Mother 3
Walkthrough/Strategy Guide
NOTE 1: A fan translation of the entire game is available at starmen.net. You
will need a ROM copy of the game and an emulator to use the
translation. Item and character names in this guide have been changed
to match starmen.net's translation as shown in their walkthrough in
order to make this guide easier to search.
NOTE 2: To view Japanese text in this guide, change the encoding of your
browser to Shift-JIS. You can do this in both Internet Explorer 8 and
Firefox 3 by going to the "view" menu. I don't use much Japanese, but
it might be easier to search for information if you're familiar with
the language.
Table of Contents
I.Introduction
II.How to Use This Guide
1.If You Don't Know Japanese
2.Searching for Information
III.Game Basics
1.Controls
2.Saving and Loading
3.Naming Characters
4.Main Menu
5.Battle System
6.Money and Shopping
7.Item Storage
8.Hot Springs
IV.General Information
1.Party Members
2.Status Effects
3.PSI Information
Offense
a)PK Love
b)PK Flash
c)PK Starstorm
d)PK Fire
e)PK Freeze
f)PK Thunder
g)PK Ground
Recover
a)Lifeup
b)Healing
c)Refresh
d)PSI Magnet
Assist
a)Shield
b)Counter
c)Psycho-Shield
d)Psycho-Counter
e)Offense Up
f)Defense Up
g)Hypnosis
h)Paralysis
i)Brainshock
j)Offense Down
k)Defense Down
V.Set Up
VI.Prologue
1.Grandpa's House
VII.Chapter 1
1.Fire!
2.Search and Rescue
3.To Alec's House
4.Up the Mountain
VIII.Chapter 2
1.To Osohe Castle
2.Osohe Castle
3.Returning to Osohe
IX.Chapter 3
1.Going to Town
2.Happiness in a Box
3.Back to Osohe
X.Chapter 4
1.On the Tracks
2.Child Labor
3.Club Titiboo
XI.Chapter 5
1.Egg Hunt
2.Pork Bean Highway
3.Up the Tower
XII.Chapter 6
1.Intermission
XIII.Chapter 7
1.Needle Race
2.Chimera Lab
3.Snowmen
4.Gomafu Volcano
5.Ocean Bottom
6.Tanehineri Island
7.Orishimo Mountain
XIV.Chapter 8
1.New Pork City
2.Empire Porky Building
3.The Final Cave
4.The Ending
XV.Extras
XVI.Townspeople
XVII.The Sound Player
XVIII.Gift Box Index
XIX.Item List
XX.Contact Info
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I.Introduction
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This guide was written to help those who know little Japanese get through the
game and understand what's going on. The storyline is explained through
translations of some of the more important or interesting text in the game,
along with my own (admittedly boring) explanations. Translations of names,
menus, and abilities are also given.
This guide also provides strategies on how to defeat enemies and step by step
instructions on how to progress. Please keep in mind I do not know every
secret in the game, and I may have left out a few rare items or enemies in the
guide (I will add them as I find out about them).
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II.How to Use This Guide
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1.If You Don't Know Japanese
a)"Yes" and "no"
The game will prompt you to answer "yes" or "no" numerous times. In all
cases, "yes" appears on the left, "no" on the right:
>Yes     >No
>�͂�     >������
b)Menu Translations
Translations and descriptions of different menu screens are provided in the
following sections of the guide:
FILE SELECT SCREEN:         "2.Saving and Loading"
NEW GAME SET UP MENUS:      "V.Set Up"
NAMING SCREEN:              "3.Naming Characters"
MAIN MENU:                  "4.Main Menu"
BATTLE MENU:                "5.Battle System"
PSI/SPECIAL ABILITIES MENU: "1.Party Members"
SHOPPING SCREEN:            "6.Money and Shopping"
MONEY WITHDRAW/DEPOSIT:     "6.Money and Shopping"
ITEM STORAGE SCREEN:        "7.Item Storage"
Use your browser's search tool (usually CTRL + f) to jump to a section.
c)PSI Moves and Special Abilities
Check the section "1.Party Members" for a translation of each party
member's special abilities list shown in battle. PSI moves that are not
learned will not appear on the in-game list, but the relative ordering of
the moves will be the same.
Also, whenever I mention a PSI move in the guide, I show its PP cost. Not
all PSI moves require different amounts of PP, but hopefully you can find
the ability in the game by looking at the amount of PP required.
d)Items
Press SELECT while in someone's inventory in battle to see a picture of
each item. Starmen.net's walkthrough gives a screenshot of each item to let
you see what they look like. I give short descriptions of each item's
appearance in this guide as well, though text is not as easy to understand
as a picture.
e)Townspeople
The residents of the main village in Mother 3 have unique names and
appearances. If you need help in identifying townspeople, see the section
"XV.Townspeople" for names and descriptions of each character.
2.Searching for Information
Use your browser's search tool (usually CTRL + f) to look for whatever you
need.
Each section of the walkthrough (e.g."1.Fire!", "2.Search and Rescue," etc.)
is divided into the following parts:
OUTLINE
ITEMS
STORES
GIFT BOXES
ENEMIES
WALKTHROUGH
Check the OUTLINE if you are stuck and just want to know how to get through
the game.
