. You'll automatically rest, and then Alef will join your party.

Check your inventory to see if you have any good equipment for him.

You can rest for free in the NW-most house. Talk, shop if you want to, and leave the town.

Head SE and into a cave.

~ Cave #3

(If you enter this cave prior to Alef joining your party, a man will be standing by the entrance, preventing you from going any further. After Alef joins your party, the man will no longer be there.)

Head N across a bridge. Keep going N (don't bother with the path that leads NE). Eventually, you'll reach a doorway to the NE. Walk through it, and then go N through another doorway.

Head N, and you'll find that the path forks. Take the NE route, and then take the E path all the way. Head N to find a chest (sword).

Go back W and take the next path N. You'll come to a point where you can take three different paths N.

Take the NE path. Inspect the flower and take it. See the little moving dot next to where the flower was? Inspect it. Select "Yes" to take it.

It's a seed that you can use for healing, much like the healing staff.

Go back to where there were three paths leading N. Take the NW one to a chest (a piece of equipment for Gia--hold on to it).

Go back S and leave the area. An event will take place. After the cave-in, you'll wind up in a very small room. Walk around for a moment and then Kearu will show up to rescue you.

Leave the cave. Head back to the previous castle.

From the castle, go W across a bridge, then go S around the mountains. Head N and cross a bridge. Keep going N and you'll see a bridge to the E, but you can't get to it. Continue N and you'll see another bridge to the E. Cross this one. Head E past the mountains and then N. The tower is surrounded by poisonous marsh, so use that 2-MP "Other" spell to walk on it.

~ Tower #5

Once you've entered the tower, head just NW of the entrance to find a chest (MP-restore potion). Head E of the entrance and then N to find another chest (money--8000).

Just N of the entrance are two stairways leading up. Way N of those two are two more stairways leading up.

Use the SE-most of the four first. Go SE to a chest (helmet for Fate or Alef). Then head N. Skip the path leading W. Go N to a chest (revive potion). Go back down the stairs you used to get up here.

Now use the NE-most of the four stairways leading up. Head SE to a chest (money--10000). Go back downstairs.

Now use the SW-most of the four stairways leading up. Head S until you're up against the S wall. Then walk W along the S wall to another stairway leading up. Use it.

There are warp tiles in this room that transport you to other spots on the floor. Avoid them for the moment. Head to the E-most wall, and then head N to find a chest (money--1500). Go a little N from the chest and take the W path. Then take the first path leading N. Go W around the red hazardous stuff to a chest (armor for Rhianna). Head S across the red stuff (use the 2-MP "Other" spell) and then W. You'll see three chests, but you can open only two for now (money--10000, a weapon for Fate).

There is a stairway leading up in the middle of the floor. Don't use it yet. Step on the warp tile just to the NE of it. Now you can get to the other chest of the group of three you saw a moment ago. It contains a revive potion.

Now use the stairway leading up. Go S to a chest (money--3500).

Head N to a gate. Step on the tile just SW of it. A little event will take place. Select "Yes." Tiara will stay behind on the tile. Go N and up the stairs.

An event will take place, and you'll have to deal with a boss fight.

The Marius Demon can use an attack where two lights flash to cause moderate damage to one party member. He can also have an arm come out of his upside-down mouth to hit one party member for significant damage and possibly cause the target to become poisoned. Finally, he can use a lightning attack on one party member for major damage.

Rhianna's 12-MP attack spell causes a fair amount of damage to him, but she'll run low on MP before he's dead. You'll want her to maintain a reserve of MP so that she can cure a poisoned party member if need be. Remember that she can steal MP from the boss if she needs to (choose the middle spell category and then the spell that costs 0 MP). She might also need to help with healing magic.
Fate and Alef can perform normal attacks. Alef can use the healing staff or the seed to heal. Fate can use those as well, but chances are you'll need more healing power than those two things can offer if the Marius Demon uses his arm or lightning attacks. Fate should be able to use 5-MP and 7-MP healing spells by this time.

After the fight, Tiara rejoins your party (she won't have anything equipped), and a cinema takes place.

You'll resume play on the world map. The rain is gone, and the day/night cycle is back.

Use the town warp spell. Choose the third one down in the left column on page 3. Enter the town. Talk to the guy by the boat. Say "Yes." Get on the boat. You'll automatically travel to a little island. Go down the stairs. Head N and go down more stairs. Head N to a chest (armor for Alef).

Go back and leave the town.

Use the town warp spell. Choose the second one down in the right column on page 3. Enter the castle. Talk to the king and you'll receive a sword for Alef.

Leave the castle.

Use the town warp spell. Choose the top one in the right column on page 3. Enter the castle. Talk to the king. Leave the town. On your way out, Tiara will leave your party. Dewey will join. Make sure to check everyone's equipment now. Dewey can equip that heart-shaped item as a helmet.

From the castle, go S across a bridge and then E and S across another bridge. Go S and then E through the Stonehenge area. Head N across a bridge and E into a cave.

~ Mountain Path

From the starting point, go N into a cave. Go to the NE and take the steps up and out of the cave.

Head up the steps immediately to the N. Go W across a bridge. You'll see another bridge to the W, but skip it. Head N and you'll come to another bridge leading W. Cross this one. Go N and into a cave.

Go N and then E across a bridge. Head S and out of the cave. Open the chest (knife Fate or Alef can use in lieu of a shield). See the cave entrance to the SE? That's your next destination.

Go back through the cave you were just in. Go down the steps by the starting point of the grassy area. Go a little W and take the first path N that you see. You'll come to another set of steps, but skip them. Go a little NW and take the next set of steps up. You'll find a chest (money--1720). Go back down the steps and head N to the cave entrance you saw moments ago.

Inside the cave, go NW. When you reach the N wall, go W to a chest (berries). Head S, under a bridge, to another chest (leaf). Just to the NW of the chest is a hole in the wall (look closely).

Walk through it. Go W and exit the cave.

You'll emerge in a mini-town. There's a weapons shop here. You can use the steps in the NW area of town to reach another High Cross, which can warp you back to the old world, just like the last one. Talk and shop and look around if you want to, and then go back into the cave.

Back in the cave, walk back E through the hole in the wall. Make your way to the NE area of the cave and leave it.

Head up the steps to the NW. Go N to a chest (money--514). Go back down the steps.

Head E. Cross the bridge leading N. If you go to the NW part of the area, you'll find steps leading down to a small room. There's nothing really down there, but you'll keep being attacked by two red trees.

You get 2000 XP each time you defeat them, so this is a nice place to level up. They're not very difficult to beat, and you can heal with the seed or healing staff if your HP start running low.

You'll need to head NE to find the entrance to another cave. Inside, go W and then S down the steps and out of the cave.

Head S across the bridge and into a cave. Go W and then S. Make your way to the SE area for a chest (sword). N of the chest is the way out of the cave.

You'll find yourself back on the world map. Head NW. Step off the elevated land by using the little path E of a bit of marsh. Head NW and N across a bridge. Go NE to the next town.

~ Town #18

You need to follow a path through the trees to get to the E side of town, but there isn't much going on here either way. Do the usual town stuff and then leave.

Get on your boat. The next town is to the N and a little to the W (use your map).
~ Town #19

An event will take place as soon as you enter the town. You'll meet up with Tiara again, and she's not in the greatest shape.

Look around and do some shopping (there are some decent new pieces of equipment to pick up) and then leave.

Get on your boat. Follow the E coast N to the next town.

~ Town #20

You'll meet up with Gia upstairs in the inn. Talk to her (and keep talking to her until she has nothing new to say).

Do your town stuff and leave. Head W and then S to a castle.

~ Castle #8

Head N toward the entryway. You'll be caught in a magnetic field between the trees. You'll wind up locked inside a room in the castle. Dewey will be injured. Gia and Ronzo will come to rescue you.

Ronzo escapes with Dewey, while Gia joins your party (check her equipment and see if you have anything better to equip her with).

Approach the barred door. Down it comes. Go down the stairs.

Go N and then all the way W. You'll find two stairways. The S one leads upstairs, while the N one leads down. Use the N one.

You'll find yourself in a room that contains four chests (money--1591, plant for Tiara, sword, accessory that boosts AC by 30). Open the chests and then go back up the stairs.

That stairway to the S leads to nothing, so just leave through the front entryway.

You need to head back to the town SE of here, where Tiara is. You can head back to the town to the E, hop on board your ship, and follow the E coast S to the town. Alternatively, you can warp right to the town (page 3, bottom left).

Once you're in the town, enter the inn and speak with Dewey and Ronzo. Then visit Tiara in the long building in the NE area of town. Speak with the person standing near Tiara's bed. You'll receive an ocarina that allows you to summon an airship.

Leave town. There will be an event as you leave.

Use the ocarina to summon the airship.

You have to find a secret town now. Use the town warp spell and choose the third one down in the left column. Cross the bridge to the W. Travel NW and you'll see two small trees in the middle of some elevated ground.

Walk into the trees to find the secret town.

~ Town #21

Enter the large house in the NW part of town. Speak to the person just W of the doorway. There will be an event when you leave the house. Say "Yes." Leave the town.

Return at night. Head to the NE part of town, where you'll find a statue. Inspect it. An event will take place. Inspect it again. A similar event will take place. Talk to everyone who's out and about. Then stay at the inn.

During the day, talk to everyone. Then leave the town and return at night.

Inspect the statue. An event will take place.

Go to the E side of the statue and press button I. The statue will be pulled apart. Head down the stairs.

Keep going up the flights of stairs. Talk to the guy at the top. Say "Yes." After the conversation, go back and stay at the inn.

Go to the large house in the NW part of town. Talk to person just to the W when you enter. Say "Yes." Leave the town, and return at night.

