This document is Copyright 2001 AdrenalineSL and Azaroth. Don't mess with it f00. So that means you with the hair. I know where you live... This FAQ is open daily from 12AM-12AM; 24 hours a day. 7 days a week. Please wipe your coat at the door and hang your shoes in the closet. Hey everyone! Bump this song while reading the FAQ: _Chop Suey_ by System of A Down. """"" `##; ""'###''. '@@ `'#@"@,;; """""". @#@' O""" OO '@#@ `#''''O @;; .O;;; OO' '@"@ ^ OO 'OO ;;;. O"@@O OO" ""; ;O OO O; O;O OOO Sony Entertainment of America .´;@`. @O"';OOO OO .OO OOOoO.@ `OO´ OOO ;' 'O @O´´O" OOO OO. Presents... OO; `OO. ;OOO'OO @@ OO 'OOO "OOO OO. "OO ;' o .OO ."O OO`. OOO "OO; @OOOooO ;" 'OO O@. OO ;OOO "OOO . ´´' ;O´```` O;;"OOO .OO; ; `". . ,OO ´'''` ''';" """""##·. ;;;.`.@#@ `. .""'.. `##"#··'". @@@;`. @@' ;@@. ;; `.`@" "##" ##;' '@@@; @@@@ ´;;;@ ;@"@" `..` ;@. .OO' ##; '@;;. @@@@ OOO'; .@@@@; .OOOOO. ';@;' "" @#; .@@@; """"' @@O O `"O" .O'´ 'O. @O' OO @@" "&&@# .OOO; OOO' OO' .@@`` @@. OO; ;@@ @@O OOOO" 'OOOOo .··. OO´ .OO'· . 'OO. "" @@ ·´OOO`· "@@@. OOO O .´OOO.`OO..´OOO @O` OOO`.OO . @@ `OOO´ .@OO@" "OOOO ;OO ´ ``OO··`.OO; `.´ ;OO.´ OO @@ @@O .OOO' OOOO' ;OO; O; .@@ @@. .@@" "O OOO OOO; OOOO' .'@; '; .O'. .O" @@; .@O OOO .OO; OOO" .´O@@ "" "OOO"O .OO. .';OO' OOO OOO OOO"O;O' "".···..· OO,OO'."". .OOO. .OO.' .;OOO`.`OO´ .;OOOOOOO@" ™ + + THE COMPLETE AND ULTIMATE GUIDE + + THIS GUIDE IS NOW WHOLE-HEARTEDLY DEDICATED TO THOSE WHO'VE LOST LOVED ONES IN THE 9.11.01 INCIDENT. MAY YOU ALL REST IN PEACE. PLEASE TREAT THIS GUIDE AS YOU WOULD WITH YOUR MOST PRIZED POSSESSION. DO NOT DEFILE THE NAMES OF THOSE WHO DIED INNOCENTLY. -AdrenalineSL =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= D a r k C l o u d --------------------- The Complete Dark Cloud FAQ/Walkthrough: Version: 1.42 For the Playstation2™ Only Created, more-than-halfly-written and formatted by: AdrenalineSL Completed and unequally written by: Azaroth Visit: http://www.azaroth.com Last updated: October 7, 2001 Copyright © 2001 to AdrenalineSL and Azaroth F i l e S u m m a r y -------------------------- Guide Progress: 95% complete Inaccurate File Size: 465KB (476,161 bytes) Total Pages: 163 (Approxitemately) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Yo people! The document you're reading now is all copyrighted and owned by me (AdrenalineSL) and my partner here (Azaroth). You had better not mess with it or I'll make sure you will be singing sapranos until you're 30. Just leave it as it is and don't even try to rip off any of it. Tanks a lot and take care. This Dark Cloud FAQ/Walkthrough was written by AdrenalineSL and Azaroth, who hold all copyright for this document, in whole and in part. This guide may only be used for private and personal use only. You may not permit anyone under any patents to reproduce it, in part or in whole, or use it for profitable purposes. All content within this file is owned and created by Stephanie Lee and Brian Hively. Should you attempt to infraction under the fallacy that you are right, it must be said straight out that you are a moron. No doubt, yo. This guide may be distributed freely assuming everything within this file is fully intact and we receive our proper credits. It may not be distributed for profit or any means of economical gains. Please do not modify or swindle this FAQ in any way, even if you find errors, wildly inaccurate information, grammatical idiocy, et criterion. Get it? Get it?! Get that clear, you thief. Think before you steal. To all who have worshipped me: Just a note to all who care. Joining me in bringing out the best of your experience with Dark Cloud is the not-so-renown Azaroth. This'll be his first partially owned FAQ, and FAQ in general. Please give him a warm welcome and try not to flood his inbox with partial walkthroughs, illegible questions and the works as you've done to me. Mercy. Anyway, he'll be taking over the guide from here on out and I'll pop in some time to polish up a few things. He's my slave and mine only so stay away! To check out his work, start from Muska Lacka and the weapons section, as well as many of the unfinished sections. I have grown awfully tired of this game and he seems to still be indulged by its brilliance, so why not let him finish the guide. Respect our work and be nice. /!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/ R E A D M E T H I S I S I M P O R T A N T ******************************* The following sites are allowed to post this FAQ under my auto-permission: GameFAQs Cheat Code Central NeoSeeker Why only those sites? Well, they are the only liable sites that can keep this and my other FAQs _updated_. This is usually how the system works: I send all my updates to GameFAQs and no other. Once it's up, Neoseeker and CheatCC just acknowledge the update and post it right away on their sites. I'm through with these ignorant people e-mailing me to update the FAQ, asking how long it will take 'till it's complete, asking stupid questions when all of the aforementioned things have been done! No mere words can account to how unbearably annoying it is. This happens only if my FAQ is seen on other sites that cannot keep my FAQ updated! I have made close ties with some sites that have agreed to keep them updated, but it never worked out. I cannot personally send the updated FAQs to the zillions of sites that posts my guides. Why? I'm not being selfish. First of all, my FAQs were made solely for GameFAQs, and these other webmasters come along and ask me to use my FAQs on their sites. If they want to host my work, it is _their sole responsibilty to keep it updated_. Not mine. Therefore, if you're reading this as the webmaster of some game site, I commend you for actually reading this. If you really want this FAQ, take it, but for crying out loud, don't let it rot in hell! My last webmaster policy didn't go too well. So, I changed it to this. Danke. On an unrelated note... FAQ writers who are thinking about, or are currently writing a guide for Dark Cloud, please be warned that I will be checking your guides and stuff for any signs of plagiarism. I'm not being paranoid, but it has happened before. I'm just taking extra precautions. I'm flattered you find my guide useful and all but it's definitely not appreciated to know that all the time I've put into this guide had been wasted only to let you copy it. You can however, use SOME information without my consent. Of course, you're going to have to credit me. However, after reading this paragraph, don't just go on a shopping spree and start lifting huge chunks of my guide and pasting them on your own. You might need to consult me if you do that. Small amounts are ok, though. I think that is all that's need to be said here. Thanks for you time and patience. Please try to understand us FAQ writers. Oops! New rule. All information not created or thought up by me are copyright to their respective owners. You may NOT take any information submitted by a gamer unless you have their prior permission. They are here to help this FAQ to become the best guide available and I don't want any thieves pilfering my FAQ or taking surplus info. submitted by other helpful people. All you've to do is ask the original author. "It really whips the llama's ass!" –AdrenalineSL /!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/ All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole and in part in any form. Playstation 2 and Playstation 2 logos are registered trademarks of Sony Entertainment of America Inc. Dark Cloud and all related characters are registered trademarks of Level 5, Inc. The author of this document is in no way affiliated with Sony Entertainment of America. _____________________________________________________________________________ THIS COMPLETE DARK CLOUD FAQ/WALKTHROUGH EXPLICITLY INCLUDES: * Complete know-it-all basics section for beginners * A full walkthrough that can lead you from point A to Z * Georama help when you are stumped with that 89% * Help on how to fulfill requests of all the villagers and getting 100% in all categories * Story and character information * Everything, and I mean everything about weapons * Weapon stats, weapon abilities, you name it. * Complete Bestiary with battle strategies * Complete Item lists and their purpose or do's * "Fool-proof" boss strategies for all bosses * Extra random stuff about Dark Cloud _____________________________________________________________________________ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= === Version History === Version 1.33 August 29, 2001 Can someone confirm this code for me? "I also have a cool cheat that I found, go to wise owl shop, and do down, up,down, left, triangle, and it gives you 50 bucks...." I haven't the time to do it, but props to anyone who can. Ok, nothing much to be said here. Just added a few more (and last) contributions, just like I've been doing for the past few updates. Also added a few more FAQ questions that have been put aside for a long time, and now, it's finally been dealt with in this version. I'm worn out. I'm going to go sit on my soft couch and watch some TV. Ciao. Version 1.3 August 11, 2001 The FAQ is dangerously coming closer to a Final Version...until we find those missing stats and patch up other holes, that is. Azaroth seems to have drifted away from this guide. *sniff* New in this version is a reorganization of some things, like the Random Stuff section and the heading at the top. Nothing significant was added in this update, but I just wanted to let people know I'm still alive and well. Thanks for asking. I think this about 2 or 3 version away from Final. Contributions are still welcome until Final Version. Please read the E-mail Note at the Contact Information section. Oh, and also, Visit Azaroth's nearly empty site when you get the chance. ;) Version 1.27 July 26, 2001 Well, I guess I'm going solo on this update. That Azaroth sure is a slacker! You're surprised that an update came so quickly, huh? Surprise! It was an unscheduled surprise, but eh...New to this version are the rest of the weapon flowcharts. They're done and ready to be viewed as requested. You're indebted to me now, thank you very much. Corrected a few things and other stuff. I'm tired now; I'm going to cut this short. Version 1.0 July 23, 2001 Yeah, like Azaroth said, we're drawing closer and closer to mark a last and Final Version. Just as you requested, we'll be adding more weapon flowcharts and other stuff. I've cleared out my contribution backlog again and removed some redundant info, or fictitious information. I gave the FAQ a very, very subtle facelift. Nothing special. I added a few nonsense questions in the FAQ you may find interesting. I forgot what I added today. Look what you did! You brainwasher! Anyway, next expected updates will now remain undefined, as we are both pretty busy people. I figured if we did specify a date and not keep the promise, I'd get tons of hate mail, like I did some time ago. Oh! Oh! I remember now. In regards to the millions of contributors to this FAQ, I've made a not so momentous credit list to thank them. It's not much, but this FAQ wouldn't have become such without them. Stick around until a last version and behold: The ultimate Dark Cloud FAQ. Enjoy! -= AdrenalineSL =- This update comes in a little later than I estimated because of some things that came up this past week and greatly cut down my playing time. I think the walkthrough is complete now, I don't intend to do anything in-depth for the Demon Shaft since it's not pertinent to the plot of the game. I have included some basic information about the Demon Shaft at the end of the section covering the Gallery of Time. The weapons section was updated to include statistics on a few more weapons. The updates from this point on will basically just cover information in the weapons section of the guide. -= Azaroth =- Version 0.85 July 10, 2001 Well here is my second update to the FAQ and as promised I've finished the walkthrough up to the beginning of Dark Heaven Castle. I've also included updates to the character information, weapon information and items lists to cover Osmond and the new items from the Moon Sea. The next update should be in about a week and will finish up the walkthrough of the main parts of the game and include some basic information on the Demon Shaft. -= Azaroth =- Version 0.75 July 4, 2001 Ok, I just pulled an all-nighter on this, so you'd better appreciate it or I will um, do stuff. Well, I'm happy to say that I've finally cleared out my contribution backlog and everyone that sent me info to add have been looked at and posted here if it's good enough. It's almost midnight now and I have school tomorrow. Don't complain to me just yet that I messed up on something. Say hi to our new author. I'm tired and I know I have some spelling and other errors. Too bad. -= AdrenalineSL =- This is my first update to the FAQ and will finish up Muska Lacka. I'm also updating the weapon sections with more information, statistics and hints on evolving weapons. Expect the next update to cover Yellow Drops and Osmond. This is the first FAQ I've worked on directly so let me know what you think of the sections I'm working on, most notably the weapon information and the walkthrough and town info from Muska Lacka to the end of the game. -= Azaroth =- Version 0.6 June 24, 2001 This is the hugest update I've offered yet. In this version, I've re-arranged a lot of things. I've also taken out some contributions. Wait, before you start a revolt, I just took out ones that add to the excess redundancy, which means that I excised the ones that are typically easy to find. Included in this great update is a walkthrough finished through Queens and starting on Muska Lacka. I've also added a few new sections. Check it out in the Contents and stuff. In the meantime, can everyone stop sending partial walkthroughs that will be soon covered in this guide. The Weapons Section is so near being complete I could taste it. It has stats and everything. Thanks to Azaroth. Version 0.42 June 20, 2001 Well, the update was a day early, but that's good isn't it? I've finished the Matataki Village rebuilding help section, finally. I also started on the Weapon evolutions and stuff. Started writing the third dungeon, but I'm past Layer 10 already, so feel free to ask anything from Layer 1-10. I'll update some more tomorrow. I've been working on this guide for 4 hours today, so I think I should give a rest today. Ok, I hope I can keep some people happy for now. Version 0.38 June 17, 2001 Same version, but just a small update. I just made a quick update to remove a source of plagiarised work sent to me by a contributor to this FAQ. I wasn't able to remove it earlier because of my whirlwind vacation in Las Vegas. Now that I'm back and school is over, regular updates will resume. I hope nobody was dense enough to think I was stupid enough to copy someone else's work. I guess I let that information slip. My contribution rules will be reinforced. Just to let you know. Version 0.38 June 13, 2001 Well, I'm about done with finals and I got around to playing just enough to finish the second dungeon. So, as you've anticipated, I've finished the walk- through for Wise Owl Forest and will be working on the guide more often now. Considering that I'll be gone for the next 4 days, expect no updates until a little into next week. I'm typing this version in a hurry, so you won't find too much detail. I'll try to make a rehaul of this guide in the next version. Version 0.34 June 11, 2001 Really sorry for the slow updates. Been busy lately and plus finals are going to start for me tomorrow. Hopefully, updates will resume regularly by next week. I will make no promises as to the completeness of the walkthrough (i.e. when and stuff). I didn't get to finish the second dungeon, but I've provided the important part and stuff. I hope to update the guide again with the Wise Owl Forest walkthrough and Matataki Village Rebuilding help within the next 3 or 4 days. Although, I can't guarantee this, I will try my best. I've mostly added a gem list(s) by fellow gamers and such. Be patient everyone please. :) Version 0.3 June 7, 2001 "Update the FAQ, Adrenaline. Do this, Adrenaline. Do that, Adrenaline." Geez. I'm going to die of work overload because of you guys. Well, to make up for the 4 day lapse of not updating the FAQ, in return, I've made tons of new sections; check it out in the Table of Contents. There's an Item list, a Weapon List, Random Stuff and other neat things for you to look at. They are not done though. I also added new questions to the F.A.Q. and stuff. I also added a new Fishing section for those persistent "fishing" people. I hope to have the second dungeon walkthrough up by tomorrow. I'm just popping up to let you guys know I haven't given up on this FAQ and I will finish it. Yeah! Version 0.26 June 3, 2001 Everything's new and not very detailed. I will go more in-depth in the future versions. Check back for more updates and new stuff! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Please always check GameFAQs.com, for the newest updates and versions! Other sites that have my FAQs may not be up-to-date with it! So if you can't find what you are looking for in the current version of the FAQ, check the FAQ in GameFAQs.com and make sure before e-mailing me. *****************************CONTRIBUTIONS CRITERIA************************** Please do not send me any more contributions to this FAQ regarding the Random Stuff section and Resemblence Corner. Those have been done to death, and by now, you should have a firm grip of the idea. I will accept no more of these aforementioned contributions. However, I still welcome corrections and contributions that adds to the completeness of the Weapons Stats section. Other contributions will be deleted. Thank you everyone who has helped us make this FAQ become what it has evolved into. (FAQ first created and viewed by the public on June 3, 2001.) Thanks again everyone, and of course, thanks to the _actual_ readers of this FAQ for pushing us to bring this FAQ to its prestige (yeah, right) state. ***************************************************************************** ________________________________ | | | IN THIS DOCUMENT... | | | "*" = denotes that the section has | Introduction..............1.00 | been started on and will | Pre-Release Details......... | continue to be updated until | Story Behind this FAQ....... | completion. | Game Basics...............2.00 | | Basic Controls.............. | | Playing Dark Cloud.......... | | Exploration Mode............ | | Battle Mode................. | | Fishing..................... | | Story.....................3.00 | | Characters.................. | | Walkthrough...............4.00 | | Chapter One................. | | Chapter Two................. | | Chapter Three............... | | Chapter Four................ | | Chapter Five................ | | Chapter Six................. | | Demon Shaft................. | | Rebuilding Help...........5.00 | | Norune Village.............. | | Matataki Village............ | | Queens...................... | | Muska Lacka................. | | Moon Factory................ | | Gallery of Time............. | | Boss Strategies...........6.00 | | Bestiary..................7.00 | | Weapon List...............8.00 |* | Weapon Stats................ |* | Weapon Evolutions........... | | Weapon Flowcharts........... | | Weapon Abilities............ | | Secret Weapons.............. | | Attachments................. | | Weapon Building Hints....... | | Item List.................9.00 | | F.A.Q....................10.00 |* | Resemblance Corner.......11.00 | | Random Stuff.............12.00 | | Contact Information......13.00 | | Legal Stuff..............14.00 | | Outro....................15.00 | | Acknowledgements............ | | Credits..................... | | Final Words................. | | | |________________________________| IDIOTIC QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: "How do you beat Dran on the 11th floor of Dran Beast Cave?" "CULD U SEND ME A DETALED WALKTHRU OF WATATAKI VILLAGE?" "where is this horn exactly i new to ps2 and this is the first game i have played ??? And i've looked about every where" IDIOT LIST: Lone Angel _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ +_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+ 1.00 Introduction _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ +_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+ The time has come to finally play this amazing game after waiting many, many moons for this game to come out. It's about time! I really don't need to elaborate much on this. I will assume you know the drill. For those of you who know me, welcome back! I just hope this FAQ will once again heighten your enjoyment of this game. I will guide you once again through a world of chaos, tranquility and non-stop adventure! Please sit back and enjoy your stay. Keep your hands inside the FAQ at all times. No troublemakers allowed. Have a nice read! Welcome to my FAQ/Walkthrough for Sony's first _great_ game ever to grace the Playstation2 console: Dark Cloud. I'm sure those of you who are reading this are all very excited to lay your sticky hands on this game, as we have been waiting for countless days for the final release of Dark Cloud. I somehow felt I was obligated to write a detailed walkthrough for this game, as there are, or rather, were currently no guides for it. What a shame. Wait, that means you'd have to depend on me. Uh-oh. ^_^ Well, I'll try my best to bring all the wholesome goodness to you. I honestly hope that this guide will bring the best out of your experience with this beautifully-made game that is Dark Cloud. Have fun! What you'll find in this guide is a full-detailed walkthrough and additional in-depth information on other aspects of the game. Each event written in this guide does contain story spoilers. So if you don't want to know, don't read more than you need to! As with all other guides, the intent is to act as a reference for when you get stuck, or just want to pick up all the goodies you've missed on a second playthrough. Or maybe you'd like to use my guide as a basis of your own. Who knows! That's fine with me as long as...well, nevermind. This is an introduction, so I won't push it too far. :) I hope no one took that seriously. Needless to say, I'd have to remind you of one more thing before we move onto the rest of the guide: There will be tons and tons of story spoilers. Not like there's much of a story anyway, but please read at your own risk! Plus, reading spoilers against your will result in severe depression and a loss of excitement from this awesome game. I shall not be held responsible. Other than that, this guide is at your disposal. :) Please, I would love to hear any sort of feedback on this particular guide. I feel the need of improvement here. :) -------------------------------- Now let's talk about the game itself, Dark Cloud. It strikes me as a Strategy type game, rather than a Fantasy-Role-Playing title. But then again, never judge a game by it's title, eh? With all the hype raving about, you'd probably have high expectations for this game. Now that Dark Cloud is finally out, some expectations have been fulfilled, and some have not. Although, very impressive in the basic elements of game play, it still isn't visually refined compared to others (Bouncer, for one). While many say that it is plainly a Zelda rip-off, others say it is in a league of its own. So which is it? You be the judge! The Japanese version of Dark Cloud was released in mid-December of the year 2000. Plans for a release in the US had already been slapped down and it was foreseen to be coming out Spring of 2001. It was expected to be shipped to America by January 16, 2001, but due to unknown motives it was pushed back into February, and then further into March. Finally, the definite release was by the end of May. But during the time of anxiety, the definite release date remained unknown, but gamers eagerly awaited it's arrival. Finally, after endless months of lies and hype build-up, it came. And now feast your eyes on the first AWESOME Action/Adventure game to grace the Playstation 2 console! The reason for the belated release of this game was that apparently, Sony had decided to make last minute adjustments to the game, making it very different from the import version. For those of you who have played the import version, I urge you to play through US release of Dark Cloud. You may, or may not find the additions interesting. If anything, I honestly think the US release is the better. The most intriguing aspect of the game, as you all hopefully know, is the ability to create vast 3D worlds. The game allows players to use their imaginations to build ideal worlds from a three-fourths overhead perspective and then roam through them in 3D with full real-time 360 degrees of movement. That aspect is basically what makes this game so unique and notable. Other than that, its game play and the likes are akin to other games of its genre, namely Zelda 64, or Zelda something. The similarities between Dark Cloud and Zelda 64 are quite noticable. Features such as the Z-Target system exist in both games, although it is not called that in Dark Cloud. All the fighting is going to be on the current screen in real-time, like Zelda. No annoying random battles. Whoopee! The dungeon sequences also play like a slight variation of Zelda 64, which is not entirely good or bad. It really depends on the player I suppose. Once you begin the game, you begin at a dilapidated village (or the remains of it) and your objective is to restore the village to its glory. Pretty dull? We'll see. So now we know a bit about the game before actually playing it, eh? It is definitely one of the better games up to date. And for those of you who care, SCEI is calling this game a "Georama RPG," which typically means a geopraphical drama RPG. Although, I refuse to take DC as a RPG when it is apparently an Action/Adventure title. If you're a die-hard Action/Adventure fan, then you'll probably follow my perspective. Let us all pray that Sony or one of them game people'll produce more games like this. -+- Pre-release Details -+- I have researched all over the internet and looked through magazines to bring you a little bit of enlightenment. Of course, there's always the Japanese Version, which I don't plan on playing to look at, but I wouldn't be able to present to you the same goodness and stuff. As I was saying, I've looked through lotsa resources and I had been able to compile enough information to make the small paragraph(s) you see here. I'm sure all of you readers have heard of the unique feature where you can create your very own virtual world with Sony's new Georama land-creating feature. You can create mountains, rivers, entire cities and villages, canyons, and even your choice of weather. If you don't like what you've built, you could be evil and destroy it; then you may rebuild it like a good samaritan. The nicest little thing in this game is that once you've built your ideal "world" you could switch to real-time and explore. This single feature will probably deliver the most replay value. You'd be having so much fun, playing the actual game won't mean a thing to you. Its key features include real-time transitions between modes of play, third- person presentation, amazing graphics, and the already explained "Georama" feature. There are basically three modes of play: Creation, Battle, and Exploration. Simple, yet satisfying. Don't forget the unlimited coolness! -+- Story Behind This FAQ -+- I must admit that I've had my eyeball on this game for some time now and over the months, I have been debating whether or not I should write a FAQ for this game. I guess that question has been answered. Well if I didn't, you wouldn't be reading this right now! I was bewildered by the fact that there were no FAQs or any relevance of a guide for this game. I thought to myself _Why? How could Dark Cloud not have any FAQs at all_. Surprisingly enough, it's been at least 5 months since the Japanese version of this game had been released, and there were still no signs of anyone doing a FAQ for it. Either that, or they are all waiting for the US release or something, which I guess is a rational intent. So as days, weeks and months dragged by and the release of Dark Cloud was drawing nearer and nearer, I finally plucked up the courage to write this FAQ! Yay! The goodness of this game was incentive enough to inspire me to write the best guide I can for Dark Cloud. Besides that, I also want to prove I can write efficient and comprehensive guides like Kao Megura, although just not as good. This FAQ will probably be one of the most intense guides I've done up to date and will be a very challenging project to complete. I'd be glad to have it halfway finished, as my work ethics aren't as good as other FAQ authors. I usually have a habit of getting lazy, which isn't a good thing kids! So I end up pushing myself to finish it reluctantly. Bah, but I hope all that will change with this game. I'm just glad that there are great FAQ authors on this site to refuel my determination to write good guides. Even those few arrogant authors have kept my determination strong and blazing. To name a few I'd like to thank: Croco, Kao Megura, ATadeo, Dingo Jellybean, and Dallas. That's only a random few I picked out from the top of my head. There are, of course, more but right now, I'm tired and irritated; somehow my mind has created some kind of mental block to keep me from thinking at this moment...bleah....You really don't want to read this do you, or are you that bored? :) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ +_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+ 2.00 Game Basics _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ +_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+ -+- Controls -+- _____ ______ | L1,2| | R1,2 | ------- -------- / _ \____________/ \ | _| |_ ___ ___ /\ _ | | |_ _| |sel| |str| [] (_)| | |_| __ __ __ >< | | / \ | | / \ | \ | AL |----| AR | / \ / \__/ \__/ \ / \___/ \___/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- | Controls: Action: | | | | Left Analog Stick.....................Run/Walk/Climb ladders/Move cursor| | Right Analog Stick....................See below | | Triangle Button.......................Open Menu/Place/Buy/Sell items | | Cross Button..........................Confirm selections/Action button | | Square Button.........................Use active item/Use menu ("!") | | Circle Button.........................Close menus/Cancel selections | | L1 Button.............................Select weapons/items/Switch Target| | L2 Button.............................Not used | | R1 Button.............................Block attacks/Select weapons/items| | R2 