Thursday, September 1, 2016

3DS Direct 9/1/16

It's been a while since the last Nintendo Direct. Here's what they had to say about the 3DS.

Pokémon Sun and Moon- There will be regional differences in some Pokémon that you are familiar with. Some of them change types. Z-moves are powerful Pokémon moves that occur when Pokémon and trainers unleash their full power. What Z-move is used is based on the type of Z-Crystal used. Some moves are exclusive to certain Pokémon. Munchlax will be a special bonus that will have a special Z-move when evolved into Snorlax, Pulverizing Pancake. It will be distributed from launch until January 11, 2017. -November 18, 2016

Super Mario Maker 3DS- It's similar to the Wii U version, but comes with already courses ready to play. These will have Medal Challenges: complete the objectives to collect medals.  The Mystery Mushroom and costumes will not appear, but you can play several courses created with the Wii U by going online. You can exchange courses via local wireless and Streetpass. You can also share incomplete courses to allow for collaboration.- December 2, 2016.

Mario Party: Star Rush- Toad Scramble involves many players playing as Toad, but there are no turns, so all players move simultaneously. The first player to reach the boss will battle them in a minigame. Other players can join in the battle when they catch up. Other Mushroom Kingdom characters will join the Toads. This will expand movement options and give you the points they earn in minigames. Another mode is Coinathlon, where you race around a track playing minigames to get the most coins. In Mario Shuffle, you'll move three pieces to your opponent's side of the board. The Super Mario Amiibo will work, including the new ones released with the game. You can play with up to 3 other players in Download and Local Wireless play. -November 4, 2016.

Animal Crossing: New Leaf- A new update will allow you to use Amiibo from other series. A new set of Amiibo cards. The cards have a new villager and you can check out the interior design of their mobile home. -Holiday 2016

Streetpass Quick Plaza- This update allows you to move faster, through greetings and reach your games. You can now greet up to 100 players at once in Streetpass Mii Plaza Premium. There are 5 new games. Race slot cars in Slot Car Rivals. Predict stock prices in Market Crashers. Cook food for heroes rescuing the king in Feed Mii. Use the step counters of other players to explore new areas in Mii Trek. Launch yourself from a cannon to defeat demons in Ninja Launcher. Slot Car Rivals and Market Crashers are free. If you download one of these, you can download the others as a bundle at a discounted price. -Available now.

Tank Troopers- Choose a trooper and you'll get special abilities to your tank, such as a the ability to freezing other players, launching paintballs to obscure vision, or unleash electrical shocks. Up to 6 players can battle each other. -Winter 2016

Picross 3D: Round 2- Some blocks can be painted two colors. Amiibo are compatible. Available now on the eShop for new figures. -Available now

Nindies Summer Jam- Each week, a new independent title will launch on the 3DS or Wii U eShop with reduced pricing. For the month of September, this will be Axiom Verge, Jotun, Noitu Love Devolution, Severed, and Super Strikers Gunvolt 2. You can enter a contest on Twitter to get all of these games for free, as well as curate your own content shelf on the eShop.

NES Collector Edition: A new console that allows you to play classic NES games. -November 11, 2016

There will be new Legend of Zelda Amiibo. These will function as Link and Zelda in , but have special functions in Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword will be available on the Wii U eShop today.

There are two new New 3DS consoles. The Galaxy Style has a new design and the New Super Mario bundle is available at limited retailers.

Hyrule Warriors Legends- Toon Link is a new character and uses a Sand Wand. Toon Zelda can possess enemies and use her powers to attack multiple enemies. This is the Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks DLC Pack. -Available now.

Ace Attorney: Spirit Justice- Phoenix Wright goes to the kingdom of Kura'in to defend those accused of crimes. Back home,  Apollo Justice and Athena Cykes handle cases while Wright is away. -September 8, 2016, exclusively on eShop

Dragon Quest 8: Journey of the Cursed King- This game has been redesigned to be more feature-rich. - 2017

Dragon Quest 7: Fragments of the Forgotten Past- This classic has new features and is rebuilt from the ground up. Swap Traveler's Tablets via Streetpass to access special dungeons and items. Dungeons and items will also be distributed online. Pre-purchase to receive a Dragon Quest Home Theme for free. -September 16, 2016

Yo-kai Watch 2: Bony Spirits and Fleshy Souls- Choose a side, which has its own Yo-kai you can befriend. Travel back in time to discover the origins of the Yo-kai Watch in an ancient Yo-Kai war. The Yo-kai Watch Model Zero allows you to poke loafing or inspirited Yo-kai to do damage and get an advantage in battle or fill up the soul meter of your own Yo-kai to use an M Move. The demo will be available mid September. -September 30, 2016.

Disney Magical World 2- If pre-purchased, Frozen outfits will be available. There are new Disney Themes on the eShop.

Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice- The game takes cues from the animated series, but has a new storyline. You can switch between characters easily. There are modes for single-player and two-player competitions. -September 27, 2016

Shin Megami Tensei 4: Apocalypse -This is the sequel to Shin Megami Tensei 4, but is a standalone experience. It is now available for preorder. First run physical copies will contain a set of medals.- September 20, 2016

Yoshi's Wooly World 3DS- It contains the same levels as the Wii U, as well as  Poochy levels. Poochy Pups will jump on suspicious areas. The game will also contain short videos of Yoshi and Poochy. There will be a Yarn Poochy Amiibo available at launch. -February 3, 2017.

Ever Oasis- Travel between the oasis and desert to gather items to be sold to other travelers. Locate dungeons to clear away the Chaos reigning over the desert. Gain allies to help you progress and inhabit your oasis. -2017

Mario Sports Superstars- The game includes 111 vs. 11 Soccer, Horse Racing, Baseball, Golf, and Tennis. There are single-player and multiplayer tournament modes. -Spring 2017

Pikmin - Join Captain Olimar and Pikmin in a sidescrolling adventure. The Pikmin will carry treasure around and deal with hazards, such as fire and electricity. -2017

Thursday, March 3, 2016

Nintendo Direct -- 3/3/2016

Today, there was a new Nintendo Direct. Here's what they had to say.

Star Fox Zero- There are teleporters you can use in the game. Fortuna is a new map with bioweapons and giant enemies. Many maps have branched paths that lead to new areas and bosses. Star Wolf will also appear in the game. There is a co-op mode where one player steers and another player fires weapons. The Star Fox Amiibo is compatible with this game to let you play with the classic Arwing from the NES game. Wii U April 22

Star Fox Guard- Slippy's uncle Grippy is mining rare metals, so Slippy has developed a security system to ward off enemies. Use the cameras to spot enemies to defeat. You can set up enemy placements for other players to play online to earn metals. Wii U April 22, bundled with Star Fox Zero

Splatoon- An update contains improvements to certain gear abilities and matchmaking. This update will be available March 8. A second update contains weapon sets. This update will be in April.

Mario and Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games- Boxing, rugby, and archery will be some of the games featured, as well, as rhythmic gymnastics. The Koopalings, Nabbit, and Rosalina will be playable. Wii U June 24, 3DS March 18

Super Mario Maker- A new update allows you to shake Thwomps to make skewers, P-Switches into keys, and doors into key doors. Shake a coin to make a pink coin. You'll need to collect all of them to make a key appear. A new mode, Super Expert Mode, will be available for the 100-Mario Challenge. You must clear Expert Mode to unlock it. Clearing it will unlock new costumes. Update available March 9

Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE- Formerly Shin Megami Tensei X FE, it will feature the Japanese voice track with English subtitles. Wii U June 24

Lost Reavers- It's a free-to-play online game where you team up with others to fight zombies, solve puzzles, and collect treasure. You'll need to make your way back to clear the mission and collect your share of the spoils. You'll also level up, increase your skills, and get money for weapons. An open beta will be available April 14, while the full game will launch on the Wii U April 28.

Paper Mario: Color Splash- Prism Island is being drained of all its color. Paper Mario uses his paint hammer to restore color to the world and Toads. Paint cards and flick them to start battles. Special cards, such as the Fan, unleash powerful attacks. Wii U 2016

Pokken Tournament- Start at the bottom tier, then rank up to more challenging opponents. Some Pokémon are fast or powerful. Use support Pokémon to help you along. Win in-game currency to change your avatar's appearance. An Amiibo card of Shadow Mewtwo will be available in the first run of physical copies. Wii U March 18

Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD- Wii U March 4

My Nintendo- The new loyalty program rewards you for interacting with Nintendo products. You can sign up for Miitomo and a Nintendo Account now.

Mini Mario and Friends: Amiibo Challenge-  Scan compatible Amiibo to guide them through stages only they can access. Each Mini has their own powers and abilities. This will be a free download for Wii U and 3DS on April 28, but you can get it early by purchasing an Amiibo from Gamestop, Best Buy, or Amazon.com on March 25.

Series 4 of Animal Crossing Amiibo cards will be available soon. Isabella will be available as two Amiibo, wearing her summer outfit in one. June 10

Virtual Console- SNES games will available in their original resolution on New 3DS today.

Pocket Card Jockey- Play fast-paced games of solitaire to boost your horse in races. Level up your horses, then retire them and pair them to give breed new horses. 3DS May 2016

Azure Striker Gunvolt 2- Copen is now a playable character and can copy bosses' abilities. The original will be available at a discount March 2 to June 1. 3DS Summer 2016

Fire Emblem Fates: Revelations- Refuse to choose a side and you can get new maps and a new storyline. The rival kingdoms will fight to save an alternate world Corrin. March 10

Hyrule Warriors: Legends- Buy a season pass to get 4 new DLC bonus packs. It will also get you a new costume for Ganon. Buy a physical copy to get a download code to get the new characters on the Wii U version. Medli, from Wind Waker, is now playable. 3DS March 25

Disney Art Academy- Learn how to draw Disney and Pixar characters. 3DS May 13

Bravely Second: End Layer- There are new job classes. Wizard allows you to customize spells and allows you to combine with the skills of other classes. The Catmancer learns the moves of opponents and trains cats to perform them for treats. A demo will be available March 10. Best Buy Gamers Club members will receive the demo early on March 7. The Bravely Default demo is still available on the eShop. The collector's edition comes with the soundtrack and art book. 3DS April 15

Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past - The world has been rebuilt and the game retranslated. Assemble fragments of stone tablets to warp to the past in order to save the present. 3DS 2016

Monster Hunter: Generations- Also known as Monster Hunter X, this game features four colossal monsters threatening to take over. You can also play with others online. Play the game on a 3DS with Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate save data for bonus content. You can also get Marth's armor. 3DS Summer 2016

Metroid Prime: Federation Force- This game tells the story of the Galactic Federation and the Space Pirates. Samus will appear in the story, but is not the main character. Players will be able to select their play style, such as healer or warrior, depending on what weapons they take. 3DS Late Spring 2016

Rhythm Heaven: Megamix- There are over 100 games, some brand new and others from previous games. 3DS 2016

Kirby- Invaders have mechanized Dreamland. Move back and forth between foreground and background. Kirby can take on his enemy's tech, which can also copy abilities. A new game is Team Kirby Clash. Battle with up to three other players and take on quests. Get experience to level up. Amiibo are compatible with this game. Tap them to get abilities. There will be a new series of Kirby Amiibo featuring Kirby, MetaKnight, King Dedede, and Waddle Dee. June 10

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam -- When Bowsers Combine

The bros have dealt with an onslaught of minions, including the Koopalings. There's nothing standing between them and the Bowsers. Step on the platform with the green Bowser emblem to make it move. Lightning crackles. When the bros arrive, Paper Bowser says they'll have to do this themselves. Bowser finds their stubbornness annoying, but it gave them time to come up with a plan. He pulls out the book. Paper Bowser says they're going to beat them, then trap them in the book, throw the book in the garbage, and light the garbage on fire. Bowser says the Mushroom Kingdom will be his as he tosses the book behind him. Paper Bowser looks at it, saying the kingdom will be theirs. Bowser sticks to his original statement. They'll have to settle that debate after dealing with the Marios, that yellow thing, and that green guy. Starlow questions their confidence going up against two Marios and a green guy, Luigi. Bowser says they're two Bowsers.