S of the large house in the NW part of town is a smaller house. Speak to the person standing in front of the smaller house. Enter the house and take the item inside. Then leave the town.

Use the town warp spell and choose the bottom-left one on page 3. Make sure to speak with a girl in pink hanging around in the middle of town. Then take your airship W to a cave.

~ Cave #4

Step towards the middle outcropping. An event will take place.

Enter the cave.

Go down the stairs. Go all the way N, and then head E. Take the steps down. Head to the SW and open the chest (item to warp out of dungeons). Go back up the steps.

Head E and then S across a bridge. Go down the steps to the SW. Go NW to a chest (white ribbon accessory). Go back up the steps.

Head S and then W and down the stairs.

Head W to a chest (accessory for anyone that boosts AC by 10).

There are three stairways leading down: one to the E, one to the NE, and one to the N. Take the E one first. Open the chest (MP-restore potion). Go back upstairs.

Take the NE stairway next. Open the chest (revive potion). Head back upstairs.

Now take the N stairway. Follow the path. Go upstairs.

Go S and then W to a chest (helmet for Rhianna or Gia).

Go back E and then head N. Take the little path to the W for a chest (leaf), and then continue N. Go down the stairs.

Follow the path to a stone structure. Go up the stairway. An event will take place. You'll receive a sword for Alef (have him equip it).

Now leave the dungeon.

Look at your map. Towards the SW is a small island with a flashing red spot. That's your next destination. Take the airship there and enter the cave. If for some reason you can't locate it, use the town warp spell and choose the top one in the left column on page 3, and fly directly W from there.

~ Ice Cave

Head W of the entrance for a chest (town warp item).

Head NE of the entrance for another chest (leaf). From this chest, go W and then NE. You'll find a little niche with a hole in the wall. Walk through the hole and go down the stairs. Talk to the person. Say "Yes."

Go back up to the original floor. Make your way to the NW part of the floor and take the stairs up.

Head all the way S and then E and N and go up the stairs.

Make your way to the SE part of the floor for a chest (money--1541). W and a little N of the chest is another hole in the wall. Walk through it. Go upstairs. Take the next stairway up, and the next. Go all the way S and then W to a chest (weapon for Fate). Go back E, a little N, W, and then N. Go up the stairs.

Go N, turn E, take the second path N, and follow the path to a chest (staff for Rhianna).

Make your way to the person standing on the center platform. An event will take place. Say "No" and then "Yes." You'll have to fight a few (non-boss) enemies. After the battle, you'll receive a bandana, which boosts AP by 10 and DX by 50 for Fate, Gia, or Alef.

Leave the cave. The next place you need to go is a little island to the NE. Use the town warp spell and pick the one that's third down in the left column of page 3. Fly E from there to a small island with a castle on it.

~ Castle #9

Once inside the castle, head to the NE corner and take the stairs up.

On the second floor, there will be a tremor and the floor will shift. Head W, then all the way S, and then E to a chest (MP-restore potion). Look at the S wall closely. There's a crack in it. (Look straight S from the chest and one step to the E to find it.) Walk through the crack.

Take the stairs down. Open the two chests (staff for Rhianna, money--3210). Go back upstairs.

Head back W and then N until you see stairs leading down to the W. Use them.

Get the two chests (item to warp out of dungeons, ring accessory). Go N and up the stairs.

Go all the way S to the S wall. Walk E along the the S wall past the pit and then go up the stairs.

There will be a tremor, and the floor will shift again. Head to the N part of the room. There will be an event, and you'll have to fight a boss, Echidna.

Echidna's dog heads can attack one party member and cause not only major damage, but status effects as well. If characters are afflicted with confusion, have them defend during the next turn, lest they attack an ally or heal the enemy. Echidna has another single-character attack that she can deal good damage with.

Rhianna's 12-MP attack spell and Gia's 15-MP attack spell work pretty well in this fight. Alef can also do a lot of harm by using standard attacks. Fate should handle most of the healing duties, and he should do it with magic, since using the seed or healing staff won't be enough to keep up with the damage Echidna does. You can use the staff with the green stone to remedy status effects. Rhianna or Gia can also use magic to cure a character who gets hit with a status effect. If necessary, they can also steal MP from the boss.

There will be a cinema after the fight.

Following the cinema, you'll receive a new sword for Fate (have him equip it). Leave the castle.

Use the town warp spell and choose the bottom-left one on page 3. Fly E to an island with a castle on it. You'll have to land your ship right next to the castle, on the green a step to the E.

~ Castle #10

Enter the castle. Talk to the three people. Say "Yes" when prompted. To the NW are stairs leading down. Take them and talk to the person. Go back upstairs. Step on the star in the NE corner of the room.

In the next area, go E to a chest (sword). Head N of the chest and go through a doorway and up the stairs. Talk to the two people. You'll need to return to this room in a bit. For now, go back downstairs.

To the W is a small room that you can enter through a doorway from the W. Open the chest (money--1457).

To the N are two paths leading N. Take the W one first. Open the chest (town warp item). Then go back and take the E path.

Go N and then E to a chest (accessory). You can head N from the chest and through a doorway, but it leads to a room with nothing. But W of that room is a path heading N. Follow that path.

Step on the odd tile. Then return to that room with two people that I told you you'd have to return to. Talk to the people. Then go back to the tile. Step on it. An event will take place.

Head N to a new area.

Go all the way to the E wall. Two steps W of the E wall, look directly to the N and you'll see a section of the N wall pushed in.

You can walk through it. Follow the path to a chest (armor). Go back through the tunnel.

Head N and talk to the person blocking the way. Say "Yes." Go back to the room with two people. Talk to them. Then head N back to the other guy. Talk to him and he'll let you pass.

Go N to the water. There will be a little flash and a text message. Leave the room and return to the first room in the castle.

Talk to the three people that are there. Say "Yes" when prompted. Rhianna gets a 62-MP healing spell.

Leave the castle. Heal up and save somewhere.

Fly to the NW-most island. You can inspect the pool of water in the E area of the island.

When you're ready, land your airship near the castle. Cast the 2-MP "Other" spell so that you can walk over the poisonous marsh, and enter the castle.

~ Castle #11

Head N and inspect the barrier. An event will take place. Step on the blue tile in the middle of the star.

In the next area, W of the tile you came from, is a doorway. Walk through it and inspect the statue.

SE of the tile is another doorway. Head through it, and then go SW to a chest (money--3500).

There are two stairways leading down in this area: one in the SW corner and one in the NW corner. Use the NW one first.

Go all the way S. Hold down the Run button to see an obscured chest (staff).

Go way up N. East of the stairway you came down is another chest (revive potion).

Go S through a doorway, and then continue S through another doorway. Go W to a chest (money--7500).

Go all the way E from the chest, and then head N and take the stairs down. Go N to a stairway leading up and use it. Go W to another stairway up and use it. Open the chest (weapon for Gia).

Now go all the way back to the area where you had to choose between the stairway in the NW corner and the stairway in the SW corner. Use the SW one this time. Take the next stairway down as well.

(Note: In this next area, I won a random battle against four Geists...

...and received a helmet for Fate or Alef that provided an enormous AC boost.

This seemed fairly random; I won many other fights against four Geists and received nothing but the usual XP and money.)

Go N through a doorway to a chest (revive potion). Go SE of the stairs you came up and N through a doorway. Go N and you will spot a chest to the E. The chest contains leaves; you can take up to ninety-nine of them.

Go W of the chest and through a doorway to the N. Go down the stairs.

Walk S on the rope and then W, and then follow the first rope you come to that leads N. Walk off the end of it. Inspect the dragon statue. Now you can warp to the previous dragon statue (which is near the entrance of the castle) and back again if you want to. Step on the blue tile, and you'll be back on the platform where this rope stuff began.

Walk S on the rope, but then go E this time. Walk on the rope that leads S until you fall off the end of it. Follow the path and take the stairs up. Go W on a rope. Go S when you can to reach a chest (helmet for Fate or Alef). Get back on the ropes and walk off the W tip. Open the chest (money--12000). Step on the blue tile.

Once again, you're back at the beginning of the rope stuff. Walk S on the rope, and then head E. Continue E and off the E end of the rope. Open the chest (money--8000). Follow the path and take the stairs up. Go S across a rope. Then go SW and down the stairs. Follow the path and open the chest (ring accessory). Go back upstairs.

Go W. There are two ropes, one leading N and the other leading W. Take the N one and walk off the end of it. Open the chest (money--10000). Follow the path. The blue tile takes you back to the beginning of the rope stuff. The stairway leads down to the next area.

The next area is an odd room where the lights alternately dim and brighten. You might want to stop moving for a moment when they are at their darkest. And be warned that the blue dragons here can perform instant death attacks.

Head NE from the stairs you came down to a chest (money--9500).

Go to the S wall and walk E along it. Then walk N all the way along the E wall. Go W and then S to a chest (revive potion). S of the chest is a stairway leading down. Use it.

You'll wind up in another dark room, but this one has special tiles that, when stepped on, warp you to a huge chamber that's empty save for a blue tile. When you step on that tile, you're warped back to the cave area right before the first dark room. Needless to say, you want to avoid these special tiles, so take your time and be careful while you walk around on this floor.

Go to the SE corner and then W to a chest (money--10000). Go to the SW corner for another chest (MP-restore potion). NW of the stairs you came down is a chest (Side Arm--weapon for Fate or Alef that can be equipped as a second weapon in lieu of a shield). There's a stairway just N of this chest, but don't use it yet. Instead, go to the NW corner of the room and go up the stairs there. Open the chest (armor for Fate or Alef). Then go back downstairs and use the stairway you just skipped.

Go S and down the long stairway. At the end are stairs leading down. Use them.

