Bethany Plays: TTYD Post-Chapter 3 Part 2: Grubba's Dirty Laundry

The new Badges available are:

Power Rush P (1 BP) (50 coins): Best found here for the collection, it's a better version of Mario's Power Rush because Partners can be swapped, and no more.
Shrink Stomp (1 BP) (75 coins): We already found our free copy in the Great Tree, but hey, if you want a bit more free time with a Shrunk enemy, this can power up your Stomp.
Ice Smash (1 BP) (75 coins): This is a normal Hammer attack that can inflict the Frozen status, for 3 FP. It's a pretty terrible move and it can be acquired for free later.

...

I wanted to start clearing out the Lovely Howz so I could get some more control over the discounted Badges, and I didn't think Ice Smash would be free later. I especially did not expect the free copy to be in Chapter 4.

...Damn, this is painful. Go for Power Rush P!

Three cheers for Mario!

Beforehand, this same fighting fan dismisses Rawk Hawk as "no Prince Mush". They really build up this guy for a guy we can never fight.

Our brother is over here. We'd see him if we had to go from Frankly's place to the pipe.

I'm sure you know this, but that's your brother, Luigi. Duh. It seems like he's suspenders-deep in his own crazy adventure right now. If you ask him, he'll tell you all about it... but I wonder how much of his story is true...

On this map, Goombella doubts Luigi's stories openly. I think this is the only time he's here in West Rogueport, though.

I can tell from the cherry bomb.

Once we made landfall on the Strudel Continent, we made for Plumpbelly Village. Once we got there, though, we immediately noticed that something was wrong. We learned from the mayor that the town was ruled by a giant snake named Hizza! He said his own daughter was gonna be offered up as a sacrifice to this beast, too!
So, of course, being heroic, I offered myself up to go in her stead! Brave, huh? Now, the custom was for sacrifices to be dressed as brides, so I got all dolled up... I was one hot sacrifice, Bro. I looked so good, I fooled our foes and got in Hizza's lair. It was kind of rough fighting in that gown, but I managed. Chiffon really chafes, Bro!
I finally found Hizza... and the snake had a second head on its tail! Talk about scary! I fainted real quick, but when I came to, I managed to distract both heads... It reared up, fangs bared to attack, and at that moment, I deftly lunged left! His gaping mouths smashed into one another... and he vanished in a cloud of smoke!
A shining plate fell down on the spot where Hizza's body had been coiled... Yes! Another compass piece! I set it, and it pointed east, to Circuit Break Island!
Just as I was about to leave town, the mayor asked me to stay and marry his daughter. I thought about it- she was sorta cute- but we ended up sneaking off the next morning. I mean, I still have to save Princess Eclair from the Chestnut King!
And... when the Marvelous Compass activated this time, I heard somebody's voice. It was so beautiful, Bro... I'm certain it was Princess Eclair's voice! My heart began to race! That's when I realized it: Princess Eclair... I think I...
Oh! I kinda zoned out there. Umm... So, yeah. We set sail again after ditching town... And somehow we managed to get back here to Rogueport. And here I am!

Luigi, Luigi, Luigi... you don't skip town to avoid your responsibilities. You tell that girl you have other engagements to her face. She has to live her own life after you're gone, don't make her wait. ~~Also, make sure that, when you tell this story to Daisy once we get back home, you leave this part out.~~

"Hizza" makes me think of Hisstocrat from 3D World. If it's a reference to anything Mario and not just a snake to be a snake, it would be Tryclyde the three-headed snake from Super Mario Bros. 2, although all three heads on that beast were on the one side. The whole "eats village maidens in bridal gowns" also makes me think Orochi, but the JP name isn't pointing in that direction (although I'm sure the JP fans probably think 'snake eating maidens' to be as cliche as westerners think 'dragon eating maidens').

Nice to meet you, too. What has Luigi done?

...Oh.

(The thing about beating the snake on his own is real, right?)

Too late. We all saw him in Peach's dress in Superstar Saga, and he wasn't anywhere near as bad as you make it sound. He also found himself in Peach's dress in one of the comics, and seemed to like it there.

...All I'm saying is, I think Mario wouldn't mind coming home with a sister, and I'm sure Daisy wouldn't mind getting a girlfriend.