The Bowsers will breathe fire at the bros. Jump to dodge. Paper Bowser can fold himself into his shell and Bowser can hide in his shell. They won't take damage like this. They'll also hold a stack of spike balls and toss them at the bros. Counter with the hammer. Some of the spike balls will miss entirely, but there's one that will appear a little later than the rest. After a while, the Bowsers say the warm-up is over.

Paper Bowser sparkles and absorbs all of the paper minions. Bowser joins them and what results is Bowser in sparkly Paper Bowser armor. This is Shiny RoboBowser. He'll attack the bros with his fists repeatedly, then breathe fire at Paper Mario. Jump to dodge. He'll also fire blasts of energy and fire. Counter with the hammer. He can also grow wheels and chase the bros. Jump over the ground based enemies and fire. If you can dodge the Chain Chomp, the attack will end and he'll take damage. Don't use Trio Attacks while he has a helmet or he'll use his version of a Trio Attack. Press the bros' button to dodge his flames. He'll try to fake you out, so be careful. As he takes damage, armor falls off. He can also summon shiny paper minions. Destroy them or they'll heal him. After enough armor falls off, he'll try to jump on a bro. Have all bros counter with the hammer. As with all other boss fights, just leave the fighting to Paper Mario if you're having difficulty keeping all three bros alive. After a while, he'll reform his armor and heal himself, which means some of his attacks will last longer. He'll turn his arms' armor into wings and chase the bros. Use the Airplane Dodge. When he gets angry, he'll use his version of a Trio Attack. Keep hitting Bowser when he's not wearing his helmet to defeat him. His paper armor falls apart and he explodes. Paper Bowser lands on the platform, but Bowser falls off towards Mount Brrr.

Paper Bowser says this isn't over. He crawls toward the book, to protect it. Paper Mario picks it up and opens it, which absorbs Paper Bowser. He resists, saying he doesn't want to go back. The Mushroom Kingdom was going to be his. The bros team up to close the book as Paper Bowser proclaims that they'll pay for this. The book hops, so the bros try to hold it down. It eventually stops.

Back at Peach's Castle, the princesses call to Mario, leaving Luigi out. They're happy the bros are safe. They kiss their respective Mario on the cheek, then both kiss Luigi on the cheek. They thank the bros for everything they've done. Peach can't imagine dealing with two Bowsers all the time. She especially thanks Paper Mario, because the bros couldn't have done it without him, which is very true. Toadette walks in, telling everyone to follow here, because something is ready. She and the Toads have been working on something. It's a victory parade.

Fireworks go off in the sky as the credits roll. Mario and Paper Mario are on a new Papercraft Mario. Luigi and Starlow are on Papercraft Luigi. Toadette rides in on Papercraft Yoshi, while the Lakitus take notes. The princesses are on Papercraft Peach, while some Lakitus toss confetti. The parade heads to the Doop Doop Dunes, where there's a Papercraft Goomba. Papercraft Mario defeats it and uses the book to absorb the Paper Goombas. Nabbit runs by and Papercraft Megacrinkle Goomba appears. It takes more effort, but the papercrafts defeat it. Next, they go to Twinsy Tropics, where Lakitus stream colorful clouds and a Toad with a bag cheers them on. The papercrafts defeat a Papercraft Spike and absorb the Paper Shy Guys, while Yoshi chases Nabbit, who has a melon. The parade continues to Gloomy Woods, where a Papercraft Boo is defeated. Paper Shy Guys get absorbed. Fly Guys want to challenge the bros, but Flutter chases them off. Papercraft King Boo is also defeated. The parade moves to Mount Brrr, where Nabbit, chased by many Yoshis, trips and drops the melon. The Yoshis rejoice. Papercraft Bowser Jr. appears, then leaves, then Papercraft Kamek appears. For some reason, the parade goes into Bowser's Castle. Bullies and Broozers try to attack, but the papercrafts easily defeat them. Papercraft Bowser Jr. appears and is easily defeated. Airships carry Papercraft Bowser in the background, then challenges the bros. It takes a few hits, but soon falls. The parade concludes at Peach's Castle. The Papercrafts are tossed in the air as a celebration.

Inside the castle, the Paper Toads jump into the book. Starlow says all Paper Toads and minions are in the book. The princesses are sad they have to part. Paper Peach needs to return before Paper Bowser inevitably starts causing trouble. Starlow thinks she and Paper Mario can handle it. Luigi opens the book for Paper Peach. Peach says the adventure was crazy, but fun and wants to hang out again. She hugs her, saying "Thank you". The Toads say she should visit again. Paper Peach thanks everyone, saying she'll miss the bros. She jumps in the book and Starlow says it's Paper Mario's turn. He shakes Mario's hand, but the book shakes. A Paper Toad wonders what Bowser has done. Peach says duty calls. Paper Mario jumps in the book and it closes. Peach says she'll miss them. Starlow can't believe they're gone. The castle starts shaking and a Toad calls for assistance. Peach sends the bros off. A Toad says it's Bowser again.

We're shown our records page.
Rate of Excellent Actions- 70% (Great)
Dodge Success Rate- 54% (Good)
Expert Challenges Finished- 38% (OK)
Battle Cards Collected- 20% (OK)
Paper Toads Rescued- 100% (Excellent)
Block Recovery Rate- 87% (Excellent)
Item Patches Drilled- 56% (Good)
Beans Recovered- 56% (Good)

By completing the game, you unlock the music player. The game saves.

This concludes Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam. I had a great time playing the game and I hope you enjoyed reading about it. The game introduced some new ways to deal with the challenges the bros would normally solve with Bros. Moves. The game was much more challenging than previous games, as you have to dodge and counter with three bros instead of two. I found that during boss battles, just letting Paper Mario do all the work, then reviving the bros at the end worked best, but made battles drag on. Paper Mario has the potential to do more solo damage than the bros, and can more easily dodge, and with multiple copies, counter enemy attacks. What the game never answered is what happened to Paper Luigi... Well, I'm back on hiatus until the next new game.

Friday, February 26, 2016

Pokemon Direct -- 2/26/16

Today is the eve of the 20th Anniversary of Pokémon. Here's what Nintendo has to say.

Pokémon Sun and Moon will be the latest main series games. They can be played in the same languages as X, Y, Omega Ruby, and Alpha Sapphire, plus traditional and simplified Chinese. These new games will be available Holiday 2016 globally.

Digital downloads of Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow will be available on February 27. These versions can connect to Pokémon Bank so you can bring your Pokémon from these games to Pokémon Sun and Moon.

Happy Pokémon Day!

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam -- Part 24: Can't Stop this Battle Train

The Kameks appear. Kamek says no more dirty tricks. Paper Kamek says they'll give the bros an honest fight. Kamek then uses magic, wondering if the bros really believed them. They fly off to set up another dirty trick. Walk forward and they'll attack. They'll do an attack where they form a line of magic and move around with it. The bros have to jump over the line, like in the Border Jump challenge in Superstar Saga. They'll also move through portals, even going back through portals.  Jump to dodge or counter. Kamek will inactivate some Action Commands. They'll return after a turn. Paper Kamek will copy himself and form a moving wall to shield Kamek while he readies his magic. Use the Boomerang Dodge to hit Kamek as much as possible. They can also summon other enemies. Leave at least one Paper Dry Bone on the field so they don't summon more. As with before, you may want to just battle with Paper Mario. The Kameks won't heal each other, but Kamek will revive Paper Kamek if he falls. If the one is down, the other will shoot magic at the bros. Counter with the hammer. Keep healed and they'll eventually be defeated.

Kamek had a good time with Paper Kamek. Paper Kamek agrees that they weren't a terrible team. Kamek thinks Paper Kamek was like a hideously ugly brother to him. Paper Kamek reminds him they're identical. They start arguing. The Marios stomp them to defeat them. Go north. The area is crawling with Mechakoopas. An eerie glow comes through the windows. Go to the southeast and southwest for more items and coins. Use the warp pipe if you need better gear or more items. Save and go north through the ominous doorway. At the end of the long path, Bowser and Paper Bowser await.

Head down the path and minions will attack. They're easy to defeat, especially with a Trio Attack, but you may want to save your BP. After each battle, you'll automatically move forward. Bowser notes this plan isn't working. His answer is more minions. After the next wave, Paper Bowser calls the bros stubborn. The enemies start getting more challenging when you deal with the Shy Guys. The Bowsers try to outdo each other with their hatred for the bros.

After the Broozers, Bowser calls in the Koopalings. You'll battle them two at a time. Wendy and Roy are first. The attacks are the same. After you defeat them, Ludwig appoints himself as leader, but the other Koopalings are upset because there wasn't a vote. They then focus on the task at hand. Ludwig and Larry are next. They have new Battle Cards this time, including one that can shrink the bros. Take one out to keep them from using the Battle Cards.  Make sure you're fully healed at the end of this fight. After the battle, Ludwig says he's been dethroned. Larry doesn't like that Ludwig thinks of himself as a king. Iggy, Lemmy, and Morton are last. They think the bros are tired after all these battles. Morton uses magic to mess with the bros' battle cards. The bros are okay with this. Lemmy dances off to do something. He rolls in a giant ball. Use the Boomerang Dodge to hit Lemmy before he can throw bombs. If your dodge is successful, he'll be dizzy. Iggy will bring in a giant Chain Chomp. Use the Airplane Dodge when Iggy gets close and tries to hit a bro. He'll be dizzy after the attack. Morton tries to avenge them and picks up the Chomp. Use the Trampoline Dodge. They'll all be stunned after the battle, so hit them with your best attacks. They may be knocked down, but unless all are down, they can revive each other. If your dodges are strong enough, they'll only attack twice before they're defeated. Morton asks for Bowser's forgiveness. Iggy asks the same, but for him also to destroy the bros. Lemmy asks the same.

Paper Bowser is annoyed that they must do everything. Their section flies off. Starlow congratulates them on defeating all of Bowser's minions. The bros are ready to fight. Heal, change your gear if necessary, and check out the Battle Cards you've earned, then save. Head out to deal with the Bowsers.