Go N. Step towards the blue tile on the floor. A boss will appear.

This boss has an arm attack that damages one party member. It does little damage, but it can cause status effects. Have Fate counter the damage by healing the target with the seed or healing staff. And remember, if anyone gets hit with a status effect, use the staff with the green stone to heal them.

The boss also has a massive magic attack that does significant damage to all party members. Rhianna's 18-MP group healing spell can counter this to an extent.

Fate should concentrate on healing/curing duties and perform normal attacks during turns that all four party members are in good shape. Rhianna can cause substantial damage with her 12-MP attack spell. Gia can use her 15-MP attack spell or her normal attacks if you've strengthened her up and given her good equipment. Alef should perform normal attacks. It's a good idea to have both Rhianna and Gia steal MP (middle spell category, spell that costs 0 MP) here and there to keep their own reserves high and to drain the boss's supply.

After the fight, step on the tile. There are three glowing switches in the next room. Go to the E one and inspect it. Select "Yes" to turn it off. Go to the N one, inspect it, and select "Yes" to turn it off. Now you can reach the stairway, so use it.

Inspect the dragon statue in the next room. Now you can warp to the other dragon statues and then back here again. And you might want to warp to the one near the entrance and leave the castle at this point so you can heal and save before continuing on. When you return to the castle, just use the first dragon statue to warp back here again.

From the dragon statue you're at now, you need to take the stairs to the SE down. Then step towards the center of the star on the floor. You'll have to fight another boss.

This guy wastes a lot of time with stat-boosting magic. His main attack technique is a sword strike that doesn't do very much damage. However, he can heal himself, restoring a couple thousand HP when you have him on the ropes. With this in mind, Rhianna and Gia should try to steal all of his MP as soon as possible. Then he'll be left with his meek sword strike. Keep in mind that he might steal some MP back. Just do him the same favor in return.

When you've taken all of his MP (you'll know because no numerical value will be shown when you use the MP-stealing spell), wallop him. Rhianna can use her 12-MP attack spell while everyone else performs normal attacks. Heal if necessary. It doesn't really matter who does it or how, because he doesn't cause major damage in one turn.

After the fight, you might want to leave and heal/save again. When you're ready to proceed, step on the blue tile.

As soon as you've been transported, hold down the Run button. You'll see an obscured chest to the E that contains money (20000).

Go W and you'll see another chest (MP-restore potion). Go S and then E to a chest (armor). SE of the chest is a stairway leading down. Use it.

Go a little S and then W to a chest (helmet for Rhianna). Go back E, then N, then W, and then all the way S to a chest (accessory). NE of the chest is a stairway leading down. Use it.

You'll be at another dragon statue. You know the deal here. Go back and heal/save at a town if you want to. When you're ready, go down the stairs to the SE. Walk N and try to enter the doorway. An event will take place. Time for another boss fight.

This guy doesn't cause too much damage during any given turn, but he occasionally causes status effects like mute and sleep. Cure the effects with the staff that has a green stone. Gia and Rhianna can steal MP and heal while Fate and Alef launch normal attacks. The dragon will vanish when the boss is almost done. At that point, or shortly thereafter, he's likely to bust out an attack that hits your whole party. Rhianna can counter this with her group-healing magic.

After the fight, you might want to go back to the dragon statue, warp out, and heal/save. Either way, make sure your party is in good condition before proceeding. When you're ready, enter the doorway.

Approach the gate. Select "Yes." Enter the doorway. An event will take place as your party confronts Lamiam. Dewey, Tiara, Ronzo, and Shion will show up. The game will ask you a series of Yes/No questions. It's asking you whether or not you want certain allies to fight alongside Fate in the final battle. In order, it asks about Rhianna, Shion, Ronzo, Gia, Tiara, Alef (and I assume Dewey last. I always have my three battlemates selected by then). Then it reviews whom you picked and asks if you're sure. I went with Rhianna, Gia, and Alef because I felt comfortable with that party at this point and because the three of them with Fate make for a good mix of offense and magic. When you regain control, only Fate will still be equipped. Even if you stuck with the Rhianna-Gia-Alef group, they will all be unequipped, so make sure you equip them again before you make another move. Once you're ready, take a step. Select "Yes." It's time for the final battle.

~ Lamiam Satan

This boss has three attacks for you to be concerned about:

-He uses his claws to attack one party member for major damage.
-His hand glows, inflicting high damage on one party member and possibly causing confusion.
-He casts an attack spell that causes significant damage to all party members.

After the very first turn, you should have down the order of attack. This is very important to know because of the boss's tendency to inflict confusion on your party members. If you know that a certain confused character's turn will come up before another character has the chance to cure the ailment, make the confused character defend for that round. Otherwise, the confused character may strike an ally or heal the boss. Rhianna always attacked last during the fight for me, so having her cast a healing spell was always a major risk. On the other hand, Gia went first for me in every round, even before the boss, so having her cast a healing spell was a very safe move.

Once you've got the order of attack down, have Rhianna and Gia concentrate on stealing all of the boss's MP as quickly as possible. You should get into a cycle with them of stealing MP and healing. You need to drain all of his MP so that he can't cast that spell that damages your entire party. When he does cast that spell, Rhianna can counter it with her 18- or 62-MP group healing spells (although obviously you'll want to try to avoid using the 62-MP one).

Again, this boss loves to cause confusion, so pay special attention to the order of attack, and cure confused characters with the staff that has a green stone as soon as you can.

While the boss still has MP, have Alef perform normal attacks, Fate perform normal attacks and cure confusion if need be, and Rhianna and Gia steal and heal. These are just general guidelines, of course; adjust your approach as the dynamics of battle dictate.

The fight will be a much easier one once all of his MP are gone. Then he's just left with his claw and glowing hand attacks, so he can damage only one party member at a time. Have everyone perform normal attacks, even Rhianna. Save your MP for healing. Have Fate, Rhianna, and Gia cast healing magic when necessary (and keep in mind the order of attack and who your safest healer is). Don't forget about the revive potions and MP-restore potions in your inventory; you might need them. The boss can take a beating, but eventually, he'll fall.

You can handle the rest. Congratulations on beating the game.

~ The End

Cyber Knight

2011-08-15T21:56:00.000-07:00

Group SNE/Compile/Tonkin House - 1990 - Japan

HuCard

Usually when thinking about the Duo's rich RPG library things like voice acting, cutscenes and redbook soundtracks, or more specifically, the CD-ROM format come to mind. There are a number of cartridge-based RPGs, however, a handful of which range from good to even excellent. Often times these games get overlooked in favor of the "big name" titles.

Cyber Knight is one such adventure, conceived by Group SNE and programmed by veteran softhouse Compile. Imagine an entire galaxy at your fingertips, awaiting exploration. Imagine having total control over a team driving hand-picked mecha. Imagine a research and development department designing advanced armaments for your mecha based on alien technology encountered along the way. This is Cyber Knight.

Command your team and the crew of the space cruiser Swordfish on a quest to halt an insurgence by a rogue group of robots known as "Berserkers." You'll have to select your landing parties carefully, and make sure their mecha are properly equipped for the mission at hand before disembarking. Different mecha are capable of handling different numbers and types of weapons and have diverse durability, range and strength ratings. Experimenting with different mecha and equipment configurations is indeed a big part of the fun in Cyber Knight, and actually adds a degree of replay value.

Upon entering a new solar system, you'll be required to scan planets in order to determine viable landing spots. Much of the exploration in Cyber Knight is in fact played out in the Swordfish, traversing the galaxy. Once a habitable planet is found and you've successfully landed, reconnoiter is usually pretty straightforward.

Hardened Turbo fans familiar with Compile's other chip titles Alien & Devil's Crush and Blazing Lazers will be quick to note similarities in not only tunes but the instrumentation itself. Indeed, the Cyber Knight soundtrack is one of the best chiptune soundtracks on the console. The first time I powered up the game, I was immediately hypnotized by an opening track that hammers away behind the title screen story scroll. Similarities in palette choices and graphical design to the aforementioned games will also be evident, however visually speaking Cyber Knight is probably Compile's least impressive effort on the console. Still, while a 1992 Super NES port of the game features a much smoother color palette, I find Compile's original art on the Duo version much more appealing.

The biggest knock against Knight doesn't have anything to do with technical shortcomings, however. If you aren't able to read Japanese, you'll be headed nowhere fast without a walkthrough. The non-linear nature of the game precludes the chance of just plowing through blind. Luckily, a walkthrough exists for the SNES version that will tell you everything to need to know for success with the Duo version.

I had lots of fun with Cyber Knight, especially playing around with different mecha configurations and weapon assignments. In fact, you'll encounter some enemies resistant to certain types of weaponry which makes such experimentation a must. The fantastic soundtrack really helped make the experience a blast, with a handful of genuinely memorable tunes. People hoping to get anything out of Cyber Knight need to be prepared to deal with the language issues. That said, people ready and capable of handling this are in for a treat.

Tenshi no Uta

2011-08-08T02:44:00.000-07:00

~ TENSHI NO UTA ~
Riot / Telenet
Super CD-ROM
1991

I was hooked on this outstanding RPG right from my very first session with it. It's so easy to delve into the adventure and garner immediate enjoyment from the game, even for players who don't know know a bit of Japanese. The menus are a breeze to figure out, and the battle system is straightforward and conducive to fast-paced pummeling. Plus, there's a dash button to speed up exploration, so the adventure proceeds at a breakneck rate for its duration.