Button.............................Adjust Camera/First-person view | | Start Button..........................Confirm selections | | Direction Buttons.....................Move character/cursor/Actions | | | -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~ R2 Button: ~* *~ Your FAQ/Walkthrough states that the right analog control isn't used, ~* *~ but it can be used in several areas. It can rotate the view left and ~* *~ right in towns and dungeons like L1/R1, but with more control. You can ~* *~ also move the virtual camera up so you're closer to looking straight ~* *~ down. Inside buildings is where it's really nice though, in first person~* *~ mode (L2) you can look up, down, left, and right using the right analog ~* *~ stick. I find it useful inside and outside when looking for chests in ~* *~ towns. ~* *~ ~* *~ Thanks to LrdDelamos@aol.com for correcting my little error. ~* *~ ~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ This section introduces the player to the style and unique game play features of Dark Cloud. As with all games, it takes a short amount of game play to get outright comfortable with it. I will provide you with detailed tutorals and hints to help you get over the learning curve with a snap of the finger. But if you're just lazy and do not want to read through this thing, then there're always those in-game tutorals you can look forward to. Either way, you're going to have to live through exploration drills and combat training. I guess if you are familiar with RPG or Action/Adventure elements, it would be easier for you to get the gist of the game much quicker than those who have not been exposed to such games as Dark Cloud. I recommend you play at least 15 minutes of Dark Cloud to get acquainted with the controls. Then with this guide, you can read through it to boost your understanding of the game. But really, these topics are here to help clear up any confusion or misinterpreted ideas while playing through it. Since this section is full of terminology from the game, it'll really help ease the strain on your brain if you've played through soome of it. It's not necessary to listen to my suggestions; you can do what you want. If you think you can handle it, skip this section and go on right ahead to the walkthrough. Anyway for those of you who would like to stay and read this, I'd say, by the time you're done reading this section, the controls and game play strategies will become second-nature to you. :) -+- IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A RPG AND AN ACTION/ADVENTURE TITLE? Well, let's just say, there are neither any significant differences nor simi- larities. The key word being significant. There are however slight variations of each that make them two completely different types of genres and simultan- eously, the same. Confusing, no? For one thing, RPGs involve a much more deeper storyline, than a simple Action/Adventure game. Take the Final Fantasy series, for one. Each of the Final Fantasy games has a story of its own. There are no continuations of prior games, but that is not what the case is. What I'm trying to convey is that if you've played a RPG before, then you'll know how its storylines are much more convoluted than a save-the-world-from- the-clutches-of-evil type thing you'd find in a typical Adventure game. There are of course, different type of Action/Adventure games which I will not even proceed to list. But anyway, I may not be doing too good of a job trying to clear things up about these two different genres. Have I lost you yet? To put things simply, Action/Adventure games usually have RPG elements, vice versa. _Sometimes._ -+- HOW DO I PLAY AN ACTION/RPG? This title was classified into several genres, making this title an enigmatic game. I'm not sure what it is anymore, but I would personally put this in the Action/RPG category since that's what it really is. It has intermingled RPG and Action/Adventure elements, like Zelda. Playing these types of games can sometimes be challenging, but fun and really worth your time. Depending on the pace you take to play games, you can finish this game within a nice fixed amount of time. Although, I think it's best you don't overwork your poor eyes and fingers. What, me? That's my business, mind you. Remember, playing games is not the case of beating the game before your peers do. True, you may want to flaunt all the knowledge you know about it, and spoil it for your friends (why would you want to do that, you evil person), but by speeding through Dark Cloud, you won't be able to capture all of its great features and the storyline Sony has worked so hard on just to impress us (and make good sales). And what's great about these genres is that as the player, you get to be the hands of god in the game by controlling the hero through an epic adventure that can change the fate of the world. Sounds fun. So do you know what it takes to be a hero? Well, for starters, you might want to consider your controls and Dark Cloud's game play elements. :) I'm just going to cover what I feel is important to know in the game. The menus and stuff, I'm sure you can figure out on your own. If not, you have that manual to help you, right? ;) I will be comparing Dark Cloud with many games, but mostly the Final Fantasy series and Zelda. If you are offended in some way (I don't know how), then don't read my guide. Don't laugh; some people are paranoid like that. Mostly those Square fanboys though. -+- Playing Dark Cloud -+- DUNGEONS --------- Dungeons are typical segments found in many games. Without dungeons, you will have to slog through a repetitive pattern of "Explore" -> "Talk" -> "Save People" -> "Get the girl". Sounds a little humdrum, no? Well, it is! Having dungeons in a game is indispensable for players such as me. I'd be dying of boredome, otherwise. So it appears that the Dark Genie has transformed once peaceful environments into vast dungeons congested with monsters looking for a buffoon to accidentally stumble into them, unarmed. Dungeons are especially essential to Dark Cloud since they contain the valuable Atla. Don't know what an Atla is? Read below. ATLA ----- These things are round, magical spheres that behold the ever-so important pieces of your homeland. In the split second of total destruction of Toan's home, the Spirit King safely tucks them away in these spheres. If you're sharp, you will have known that they are called Atla. Each Atla contains a piece of the lost Western Continent, which you will need to diligently find to restore order back into the world. Atla can contain people missing from villages and foundation parts such as trees, fences, roads, bridges, rivers, etc. Of course, you can't just walk and pick up these Atlas. You'd need a special device to not only let you obtain the Atla, but also help you find it. Well, this item is given to you by the man himself so I won't delve into that. THE ("!") ALERT ----------------- This neat thing was undoubtedly culled from Final Fantasy IX's ("!") action thing. Maybe this is one of the features that have been added into this version (don't send hate mail if it ain't). Well anyway, it works generally the same as the one in FFIX; assuming, you've played it. :/ Uh, ok, for those of you who haven't the slightest idea what it is, think of it as a treasure detector. When Toan is in front of a treasure (or whatever), the ("!") will appear. This hints that Toan has hit the motherload and should be prompted to hit the X button. Upon doing so, Toan will dish out the treasure and add it into his inventory. This also works with the Atla. Sometimes, when the ("!") icon appears, it either means you've found treasure OR Toan has to do a task or use an item to trigger the next event. ALLIES ------- In Dark Cloud, you will make new friends and have them join your party. But the downside to this is that only one character may appear on the screen at once. No worries though, you will be able to switch characters in and out of action. Your allies have special skills that can help you progress in your epic quest to save the world, so it's essential for you to use all your allies to get the real gist of the game. You can switch allies by holding the Directional Left pad and Select simultaneously. TALKING -------- As in all games, you will be required to talk to people to obtain potential valuable information. In addition, they may give you presents. :) A neat feature in Dark Cloud is the ability for the people to actually notice Toan approaching them. For example, invading into someone's house will cause the inhabitant(s) of the house to notice you and confront you (nicely, or in a quirky demeanor). Often a PROMPT BALLOON will appear overhead. Prompt Balloon provide options for you to respond to the person, or action. Press the Action button (X) to scroll through the dialogue screens. Just remember, it doesn't hurt to speak with everyone you see. ;) WALKING --------- This is actually pretty self-explanatory. I mean do I really need to hold your hand through walking around as well? All you need to do is move those fingers to move your character around. While in exploration mode, you may be able to find valuable items or clues to help you progress in your adventure. TIME ------ This feature was definitely borrowed from Zelda: Majora's Mask. It's arguably the same thing. Dark Cloud's world DOES gradually change to reflect the time of the day. As you lounge around, time flies by and before you know it, it may be nightfall. People interact differently at certain times of the day, like in Zelda:MM. Talk to them at a certain time of the day, they might give you presents, or just talk to you. It is dependant on the time of the day. I repeat, the time of the day. The tough part is to now figure out how the heck you're going to know how the people will interact with you the way you want them to during what part of the day. Morning? Noon? Night? Never? That is the true meaning of exploration. PERSON LEFT ARROW ------------------- If I haven't mentioned this before, I will mention this again: Dark Cloud and Zelda:MM are rather akin to each other. This Person Left Arrow concept was also present in the Zelda game. The blue arrows are used to indicate there is a person in the distance that can be spoken to. As you approach the person, the alert changes to the name of the person. If you find this annoying, you can turn it off via the Options menu. -+- Exploration Mode -+- CHESTS ------- Chests can be found in various places and may appear at random. Most chests can be seen on the casual screen. When you've found one, simply walk up to it and open it using the X button. However, some chests are "trick" chests. They contain harmful traps, kinda like Vagrant Story's trap floor panels. It's not possible to watch out for them until you're caught in one. KEYS ------ Most doors in town are unlocked, but some require special keys to open them. Where do you find these keys? Monsters will usually drop them upon defeat, and you may sometimes obtain them through friendly conversations with the locals. Keys can also be found in chests. You can usually tell if a door is locked when they can't be opened with the X button. =P WATER ------- Believe it or not, this is the first game I've seen that requires Toan and co. to keep their bodies properly hydrated with water. Water, in this game, can replenish your health, water meter, and stuff...So a good thing to keep in mind is when you come across a spring, drink up and call upon your other party members to drink their fill as well. Don't be a water hog! If there're no springs or water-related things around, just pray that you've remembered to bring along an available water flask. If your character becomes dehydrated his HP will gradually decrease, and like humans, they become weaker in combat and other actions. MAP ----- The map, like any map, lays out the current area for you. Voids will fill as Toan explores the area and discovers new areas and such. Sometimes you can find map fragments in chests. Map fragments help patch up the holes and dis- close other areas of the dungeon, or whatever. It immediately gets added to the map information displayed. When reading maps, you may find many icons and color-coded shapes. You can obtain these "location" informations by find- ing the Magical Crystal on each floor. Once found, the symbols will instantly be displayed on the map. These shapes and icons are meaningful if you know how to read the map properly. These are what those symbols mean: "Pink arrow" – Toan's current location on the dungeon floor "Green dots" – locations of Atla "Green squares" – Floor entrances "Yellow square" – Floor exits "Red dots" - Symbolize monsters. When they begin to move, they're coming for you. Beware. "Yellow dots" - chests and objects that can be accessible "Blue Circles" - Water sources where you can quench your thirst "Small Circles" – Mystery circles. These cause either good or bad status effects. "Pink ("?")" - designate entrances to the secret areas -+- Battle Mode -+- LIFE METER ------------ Naturally, your life meter is the most essential stat to watch for. Always remain vigilant to this meter. The life meter is marked by a heart and is the top meter of all meters in position. It represents how much damage Toan or some other ally can sustain. Technically, the higher the better chances for survival. Of course, each ally has their own life meter, meaning it may come in different lengths. If the meter depletes to 0, the character is K.O.ed and cannot perform any further actions. Life can be restored using curative items or by nice, refreshing water from a local gutter. WEAPON HIT POINTS (WHP) ------------------------- The duration of your weapon is dependant on how you maintain it. Weapons have feelings too, you know. You should never overwork your weapon, or it will not only break, it also means that you've wasted your effort in trying to streng- then the darned thing. As you strike with a weapon, be it a slingshot or some huge club, it will begin to lose its proficiency and its WHP will decrease. If, or when all WHP is gone, the weapon breaks and disappears from your inventory. However, the character's default weapon will remain no matter how badly you abuse it. :) The Weapon Hit Point meter is marked by a sword. With the use of the Repair option, only then can you help maintain its edge. You will need to have some Repair Powder handy first to be able to use the Repair option. So the tip of the day is to have Repair Powder in abundance! Doesn't hurt to have extras of everything. ABSORTION METER (ABS) ---------------------- The ABS meter is vital to upgrading your weapon (if you want it upgraded). As you continue using the same weapon (without wearing it out), the ABS meter'll increase. Once it reaches the heightened point of the meter, you can upgrade your current weapon by selecting the UPGRADE option in the weapon menu. Cool. THRIST METER -------------- In Dark Cloud, not only do you need to worry about your HP, but you have also got to watch your Thirst Meter. Both these meters are pretty systematic and they pretty much work in the same way. However, the depletion of the thirst meter does affect your HP meter. If your warrior is dehydrated, his HP will start to decrease. The thirst meter is represented by a line of water droplets. As Toan, or other allies, grow more parched, the droplets'll begin to fade away. When this happens and you are near the end of your