The ITEMS section provides descriptions of helpful or important items.
See STORES to see what items are being sold by each vendor in the area.
Search GIFT BOXES to see a list of items found in gift boxes in the area.
See the ENEMIES section for information on each enemy's attacks and
strategies on how to beat them. If you know Japanese, you can search for the
Japanese name (hiragana/katakana or romaji) using your browser.
Read the WALKTHROUGH for more detailed explanations on how to get through the
game.
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III.Game Basics
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1.Controls
CONTROL PAD: move your characters on the field; cycle through menu options
A-BUTTON: talk to people or examine objects on the field; select menu
options
B-BUTTON: dash (hold and release); advance dialogue; select "no" when
asked a question; cancel or go back to a previous menu selection
L-BUTTON: talk to people or examine objects on the field; select an action
in battle; scroll through party members in menus outside of
battle
R-BUTTON: view a map of the area (if obtained); scroll through party
members in menus
START: open the main menu on the field
SELECT: show how much HP/PP your party has on the field; toggle menu
descriptions (press this button while in your inventory screen
during battle to see what each item looks like)
2.Saving and Loading
Saving is done by talking to the little frogs found in various places
throughout the game:
"*Boing*
Would you like to save?
>Yes     >No"
Choose "Yes" and select a file to save. If a previous save is already
written on a file, the game will ask if you want to overwrite. Select
"yes" to do so.
To load a game, select "load" at the title screen and select your file.
The following menu will pop up:
>Start Game
>Erase Data
>Copy Data
>Message Speed
>Window Color
Select "Start Game" to load.
"Erase Data" will erase a file . "Copy Data" will copy one file into the
other; if there is a save on the other file, you will be asked for
confirmation twice.
When you select "Message Speed," the following menu will appear:
>Fast
>Normal
>Slow
The "Window Color" menu appears as follows:
>Plain
>Mint
>Strawberry
>Banana
>Nuts
>Grape
>Melon
3.Naming Characters
When you start a "New Game" or whenever you meet a new party member, you
will be prompted to name your characters. The options at the bottom of the
naming screen are as follows:
DON'T CARE | HIRAGANA | KATAKANA | ABC | BACK | END
If you can't read Japanese and want to use Latin letters, select the "ABC"
option. The "Don't Care" option fills in the default name, "back" erases a
letter, and "end" will confirm. Hiragana and Katakana refer to the two
Japanese alphabets.
4.Main Menu
Press START outside of battle and 4 or 5 icons will appear at the top of
the screen. This is the main menu, and the icons are as follows:
GOODS | EQUIP | PSI | STATUS | SLEEP
The PSI icon appears later in the game, as will a counter showing how much
money (DP) your party has.
a)Goods
(Icon looks like a bag)
Select this icon to go into your party's inventory. Each party member
can carry up to 16 items, including equipped weapons and armor. To
scroll through each person's inventory, press the R or L button. At the
top of the screen, you will see each party member's face and a key icon.
Select the key icon to view any important or "key" items you have. These
items cannot be sold or thrown away and do not take up inventory space.
When you select an item with the A button, three options will appear:
"Use"
"Give"
"Throw Away"
Select the "give" option to transfer an item to another party member's
inventory and the "throw away" option to discard an item (not all items
can be thrown away). Note that discarded items cannot be retrieved.
b)Equip
(Icon looks like a bat or a club)
Select this icon to enter the equipment screen. Here you can equip
weapons and armor to boost your party members' stats. You can also view
each party member's stats and what is currently equipped:
[char. name]    |  [weapon]
[level]       |
[max HP]      |  [body armor]
[max PP]      |
[Offense]     |  [head gear]
[Defense]     |
[IQ]          |  [other armor]
[Speed]       |
Use the control pad to select either "weapon" or a type of armor and
press the A button to view which items the character can equip. An item
must be in the character's inventory in order to be equipped. Use the
control pad to view each item and how it will affect the character's
stats on the left side of the screen. You can also remove an equipped
item if you want to do so.
c)PSI
(Icon resembles cross hairs)
This icon will appear when you have a party member that can use PSI.
Select this icon to view what PSI abilities your party member(s) have
or to use recovery PSI moves to heal your party. The two PSI moves you
can use from this screen are Lifeup (recovers HP) and Healing (heals
status effects), with Lifeup always at the top of the list.
d)Status
(Icon is a silhouette of a person)
Select this icon to view your party members' stats, experience points,
and equipped items:
[char. name]
[level]                   [current HP]
[Offense]                 [current PP]
[Defense]                 [weapon]
[IQ]                      [body armor]
[Speed]                   [headgear]
[experience pts.]         [other armor]
[ex. pts. for next level] [special ability]
Offense determines how much damage is inflicted by a character's
physical attacks. The higher the value, the more damage is inflicted.
Defense determines how much damage a character receives from physical
attacks.
