The PrinceWatercress Blog

Saturn Valley Map (by Tropicon)

There's one more place to go in the entire game. It's blocked by a metal block, and it's at the beginning of the Red Dozer's Training Course. When you go in, you can put in passwords with the clamps using the drill on the Drill Dozer.

Before you can put in passwords, you'll need the access codes. The access codes in three levels, and certain levels will unlock surprises from other passwords.

Some of these surprises are wallpapers that change the borders of the message boxes, some give you alternate uniforms for Jill in the game's menu only (which you can switch between with L and R once you unlock them), and a few others unlock some pretty neat things. I'll mention what's in that last group of passwords a little later. As for the wallpapers, you can input them multiple times until you get the wallpaper that you want.

Unlike all the other passwords, which can be put in from left to right or in any order, you have to enter the numbers for the code in a specific order. These orders are as follows:

Level 1: 2413 (Input 1 in the third digit, input 2 in the first digit, input 3 in the fourth digit, and input 4 in the second digit, in that order.)

Level 2: 6385 (Input 8 in the third digit, input 6 in the first digit, input 5 in the fourth digit, and input 3 in the second digit, in that order.)

Level 3: 3852 (Input 8 in the second digit, input 2 in the fourth digit, input 3 in the first digit, and input 5 in the third digit, in that order.)

If you mess up at any point, press Start to reset the password to 9999 and try again.

Inputting a higher level access code will also unlock the lower access levels, so while there are three access codes, you can just put in the one for Level 3 if you want to unlock everything right out of the gate.

Once you input the password for a certain level of access, you'll be able to use a certain set of passwords. If you input a password correctly, a big treasure box will show up, and if you move into it, you'll get your reward. These passwords are as follows:

Level 1

2403 - Default Wallpaper (must have another wallpaper unlocked to use)

5746 - Frog Pajamas

4089 - Samurai Wallpaper

1814 - Rockstar Wallpaper

2094 - Cute Clothes

9025 - Drill Dozer Coveralls

9434 - Soundstone

Level 2

2059 - UFO Wallpaper

4181 - Thief Threads

2458 - Inspector Uniform

8785 - Control Center Wallpaper

7867 - Full Gearbox

Level 3

5854 - Blue Overalls

2438 - Nurse Uniform

5074 - Happy Wallpaper

2828 - Stylish Skirt

1419 - Futuristic Clothes

5716 - School Clothes

7073 - Master Seal

The Soundstone password unlocks the Sound Test. You must have the Sound Stone treasure from Area 1-2 collected to use this.

The Full Gearbox password only works when you have all 31 treasures collected, and allows you to enter a stage with all three gears right out of the gate.

The Master Seal password only works when you have all 31 treasures collected, and allows you to play a hard mode of the game. Hold L, R and Select and then press Start on a new save file to unlock Hard Mode on that file. In Hard Mode, you can only take one hit, all healing items are replaced with chips, energy tanks at the store are locked out and it costs 10 chips instead of the usual 50 to continue because you'll be dying a lot.

If you head right from the password area, you'll leave the level and go back to the game menu.

And that's it for Drill Dozer!

Friday, May 17, 2024

DeceasedCrab plays Earthbound - Part 17 of 53

In this entry, we head to the Belch Base and see more of the game's quirky humor at work.

First | Previous | Next | End

One of the caves has a Sudden Guts Pill (which doubles your guts for one battle), a Protractor (which is useless), and a Broken Spray Can (which Jeff will need to fix and is not very useful even when fixed).

The people of Mr. Saturn will mention a secret base run by evil blob creatures behind Grapefruit Falls, and they happen to be the same blog creatures that are taking over Threed with the zombies. Those blob creatures have also captured a few Mr. Saturns, too.

One of the Mr. Saturns will give you something if you talk to them later on. Another one will tell you that if you find the secret headquarters behind Grapefruit Falls, you'll need to wait for three minutes when asked for the password. Keep this in mind for later. A third will tell you that you can get a Secret Herb for $380 and a Horn of Life for $1780 at the store. The Secret Herb heals a good deal, while the Horn of Life resurrects anyone with 0 HP.

The hot spring will heal you, but you'll need to stay in it for a few seconds for it to work.

At the top of the village, the Mr. Saturn with the paper in its mouth is an ATM. The phone to call Dad will be nearby; just use the ladder.

You'll be able to buy the Silver Bracelet and the Red Ribbon here, so save up for those.

The Great Charm provides more defense than the Travel Charm.

There's not much else to do here, so leave the village and go through the cave, then head north when you return to Grapefruit Falls.

Grapefruit Falls Map (by Tropicon)

The Red Antoids are the ant enemies that you can deal with here. Thankfully, you can take them.

The photographer will show up to take your picture when you approach the waterfall. Afterwards, go in and head left. When you are told to say the password, you actually have to sit there for three minutes. Do not touch anything until you are told to enter. That's some real Takeshi's Challenge shit right there.

The Belch Base (by Tropicon)

The first blob you meet will ask you if you have Fly Honey. Say yes, and you won't have to fight it.

The Foppy is really easy to beat and gives a great amount of experience. Fight them if you can!

Paula will learn Offense Up Alpha at Level 21. This will raise the offense of one party member during battle.

The IQ Capsule will bring the IQ of whoever uses it up by one. Give them all to Jeff, as he makes use of that stat the most.

You'll find Mr. Saturns working on a conveyor belt while waring ball and chains on their feet.

The Mostly Bad Flies and the Slimy Little Piles are new enemies. The Flies will try to bring your guts down, while the Piles will make you cry with their belch attacks if they're not calling for other Piles. The Piles are vulnerable to Paralysis.

DeceasedCrab plays Earthbound - Part 16 of 53

In this entry, we fight off the zombies' master, then head towards Saturn Valley.

First | Previous | Next | End

Grapefruit Falls Map (by Tropicon)

The Broken Air Gun, when fixed, becomes the Magnum Air Gun. If you can fix it before you get to Threed or if you can fix it at this point in the game, equip it. It's better for Jeff than the Toy Air Gun.