That's Jerry, Luigi's Bob-omb buddy. He's a little different from most Bob-ombs. He's really burning with a righteous fire, and I think he's seen some... horrible... things. Speaking of which, I wonder if I'll ever be a bride... Hee hee hee hee hee!

Eurgh, when we asked for a grittier Mario game, I think most people were hoping we wouldn't get the stench of all the obligatory college girl jokes. ~~...OK, I'm fairly sure the people asking for "gritty Mario" are exactly the target audience for them.~~

Who knows? Nothing good, is the current bet.

Wonky stuff:

Yoshi Colours:
Way, way down to the south is an island where lots of Yoshis live. And Yoshis are born from eggs, as everyone knows... But a Yoshi's color depends on its egg conditions right before hatching. So it's always a surprise to see what comes out. ...Know what I mean? Your Yoshi has a rather nice color, by the way. I'm sure he'll grow up to be a fine Yoshi, yup.

Not only is this fake information about Yoshis (Yoshi colour is determined before they hatch for most Yoshis), but it doesn't even do more than confirm that Dr. Agon's colour is different from playthrough to playthrough. This sorta implies you could do actual actions to force one colour over another. Although that would be a fun gimmick...

Grubba from Glitzville:
So about that Grubba in Glitzville... He went from a mediocre fighter to the ruler of Glitzville in a matter of years. And there's a rumor that it was all because he found a glittering gem somewhere. I don't know what kind of stone it was, but it must've been a nice good-luck charm. Then again, I heard he hasn't been seen recently around Glitzville, so who knows?

...Not sure when Macho Grubba was a fighter, although I'm surprised it was in Glitzville, if Mush was supposed to be the first Champ. Sounds like Grubba was never anything much until he got his hands on Power Lift. I thought he was such a terror that they made his moves illegal?

Finding Star Pieces:
You've heard of Star Pieces, of course... Yes, they're no less than pieces of actual stars that have fallen to earth... They're so pretty and shiny that anyone who stumbles on one turns into a collector. If you want to find some, just check out all the nooks of each area you visit. They always seem to be slightly hidden, know what I mean?

...Is that when we're talking about them in more detail? I'm going to say the textdump was more at fault than Wonky, although I wouldn't be surprised. That is, if we hadn't already gone over Star Panels.

How to save money:
Did you notice that you can only carry up to 999 coins? Well, if you ever want to collect more... You should buy Gold Bars at the shop near here... And then store them at the shop, where you can convert them back to coins anytime. They may sell for slightly less than you buy them for... But it's better than losing all the coins you wouldn't be able to pick up, right?

Are you working for Deepdown Depot? This is terrible advice, both as a money-saving tip and as a general tip. If you have so much money you're worried about overflow, just buy some things from the Lovely Howz, Charlieton, or even Pianta Parlour.

Amazy Dayzees:
I've heard tales of an Amazy Dayzee, a truly rare breed among Dayzees... They're worth oodles of Star Points, but they're timid and tend to run away fast. Still, I bet if you kept visiting the same area, you could meet one again...

Amazy Dayzee is back. It's never found in the overworld this time, only inside pre-existing formations, but they live in Chapter 4 this time.

The Minstrel:
Somewhere here in Rogueport there's a minstrel by the name of Grifty. He knows all the old legends of Rogueport... And he'll tell you interesting tales you've never heard before, I'm pretty sure. So, if you find him, you should definitely listen to at least one.

Now that is an interesting story...

You might remember us picking up a Star Panel, Star Piece and Shine Sprite up here. There's one more thing to nab, too.

That guy's name is Grifty. He's a laid-back rooftop minstrel-type guy. He tends to know all of the stories that get passed around Rogueport's streets. For a couple coins, he'll tell you one... and you never know, it might help on our travels.

Wonky is our tip guy for mechanical clues, while Grifty is our tip guy for lore.

We start with five. I'm not buying these yet, although I do wind up buying them as I go after this chapter. Incidentally, while these are all in order, new entries may appear in-between them, rather than all at the end.

1. The Fearsome Demon:
Ages ago, a city flourished here in peace and splendor. ...But it was destroyed in a single day by a demon from the dark beyond. Historians claim a great calamity befell the city, but nay... 'twas a demon. The city sank below ground, and one-quarter of the old city became the demon's den. This demon put fear into the hearts of all men and sent out minions to take the land. And its den, its palace, grew rich with the treasures stolen from all over the world.