Sunday, February 14, 2016

Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam -- Part 23: Cartoon Cannons

The bros have destroyed Bowser's papercraft, but Bowser sent the Koopalings after the bros. Before dealing with them, go west. There are dirt walls and Shy Guys here. Climb the dirt wall and Drill Dash through the maze of saws to reach a gondola. Use Trio Hammer on its purple button to send it flying into the spiked rollers blocking your path back east. Go north. Grab the Bob-omb to the right and use it to destroy the Bowser statue ahead. Pull out the bridge and keep going. There are boost pads here. Grab another Bob-omb and use them to reach another Bowser statue. You can get a Bob-omb from the right side. Pull out another bridge. There's another gondola here. Grab it, then use Trio Hammer. There's another statue to the north of the first one that leads to items. Use the pipe to return east quickly. Hit the ! Block to lower the gate.

Go east. Dash across the gaps using the yellow platforms. The platforms ahead won't be in a straight line. Walk towards the back and you'll find a narrow path with saws. To get over them, Trio Glide. It's okay if you land in the middle. The saws will hit you, but won't send you back to solid ground. The next narrow path allows you to Trio Drill underground. Use the Trio Hammer on the gondola to the left. A blue platform will take you back to where you entered from the west. Go north. You'll have to Trio Glide across some gaps, but there are fans blowing periodically. You'll need to have the fan blowing for the last glide. There's a Mechakoopa and a gondola ahead. Use the Trio Hammer on the gondola to form a complete path for the bros. Return west using the pipe ahead.

There will be enemies in the main hallway. At the end of the long path are Morton, Iggy, and Lemmy. Iggy wants to push something. Lemmy says it's his job. Morton notices the bros and tells someone to do it. Iggy pushes the button. Morton says it will destroy Peach's Castle. They're referring to the massive cannon at the front of the castle.

In Peach's Castle, the princesses are thinking of the bros. Back in Neo Bowser Castle, Iggy remembers he was supposed to set a timer. He thinks five minutes is good. The bros have to smash the cannon before time runs out. Enemies will drop in out of the sky for battle. You can't flee the fights, so attack quickly. Using Paper Mario's hammer works well. Go south and dodge the Fuzzies by walking between them. Other enemies will attack you, but you can avoid the battles. Go as far south as possible and you'll find the cannon. The timer will stop here. Press (A) to start the Trio Hammer, which will dent the cannon so it can't fire. Starlow thinks they shouldn't stand directly above the cannon when it's about to fire. The bros leave and the cannon blows itself out. Walk north and take the elevator up.

Saturday, February 13, 2016

Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam -- Part 22: Papercraft Throwback

The bros have found the three pieces of Fire Ore Toadette needs. She says they won't believe what she can do with it. She sends them ahead and will bring their papercraft to them when it's ready. Go up using the Up button, then go north. Bowser's happy the bros made it here. Paper Bowser thinks they're not worth fighting, when they can fire a Papercraft Bullet Bill. It chases the bros until it's destroyed by a fireball. Another fireball destroys the Papercraft Bill Blaster. Toadette says their papercraft is ready. Bowser's upset at Toadette's tenacity. Paper Bowser orders minions to ready the ultimate papercraft. The bros' new papercraft is Papercraft Fire Mario.

Paper Kamek says their efforts were in vain. They've repaired and upgraded Papercraft Megacrinkle Goomba. Press (X) to throw fireballs. If another papercraft is hit with enough fireballs, it will catch fire and won't be able to move for a while. First up is Papercraft Whomp. He'll fall on the ground, which can stun you. If you're able to dodge, you can use a jump attack. After Papercraft Whomp is defeated a Papercraft Airship will appear. It fires Papercraft Bullet Bills. Use fireballs to bring it to the ground. Be careful not to fall off the edge. Defeat it and Papercraft Megacrinkle Goomba will appear. Once you cross onto its side, the gates will rise back up. It's much faster than before, but dashes shorter distances. Use fireballs to stun it. After you defeat it, a different gate drops. Step on the platform to move to the next area.

Next up is Papercraft Bowser Jr. There's a hole in the floor. He'll use the same attacks as before. After it's defeated, you'll have to dodge flames. Take the platform to the next area. Papercraft King Boo and Papercraft Boos are here. Defeat Papercraft King Boo and a platform will take you to the next area. Papercraft Kamek is here. Its magic prevents you from hitting it with fireballs. Just use jump attacks when it uses its magic. Heal if necessary, charge up, then move onto the next area.

The arena is quiet and empty. It shakes and a door in the floor opens. Papercraft Bowser appears, manned by Bowser and Paper Bowser. Paper Bowser says it will take more than fireballs to defeat them. It will back into the bros to hurt it with its spikes. Jumping on it won't work as it uses its fireproof shell to protect it. After it breathes fire, use your fireballs. Stun Papercraft Bowser, dash into it to knock it over, then jump on it. After a couple of hits, it will do a spin attack. Dodge it, then hit it with fireballs, then jump. It can also jump after a spin attack. After a lot of damage, the Bowsers say they'll regret attacking and their papercraft will not be defeated. It will take a few more hits after this.

Bowser is upset. Paper Bowser says they need to regroup and assemble the Koopalings. The path ahead breaks up and is replaced with spikes.

Friday, February 12, 2016

Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam -- Part 21: With Enemies like this, Who Needs Friends?

The bros have reached Neo Bowser Castle. You'll find Broozers here. They're tough enemies with powerful punches and increase their power every time they take damage. There's a button in the center. Hit it to make part of a panel light up on a fuel cell. Go west and you'll see another button as part of a maze. There are Paper Broozers here. Walk to the south to reach the maze. The sign says that (A), (B), (Y) flips yellow panels and (X) flips blue ones. What that means is that while you're moving to another panel, press the three buttons simultaneously when you're jumping from a yellow panel and (X) when you're jumping from a blue panel. Hit the button, then the ! Blocks to open the way back. Return east. Hit the button there, then walk south.

You'll find Nabbit here. Try talking to him and some minions will report that Nabbit's been stealing Bowser's stuff as well. Chasing after him is optional. Once you catch him, you'll have to battle. He'll toss coins and spike balls, both of which can bounce. He'll throw his bag at you, then pull out paper enemies. He'll also sneak up behind the bros and steal their hammer if they don't counter. After Nabbit takes a hit or two, he'll run away. Chase him again and he'll start a battle with some Broozers. He'll heal the bros each turn. Defeat the Broozers and he'll run off again. This time, he'll run to the west. Catch him to start another battle. He'll run away, as before. He'll start a battle with a Shy Guy, and fight alongside the bros and heal them. The easiest way is to run from the fight when he's battling against you. The last fight is the one you can't flee from. You'll get Peach's Peppy Gloves and the Bros. Attack Mega Thwonk for defeating him, as well as however many coins you earned during the fight.

Go east. There are many moving platforms moving past the button. At certain points, they will drop away. Use (X) to jump platform to platform. Hit the button and an Up button illuminates. Jump on the other set of platforms and return west. Hit the up button and the platform will rise to a different level. Walk to the north and Bowser is impressed the bros have made it this far. The Bowsers and Kameks appear. Paper Bowser says something has happened. A shadow falls over the bros. Up in the sky, the papercrafts are wrapped in duct tape. Toadette's been captured as well. She orders the Bowsers to release her masterpieces. Paper Kamek brings in the secret weapon: the enormous Papercraft Bowser. It breathes fire on the papercrafts. The Bowsers will be waiting for the bros, should they want to fight.

Toadette is quiet next to the smoldering ashes of her work. Luigi tries to talk to her, but she silences him. She has a great idea, but she'll need the bros' help. She needs them to collect the Fire Ore found around the castle. Fire Ore are the flame-like stones burning in torches around the castle. The bros can safely handle them. Toadette says Fire Ore is fascinating. Harnessing the ore's power will allow her to build a special papercraft. She says they'll need three units of the stuff. She saw some on the lower level, so the bros head there first. The Fire Ore is to the southeast. Iggy swipes it and Bowser asks what Mario's thinking. He won't let someone steal the ore he's stolen. Iggy challenges them. Starlow flies off to find them something to fight back, so the bros must toss bombs at the Koopalings and Bowser to keep them at bay. Starlow brings in the bombs. Iggy will toss three bombs at the bros at a time. You'll also throw Starlow at one point. Iggy will admit he's failed, so Wendy steps in. After Wendy takes a few hits, she calls Bowser for help. He throws one large bomb. Once he's defeated, he tells the Koopalings to never speak of this to anyone. Bowser acknowledges the Fire Ore is pretty, but he's not sure how it will help the bros defeat his papercraft. He tells them to leave it alone.

Go to the southwest to find the other piece of Fire Ore. Morton appears. Mario must use his hammer to return the regular cannonballs Morton throws. Use Trio Hammer for the huge ones. Once that's over with, you'll get the last bit of Fire Ore.

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam -- Part 20: The Evasive Staircase

Go into the cave. There are Shy Guys here. They can throw Paper Shy Guys at you. Use the dirt wall to climb higher, then break the stone brick block. This lead to an exit to the clouds. Ahead are Lakitu researching the summit to see where the cardboard platforms come from. Go east and you'll find a stumped Toad. Solve the puzzle of moving the blocks on the dirt wall, but you have two blocks on a single puzzle. Move the pink target as follows: up, left, down, right, down, left. For the blue crescent, up. left, up left, down, left, down. He'll give you a Blunt Hammer DX. Return to the west. Walk to the left and use Trio Glide through the ring to reach the cave.

Inside, the bros find a complex maze they'll have to navigate using Trio Drill and Trio Glide. Exit to the east. Trio Glide from the wooden platform to reach a higher wooden platform with items and coins. Go east. Luigi spots something. There's a strange gate in front of a large door in the side of the mountain. Use Trio Hammer on the large red button to make the red parts of the gate disappear. Walk to the south, then go east.

You'll find a panicking Lakitu here. He witnessed Toads being abducted. Agree to help him and he'll take you there. The bros must rescue the Toads while standing on a cloud. They will fail if three Toads are abducted. The Toads' colors could be a hint. To rescue them, jump when the minions fly overhead. Avoid jumping into bombs. Your reward is the Bold Heart accessory. Climb up the wooden platform and Trio Glide to the west. Use Trio Hammer to flip the spikes. Go west. Hit the blue button to remove the gate from the door. There's an elevator inside. Approach the door and hit the ! Block to make a path to the west.

Go through the door and get on the elevator. They reach a command center in the clouds. Starlow marvels that this evil lair has been on the summit the entire time. It’s the location of the cannons firing paper minions and cardboard platforms. The minions notice the bros are here, since there’s no way they have access cards. They sound off a Code Red and a Code Green. Big Bob-omb drops in, telling minions to relax. Starlow doesn’t feel she can relax in this situation. Big Bob-omb initiates the self-destruct sequence. The minions panic. No one can know about this mission, so Big Bob-omb will blow everyone up. The minions flee, while Starlow wants Big Bob-omb to relax and talk about this. Big Bob-omb repeats her earlier sentiments about relaxing.
The battle starts. The bros have 4 minutes to defeat Big Bob-omb. A boss battle on such a short time limit will be tricky. He’ll toss Bob-ombs at the bros. Jump on them to send them back. He can also pick up a bro and throw them. Counter with the hammer. Another attack is to roll a giant bomb. Counter with the hammer repeatedly to stun him. This will add a minute to the timer. Do not use jump attacks as his crown is pointy. Drill Shell also does good damage while taking a small amount of time to execute. After a while, he’ll get angry. If you run out of time, Big Bob-omb will explode. Hold (X) to Emergency Block. Even with that, the bros may not survive, even if you use a Battle Card. After a while, he’ll say he can’t lose to the bros because he’s a king and has a mustache. He then realizes they do as well. With that, he is defeated.