Be sure to buy some Bottle Rockets for Jeff before entering the underground path.

The Smilin' Sam is a re-color of the Handsome Tom, and is just as dangerous.

The Silver Bracelet is better than the Copper Bracelet, so give it to whoever has the lowest defense.

You'll eventually face a Mini-Barf. It will almost consider you a friend for having Fly Honey, but it will remind you that they are the mortal enemy of humankind. Aside from the belching sounds that you'll hear throughout the battle, the stink breath will cause your party to not stop crying. Kill it with Fire; it may not do a lot, but it will hurt more than anything else. Bottle Rockets work wonders, too. When you beat the Mini-Barf, it will tell you that it wanted to slurp your Fly Honey up and that Master Belch also loved Fly Honey before dying.

At Level 24, Ness will learn Healing Beta, which cures Poison. At Level 19, Paula will learn Fire Beta, which will hit multiple enemies with fire damage.

The other side of the underground path leads to Grapefruit Falls. The man outside will sell you foods for a small fee if you need any. He will also tell you that Saturn Valley is up ahead.

The brown crocodile is a Plain Crocodile. The green frog is an Armored Frog. The zombie here is a Farm Zombie. At this point, Rockin' Beta can take out the frogs and zombies if you're powerful enough.

You'll find a cave halfway to the waterfall to the north, and the path leads to Saturn Valley. The Violent Roaches are not very powerful.

Saturn Valley Map (by Tropicon)

The Mr. Saturns here speak simply, with a very weird font. At least you can heal up, save your game and withdraw and deposit money here. The Mr. Saturn in the trash can is Dr. Saturn, and he can completely heal you for free.

The Broken Iron will become a Slime Generator when fixed. It can stop enemies from moving, effectively stunning them, and can be used infinitely.

PrinceWatercress plays Drill Dozer - Part 27 of 28

With one more trip to Clink Prison, we have all of the treasures in the game.

But we still have one more thing to do...

First | Previous | End

Area 5-1: Clink Prison

7:02 - Once you get Jill back in the Drill Dozer, you'll need to head back to the start and break the metal block to the left of where the enemy gauntlet was. From here, you'll need to time your jumps so you can jump from block to block as they disappear and re-appear to get the Frigid Claw.

With all of the treasure collected, you'll reach the highest rank in the game: Big Boss.

We're not done yet, though. There's still one more metal block to break and one more thing to check out. Stay tuned!

Thursday, May 16, 2024

DeceasedCrab plays Earthbound - Part 15 of 53

In this entry, we suit up for the zombies, then start kicking butt.

First | Previous | Next | End

Winters Map (by Tropicon)

If you head to the circus tent near the "Welcome to the Circus" sign and the hotel, you'll find out that the people inside are trying to figure out how to get rid of the zombies.

If you talk to the guy standing behind the pizza parlor, you can buy a toy air gun for Jeff. Buy that, as it's more powerful than what Bloke has right now. Also, buy some Bottle Rockets for Bloke if you can. Also, be sure to buy the Hard Hat for Jeff.

Also, call Escargot Express and get rid of the Pak of Bubble Gum and the Bad Key Machine. You won't need them ever again.

The messy-looking guy near the tents will tell you that he is on the zombies' side for his own protection and that their leader likes eating Fly Honey. He mentions that he has some Fly Honey stored away in a tent to the south. You'll know you've approached the right one when a face suddenly pops up on it.

The Boogey Tent is vulnerable to Fire, so hit it with that. The Boogey Tent can also debuff your party, which won't really affect your party all that much at this point in the game, but it can also cast Flash, which can make party members cry and mess up their physical attacks.

When you beat the tent, it disappears. The zombies will run away from the trash can that you'll see in its place. Examine the trash can to get the Fly Honey.

If you walk to the upper-left corner of the tree near the "Welcome to the Circus" sign with the Receiver Phone after beating up the Boogey Tent, you'll get a call from Apple Kid. He will tell you that he has finished a pretty unique invention called Zombie Paper, which can be used to trap zombies if you lay them all over the floor of a tent. The Mach Pizza delivery man will deliver the paper to you, so just walk around the town until he shows up so you can get it.

If you talk to the people in the tent near the hotel after this, some of the people's dialogue there will change. From here, use the Zombie Paper in the tent to lay it around. You'll then need to rest at the hotel. The zombies will show up and travel from the graveyard to the circus tent only to be trapped by the Zombie Paper.

When you wake up, head to the circus tent near the hotel. People will be standing outside, and if you talk to them, you'll find out that the Zombie Paper has worked and that a ton of zombies are stuck to the floor, which you'll see if you go inside. If you talk to the zombies, you'll find out that they can speak.

With all the zombies away, it's time to find the ladder in the graveyard that was blocked by the two zombies earlier. It will be unguarded now. If you go down the ladder, you'll find an underground path that you'll have to go down, and here, you'll have to fight some more zombie enemies.

If you can get behind some enemies at this point, you can get some easy auto-victories if you're powerful enough.

There are also ghosts known as Zombie Possessors that you can fight. They can inflict you with a status effect where whoever is hit with it will be possessed by a Tiny Li'l Ghost. The Tiny Li'l Ghost will fly around the screen as you're exploring wherever it is that you are, and it will attack who it has possessed during battle unless you can somehow get rid of the status effect, and in order to do that, you'll want to find the old man with the blue hair and mustache and ask him to Purify you. Interestingly, the Tiny Li'l Ghost can also be killed if an enemy casts a Fire spell on the possessed person.

DeceasedCrab plays Earthbound - Part 14 of 53

We finally get Jeff to Threed. Now it's time to do some damage to those zombies.

First | Previous | Next | End

Brick Road's dungeon is a pretty simple affair to get through, with the odd sign from Brick Road here and there.

If you read the sign telling you to watch out for falling instruments, the photographer will show up to take a picture.

The Stun Gun is more powerful than the Pop Gun. Equip it when you get it near the exit.

