these lines
should be
back to back
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Monday, August 15, 2011
Cyber Knight
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.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Tenshi no Uta
~ TENSHI NO UTA ~
Riot / Telenet
Super CD-ROM
1991
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.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Tenshi no Uta Strategy Guide
* 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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)