Two Lakitu appear with a big Paper Toad delivery. They drop off several Paper Toads. They know the drill, which is to help the bros reach Neo Bowser Castle. Toadette figured out a way for them to help and they’re helpful for the bros rescuing them. They’re going to form an ambitious set of stairs. It spirals higher and higher. At the base, they ask if they’ve reached the castle, but as with every game of Telephone, the message is soon changed. Somehow, the message comes back crystal clear that they’ve made it. A Toad says Toadette miscalculated and that there are more Paper Toads than necessary. It’s probably because we saved them all. The extras want to help, so they’ll form a new Bros. Attack: Toad Trail.

Head up the Paper Toad staircase with the Paper Toads cheering the bros on. A giant cannonball drops nearby. The staircase moves to dodge the onslaught and tells the bros to keep going. You’ll have to stop for some more evasive maneuvers.
At the castle door, Iggy’s surprised the bros made it. He leaves to spread the word.

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam -- Part 19: Mount Sidequests

Luigi has reunited with the Marios in Gloomy Woods. Go south and send Paper Mario onto the spider web to hit the ! Block. The roots blocking several paths disappear. Take the time to go around and create bridges using Trio Grab. Go east to Toad Village, then north twice. You'll see a couple of Toads by the waterfall, saying they saw Bowser's minions head off to get revenge on Mario. They left a guard behind. They want the bros to defeat it for a reward. The guard they left behind is Roy Koopa. You must steal bombs from the Fly Guys and throw them at Roy Koopa. He'll also take bombs and throw them at you. It takes only three hits, but the Fly Guys will change flight patterns with each hit. Keep moving around, especially when he throws the bombs. You'll get Anti-Air Boots DX as a reward.

Go west to the darker side of Gloomy Woods. Trio Glide through the gold ring for coins. There are Boos holding a Toad hostage. Distract them for a reward. You must stay away from Boos until the timer runs out. Keeping all of the bros safe will earn you the most coins. Run around while a Boo chases you for 1 minute, 30 seconds. Coins will appear and Bob-ombs will drop from the sky. Flames will appear after a while, along with coins. Bob-ombs will drop from the sky again, then flames that move. Once you clear the challenge, collect the coins on the ground. You'll get a Mix Badge DX as a reward. Follow the path around and drop down to the stone brick block. Break it and send Paper Mario through the gap for some coins and an accessory.

Return to the Toad Village and walk to the east. Use the cardboard platforms to reach a spot where you can use Trio Grab to create a path into the nearby Toad House. Cross over into the Card Shop and check out the dresser for a Bros. Ring. There's a warp pipe in the village. Use it to reach North Gloomy Woods, where Flutter is. There's a panicking Toad who had something stolen from him. It's Nabbit, and he springs to the clouds. The clouds will disappear when you jump off them, so plan your path strategically. Plan your path so there are only two clouds to stand on that are next to each other. Catch Nabbit and he'll run to another set of clouds, this one with arrows on it. You'll get a new Bros. Attack, Balloon Blast.

Flutter will take you to the same spot as before, since there are cannons firing higher up the mountain. A Toad informs the bros there's a pipe nearby that leads directly to the village. A Toad greets them, and points out the cardboard platforms leading to a mysterious cave. In the center of town is the final Toad with a quiz.
1. In the storage area in Peach's Castle, which of the following popped out of the wall? A Scaredy Rat
2. Who is this? Shy Guy
3. What attack is most effective against paper monsters? Fire Flower
4. Which of the following Koopalings is bald? Wendy
5. Which of the following does Spike throw? Spike ball
The reward for passing all of the tests is the Mushroom Gloves.
You can reach Bowser's Villa to the east for a couple of items. Head for the cave. The Yoshi there is the friend of the Yoshi the bros raced in Gloomy Woods. He challenges the bros.

It's a long race with obstacles such as ice, springs, and mud. You'll also have to use Trio Hammer. Yoshi will ground pound and throw eggs. The prize is the Speed Gloves. Be ready to stop and switch to the hammer. Jump to dodge Yoshi's attacks.

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam -- Part 18: Spooky Luigi RPG

The bros have saved all of the Paper Toads, so it's time to head to Mount Brrr via Gloomy Woods. Head towards the entrance of Gloomy Woods. The way north is blocked off, but a Toad mentions the nearby spring platform. Trio Glide onto the nearby platform, then to the tall platform to reveal that it is a spring. It launches the bros into the clouds. There are many coins and enemies here. Go east to find more. Drop through a hole to land on the ground. The one to the southwest will drop you on the cardboard platform forming a bridge to Gloomy Woods in northwest Sunbeam Plains.

Starlow notes that Gloomy Woods seems gloomier than before and thinks something is going to pounce on them. The woods certainly are darker here. Some Swoops fly by, startling everyone. They have to keep going. Starlow hopes Luigi can keep it together. Due east is the Toad Village, but you can't reach it from here due to the bridge. Walk to the west and send Paper Mario up the spider web. Hit the ! Block to make the roots ahead disappear.

Walk to the north and you'll find a tree with cracks in it that look like a mouth. Approach it and eyes light up. Swoops appear from the tree, reveal it's really King Boo and some Boos. They make roots appear, trapping in the bros. Luigi tries to escape that way, but fails, and notices the Marios are gone. He breaks down. Starlow says "Ow" and Luigi gets up. He's on his own. Walk to the east and Starlow says to get her out of the glowing plant. Starlow escapes, upset she got grass clippings in her mouth. Starlow makes the situation worse by making it very clear that Luigi's on his own. She realizes she needs to work on her pep talks. She tries encouraging him, saying he's tall, got a great mustache, and had a whole year named after him. It's basically Luigi RPG now. The pep talk works until some Swoops fly by.

Walk to the north. Luigi's rather slow on his own. Go west. Some Boos laugh and fire blocks the path behind you. A gate to the north opens and you have 1 minute, 30 seconds to cross through it. You can't take a path with Boos on it, so hop over the purple fire. You'll come to a fence and the Boos will laugh again. Take the path where the glowing plants don't flicker. There's another gate ahead. Leaves will start falling. Cross on the side where the leaves fall straight down. Cross through the gate to stop the timer. Go north. It's another challenge to cross the gate, this time within 2 minutes. Hop over the moving purple flames. When you step on the wooden platforms, you'll hit boost pads. There are some wide stairs ahead. Step on the stairs that don't have Boos on them. Near the gate, shadows appear. Step in the middle of the circle without touching the shadows and step out on near the gate. Go through the gate.

Luigi sees someone who looks like Mario from behind. He tries talking to it, but it's really a Boo. There are more Mario illusions here. Walk up the cardboard platform to the left to find a green block. Hit it to make a platform appear. Walk farther to the left and you'll find many Mario illusions staring at something. It's the real Mario, dangling from a tree. Jump and Mario wakes up and lands on Luigi. Starlow's happy to see Mario, since it was touch and go with Luigi. Now they need to find Paper Mario. Have Mario hit the red block to make two more platforms appear. Use them to cross to the right side of the clearing. On the other side, Luigi spies Paper Mario, or someone like him. Go south.

Loop around the water and go north. Use the Heal Block and save your game. Paper Mario's no longer in the area. One of the trees will move. Check it out. Paper Mario will appear. The bros think they've reunited with Paper Mario, but it's really King Boo. He'll breathe fire to start. Some of it will fly over the bro's head. He will then inhale the fire, so jump to dodge it. His crown is pointy, so don't use jump attacks. He'll split into 5 copies and approach the bros, then disappear. Time your counter with the hammer. He'll summon a Paper Boo to bring in Paper Mario. He says not to attack him or his minion if they like Paper Mario. All you can really do is damage King Boo with counter attacks. Use your turn to heal or use the hammer on the Paper Boo. After a while, King Boo will get angry. He'll breathe more fire and split into more copies. This fight is going to take a while. When King Boo is defeated, the Paper Boo will toss Paper Mario back to the bros. Starlow wants to get out of Gloomy Woods and meet up with Flutter to get a ride to Mount Brrr.

Monday, February 8, 2016

Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam -- Part 17: Ignoring Toadette for her Ultimate Plan

Neo Bowser Castle has left Peach's Castle in ruins. Peach says the destruction is terrible. They can't let Bowser get away with this, but he could attack again at any time. Starlow says they'd need to go to his castle to stop him, which isn't going to be easy because it's flying. Toadette walks into the throne room, saying she has an idea. She's working on an experiment, but will need a few dozen more Paper Toads. The number they need will bring them to 230 Paper Toads. She's got an awesome idea, but we don't know what it is yet. She gets support from the Marios. Luigi pouts because he wasn't mentioned, but Toadette says when she asked for Mario, his input was implied. That's not much better. Toadette mentions going to Mount Brrr first. She also gives Paper Mario a new Trio Attack: Trio Shuriken.

The bros need to head to Mount Brrr, but a Toad says some paper platforms are blocking the way to Gloomy Woods. There isn't a pipe they can use. But, you can get started rescuing Paper Toads from the Lakitu Info Center in Sunbeam Plains. First quest is Paper Toad Sand Scramble. Chase down a stack of 20 speedy Paper Toads. After you catch a few of them, they'll split up and hide. If they're moving along a wall, use Trio Grab from a bridge to the south.

Fly Guy Flyby involves chasing down Fly Guys holding Paper Toads in under 13 minutes. One is to the right of where you start. Climb up the rock and use Trio Hammer on the moving box. The Fly Guy will fly to the north. Use the Trio Hammer to flip over spikes to the south. Use Trio Grab to chase the Fly Guy, then Trio Glide to catch it while it's flying in place. The one to the south of there is hiding in a tree stump. Send in Paper Mario to hit the Music Note Block. Chase it over to some more tree stumps, then Trio Glide to it.

Paper Toad Freeze-Out involves finding 12 Paper Toads before they freeze. They're hiding in stores, behind trees, in the snow, by the pipe, in the Lakitu Info Center, in the Toad House, and behind shops. You may find Fuzzies behind the shops.

Finally, there's Paper Toad Patrol, where you have to save the Paper Toads all over Mount Brrr. Some are hiding in snowmen. Use the Trio Hammer. Use Trio Glide to save Paper Toads from flying enemies. To hit the ! Block, hit the cannonballs with the hammer. Rescue Paper Toads in bubbles with Trio Glide. After saving the Paper Toads, a delivery Toad has a message for Toadette. She says they'll need a stack of Paper Toads to reach Neo Bowser Castle. She says to head for Mount Brrr, but still save any Paper Toads. We're going to keep saving Paper Toads.

Toadette says to head for Mount Brrr, but there are more Paper Toads to rescue. Paper Toad Trail Trials involves collecting Paper Toads while dodging the Sandmaarghs. Paper Toad Shuffle involves finding more Paper Toads. To catch the speedy yellow one, chase it onto the cardboard rock and flip it using Trio Hammer. Use Trio Hammer on the nearby tree to get another one.