When you leave the dungeon, you'll meet Brick Road the dungeon designer, who wants to combine his skills with Dr. Andonuts' intelligence to become Dungeon Man, the first part-man, part-dungeon hybrid in human history. Talking to him also acts as a free inn, so take that rest if you need it.

There will be an iron pencil nearby; you won't be able to get rid of it until later. Instead, go through the cave to the south.

The Attack Slugs will not take a lot of effort to defeat, especially if you have the Stun Gun equipped.

Do not sell stuff as Jeff. Any money that he gets from selling things will not transfer to the rest of the party when he joins.

Equip the Cheap Bracelet on Jeff if you find it; you'll also need it at this point in the game.

The Bottle Rocket can be used during battle to do a lot of damage to one enemy. Keep it around.

You will eventually come across a coiled up rope. Stand under it and use the pack of bubble gum so that the monkey can float up to the rope and drop it down so you can climb up and continue with the cave.

You will come across a boss in this cave. You won't be able to fight it until Jeff is united with the rest of the heroes of this game.

You'll soon reach Stonehenge and meet a female monkey. The monkey will leave you to chase the female monkey around.

Avoid the cavemen if you are at a low level. They will absolutely bash your head in if you fight them at that point. If you're at Level 7 or 8, however, you won't have much of a problem, but they can still smash you if you're not careful. You're better off avoiding them completely, but if you're lucky when you beat one, you can get a Picnic Lunch

If you stand in the middle of Stonehenge, the photographer will show up to take a picture.

At the center of Stonehenge is a hold leading to a cave you can traverse. There will be a large iron eraser if you take that route, though. You won't be able to get past it until later in the game.

Head south of Stonehenge to find Dr. Andonuts' laboratory and talk to Dr. Andonuts. You'll find out that Dr. Andonuts is Jeff's father, and that he will know about Moon. Since his Phase Distorter that allows you to teleport is still incomplete, he will lend you the Sky Runner, which you can use to fly to Threed and catch up with the rest of the party.

If you climb up the stairs, you'll find a Broken Pipe.

The machine near the stairs will refill your HP, so be sure to use it before you save your game at the phone on the desk and use the Sky Runner.

To use the Sky Runner, you'll have to walk into it a certain way. You'll then fly across the world and see some places that you'll enter later in the game - Fourside and the desert, both of which are west of Threed - before crash landing underneath the graveyard and meeting up with Ness and Paula. The Sky Runner will be wrecked, and you'll be stuck in Threed again. When Jeff asks the party to let him be their friend, say yes. From there, Jeff will join the party. You can use the Bad Key Machine to get out of the cell and climb out and back up to the graveyard.

Since they're mentioned here, it should be mentioned now. Paula has the Pray command, which allows her to cast a random spell of a random strength. It may help you; it may not. Jeff's Spy command will allow you to uncover enemy weaknesses.

When you head to the hotel, things will be normal again, and you'll be able to heal up there.

PrinceWatercress plays Drill Dozer - Part 26 of 28

Yet another one I could have gotten during the play through the story! Thankfully, that's the second and last.

First | Previous | Next | End

Area 4-1: Metal City

2:21 - Breaking this metal blocks will open a path leading to the Rough Coin.

11:14 - After this set of timed blocks, drop down. You'll find the Drill Fossil, which can be picked up without the need of special drill bits and therefore could have been picked up during my play through the main game.

Area 4-2: Metal City Flight

18:10 - On the fifth screen, there are some metal blocks to the right at the start. Break through them and head right. Be ready to fight another one of those laser shooters, this time with propellor controls. (Yes, I forgot how to strafe. To be fair, you only have these controls for one stage.) Once you beat the laser shooter, you can head further to the right, drop down and get the Old Juice.

Wednesday, May 15, 2024

CGR Undertow reviews Earthbound...twice...in three months

Not that I'm complaining...

DeceasedCrab plays Earthbound - Part 13 of 53

Looks like we're stuck...that's where telepathy and a third playable character comes in!

First | Previous | Next | End

Winters Map (by Tropicon)

At this point, head to the hotel. You'll meet a mysterious woman with sunglasses and long, blonde hair. The guy at the counter will be missing. If you follow the woman further into the hotel and into the next room, you'll be surrounded by ghosts and zombies. Before you know it, you'll be locked in a strange, underground room. If you try to open the door, you'll find out it is locked. From here, Paula will use her psychic powers to call for Jeff, the third playable character of the game, in Winters (which seems like a combination of England and Canada).

At Snow Wood Boarding House, Jeff will be woken up by Paula's psychic message. As you attempt to leave the room, Jeff's roommate Tony will wake up and tell you that there are some things in the locker room that you will need before you leave. He will then follow you.

Jeff will have a big bottle rocket, a boiled egg, a ruler, a protractor and a broken spray can in his inventory. Ditch the ruler and the protractor, as you are not going to need them. He also has $2. You'll need them.

When you leave the room, talk to everyone on the right. They will all be talking about Tessie, a Loch Ness-like monster in the southern lake, as well as the nearby Stonehenge. The door to the left of where you came out from has seven gifts for Tony's birthday party. Open them all for Cookies. They won't heal for much, but they're better than nothing. The guy on the left will tell you to say hi to Maxwell in the lab downstairs before you leave, as he always looks out for the younger students.

Head down the stairs to the left and enter the first door. You'll find Maxwell, who will tell you about Mr. Andonuts before handing you the slightly bent key to the locker room. He will also save your game if you call him on a phone anywhere in Winters at this point.

The next room is the locker room. If you use the locker room key on any of the lockers, you will find out that the key does not work due to it being slightly bent. Go back to Maxwell and talk to him again to get the Bad Key Machine, which will open any door. You'll also find out that you are able to repair small tools and make them useful as Jeff. To do this, you'll have to rest at a hotel or other hotel-like place with Jeff in the party. As you do this with anything broken, there will be a random chance that Jeff will fix it overnight.

Head back to the locker room and open the lockers with the Bad Key Machine. You'll find a Holmes Hat, a broken air gun and a Pop Gun. You'll need these before you can leave. Equip the Holmes Hat and the Pop Gun, because you'll need them when you head out.