Perhaps even more appealing than the at-once accessible and pleasantly fast gameplay is the amazing music. Tenshi has a distinct Celtic flavor about it, which is most evident in its soundtrack. Michiko Naruke's brilliant tunes have a way of evoking the perfect feeling for every scenario, be it adventurous or melancholic or simply silly. It's the sort of material that's immensely listenable even outside the realm of game playing. And the story it augments features plenty of surprising moments; I even gasped in shock at one point. Yes, I was one entranced nerd.

The graphics aren't as immediately appealing as the tunes and will probably seem somewhat primitive at first. In truth, they're not bad at all; it's just that you view the action from a distant perspective, which makes most everything seem rather small. However, you'll undoubtedly find that the vantage point works to your benefit when you're exploring vast stretches of overworld or forking paths of dungeons, as it allows you a broad view of your surroundings.

Speaking of the dungeons, they're large but never become tedious, and they contain their fair share of traps, which are never hindersome or befuddling enough to become annoying.

There aren't many cinemas, but the ones that are present are put to good use. An encounter with a huge chest-pounding ogre will be interrupted by cinematics depicting the arrival of an unexpected battle participant who promptly chops off one of the behemoth's arms. The now-one-fisted fiend will surge forth again, however, and battle will resume.

That ogre represents impressive enemy design, as do most of the other big bosses. Your regular foes might seem unimpressive early on, but before long, you'll be trading jabs with awesome creatures that are quite huge and extremely strange in appearance.

Additional trials come in the forms of in-town missions that you're occasionally obliged to complete. These mini-quests call to mind the village escapades in Blood Gear (such as the memorable prison break sequence). Here, you'll have to thwart the midnight dealings of demons in disguise; hop inside a well and confront an ugly, furry bug boss; track down the local pickpocket and discover his obscure hiding place; and follow a little canine guide to a mystical flower garden.

There are some cool "Easter eggs" to stumble upon as well, though you'll need to be able to read Japanese to enjoy a few of the neatest ones.

Most of the time, however, the language barrier should not be a huge issue. The game really opens up once you acquire an airship near the end, so figuring out your next destination at that point can be a little tricky. In fact, for a stretch, I'd thought my journey had reached a premature conclusion, as I was utterly unable to gain access to the final mountain-enclosed continent. But it was during a late-night session with the game that I--half asleep and stumbling around and about to give up--managed to find my way. And you'll be able to find your way as well--perhaps with the aid of the strategy guide I wrote up subsequent to completing the adventure. And once I had finished my quest, I witnessed an unexpectedly grim conclusion I won't ever forget.

There was nothing grim about my experience with Tenshi no Uta, though. As far as pure enjoyability goes, it ranks right up there with the almighty Anearth Fantasy Stories.

Tenshi no Uta Strategy Guide

2011-08-02T08:12:00.000-07:00

* Introduction

Tenshi no Uta is a wonderful traditional-style RPG by Riot. Enjoy the adventure.

* Field Menu

Press Select to bring up the field menu.

It's set up like this:

A - D
B - E
C - F

A allows you to use magic spells. They're divided up into four categories: Attack, Defense, Healing, and Other.

B lets you see items in your inventory. If you move the cursor next to an item and press button I, three new options will appear: Use, Give, and Drop.

C is MEMO, where the game automatically notes important clues that townspeople give you.

D is for equipping and unequipping weapons, shields/gauntlets, headgear, armor, and miscellaneous accessories.

E lets you view the statuses of your characters.

F is LOAD.

* Battle Menu

The battle menu is set up like this:

A - C - E
B - D

A is for attacking an enemy.

B is for defending.

C is for using magic spells.

D is for fleeing.

E is for using items.

* General Tips

You can revive characters and remove status effects by talking to druids, who can be found in most towns. There are also certain spells that can perform these functions.

You can restore your HP by staying at an inn. Save your game by speaking to the girls dressed in pink standing by the signs in most towns.

It's a good idea to leave at least one space open in each character's inventory at all times. You can store items that you don't have room for in the banks that can be found in some towns.

If you try to buy a piece of equipment for a character who cannot use it, a message will appear alerting you to the fact and asking if you still want to buy the item for that character ("Yes/No").

Some NPCs say different things at night than they do during the day. This guide identifies all of the important tasks (that I know of) that you must complete, but it's a good idea to talk to everyone in every town both during the day and at night. (When I give directions to enter a town or castle, assume that I mean during the day unless I specifically note otherwise).

* Healing Spells

It's of the utmost importance that you know the functions of the healing spells you can cast. Here are lists of healing spells that each character can perform. The characters won't start off with all of these spells; instead, they'll learn them as they advance in levels. Note that I didn't max out my characters' levels, so the characters may eventually acquire some additional spells.

~ Kearu's healing magic

Menu
A - B - C
D - E

Spell functions
A - Restores 30 HP to one character. (3 MP)
B - Restores 80 HP to one character. (7 MP)
C - Restores all HP to one character. (10 MP)
D - Revives one character with all HP restored. (20 MP)
E - Restores all HP to all characters. (90 MP)

~ Buzen's healing magic

Menu
A - B - C
D - E - F

Spell functions
A - Restores 80 HP to one character. (7 MP)
B - Eliminates status effects. (4 MP)
C - Restores all HP to one character. (10 MP)
D - Revives one character with 1 HP restored. (10 MP)
E - Revives one character with all HP restored. (20 MP)
F - Restores 50 HP to all characters. (30 MP)

~ Enya's healing magic

Menu
A - B

Spell functions
A - Restores 30 HP to one character. (3 MP)
B - Restores 80 HP to one character. (7 MP)

~ Clea's healing magic

Menu
A - B - C
D - E - F
G - H - I

Spell functions
A - Restores 30 HP to one character. (3 MP)
B - Eliminates status effects. (4 MP)
C - Restores 80 HP to one character. (7 MP)
D - Revives one character with 1 HP restored. (10 MP)
E - Restores all HP to one character. (10 MP)
F - Revives one character with all HP restored. (20 MP)
G - Revives all characters with all HP restored. (40 MP)
H - Restores 50 HP to all characters. (30 MP)
I - Revives all characters with all HP restored. (40 MP)

Note that the "revive" spells often fail.

* Walkthrough

~ Town #1

Go to the SE-most house and talk to the girl standing in front of the door. Enter the house and talk to the guy inside. Leave and talk to the girl (Clea) again.

Head towards the NW-most house. Talk to the people standing outside. A cinema will take place.

You'll then find yourself on the world map with Clea. Equip Kearu's equipment. Clea's should already be equipped. Level up a bit around town. You can head back into town to save your game and have your HP restored in the NW-most house. When you feel ready, head to the S and then to the E to the second town.

~ Town #2

You'll see people lined up outside the weapons shop on the right (at least it has the sign of a weapons shop). Talk to them. Then enter the SW-most house. Talk to the girl, who will leave and go to the inn. Leave the house and head to the N. Go up the stairway, but don't enter the huge building. Talk to the guy in the NW corner by the crosses. He'll walk away and head to the inn. Now you can stay at the inn and buy equipment from the weapons shop on its second floor. (The shop is hidden. Go up to the second floor and walk over to the SE corner; walk to the right and you'll see the guy you just spoke to standing behind a counter.)

If you can read katakana, examine the crosses in the NE corner of town just for kicks.

Those people who were lined up before are now gone, so you can enter the pseudo weapons shop. Talk to the guy inside.

Go inside the huge building at the top of the N stairway. Head up the W stairs and open the chest to find some money. Go back down and use the E stairs this time to find another chest with money.

Buy new equipment at the main weapons shop and at the one in the inn, save your game, stay at the inn if you need to, and leave. Your next destination is the cave that you can see to the SE. You'll have to walk around the mountains to get to it.

~ Cave #1

Inside of the cave, head N across the bridge. Go W, around the lake, to find a chest. The item it contains allows you to remove status effects.

Now, take the E path to find five more chests.

Finally, take the center path N and take the blue flower.

Leave the cave. Head S along the coast until you see a small shrine. Enter the shrine and talk to the guy inside.

Leave the shrine and head across the bridge to the NW. You'll see a small stretch of raised land. There are two ways up to the trees atop the raised land. Take both ways and search each tree. You'll find a red leaf and a green leaf. You should probably give these to Clea for now.

Cross the bridge to the NW of the raised land. Go S until you see another bridge. Cross this bridge as well. You'll see a castle nearby, but a monster will show up and attack you before you can reach it. You cannot win this fight. When your HP are all gone, there will be a cinema.

You'll wake up in a bed back in the second town. Clea has been kidnapped. Make your way back to the castle you were near when the monster assaulted you. Enter the castle.

~ Castle #1

You'll probably want to buy new equipment in the shops and save your game. After that, go inside the castle itself. Take the center stairs up to the second floor. Talk to the retainer and the king. The king will take the blue flower and give you a note for Buzen. Open the chest next to the king to find some money.

Note that you can't open the door leading into the room containing a number of chests E of the king's room. You will need to buy a key later and then come back.

Leave the castle. Head W across a bridge. Make your way around the stream and continue W to the coast. Walk along the coast until you reach another town.

~ Town #3

Warning: You are about to lose all of your money. Buy stuff at the shops immediately to make the most of your cash before it's gone.

Stay at the inn. When you wake up, your money will be gone. Kearu will automatically accost the innkeeper. Once you resume control, you'll find that you cannot leave the town or save your game.

Go back up to the second floor of the inn. Talk to Jito, who will join you later.

Head SW to the bar. Talk to the woman standing outside of it. She goes in, comes out after a moment, and speaks with you again. You'll hear a jingle.

See those barrels near her? Search the left-most one to obtain some much-needed cash.

Go inside the bar. Talk to the bartender and the other guy (Neil).

Head to the NW-most house. Go inside and talk to Nora. Go up to the second floor, talk to the kid, and open the nearby chest to find a suit of armor. Leave the house and sell this armor for a tidy profit.