Bubble Trouble involves saving 36 Paper Toads in bubbles. To save the ones high above, go right to find an orange spring platform. Once all of these Paper Toads are saved, you'll get a new Trio Attack: Trio Meteor. Also, we've saved every Paper Toad.

Sunday, February 7, 2016

Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam -- Part 16: What the Ore is for

It's time to go after the Bowser Jrs. Go south and take the elevator back down. The Bowser Jrs. are here. Catch both of them without being spotted by minions. You can't be spotted once. Study the patterns of the Mechakoopas. If you want to go off to the sides, go to the right, as there is a spring platform there. Approach Bowser Jr. to catch him. Go east to find Paper Bowser Jr. You'll find more Mechakoopas and blue platforms moving over the lava. Once across the lava, you'll have to deal with Fly Guys. Dash to get past the long line of them. There are Bowser statues that will move in front of Mechakoopas, so be careful. Once past them, jump onto the blue platforms, then grab Paper Bowser Jr. Luigi retrieves a book from them, but it doesn't look like the book that contains Paper Mario's world. Starlow believes the Bowser Jrs. wouldn't give up the book so easily. They get up and take the elevator, saying the bros and Starlow can't boss them around. They say they're the bosses and Starlow's not even a miniboss.

Go back up the elevator and go north. The bros catch up the Bowser Jrs. They decide to fight this time. They'll each target a bro, then fly to them. Counter with the hammer to knock them out of the clown copters, then repeatedly counter until they get up. They then challenge Paper Mario to see who can fly the farthest. Starlow says to press (Y) when you're about to stop gliding, waiting until the last possible second. Winning will damage the Bowser Jrs. They'll place barrels on the bros' heads and fire at them with their clown copters. Jump to dodge, noting who is who. They'll also send a giant ball onto the battlefield. The bros will use Paper Mario as a trampoline. Press (Y) to bounce objects off Paper Mario. Move around so as to not step on Paper Bowser Jr. They will use this attack even if only Paper Mario is on the field, so leaving the battle to Paper Mario isn't an option here. Move around with the circle pad. The Bowser Jrs. can also heal each other. The Bowser Jrs. will hide in their clown copters if attacked, so some attacks, such as Fire Flower and Bomb Derby won't work. You must attack them from above or use Trio Attacks. When they get really low on health, they will attack multiple times.

After the battle, the Bowser Jrs. and the real book are lying on the ground and the door to the princesses opens. The Marios get a kiss from their respective princess. Luigi wants a kiss, but is ignored. Bowser Jr. wakes up, calling to his paper doppelganger. He flashes back to when he met Paper Bowser Jr. and thinks about him being locked away forever in the book. The Bowsers appear, angry at their sons for letting the princesses wander freely. They've made modifications to the castle. Starlow wants to grab the book, but it's too dangerous. Bowser roars at them for hurting Bowser Jr. He tells Kamek to fire the boosters. The castle starts shaking. Luigi looks around, but doesn't grab the book. The emblem on Bowser's Castle turns from green to red. The ore from Twinsy Tropics Dungeon is being used as fuel to lift the castle in the air. Multiple cannons appear on the castle. Bowser has created another Neo Bowser Castle. Bowser Jr. mentions the book. The Bowsers ignore them. Starlow suggests leaving the book and escaping, since the Bowsers don't seem to care about it.

Outside, it's very windy and the bros, Starlow, and the princesses fly off the castle. Starlow's barely hanging on with her teeth when Kamek attacks her with magic. They manage to dodge all of his attacks. Kamek compliments her teeth. Starlow comments on her dental hygiene, letting go of the castle. They all fly off, this not being the first time a compliment on Starlow's teeth leading to her undoing. Kamek repeats the compliment to himself, making it seem he was somewhat sincere.

On Sunbeam Plains, there's a delivery. He sees everyone fly overhead. They land far away, with Paper Mario carrying them as an airplane. The princesses return to the castle while Starlow wonders what Bowser plans to do with the castle. They need a plan to stop the Bowsers and get the book back. Head towards Peach's Castle and the ground starts shaking. Neo Bowser Castle appears in the sky, along with the Airships. The cannons fire and the cannonballs land near Peach's Castle. Inside, the Toads are panicking in the debris-littered castle. Bowser's taking his revenge on the bros for hurting Bowser Jr. A large cannonball takes off the top turret of Peach's Castle. Bowser credits his flying castle to the abducted, unpaid Toads. He thinks his plan to take over the Mushroom Kingdom is pretty solid. Paper Bowser reminds him this is a joint venture. Kamek reports that the bros should be finished. He also thinks Paper Bowser is useless to them now. Bowser agrees, saying he finds his paper double to be annoying. He concedes Paper Bowser is nearly as strong as him. Kamek has an idea involving the book. Paper Bowser and Paper Kamek have an identical conversation, which means it's likely a race for the book.

Saturday, February 6, 2016

Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam -- Part 15: Save a New Girl in Pink. Save the Papercrafts.

The bros have reached the pipe the Koopas went through to haul papercrafts. Cross the bridge and a Papercraft Bullet Bill nearly drops on the players. The Kameks appear, along with Papercraft Dry Bones and Papercraft King Boo. Lemmy Koopa and Morton Koopa Jr. control Papercraft King Boo. The Kameks want to settle things and the Koopalings want to stomp the bros. Paper Kamek thinks Papercraft Boo is menacing, but Kamek doesn't think it's the most menacing papercraft ever. Papercraft Kamek is disappointed that they won't get to use it because the bros don't have a papercraft. He starts envisioning it, but Kamek says they've got one ready to go. It's Papercraft Yoshi. The Kameks fall to the ground. Paper Kamek wonders how they snuck it into Bowser's Castle. Toadette says she built it here just now.

Papercraft Yoshi can do a ground pound when (A) is pressed in midair. Use it to hit switches or stun enemies when you land near them. Use (B) to stick out Papercraft Yoshi's tongue to grab things and tow floating enemies. Defeat enemies to make poles appear so you can cross the lava. Use the Starman to clear out the Papercraft Goombas. Make your way around to the largest platform and cross the bridge. Papercraft King Boo appears. There will be three Papercraft Dry Bones that will get in your way, so get rid of them. Papercraft King Boo will ground pound the area. Move out of the way, then attack when it's off it's pedestal. When Papercraft King Boo is at half health, it will summon two more Papercraft Boos. Papercraft King Boo will do a rolling attack. Dodge it and attack.

After the battle, the Kameks thought that Papercraft Yoshi was so good, they've decided to kidnap Toadette. They're also going to build the best papercraft yet. Go north. The bros enter a long hallway. Flames appear from the floor, preventing the bros from going north. There are Paper Boomerang Bros here, which are particularly dangerous, because the boomerang they carry can be another Paper Boomerang Bro. Go west. There's a Fly Guy holding onto Toadette. He starts to fly away. The bros have to defeat him before he does. Use Trio Glide to cross the lava. Use the fan blocks to turn them on and off. Catch up to the Fly Guy and battle him. Toadette thanks the bros for saving her. She decides to return to Peach's Castle. She looked around the castle and thinks the princesses are on the top floor.

The Bowser Jrs. are bored guarding two cardboard princesses. Paper Bowser Jr. wants them to try to escape to give him something to do. He also wants them to say something different. He tries to tell them Mario's not going to save them. He slowly starts losing it and decides to go outside. Behind the cage, the princesses spy their moment to escape. They decide to leave through a window. Bowser Jr. is sleeping, wondering why it's so cold.

Luigi is worried about Toadette, but she says she can take care of herself, having tracked a treasure or two. Hit the nearby Bowser Block to make one of the eyes in the floor close. Go through the pipe, return to the long hallway, and go east. There's a long path with many fans blowing the bros off of it. Dash at an angle to make it across safely. When you loop around, Trio Glide to left. Hit the Bowser Block and ! Block. This will open the door and make the flames disappear. Return to the long hallway and go up the elevator.

The bros hear Peach's voice. The princesses are outside, on a different part of the castle. They head back. Walk forward. The door is open. The princesses meet the bros inside, but Paper Bowser Jr. grabs them in his clown copter. The Bowser Jrs. lock them behind a door, calling it a dirty trick for them to sneak out when he was sleeping. He's going to tell Bowser. Paper Bowser Jr. wonders if the bros are there for the book or the princesses, giving away the fact that they've been holding it all this time. Bowser Jr. thinks both, but says they're never giving back the book. The Bowser Jrs. realize the bros didn't know they had the book. Starlow wants both the book and the princesses back. They don't want to, so they split up and run away. Go east and west to get some items and coins. The door to the princesses won't budge, so leave them for now.

Friday, February 5, 2016

Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam -- Part 14: When Star Sprites Attack

Head toward where the Bowser medallion fits. On the way, you may encounter Ant Troopers. They'll lose their spiky helmets after enough damage. When you reach the gate, check it out. Mario places the medallion and the gate lowers, revealing a dirt path up the wall. Use the Trio Drill to climb the wall. There are conveyor belts ahead. If you need to go in the opposite direction of the belt, dash and jump with (X). Go east through the pipe.

The bros wind up in a different part of the Twinsy Tropics. There's a pipe here, encased in some sort of mineral. There's nothing you can do to it for now, so check out the other parts of the area. The pipe to the left leads back into the dungeon. There are spider webs here, but you can dash through them. Hit the ! Block to start a timer. You have 38 seconds to reach the other ! Block. There are many webs in the way. Dash through the least complex web to make good time. If you look below, you'll see the same mineral that's covering the pipe outside. Grab the beans and coins in the wall if you'd like, then walk west. Hit the button with Trio Hammer and the shell on a statue opens. It shoots a beam of energy to the mineral encasing the pipe outside. There's another pipe in the middle. There are Paper Swoops here. Climb the wall and Drill Dash to the rings. Some may rotate to allow you to change direction. Go to the upper right area to find the next button. The pipe to the right leads to an area with more Paper Swoops. The dirt patch is to the far right. The rings here move, so time your Drill Dash. You'll loop around to the upper right, where the last button is.

The last beam of energy destroys the mineral around the pipe. The pipe leads back into the dungeon. Go as far right as you can and the bros will stop. Starlow asks why. Mario has a strange feeling about what lies ahead. Starlow's not too worried about it. Saving may be a good idea. Walk towards the pipe and Starlow says Mario's hesitation was unjustified. Go into the pipe and a Koopaling demands a pass. Another one says Bowser's Castle is through this pipe. Luigi gets knocked out of the pipe. Starlow says his mustache fell off and he should stick it back on. The bros take a few hits and Starlow gets upset enough to use her secret attack: Supernova Sparkle. Unfortunately, the attack hit the bros as well. Larry Koopa appears from the pipe. Starlow thinks Larry's on the small side. This upsets Larry. Luigi's ready to battle, but he's standing next to Larry, who tells him to get on the right side of the face-off. He calls in Ludwig von Koopa to help out. Ludwig got stuck in the pipe.