To the right is the exit. With everything in hand, Tony will help you leap the gate and head off into the unknown. There's no turning back.

Near the boarding school is the drug store. Go inside and talk to the woman near the counter. Pay her $1 to get a pack of bubble gum and the monkey near the entrance. Talk to the monkey to give him a piece of gum and have him follow you around. From here, use the phone at the counter, then leave the drug store and head south.

As you head off, you'll face Runaway Dogs. The dogs will be pretty weak, and you can fight them without any problems. If you're lucky, you can find some bread rolls, which will heal more than the cookies. Keep in mind that Jeff usually fights with guns and other distance weapons, and as a result, he will have less accuracy than the other party members and will not be able to land critical hits. Also unlike other party members, Jeff does not have any PP, and therefore cannot cast spells.

Also, the monkey will sometimes stand still and sometimes look around as you move, and if any enemies run into the monkey, it will be the same as the enemies running into you. At least the monkey can do damage at times during battle, even if the monkey does only 1 HP of damage.

As you head towards the southern lake, you will find tents. The first one acts as a healing point if you talk to the guy on the left.

The Gruff Goats are more powerful than the Runaway Dogs, so make sure you fight the dogs for levels and bread rolls before you take them on.

You'll soon see more tents, where men with binoculars are moving around looking for Nessie. At this point, you'll have reached the southern lake. The tent at the far left will be a place you can heal up and rest. Do that to advance the plot. As you rest, you'll get another message from Bird telling you where to find them in Threed.

The broken spray can that Jeff starts out with with is a Defense Spray, which can increase one party member's defense during battle. It can only be used once.

It will be daybreak when you leave the tent. You may have noticed a brown spot near the lake. You'll want to head there. As you do, you will run into the photographer at the nearby tent, where you can also use a phone to save the game.

When you stand on the brown spot, the monkey will ask for some gum. You will give the monkey some gum, and he will fly towards teh lake where he will land on Tessie's head. From here, you'll be able to take a ride on Tessie to the other side. Tessie will then swim away. Once again, there is no turning back.

There will soon be a pencil-shaped iron statue blocking your path. You won't be able to get rid of that statue until later, so just go into the nearby cave. When you do, you'll enter Brick Road the Dungeon Man's dungeon. Here, you will fight Rowdy Mouses, Mad Ducks and Worthless Protoplasms that masquerade as fake gift boxes. Thankfully, there is a bread roll in a gift box just west of the entrance.

PrinceWatercress plays Drill Dozer - Part 25 of 28

Now that we're fully upgraded, getting everything else here will be much easier.

First | Previous | Next | End

Area 3-1: Kuru Ruins

Unmarked Map (by Spannetone)

4:00 - Now that you can break metal blocks, you can go through here and brave the spear traps to get the Jellyfish Bone.

8:59 - More metal blocks block a path leading to the Footdust.

Area 3-2: Sunken Ruins

19:05 - By breaking this metal box, you'll be fighting the currents and launching yourself across the room with the bubbles to get to the surface. Once you do, however, you'll be able to get the Aqua Crown.

Tuesday, May 14, 2024

DeceasedCrab plays Earthbound - Part 12 of 53

In this entry, we get The Runaway Five out of debt and get to Threed only to find out that the town is in big trouble.

First | Previous | Next | End

The door near where the police officer is standing is the owner of the Chaos Theatre. If you talk to him, he will tell you that The Runaway Five are now indebted to him and won't be able to leave unless they can work off a $10,000 debt. If you walk up to the man behind the desk and use the Wad of Bills, the Runaway Five will be free to leave. The Runaway Five will show up and thank you, then head out.

When you leave the theatre, you'll be able to hitch a ride to Threed on the tour bus. This time, the tour bus is so loud that it will scare off the ghosts on the way, and you'll be able to head there without any trouble. When you get off, you'll find out that The Runaway Five will be heading to Fourside before they drive off.

Lilliput Step Map (by Tropicon)

If you talk around town, you'll find out that Threed has a big zombie problem. The Zombie Relief Corps will be in the big tent in the center of town. If you talk to the people there, they will tell you that the zombies are advancing towards town and that they are not quite sure what to do.

At the hospital, if you go up the stairs and check the room on the left, you can check the drawer to find an Insignificant Item. You'll actually need this item later, so hang on to it or store it with Escargot Express. Speaking of which, store the Backstage Pass. You won't need it anymore.

There is a man selling weapons behind the pizza parlor. Keep him in mind for later, as he sells bombs and bottle rockets.

The Minor League Bat and the Thick Fry Pan are the next weapons for Ness and Paula, so be sure to get those ASAP.

The man in the suit in the small pink house on the west side will tell you that Lord Belch is the leader of the zombies, and that he works for Giygas.

You'll see a sign for Summers near the town. You'll be heading there later.

One of the townspeople will tell you that there is a hidden path near the graveyard. Keep that in mind for later.

You will not be able to enter the tunnel on the east side and head towards Fourside due to more ghosts.

The trash can near the east side tunnel has a Skip Sandwich.

The marionette enemy you can fight in the town is the Handsome Tom. It's not too terribly difficult for this point in the game, although they can cast Hypnosis Alpha and put one member of your party to sleep. You can also fight Zombie Dogs, which also should not give you much trouble. The kids with the jack-o'-lanterns on their heads are Trick or Treat Kids.

Paula can learn PSI Magnet Alpha at Level 15. This allows the caster to steal a small amount of PP from an enemy.

A person near the hotel will tell you that a woman with sunglasses has been seen talking to the zombies.

There is a Teddy Bear in the trash can near the hint shop, which is a small green house on the northeast end of town.

The fly is the No Good Fly, and the moving trash can is the Putrid Moldyman. The Putrid Moldyman can be pretty powerful for this point in the game. The No Good Fly does not have a lot of HP.

Ness will learn Meteor Beta at Level 22. This does more damage than Meteor Alpha.

The big gravestone north of town near the graveyard entrance brings out the photographer to take a picture.