IQ acts as both Offense and Defense for PSI attacks. Characters with
higher IQ will inflict more damage with their PSI attacks and receive
less damage from attacks made on them. The effect of IQ is very small,
however, and is barely noticeable.
Speed determines the order of turns in battle, with faster characters
generally making their moves earlier than slower characters.
e)Sleep
(Icon is two Z's)
Select this icon to put your Game Boy Advance into sleep mode.
5.Battle System
The battle system in Mother 3 is pretty much a standard turn-based battle
system with a few twists. Battles begin when you make contact with an
enemy. If you meet each other face to face, the screen will turn blue and
battle will begin normally. If you touch the enemy from behind, however,
the screen will turn green and you will get one free round to attack the
enemy or run away. If the enemy touches you from behind, the screen will
turn red and the enemy will get a free attack. Note that if you lose a
battle, you will lose half of the money the party was carrying.
There are five icons at the top of the battle screen:
BASH | GOODS | PSI/SPECIAL ABILITIES | DEFEND | RUN AWAY
a)Bash
(Icon is a musical note)
This is each party member's standard attack. With this attack, you can
take advantage of the "Sound Battle" system and pull off combos by
rhythmically tapping the A button in time with the background music.
Each time you press the A button, your character will make an additional
attack, and with good timing you can get a maximum of 16 hits. This is a
powerful technique that can sometimes double or even triple the amount
of damage you inflict.
There are some things you can do in the game to help you learn the
rhythm of each song. If you put an enemy to sleep (by PSI or a special
ability), you will be able to explicitly hear the rhythm of the sleeping
enemy. You can also practice fighting an enemy at any time with an item
called the Battle Memory. This item can be obtained in Chapter 2, and it
allows you to view and battle any enemy you have encountered in the
game. Practicing with the Battle Memory is safe and easy, since you will
not be attacked and you can fight for as long as you want.
Some songs have irregular rhythms, although most of them don't appear
until the middle part of the game. These songs can have parts where the
rhythm speeds up or slows down, parts where you should not tap the A
button at all, or have rhythms that are just plain weird. Using the
Battle Memory and putting enemies to sleep is the best way to learn the
rhythms for these songs.
b)Goods
(Icon looks like a bag)
Select this icon to have a character use an item from his or her
inventory. Press the SELECT button while in the inventory screen to see
what each item looks like along with a short description.
c)PSI/Special Abilities
(Icon resembles cross hairs)
Select this icon to have a character use a PSI move or a special
ability. For a list and explanation of each character's special moves--
as well as a translation of the special abilities menu that appears in
battle--see the "Party Members" section below.
d)Defend
(Icon is a red cross)
Select this option if you want a party member to spend a round
defending. This will reduce damage inflicted by physical attacks by half
and slow down the descent of the HP counter. Note that the damage
reduction does not work on some enemy attacks and any PSI attack.
e)Run Away
(Icon is an arrow pointing down)
Select this option to get out of a battle. This option should only be
used as a last resort when in a dangerous situation or if you don't feel
like fighting. You are not guaranteed to succeed in running away from a
battle unless you approach an enemy from behind, and you cannot run away
at all from boss battles and other important fights.
Some enemies will occasionally drop an item when defeated. If any party
member has space in his or her inventory, the dropped item will be picked
up automatically. If everyone's inventory is full, the game will ask if
you want to throw anything away:
"Will you throw something away?
>Throw away     >Don't throw away
Throw away:
| [Choose a party member's inventory]
| [Select an item to discard; press B twice to cancel (go to "Don't
|  throw away"]
| [Select "yes" to confirm; selecting "no" is the same as selecting
"Don't throw away"]
Don't throw away:
|  Then, will you leave the item behind?
|    >Yes     >No
Yes:
| [End the battle]
No:
| [Go back to first question]"
6.Money and Shopping
Money will become available at the beginning of Chapter 4 in the form of
"DP." DP is earned by defeating enemies and withdrawn by talking to the
little frogs that save your game:
"*Boing*
Do you need something?
>Yes     >No
Would you like to save or would you like a DP transaction?
>Save    >DP Transaction"
Select "Yes" and "DP Transaction" to open the DP withdraw/deposit window.
This works almost exactly like an ATM. The top number is the amount of DP
in your deposit, the middle number is the amount you want to transfer, and
the bottom number is the amount the party is carrying. The top two tabs
indicate whether you are depositing or withdrawing: the left tab is for
deposits, and the right tab is for withdrawals. Use the control pad to set
the amount of DP you want to transfer.
DP is used for buying and selling items. When you talk to a salesperson,
you will be taken to the shopping screen. The three options on the left
are:
"Buy"
"Sell"
"Quit"
To make a purchase, select "buy" and choose which party member you want to
buy goods for. A list of items on sale and their prices will appear on the
right. If something is grayed out, it either means you do not have enough
money to buy the item, or the selected party member's inventory is full.
Scroll through the list with the control pad and press the A button twice
to buy. Press the L or R button to select different party members, or
press B to go back to a previous menu.