water supply make excursions to a nearby river, stream, gutter, puddle, etc., or hunt for one. Like normal human beings, water is a vital ingredient to life. Period. ACTIVE ITEM SLOTS ------------------- Active Item Slots are those three squares at the top of the screen. You can set up your items here for instant use, without having to open your inventory menu. You can quickly use these items by pressing the [] button. Use the Direction buttons to move between the items. Items can range from offensive items to auxiliary items. Go figure. SPEED ------- The speed meter does not determine how fast your character can react, but rather how quickly he can swing the sword, or weapon. The greater the speed, the more combos he can pull off. And we all know how devastating combos can be if used correctly. If the speed meter is empty, you must wait patiently for the meter to slowly refill again. Speed increases as you allocate certain attachments to a weapon. The speed meter is displayed at the lower left corner of the screen. Speed also changes dramtically as your weapon grows stronger. Stronger is better. DAMAGE -------- Depending on your recklessness, you can either receive little (or no damage), or major whallops. Each time you or the monster receives its share of pain, the "damagee" will be distinctly identified in a red light and the amount of HP lost will be displayed. CHARGED ATTACKS ---------------- In contrary to primary attacks, which do moderate damage to your foes, each character can execute special attacks called charge attacks. Though, it does not hold a catchy name, it's exceptionally powerful, mind you. To properly deliver these deathblows, press and hold the (X) button until the character basks in red light; then release the button. This should have the character go on a frenzy of attacks. For each character, he or she will perform their own signature moves, or different types of charge attacks: _____________________________________________ | Toan | Jump Slash and Windmill Slash | Xiao apparently doesn't | Goro | Spin Smash | have a charge attack. I | Ungaga | Tornado Spin | could be wrong; correct | Ruby | Charge Magic Bolt | me if I am. |___________|_________________________________| ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~ ~* *~ In your faq it is mentioned that Xiao's attack powers up if you hold the~* *~ slingshot longer. That is actually incorrect. Xiao does more damage ~* *~ the closer the enemy is to her. (Makes sense to me... :)) You can hold~* *~ the slingshot back for several minutes and still do the same damage if ~* *~ you're too far away. ~* *~ ~* *~ Thanks to Patrick Crespo (themaestro@qwest.net) ~* *~ ~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ THROWING ---------- Like the Throw command in the Final Fantasy games, throwing items at enemies in Dark Cloud can be beneficial, or sometimes rueful. To prepare an item for throwing, place it in one of the Active Item Slots for convenient purposes. Only throw items if you have surplus quantities of that item, unless it's a useless item then uh, use it. To "auto-throw" an item at an enemy, you must first have your ideal enmity locked-on target. Next, select the item you'd like to pelt your foe with, and press the ([]) button to throw. To manually, aim and throw is a bit trickier. Select an item from the Active Item Slots or whatever, then press and hold the ([]) button. A sniper like light'll appear to help you aim your shot. When you've got your victim down, release the ([]) button and watch 'er go! A nice thing about throwing items is the exchange between the monster and you. It might drop attachments that will aid you in defeating monsters of the same attribute later. SWITCHING ALLIES ------------------ Team work is what everyone needs to get through grueling tasks. With a one- man party it's impossible. Be a team player! Anyway, to switch your allies in and out of the role, press the SELECT button and a circle of all your party members will appear. Use the Directional buttons to choose between members, and press the (X) button to confirm your selection. However, in some areas, you are prohibited to use any other ally. These such areas are called Limited Zones. The hell are these Limited Zones? LIMITED ZONES --------------- Limited Zones are randomely placed in floors of dungeons. These place morbid restrictions on the player such as using a weapon can reduce ABS instead of the other way around and getting thirsty quicker. These are pety examples of Limited Zones. Simply put: They aren't fun. DUELS ------- Throughout the game, enemies you encounter will challenge you into a simple Duel. During Duels, the player does not have complete control over the character. It doesn't take brute force and strategy to win these battles, but rather it takes a precision of timeed buttons. Kinda like Squall's Renzokuken in Final Fantasy VIII. When a duel is about to commence, a ("!") icon will appear overhead. At the start of the duel, a blue bar appears at the bottom, and scrolling white block will appear on the left side of the screen. As we digest this, controller button replicas start to appear on the right side and work their way to the left side. As the buttons overlap the white block, press the buttons according to the buttons displayed on screen. It takes a little practice to master it. Winning Duels award you with nice items. -+- All You Need To Know About Weapons -+- A fighter is only as good as his weapon, or something. You will need weapons to battle those hostile savages skulking in dungeons. They can be either extremely tough or ridiculously easy. Dark Cloud features an intricate weapon system pulled out of Vagrant Story (this game took a lot of elements from other games huh?). You don't just go to a store and by weapons like you would in most RPGs, you laggard. This system lets you customize your weapons, as well as develop them into much more lethal weapons. To maintain your weapons, you must never ever let them break. That's one very good reason to have plenty of Repair Powder in stock. The only way to forge powerful weapons is to let them "mature". When the time comes, you can choose to upgrade it. However, just a routine of slashing and hacking isn't going to bring your weapon's strength and endurance very far. To make it absolutely strong, attach various stones to it to maybe even let it evolve into a rare and valuable weapon that can probably outstrip others. You'd like that right? Know your weapon. By now you should know that your weapon is your new best friend. Don't leave home without it. But even if you have a weapon, is it strong enough to vanquish evil from the face of the earth? Not if it is weak and stodgy. First, you've got to consider its typical characteristics: ATTACK (AT) - the attack power of the weapon ENDURANCE (ED) - higher endurance = longevity of weapon SPEED (SP) - higher speed = able to deliver more combos MAGIC (MP) - higher MP = the greater advantage of the elemental and attribute aspects You might want to use items that can definitely boost those stats up to be the cream of the crop around these parts. Next, there are those elemental attributes: Monster – COUNTER Wind - THUNDER Tip: Use the attributes in Fire - ICE Evil/Undead – HOLY CAPS against each of Ice - FIRE Thunder - WIND the six different ones. Then there are monster categories: Beast, Dino, Metal, Plant, Sea, Sky, Mage, Stone, Undead, and Mimic. So theoretically, if you have something that can overpower each one of those gits, the more damage you can deal to them. This is true isn't it? You can count on meeting all these types of monsters as you play through Dark Cloud, so be prepared. -+- WHERE IN THE WORLD DO I GET THESE ATTACHMENTS? Usually, you'd find them in dungeons as you explore it, or monsters you will have defeated should drop them on occasion. Actually, if you use a special item on a monster and defeat it, it will almost always drop an item that can be used as an attachment. You can also find nice attachments as compensations from grateful villagers. Play the fishing game and accumalate points to trade in for decent items. TIP OF THE DAY: Performing Status Break on old, redundant weapons will net your fairly valuable attachments to add to new weapons. Recycle. Reduce. Reuse. If you develop weapons properly, it may come to be an unattainable, fantastic, super-strong weapon. SPECIAL WEAPON FUNCTIONS ------------------------ Some weapons if developed correctly can perform special abilites during combat. Such include: Heal - Recovers HP Steal - Mug enemies of their belongings Big Bucks - Double the money dropped by a monster Poor - Enemies may sacrifice less money Durable - WHP loss is retarded Fragile - WHP loss is much quicker Quench - Character feels less dehydrated Thirst - Character feels dehydrated Poison - Damage to the enemy may sometimes cause Poison status Stop - Damage to the enemy may sometimes cause Stop status Abs Up - Absorb 20% more enemy magic Critical - Damage to the enemy is amplified Drain - Damage to enemy may sometimes drain its HP and transfer it to you. More information on these abilities and which weapons possess them can be found in the weapons sections below. GEORAMA MODE ------------- This is pretty simple and doesn't need a long explanation. There are in-game tutorals if you really need help. The only thing you'd need help on is how you'll want to place the houses and stuff so everyone'd be happy. Anyway, to open the Georama window, press the SELECT button to toggle Georama mode first then press the (/\) button to open the menu. You can use this mode once you have collected enough Atla in dungeons to rebuild _something_. Pop into the Georama menu, and start assembling pieces of the world. When assembling villages, make sure you have the proper foundations for such tasks. Select the object you would like to plant into the ground. Press the (X) button for bird's eye view of the land. Experiment with the buttons. If you mess up, you can always level the villages and rebuild them. :) Remember to keep everyone happy. Tip: Wander through town chatting with everyone to find out what they want in their house, their landmark, and everything else you need to know about their ideal house. FISHING -------- Upon popular demand, I've created and opened this section for those players who are having trouble learning the ways of the fishermen. First, look for a decent fishing pond and spot. Examine the fishing sign, and select Fish. Now, Toan will hold the fishing rod. Choose a spot you'd like to fish. An options box will appear with the options: (X)Cast, ([])Change Bait, and (_)Quit. The last option just tells you what you have as your current bait. Look into the pond; you can vaguely tell that there are fish in there. Attach the bait on to the hook first, then cast the line into the spot with the most fish. Move around a little bit to attract the fish. Hold on to the rod until you feel a nibble (you can also see it on the screen, or even feel it). Now that you know a fish is interested in your bait, stay neatral a bit until you're sure the fish is hooked to your bait. Rotate the camera a bit for a better view. Now, attempt to reel in the line and the fish should grab on to it. Mash the (X) button to successfully catch it. Your points will be evaluated depending on how the fish is. Remember that you can lose the bait if you let it dawdle for too long. Also, to be a good fisherman, keep in mind that it is better to fish at night and in the morning. That's when the fishies get hungry. Toan's first fishing experience will be in Norune when you rebuild the pond. Prickly bait works well there. Try it out and master it. ------------------------ Yadda, yadda. I'm getting restless with these game basics. Let's get on with the meat of the game. If you really don't understand Dark Cloud's elements, it's best advised you keep playing to get used to it, or you return the game and get your darned money back. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ +_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+ 3.00 Story and Characters _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ +_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+ Oh boy, for the millionth time in all of video game history, the hero must once again save the world from complete destruction by an evil genie (now, that's a first.). It's your typical save-the-world-from-the-forces-of-evil type game afterall. 400 Years Ago The King of the Eastern Continent watched heartbroken as the Western Wizard Army prepared its magical deathblow to his staggered and suffering forces. The King sat alone by the light of the two moons contemplating the end of his Kingdom and the destruction of his people. At the moment of his darkest anguish, a shrouded mage appeared. He offered the King an unholy victory born from the blackest witchcraft. Desperately, the King accepted and, as promised, the West miraculously fell in defeat. But soon, to his ever-lasting Anguish, flames consumed the King's beloved Eastern Kingdom as well. Present In the western village of Norune, music floats across the air on a clear warm Night bathed by the light of the two moons. The villagers dance and perform around the comunal fires in celebration of the Harvest Festival. Not far from Norune, a more ominous dance plays out. Within the Dark Shrine, hypnotic rhythms pulse off heavy granite walls as bewitched mystics focus their energy On a gigantic urn in the center of the shrine. At the foot of the urn, stands A Flag, a cold-faced military man who is the one responsible for unearthing This dark treasure. He hides his anticipation as the ceremonial dancers sway And chant to free the spirit trapped in the urn. This dance in the Dark Shrine is not a celebration of life, but a blood ritual of resurrection, the rekindling of a long imprisoned and horrible force. The contents of the urn begin to swirl, and then pulse upward as the spell Shatters the seal. An enormous being emerges from the urn. Known as the Dark Genie, he is free for the first time in 400 years. Flag's stony glare turns to a fear as the monstrous blue-tongued creatures gazes down at him. But he Still manages to pronounce himself as the Genie's master. The Dark Genie agrees, and then quickly devours on an unfortunate priest. The suffering of The Western Continent was about to begin. In Norune, a young boy named Toan looks for his friend Paige among the crowd Of performers. The faces of the dancers glow in happiness. But in the sky Above, the Dark Genie with Flag in hand arrives like a lunar eclipse. In a Moment the Harvest celebration ignites into an inferno. Toan makes a futile leap to save Paige from a collasping tower. As his village crumbles, Toan's World goes black. Toan awakens alone and confused to see an ancient man standing before him. He is the Spirit King, one who can join all the spiritual forces in nature. In the last split second before Norune and other villages vanished, the Spirit King casts a magical spell. Everything was encased in magical spheres Called Atla. Atla containing every person and piece of Norune are now scattered over great distances. The Spirit King sees a brave heart in Toan And grants him the power to rescue and restore his homeland. Challenge the incredible power of the dark evil that, even now, is turning what remains of the land into vast dungeons. King deeds and bravery will win you allies while spirit magic charges