The Smelly Ghost is just as bad as the Putrid Moldyman.

The Insecticide Spray can be used to instantly damage insect enemies.

The graveyard in the northwest part of town leads to a secret passage. The passage will be blocked by two zombies, however, and you won't be able to get past them.

DeceasedCrab plays Earthbound - Part 11 of 53

Now that Happy-Happyism is dead, we can finally take Paula home and do a little bit of backtracking to take care of a few things.

First | Previous | Next | End

Peaceful Rest Valley Map (by Tropicon)

You'll need to backtrack a bit. At the Peaceful Rest Valley, the broken bridge will now be restored by someone who was once a member of Carpainter's dismantled cult.

It is possible to smack your allies if you're Mushroomed, as it also makes you confused in battle. All the more reason to head to the hospital and ask the guy with the blue hair and mustache in Twoson to take the mushroom off your head and get paid $50 for doing it. Speaking of which...

Head back to Polestar in Twoson and talk to Paula's mom after you rescue Paula. You'll get the Hand-Aid, which is a good healing item that can only be used once. You'll also find out Paula's dad suspected Everdred (incorrectly) of kidnapping Paula. Head back up the stairs, and Paula's dad will be glad that Paula is back before saying goodbye. After you leave Polestar, someone will tell you that Everdred is looking for you, then leave. Head back to Everdred's house in Berglin Park, then talk to Everdred to get the Wad of Bills. You'll need this for something you need to do right now. He then mentions looking for the Mani Mani Statue that Lier X. Aggerate found, which you've seen twice already thanks to the Carpainter.

The Annoying Old Party Man isn't hard to beat, especially at this point in the game.

Near the Chaos Theater, you'll meet two members of the Runaway Five. If you talk to the guy wearing black after rescuing Paula, he will give you the Backstage Pass, which will allow you to go backstage at the nearby theater.

Once you get the Wad of Bills from Everdred, head to the Chaos Theater. After another meeting with the photographer, you'll be able to go in. Use the Backstage Pass on the person blocking the door leading north, and you'll be able to get in. Talk to the girl with the pigtails and the pink dress, and you'll follow her backstage where you can talk to the Runaway Five. You'll find out that The Runaway Five are deep in debt and that they can't leave the theater until they work the debt off. Once you talk to everyone and leave the backstage area, you'll catch The Runaway Five's show (in which it is obvious there is a guest keyboardist, meaning that there are technically six people on stage). After the show, everyone's dialogue will change. You can now head back to the lobby.

PrinceWatercress plays Drill Dozer - Part 24 of 28

It's now time to get the rest of the treasures in Area 2. I can't believe I originally missed that last one.

First | Previous | Next | End

Area 2-1: Art Museum

5:41 - With the Drill Dozer fully upgraded, we can take this mid-air path and get the Gear Fossil.

Area 2-2: Museum Vault

Unmarked Map (by Spannetone)

7:38 - Get second gear before taking the metal box path. From here, get ready to avoid those pink Pac-Man enemies to reach the Golden Scarab.

17:10 - I mentioned this cracked wall earlier in the Let's Play, but this time, I know it exists and I finally break it. Inside the wall is the Samurai Armor.

Monday, May 13, 2024

DeceasedCrab plays Earthbound - Part 10 of 53

In this entry, we fight the Carpainter and rescue Paula, bringing our party to two as we destroy Happy-Happyism.

First | Previous | Next | End

Lilliput Step Map (by Tropicon)

When you talk to Carpainter, he will tell you he wants your help to make the world blue and change it into a happy and peaceful society. When he asks you to be his right-hand assistant, say "No." Nothing comes out of saying "yes," and you'll have to fight him eventually, anyway. He will consider you a problem for him and his religion, and he will zap you with lightning. If you don't have the Franklin Badge equipped, you'll be warped outside, and you'll have to make your way back to him. If you do have the Franklin Badge equipped, nothing happens. Either way, you'll have to face the Carpainter in battle.

All of the Carpainter's attacks are lightning-based, and if you have the Franklin Badge equipped, none of them will work; as a matter of fact, the badge will turn the damage back on him if it hits. He can heal himself with Lifeup Alpha, but if you keep attacking him with the Franklin Badge equipped, he won't be able to heal enough. He can also cast Shield Alpha to protect himself, but it won't save him from being hit with a baseball bat.

When you beat the Carpainter, he will identify the statue as a Mani Mani Statue, then say that the statue has made him do things before asking for forgiveness as he just wanted a normal life. He also gives you the key to open Paula's cell in the mountain hut.

When you go back to where the maze was, only three blue men will be left. When you return to town, everyone will be back to normal. It will take another return visit for the colors to be normal, too. The food store will be closed. The blue cow will still be blue, but only on the first visit after defeating Carpainter (it turns back to white after that). The guy running the inn will still let you stay free of charge, but he will not be creepy anymore. If you donated any money to the strange-acting woman from earlier, she will refund it. When you leave Carpainter's home, Pokey will show up wanting to be friends again, saying that he has woken up from a nightmare, before slowly walking away and saying that he lied before running away.

When you free Paula, Paula will join your party, then mention that you'll need to return to Twoson. When you leave the hut after freeing Paula, the camera man will show up to take a picture. Fuzzy pickles.

Paula will not have anything but a Bread Roll and a Teddy Bear, and she will have the single-target PSI Freeze Alpha, which is an ice spell. You'll want to get Paula a Copper Bracelet, a Frying Pan and a Ribbon to bring her stats way up.

From here, it's time to enter the cave east of the drug store and head towards Lilliput Step, which the NPCs will mention if you talk to them. This is your next destination.

The Mole Playing Rough will play rough if allowed to, and it can also Confuse itself for whatever reason.

Paula will learn PSI Fire Alpha at Level 4. This can hit a whole row of enemies instead of one. She will also learn PSI Shield Alpha at Level 6. At Level 8, she will learn PSI Thunder Alpha, which hits a random target. At Level 11, she will learn Freeze Beta, which can hit multiple targets. You'll definitely want to get Paula levelled up while you are here.