When selecting weapons or armor, the top of the screen will indicate which
party member can equip the item with an "OK" sign and an "Up" or "Down"
to indicate whether that item will increase or decrease the character's
stats. When you buy the item, you will have the option to equip the item
on the selected party member right away. If you do so, you will then be
given the option to sell the previously equipped item. In most cases you
will probably want to sell, though there are a few items you can only get
in limited quantities and may want to hold on to.
Selling works in a similar way to buying, only you choose which item you
want to sell from your inventory, and grayed out items are those that
can't be sold. Press the B button or select "quit" to stop shopping.
7.Item Storage
Starting from Chapter 4, you will be able to meet a man wearing a beanie
and standing next to a blue cart. This man can be found in various places
throughout the game, and he will store your items for free.
When you talk to him, you will be taken to the item storage screen. The
three options on the left are:
"Store"
"Withdraw"
"Quit"
To store an item, select "Store" and choose a party member's inventory.
Scroll through your items with the control pad and press the A button to
store. Press the L or R button to choose a different party member, or
press the B button to return to a previous menu.
Withdrawing items works in a similar way, only you can see which items are
currently in storage and you can select which item to take out. Press the
B button or select "quit" to exit.
8.Hot Springs
Hot Springs are found in various places throughout the game and can
completely recover your party. Enter a hot spring and stay in there for
about 7 seconds. The party will recover all their HP/PP and be cured of
most status effects. Sleeping on sofas or on some beds or entering an
"Amazing Capsule" (aka Instant Revitalizing Machine in EarthBound) will
have the same effect.
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IV.General Information
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1.Party Members
a)Lucas
�����J (Ruka)
"The younger twin brother
He's a nice boy"
The first character you control in the game is the main character. Lucas is
the son of Flint and Hinawa and is a bit of a momma's boy. He has high
Offense and IQ, good Defense, and moderate Speed, and his weapons of choice
are sticks, staffs, and bats. His special ability is PSI, which he learns a
little later in the game.
Lucas's high Offense makes him a good physical attacker, and pulling off
high combos with him can often inflict heavy damage (sometimes more than
his PSI attacks). In terms of PSI, however, he is more of a defensive
character, since he only has two directly offensive PSI moves and
everything else targets the party. His Lifeup is almost essential later in
the game, and his shielding and stat boosting moves can greatly help the
party survive battles. For these reasons, I recommend you have Lucas focus
mostly on defense in boss battles and rely on his standard attack when he's
not protecting the party. His PSI attacks (PK Love and PK Flash) are mostly
useful when facing a group of normal enemies or in emergencies.
Lucas's PSI abilities will appear in the following order when you select
the PSI icon (looks like cross hairs) in the main menu outside of battle:
*Lifeup[alpha]        (5 PP)  |  *Lifeup[beta]         (9 PP)
*Lifeup[gamma]        (16 PP) |  *Lifeup[omega]        (28 PP)
Refresh               (20 PP) |  *Healing[alpha]       (4 PP)
*Healing[beta]        (8 PP)  |  *Healing[gamma]       (18 PP)
*Healing[omega]       (30 PP) |  PK Love[alpha]        (10 PP)
PK Love[beta]         (20 PP) |  PK Love[gamma]        (35 PP)
PK Love[omega]        (50 PP) |  PK Flash              (12 PP)
Shield[alpha]         (6 PP)  |  Shield[omega]         (18 PP)
Counter[alpha]        (12 PP) |  Counter[omega]        (28 PP)
Psycho-Shield[alpha]  (8 PP)  |  Psycho-Shield[omega]  (20 PP)
Psycho-Counter[alpha] (18 PP) |  Psycho-Counter[omega] (34 PP)
Offense Up[alpha]     (6 PP)  |  Offense Up[omega]     (18 PP)
Defense Up[alpha]     (6 PP)  |  Defense Up[omega]     (18 PP)
* denotes PSI moves that can be used outside of battle
In battle, PSI abilities are organized into three categories:
>Offense
>Recover
>Assist
Select a category, then select a PSI move from the list that appears on the
right. Lucas's PSI moves are listed in the order shown below.
Offense > PK Love[alpha]   (10 PP)
PK Love[beta]    (20 PP)
PK Love[gamma]   (35 PP)
PK Love[omega]   (50 PP)
PK Flash         (12 PP)
Recover > Lifeup[alpha]    (5 PP)
Lifeup[beta]     (9 PP)
Lifeup[gamma]    (16 PP)
Lifeup[omega]    (28 PP)
Refresh          (20 PP)
Healing[alpha]   (4 PP)
Healing[beta]    (8 PP)
Healing[gamma]   (18 PP)
Healing[omega]   (30 PP)
Assist  > Shield[alpha]          (6 PP)
Shield[omega]          (18 PP)
Counter[alpha]         (12 PP)
Counter[omega]         (28 PP)
Psycho-Shield[alpha]   (8 PP)
Psycho-Shield[omega]   (20 PP)
Psycho-Counter[alpha]  (18 PP)
Psycho-Counter[omega]  (34 PP)
Offense Up[alpha]      (6 PP)
Offense Up[omega]      (18 PP)
Defense Up[alpha]      (6 PP)
Defense Up[omega]      (18 PP)
For an explanation of what each PSI move does, see the section:
"3.PSI Information"
b)Flint
�t�����g (Furinto)
"A strong, kind, and dependable father"
Flint is Lucas and Claus's father and Hinawa's husband. His high Offense
and Defense make him a strong physical attacker, which is good since he
will be the only party member you can control most of the time when you
play as him.