Go into the house just E of Nora's and talk to the woman inside. You'll hear a jingle. Leave the house. In front of the next house to the E, you'll see a girl in purple. Talk to her and you'll hear another jingle.

Return to the bar. Talk to Neil again. Go back to the NW-most house and talk to Nora. You'll hear a jingle.

Head to the fountain in the center of town. Neil will be standing by it. Talk to him and he'll run off.

Return to Nora's house. Head up to the second floor. Neil is hiding in the SW-corner of the room (you can see him through the window). Talk to him.

He and the kid will go downstairs. Talk to the whole family. You'll hear a jingle. Now you can save your game and leave the town.

So leave and head N until you reach the shore, and then head E to a large hole in the ground. Enter the hole.

~ Cave #2

Note: By now, Kearu should have a spell that lets you warp out of dungeons. It is the first spell listed in his "Other" spells. If he doesn't have it yet, you might want to level up a bit until he learns it.

Inside the cave, head N as far as you can, then head E. Take the ladder down. Go S, then W. Take the first path N to get two chests. Go back to the path leading W, continue W, and take the next path N. Examine the contraption against the back wall. Select "Yes" (top option). You'll hear a jingle.

Go all the way back to the cave's entrance. Head E until you see another ladder. Take it down. Head W and then N to find another contraption. Examine it and select "Yes" again. Take the item in the nearby chest as well.

Head back up the ladder. Head N. You'll see a number of different paths heading N. You're near the right side of the cave; take the second-from-the-right path. You'll find four treasure chests. Go back and take the path that's N of the little lake. Go N and then E to find a ladder. Take it down. You'll see yet another ladder just to the SW; use it.

Now you're in a huge room. Head SE to find a ladder near the beams. Use it. Head N to a ladder leading up. Use it to find the cave's exit.

Leave and you'll find yourself back on the world map. Note that, by now, Kearu probably has a spell for warping back to the last town you visited. It's the second "Other" spell he learns.

Head W to a small shrine. Enter the shrine and speak to the guy inside. Then leave.

Head N. You'll pass a little village in the middle of an island to your right. You won't be able to reach this village until much later in the game.

Keep heading N and eventually you'll see a bridge on your right and a town on your left. You want to get to that town. Head W, go counter-clockwise around the raised land, and enter the town.

~ Town #4

Enter the N-most house. Speak to Buzen.

Kearu gives him the king's note. Buzen joins you. He's weak at first, so you might want to level up a bit before proceeding with your quest.

From Town #4, head E across the bridge. There's a little path to the SE leading between the mountains, so head down that path. Cross the bridge leading S that you see to the E. Just to the W you'll see a strange patch of grass.

Step onto it. You'll end up in a new town.

~ Town #5

Enter both houses and talk to the guys inside. Cross the bridge leading N and head to the NE part of town. Talk to the person standing by a huge rock. You'll wind up in... prison.

Move Kearu up against the door of the cell and press button I. A woman comes to open the cell doors. Talk to the guys in the other cells; they'll leave. Head N and then E. Use the stairs you find. Talk to the three guys and use the next set of stairs as well.

Head N. Watch the events as a naked strongman appears. You'll have to fight this guy.

Kill him and then watch the events. You'll end up back in town. Talk to the guys around you, and then leave. Once you've left this town, you can never set foot in it again. But don't worry, there are plenty more naked strongmen later in the game!

(Actually, if you use Kearu's town-warp spell as soon as you leave, you can return to the village, and repeat the events that just took place, including the strongman fight.)

Head N back across the bridge. Continue N. You'll see a tower on raised land surrounded by poisonous marsh. Don't go there yet. Instead, go W to a new town.

~ Town #6

There really isn't much to do here. You can talk to the townsfolk and save your game.

For fun, leave the town and enter it again at night. Talk to everyone, the one person still outside (besides the save girl) last. You'll get to watch some fancy crab dancing... and earn some easy experience points.

Once you're done with that stuff, leave the town and head E past the tower until you reach another town.

~ Town #7

There's plenty that you can buy here, so take some time and have a look around. The NE-most building is a bank where you can store cash and surplus items. You can buy a key for 330 from the vendor next to the inn. Do so, and keep the key with you at all times. It's best to let Buzen carry it, as Kearu will often have his hands full with other stuff.

The guy in the SW-most building won't say very much if you talk to him during the day. Visit him at night and say "No" when he asks you a question.

Walk around outside the town's outer walls. When you reach the NE corner you'll find a stairway. Head down and speak to the guy inside.

After you've made your purchases and rested up and saved your game, you can leave town and finally head to the tower.

~ Tower #1

Note: Enemies here can cause status effects (poison, sleep, confusion). Buzen has a spell to remove them. If Buzen is confused and can't cast magic, use an item to remove the effect. Also, some of the enemies will occasionally drop suits of armor that you can sell off once you get back to town.

The first floor is laid out like this: two stairways in the center, two to the far north, one to the E of the center stairways, and one to the W. Go up the left stairway in the center.

This is going to get a little confusing, so bear with me.

The blue things on the floor teleport you to different parts of the tower. After you go up the aforementioned stairway, you'll see a teleporter shaped like an arrow just to the S.

Step onto this teleporter. Once you've been teleported, you'll see a group of four teleporters just to the N. Step on the S-most one.

Now you'll see a group of three teleporters just to the N of an infinity sign. Step on the right-most one of this group of three.

When you reappear, take a step N or S, and then step back onto the teleporter you just came out of.

Now you're back to the group of three by the infinity sign. Step on the middle one. Then take a step S onto another teleporter.

Take a step N or S, and then step back onto the teleporter you just came out of. Yes, this is the second time you're doing this sort of thing.

Take a step N onto another teleporter. It's to the left of a teleporter that looks like a sideways "H."

Now, head N and up the stairway.

There's LOTS of treasure in the E and W chambers here. The S chamber has nothing. The boss is to the N. Get the treasure: you'll find money, status-effect removers, and armor you can sell. When you're done looting, head N to face the boss.

Have Kearu attack with his weapon while Buzen uses attack and healing magic. After the boss is dead, head N to find a chest containing a cherry. Once you've acquired the cherry, leave the tower. You may as well warp out and then warp back to town to save, heal, and sell stuff.

Then head back to the town where you met Buzen. Head to the NW part of town and talk to the person who's standing a few paces W from a small stone. The person will make the stone float in midair momentarily, and then Buzen will ask you a question. Answer "Yes." Next thing you know, you'll be on an island, with a castle nearby. Enter the castle.

~ Castle #2

Use the stairway in the NE corner of the first floor.

There's a fake wall in the SE part of the next room. It's the fifth "block" from the right.

Walk through the fake wall and take the stairs down to find five treasure chests.

Go back up the stairs. There's another fake wall along the W side of the room. The block is marked this time. Go down the stairs beyond this fake wall. You'll find three more chests.

Head up the stairs by the chests. Go S and then E to find another stairway. Use it.

Now you'll be in the bosses' room, so heal up. Yes, I wrote "bosses." You've got to fight two battles here.

Head N and talk to the woman who has a serpent circling behind her. You'll have to fight them.

Once again, Kearu should attack with his weapon while Buzen uses attack and healing magic. The serpent will vanish when the fight is almost over. Then you'll just have to kill the girl to seal the deal.

Once she's dead, heal up. You'll see two more monsters by the back wall. Talk to the blue guy. He seems nice enough. Then talk to the green guy. He wants to fight.

Use the same approach as you just used against the girl-and-serpent tag team. This guy's eyes will turn red when he's reaching the end of the line.

After the fight, your party will automatically talk to the friendly blue monster. He'll take the cherry, and then you'll be transported back to town. Save and heal as usual.

Head back to Town #6 (the one with the dancing crabs). Talk to everyone in town, the guy on the dock by the boat last of all. You'll be asked a question; respond "Yes." You'll get into his boat and travel back to Town #3.

In Town #3, head to the NW-most house and talk to the woman inside. Jito will show up and join your party.

Leave the town, but don't get back into your boat just yet. Instead, head back to Castle #1. You can use the key you bought to open the locked door E of the king's room. You'll find five chests, one of which contains a very powerful sword for Jito. Be sure to give it to him and equip it for him. Then return to Town #3 and get into your boat.

Follow the coastline S and then E. When you reach the SE corner (where a shrine you visited earlier can be seen), you'll find that you'll be unable to sail on certain parts of the water. (Later, the entire sea will be open to you.) Let the impenetrable line guide you; sail along it and you'll arrive at a dock near a town. Get off your boat and enter the town.

~ Town #8

There's a lot you can do here. If you enter the bar and go downstairs, you can play poker, roulette, and a weird Nibbles-like snake game.

The piano guy back on the top floor will play a new tune if you talk to him at night.

There are plenty of people around the fountain in the center of town who want your money. You can pay the snakecharmer 50 to watch his act.

The inn, bank, and shops are at your disposal, so do the usual healing, storing, shopping, and saving before you depart.

Once you've left, head clockwise around the mountains and follow the mountain range N until you reach a tower. Try (and fail) to enter the tower. Head S along the other side of the mountains until you reach a castle. Enter it.

~ Castle #3

Standing a little to the E of the castle's main portal is a young girl named Enya. Talk to her, and she'll join your party.

Enter the structure and talk to the king, who's in a room on the W side of the first floor. You can rest by responding "Yes" to his question.

You'll notice that there's a strange locked door in the center of the first floor. You'll need a special key to open this door. You'll have to come back (much) later.

Head to the E side of the first floor to find a weapons shop. Buy some new equipment, walk around and talk to people, save your game, and depart. Head back to the tower, which you can now enter.