Mr. Batty can also confuse itself, but it's easier to defeat than the moles here.

The Great Charm protects you from paralysis attacks and also makes the wearer slightly faster.

Ness will learn Lifeup Beta at Level 20.

The Mighty Bear can hit pretty hard. Amazingly, it will not be in any hurry to join any enemy you run into. Approaching it from behind is advised. Magic such as Freeze Alpha can do a number on it.

The PSI Caramel is hard to find, and will refill PP if eaten. Save those for when you really need it.

The sparkle is the Mondo Mole, which blocks the second "Your Sanctuary" location. It is vulnerable to paralysis, so cast Paralysis Alpha so it can't move before beating it to death with physical attacks, as magic will not do a lot of good. The Mondo Mole can heal itself and can use spells that protect it from magic as well as increase its offense, but it does not have any PSI attacks of its own.

If Ness loses all motivation in battle, that is because Ness is homesick. Be sure to call Mom regularly.

When you beat the Mondo Mole, you'll be able to access Lilliput Step and get another part of the melody for the Sound Stone, and you'll get a vision of a baby in a red cap. You'll also be healed.

DeceasedCrab plays Earthbound - Part 9 of 53

In this entry, we head to Happy-Happy Village...and the residents here sure are weird.

First | Previous | Next | End

The Sand Lot Bat is the next good bat, so you'll want to get that from the Drug Store when you get here.

There is a cave southeast the Drug Store. Don't go in there yet. It leads to the Lilliput Steps, and you won't be able to fight the monsters there until a little later.

In Happy-Happy Village, the people here are obsessed with painting everything blue.

The self-service store here is odd. The Bananas and the Fresh Eggs have prices, but you can pay whatever you want, despite the guy behind the tree who is obviously watching the store from a distance. You can even get them for free if you want.

At the nearby counseling office, you'll learn that Carpainter, the religious leader here, has a voice that seems to hypnotize people. You'll also find out that he has Paula held hostage in an attempt to make her the high priestess of Happy-Happyism.

The masked man in blue is an Insane Cultist and will try to hit you with a paint attack which is not very strong. The Insane Cultuist, however, can call other Insanen Cultists to prolong the battle (and potentially give more experience).

There is a healer near a house on the southeast end, and the house near him is a hospital.

The masked man in the fenced-up area will tell you that an overweight kid helped him kidnap Paula and hide her in a mountain cabin.

The house at the Meager Livin' Farm is an inn where you can stay for $50. If you sleep there, you'll get another message from Paula, telling you that she can hear water in the distance where she is being held. Also, the guy running the inn is weird.

The red house in the village has a weird font when you knock on the door. They will tell you that they have friends in the valley behind Threed.

The big house in the center contains a maze full of Cultists. Don't head over there yet.

The cave right next to the Drug Store leads to the mountain cabin that Paula is being held at. You'll find Paula in a cell when you arrive, and when you talk to her, she will tell you that it was her destiny to meet you and that you will have to get the key to free her from the Carpainter. You'll find out that the Carpainter can control lightning, and Paula will give you the Franklin Badge, which reflects lightning attacks.

When you leave the cabin, you'll be confronted by Pokey and two cultists. Pokey will tell you that Carpainter has made him an important person in Happy-Happyism as he now starts viewing you as an enemy for no reason at all. He then runs off and has the cultists fight you, but the cultists will be dead easy. On the way back to Happy-Happy Village, you'll have to fight more Insane Cultists blocking your path.

At Level 18, Ness will learn PSI Flash Alpha, which can make enemies' eyes water and blind them.

From here, you can head to the house at the center of Happy-Happy Village. Talking to some of the Insane Cultists will either get them out of your way or start a battle. Either way, both are good, since the latter is getting them out of your way by force. At the end of the maze, you'll find Carpainter as well as the weird statue that Lier X. Aggerate found at the beginning of the game.

PrinceWatercress plays Drill Dozer - Part 23 of 28

Now that we have the main game as well as the secret areas completed, it's time to mop up what's left and finish this game once and for all.

First | Previous | Next | End

Now that we're done with the main game as well as all of the secret areas, we're now going back to the main levels to pick up the treasures that we missed. Compared to the main game and the secret levels, this was perhaps the easiest part of the Let's Play by far.

Area 1-1: Skullker Hideout

3:17 - Now that we can break through the metal boxes, we can access this path. Break through the broken wall to get third gear, then enter the door you see afterwards and break the wall behind the sole brick block with the padded corners. You'll find the Smooth Coin on the other side.

Also, you can exit a level through the pause menu and still get credit for the treasure.

Area 1-2: Skullker Factory

9:31 - Hey, remember this route? Now that you can break metal blocks, you can take it all the way to the end! You'll find the Soundstone past the metal block.

Sunday, May 12, 2024

DeceasedCrab plays Earthbound - Part 8 of 53

Our way gets stopped by a random pencil statue...so now we have to go back to Twoson in order to find a way to get past it.

First | Previous | Next | End

Peaceful Rest Valley Map (by Tropicon)

If you head back to Apple Kid's house, you'll find out he's not there. If you leave, you'll see the Orange Kid. He will tell you that Apple Kid is in Burglin Park. You'll find him south of where you met Everdread. If you talk to him, he will give you the Pencil Eraser, which will get rid of the pencil statue in Peaceful Rest Valley.

When you get back to the pencil statue, you can use the Pencil Eraser on it to get rid of it. Once you get past the pencil statue, if you go all the way north, you'll be met by the photographer, who will then take a picture. You can then go back to where the bridge near the pencil statue was to continue.

The tree enemy is a Territorial Oak. This enemy can attack with a vacuum attack as well as Brainshock Alpha, in addition to a physical attack. It can also suddenly burst into flames and kill itself, because Earthbound.

You can find a Travel Charm after the bridge, which is good in case you don't have one. The Travel Charm stops Paralysis, which can be pretty nifty.

The diamond-shape prism flying is is a Spinning Robo. It can protect itself with a shield of light and can fire beams at you for a decent amount of damage. At least you can destroy it.