He cannot use any PSI and must rely on food items to stay alive; when
you're far from a place to rest, restore lost HP after battles with your
weakest food items first and save your better food items for recovery
during fights.
In battle, Flint's special attacks appear in the order shown below:
>Swing           >Power Smash
>Charge Up       >Stand Firm
Swing: Attacks all enemies on screen. Swing has the same offensive power as
Flint's standard attack, but you cannot combo with it. This move is
mostly useful against groups of two or three weak enemies.
Power Smash: Flint attacks with all his strength. Power Smash hits roughly
30% of the time, but it always gets a SMAAAASH!! hit that
usually inflicts 100~200+ HP of damage. This move can be
useful against enemies that take more than four or five rounds
to beat with standard attacks.
Charge Up: Increases Offense by about 20%. Charge Up will stop working once
Flint's Offense is 20% above his base value, but you can use the
move as often as you need to offset the effects of Offense
lowering attacks.
I find Charge Up to be useful in only one battle in the game.
Most fights usually don't last long enough for Charge Up to
shorten the fight.
Stand Firm: Increases Defense by about 20%. Stand Firm works in the same
way as Charge Up, only it affects Defense. You should not need
to use this move if Flint is properly equipped.
c)Boney
�{�j�[ (Bonii)
"A brave and intelligent dog"
Boney is Lucas's unusually intelligent and dependable dog. He has somewhat
low HP, Defense, and Offense, but has very high Speed and almost always
attacks first in battle. You can take advantage of this by giving Boney
your food items and using them when you need to recover someone as quickly
as possible. Give him offensive items, such as Bombs, Rockets, and
Saltwater Guns, to offset his mediocre Offense and lack of special attacks.
Boney's special ability is "sniff." If you can read Japanese, you can
determine an enemy's type (e.g. Mechanical, Chimera, etc.) and their
vulnerabilities with this move.
d)Duster
�_�X�^�[ (Dasutaa)
"A little eccentric but a nice guy
He is surprisingly skilled"
Duster is called a "thief" in the game, but he does not steal in the
conventional sense. His main job is to sneak into a castle and recover an
artifact at one point in the game. He can utilize a variety of items as his
special attacks.
Duster has very good Speed and good Offense but cannot use PSI. I recommend
you give him your best food items, as he often attacks early in battle and
has a decent amount of HP, making him a dependable healer.
Duster has a number of special abilities. Once in awhile at the beginning
of battle, Duster will get in a swift kick at the enemy before anything
else happens. This early attack has the same offensive power as Duster's
standard attack, but you cannot combo with it. This early attack occurs
roughly 10% of the time regardless of Duster or the enemy's stats or level.
Also, if an enemy approaches you from behind, Duster can sometimes either
get in a swift kick like in normal battles or make the enemy turn around
and give you a free round instead. The swift kick occurs about 20% of the
time and the free round occurs about 10% of the time.
In battle, Duster's special attacks appear in the order shown below:
>Wall Staple          >Siren Beetle
>Hypnotic Pendulum    >Smoke Bomb
>Scary Mask           >Tickle Feather
Wall Staple: Solidifies a target for two or three rounds. This move has a
base success rate of 100%, but the actual success rate depends
on an enemy's Wall Staple defense (see starmen.net's
walkthrough for enemy defenses). The success rate against most
enemies is about 75% or lower, and most bosses are immune.
Siren Beetle: Makes an enemy turn around and do nothing for two turns.
Enemies with their back turned have roughly 20% less Defense.
Using the Siren Beetle on a sleeping enemy will wake it up.
The Siren Beetle has a success rate of 75% and is unaffected
by enemy defenses, though this move will not work on enemies
that can't be approached from behind. This includes all
bosses and special fights like the Mole Cricket.
Hypnotic Pendulum: Makes an enemy fall asleep. Sleeping enemies cannot do
anything but have a roughly 40% chance of waking up if
attacked. Use the Hypnotic Pendulum when you want to
hear the rhythm of an enemy's battle music.
The Hypnotic Pendulum has a base success rate of about
90%, though the actual success rate depends on an
enemy's sleep defense (see starmen.net's walkthrough for
enemy defenses). Note that Kumatora's Hypnosis PSI move
has a base success rate of 100%. This difference isn't
significant in most cases, and you're usually better off
using the Hypnotic Pendulum.
Smoke Bomb: Makes an enemy start uncontrollably crying, reducing the
accuracy of its physical attacks by 50%. Use the Smoke Bomb
only in long battles, as it is not very useful in battles that
last only two or three rounds.
The Smoke Bomb has a base success rate of about 90%, though the
actual success rate depends on an enemy's sleep defense (see
starmen.net's walkthrough for enemy defenses).