~ Tower #2

Note: Some enemies here will drop panties. Drop these things at once. They just clutter up your inventory and aren't worth much at all in the shops.

The first floor has eight stairways: one in each corner of the vast room, and four (two leading up, two leading down) in the center. Use the ones in the four corners first. They each lead to a small room containing a single treasure chest. The chest in the NE room holds a sturdy dress (armor) for Enya.

When you're done with the corner stairs, head to the first floor's center stairways. Take the left-most one up.

Head SW towards a woman who's standing near a statue that's releasing water. Talk to the woman. Then approach the statue and close it so the water is no longer running (otherwise, you won't be able to go up the next stairway).

Head to the E and take the stairway up.

Head N as far as you can, then go W, then S. You'll see two paths that continue S. Take the W one and go up the stairs. Then go E and go up the next stairway.

You'll be in a room with seven teleporters. Use the S-most one. Go W and then N. You'll see three paths heading N; take the middle one and use the teleporter that you find.

Now you're in a boss room. Head towards the teleporter in the center of the room, and an old friend will show up to fight you.

Have Kearu and Jito attack with their weapons while Buzen and Enya provide support with their magic. The beast turns red when he's almost dead.

After the fight, use that teleporter you were heading towards. You'll be in another boss room, so make sure you heal up. Then head N. You'll see Clea. Talk to her. You'll discover it's really a monster.

Use the same approach as you used in the previous boss fight.

Following your victory, the real Clea will appear. She'll join your party.

You're not done in the tower just yet. You actually have another boss to fight. But you'll have to make your way back to those center stairways on the first floor. You might want to warp out and return to the castle to heal, save, and buy some decent equipment for Clea, and then come back.

Either way, when you're back at those center stairways, use one of the two heading down (it doesn't really matter which). You'll be in a dark room that's laid out like this: there's a teleporter to the W, a teleporter to the E, two stairways to the N, and two stairways to the S.

If you use the teleporter to the W, you'll end up in a room with a floating ball of electricity that will heal your party if you talk to it.

Use the E teleporter. You'll find yourself in a room with two girls who were being held prisoner. Talk to them and they'll disappear.

Head to the N ladders. The W one leads to a room containing nothing, so use the E one to find two treasure chests containing money.

Head to the S ladders. The E one leads to a room with nothing. Use the W one and you'll be in a boss room. Follow the path and Manticore will stop you and fight you.

By now, you know the roles that each party member should play in boss fights.

After the fight, continue following the path that Manticore was blocking. You'll meet Sara. Speak to her. Jito will leave with her (he'll rejoin your party later in the game).

Leave the tower and return to the castle. Heal, save, and leave.

Cross the bridge leading S that's just E of the castle. There's basically just one way to go here: head W, then S, then E and you'll reach the mountains. Go N and then E on the path through the mountains. To the S, you'll see a town surrounded by rings of stone. Make your way to the town.

~ Town #9

Before you start talking to people, you should use the shops, bank, and inn, and remember to save your game.

Go into the house just N of the horses and carts. Talk to the guy on the right, Darugu. The other guy in the house, Hardy, will leave and then return a moment later. You'll hear a jingle.

Leave the house and head to the church. Talk to Sister Milia. Hardy will enter the church.

Leave the church. A guy is standing just outside of it to the W. Talk to him.

Go into the bar and talk to the bartender. The guy at the table will get up and join the conversation.

Return to Darugu's house and talk to Hardy. Then go back to the church and talk to Sister Milia. Obo will run into the church. Your party automatically follows him out and hides behind a huge stone.

They'll wait there until the sun is down, and then they'll see Hardy meeting up with two demons.

Your party will confront the demons. Kill them; they're easy to beat.

Hardy will run towards the SW corner of town. When you head down there, you'll find two Hardys standing next to each other. Talk to the one on the right, then the one on the left, and then the one on the right again. The one on the right will turn into a monster.

Kill it.

After the fight, the real Hardy will speak with you. You'll receive a mirror that will automatically be placed in Clea's possession. Enter Darugu's house and talk to him; you'll hear two jingles. If you talk to the guy right outside the church, he'll walk away. Save and leave the village. Head SE to the next town.

~ Town #10

Save, stay at the inn, and visit the shops if you want to. If you go into the bar and head upstairs, you'll find gambling games to play.

Go into the house N of the building housing the weapons and tools shops. Talk to the guy inside.

Answer "Yes" when prompted. He'll leave for a moment and then return. You'll hear a jingle.

When you leave the village, you'll see your ship parked at the dock to the S. Get on board.

Sail a little to the W and enter the shrine on the nearby small island. Talk to the guy inside. Leave and get back on your boat.

Sail to the W, following the coast of the mainland. Keep following it until you reach a dock with a town just to the N of it.

Park your ship, and enter the town.

~ Town #11

Go inside the NW-most house. Talk to the guy.

You can rest in the house just NW of the entrance. Rest up, save, and then depart.

Head to the E and enter the castle.

~ Castle #4

Enter the structure itself. Just NE of the entrance is the throne room. Talk to the queen.

Go up the E stairs to the second floor. Speak to the woman in order to rest. Save your game and leave.

Go E, around the mountains, to the raised land. Go to the center of the raised land...

...and you'll find youself in a new area.

~ Woodlands

Okay, this place is tough, especially without mighty Jito to help out. He'll be back soon, but for now, it's up to Kearu and his band of meek magic users to make it on their own. You really need to be familiar with the functions of your healing spells at this point, so you might want to review the lists near the beginning of this guide.

When you're ready to go, head N. You'll see three wooden gates. Head through the center one. Proceed N. At the fork, take the E path. You'll be able to walk through part of the stream to get to the two chests.

One of them holds a dress that you should give to Clea and equip for her.

Return to the fork, and take the N path this time. You'll reach another fork. Take the E one. Keep going until you reach the dead end. You can walk through part of the N wall to get to two chests. One of them holds a dress that you should give to Enya and equip for her.

Go back to the last fork and take the W path this time. Follow it until you can go NW or S. Go S. Walk through the wall and you'll see a guy; talk to him. You can go S or W. Go W. The path leads to a stairway. Take it down.

Head W through the cave and take the stairway up. Go W and then take the first path N that you see. It's boss time, so heal up. When you're ready, head to the N and confront the monster.

Have Kearu attack with his weapon and the others provide magic support. Midway through the fight, a cinema will take place.

Jito has returned! You'll have to resume the battle, but your party will be galvanized by Jito's reappearance and their HP and MP will be restored completely. The fight after that is a breeze.

Head back to the castle. Talk to the queen. Clea will receive another mirror. Rest and save your game and then leave.

Head back to Town #11. The houses will all be on fire. Enter the NW-most one and talk to the guy inside. Sad scene.

Leave, get back on your boat, and return to Town #10. Sell stuff, rest up, save your game and leave.

Head NE. Cross the bridge leading N. Head SE to a cave entrance.

~ Cave #3

Immediately head NE from the cave entrance and you'll find eight treasure chests. One holds a mighty sword that Kearu should equip.

(Incidentally, if you return to Town #10 at this point, you might find that the water has been drained from the town. Don't worry about it. The only problem there now is that you can't save, so if you really need to, head over to Town #9 instead.)

NW of where the chests are, you'll find a very noticeable brown part of a rock wall (just to the E of a stairway). Walk through the brown rock. Talk to the guy you'll find behind it. Don't bother with the treasure chest, as you can't obtain anything from it right now.

Go back through the brown rock and use the stairs to the W. To the E, you'll find two treasure chests.

Go back downstairs. Go all the way to the NE corner of the floor. Take the stairs up.

Head all the way S. Head W and go through the first opening to the N. You'll find three chests, all containing money. Watch out for the hole in the floor as you approach them.

Return to the path leading W. Head W and take the stairway up.

Head all the way E, and then N along the E-most wall. You'll find three chests, one of which holds a robe (armor) that Buzen should equip.

Make your way to the NE corner of the floor, and take the stairs up.

Now you're back on the world map. Head to the NW. Follow the path as it leads E, then N, then W to a town.

~ Town #12

There are four guys sitting outside selling stuff. Take a look around and buy some new things.

There's a guy hanging around in the NE part of town. Talk to him. He'll give you an item.

Go into the N-most house and speak to the guy inside, the guildmaster.

Head to the NW part of town. You'll see a kid blocking a stairway; talk to him. He'll take the item you just received and leave. There's a cross at the top of the stairs; you can't do anything with it right now.

Talk to the bartender. He'll ask you to pay him 100; answer "Yes." He'll give you a note.

Head back to the cave. Speak to the guy behind the brown rock.

He'll take the note and give you a special blue key. Have either Buzen or Enya hold the key. You can open the chest in the guy's room now and obtain an item.

Go back to Town #12. Head W from the town and then N. Pass between the streams and you'll find a little shrine.

Enter the shrine and talk to the guy inside. Then leave. Note that this is a VERY important shrine. Remember it; you'll need to return to it near the end of the game.

Head E to the coast, then N along the coast to another town.

~ Town #13

The inn here is very expensive (1500), so you might not want to stay there unless you really have to. The enemies in the immediate vicinity are pretty easy to beat, and your party should be pretty strong by now, especially since you've got both Kearu and Jito to hack up the monsters and three magic users who'll have plenty of MP for healing.

There's a person standing E of the town's lake. Behind this person (about a step to the SE) is an obscured path through the trees that leads to the other part of town.

Talk to the guy walking around E of the inn. When you leave the town, your boat will be waiting for you at the nearby dock. Do the usual shopping and saving and then leave, but don't board your ship yet. Instead, head directly W to a range of mountains. Follow the mountains to the NW until you reach the coast. Now follow the coast N. Keep walking along the coast and eventually, towards the end of the way, you'll see a clump of trees.