So thus is the power of the cataclysm. Say, that demon was slain, right?

4. The Hero Who Arose:
One day, there came a hero who could vanquish the fell demon. The young Toad from Petal Meadows was strong of arm, but shy of voice... All those around the boy teased him endlessly about the way he spoke. But when the demon cast his fearful gaze across the lands and reached out... The young Toad used his strength and honor to defend his people. And he became a hero to all, despite his odd voice.

...Koops? I mean yeah, he's a Koopa, but I think he might just have something more to prove than just to his dad...

5. The Wise Goomba:
There was a wise Goomba from Boggly Woods gifted in knowledge of the world. When beasts rose to take the woods, this knowledge helped the people fight them. And this Goomba, who knew the way that every monster would attack... She began to think of a way to banish all monsters from the land...

OK, that is definitely Goombella. Right down to being a girl- I never noticed the Goomba used she/her pronouns, too.

6. The Stalwart Koopa:
A Koopa who traveled the world alone learned of the darkness covering the land... He went alone wherever evil dwelt, and banished it with shell and sheer bravado. The monsters grew to fear this scar-riddled Koopa who thwarted them at every turn. But the brave Koopa was finally taken in a trap set for him by the monsters. But then, a Boo who fought with the monsters came and used her magic to free him. The brave Koopa's spirit had melted the heart of the cold Boo lass...

If we're intended to read the characters in this story as parallels to the ones in the modern day, the Koopa would be Mario, while the Boo would be... well, I know exactly which one, but it's not one we have yet.

7. The Four Heroes
The Boo used her powerful magic to learn more about the evil they faced... "We cannot destroy this darkness alone," she decided, her face a grim mask. "We need the Toad hero of Petal Meadows and the wise Goomba of Boggly Woods." The Boo's magic drew the four heroes together to send the demon from the world. And so, the four heroes finally set out for the Palace of Shadow...

Grifty is the only character to talk in detail about the Four Heroes who came before us, so these can slip past many radars. Their story isn't particularly important to understanding the nature of the Crystal Stars and what we need to do with them- what Professor Frankly can find on that topic will suffice- although learning about the Four Heroes will answer some other questions.

The name "Grifty", like Chet Rippo and Charlieton, suggests Grifty may not be on the up-and-up. However, all of his non-English names, including his Japanese name, are puns on telling stories, and do not suggest deceit. Not saying that means his stories are definitely more than hearsay and conjecture, but more saying that's down to the limits of oral history in a town of lowlifes and cutthroats than it is his attempts to continue the problem.

Three new troubles, and... wow, one for Jolene already. I guess they do give us new area ones quickly.

I need some cleaning done. Motivated workers only. Please meet me in the Glitz Pit.

Yep. Sounds like Jolene making a request.

Picking up a Cake Mix for a later Trouble.

Blimp ride it is.

Oh hey, Hoggle acknowledges he had a fertilised egg on his grill.

Now's the time you'll need those two Hot Dogs.

...Take this, my inventory is full.

I think this is based on arriving in a "post Chapter 3 state"... but, like, after checking the Door.

This is not about the Trouble, although it would be neat if it was.

No.

Yeah, sadly, we can't just check in on King K and Bandy Andy whenever.

Again, it's amazing how this entire setup is not about the Trouble we're doing for her.

The Security standing outside this door is as terrible as ever at knocking.

Jolene is involved in multiple troubles, and I wish you could just not enroll in the Glitz Pit until you were ready to actually give a comeback to the fans.

...

We were that big of a deal in the Glitz Pit? Maybe Grubba being worried about us wasn't just because he was taking all the other fighters...

...Also the lack of Rawk Hawk. I guess I should've figured that.

"I hired myself to take this ring down. I have no idea how to keep it up now that I'm done."

Nope. I'm here for your Trouble.

Really, they should've just made it so you had to come back a little later than "right after Chapter 3". You're probably going to bump into this as part of the Trouble if you're doing it, but this is an overblown reaction considering we just left.

Jolene jumps right to getting our registration in order.