Your path will soon take you back to the other side of the bridge, and just past it, you can find a Croissant - which can heal a good amount of HP - in a gift box. You can also find a Bomb east of that Croissant.

The Hard Hat has more defense than your baseball cap. Make sure that you have Escargot Express pick up the baseball cap, as you'll need it for later on.

You'll eventually make it to Happy-Happy Village, and when you get there, the music will be creepy, and so will the people. There will even be a woman who will want you to donate to her, and if you donate any money to her, she gives you a useless postcard. If you don't, she follows you around.

The Drug Store is just east of the entrance from the Peaceful Rest Valley.

DeceasedCrab plays Earthbound - Part 7 of 53

Since we can't go directly to Threed, we'll have to go through the Peaceful Rest Valley to get there.

First | Previous | Next | End

Peaceful Rest Valley Map (by Tropicon)

If you try to take the bus to Threed by reading the bus stop sign, the bus will be mysteriously turned around by the ghosts. If you walk through the tunnel, you'll eventually be turned around by the ghosts if you walk through it long enough.

One of the houses on the way to the tunnel hints at having an ally who can fix things overnight. Keep that in mind for later.

The Apple Kid and the Orange Kid are inventors who live near the temple. If you give Orange Kid $200, you'll get the Super Orange Machine, also known as the Suporma. It will sing the Ode to Orange Kid before breaking down.

Buy a cheap food, such as a Cookie or Bread Roll, and head to the Apple Kid. Talk to the Apple Kid, then give him that food. You'll be able to invest in his invention, and if you give him $200, you'll be able to fund his invention work. When you do that, the mouse in the room will block the door. Talk to him to get the Receiver phone. With this in your inventory, you can talk to Apple Kid outside of Twoson; however, it will only be outgoing calls, and you can't call him.

While you're in the Apple Kid's house, search the trash can for a Broken Machine. You'll need it later, so have Escargot Express take it when you call Tracy.

At Polestar Preschool, head left and talk to Paula's dad. You'll find out that Paula only wants to talk to you, but he will find out that Paula is nowhere to be found. If you continue further into the house, you'll be able to get a free teddy bear that will take a few hits for you in battle.

You can return the bike at the bike shop by saying you don't want a bicycle when you have a bicycle in your inventory. The clerk will make fun of how short you are as you do.

The Mobile Sprout is another enemy you can fight east of the town as you head towards Peaceful Rest Valley. It can cast PSI Magnet Alpha, which can drain a few PP from the target in addition to calling for other Mobile Sprouts and casting Lifeup Alpha.

You'll be fighting plenty of Ramblin' Evil Mushrooms and Mobile Sprouts in the cave leading up to the valley. Once you reach the valley, you'll meet a girl picking mushrooms as well as a mole who will tell you about it is possible to survive mortal blows and hit more critical shots with a higher Guts stat. Also, if you take a mortal blow but beat all the enemies before your HP hits zero, you will survive.

The Li'l UFO is a little UFO. It can give you a head cold than cause you to sneeze and lose HP in addition to making you less accurate.

There is a bridge leading straight to Happy-Happy Village, but it is out right now. There is also a pencil-shaped iron statue that will block your path, and you will need an invention to get rid of it. If you have the Receiver Phone, the Apple Kid will call you and tell you to head to his house when you make it back to Twoson.

PrinceWatercress plays Drill Dozer - Part 22 of 28

Amazing how the secret areas got easier and easier (sort of) until the very last one.

First | Previous | Next | End

Area 6 Secret Area: Hidden Compartment

Compared to the other secret areas, this one has just one route and isn't long.

In the first part of the level, you'll be launching yourself from rubber block to rubber block. Before you can do that, however, you'll need to get to second gear and avoid a ton of sparks.

In the second part, you'll be avoiding even more sparks as you jump from platform to platform while avoiding even more sparks, and after that, you have small platforms to work with in addition to more rubber blocks. You'll find the Skull Badge at the end.

In the third part, get third gear, as you won't be able to get to the end without it. When you break the bricks, you'll uncover bombs. You'll need to wait for the bombs to get clear out of the way, and you may have to break certain blocks in order to clear a path and get to the end as quickly as possible. For getting to the end, you'll get the Bone Bell. After that, you'll exit the sixth and final secret area.

Saturday, May 11, 2024

DeceasedCrab plays Earthbound - Part 6 of 53

In this entry, we explore Twoson some more. Some of the people we meet and hear about here will be important to the story later on.

First | Previous | Next | End

Giant Step Map (by Tropicon)

By talking around with the NPC's, you'll find out that Paula has been kidnapped and that some weird guy was following her. You'll also find out about Apple Kid and Orange Kid, the two inventors in the town.

There is a man at the hospital who will tell you that he has been bitten by zombies in Threed, which is the next town over. He will mention that he left something at the hospital but cannot get it because the bus cannot get through the tunnel. You'll also find out that there is a circus in Threed, which is weird if there are also zombies there.

At the Twoson Department Store, you can get a ticket for the Runaway Five show at the Chaos Theater to the east. If you go into the theater, you'll need a ticket to see the show, but you can meet The Runaway Five's manager Poochyfud, who will tell you that The Runaway Five owes him a lot of money and that they are stuck here until they can pay him back in full, or if you pay it all for them, whichever happens first. Outside of the building are two members of the group, and they will tell you that the theater cheated them and left them deep in debt,

The guy near the phone will tell you about homesickness and calling your mother. If you do just that, you'll find out that your sister Tracy is now working for Escargo Express and that she can help you store excess items you don't need and have them delivered to you if you do. Just keep in mind that both services cost a fee, so make sure you have some when you do them. You can store or have delivered three items at a time.

Also, be sure to talk to Dad after battling numerous enemies in order to see how much cash has been deposited into your bank account.

The Twoson Department Store has multiple stores, such as a bakery where you can buy foods that will heal as well as weapons and armor. There is also an arcade at the top floor, where a man will tell you that Happy-Happy Village is literally getting more blue.

If you buy a teddy bear, it will take damage in your stead during battle, but only a few times.