Step into this little forest and you'll find a hidden town.

~ Town #14

Head towards the well in the NW corner of town. A fairy will stop you and talk to you. She won't let you get to the well yet.

Speak to everyone in town. Then go inside the N-most house and speak to the guy inside for the second time. Now you can go into the well. Do so. You'll have to fight a boss down here, so heal up.

Have Kearu and Jito hack away while the others use powerful magic attacks. If you're at a decent level, it should be a quick, easy battle.

After the fight, head back the way you came. Your party will realize it has no way of getting back up. Go back S towards where the boss was. You'll see a fairy; talk to her, and then follow her to the N. You'll see that a rope has been dropped down for you. Climb out of the well.

Talk to the guy who's right next to you when you emerge from the well. Fairies will appear. You'll receive a gauntlet that Kearu should equip. The fairies will disappear.

Leave the town. Head S and then SE and you'll see another town, this one almost completely surrounded by raised land. Enter it.

~ Town #15

Stay at the inn; it's relatively cheap here. Shop if you want. You'll notice two guys in the N part of town who won't let you pass. You'll be able to pass that point if you enter the town during the night, but you can't do anything back there yet anyway, so don't worry about it for now.

Leave the town and head NE. You might run into some tough enemies here, so be on alert. You'll find another shrine. Enter it and talk to the guy inside, then leave.

You'll need to return to Town #13 (where the boat is waiting for you). You might want to walk (or warp) back to Town #15 to stay at the inn again.

When you reach Town #13, save your game, leave, and hop aboard your boat.

You need to head N along the coast... far N. You'll pass the shrine you were just at. Keep going. You'll pass another shrine. Keep going N. Eventually, the coast will turn W. You'll see a dock to the NW with a town just to the N of it.

Park your ship and enter the town.

~ Town #16

There isn't much to do here. Heal, save, and shop if you want to. Leave.

From this point on, the enemies are fierce.

Head W to the area with raised land. Make your way up the raised land and into the shrine sitting atop it. Talk to the guy inside the shrine, and then leave.

You'll see a bridge to the W. Head for it, cross it, and then head S. Keep following the bridges that connect the little islands. You'll see a strange stone on the last island.

Just to the SE of the stone is a hidden town.

~ Town #17

Speak to the guy in the NE-most house. Then speak to the guy in the house to the W of the lake. Then speak to the guy in the NW-most house. Then speak to the guy in the house W of the lake again. Then speak to the guy in the NE-most house again. He'll reveal a hidden staircase. Your party will automatically follow him down. Watch the events that ensue.

Go back upstairs. Leave the house and head towards the S. You'll see that one of the houses is on fire. Speak to the guy in blue. He'll rush inside the house and save a kid, but...

You'll find yourself in the NE-most house again. Talk to the guy who's inside with you. He'll give you a ring. Have Kearu equip the ring for extra AP.

Leave the town. You might want to head back to Town #16 to heal and save.

SE of the raised land with the shrine is a bridge leading E. Cross it. Go N to the coast and then head E. You'll reach a town.

~ Town #18

You can save here but not rest. You'll notice that the weapons shop has some very expensive headgear for sale. I wouldn't buy any of it right now. In fact, and let me make this as clear as possible,

Don't buy anything else for Jito. Period.

He'll be leaving your party soon, for good.

The tools shop won't sell you anything. The bartender will ask for 500; don't bother giving it to him. After you've talked and saved and all that, leave.

Head SW from the town. You'll find raised land to the W and a shrine to the E. Enter the shrine and talk to the guy inside. Leave the shrine and head over to the raised land. Go W, onto the raised land and into town.

~ Town #19

You can pay the bartender 500 to be allowed to go upstairs and talk to some bums. Don't bother.

I wouldn't buy anything from the weapons shop here. The next town has better stuff, and things are suddenly getting very expensive, so you don't want to waste any cash.

Leave the town. There's a cave to the N, but you don't want to go inside of it yet. Instead, go W from the cave, come down from the raised land, and head SW to another town.

~ Town #20

The innkeeper here will ask for a ridiculous amount of money at first. Your party will eventually talk down the price to the point where HE pays YOU 1000 to stay. That's only for the first time, though. After that, he'll charge 240, which is still a nice low price at this point in the adventure.

There's a guy in red walking around to the W or SW of the inn. Talk to him and he should give you the red key.

If for some reason he doesn't, just come back here later and talk to him again. You won't need it for a while, anyway. When you do get it, have Buzen or Enya hold it.

There's some very good (and expensive) stuff to buy here. Don't worry about it just yet.

Leave the town. Head N, then E (S of the raised land), and then follow the coast all the way S. Head E to a shrine. Enter it and talk to the guy inside, and then go back out. If you continue E, you'll see a castle on raised land. You can't get to it yet, but remember it.

Okay, here's the situation: you'll have to enter the cave N of Town #19 next. There will be a couple of bosses to beat in there, and Jito will leave your group for good after the second one. So if you want to save up money for all that expensive equipment, or if you just want to level up a bit, do it now while Jito is still in your party. The monsters are much easier to deal with while he's still around.

For what it's worth, I recommend purchasing the following things, all of which can be bought in Town #20, before proceeding with the quest:

Three of the rods that cost 35000 (for Buzen, Enya, and Clea).
Two of the gauntlets that cost 15000 (for Enya and Clea).

Depending on how much time and money you're willing to burn, you can buy the robe that costs 29800 for Buzen. This will improve his AC only modestly, however, and you'll be able to buy a slightly sturdier robe for him soon.

Kearu will be getting a lot of free equipment relatively soon, and Jito, as mentioned previously, will be leaving. Hold off on headgear. You'll want to buy the expensive gear in Town #18 eventually, but not yet.

When you've done all your shopping and reached a comfortable experience level, head into the cave.

~ Cave #4

Head N. You can slide on the ice to travel more quickly. When you reach the N wall, head to the E, then S onto the track. Follow the track. You'll see huge spikes blocking the way to the S. Walk onto the other track and follow it W. It leads to a platform with a chest. You're about to fight a boss, so heal up. When you're prepared for battle, open the chest. You'll get some money, and the boss will appear.

You know what to do by now.

Head E, back across the track. The spikes are gone now, so head S, then W. Take the ladder down.

In this new area, there are two ladders to the NW and one to the NE. Use the NE one first. It leads to a small room with three chests. One chest has a helmet that Kearu should equip. Another has a shield that Kearu should also equip. Give Kearu's old gauntlet to Buzen, and have the old man equip it. The other chest has money.

Head back up the ladder and head for the two NW ladders. The E one leads to nothing, so use the W one. In the next room, just follow the path to another ladder, and use it. Then go N to the next ladder, and use it. Go S and then W to the boss's lair. Heal up before the fight.

This will be Jito's last fight. If you feel confident in your party, you can have Jito take off all of his equipment and give it to the other party members so that they can sell it off later. His sword is worth a particularly large amount. Of course, he won't be much help in the fight if you do this. If you leveled up and bought some good equipment before entering the cave, you should be able to beat the boss without Jito's help. Still, this is a do-at-your-own-risk sort of thing.

When you're all set to fight, examine the blue object that's shaped like a tear in the boss's room. The boss will appear.

He has three heads, starting with a ram. When you see the demon head, he's nearing death.

After you beat him, you'll get to watch a cinema.

Jito will be gone following the cinema.

You'll then find yourself back on the world map, the blue tear in your possession. Head S to Town #19 to heal, save, and sell Jito's stuff (if you used the strategy I described above).

Leave Town #19 and head to Town #16 (where your ship is parked). Get on the boat. Sail counter-clockwise around the land until you're heading W along the N coast. Keep going W until you reach an island with a town on it. Park your boat at the dock and enter the town.

~ Town #21

You'll see some decrepit boats along the S shore in town. Search the W-most boat to find 300 in cash.

Talk to the guy just E of the campfire in the middle of town. He'll run off and then return a moment later. He just took your blue tear item and turned your boat into an airship.

Leave the town and get on your new airship. You can't fly over mountains (yet), but they're pretty much the only hindrance now.

You'll need to go to the castle on raised land that's E and a little S of Town #20. Head there...

...but don't land. Let's do some other stuff first.

Fly S from the castle, along the coast, until you reach Town #13 (the town split down the middle by trees). From #13, head E across the sea to reach Town #3, where you first met Jito. Fly E (and a little S) from #3 to get to Castle #1. Land your ship and enter the castle.

Talk to the king. Your party will automatically head upstairs to a druid's room. Speak to the druid. Kearu and Clea will each get 2000 experience points.

Leave and get back on your ship. Head N from the castle until you run into mountains. Go a little W to get around the mountains and then continue flying N. You'll reach that town on an island that you couldn't get to earlier in the game. Land your ship on the island and enter the town.

~ Town #22

There's very little to do here. You can save your game with the pink girl and speak to the guy working in the field a little to the W. (Make sure to talk to the guy twice, as he says something different the second time.) That's about it. If you enter the town at night, the guy will be sleeping. Poke around if you want to, then leave, get back on your ship, and head for the castle on raised land.

~ Castle #5

You can buy a new robe for Buzen for 34500. Again, the improvement in AC will be modest, but this is the best I've found for him.

Enter the castle itself. You can open locked doors on the second and fourth floors with the blue key. You'll find a weapons room on the W side of the third floor. Talk to the guy in there. He'll give you a sword. Have Kearu equip the sword, and sell off his old one.

Speak to the king in the throne room on the first floor. Your party will be locked up in the room to the W of the throne room. They'll decide to wait until nightfall to make their move. Buzen will use his mighty powers to open the door.

Use the stairs in the throne room. You'll end up in the king's bedroom on the second floor. The king will be sleeping. Notice the dog in the room.