At the start of the battle, Ludwig wonders why the bros get to use Battle Cards and they don't. He pulls out a card to increase speed, which requires 2 dark Star Points to use. They don't have any at the moment, but will earn them for each time they hit the bros. Ludwig and Larry will attack the bros with their shells, then slowly go past Paper Mario. Hold the jump for as long as possible. Ludwig will attack Mario or Luigi with magic. Counter with the hammer. Larry will attack Paper Mario with magic as well. Jump to dodge, land, then jump again as Larry will charge. Hold the jump for as long as possible as Larry is still attacking. Land to counter. The Koopalings will summon some Shy Guys carrying a giant bomb. Use the Boomerang Dodge. This is another one of those fights where it's easiest to just leave Paper Mario alive. Only Larry attacks. You can revive the bros towards the end of the fight. Once Larry is defeated, Ludwig will attack with a large ball of magic. Counter with the hammer, as before. Once they're defeated, Ludwig concedes the bros aren't as wimpy as they look. Starlow says they'll just pass through the pipe. Larry says them losing was part of the plan. Starlow suggests proceeding with caution.

Go through the pipe. There are conveyor belts carrying ore into Bowser's castle. Minions go back inside the castle. Starlow reminds them that saving the princesses is their main priority. Go through the other pipe. There are Boomerang Bros here. Jump with (X) to cross to stones floating in the lava. The second one will toss the bros high in the air before landing far away. Paper Mario folds into an airplane to save them. The bros want to try something light that. The bros learn Trio Glider. Press (A), (B), and (Y). Press (Y) again up to three times to fly higher. Starlow says it can be used to reach high places as well. Follow the path and go west. A Koopa complains that he can't keep hauling stuff around. Another one agrees with him. Kamek announces that break time's over, so they try to look busy. He says they need to get back to hauling papercrafts.

Go west. Use the Trio Glide to cross the lava. The path splits ahead. Take the path due east, then go east again and hit the ! Block to connect a path back to the pipe. Return west to reach the pipe the Koopas went through.

Thursday, February 4, 2016

Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam -- Part 13: A Master Strategist

The princesses have been relocated, so the bros have to chase after them. Go south to reach Doop Doop Dunes. A Toad near the Lakitu Info Center says to drop down the cliff, then go straight to reach Twinsy Tropics. Nabbit is at the base of the cliff. Try to talk to him and he burrows underground. Go near him and return to the surface to bring him back to the surface, along with the Dropchopper Bros. Attack. There are Spikes here. Go south, then southwest to reach the Toad Village. Going due south won't get you very far.

In the Toad Village, there's a pensive Toad. He says they know where Nabbit is, but they're not fast enough to catch him. Agree to help and you'll find Nabbit, who can create a temporary double of himself. You have four minutes to catch him. The double will flicker, so you can tell the difference. Catch him three times, each with more doubles, and you'll get the Bros. Attack Cannonball Chuck. Once you're done gearing up in the Village, go east. There is an oasis here. Try to go east and someone calls to you. It's the Paper Goomba from before, who gave the bros the Battle Cards. The bros don't recognize him. He wants to tag along on the journey to Bowser's Castle. Mario refuses. The Paper Goomba doesn't take "No" for an answer. He and Starlow argue about his presence. Things eventually calm down. Go east.

There's a warp pipe here. Use it to unlock it. Cross the other bridge and the ground starts shaking. Starlow thinks it's a papercraft initially, but she realizes the truth isn't much better. It's a ton of Chargin' Chucks. They'll initially charge at the bros in pairs. Jump to dodge and they'll hit each other, knocking off their helmets. They'll also throw footballs. Use the hammer to counter. After a while, they can summon more allies to help them, so clear them out quickly. If keeping all three bros alive proves difficult, it may be easiest to fight the battle with only Paper Mario. The Chargin' Chucks will only charge at you, which is easy to dodge with Paper Mario's floaty jump. Go south to Twinsy Tropics.

Tunnel under the cardboard platforms to get past them. Go east and Starlow notices some new paper terrain that could take them someplace new. I returned to Toad Village to find the Toad with the quiz and found a warp pipe here. Follow the path to the pipe that leads to the dungeon and the Paper Goomba will confirm you're headed in the right direction. From the dungeon, the bros can sneak through the back door of Bowser's Castle. Inside the dungeon, he says they need a red medallion. The bros show it off and he wants to take a closer look at it. He then shouts out that they're in the dungeon. Two Fire Bros appear, noticing the medallion for the gate to the castle. They're happy to have it back, as the bros could do some serious damage with it. Starlow states the obvious, calling the Paper Goomba a backstabber. He prefers to think of himself as a master strategist. His goal was Bowser's forgiveness. He thinks a promotion is possible. He leaves and Starlow says they have to get the medallion back.

The bros have to find the enemy with the medallion. Defeat Fire Bros for hints. The hints you're given are random. Stay healed. When you find the Fire Bro, defeat it and it'll surrender the medallion. Starlow tracks down the Paper Goomba, saying he'll pay for double-crossing them. He runs off and she chases, but the bros just want to deal with Bowser.

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam -- Part 12: Papercraft Ice Capades

After you check out the shops, go to the Lakitu Info Center. Toadette meets the bros here. She'll be working on the next papercraft here while the bros rescue more Paper Toads. The first mission is Paper Toad Tailgate. A Sandmaargh will follow the bros. Jump after the icon blinks three times. Deliver the Paper Toads to the Lakitu. Just touch them to get them to join the group. Return to Lakitu when you have all 10. Paper Toad Flurry involves catching the Paper Toads before they hit the ground. Blue Toads fall faster than ones. Touch them to catch them. Jumping makes it easier. There are 40 Paper Toads, so stay alert. Paper Toad Peel-Off involves Drill Dashing into Paper Toads stuck to the wall. One is hiding behind a stone brick block to the far right. This must be some papercraft if Toadette needs this many Paper Toads. When all of the Paper Toads are saved, a delivery from Peach's Castle arrives. It's a new Trio Attack, Trio Whirligig. Toadette says she'll start working on the papercraft while the bros save the princesses and deal with the Bowser Jrs. A Lakitu goes on a delivery, so he stops blocking the other exit. A Paper Toad in the village wonders if there are two Luigis, since there are two Marios. We still haven't heard about Paper Luigi. Go through the east exit in the Lakitu Info Center. It will lead to a pipe.

The pipe leads to the part of the mountain with the puzzle. Go east. Cross to the right side of the area, then climb up the dirt wall. Keep climbing and you'll find a Lakitu. He says you can't cross the bridge ahead slowly. You'll need to jump at the end. Go east. There are some bean spots here. At the top of the stairs, someone tells Bowser Jr. to come along. The Kameks are telling the Bowser Jrs. to return to the villa. The Bowser Jrs. don't want to go back as they're playing with their papercraft and the Kameks told them to play here. Paper Kamek says the bros will be here any moment. Paper Bowser Jr. isn't scared of the bros, especially with their papercraft. The bros walk up and the Kameks notice. Paper Bowser Jr. wants to crush the bros with the papercraft, so some Koopas appear. Toadette appears with the newest papercraft: Papercraft Peach. It comes with its own parasol, so it can float gently to the ground. When you dash, the parasol opens up to deflect projectiles. It can fly farther with the parasol when tossed. Press (A) just before landing to deal extra damage.

There are Papercraft Mechakoopas here, as well as Papercraft Spikes. The battleground has spikes and large patches of ice, so be careful. The Papercraft Mechakoopas will just charge at you, but the Papercraft Spikes will toss spike balls at you. Deflect them by dashing. If the spike balls miss, they'll end up on the battlefield. Dash into them to hit other enemies. Clear out the enemies to make Papercraft Bowser Jr. appear. It's larger than Papercraft Peach and quite fast. It can easily cross over the spikes and will attack with red shells. Dash over the spikes to cross them without taking damage. Dash into Papercraft Bowser Jr. when it has its back turned and numbers appear to knock it off its pedestal. After Papercraft Bowser Jr. takes a lot of damage, it will fill in the spike pits with snow. Use spike balls to hit the papercraft more easily. It will start shooting multiple green shells. Do more damage and the Bowser Jrs. will complain their papercraft is getting scratched up. They'll drop bombs. Dash into them to send them back to Papercraft Bowser Jr. Keep attacking and keep healed to win. You may want to clear out the other enemies before dealing with Papercraft Bowser Jr., but it can generate more.

The Bowser Jrs. are upset that their papercraft was destroyed. They blame the Kameks for making it so flimsy. Kamek tried to warn them, but Bowser Jr. finds the advice less than helpful. All four leave for the castle. Walk to the east and you'll find a red disk with Bowser's emblem on it. The bros grab it. Starlow thinks it's familiar, so it might belong to in the Twinsy Tropic Dungeon. Peach screams nearby. Go east. The Bowser Jrs. are leaving and the Kameks are carrying the princesses on their brooms. The bros rush to save them, but Mario and Luigi fall off the cliff. Paper Mario jumps after them and makes a parachute for Mario. Luigi doesn't have anything, until Mario catches up with him. Starlow and Mario are impressed with Paper Mario, while Luigi's face down in the snow. Mario wants to try, but can't. Starlow doesn't know where the princesses are, but Mario thinks the red disk from before might be important. Suggest that they saw it in the Twinsy Tropics, in the dungeon, on a suspicious wall. Starlow thinks it may be the key to getting into Bowser's Castle.

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam -- Part 11: Snow Drill

The bros find themselves on Mount Brrr. There are patches of ice the bros will spin across. There are Buzzy Beetles here. You can't hurt them when they're in their shell. Climb up the stairs to find a gap in the rocks. Send in Paper Mario for some items. Try to go east and the bros will hear something loud. Go east. When you try to cross a patch of dirt, the ground rumbles again. Starlow thinks it's coming from above.

On the summit, Big Bob-omb, along with Morton Koopa Jr., Iggy Koopa and Lemmy Koopa, tells minions to fire something. It's a cannon launching cardboard platforms. Another cannon launches paper minions. Some of the cardboard nearly lands on the bros. Unfortunately, the way ahead is now blocked. Paper Mario is inspired by some nearby cardboard. Press (A), (B), then (Y) to use the Trio Drill. Use it to tunnel underground. You can also tunnel under spots marked with "X" to get items like beans without having to pop up each time. Hold (Y) to do a Drill Dash. Use it on the rock under a cardboard platform to destroy it. Starlow notices the question mark on the platform the bros just Drill Dashed under. Trio Drill into it from above to get Heart Boots. Use the Trio Hammer so you can go east into a cave.

Inside the cave are more Buzzy Beetles. There are dirt walls in the cave, so use Drill Dash to climb them. Drill Dash repeatedly into cracked rocks to destroy them. Beware of the saws on the walls. Drill Dash to exit the walls. Higher up is a puzzle. There are spikes in the gaps between the walls to avoid. Move them around by Drill Dashing into the pink ! Block on the wall. There's a crack in the wall near it. Destroy it and move the pink ! Block to the lower position to move forward. There's another crack in the wall on the left side. Cross over to that side and go west.

The bros find themselves outside again. Someone says "Whoooooa." It's Bowser Jr., and he's higher up on the mountain. Paper Bowser Jr. is playing with the papercraft. Bowser Jr. leaves to play with it. Toadette appears, saying she knew there was a new one already. She says they need a new papercraft as well. She's got plenty of ideas, but not as many Paper Toads. She also needs a safe place to work. That cave to the east probably won't work. Luigi says there's no such thing as a safe place in this terrifying world. Toadette says she's heard of a Toad Village to the west, but it's much farther away than the bros anticipated. The path is also a puzzle. Once it is solved (and it can be solved), the bros will have a clear path to the village. Hop in the nearby pipe and hit the ! Block so you can return easily.