your weapons with astounding power. Resurrect your shattered world. (This was lifted exactly from the instruction booklet.) -+- My Interpretation of the Story -+- Ok so the milieu of the story takes place on an unspecified world, with two moons and magical creatures you'd usually find in fairy tales; it's much different from ours, that's for sure. While it resembles a plot clipped out of Aladdin, the world of Dark Cloud is actually much more than turban attire and oversized flying dogs. Now I won't blame the people who translated Dark Cloud for trying, but they did a poor job in the story (bad grammar and faulty idioms). Actually, I'm one to talk, aren't I? Well anyway, it appears that this king 400 years ago, could not bare to watch his kingdom in ashes. His anguish was great enough to bring forth a dark power that can grant one's wish. Of course, the king wished for the safety of his kingdom and that is what he had gotten. The king breathes a sigh of relief and starts to kick back on a fortunate victory. Blessed with the retentive memory of his easy-earned victory, it was a only a matter of time before his kingdom was once again engulfed in flames. From this, we learn that with one's selfish and greedy desire comes consequences. Now, we all know this is a foreshadowing sentence. Someone 400 years later is going to come along and stumble across this urn in which this Dark Genie is concealed in, and release it to bring forth his most lusterous desires. Argh. The clock fast forwards to the present, which was not stated. In the rural village of Norune, the villagers amass to celebrate the Harvest Festival. As you probably would have guessed, the Harvest Festival is a time of rejoice and anti-haggling over frivolent matters. A time to thank the gods for another successful year of abundant crops. In this particular village, this is where all the troubles play out; where it all starts. The player is intro- duced to his game companion, Toan, a young audacious boy who wears spandex. Elsewhere, in a secluded area where the Dark Shrine bare its ominous shadows, a wave of a more sodden mood is given off. Not the mirth atmosphere like the one in Norune Village, but a more sullen and creepy aura fills the warm air. An army of what seem to be armored mages pray and perform rituals for the figure at the foot of the urn. Who is he? Only but the most ridiculous name a video game character has ever been bestowed, Colonel Flag. Apparently, they have all gathered to perform a ceremonial resurrection of a dark god known as the Dark Genie. After what seems to be hours, the seal on the urn begins to wear off and the evil being slowly emerges from the urn, as if in a trance. Moments later, the plump genie overshadows the entire room. In trepidation, the Colonel had enough courage to squeak out a few words. A few words that can mean the total destruction of the world. The Dark Genie acknowledges and in a blink of an eye, devours an unfortunate priest. Being entrapped in a bottle for 400 years helps work up a voracious appetite, no? :) Meanwhile, back in Norune, Toan searches for Paige in a village teeming with dancers and jostling people. Suddenly, the shadow of the incoming Dark Genie covers the night sky and fills the land with complete darkness until...BOOM! A sinister destruction follows; subsequently, Toan's village merges with the flames. Everything is in chaos; people screaming for their lives and chickens clucking, trying to find their pens. In all the carnage, Toan makes a heroic dive to save Paige from an early death, but to no avail. Everything dies out. Toan awakens to find himself in a strange place with an elderly man standing before him. And who might he be? The almighty Spirit King to say the least. He has apparently saved Toan's hide from hell and recognizes his heroic antics to save his loved ones. You ask yourself _why me? Why am I the only survivor?_ Surprise! You're not. Apparently, the Spirit King made last minute efforts to save the village and other parts of the world and encapsulated them in balls (that resemble dragonballs). Encased in these balls are your fellow cronies and parts of villages-trees, bridges, cats, fences, people, rivers, the works-Your role is about to be foretold. The Spirit King bestows you the power to rehabilitate your world from its utter destruction with the help of a few allies of course. You must now venture to different dungeons and seek out these balls called Atla. Though, it's not just a picnic in the park, you'll meet much stiff resistance, and by showing true gallantry, only then can you survive and restore Toan's homeland back to its pristine state. With all this "dark" talk, it's no wonder this game is called Dark Cloud. :) -+- Characters -+- |#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#| TOAN Weapons: Swords Favorite Food: Fluffy Doughnut Toan is the main protagonist of the game. The big, not-so-beefy tyke that's going to save the world from the sinister of evil. He's been granted with the power to recreate the world from these little teeny balls called Atla. Encased in these Atla're pieces of the lost world Toan must restore. With the Atlamillia, only Toan can capture these lost fragments and endure the dangers of perilous dungeons they have been stashed away in. Let's see now, Toan has a wimpy-build, looks too young to assume he has even gone through puberty yet, wears oversized shoes and gloves, and plus he has a flair for that silly turban on his head. Not the greatest image of a hero, huh? Well, if the Spirit King decides to instill the fate of the world on this boy, then I guess it doesn't hurt to believe in him. Afterall, we'll be controlling him. Eh, eh? |#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#| XIAO Weapons: Slingshots Favorite Food: Fish Candy Xiao is, or rather, was a stray cat founded by Toan while exploring the Divine Beast Cave. Xiao takes an immediate liking to Toan after he rescued her. Xiao follows him home to his village and gets turned into a cat warrior. Being a half-cat, half-human creature, she packs quite a wallop. She flings her slingshot like nobody's business. She is not, however, fighting material, so it's best advised not to rely on her too much. She may lack in the looks department but she sure is sweet, sometimes. Having two fluffy ears, claws and a tail does make her act in a cute demeanor. My impression anyway. Since she can steer clear of danger with her long-ranged shots, she is highly recommended for long-range use. |#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#| GORO Weapons: Hammers/Axes Favorite Food: Grass Cake Goro's a chunky looking feller who can maul things like a hot knife in butter. He is just another one of those strong, but brainless companions you'd find in any game. His attacks are devastating and can easily wipe out fairly strong monsters. Because of Goro's bulky built, he can be a nuisance to control. He lives in what seems to be a cozy treehouse adjacent to Poacher Village. At first, he does not join Toan on his quest, but rather he wants to challenge him. Looks like making friends isn't that easy afterall. Goro wields a ridiculously huge, wooden hammer and wears a bearskin over his head. Talk about a fashion statement. He has, like about a hundred rolls on his arms, legs and his beer belly. But he's an all around good fighter uh, minus the speed and intelligence. |#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#| RUBY Weapons: Rings/Armlets Favorite food: Witch Parfait Ruby is a lucious babe Toan had summoned from a lamp. Don't be so fooled by her appearance, as she will be your most useful character in the game. Time to throw a party, ya'll! She wears powerful magic rings on her finger that can do as much damage as 1200 to as little as 500 (depending on her rings). Who wouldn't want a beautiful gal on their team? She really blows you and your mother's mind away (her attacks and stuff, dummy). Do not leave home without her. :) |#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#| UNGAGA Weapons: Spears/Staves Favorite food: Scorpion Jerky Ungaga is a warrior of the desert people whom you first encounter on your arrival at the Sun & Moon Temple. He has lost his courage and belief in his own abilities as a warrior after he could do nothing to stop the destruction of his village at the hands of the Dark Genie. Ungaga will join you after you activate the event at the 3 Sisters House in Muska Lacka. He will regain his courage and will to fight, joining with Toan to continue his quest to rebuild Muska Lacka and defeat the Dark Genie. He is a good short range fighter with better reach than either Toan or Goro but he starts out rather weak. You should use him sparingly until you complete Muska Lacka and get the Mirage which can be built up into both of his Ultimate Weapons. |#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#| OSMOND Weapons: Machine Guns/Spell Shooters Favorite food: Carrot Cookie Osmond is the boss of the moon people in Yellow Drops and is trying to win the Sun Gem in the games at the Coliseum. You will find him on the eighth level of the Moon Sea and he will immediately join up with you on the quest to defeat the Dark Genie. He starts out with a relatively weak weapon so you might want to build him up a little bit before you reach the limited level on the Moon Sea where you're forced to use him exclusively. I would recommend that you hold off building up his weapons too much for the time being; you should be able to acquire a Hexa Blaster in the Gallery of Time which can be built up to his most powerful weapon, the Supernova. |#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#|#| _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ +_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+ 4.00 Walkthrough _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ +_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+_-_+ I highly advise that you not use this walkthrough for the whole experience of Dark Cloud. Unless, you've already beaten it, then whatever. It is much more compensating to you, if you figure out these puzzles, defeat bosses, discover secrets, and et ceteria on your own. However, if you're really desperate then I can't stop you now, can I? My talking here is just like an old man droning on about his childhood, isn't it? You don't care! Fine, be that way. Spoilers ahead. **** Spoilers will be arriving uncontrollably, please buckle your safety belts to reduce the impact. You have been forewarned... >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> THIS IS YOUR FINAL WARNING... <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< * THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO TURN BACK AND READ ANOTHER GUIDE. * * * * * * * * * WHAT? YOU'RE STILL HERE? FINE. * >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> WALKTHROUGH IS COMMENCING <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< It has begun! >>>> Carefully take the disc out of the slick, new package and place it gently in your PS2. Start it up and listen to the soft droning sound of the smooth PS2. Clean your grimy hands, and pick up the controller. Stop squirming around! I know you're excited! Watch the nice intro and whatever. Come off it and let's play. ---------------------- The opening movie is based on the story foretold in the manual, or by me, if you've read my interpretation. Name your character "Toan", or name him some other appropriate name. His name could be "SweatSocks" for all I care. The movie opens out at the Dark Shrine, where an army of dancing who knows what, is performing some kind of resurrecting ritual. It's pretty long, so you can stop killing your controller now. Let's skip ahead, as you can watch it without by guidance, or do you...? Anyway, meet Toan (I will be using the default names, thank you very much.) and his mom, although it doesn't state her name yet. Toan's gotta hurry up and finish his meal, or he's gonna miss the opening ceremony. Just as Toan starts to marvel the feeling of a joyous atmosphere, the Dark Genie appears in the sky and a sinister ballet ensues; dancing and prouncing about all the while shooting destructive beams from his body parts. Here, the whole story and the Toan's true destiny'll be laid out. ============================================================================= CHAPTER ONE- NORUNE VILLAGE ============================================================================= When you regain control of Toan, you'll find the land completely devoid of life. Run forward and the Village Chief's house will loom into view. It has miraculously escaped the mass annihilation of all things. Er, anyway, speak to the Village Chief. He will immediately instill the duty of having you go to the Divine Beast Cave to check up on good ol' Dran. He gives you the Cave Key which you will need to unlock the huge stone doors. And for being great Survival buddies, he fills your item bag with useful items you'll need during the excursion to Dran. Afterwards, check the closet behind the chief to find a Prickly. Leave his house. Note: You can come back anytime to have your bag refilled with useful items. Head northeast towards the entrance of the Divine Beast Cave. Use the Cave Key the village chief gave you and press on. Know that I will not be able to guide you step by step through the dungeons. You're going to have to pull through this yourself since the dungeons are randomized. Meaning, everytime you enter the cave, you'll be at different parts of the floor. +=================+ DIVINE BEAST CAVE +=================+ When you first enter, the only accessible floor at this time is, of course, the first floor. So we'll start here and work your way up and stuff. Don't worry too much about dying. The first time you get KOed, the Fairy King will come to your aid and impart Georama knowledge into your pea brain with the help of a Manual. So, everytime you die, you'll get transported outside with some items lost. Floor B1: There are a total of eight Atla to collect here, some of which include Macho and his house. You can choose to start building his house if you'd like. Start hunting for that Dran's Crest and pick up the nice items along the way. Don't forget to fill up on your water supply. Just look for a blue stain on the map and that should be your water source. Be sure to pick up the Tram Oil for "back room" purposes. The question mark on the map denotes the location of the backroom entrances. In this case, it's a Tram. It should be located on every floor and you can only use it when you've found Tram Oil. Floor B2: Toan will find a wandering cat on this level, but runs away at the sight of him. Another eight Atla to gather here to add to the ever growing collection. Be sure to plunder all the chests for weapons and stuff. Since the dungeons are so randomized, it's kinda hard to tell what you'll get and stuff. Floor B3: After snagging the six Atlas here, you should have a total of 22 fragments of your village. Hey, you're getting there! If you're getting restless, you may go back to the empty lot and start rebuilding your town with what you have. I would. You might encounter Statues on this floor (from here onwards). They're pretty tought to handle; that is, if you don't have the Stone Breaker placed on your swords. You can stick in an Undead Killer, as well. You can find these attachments in the chests, as you empty the chests. A good reason to explore the dungeons more than once. Floor B4: On this floor, you'll encounter the first duel with a skeleton. First you're Going to have to fend off a trio of Skeleton Soldiers. Simple enough isn't it? Probably not for the first time. To pull this off in succession, follow the scrolling buttons and hit them as they pass through the white line on the left. It ends pretty quickly. This mini-game takes precision timing and may need a little practice. Don't fret if you've lost. The game will allow you to redo it again and again. Floor B5: You might want to build up your weapon on this floor, as it proves to be a nice battle ground. Don't forget to search for those Atla. There're a total of five on this level. Floor B6: Collect seven scattered Atla on this floor and just fight your way to F7. You might catch a glimpse of a kitty cat. Floor B7: The 7th floor is the first to expose you to these Limited Zones. This one causes ABS to reduce as you strike with your weapon. So a good idea is to put it away and avoid any battles. Oh, the Dran's Crest. This is going to be tough, especially since you want to upgrade your weapons. Just blindly pick out a few victims and hope that it will drop the Dran's Crest. There are also eight Atla to find on this level. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~ ~* *~ AVOID THE ABS HANDICAP TIP SUBMITTED BY: Dorothy Hall (indi@hottub.org) ~* *~ ~* *~ On B7 where your weapon loses abs, I have found if you go down with ~* *~ a recently powered up weapon, you don't lose anything. That is to say, ~* *~ if you are at 0 abs, you do not go into negative abs. ~* *~ ~* *~ It may seem too obvious, but it might be an idea to include. Just a ~* *~ thought. Thanks again for a great FAQ -- I look forward to seeing the ~* *~ updates as and when you get around to them. ~* *~ ~* *~ Thanks very much to Dorothy Hall for such a wonderful tip. :) ~* *~ ~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Floor B8: On this level, you'll run into a mysterious young man. He'll challenge you to a duel. This is a dud, as you can't win. Toan will just fall and be at the mercy of the white-haired guy's blade. What's this? Toan fell deliberately to protect a poor cute cat from danger. Before the mysterious man leaves, he tosses some Changing Potion to you. Is this out of kindness, or is it filled with poison to suck the life force out of you? Oops, Toan isn't supposed to drink it. At this point, you may want to return to the village and trigger Toan's event with the stray cat. Use the Changing Potion on the little gal. It'll join you afterwards. From here onwards, things will be much easier for you to handle. Use Xiao to jump over that chasm. Floor B9: As usual, just collect the Atla on this level. There's nothing exciting or unusual to take note of. Floor B10: Fight. Collect Atla. Progress. Same old, same old. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Is that simple enough for you to follow? Floor B11: Encounter yet another Limited Zone. Only this time, Xiao can only be used on this level. Therefore, if you haven't recruited her, yet. Now is a good time to do so. This is pretty hard, since Xiao is physically weaker than Toan and cannot sustain too much damage. Your number one priority is to find a Dran's Crest and move on. This is based on luck, I guess. I personally, had a hard time with this level. You might want to consider emptying the chests first, then move onto finding the Crest. If you're still having trouble, upgrade her weapon and come back later. Floor B12: Same old, customary routine. Collect the Atla and move onto the next level. Floor B13: Collect Atla and grab some goodies from chests. Then move onto the next level if nothing else. Floor B14: One floor left before facing the big guy. If you're weapon isn't at LEAST a Dagger+5, you're in bad shape. So, if you haven't been diligently training your weapons, you'd better start now. Also, try to stock up on Repair Powder and the sorts. Gather the remaining Atla and move to the final floor of this dungeon. But first, you'll need the Horned Key. To get that you must rebuild Dran's Windmill. By now, you should have ALL the Atla, if not, enough, to build Dran's Windmill. Rebuild the entire thing until you trigger the event and inside the windmill should be a chest containing the Horned Key. Whew! You might want to save. Before heading down to the final floor to square off with the boss, you should explore those backrooms. Back Rooms: The enemies in the back rooms are generally tougher than the ones on the actual dungeon. However, the plus side to this detour is to attain very nice items and attachments. To access the back room in this dungeon, you must first find the Tram Oil situated in one of the chests on any floor. Now, find a red hook on your map if you can find it and head in that direction. When you get there, look for an old rusted tram. Lubricate it with the Tram Oil and use it to gain entrance to the back room. From there, you're on your own. Good luck. Before heading off the square off with the guardian of the village, make sure you have a defense of at least 15 for both Toan and Xiao. To raise their DEF, find some Fluffy Doughnuts and Fish Candy. Those food items can raise defense considerably. You can find those items in dungeon chests, or chests outside of the newly rebuilt homes. Floor B15: Meet Dran, a lively, cheerful guy...that's about to tear your body apart! Get it together and fight! _____________________________________________________________________________ BOSS FIGHT: Dran For the first boss, he is tough if you don't know what to do. If you do, that is wonderful. To make this puppy prowl, use Xiao to fling a slingshot at him in the face. He'll get irritated and drop on the ground. Switch to Toan and let him have it with a few pokes in the butt. Giving it to him in the leg can prevent any damage to you. Remember to back up when you've landed a few hits, or he'll knock you to the ground. Having item Dran's Feather could somewhat help you in the fight. Wouldn't use it though. Just remember to keep Xiao a good distance away from him to avoid any damage to her. Repeat this method several times over and the possessed Dran will finally give in. Use Repair Powder if you need to. _____________________________________________________________________________ Upon defeat, Dran will finally knock out of his trance and become apologetic. Mention the Dark Genie and he'll start to tell you about a similar being he calls the "Black Demon." Long ago, this Black Demon brought mass destruction to the world, much like what the Dark Genie had done now. It was massacre and blood after massacre...and blood. This powerful magic tribe called the Moon People were sickened by the Black Demon's reign, they sealed the demon in a giant urn. People commermorate the day the Moon People saved the world from the evil, but now that it has been released from its entrapment, it's up to Toan to restore peace through the land. Now that Dran's done telling his side story, he'll offer to help you in your quest to rebuild the world and save it from the Dark Genie's grasp. Toan hitches a ride on Dran's back to return to the village. There, Dran gives him give the World Map, except this map is "magical". Great. He also adds that when you reach Matataki Village, you should seek help from the Great Treant. Now it's time to completely rebuild the vilage and fill in the patches. Make any last preparations. Be sure to get the fishing pole from Alnet when you've refurnished her home. She will gladly hand it over as recompense, but don't tell Pike! See the Rebuilding Help section for details. When you've done everything there is to do in the village, go visit Dran and he will bestow you with your first charge attack: WindMill Slash. It'll come in handy (to get this attack, you must have 100% in all three categories in the Georama Analysis menu.). Now that you've taken the first step to a whole new world, it's time to migrate to the next village that is Matataki Village! ============================================================================= CHAPTER TWO- MATATAKI VILLAGE ============================================================================= Watch the rather short cut-scene. You will find Matataki Village as decimated as Norune Village had started out with. There's still the waterfall and a few broken bridges and the dried up trenches. Toan turns to find a chunky-looking guy staring back at him; the guy runs off to the back. When you can control Toan again, pursue the man that had just run away. You'll come to a clearing, and in the middle is a massive treehouse. Approach the ladder and the fat man will plummet to the ground. He attacks you and a duel commences. This is easy as long as you watch for a "rotation" button. Just intentionally miss one of the sequences and you can get all the items in Goro's treehouse right now, rather than waiting to level 9. Just Let Goro beat you and he'll insult you and hop back up to his treehouse. Follow him and you can enter his treehouse now! If you talk to Goro while up there he tells you to come back when you're a worthy opponent. Then leave Goro's treehouse and head back to the entrance at Matataki Village. Let the time change to dawn, dusk, etc. Then go back and walk up to the ladder and Goro jumps down and challenges you to fight again. Now beat him to get the earrings and continue your quest. This has no effect on the rest of the game! Just gives you a little extra. -= Thanks to (TooCoolSmurf@aol.com) =- When defeated, he'll reveal his name to be Goro and retreat into his home for a snack. Toan will pick up an item the benevolent warrior had left behind: Hunter Earrings. When you regain control of Toan, speak to Goro to find out More about these earrings and Treant. Now return the way you came and go back to the main portion of the imaginary village. In the northwestern part dwells the renown Tree Fairy known as Great Treant. The Fairy King will appear next to you and explain its situation. Treant's water supply has run dry and it cannot speak or move without water. It's all dried up. So the Fairy king inlays the first priority that is to restore its river. Plus, you'll need to anyway to obtain a very important weapon. Now, the Wise Owl Forest gates to the east are open and waiting for Toan to enter. +===============+ WISE OWL FOREST +===============+ Toan will enter the Wise Owl Forest in a quirky demeanor. I, personally, like the music here better than the one back in the Divine Beast Cave. Well, the key you need to move from one "Territory", as they are called, to another, is to have three types of things: Red Berry, Pointy Chestnut and Shiny Stone. All of these items can be found in each of the territories and are dropped by clumsy, but hostile monsters. When you reach an owl at the end of each level, you must use one of the three items to appease it for it to allow you to the next territory. Each owl in each territory may like something different so it is best you get prepared. In some territories, they require you to find the Moustache Key to unlock doors that lead to the essential Atla or other treasure chests. The Moustache key works the same way the Bone Key did in Divine Beast Cave. The backfloors in this dungeon are a bit harder to find. That is, the key item to the back- floors. The key item here is the Sun Dew. Use it in those little pool areas with a shiny leaf floating in the water. Territory 1: The first and foremost thing to do is collect the Atla scattered throughout the level. This level's enemies are comprised of the three days of the week: Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. Don't underestimate their size. They are tough and can steal your things. They're easy to kill with Xiao equipped with Bandit SlingShot. Then, there's the Cannibal Plant, which can Poison you and "goo" you. It sucks. Keep fighting until you've found the Red Berry, Pointy Chestnut, and the Shiny Stone. Then, with the owl, pick ONE of the three and it should accept it. Territory 2: You'll encounter some new enemies here. Namely, Sunday, Wednesday and Hornet. Sunday and Wednesday are just ready for a massacre, carrying their little knives and axes. They aren't too hard considering you've got your weapon ATK power to about 35. Again, just seek out the three items and you'll be on your way to the next level. Don't forget those Atla. You might want to start rebuilding if you'd like. Oops, I forgot you get to rendevous with the FliFli as well. Territory 3: Everything's the same except you get to meet the King Prickly and Tuesday. It can blow poison darts at you so be careful. Great. They're really fun to play with. Look for the items, find the Atla and move on. Territory 4: Unfortunately unfortunate. This is, sadly, a Limited Zone where Xiao is the only controllable character at the moment. This is very similar to the one in Divine Beast Cave. Plunder all the chests in the zone first, then go for the bad guys. Remember that you've got to find the three crucial items to move to the next level. To get out of this predicament, simply use the most powerful slingshot you have and add a PlantBuster to it. That should help in the long run. As you pick up one of the items, bring it to the Wise Owl and see if it is the one it desires. If the stubborn owl, doesn't want it, then keep at it. You'll eventually get the one you need. Territory 5: Same thing here; nothing new. Just pick up the Atla and scavenge for the Red Berry and the other items. Watch out for the Haley Holey. Use Xiao to attack, as you can't get close enough with Toan. Your old friend, Mimic, is here too. Territory 6: The dungeons are getting repetitive. So just fight your way to the next level and gather all the nice treasures if you find any. Find the Atla and add them to your collection. You may encounter a Witch Illza here, who can pelt poison apples at you. Territory 7: I'm not sure if this is a randomized Limited Zone or not, but it seems using a weapon will reduce its Abs. This is very similar to one of the handicapped levels in the Divine Beast Cave. Fight in battles sparingly and you should get through no problem. It's not that much of a brain-buster to have the Abs reduced. Territory 8: I was unfortunate enough to have two Limited Zones in a row. This is probably randomized as well. This time, Toan and co. get thristy a lot quicker. You'd better have some water jugs in stock. Unless you just happen to find pools of water everywhere, then it's fine that you don't have any. Just get through this level like you would in any other level. Before you move onto Territory 9, you must rebuild Cacao's House. In the event of his house being renovated, Cacao will play a song and tell a story of how Fudoh killed the White Tiger. There's a rumor that flow along the lines of how Fudoh was killed by the most verocious snake of all, the Killer Snake. Again, not a catchy name, but it can kill you if you don't have the right weapon equipped. You'll get killed yourself, if you botch things up. Cacao will bestow you the Odd Tone Flute, which is used to lure the snake out of the cave in Territory 9. Now, that you have this flute, re-connect the river to Treant if you haven't already. When you do, Treant will be revitalized and will give you the Serpent Sword in return. Ok, you have the necessary things you need. Head back to the forest. Territory 9: There are no Atla on this level, so something must be up. Kill the WereWolves in a quick duel. Head towards the seemingly hollow cave and whip out that wannabe-ocarina. Play it to lure the Killer Snake out of the cave. I hope you have equipped the Serpent Sword. You will engage into a fairly lengthy duel with the overgrown reptile. Press the buttons accordingly and it should be no problem. Toan will receive the Bone Pendant following the fight. Now, go back to the treehouse where Goro dwells. Show him the Bone Pendant and a cut-scene about the truth of his father will ensue. It seems that Fudoh did fall before the Killer Snake, but he did this intentionally. Fudoh wanted to do a gallant thing before he died; the Killer Snake seemed like a good opponent. Goro'll hate him for telling him that, but Will join the party now with dreams of his own: Becoming the mighty hunter of legend! Then, he adds a conceited remark, "I'll do better than you." As in, do better than Toan. That's very likely to happen. On the side note, Goro's treehouse is now accessible. You can find nice items there such as the Fruit of Eden and a Pocket. When you're ready, return to the Wise Owl Forest. Use his hammer on the tree stump. Territory 10: Again, another possibly randomized Limited Zone. The Thirst Meter whittles away quicker. To make things worse, if your defense isn't high enough, the Earth Diggers here can really knock your lights out. Same old stuff here and them jingles. Territory 11: Everything is pretty much the same here. Like always, collect the Atla, slog through endless battles finding those darned items and head to the next level of Wise Owl Forest. Territory 12: Ok, I am almost certain that using Goro is a must here since it is a Limited Zone that's not randomized. Since you're going to have to use Goro, I highly suggest NOT to engage into too many battles since Goro is weak at this point. Yes, I know you need the three keys; try to randomly pick out your target and pray that it'll drop one of the items you need. Use the same method you used with Xiao in Territory 4. Fight sparingly 's all I have to say. And remember, when fighting with Goro, always use his Charge Attack since his weakling blow can't even hurt a fly. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~ ~* *~ In your detail of the territories of the Wise Owl Forest, Territory 12 ~* *~ is indeed a mandatory limited zone with Goro. SInce he's so weak, it's ~* *~ much MUCH easier to just stock up on bombs and use those on most of the ~* *~ major enemies (except the hornets, those are fairly easy). If not, when ~* *~ fighting the Earth Diggers and Witch Illzas, a simple strategy to ~* *~ beating them is locking on and then charging your weapon before slowly ~* *~ approaching them. After the Witch Illza throws an apple, or after the ~* *~ Earth Digger spits its ice attack, saunter up and nail them with it, ~* *~ then retreat a distance away and repeat the process. It's easier than ~* *~ getting killed a billion times -.-; ~* *~ ~* *~ Thanks to Stefani W. (bolt17sw@yahoo.com) ~* *~ ~* *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Territory 13: Everything is pretty much the same. The same pattern. You may encounter those annoying Werewolves. Use Xiao to finish the job if you're having trouble with them. Territory 14: If you haven't been diligently building your weapons, now's a good time to do so. I found a Sand Breaker and a CrysKnife here, although, you may not be that lucky. From here onward, you won't find any new enemies, as all of the existing ones have already made their debut appearance. Everything's the same otherwise. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. I need to find something new to say... Territory 15: Another possible Limited Zone that can reduce Abs when striking with a weapon and stuff. It goes without saying. You should know what to do by now. Switch to a weapon that doesn't matter that much to you and use it to gain access to the next level. Territory 16: By now, when you've bypassed this level, you should have all the Atla pieces you need to rebuild Matataki Village. If you don't feel like it now, just be sure to build the Mushroom House. When finished, Ro and Annie asks Toan to go up the ladder. Inside the house, Ro will give you the Moon Grass Seed, which is just what you need to confront the boss of Wise Owl Forest (it's amazing how he survived that fall). Now, climb the ladder to the second floor of the house afterwards and grab the Sun Dew in the chest. When everything is ready, return to Wise Owl Forest. Backrooms: Like the Divine Beast Cave, the backrooms in the Wise Owl Forest is actually pretty much the same. You'll find uncommon treasures and the monsters here're are a bit more vicious. The backroom key in this dungeon is the Sun Dew. Look for a small pool of water with a dock on the left. Use the Sun Dew on the leaf and the Sun Dew transform the leaf into a life-size boat. Use it to head into the backrooms on each floor. Though, the Sun Dew is harder to find, it's still worthwhile to hunt for it. Before heading off the face Master Utan, I recommend you rebuild Matataki at 100% in all three categories. This way, Goro will receive the Battle Ax from Treant. Plus, you can get a Turtle Shell from Couscous. See Rebuild Help for more details. Make sure your defense for each character is above 25. You can sustain more damage this way. When ready, head off. Territory 17: Plant the Moon Grass Seed in the fertile soil and accelerate its growth using the Sun Dew. Now, you have access to Master Utan's lair. For the first time, meet the overgrown ape-dude that would love to pick your sweatsocks for some love interest. _____________________________________________________________________________ BOSS FIGHT: Master Utan You should know that in order to defeat bosses, you'll need a little bit (ok, a lot) of interaction with your allies. In this case, Toan and Goro make a good duo here. Use Goro and his chunky weapon and smash Utan's feet. Then, switch to Toan and slash him, like you did with Dran, until Utan starts his rampage again. If you're having trouble whapping his feet with Goro, give him some Stamina Potion or Dran's Feather to boost his speed and power a bit. It will be even better if you've acquired his Battle Ax. The most annoying thing is that he would take a handful of seeds from the nearest tree and stuff 'em in his mouth and spit them out at 100MPH. They're rather hard to dodge. When he sits down, give him an extra blow or two. Keep it up and he should go down eventually. _____________________________________________________________________________ When you've defeated Master Utan, the forest guardian will, like Dran, snap out of his trance. To show his sincerity, he removes the boulder that is blocking the path to Brownboo Village. Afterwards, he dozes off to a deep slumber. The exit leads to Brownboo Village which is inhabited by the Moon People. It will become part of your world map now. Enter to find a radiant village filled with fireflies dancing in the air. In A cut-scene, one of the villagers informs the chief about your arrival. They decide to use the same plan again. These guys sorta remind you of FFIX's Vivi, don't they? Anyway, head to the western part of town and you'll get conked in the head with a giant chestnut ot something. When you come to, you find yourself in a pretty bad predicament. Toan tries to warn them about the Dark Genie, but to no avail. Finally, another member of the tribe urges the chief to see the crystal. A nice ensuing cut-scene of the Dark Genie's castle I must say (looks like Ultimecia's castle from FFVIII). There he is, the Dark Genie kicking back and puffing on a cigar. The Moon People tribe devise a plan for you to go to the moon since their own magic has whittled away over time. But you need the Moon Orb; and where's that? Only in the next destination: Queens! So, the little guys set out your next few day's worth of plans. Best get going. Queens will now be a point on your map. ============================================================================= CHAPTER THREE- QUEENS ============================================================================= Like all the other villages you've passed through, Queens is not much, if not _any_, different from the previous two. You've got empty ground here, there, and everywhere. Queens is a nice seaside village that has evolved from a regal city to a commerce province full of merchants and thieves. Except there are none of that sort at this point. From the entrance, run toward the vague image of a ship in the distance. Toan comes to the docks and surprisingly finds another human being! Meet Rando, a local merchant who just happens to escape the carnage. He takes you to the only shop in town, his. There, Toan and he chat about the Dark Genie and the situation they're in. Rando discloses information about a sunken ship that contains all the goodies of merchants, including the Moon Orb. To get there, Rando introduces you to the Turtle, a submarine disguised as a turtle. From here, Rando bids farewell and asks you to stop by his shop if you need to refill your inventory. Of course, you must pay for them. *grumble* *grumble* When you're ready, take the submarine down to the ship and enter your third dungeon. +===========+ SHIPWRECK +===========+ The key to gaining access to the other levels here is the Hook. You'll need it to latch it on to the crane in the hold. There is also the ShipCabin Key, which you need to unlock required doors. It works like the Bone Key and the Moustache Key. Water on this level is harder to come by (well, for me it was) so, you'd better stock up on some water. The backfloor entrance in this dungeon is, believe it or not, a giant fish that will take you there. You must find a Flapping Fish in order to lure it out. Remember, these fish will spoil if you don't keep them refridgerated with ice. Layer 1: Since the environment is new to the eye, it is best recommended to habituate to it. This dungeon is perfect for weapon building. You'll encounter a lot of Corceas here; a whole mob of them, as well as some Gunny. Pretty annoying monsters. I found Goro's Trial Hammer here, which isn't that big of a wowie. Anyway, just hunt for the Hook and get going. You may visit the backfloor on this floor if you want. Layer 2: Standard fare. Same stuff. Nothing special. Let's move along people...I hate being repetitive, but I guess I have no choice. ^^;; Layer 3: Again, nothing terribly new to report. You may encounter those tricksters, Mimics. Other than that, it's all in the flow. I found a few Shamshirs, but they're useless at this point. Your weapons should do more than 100 damage each time. If not, you'd better level them up. You may want to concentrate on upgrading the Gladius to the Chronicle Sword. It's possible at this point if you didn't know. You'll encounter a lot of Cursed Roses here, as well as those annoying Mimics. Layer 4: Typically, the same as the previous floors. Those Cursed Roses can really get to you. Make sure you have some Soap handy. Layer 5: This is a Limited Zone where Xiao is the indispensable character. Naturally, just use the same methods you've used before when you stumble onto situations such as this. Remember to plunder all the chests before picking off the bad guys one by one. Layer 6: Toan and company may encounter Gyon here. He's pretty tough when in fighting him in close-range combat because he charges at you (slowly) with his pointy trident. Be sure to use Xiao to finish him off, either that or have plenty of cure items ready. Layer 7: Sheesh, I am about to run out of things to say if this goes on. Well, it goes Without saying, but I'll say it anyway: Nothing new here, move on to the next Level and remember to collect all the Atla. Layer 8: Now's a good time to build King's Hideout and after you've passed this level You should have all of the necessities to finish King's Hideout, which is very important for the upcoming levels. Place his house anywhere for the time being and trigger the event. King will want to reward you, but doesn't know how, or what. He's finally decided to give you of what seems to be a lamp. He says it's priceless. You gladly take it, but you accidentally drop it. Here's a little comical intermission played out for you. Ruby joins your party! Yay! Stop by the fish cart(build it, if you haven't already) and buy some Flapping Fish for those backfloors. Don't forget the ice. Layer 9: As the level begins, the welcome party that consists of a Captain, Corcea and the notorious Pirate's Chariot will greet you with open swords. It won't be a duel this time, but it's a fairly difficult fight, especially with the Pirate Chariot. So, I suggest you take out the moving cannon with a bomb just to make things move along quicker. Next, take a stab at the Captain and finally, pick off the Corcea with Xiao, or whomever. You'll find the hook in a chest. Now, switch to Ruby and use the Fire attribute on her ring to open the magic- sealed door. Press R2 then aim directly at the gem using (X). Layer 10: Nothing new, try experimenting with Ruby a bit, but since she is a fledgling at this point, you'll need to power up a bit. Go into the backfloors like I told you to and level up her weapons. She'll be the party's powerhouse later on, and you'll be so glad that you put away extra time with Ruby. Layer 11: Same old stuff. Just collect the Hook and the Atla and be on your way. 