...I like that it's also not against the rules to re-enlist the same fighter under the same name. We do have a different title (we don't go by "Merciless Executioner", but instead "Superstar Sequel"), but apart from that, the Great Gonzales can just... turn up again.

Mario's actually been reacting, jumping in shock and shaking his head, but it seems some things never change.

Fortunately, we don't actually have to commit to doing any fighting, nor will the game care I haven't picked up my career. It'll be a long time before I actually make my comeback, and I can only imagine how weird this would look to the in-universe fans who see the leaks.

Twice was enough.

Anyway, let's finally talk about the Trouble request.

The word "garbage" is given a special print type.

Considering the hub town? I think it's probably for the best you don't ask.

...Apparently, Jolene went looking through all the crates in Grubba's dusty storage room and found a bunch of laundry.

We can only hope the last wrestler to wear these was alive when they were removed.

You have to go all around this room to find all 20 Trunks.

And yep, there are 20 of the things. I suspect at least some of them were worn by people Grubba murdered. I can't say all of them for sure, but if they were... that is one hell of a way to get a sense of scale in his body count.

I don't... think talking to Jolene again is required, but it's a good idea just in case. You don't want to come back here unnecessarily.

I am 100% sure this going to be used either to commit a crime or sold on the black market to perverts. I'm not sure which one I'd rather it be.

...I'm really going to need this while running around backtracking, aren't I? Bump Attack isn't going to be for a long time, and there's no Spin Attack.

...The guy even thinks we're doing a "cleanup". I have no idea how Jolene got this number, although I wonder if maybe Grubba had some professional help with his dastardly plans.

Take all of the soiled trunks.

One at a time.

OK, I think we can rest assured these shorts are probably going to an awful home. Possibly sealed in cement and thrown to the ocean floor. That may be one of the better outcomes.

Back to Glitz Pit we go.

So much for duress pay. At least it's pay.

And that will probably be why the storage room goes unused for the rest of the game. It's not that there's any funny business behind closed doors, it's just that it smells like blood, sweat and tears- and not the good kinds- and the manager doesn't want to deal with it until that's been aired out, both literally and metaphorically.

A good think to keep in mind for Chapter 4 is, you're going to want goodies. As much as you feel you can fit in your pockets.

This one's for a sidequest. This feels too specific for a single Cake Mix- all three games have a different outcome for cooking a single Cake Mix, and while I understand what 64 and SPM were going for, TTYD feels like there should be another ingredient here. Not sure what goes into real Mousse, though.

Just getting it out of his item roulette.

And as proof of concept, immediately eating it. I actually needed that point of HP.

I want to make a Heartful Cake, but forgot the recipe, for Mario's sake! I have to keep my shop open, so can you find the recipe, I'm hopin'? I first learned the recipe from Toce T. Yes, over in Petalburg, you see. Please meet me in the charmer's hut, beneath Rogueport. Hurry! Hut!

The funny thing is, Merlee doesn't actually want a Heartful Cake, just a recipe. We don't even have two-item cooking yet!

Must grab this.

As a reminder, Merlee is the sorceress hiding in this house.

...Although I kinda have the feeling we didn't need to come here first? Might as well.

Funnily enough, at this point in the story, we now no longer need to head east to get to Petalburg.

Our destination is this room.

We can smash this block now!

Shine Sprite, too.

Annoyingly, I always tend to be in the wrong part of the cycle while hitting the buttons to spawn the blue pipes. Or to do anything in this room.

...

Wrong pipe. I believe, from right to left, the pipes are in the order we visited the areas, which is nice, because it's somewhat annoying to track which pipe is which.

There we go, that's our destination.

...I don't think these two have gotten that much of a dialogue change, if at all, after Koopie Koo's heartfelt email.

This is the NPC we need to talk to for Merlee.

You can also use a Peachy Peach and Ruin Powder. Either way, we cannot get Ruin Powder except by random chance, and it won't be until after Chapter 4 we can change that.

"Hopefully this time she can get him to stay for seconds."

Dangit. Probably for the best, though, I'd probably have to make it out to keep the treasure.

She thanks us for the reminder-

Although she does need some Cake Mix.

Yes, I had a spare.

Merlee is now able to make her boyfriend of the week some Heartful Cake for a hearty night.

...At least, I think she has the boyfriend prepared?