Go to the library on the E side of the second floor. Talk to the guy in there. You'll hear a jingle.

Leave the building. You'll see a woman in purple to the SW of the castle portal. Talk to her. You'll hear another jingle.

Go back to the room where the king is sleeping. You'll notice that the dog is no longer there. Talk to the guy standing in the center of the room. You'll hear yet another jingle.

Talk to the woman in purple again. Another jingle!

Go outside the castle walls by walking through the exit in the W wall (a guard is standing by it). Head N, then E along the outside of the castle's N wall. The dog is hiding towards the E end of this long wall. You'll see him if you look closely. If you can't see him, just walk to the E right up against the wall and you'll bump into him. Talk to him.

He'll lead you to a guy standing to the NE amid the trees.

The dog will dash through the trees on a concealed path. Follow him. You'll arrive at a clearing where a bunch of little people will dash into a tree stump. The dog and your party will follow them in.

You'll end up in a flower garden. Talk to the tall lady in purple.

You'll hear a jingle. Talk to the guy in red beside her. He'll leave, along with the dog and a bunch of the little people. Talk to the lady in purple until she has nothing new to say, then walk into the stump and return to the castle.

Talk to the king in the throne room. Clea will receive a new item. I'm not quite sure what the hell it is. Let's call it the Super Shell of Wisdom.

Leave the building. To the W of the inn is a guy in red. Talk to him.

Clea will acquire an accessory. Save your game and leave.

Board your airship. The next phase of the mission calls for you to locate and "activate" four large crosses. Let's get going.

~ Town #10, Cross #1

Town #10 is far S of the castle you just left. It's to the SE of Town #9 and to the SW of the cave in which you obtained the blue key.

Enter the town. Use the Super Shell of Wisdom. Clea will get all excited because there's a cross in this town.

Now we just need to find it.

Talk to the guy in the SE corner of town. Answer "Yes" when he asks you a question.

Enter the bar. Talk to the bartender.

Talk to the guy in the SE corner again.

Just W of the town entrance are steps leading into the water. Go down those steps until you're touching the water, and then press button I to search. You'll acquire an item.

Talk to the guy in the SE corner again. The water will be drained from the town. You can see the cross to the NE of where you're standing. Go down those steps where you found the item and make your way to the cross. Approach the cross and press button I. It will begin flashing.

Go back up the steps. The guy from the SE corner will come over to talk to you. Next thing you know, the water will be back. Save your game and leave the town.

~ Town #12, Cross #2

Town #12 is to the NE of Town #10, on the other side of the cave in which you obtained the blue key.

Enter the town. Use the Super Shell of Wisdom. Clea gets excited again.

Head towards the back of town and walk up the steps (a little kid had been blocking them earlier in the game, but he ran away when you gave him an item). Approach the cross and press button I. It will begin flashing.

Save your game and leave.

~ Town #15, Cross #3

Just N of Town #12 is Town #13, the town split in half by trees. NW of that town is Town #15, the one surrounded almost entirely by raised land.

Enter the town at night. Use the Super Shell of Wisdom. Clea gets excited.

Head to the back of town where two guys were blocking the way earlier. Go through the opening in the fence and head W, then SW to the waterfall. Step into the waterfall.

Now you'll be inside a cave. Proceed N to the cross. Approach the cross and press button I, and it will begin flashing.

Leave town.

~ Castle #3, Cross #4

From Town #15, head W until you've flown past the mountains, then S to Castle #3.

Enter it. Use the Super Shell of Wisdom. Clea, as usual, gets excited.

Enter the main building. As soon as you enter, you'll see that strange door that you couldn't open earlier. Use the red key (which you obtained in Town #20) to open it.

Go down the stairs behind the door. Go S, then follow the first path W until you reach a stairway leading up. Use it, and use the next set of stairs as well. Then follow the path E until you reach stairs leading down. Use them, and use the next staircase leading down as well. Follow the path. When you see two different paths leading S, take the W one. Go W until you can go N. Go N to find stairs leading up. Use them.

Now you've found the final cross. Approach it. Press button I to make it start flashing.

Retrace your steps, save your game, and leave.

~ Castle #6

Fly directly E from Castle #3 to a shrine, the one I told you to remember earlier. Land your ship and enter the shrine. Talk to the guy inside. You'll be warped to a new land with pretty waterfalls.

To the S, you'll see a small, circular blue pond. Walk counter-clockwise around the mountains and step into the pond.

You'll end up in a new area. Walk N to the center of the area, and talk to the guy that's standing in between the columns of pillars. You're about to get four new pieces of equipment for Kearu. Don't forget to equip them, and don't just drop his old pieces. Instead, give them to the others so that you can sell them off later. Clea should have some room in her inventory now because she no longer has the two mirrors or the Super Shell of Wisdom.

Talk to the lady to the SW of the guy in the center to receive a sword.

Talk to the lady to the SE to receive armor.

Talk to the lady to the NE to receive a shield.

And talk to the lady to the NW to receive a helmet.

Go back S and leave the way you came in.

You'll be back in the waterfalls area. Go S, head E across the bridge, and then head N. By the lake is a star with a circle around it. Step onto this patch. A building will rise from the lake.

Enter it.

In the new area, head to the NW to find a lady standing by some rocks who will let you save. There isn't much else to do here besides talk to everyone. Do so, and then leave the way you came in.

We're back in the waterfalls area. To the NE, you'll find another star with a circle around it. Step on it. You'll be warped to a circular platform near the castle in the middle of the lake. Enter the castle.

Head N and go up the stairs. Walk around to the S side of the floor and take the stairs up. Proceed N and talk to the girl, Maria. Watch the ensuing cinema.

After the cinema, have Clea equip her new accessory.

You're on a new continent now. Head NW. Cross over the raised land, and then go NE. You'll see a bridge leading E; cross it. Head NE. You'll see a little pond. Approach it and press button I.

The screen goes black, you hear a couple jingles, and... there's your airship, a few paces away! Board it. You can fly over mountains now.

We're almost ready to finish this game off. But first, you may want to do some buying and selling. Fly E from the pond to reach Town #16. From #16, fly S to Town #18, which has that expensive headgear. Sell Kearu's old equipment and purchase the piece that costs 58000. Buy three, in fact: one for Enya, one for Clea, and one for Buzen. Have them all equip it.

Now's the time to do any last minute healing, buying, selling, leveling, etc.

When you're ready, fly back to the pond where you found the airship. To the W of that pond is the final castle, surrounded by mountains. Land your airship on top of it and head on in.

~ Castle #7

The enemies in here can cause a lot of damage. Don't hesitate to run from battles if you feel overwhelmed. Running almost always works.

Head directly N from the entrance. You'll pass through a doorway and see a monster guarding a stairway. This is an old boss. Talk to him and fight him. After he's dead, go down the stairs.

Go all the way S. Walk through the doorway you see to the W. Proceed W. You'll see another old boss guarding a stairway. Talk to him and kill him. Go down the stairs.

You'll start off in the SW corner of the floor. You need to get to the NE corner. It doesn't really matter which way you take, but avoid the stairways you see along the way. The stairs you want are in the NE corner, guarded by an old boss. Talk to and destroy the boss, and then go down the stairs.

Head N and up the steps to a higher area. Go a bit E, so now you'll be in the NE corner of the floor. Head S. Go down the steps you see as you're heading S. You'll be in another square lower area with weird statues. Notice that the W-most statue is "looking" towards the W. It's actually staring right at a part of the wall that you can walk through. Walk through the wall and you'll see yet another old boss guarding stairs. Talk to the brute, kill him, and go down the stairs.

Now you're in a room with a huge spider web. You're going to have to walk on those web strands, and they'll hurt you as you do. Use the middle spell in the top row of Enya's menu of "Other" magic for protection against the strands.

See the vertical purple strand directly N of the stairs you just came up? You'll need to walk on that one. Head N on the normal floor until you reach the point where that purple strand connects with the floor. Step onto it, and start heading S. Go E on the first blue strand you reach, then S on the next purple strand, then E on the next blue. You'll run into an old friend. Talk to him and defeat him.

Head N on the center purple strand. There are four blue strands connected to this purple one as you make your way N; go E on the third one. Then go S on the next purple, and E on the next blue. Continue E and you'll be on solid floor again. Head S to the stairway and take the stairs down.

You'll start in the SE corner of the floor. You need to get to the NW corner. It doesn't matter which way you take. When you reach the NW corner, go down the steps to the lower area. Go S and then E to the doorway that leads into the final boss's room.

Do any last-minute healing that you need to do, and then talk to the boss.

The fight will begin.

I like to play conservatively during this battle. Kearu should hack away, of course, but I wouldn't have the others go all out with powerful magic attacks that quickly drain MP. Devote your MP to healing.

This guy can hang around for a while. Each turn, he will perform one of three actions:

1) A standard attack on one party member.
2) A spell that heals himself.
3) A massive attack that does extreme damage (over 100 HP) to all party members.

When he performs that heavy party-crushing attack, it's a good idea to have both Buzen and Clea cast the spell that restores 50 HP to all party members. And remember that, if you leveled up enough, Kearu has a party-healing spell that costs lots of MP, but he can afford to spend them since he'll mostly be using physical attacks.

When you're nearing victory, the boss will sprout wings. At this point, if you've done a good job of conserving your MP, you might as well let loose with a few mighty magical attacks. Don't use up all of your MP on them, though, as he can still manage to survive for a while longer, and you'll need to use healing magic in some capacity for the duration of the fight.

Eventually, you'll win and witness what I consider to be a pretty darn cool ending sequence. Congratulations. I hope you enjoyed the game, as I certainly did.

~ The End