'Nuff said. Layer 12: Unfortunately, if you haven't built up Ruby yet, you'll regret it now, since This is a Limited Zone that allows you to only take the role of Ruby. Pretty hard, if she's only doing 20 damage each time with that Gold Ring. Ok, if you didn't evolve her weapons and make them stronger, you can try allocating different elements to oppose that of the monsters. Layer 13: Things recycle here and everything is normal so, I'm sure you could handle it without my guidance. Layer 14: A possibly randomized Limited Zone where your thirst depleted rapidly. I hope you have plenty of water in stock. Layer 15: Again, nothing really fascinating. Another randomized Limited Zone. This time using a weapon can reduce Abs. Ack, the horror. And what's worse is that you can't switch to another weapon. Layer 16: After this level, you should have most of Queens' Atla. Go village building and restore its youth. Use my guide if you need to. You actually might want to do this first since you'll need to complete the event with Yaya to reach the boss. Trigger the event with Yaya and return to her for a second reading. This time, choose the third new option. Grab the Music Box Key on the counter in Rando's Shop. A touching dialogue. Don't forget to stock up on some Cheese and Stamina Potion. Backrooms: The key to the backrooms here, as mentioned earlier, is the Flapping Fish for the "master" to appear. You need to keep the fish chilled or it'll spoil. Go to the open grates and ues the Flapping Fish. A looney-looking fish in a captain's hat will appear. He'll offer to take you to the backroom in his mouth. Will he eat you? Could you trust him? It doesn't hurt to try. :) Alas, he really does take us to the backroom. Get what you need there and use it to return to the main level. To prepare properly, try to develop Ruby's weapon into Athena's Armlet and stick in all the Fire gems you can. If you've completed the town before this fight, don't hesitate to use Toan's Macho Sword, unless you have something much stronger. Don't forget that fire attribute! The _Ice_ Queen will have a lot of ice-based attacks. Actually, all ice-based attacks. Forget the Anti- Freeze Amulet, it doesn't work. Be sure that your member's defense is well over 30. Layer 17: Collect the remaing Atla and find the exit. Instead of the customary pulley, it's replaced by a music box. Whip out the Music Box Key and watch the ensue- ing sequence. Now meet an impending doom... _____________________________________________________________________________ BOSS FIGHT: LA SAIA First off, make sure you have a lot of cure items and Stamina Potions/Dran's Feathers to quicken your movement with Toan. Also, use the BEST weapons you have and put all the Fire gems on both Toan's and Ruby's weapons. At the start of the fight, the Ice Queen not waste any time casting her first ice spell. Those ice blocks pop up everywhere, so it's no use trying to dodge it and waste energy. Now, use the Stamina Potion on Toan and run in a zig-zag fashion to avoid most of Saia's attacks. Then go up to her and slash at her to break the shield temporarily. Now, use this opportunity to quickly switch to good ol' Ruby and blast La Saia silly with fire magic(remember to junction the fire attribute on her weapons). Then switch back to Toan and repeat. If you are really floundering, try hiding behind the pillar nearest to her until her attacks die off and jump out and start your assault. She is too difficult of a boss to be snoozing through it. Good luck. You'll need it. :) _____________________________________________________________________________ You might want to trade in your Ointment Leaf to Basker for the foundation. ============================================================================= CHAPTER FOUR- MUSKA LACKA ============================================================================= After a short visit to Brownboo Village and a failed attempt to call the Moon Ship to the village you are sent on your way to explore the Sun & Moon Temple to find out what has happened to the ship. When you arrive at the temple you will meet Ungaga. He will inform you that the temple is filled with monsters (like we would have expected anything less) and the village of Muska Lacka has been destroyed by the Dark Genie. The goal here will be to restore the village and clean out the temple to find the moon ship. As you progess through the temple you will have a couple of short cut scenes showing Ungaga talking with your friend from Brownboo Village who will keep trying to convince Ungaga that he is strong and that he should help Toan in his question to defeat the Dark Genie. The first thing you should do is head up the stairs and into the temple to collect some Atla pieces and start rebuilding the town. When you exit from the temple you will appear near the front of the temple and can reach the village by walking straight ahead through the arch formed by the two bones. +=================+ SUN&MOON TEMPLE +=================+ The sun and moon temple will offer a refreshing change in appearance from the other dungeons, even the chests take on a different look here. The number of Atla that appear on each floor and whether or not the floor is a limited sone is totally random with the exception of a couple of floors that will be noted in the level walkthroughs below. The key to open the way down on each floor will be the King's Slate and can be found after defeating a random enemy on the floor. Some doors inside the Sun & Moon Temple will require the Stone Key to open. The key to the Back Levels is called the Secret Path Key and will be found in chests. Level 1: You know the basic goal of the floors by now, collect the Atla and treasure and then move on to the next level. The enemies on this floor will include Phantoms and Mummies and should go down fairly easily. Level 2: The same basic goals present themselves here and once again Mummies and Phantoms will be found as well as a new enemy, the Bomber Heads. Level 3: The goals are of course the same here and the enemies that appear include the Phantoms, Mummies and Bomber Heads. I also encountered the first Mimics on this level and even though the look a little different they go down just as quickly as previous versions. It would be safe to assume that any chest from this level down could be a Mimic. Level 4: You guessed it, more of the same goals here. The opposition on this floor expands to include another new enemy, the Golems. Level 5: This floor includes the same goals and selection of enemies as the previous level and by this time you should be getting a fairly nice collection of Atla pieces. Level 6: Are you having fun yet? The collection of Atla pieces has to keep growing and that means continuing your descent into the temple. This level has the same goals as the previous levels and the same enemies are present with the addition of Mr. Blair and his fireball attacks to the roster, cool him off with some ice based attacks and continue your journey through the temple. Level 7: You will find more of the same here, collect the Atla and treasure and move on to the next level. The monsters here are the same as the previous level with the possible addition of Crabby Hermits. Level 8: This floor will hold the final Atla pieces you need to complete some key buildings in Muska Lacka so collect them all and make sure you head back to start building on the village if you haven't done so already, you must have placed and activated at least the event at the 3 Sister's House before you can venture any deeper into the temple. The monsters here include the same ones you faced on the previous level. Level 9: This floor is very small and is intended to make sure you have acquired Ungaga and introduces his special ability. When you first arrive on this level you will see a short cinema sequence showing the two golem brothers talking and then they will attack you. You should make quick work of them then move forward to the doorway with the dark fog and use Ungaga's charge attack to clear the passage so you can continue to the next level. Level 10: We're back to more of the same Atla and treasure collecting on this level. The roster of enemies grows again to include the Dunes. Level 11: This level is just like the previous one, go through collecting the Atla as you fight the familiar enemies that you faced on the last level then head down to the next level. Level 12: This is just more of the same, the enemies will be the same as those on the last two levels so just wade through them, collect the Atla and move on to the next level which is sure to be lots of fun. As a side note, I did run into the first King Mimic of the dungeon on this level. Level 13: This will always be a Limited Zone where you are forced to use your newest ally in the fight against the Dark Genie... Ungaga. The biggest challenge here will be learning to fight with Ungaga if you haven't used him on the previous levels and haven't spent any time building up his weapon, which I hadn't because the only weapon he had was the Fighting Stick. The key to this level is just taking your time and killing enemies until you find the Slate to exit the level then run around grabbing the goodies and leave. Level 14: This is pretty much another standard level, collect the Atla and treasure while fighting the monsters which now includes the Blue Dragon. Level 15: And here we have another standard level with the same goals as before but monsters now have another ally in their attempts to stop you, Steel Giants which you may remember from your brief encounter earlier in the temple. Level 16 & 17: I'm grouping these two levels together since they are both standard levels where your goals include collecting Atla and finding the key to move down another level. There will be no new monsters on these levels. After this level you should go back and complete building Muska Lacka. You should make sure to get 100% in the Georama Analysis to pick up the Mirage for Ungaga and a Diamond to help with weapon upgrading. You also need to activate the event at the Chief's House and then get the Sun Signet and the Moon Signet from Zabo and Enga. You are now ready to go challenge the boss of the Sun & Moon Temple. Level 18: When you arrive at this level you will see two statues with impressions that match the two signets you've just picked up in town. Walk over to them and place the signets in the appropriate statues to open the doors and watch a short cinema sequence that leads into the fight with the boss of the Temple. _____________________________________________________________________________ BOSS FIGHT: THE KING'S CURSE This boss is one of the easiest in my opinion but that could be because of the level to which I had built up Ruby's weapon by the time I reached the final level of the Sun & Moon Temple, regardless of how powerful the weapon you have the strategy is the same. As the large man-shaped form approaches you need to use Ungaga's charge attack until you see the smoke flow into a circle around the coffin. Once the coffin is exposed, quickly switch to the character with the most powerful weapon and make sure that you have Holy as it's active element and whack the exposed coffin. This causes the smoke to start reforming the man-shaped body and once again advance towards you, before it has reformed you should switch to Ungaga and start his charge attack, this will cause the smoke body to be dissipated again as soon as it comes towards you allowing another hit from your most powerful character. If you have a decent weapon this shouldn't take very long, in my game Ruby took him down in two hits doing around 1100 damage with each hit from her Holy aligned ring. _____________________________________________________________________________ After you have defeated the boss a passage will open up leading to the Moon Ship and a short Duel sequence will follow and then you will be on the ship and heading to the moon to visit Yellow Drops and try and discover a way to seal the Dark Genie away and stop him once and for all. ============================================================================= CHAPTER FIVE- YELLOW DROPS ============================================================================= After a brief cinema sequence showing the trip to the moon and Toan meeting a couple of the moon people you will be back in control to explore the town of Yellow Drops. You should make a quick trip around Yellow Drops to get a feel for the layout of the town, you should note the locations of Samba and Jive. Samba will take care of storing your items in this town and Ledan's shop will be located inside the house Jive is standing outside. Once you finish your trip around town go inside the large central building where you will meet Ledan. He will tell you the boss has gone across the Moon Sea to enter the games at the Coliseum and then you'll be shown to the entrance of the Moon Sea. Ledan will head back into town and his shop will be open from this point on and is a good place to stock up on essential items. Once you are all stocked up it's time to head out onto the Moon Sea. Note: You should give the Clay Doll to Marnia who will be standing beside the stone arch at the end of the path you start on when you regain control of Toan after the trip to the moon. She will give you a unique gem, Sun, which adds several stat bonuses when attached to a weapon. +==============+ THE MOON SEA +==============+ The Moon Sea will be unlike any of the previous dungeons you've explored up to this point. The pathways and rooms are the surface of the moon and they are wide open with no walls anywhere to be seen. This means that missiles can travel through the area normally blocked by walls which adds an element of danger to the monsters with long range attacks. In the walkthroughs of the levels below when I refer to a level as normal it means that there are no story elements or special events on this level, there is still a chance that the level will be a limited zone. The number of Atla per level will be random just like it was in previous dungeons. To move between levels on the Moon Sea you will need Gun Powder which will be dropped by one of the monsters after it dies. There are drawbridges on the Moon Sea that will require the Handle to operate properly. The Back Levels on the Moon Sea can be reached using the Bravery Launch, a rare item that can be found in chests. No. 1 Craters: The first area of the Moon Sea should be used to acquaint yourself with the new surroundings. The enemies on this level include the Hellpockle, Witch Hellza and Moon Bug; they should go down fairly easily if you've spent some time building up at least one melee and one long range fighter. Once you've explored the level and collected all of the Atla and chests activate the big cannon and head to the next crater. No. 2 Craters: The goals on this level are the same as the previous level, collect all the Atla and treasure then move on to the next level. The monsters here include a new addition, the Space Gyon, he can be annoying but isn't very dangerous. No. 3 & 4 Craters: These two craters are both normal levels with the same roster of monsters you faces on the previous level. There is the chance that mimics will show up starting at level three, remember this fact when opening chests. Once you've collected the Atla and treasure continue on to the next level. No. 5 Craters: I think the beauty of the moon should be wearing off by this point so just get your butt moving and collect the Atla and treasure and continue across the Moon Sea. The monsters on this level now include the Moon Diggers, a very annoying and possibly dangerous monster. No. 6 Craters: The White Fangs will start appearing on this level. They are an upgraded version of the Werewolves and are just as easy to defeat. After exploring the level and collecting the Atla and treasure move on to the next crater. No. 7 Craters: This is another normal level, just collect the Atla and treasure and keep moving across the Moon Sea. The monster list expands again on this level with the addition of the Vulcans. They are a more powerful version of the Dunes you met in the Sun & Moon Temple and are immune to fire. No. 8 Craters: You will meet Osmond, the boss of the moon people the first time you visit this level. He will transport you back to Yellow Drops and explain why he is going to the Coliseum then join up as your final ally. When you return to this level switch to Osmond, move past the large gap to the cannon and use it to reach the next level. No. 9 Craters: This will be another normal level, just collect the Atla and treasure then continue to the next level. I found the first King Mimic of the dungeon on this level so be careful when opening big chests from now on. No. 10 Craters: This is more of the same, just collect the Atla and treasure then move on to the next level. The roster of monsters will grow again with the addition of the Titans, a slow moving enemy that attacks just like the Golems and Steel Giants from the previous dungeon. No. 11 Craters: This will probably be the most annoying level of the entire dungeon. You'll be limited to using Osmond on this level and chances are you haven't had any time (or the inclination) to build up his weapons and he is very weak. The best way to get past this level is to buy several bombs and use them on all of the enemies you encounter until you find the Gun Powder. You could also purchase one of the g