The Hint Guy is in the house between the Twoson Athletic Department sign and the "If you have time to read this, go to the Chaos Theater immediately" sign.

You'll find out that the singer Venus' house is near Burglin Park.

Speaking of Burglin Park, you can buy quite a few things there. One of the most interesting things you can buy is a Fresh Egg for $12, and if you buy one and keep it in your inventory for a while, you will hear chirping noises. That means the egg has turned into a chick that you can sell for more money. If you wait even longer, the chick will grow into a full-grown chicken that goes for even more money. Sell the chickens with the For Sale Sign for a ton of money.

The Tool Shop has a "For Sale" Sign, and if you can buy it, you can use it to sell items without having to go to a store. Just make sure you move around in the same location you used it in and do not go too far.

The junk store has a Copper Bracelet that will increase your defense by five at this point in the game.

You'll also find out about Everdred around here. Everdred the crime boss is standing on the roof of a nearby house, and if you move towards him, you will fight him. Everdred will try to steal things from you and constantly grin in addition to hitting you with physical attacks. Use PSI Meteor Alpha to take off a lot of his HP.

At Level 14, Ness will learn PSI Paralysis Alpha, which paralyzes one enemy.

When you beat Everdred, he will tell you that he twisted his ankle from jumping off the nearby roof before revealing that Paul awent off to a secret hideout in the peaceful Rest Valley and got kidnapped by a chubby boy and a weird guy in a blue outfit in order to make her some sort of human sacrifice. He also tells you to come back and see him if you save Paula.

If you rest at the hotel, you'll be contacted telepathically by Paula. The guy waiting for you near the door will tell you that ghosts haunt the tunnel leading to three when you leave the hotel room. The guy to the south will give you $50 if you keep pestering him enough times, which is enough to pay for a room.

The blue and purple hippie is the New Age Retro Hippie, who you can easily beat up.

You cannot buy a pizza at the pizza parlor, as the parlor only delivers. If you go to one and talk to the cashier, however, you can get the phone number and call for a pizza from your current location. A pizza will fully heal your party, but it will cost you some money.

Peaceful Rest Valley and Happy-Happy Village are both east of Twoson.

DeceasedCrab plays Earthbound - Part 5 of 53

In this entry, we finally reach the first "Your Sanctuary" location before heading to Twoson.

First | Previous | Next | End

You'll want to be at least Level 11 before fighting the Titanic Ant in addition to having a bunch of Hamburgers to heal with.

PSI Rockin' Alpha will do some good damage to Titanic Ant and will also kill the Black Antoids in one turn at this point.

Titanic Ant will cast Defense Down Alpha to lower your defense and cast Shield Alpha on himself to raise his, so be ready to hell yourself and use PSI Rockin' Alpha to do more damage than you would with your physical weapon.

When you beat Titanic Ant, you'll be able to reach the Giant Step, your first "My Sanctuary" location. You'll get a bit of a melody for the Soundstone, which you can now use at any time to listen to what you have of the song whenever you want.

When you beat the area leading to a "My Sanctuary" area, enemies will start running away from you. This is useful, as you can use this to get back more easily while also getting more experience.

Ness will learn Shield Alpha at Level 12. Just like with the Titanic Ant, it will raise your defense when cast.

Onett Map (by Tropicon)

Onett In-Game Map (by A. Lurker)

When you come back out of the cave, a cop will be waiting outside telling you to get to the Onett Police Station later, despite having permission from Mayor Pirkle to go in. Head to the police station and talk to the first policeman you see to get some useless dialogue and ranting. The guy he is talking to will ask if you want to go to Twoson, and if you say "yes," you'll be taken to a back room where you have to fight five policemen, one at a time. Why you are doing this, I could not tell you.

The cops will try to karate chop you, but at this rate, you should be able to beat them down with at least two hits from a Tee-ball Bat. You'll want to be Level 11 or 12 here to get through this with minimal problems. When you beat the fourth guy, however, the fifth guy will run away, and you'll have to face Captain Strong.

Use Psi Rockin' Alpha against Captain Strong and keep using it. You'll want to have saved all your PP for this battle in order to do that and be able to heal if necessary. One you beat him, you can finally open the road to Twoson and go there.

On the road to Twoson, you'll face more Black Antoids, but they should be easy to deal with that you're past Level 11. The house you'll see on the way is a house full of Exit Mice, and you can talk to the one without a sign to put an Exit Mouse in your inventory. If you need to leave a dungeon in a hurry, you can use the Exit Mouse as an item.

You'll also encounter the Ramblin' Evil Mushroom. At this rate, you can probably defeat it in one hit.

You'll also find a Hamburger in a box before entering Twoson.

The advice by the nearby mole did not age well. While there are some weird looking humans that do act like enemies, that...probably wasn't the best way to put it.

The Ketchup Packet can be used as a condiment and sprinkled over food. If you use it with a Hamburger, you can heal more. Condiments can be interesting and useful to use, but you also have inventory slots to worry about.

According to the first NPC you see, Twoson is home to a modern hotel, a hospital, the wonderful Chaos Theater, the Polestar preschool, and a nice bus station. There is also Burglin Park, there is Peaceful Rest Valley on one side and Happy-Happy Vilalge, and there is also a pizza parlor.

If a person has a blue face, it is an Unassuming Local Guy, which is an enemy. He can try to solidify you, so you'll want to be careful if you fight him.

If you go to the Cycle Shop, you'll be approached by the picture taking guy. You can rent a bike, but you can only ride it if you're the only person in the party and you cannot ride it into buildings or into dungeon-like places like a cave. It will let you go faster at the expense of not being able to talk to anybody.

The blue policeman is an evil cop much like the ones you fought earlier in Onett.

By talking around, you'll find out that there is a religion being formed in Happy-Happy Village.

PrinceWatercress plays Drill Dozer - Part 21 of 28

And now it's time for the other route through Stage 5's secret area. Once we're done here, the hardest part of getting 100% is over.

First | Previous | Next | End

Area 5 Secret Area: Escape Tunnel