Drill up the wall and start breaking through the cracks. Toadette calls to them when they approach a puzzle, saying the bros are about halfway to the summit. Fiddle around with the puzzle contraptions to find a path to the village. The sign says to push the blue crescent and pink target stones into the corresponding slots. The stones can only move on the tracks. The blue crescent is close by. Drill Dash to move it up, left, up, left, down, right, then up. This makes corresponding platforms appear out of the mountain. Drop down to Toadette's level and go west. You'll find Bullies and Paper Sombrero Guys here. To reach the top of the middle area, go to the left and climb using the orange springs. Trio Grab to the other side. Go back east.

Hit the ! Block to make the rocks between the puzzles disappear, then go up to the puzzle. Move the pink target stone up, right, down, right, down, left, up, and left. This makes the corresponding platforms appear from the mountain. Go back east into the cave for a puzzle involving dodging saws in the walls. You'll find beans in the walls and get a Paper Speed Bracelet if you clear it. Back outside, take the dirt path as high as you can go to cross to the Toad. Go west into the Toad Village. A Toad welcomes them to the village. Starlow says they need a way to climb the mountain and deal with Bowser Jr., so they'll need to save more Paper Toads.  

Monday, February 1, 2016

Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam -- Part 10: Enemy or Ally?

The way forward is now clear. Before you go north, walk to the south to lower the other drawbridge. There are Piranha Plants here. Walk to the east, near the stone brick block and Wiggler will show the bros another electrified gate. This one has two generators to destroy. The path to the one on the left has a lot of mud, so you'll have to move quickly. For the one on the right, walk up the ramp to the Bomb Bud, then walk up and off the ramp. Use the northern most orange spring to reach the stump you need and throw the Bomb Bud. Wiggler goes on ahead to see if there's more trash. Go west to get a few items, then try to go north.

Kamek appears and places a force field on the path ahead. He is offended when Starlow refers to him as the "non-paper version". He will attack the bros. If the bros are hit three times, it's over. Grab Bomb Buds to throw at Kamek. He'll be moving around, so time your throws. After the first hit, he'll use a force field to defend against Bomb Buds. Starlow notices the force field lowers right as he's about to use his magic. The timing is tricky for this one. The next time, he'll make two copies of himself. Keep track of them as they move, then throw the Bomb Bud when they move backwards. After this, Kamek vows they haven't seen the last of him and flies off. The force field disappears. Starlow notes that Kamek is trying very hard to keep them from Mount Brrr and wonders why.

There's a Lakitu Info Center here, but no new quests. There's a challenge board with prizes for clearing enough challenges. Talk to the other Lakitu at the desk to clear more challenges. The prize for clearing 20 challenges is a Battle Card. Walk to the north and you'll find Wiggler confronting Paper Kamek about littering the forest. Paper Kamek calls him an irritating insect and zaps him with magic, enraging him. He convinces Wiggler that the bros are the enemies and he attacks.

Wiggler charges his attack power and slams onto the ground, unleashing two shock waves. Afterwards, he'll target a bro and spit a seed at them (or more if he's aiming for Paper Mario). He'll then chase a bro, who has to clear out the obstacles with his hammer. Paper Kamek is also part of the battle. He'll give Wiggler a giant paper ball to run on. Paper Mario folds into a boomerang for the Boomerang Guard. Aim at the ball and throw the boomerang back and forth. The ball will move, so keep aiming. Paper Spear Guys will also join the battle. Paper Kamek may also attack with magic. Counter with the hammer and it will hit Wiggler. If you're going to use a Trio Attack, use Trio Kite. Trio Racquet allows you to hit the segments, which won't do any damage. After enough damage, Wiggler will return to normal and you can battle Paper Kamek directly. After a while, he'll revive Wiggler. It is possible that Paper Kamek will fall before Wiggler does due to counterattacks. If so, Wiggler will return to normal and the battle will end.

The bros haven't seen the last of Paper Kamek, according to him. Wiggler doesn't know what got into him, but thanks the bros for snapping him out of it. He's feeling very tired, however. He collapses. Paragoombas appear and carry him off. The bros are sad, until he asks them why. Wiggler reappears as a butterfly, Flutter. He flies them to Mount Brrr.

Sunday, January 31, 2016

Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam -- Part 9: Feeding the Cleaning Beast

In Peach's Castle, the Toads say the situation is awful. A Toad spotted the Bowser Jrs. with the princesses on Mount Brrr. That's where Bowser's villa is. I thought he'd pick a more tropical place. At the villa, Bowser Jr. enjoys the view while Paper Bowser Jr. checks out the papercraft that looks like them. The princesses are cold and have no idea where they are. They have each other for company and warmth. They also wonder where the bros are. After a while, they start talking about their appearance. They want to change their hair, possibly going shorter, but someone talks them out of it. The reason being it's not princess-like, but clearly, these people have never met Daisy. Paper Peach suggests changing the dress, but Peach says it's her favorite. The minions watch them with curiosity. The princesses plan a fashion show after they escape to show off their new looks. The minions seem to be in love with the princesses.

Back in Peach's Castle, the Toads are imagining how things are going for the princesses. The bros set off for Mount Brrr, which is north of Gloomy Woods. Toadette says she'll prep a papercraft for the bros. One lone courageous Toad sets forth to help save the princesses. Head to Sunbeam Plains. At level 12, the bros will reach Boomerang Rank. Go as far north as possible, then east once. Use the Trio Grab to move to the north. You'll see Paper Petey Piranha chasing the brave Toad from before. Paper Petey Piranha tosses the Toad away. Paper Petey Piranha will take the Copy Block and make copies of himself. He'll then charge at the bros. Use the hammer to counter. If a copy is defeated, it will fall onto the ground. Two copies will jump into the air and land to create shockwaves. Jump to dodge. After a while, the copies will heal and reform the stack. At some point, all of the copies may be down. Attack the one that lifts its head periodically. They may then shuffle around. Keep track of them, as the real one won't lift its head anymore. When Paper Petey Piranha gets angry it will chase the bros. Remember the order each copy flies to which side, then Airplane Dodge as each copy appears on the ground. If they're not close to each other, a normal jump will suffice. If you're having difficulty keeping all three bros alive, just leave one down so this attack is easier to dodge.

After the battle, go north. There's a Toad Village, with Yoshis present. The Toads have seen a lot of Bowser's minions lately, some working on a gate. The red Toad House has a Toad with a quiz.
1. What does a Paratroopa become when it loses its wings? Choose Koopa.
2. How many fangs does Bowser Jr. have? One
3. Kamek's attacks take the shape of circle, square and what else? Triangle
4. What baddie is this? Hammer Bro
5. What hairstyle does Toadette have? Braids
For winning, you get 3 Speed Beans. When you're ready, go north.

Paper Kamek appears, saying he doesn't have time to deal with the bros. He turns his magic into cardboard to block the path. Walk to the west and you'll find a berry growing on a tree. Jump to grab it. Wiggler is nearby. It's hungry. Give it the berry. Apparently, Wiggler guards the forest, but couldn't because he was hungry. He plows through the cardboard. He blocks the path to the east. He's hungry again, and won't move until he's fed 10 more berries. Walk back to where you found the first berry and Trio Grab to cross the gap. Walk up the stump and cross to the other stump with (X). Use the Trio Hammer on the tree to make three berries drop. Walk around to the left and Trio Hammer the stump so you can reach the berry with Trio Grab. Go north. You'll find some Ninji hiding by the walls. If you hit them with one attack, they'll be able to dodge that same attack, so don't use jump attacks twice in a row on the same Ninji. Dash into the orange spring to the left to jump up to the next platform. There are Paper Spear Guys here. Go south.

On the tree, there's a Paratroopa with a berry. Bowser likes berries and the Paratroopa needs a promotion. Trio Grab it from it anyway. Return north. Use the orange spring to find more berries. Give the ten berries to Wiggler. Unfortunately, he's still too weak to move. It needs dessert. A Yoshi appears with a melon. Of course, Wiggler's favorite food is a melon. Follow the Yoshi and return to the village. The Yoshi is reluctant to give up the melon, but is willing to wager it as a prize in a race. A Lakitu will explain the races. It's a race around the village, where there are tree stumps, mud, and Dash Panels. You can't change directions after you've hit a Dash Panel. You must pass through the flag at the halfway point. Get too close to Yoshi and he'll ground pound you. You can avoid the shock by jumping. Use (X) to jump. Towards the end, move closer to the item shop so you'll hit the spring to jump over the mud. Yoshi reluctantly hands over the melon when you win. He says he has a faster pal in the mountains the bros should challenge. Wiggler enjoyed eating the melon and spitting out the seeds. Wiggler walks east and finds more cardboard. He plows through it with ease.

Go east and walk to the north. There's an electric fence that Wiggler can't get past. Wiggler notices a nearby Bomb Bud that could get rid of the gate. You can't grab the Bomb Bud from where you stand. Walk a little to the south and use the Trio Hammer on the draw bridge. Cross the bridge and Nabbit appears. Grab the Bomb Bud and throw it to the rock Nabbit's standing on. Nabbit falls into the water and the chunks of rock form a bridge. Nabbit jumps out of the water and leaves the Bomb Derby Bro attack behind. Walk across the rock bridge to find another Bomb Bud. Toss it onto the gate's generator by walking up the ramp and pressing (Y). The gate is no longer electrified and drops away. Wiggler goes north to clean up the ahead.

Saturday, January 30, 2016

Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam -- Part 8: Troubled Toads in Paradise

The bros exit the dungeon through the pipe to the Twinsy Tropics, a tropical paradise where there are many Koopas. One Toad doesn't know where they are and wants to return to Peach's Castle. The Toads agree to scope out the area in the meanwhile as thanks for saving them. There's a Toad Village to the west, but many Toads are too scared to venture out there, due to the Koopas. Go east and you'll find a dead end with a Grab Pole. Use the Trio Grab to grab the pole across the gap to reach a new area. Walk to the south and you'll see a rock formation with a gap. Send Paper Mario through for an item block with an accessory for him. There's a donut-shaped area to the east with coins and Supersyrup Jars. Walk around for more item blocks with coins. Return to previous area.

Battle the Koopas and head west. Send Paper Mario through the gap for another accessory, this time for Mario and Luigi. Nearby is a Toad with a quiz. He's pondering the other side of the ocean, so he'll quiz you later. Go north to the Toad Village. There are more Koopas here. Walk to the west to the dock and you'll find a sad Paper Toad who wants to fold up into a boat and sail home. He notices the bros and is startled, as that soliloquy was private. Mario expresses interest in crossing the sea and the Paper Toads says he could make a boat. He needs more Toads and there's a Lakitu Info Center to the east. In the red Toad House, talk to the pensive Toad and he'll say some Toads didn't make it out of the dungeon. Offer to save them and you'll be warped there.