Scary Mask: Decreases an enemy's Offense by about 20% the first time, 8%
the second and third times, and 0% thereafter.
The Scary Mask has a success rate of about 70%. While the Scary
Mask doesn't require PP, Kumatora's Offense Down does the same
thing with a near 100% success rate.
Tickle Feather: Decreases an enemy's Defense by about 20% the first time,
8% the second and third times, and 0% thereafter.
Like the Scary Mask, the success rate of the Tickle Feather
is about 70%, while Kumatora's Defense Down has a near 100%
success rate.
e)Kumatora
�N�}�g��
"A strong and clever
tomboyish girl"
The name "Kumatora" literally means "Bear-Tiger," which is an appropriate
name for this character. Kumatora is an extremely tomboyish girl who has a
fierce personality, but she is kind enough to her friends and allies. She
is introduced as the "princess" of Osohe Castle, but there is more to this
girl than the game initially lets on.
Her specialty is offensive PSI, and as such she is not much of a physical
attacker. Her Offense, Speed, and max HP are moderate at best, but her high
IQ and max PP make up for those deficiencies. Don't be afraid to use her
PSI attacks often even against normal enemies.
Kumatora's PSI abilities will appear in the following order when you select
the PSI icon (looks like cross hairs) in the main menu outside of battle:
*Lifeup[alpha]        (5 PP)  |  *Lifeup[beta]         (9 PP)
*Healing[alpha]       (4 PP)  |  PSI Magnet[alpha]     (0 PP)
PSI Magnet[omega]     (0 PP)  |  PK Starstorm          (48 PP)
PK Fire[alpha]        (6 PP)  |  PK Fire[beta]         (12 PP)
PK Fire[gamma]        (20 PP) |  PK Fire[omega]        (40 PP)
PK Freeze[alpha]      (5 PP)  |  PK Freeze[beta]       (10 PP)
PK Freeze[gamma]      (18 PP) |  PK Freeze[omega]      (28 PP)
PK Thunder[alpha]     (7 PP)  |  PK Thunder[beta]      (15 PP)
PK Thunder[gamma]     (21 PP) |  PK Thunder[omega]     (32 PP)
PK Ground             (43 PP) |  Hypnosis[alpha]       (6 PP)
Hypnosis[omega]       (18 PP) |  Paralysis[alpha]      (8 PP)
Paralysis[omega]      (24 PP) |  Brainshock[alpha]     (7 PP)
Brainshock[omega]     (22 PP) |  Offense Down[alpha]   (7 PP)
Offense Down[omega]   (20 PP) |  Defense Down[alpha]   (7 PP)
Defense Down[omega]   (20 PP) |
* denotes PSI abilities that can be used outside of battle
In battle, PSI abilities are organized into three categories:
>Offense
>Recover
>Assist
Select a category, then select a PSI move from the list that appears on the
right. Kumatora's PSI moves are listed in the order shown below.
Offense > PK Starstorm       (48 PP)
PK Fire[alpha]     (6 PP)
PK Fire[beta]      (12 PP)
PK Fire[gamma]     (20 PP)
PK Fire[omega]     (40 PP)
PK Freeze[alpha]   (5 PP)
PK Freeze[beta]    (10 PP)
PK Freeze[gamma]   (18 PP)
PK Freeze[omega]   (28 PP)
PK Thunder[alpha]  (7 PP)
PK Thunder[beta]   (15 PP)
PK Thunder[gamma]  (21 PP)
PK Thunder[omega]  (32 PP)
PK Ground          (43 PP)
Recover > Lifeup[alpha]      (5 PP)
Lifeup[beta]       (9 PP)
Healing[alpha]     (4 PP)
PSI Magnet[alpha]  (0 PP)
PSI Magnet[omega]  (0 PP)
Assist  > Hypnosis[alpha]     (6 PP)
Hypnosis[omega]     (18 PP)
Paralysis[alpha]    (8 PP)
Paralysis[omega]    (24 PP)
Brainshock[alpha]   (7 PP)
Brainshock[omega]   (22 PP)
Offense Down[alpha] (7 PP)
Offense Down[omega] (20 PP)
Defense Down[alpha] (7 PP)
Defense Down[omega] (20 PP)
For an explanation of what each PSI move does, see the section:
"3.PSI Information"
f)Salsa
�T���T (Sarusa)
"A monkey that can endure anything
for the love of his girlfriend"
The name "Salsa" is a pun on the Japanese word for monkey, "saru," and the
Japanese spelling of salsa, "sarusa." With an adorable demeanor and an
amusing name, Salsa is one of the most likable monkeys you'll find in any
video game.
You will control Salsa at only a few points in the game, so don't spend too
much time leveling him up. Salsa's stats are pretty low all around except
for perhaps his Speed. His only real strengths are his special attacks:
>Apologize    >Crowd Pleaser
>Dance        >Monkey Mimic
Apologize: Solidifies an enemy for a few rounds.
Crowd Pleaser: Solidifies an enemy for a few rounds. Crowd Pleaser tends to
have a higher success rate than Apologize. Given Salsa's
abysmally low Offense, it's often better to use Crowd
Pleaser than attack even if you can combo.