Another 30 coins in exchange for a quick errand and a Cake Mix worth 6 piantas. Worth it.

While I'm here, I also decide now is the time to purchase one of Merlee's spells.

All shall worship the cube.

In case you haven't noticed, I'm doing a lot to gain an edge in combat.

I have a bad craving for a certain food item... Could you fetch it for me? Please meet me in Petalburg.

This sidequest is a pretty key one if you're a big fan of cooking, but it's not that great if you just want all the recipes.

This flowerpot man wants Hot Dogs. No, I don't get it either.

I guess he just wants to experience it. Can't say it's the worst way to go about it.

...Huh. This time, they use the whole inventory screen. Not sure why it's different here.

Maybe we ought to have warned him?

At least it was the good kind of surprise.

...He didn't learn a thing from the first one.

That was a little more information than I was keen to learn.

I'm not entirely fond of spices, I can't say what the difference is. Not sure what Hoggle's using.

...Whatever. Little bit greedy, but at least I brought all these items with me the first time. I shudder to imagine the alternative.

This is what that Mousse Cake was for.

He's quick to pinch it. It's kinda funny, actually.

Bub-ulber, now that he's fed, realises that asking for three items was a bit much for a single favour.

...Uh... sure. Probably the peaceful nature of the town got him thinking people are more naturally selfless than they are. I mean, we got him his items, but...

Dried Bouquets are a bit of an "undo" button on various recipes, turning recipe items and even normal items into alternative versions. No recipe in the game requires a Dried Bouquet, but you can get some decent comboes like Volt Shroom -> Thunder Rage.

Most of the time, the item you get back is worse than the item you put in, though. Unless you really need to recycle it for another recipe.

They can be freely traded for Hot Dogs (and just Hot Dogs, not the whole trading sequence) at any time. Bit tedious to go out of your way for more, though. There's just not enough going on that you'd want extras.

At least he's happy.

The Great Tree hasn't uninstalled the X-Naut doors, but otherwise, it has returned to this "unsullied by human hands" nature. Except for us. They know they can't tell us to leave, though.

Punio is doomed to an eternity of listening to the Elder's prattle. He deserved better than this.

The only useful NPC around here is Petuni, who is so bored of not being allowed to play with Punio that she has a game for Mario.

Stump Petuni is a game that I wish was far more interesting than it is. You might be wondering on what basis Petuni has for answering difficult questions.

She doesn't.

You are given four sentence fragments, of which you can fill them with three options (for a total of 81 possible questions). Petuni can only answer one.

Annoyingly, it isn't even the default one.

HUH??????????????? Wh-What kind of question is that? I don't even get what that means! You have to ask a real question or it's no fun! Booo! Stump Petuni is over!

If you're wondering how one is sufficiently divorced from reality to say that when there are bad questions, she nopes away all the bad ones as not even questions.

Answers to some of the more interesting questions:

Luigi likes which person the most? Mario, of course. Not in that way, though.
The X-Naut Army likes which room the most? The Palace of Shadow behind the Thousand Year Door. Don't ask why.
Mario decorates which room for the heck of it? I don't think Mario has ever had a My Room mechanic.
The X-Naut Army decorates which tree the best? I feel like you should've got a unique response for that question. That is probably the rudest one you could possibly ask.

The Mystic Egg is a cooking ingredient, and I think we need four total for recipes outright- including the one-item recipe Fried Egg (10 HP).

You have to play Stump Petuni each time, though. I don't think you need to leave and reload the room, but you might.

I don't think they're "her eggs", in that she didn't lay them. This might be worse than the alternative, actually.

Well, that's a Puni, all right... Look, I'm totally sorry, Mario. Punio and those guys are the only ones I can recognize!

Goombella has some face-blindness issues with the Punies. Punio, Petuni and Puniper are the only ones with names, and that's less "conservation of characters" and more "is that one Punithy or Puniette?"

...Yay?

This is going to be essential.

And hey, it might've been a bad hint, but we might as well enjoy the profits while having a clean inventory.

Also went and smashed this. There's a spring under it you can use, although I don't think this is ever the convenient way to get the Door again- most Chapters either end you close to the West side or it's an even flip. But hey, if you haven't picked up the Star Piece that was hiding behind it, it is now clearly visible.