The Toads are freaking out. They must be corralled into the safe zone within the time limit of three minutes. There are blocks you can hit to add time. Clear out the ores and build bridges to herd the Toads. It can be a little tricky, but you'll need to clear out most of the ore, as Toads are hiding behind it. Back in the village, there are three shops. The green shop sells Battle Cards. Go east and you'll find Cheep-Cheeps and Urchins to battle. The Urchins won't attack, but if you do, they'll explode. Guard with (X). At the Lakitu Info Center, which is brand new, there are a couple of missions.

The first one is Tropical Paper Toad Hunt. Some are held by enemies, some must be chased, and others are trapped in bubbles. Approach the bubbles to make them lift in the air, then activated the orange spring platform to pop them. If they don't lift into the air, use Trio Grab. Sometimes, just being in Trio Grab's tower formation is enough. Others are hiding past the gaps in rocks. Flip over rocks with Trio Hammer to find more. For the ones in bubbles on the east side, dash when the bubble is close to the ground. Fly Guy Patrol involves rescuing the Paper Toads without being spotted by Fly Guys. You can be spotted twice without failing, but you'll be placed back at the start. Just follow the path. Once you save them all, there are enough to make a boat.

I decided to go east first, but you can't go very far. Meet the Paper Toads at the dock. They've built an impressive ship and are thrilled to get off the island. They won't be riding in the boat; the Lakitu will take them to Peach's Castle. Before they set sail, Luigi invites on the Toads from the dungeon. Paper Mario becomes the sail and they get underway. Unfortunately, one Toad is left behind. They dock in Sunbeam Plains. The Toads notice the changes and say to check out Peach's Castle.

Use the Trio Grab to cross the water. There are Monty Moles here. They throw rocks while getting closer to the bros. Keep going west and you'll find a Lakitu Info Center. The Lakitu the bros met outside Peach's Castle is here. He says the pipe in the Info Center is open. It leads to an arcade. You can redo boss and papercraft battles, or put your Bros./Trio Attack skills to the test for points to use in the gear shops. Go west when you're ready. A Toad will appear when you cross the river. Something's happened at Peach's Castle. The bros should go see for themselves.

Friday, January 29, 2016

Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam -- Part 7: Breaking the Fourth Wall to Freedom

In Bowser's Castle, the Bowser Jrs. wonder what to do with the book. Bowser Jr. wants to throw it away. Paper Bowser Jr. agrees. Bowser Jr. has second thoughts after a while. He thinks it may come in handy. Perhaps they will terrorize the paper world. He wants to show it to Bowser. The Bowsers are pleased with Mario's destruction and Kamek says the plan involving the Toads working underground is proceeding nicely. Bowser Jr. tries to talk to Bowser, but Bowser talks to Paper Bowser Jr., thinking he's his son. The Bowsers are too busy to deal with their sons and tell them to stay on guard duty. They throw temper tantrums. Kamek suggests sending them to the villa. Paper Kamek says the papercraft should provide a diversion. Paper Bowser makes it sound like a surprise, so their sons agree to go to the villa.

Elsewhere, the princesses are plotting their escape. Paper Peach has a spare cardboard cutout of herself. She thinks Bowsers' sons won't notice. Peach is tired of getting kidnapped (and everyone else is tired of her getting kidnapped). Flying in the clown car isn't so bad, but can't stand saying "Save me, Mario" another time. Peach asks Paper Peach if she feels the same. The Bowser Jrs. say they're leaving for the villa and the princesses are coming with them.

The bros leave through the gate in Twinsy Tropics Dungeon. They're still in the dungeon, however. There are Paper Scaredy Rats here. There's some of that mysterious ore that the Toads keep mentioning. Use the Trio Hammer to break them. They may give you coins. Nearby, use the Trio Grab to grab the yellow platforms on the other side of the water to form a bridge. Go north and you'll find Bowser's emblem. Luigi finds it suspicious. He suggests they should remember this exact spot because this type of adventure has some sort of foreshadowing device. He's also worried about the abducted Toads. Mario thinks the wall is connected to Bowser's Castle, but Starlow's not sure how.

After the fourth wall is broken, walk to the left to find a couple of Toads carrying the ore near a conveyor belt. They toss it onto the conveyor belt and collapse. They say it's hard work and the ore is shipped directly to Bowser's Castle. They inform the bros there's a pipe past here, but it's guarded. Roy appears and tells the Toads to stop slacking off. He thinks the area's given up all its ore. He tells them they're not paying the Toads to chat, or at all for that matter. He leaves and the Toads say they're cheering for the bros. Go south. Use the Trio Grab to form more bridges near the circles in the ground.

Go west to find more prison cells. Behind the wall is a block. There's a Paper Goomba in a cell. It's the Paper Goomba the bros crumpled a couple of times earlier. After his defeat, he was deemed unfit as a minion according to management. He got demoted to janitor and is cleaning cells. It's all the bros' fault. He also accidently locked himself in the cell. The bros try to walk away, but ihe wants to escape and not work for Bowser anymore. He promises a reward and to forget what the bros did to him. He slides them a battle card set. In return, Paper Mario shows him how to flip sideways. Two Hammer Bros appear. The Paper Goomba runs off as the battle starts, but reappears to teach about battle cards. A new card will be dealt from your set each turn. Star Points are required to used the cards as indicated on each card. Battle to get more Star Points by filling the meter. Only 3 cards can be out at once. You can flip cards over if you don't want them to free up a slot. After the battle, the Paper Goomba will show you the battle card menu. To use a card, it must be registered to a set, which can have only 10 cards. Registered cards have a check mark on them. After the tutorial, the Paper Goomba leaves, saying perhaps they will meet again. In the left cell, there's a crack in the wall, but the Toad won't move, saying it's his ticket to freedom. Go south to form a bridge, return and go west.

There are more enemies and ore here. Form the bridge and go west. Starlow spies a pipe ahead. Walk to the south to form more bridges. One requires going under a stone bridge to reach it. Walk up to the pipe and Roy and Wendy drop in. She says they could've stayed in their cell, but were inconsiderate for making them chase them. Roy calls for Larry, but he doesn't appear. Roy thinks he may be playing videogames. Wendy will toss rings for the bros to dodge. Roy tosses rocks. Successfully counter and the rock will hit Wendy. She will then attack Roy. They can also team up to launch their shells. Counter with the hammer. After a while, the two will get angry and chase the bros. Wendy will breathe fire to take out Paper Mario, so be sure to dodge. Use the Airplane Dodge to dodge the giant ball Roy throws. If Roy holds a rock over his head without attacking, attack to make him drop it. Keep yourself healed. If you defeat Wendy first, Roy will attack with magic. A giant ball of magic will fall on a bro. Counter with the hammer.

Wendy blames their defeat on Larry's absence. The two leave, and before the bros can make their escape, the Toads stampede to freedom. Before the bros do the same, we backtrack to the cell with the crack. Send Paper Mario to the block behind the wall for some 1-up Mushrooms. Take the pipe out of this depressing place.

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam -- Part 6: Reaching for Freedom

The new and improved papercraft is Papercraft Luigi. It's holding a hammer. There are Papercraft Pokeys on the battlefield, as well as Papercraft Goombas. Papercraft Luigi's flying hammer attack (the throw attack) is needed to defeat these spikey enemies. Charge up the Toads again, but the rhythm is different. Clear the field to make Papercraft Kamek appear. The Kameks use magic to surround Papercraft Kamek with a barrier and make more brick blocks appear. Use the flying hammer attack to hit it. Papercraft Kamek can warp around the battlefield, so don's expect it to stay put for long. It can also expand its barrier to cause damage. After it has half of its health, the barrier will disappear and it will shoot magic. Counter the attack with the flying hammer attack. Keep attacking and keep your papercraft healed with Mushrooms from the item blocks.

After Papercraft Kamek is defeated, Kamek says they could've won if it wasn't so ugly. They retreat to come up with a new strategy. Approach the bridge to Bowser's Castle and something appears in the sky. It's a giant cannonball with Bowser's emblem on it. It destroys the bridge. Bowser wants a damage report from within his castle. He was aiming for Mario and wonders if his minions do anything correctly. He apparently has planned for their ineptitude and tells them to keep firing, as they have enough cannonballs to compensate for their terrible aim. The next one nearly hits them and knocks them away. Roy Koopa, Ludwig von Koopa, Wendy O. Koopa, and Larry Koopa appear. Ludwig says they have to take the bros to the secure location. Roy summons a pickup from some Chargin' Chucks. In the process, the book falls out of Luigi's hands. The Koopalings are about to walk away when Roy wonders why there aren't paper versions of them. Wendy thinks their paper versions are doing important things in their world. She also thinks they don't need their help. She leaves and Roy spots the book. He thinks books are dumb, so he decides to throw it away when the Bowser Jrs. appear. Bowser Jr. says he'll tell his dad if Roy throws his book away. Bowser Jr. picks it up.

In the secure location, the Mario Bros are tied up and Paper Mario is tied up in a roll. Paper Mario stands up and rolls himself up tighter so the ropes fall away. He frees and wakes up the bros. Starlow wonders how they'll escape the cell and Paper Mario slips through the door's bars. He hits the lock with his hammer to open the cell door. The bros leave the cell and Luigi starts checking for something. Mario explains the book containing the Paper Mushroom Kingdom is gone. Luigi mopes around for a while. Starlow tries to make him feel better, but then makes it worse. Paper Mario suggests they look for it after they defeat Bowser. Paper Mario folds himself into a hankerchief, then wrings himself out after Luigi dries his eyes. Starlow suggests exploring to figure out where they are. There are a couple of cells in the area. Send Paper Mario into the one with the Toad, who says they're in the Twinsy Tropics Dungeon. A nice paradise having a dungeon is creepy. He says the minions are talking of harvesting something from here. Go east, as you can't get far going west.

There's not much here except some item blocks with coins. Go east. There are more cells here. The blue Toad explains that Bowser's after an ore only found here. The yellow Toad says they are used to haul the ore to Bowser's Castle. Try to go east and a Hammer Bro notices they're trying to escape. More Hammer Bros appear. The bros want to fight, but the Hammer Bros say they'll find battle difficult without their Command Blocks. They can't attack, use Bro or Trio Attacks, flee, or use items. The bros will have to fight for their Command Blocks back. They leave to go on patrol. Getting their Command Blocks back is the bros' next challenge.

Find a Hammer Bro and engage it. You can't attack, so all you can do is counterattack. They'll throw three hammers, then charge. Jump to dodge the hammers, except the ones that are thrown high in the air, then jump to counter. The first Command Block you'll retrieve is the flee one. You can press [R] to idle, which is a problem when your [R] button is broken. You'll then recover Drill Shell and Rocket Blast, then hammer, Trio Kite, then everything else. Go east. There are a few Hammer Bros here. The sign says the bridge is old and rickety. There's also a key to the gate on the other side. Walk under the bridge and up the ramp to reach the bridge. The bros are initially cautious about crossing, but then start jumping lightly and the bridge collapses. The bros form their own bridge using themselves and inch their way back up. Luigi gets an idea. It's the Trio Grab. Like the Trio Hammer, press (A), (B), and (Y) in order, which allows the bros to form a chain to reach things. Unlock the door and Starlow suggests they go outside to see what the Bowsers have done to the Mushroom Kingdom. She also says they should look out for the book, as it would be terrible if it fell into the wrong hands (too late for that), and they have to save the princesses. Being a hero requires a lot of multitasking.