Dance: Increases a random party member's Offense, Defense, or Speed or
decreases an enemy's stats. It can also cause an enemy to turn
around or become solidified. Use Dance when Salsa doesn't have
anything better to do.
Monkey Mimic: Salsa waits for the enemy to attack him, at which point Salsa
will use the same attack against the enemy. The mimicked
attack has the same offensive power as the enemy's attack
regardless of Salsa's Offense. Monkey Mimic is useful when
fighting a group of enemies, as Salsa can attack multiple
times if hit more than once. This move will not mimic status
affecting attacks.
2.Status Effects
Most status effects can be cured by the PSI move Healing or items. Some items
cure only specific status effects, while items like the Secret Herb and the
Cup of Lifenoodles can heal any ailment except burning and solidification.
Hot Springs cure most status effects as well.
It's usually best to heal a status effect after a battle is over. A notable
exception is during boss fights when a PSI user is affected by memory loss or
a flea, since those status effects can disrupt your use of PSI. Cure any
affected party member as soon as possible in those situations.
a)Burn
Effect: suffer about 4% of max HP worth of damage each round
Symbol: none
Cures: -Wait one or two turns
-End the battle
Burns are caused by PK Fire or other fire-based attacks.
b)Crying
Effect: reduces the accuracy of a character's physical attack by about
50%
Symbol: a tear
Cures: -Healing
-Use Eye Drops
-End the battle
Crying can greatly hinder a party member that relies on physical attacks.
You can use Healing to cure the status effect, but often times it's
better to start using offensive PSI or to just keep using standard
attacks anyway and end the battle as quickly as possible. Fortunately, a
party member cannot miss an attack if they are in the middle of a combo.
c)Feel Strange
Effect: -a character will perform a random action on a random target
-reverses movement control outside of battle
Symbol: a squiggly black blob
Cures: -Healing
-Use a Paper Fan
-Walk a few steps outside of battle
If a party member feels strange, it's sometimes better to just leave them
alone. The worst that can happen is if the affected character attacks
your own party or uses one of your good items, but these are usually
things you can deal with.
d)Flea
Effect: occasionally makes a party member fail to use special abilities
Symbol: a black dot with a bouncing line behind it
Cures: -Healing
-Use Flea Powder
The flea can be detrimental if a PSI user is affected by it, so try to
heal if Lucas or Kumatora is infested during an extended battle. If the
party is affected during a normal fight, heal after the battle is over.
This status effect persists on the field until cured.
e)Memory Loss
Effect: renders a character unable to use PSI or special abilities
Symbol: a question mark
Cures: -Healing
-Use a Recollection Bell
-Wait a few turns
-End the battle
Like the flea, memory loss can be debilitating if a PSI user is affected
by it. Heal if in a boss battle.
f)Nausea
Effect: renders a character unable to eat food items
Symbol: a gray cloud
Cures: -Healing
-Use a Fresh Mint
Nausea is only a problem in Chapter 2; use a Fresh Mint or enter a hot
spring (or equivalent) to cure it. Extra Fresh Mints can be traded for
with a ghost merchant inside Osohe Castle. Nausea persists outside of
battle until cured.
g)Paralysis
Effect: a character randomly wastes about 50% of its turns
Symbol: two zigzag lines
Cures: -Healing
-Use an Anti-Paralysis
-Wait five turns
-End the battle
Use Healing if an important party member is paralyzed in a major battle.
h)Poison
Effect: -suffer about 5% of max HP worth of damage each turn
-2 HP of damage for every 8 steps taken outside of battle
Symbol: a skull
Cures: -Healing
-Use an Antidote
It's usually best to cure poison after a battle is over, unless you are
in a long fight.
i)Sleep
Effect: renders a character unable to do anything for a few rounds
Symbol: two Z's
Cures: -Healing
-Use an Alarm Cicada
-End the battle
-Get attacked (roughly 40% chance of waking up per attack)
Put an enemy to sleep to explicitly hear the rhythm of the battle music
and make it easier to execute combos. If one of your party members falls
asleep, it's usually best to just wait until they wake up or end the
battle.
j)Solidify
Effect: renders a character unable to do anything for two or three rounds
Symbol: none
Cures: -Wait a few turns
-End the battle
This status effect cannot be healed by PSI or items but will usually go
away after two or three rounds.
3.PSI Information
PSI refers to the psionic abilities that some party members can learn. Each
PSI move consumes a certain amount of PP and cannot be used if a character
does not have enough PP to cover the cost. PP can be replenished by either
resting at a hot spring or using PP recovery food items.
PSI moves are learned when a character reaches a certain level. When a
character reaches a high enough level, he or she will fall under a fever
(indicated by white spots above the head) and be unable to run. The fever
will go away after walking a number of steps, at which point a new PSI move
will be learned.
The damage and success rates of some PSI moves are determined by various
defense values that are unique to each enemy. Starmen.net has identified 9
types of defenses that affect the following moves:
PK Flash
PK Fire
PK Freeze
PK Thunder
Paralysis
Hypnosis
Brainshock
(There are 6 other defenses that affect some special abilities and Bombs
as well.) The damage and success rates of these moves are approximately
determined as follows:
damage       = (base damage) X defense/100
success rate = (base success rate) X defense/100
Search the enemies section of starmen.net's walkthrough to look up any
enemy's defense values and see below for base damage and success rates.
OFFENSE
a)PK Love
NOTE: The name of this attack will be whatever you entered as your
"favorite thing" at the beginning of the game.
This is Lucas's special PSI attack. Each version of PK Love is learned
after predetermined events in the game. It is a powerful move that
inflicts significant damage to all enemies on screen, but it consumes a
lot of PP.
Only use PK Love when you are having trouble against multiple enemies.
Otherwise, use Lucas's standard attack instead; getting high combos can
often inflict more damage to a single target than PK Love can, especially
if you use Offense Up and Defense Down. In terms of PSI, Lucas is more of
a defensive character, and it's usually better to have him focus on
recovering and boosting stats rather than using PK Love in difficult
fights.
-alpha
PP Cost: 10
Damage: 120~160 HP
PK Love[alpha] is useful against bosses and groups of enemies when Lucas
and Boney are alone and if you can't combo.
-beta
PP Cost: 20
Damage: 220~260 HP
-gamma
PP Cost: 35
Damage: 430~500 HP
-omega
PP Cost: 50
Damage: 800~860 HP
b)PK Flash
PK �t���b�V��
PP Cost: 12
Status Effects: Cry          (60% base chance)
Paralysis    (15% base chance)
Feel Strange (10% base chance)
Instant KO   (10% chance)
No Effect    (5% minimum chance)
PK Flash randomly causes uncontrollable crying, feeling strange,
paralysis, or instant defeat to all enemies on screen. Lucas learns this
move when you reach a certain point in the game. There is only one
version of this attack.
The actual probability of each status effect occuring depends on the
target's defenses according to the following formula:
actual chance = (base chance) X (defense value)/100
For example, using PK Flash on an enemy with 60 cry defense will cause
uncontrollable crying about 60% X 60/100 = 36% of the time. As far as I
can tell, no defense value affects the instant KO rate. (See
starmen.net's walkthrough for enemy defenses.)
The 5% "no effect" chance is the inherent failure rate of PK Flash. Any
increase in an enemy's resistance to crying, paralysis, or feeling
strange will increase PK Flash's failure rate.
PK Flash is best used against a group of enemies that rely on physical
attacks. Unfortunately, its random nature makes this attack mostly
unreliable, and better alternaties are usually available.
c)PK Starstorm
PK �X�^�[�X�g�[��
PP Cost: 48
Damage: 650~750 HP
PK Starstorm inflicts significant damage to all enemies on screen, being
slightly weaker than PK Love[omega]. Kumatora automatically learns this
move when you reach a certain point near the end of the game.
d)PK Fire
PK �t�@�C���[
PK Fire inflicts mediocre damage to all enemies on screen. It's
effectiveness varies depending on the target, as some enemies receive
extra damage while others are resistant or immune. PK Fire has a base
chance of roughly 8% of burning its target.
Use PK Fire to soften up a group of Organic or Organic Chimera type
enemies, as those types tend to be vulnerable to this move. Avoid using
PK Fire against neutral targets, since this move has a low cost-
effectiveness.
-alpha
PP Cost: 6
Level Learned: Kumatora (10)
Base Damage: 60~90 HP
Status Effect: burn (8% base chance)
-beta
PP Cost: 12
Level Learned: Kumatora (23)
Base Damage: 110~150 HP
Status Effect: burn (8% base chance)
-gamma
PP Cost: 20
Level Learned: Kumatora (43)
Base Damage: 190~250 HP
Status Effect: burn (8% base chance)
-omega
PP Cost: 40
Level Learned: Kumatora (53)
Base Damage: 270~350 HP
Status Effect: burn (8% base chance)
e)PK Freeze
PK �t���[�Y
PK Freeze deals significant damage to a single enemy. It's effectiveness
varies depending on the target, as some enemies are vulnerable to it and
receive extra damage, while others are resistant or immune. This move has
a base chance of roughly 8% of solidifying its target.
The relatively high cost-effectiveness of PK Freeze can make it a good
alternative to Kumatora's standard attack. Consider using PK Freeze when
Kumatora's "bash" is ineffective, especially when facing Bug and Human
type enemies that tend to be weak against this move.
-alpha
PP Cost: 5
Level Learned: Kumatora (10)
Base Damage: 120~150 HP
Status Effect: solidification (8% base chance)
-beta
PP Cost: 10
Level Learned: Kumatora (28)
Base Damage: 210~260 HP
Status Effect: solidification (8% base chance)
-gamma
PP Cost: 18
Level Learned: Kumatora (38)
Base Damage: 320~390 HP
Status Effect: solidification (8% base chance)
-omega
PP Cost: 28
Level Learned: Kumatora (51)
Base Damage: 430~520 HP
Status Effect: solidification (8% base chance)